Membership meetings are held on the third Wednesday of the month (excluding July, August, and December) at 7:00 pm.
Please note: Meetings and programs are being held online while the Copeland Center is closed for meetings. The Copeland Center is currently not available for meetings due to COVID.
The Copeland Center
2306 Fourth Street (between Northline and Eureka)
Wyandotte, Michigan 48192
Wednesday, October 20, 2021, 7:00 pm
Copeland Center
Weird Downriver – Curiosities and Little Known Stories from Downriver with Jakki Malnar
Librarian Jakki Malnar presents “Weird Downriver: Curious Stories and little known facts about Downriver, MI” Join us to hear the stories of Slocum’s “Island”, Death by Tuna, Wyandotte’s own DB Cooper, and much more.
While the Speaker, Jakki Malnar, is in the building, she requires everyone to be masked. In order for everyone to hear her properly, she will be unmasked during her presentation. If you can’t or won’t wear a mask, you will not be allowed to attend this presentation.
Alana Paluszewski will be rescheduled in 2022.
Wednesday, November 17, 2021, 7:00 pm
Copeland Center
The Erie Canal with Gary Rembisz
The Erie Canal is America’s first superhighway, over 364 miles long. It was built without steam power and through the Adirondack Mountains, up and down hills, massive boulders, and uprooting giant trees. How did they get all the water to the canal and keep it in? How did they make water run uphill? It was built with picks and shovels and muscle and blood and an American dream.
Wednesday, September 15, 2021, 7:00 pm
Copeland Center
Membership sharing
We are back in person at Copeland Center! Our program invites members to speak on findings, research, relics, family stories or any other genealogy-related story you would like to share with our group. It’s been a long year and we are excited to see you again. Depending on the number of people who wish to speak, we may limit time at the podium to 5 minutes.
Wednesday, June 16, 2021, 7:00 pm
We Want You! World War I & II Military Records – Cynthia Grostick
(Zoom webinar – registration required)
In this class, we will learn a brief history of both conflicts, the various types of records that are available, alternative sources available if access to the records is not an option, and what we can do to remember these brave men and women who answered their nations call to arms.
Wednesday, May 19, 2021, 7:00 pm
Michiganology 2021 – Jill Arnold
(Zoom webinar – registration required)
Digital collections previously on SeekingMichigan.org are now available on Michiganology.org. This session will review how best to navigate Michiganology.org, talk through known issues with the site and listen to your suggestions for how to improve this free resource.
Wednesday, April 21, 2021, 7:00 pm
Going Beyond Birth, Marriage & Death in your Research – Brenda Leyndyke
(Zoom webinar – registration required)
Finding the birth, marriage, and death records of ones’ ancestors is the starting place for genealogical research, but do not stop there. There are a multitude of resources available for you if you know where to look. Many of these resources are substitutes for vital records that cannot be found or were not recorded. Brenda will introduce attendees to 12 record resources that will help one flesh out their family history. Some records you may have heard of are census, cemetery, and probate. Others may be new to you such as diaries, letters, and Work Progress Administration. Attendees will learn about the types of records available and where to find them A checklist of sources and a thorough syllabus will be given to attendees before the meeting.
Wednesday, March 17, 2021, 7:00 pm
Cathy’s Top Ten Irish Websites – Cathy Cottone
(Zoom webinar – registration required)
We all need to find the paper trail your ancestor left behind. This program will help show you different resources and examples of that paper trail. Cathy will go through her top ten favorite websites that she uses to look for her Irish ancestors. Each of these sites provides great and useful information. Most of the websites will be free to search at your own home or in your local library. Cathy will show examples from each of the websites. With a little luck of the Irish, you might hear something that will be helpful to you!
Wednesday, February 17, 2021, 7:00 pm
Mobile Genealogy, You CAN Take it With You – Judy Nimer Muhn
(Zoom webinar – registration required)
In the search of families, creating family trees, to get a fuller picture of the lifetimes of our ancestors, we want to go to any lengths to find and document the information that informs us about the lives of our family. How we can make it easier, faster, and more efficient is what mobile genealogy tools are about!. Mobile Research Tools are Family Trees, Mobile Apps, and Social Media. More information will be shared in the presentation.
Wednesday, January 20, 2021, 7:00 pm
An In-Depth Look at Russian Poland – Ceil Wendt-Jensen
(Zoom webinar – registration required)
Russian Poland was also known as Congress Poland or the Kingdom of Poland. This area of Poland was under Russian imperial rule from 1772-1918. Its population increased to 6.1 million in 1870 and 10 million in 1900. Ancestors might cite their place of birth as one of the larger cities in such as Płock, Łomża, Białystok, Warsaw, or Lublin. They are more likely to have come from shtetls or small villages such as Kuczbork, Posadów, or Ilza. Explore with us the history, maps, and records of this ancestral area.
November 18, 2020, 7:00 pm
Poletown – Elizabeth Clemens
(Zoom webinar – registration required)
This is a presentation on Poletown, as it relates to a series of photographs in the Folklore Archives at the Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State Univesity.
October 21, 2020, 7:00 pm
Growing Up in the D – Cynthia Williams
(Zoom webinar – registration required)
“Growing Up in the D: My Grandfather, My Mother, and Me” is a history book and personal memoir about growing up in the city of Detroit during the 1950s and 1960s.
September 16, 2020, 7:00 pm
Researching the War of 1812 — James Jackson
(Zoom webinar – registration required)
An overview of the causes and significant events of this war, the only war partially fought on Michigan soil. Also how to research military, bounty land, and pension records online or at local, state, or national.