War of 1812 with Ken Shepherd
2023-06-21 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Detroit) | Copeland Center, 2306 Fourth Street, Wyandotte, Michigan, 48192
Ken’s presentation on the War of 1812 in the Michigan theatre looks at the Downriver area before and after the surrender of Detroit. There are a couple of battles in the area, and troops passed through what is now Wyandotte, to try to open communications between Detroit and the American-held lands in Ohio. His concentration, however, is usually on the politics; General Hull, the commandant at Detroit, was court martialed for surrendering the city, and a lot of people who were at Detroit spoke up in that trial.

Fundraising Dinner Monguagon Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution
2023-08-10 15:00 - 22:00 | Texas Roadhouse Restaurant, 14660 Pardee Road, Taylor, MI, 48180
Enjoy a great dinner while supporting the Monguagon Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution.
Your support allows us to continue our mission of honoring and supporting those who serve our nation, preserving our history, educating children, and making a difference in our communities.
Please share and encourage your family and friends to share as well.
Download the flyer for use on Donation Night.

Civil War Women: Soldiers, Spies, and Suffragettes with Joann Kotcher
2023-09-20 19:00 - 21:00 | Copeland Center, 2306 Fourth Street, Wyandotte, Michigan, 48192
Join us for a special program commemorating Women’s History in the Civil War. Joann Puffer Kotcher, Vietnam War Donut Dolly, one of the first women allowed in a combat zone, will discuss the riveting stories of women in the Civil War. The crash of cannons tore these brave young women out of their China-doll, domestic rolls. Hundreds served incognito as soldiers, and spies. Hundreds more managed businesses and plantations, nursed the wounded and dying, collected donations for soldier relief, and thousands fled the advancing armies. The Civil War brought destruction and upheaval to women’s lives, and, ironically, astounding progress. Come meet these women. From chaos came the seeds of today’s emancipation of women, from the right to vote, to ownership of property, to today’s battlefield and boardroom. Never say, “No good can come from war.” History gives us the power to see the future.

Polish Genealogical Society of Michigan 45th Annual Genealogy Seminar – Day 1
2023-10-14 11:00 - 15:00 | Zoom webinar – registration required
Includes live presentations with Q&A, a syllabus, and door prizes. Attend either day or both days — Open to the public.
Day 1 is Webinar Only.
Polish DNA: Stories It Reveals and the Ways to Use It for Genealogical Purposes by Eryk Jan Grzeszkowiak
Changing Places, Changing Borders: Overcoming Geographic Challenges by David Obee
For an informational flyer and online registration, visit the society website.
Registrations paid by check must be postmarked by October 5.
Online registration closes on October 10.

Tattletale Sounds: The Edmund Fitzgerald Investigations with Ric Mixter
2023-10-18 19:00 - 21:00 | Copeland Center, 2306 Fourth Street, Wyandotte, Michigan, 48192
Tattletale Sounds is the latest book on the Great Lakes most famous shipwreck. Diver/historian Ric Mixter has interviewed dozens of men who built, sailed and explored the wrecksite, visiting the Fitzgerald himself in the Delta submersible in 1994. His book separates legend from fact with 300 pages of photos, diagrams and first person accounts of the largest ship ever lost on the inland seas.

Polish Genealogical Society of Michigan 45th Annual Genealogy Seminar – Day 2
2023-10-21 08:30 - 16:00 | American Polish Cultural Center, 2975 E. Maple Rd, Troy, MI, 48083, United States
Day 2 is Webinar or In-person at the American Polish Cultural Center, 2975 E. Maple Road, Troy, MI.
In-person registration includes a continental breakfast and lunch with Polish food. In-person seating is limited.
Includes live presentations with Q&A, a syllabus, and door prizes. Attend either day or both days — Open to the public.
Inaccuracies, Errors, and Conflicts of Information in Polish Vital Records and How to Resolve These Problems by Daniel Bućko
The Genealogical Value of Royal and Government Estate Inventories by Daniel Bućko
The Chene Street History Project by Dr. Karen Majewska
Hamtramck’s Polonia by Dr. Karen Majewska
For an informational flyer and online registration, visit the society website.
Registrations paid by check must be postmarked by October 5.
Online registration closes on October 10.

Michigan Genealogical Council Fall Family History Seminarwith Michael Strauss
2023-11-04 09:00 - 16:00 | Michigan Library & Historical Center, 702 West Kalamazoo Street, Lansing, MI, 48912, United States
Each fall, the Michigan Genealogical Council, with our partners, the Archives of Michigan and the Library of Michigan, presents the Fall Family History Event. This year, you can attend onsite in Lansing or online from home. Michael L. Strauss, AG, will be our speaker. Michael is employed as a Research Manager and Senior Genealogist for Ancestry ProGenealogists. He is a native of Pennsylvania and a veteran of the United States Coast Guard. He is a published author and national genealogical lecturer, instructor, and faculty member at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG), Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP), and the Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research (IGHR), where he coordinates the military history courses. Michael has been involved in Civil War and Mexican-American War reenacting for more than twenty-five years. Michael Strauss’s presentations will be

Introduction to Military Genealogy Research will focus on a large number of records, strategies, and techniques to find your military ancestors from the colonial era through the Vietnam War.
A House Divided: Research in the Civil War will examine records most used by genealogists and historians, including service records, draft records, pensions, and records to trace the movement of your ancestor’s military unit for both sides.
Roosevelt’s Tree Army: Researching in the Civilian Conservation Corps will explore CCC genealogical resources between 1933-1942, including Office Personnel Files, discharge certificates, accident reports, camp and district reports, photographs, and motion pictures.
All in a Day’s Work: Occupational Genealogical Research will focus on the methodology to research your ancestor’s work history, tapping into records of employment and discussing old occupations no longer in use.

Register online today A complete event schedule and mail-in registration form can be found here.

Polish Settlements in Michigan with Valerie Koselka
2023-11-15 19:00 - 21:00 | Copeland Center, 2306 Fourth Street, Wyandotte, Michigan, 48192
This presentation will identify the Polish communities in Michigan with emphasis on neighborhoods in Detroit, Hamtramck, and Wyandotte. In this talk, we will outline a plan to research our immigrant ancestors in Michigan.

100 Wyandotte Soldiers from the Civil War with Marty Bertera and Mary Johns Wien
2024-01-17 19:00 - 21:00 | Copeland Center, 2306 Fourth Street, Wyandotte, Michigan, 48192
By the war’s end in 1865, nearly 3 million young men and a few hundred women served in the civil war. They left their homes in large cities, towns, and small villages for an adventure of a lifetime; our presenters will look at one of these communities, Wyandotte, Michigan. The soldiers would serve their country in many far-flung locations throughout the United States. Ultimately, some would die, but most returned to civilian life, and a few suffered the traumas from personally experiencing war.
What started for them as a keep me busy project during covid, updating the correct number of soldiers in the city, ended up being over a 260-page book. By using as our foundation earlier books such as Proudly We Record and Historical Society notes that listed as few as 35 to a higher number of 112 soldiers from Wyandotte. The authors have been able to add and correct these numbers up to over 140. Along the way, they corrected the spelling of a few first and last names. They deleted a few names listed as Civil War but were Spanish American War soldiers.
You would be mistaken if you think this is just a civil war history; it’s more than a war story; for those that survived the war, it was a small-time frame of their existence but an important one. These veterans’ lives did not end when they were mustered out and discharged. Through many hours of research online, old newspapers, military books, and state archives, they have brought new information about the soldiers, such as the location of their birth, family members, occupation before and after the war, same with profession, location, and death date.
The authors:
Mary Johna Wein is the President of the Wyandotte Historical Society—director of the Friends of Wyandotte Cemetery and the Webpage of the same name.
Marty Bertera has published several civil war books and has worked in the film industry on historical films and documentaries. He also built the large diorama at Raisin River National Park in Monroe, Michigan, of Frenchtown in 1812, along with dioramas for other local museums

Sharing Memory Projects with several DRGS members
2024-02-07 19:00 - 21:00 | Copeland Center, 2306 Fourth Street, Wyandotte, Michigan, 48192
Please note the date change for this meeting. The Copeland Center is not available on our usual meeting date.
Kathy C, Sherry H, Carol D, Mary P, Rana W, Chris H – Family History – Sharing More Than Just Dates. Kathy & Jeff Clark are working on putting a PowerPoint together for this. 10-15-minute talks. Items will be on display.

Michigan POW Camps in WWII with Greg Sumner
2024-03-20 19:00 - 21:00 | Copeland Center, 2306 Fourth Street, Wyandotte, Michigan, 48192
Dr. Gregory Sumner is Chair of the History Department at the University of Detroit Mercy. He will speak on the little-remembered subject of the 6,000 German and Italian POWs housed in camps across Michigan during WWII. They mostly behaved well, supplied help during the labor shortage, and many later became U.S. Citizens.

Bottled Goodbyes with Ric Mixter
2024-04-17 19:00 - 21:00 | Copeland Center, 2306 Fourth Street, Wyandotte, Michigan, 48192
Ric Mixter’s book “Bottled Goodbyes” is more than just fantastic stories found from bottles that washed ashore.
The author used genealogy research to track down living relatives of shipwreck victims, hoping to find original copies of the notes he features in his book. From wrecks on the Great Lakes to the Titanic, you’ll enjoy his storytelling!

Irish Handfasting Wedding with Kathy Cannon
2024-05-15 19:00 - 21:00 | Copeland Center, 2306 Fourth Street, Wyandotte, Michigan, 48192
While planning a long visit to Ireland, Kathy thought back to having seen a “handfasting” wedding ceremony in a movie and wondered whether they did this sort of thing in Ireland today. After some research, she found a celebrant who performed this ceremony and was willing to travel to the Kilcar, Donegal area where Kathy and Dave would be visiting to perform theirs. Kathy will talk a bit about handfasting and its history, and the ceremony that she designed for her and Dave.

DRGS Used Book Sale
2024-05-21 10:00 - 2024-05-22 14:00 | DRGS Library, 28639 Division St., Flat Rock, MI, 48134, United States
This sale will be held at the DRGS Library, located inside the Flat Rock Schools Administration Building. Please enter using the north door by the gym. Hours are 10:00 am – 2:00 pm each day.
Featuring:

Hardcover and softcover books and pamphlets
Research volumes
DRGS publications
Local city, county, and church histories
Local Cemetery books
Free will donation

A Detroit Fire Fighter's Story and growing up Polish on the West Side of Detroit with Bob Dombrowski
2024-06-19 19:00 - 21:00 | Copeland Center, 2306 Fourth Street, Wyandotte, Michigan, 48192
3 Books – 38 Years

A Detroit Firefighter’s Story
Paczki Day (being Polish on the West side of Detroit)
1969 (growing up in 1969 and the year of everything that happened)

Michigan’s Iron Brigade with Michael McCaffery
2024-09-18 19:00 - 21:00 | Copeland Center, 2306 Fourth Street, Wyandotte, Michigan, 48192
Michael Mccaffery, Director of the Dearborn Heights libraries, recently hosted a program on the Michigan 24th at his library and other local Civil War roundtables. His focus during the program was the 24th’s ties to the community, including a state historical site at which some Civil War veterans were interred. The upcoming presentation will focus on the genesis of the Michigan 24th, why it was unique, and how the unit came to be one of the most decorated units in the Civil War.

The Life and Times of Henry Ford with Richard Gatza
2024-10-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Copeland Center, 2306 Fourth Street, Wyandotte, Michigan, 48192
He will be showing pictures and talk about the life and times of Henry Ford in Dearborn Michigan from early age until his passing.

DNA Sequencing with Kayla Zochowski
2024-11-20 19:00 - 21:00 | Copeland Center, 2306 Fourth Street, Wyandotte, Michigan, 48192
Join Dr. Zochowski to learn about the basics of next-generation sequencing, or the process by which your DNA can be extracted, sequenced, and assembled into your unique genetic code. Sequencing contributes to our understanding of many different biological systems, including the ability to gain insights into ancestry. Learn about the steps involved from sending your saliva off to interpreting your ancestry results.

Wyandotte Toys with Daniel Galeski
2025-01-15 19:00 - 21:00 | Copeland Center, 2306 Fourth Street, Wyandotte, Michigan, 48192
He will have pictures on display of the 3 Toy Factories in Wyandotte plus an office on Eureka.

Beginning Genealogy with Sherry Huntington and Kathy Clark
2025-02-19 19:00 - 21:00 | Copeland Center, 2306 Fourth Street, Wyandotte, Michigan, 48192
DRGS President Sherry Huntington and member Kathy Clark teach Beginning Genealogy.

Shipwrecks of Wyandotte with Ric Mixter
2025-03-19 19:00 - 21:00 | Copeland Center, 2306 Fourth Street, Wyandotte, Michigan, 48192
The shipyard at Wyandotte launched the first iron and steel vessels on the lakes, with innovations that included the first icebreaking hull. Ric Mixter shares several of the hulls launched here, but their memory was tarnished by shipwreck. This includes Alvin Clarke, Sport, SR Kirby, Chicora, Sydney Smith, JR and Tashmoo.

Military Collectionwith Scott Galeski
2025-04-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Copeland Center, 2306 Fourth Street, Wyandotte, Michigan, 48192
Join Scott as he brings many of his relics to the meeting and talks about one of the biggest military collections in Michigan.

2025 Lansing FamilySearch Seminar
2025-04-26 08:30 - 16:30 | Lansing FamilySearch Center, 431 E Saginaw, Lansing, MI
The Lansing Family Search Seminar, a cornerstone of the Mid-Michigan genealogical community since 2002, offers a comprehensive learning experience. Our presenters share their expertise in a wide array of topics, including Michigan-specific resources, DNA analysis, historical records, international research, and essential skills like story writing, AI-assisted research and digitizing family photos. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced researcher, you’ll find valuable insights and practical guidance. Join us to connect with your heritage. Check out this registration guide: Registration Guide.
You can find biographies and course descriptions at this site: 2025 Lansing FamilySearch Seminar Information Site.
Register here.

Waterford Genealogical Society 2025 Genealogy Seminar
2025-04-26 13:00 - 18:00 | Waterford Township Public Library, 5168 Civic Center Dr, Waterford, MI, 48329
Co-sponsored with the Waterford Township Public Library (WTPL), it was formerly called the lock-in and now occurs during regular library hours.
Check-In: 12:30 P.M.
Welcome/Announcements: 12:45 P.M.
Classes: 1:00 P.M. – 5:45 P.M.
FREE Wi-Fi
If you have a laptop or tablet with wireless capabilities, you are welcome to bring it and have access to all the Library’s databases: Ancestry-LE, My Heritage-LE, FamilySearch.org, and American Ancestors—NEHGS.
Bring a USB flash drive to save information.
WTPL is a FamilySearch Affiliate Library
Pre-registration is requested. Click here for additional information and a mail-in registration.

2025 Barbara J. Brown Family History Seminar featuring Kelvin L. Meyers
2025-05-09 13:00 - 2025-05-10 16:00 | Michigan Library & Historical Center, 702 West Kalamazoo Street, Lansing, MI, 48912, United States
Every year, the Archives of Michigan and the Michigan Genealogical Council host a seminar to promote family history awareness and teach genealogy research skills. The event is generously supported by the Abrams Foundation in loving memory of Barbara J. Brown. We are delighted to be hosting Kelvin L. Meyers, who will join us onsite in Lansing and via Zoom.
The Archives of Michigan is pleased to continue offering this flagship annual gathering as a hybrid event. In addition, the Archives of Michigan will offer the following additions to this year’s seminar:

A free pre-seminar session on military records on Friday, May 9 at 10 a.m. (for online access, please register separately).
A continental breakfast for onsite attendees on both Friday and Saturday at no additional charge.
Lunch for onsite attendees on both Friday and Saturday at no additional charge.
Extended research hours in the Archives of Michigan reading room.
Recordings of seminar sessions available to registrants for 30 days following the event.

Register now for the 2025 Barbara J Brown Family History Seminar!
Registration fee: $55
Download the flyer.
The Archives of Michigan is excited to welcome Kelvin L. Meyers as this year’s featured speaker! Kelvin Meyers is a fifth generation Texan and professional forensic genealogist since 1996.
Kelvin is a frequent speaker to genealogical societies and family associations throughout the United States. Kelvin works with several mineral companies in Texas researching heirs throughout the US and the world to holding in Texas and specializes in southern brick wall problems for clients.
Kelvin currently serves as the President of the Forensic Genealogy Special Interest Group of the Association of Professional Genealogists, and in 2016, published Research in Texas for the National Genealogical Society’s Research in the States series.
The Dallas Genealogical Society awarded Kelvin the Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck Distinguished Service Award in December of 2018. Kelvin is also a fellow of the Texas State Genealogical Society.

Genealogical Society of Monroe County 45th Annual Spring Seminarfeaturing Adam Oster and Jeff Mason
2025-05-10 09:00 - 15:30 | Monroe County Community College, Audrey M Warrick AdministrationN & STUDENT SERVICES BUILDING 1555 South Raisinville Road, Monroe, MI, 48161
The 45th annual GSMC seminar is on May 10th, 2025. Join us for four one-hour-long lectures related to genealogy. There will also be door prizes, exhibitors, and vendors.
Adam Oster is the Community Engagement Librarian for the Library of Michigan. He will speak on “Yearbooks, alumni lists, and other school-related records” and “Michigan County Poor Farms”.
This year, we have a food truck with “The Big Jerrowski” selling their delicious comfort food.
The afternoon presentations will be by Jeff Mason. Jeff is an experienced genealogist and speaker. His topics will be: “Breaking Down Brick Walls & Reviving Dead Ends” and “Death & Taxes – 2 Things You Cannot Afford to Miss – A Genealogical Perspective”.
Join us for a day of learning and connecting.
For additional information and registration, visit the GSMC website or download their flyer.

St. Francis Xavier Cemetery with Dale Renaud
2025-05-21 19:00 - 21:00 | Copeland Center, 2306 Fourth Street, Wyandotte, Michigan, 48192
Member Dale Renaud will speak on St. Francis Xavier Cemetery, Ecorse, Michigan. He will give a little history of the cemetery and stories he found researching it. He has been a genealogist for 30 years, 5th Generation Member of St. Francis Xavier Church, and a proud Ecorse boy.
Find-a-Grave photo by Sherri Czuchra.
The original program scheduled for this date was Detroit in WWII with Dr Gregory Sumner.

DRGS Annual Potluck Dinner
2025-06-18 17:30 - 19:00 | Copeland Center, 2306 Fourth Street, Wyandotte, Michigan, 48192
Dinner will be at 6:00 pm, Program and meeting will follow at 7:00 pm.
Doors open at 5:30 pm

Advanced Tips and Tricks for Genealogy Research with Dolores Shearon
2025-06-18 19:00 - 21:00 | Copeland Center, 2306 Fourth Street, Wyandotte, Michigan, 48192
Whether beginners or experienced genealogists, eager learners can always pick up new information to make their research more efficient — and more enjoyable. Here’s a sample: When you name your family tree on one of the big genealogy websites, don’t get cutesy. Instead, set out some “cousin bait” by titling it with the major surnames you’re researching (e.g. Jones-Miller-Moore-Brown Family Tree). Ready to learn more? This presentation will bring you curated pointers on an array of research topics, with a handout that will get you pumped to go home and try them out!

Free Beginners Genealogy Workshop
2025-08-06 18:00 - 20:00 | Bacon Memorial District Library, 45 Vinewood, Wyandotte, Michigan, 48192
Downriver Genealogical Society will have a Free Beginners Workshop to help those interested in Genealogy. We can all learn information that we may not have known to help us in our research. Also this will give you a good start if you are just beginning your genealogy.
