Berrien County Michigan, Genealogical society, genealogy, Saint Joseph, Benton Harbor, Michigan

Berrien County Genealogical Society

Berrien County, Michigan

We welcome you to browse our pages.....

Join us at our next meeting: Wednesday, September 17th at 7:00 p.m.
Guest Speaker
Shirley Hodges
of Albion, Michigan
(Awarded the 2008 Genealogy Appreciation Award - See article at right)

Shirley's topic is "Newspapers: A Pot of Gold"

Shirley has been actively doing genealogical research since 1967. She has taught genealogy classes and seminars – both for the novice and advanced genealogist – in the U. S. and Canada since 1994. She has also been a guest lecturer for several college-level programs. Visual aids, handouts and examples accompany her lectures. Although she specializes in tracing your female ancestors she covers a wide variety of topics for both the novice and advanced genealogist. Her interest in sharing her love of genealogical research and her sense of humor has delighted audiences. Shirley is currently serving as President of the Genealogical Speakers Guild. She is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, the National Genealogical Society and numerous state and local societies. She became a columnist for The Global Gazette in June 2006.

You can learn more from the following websites:

Shirley Hodges, Genealogical Speakers Guild:
http://www.genealogicalspeakersguild.org/member_details.php?member=HodgesS
Shirley's Global Gazette articles:
http://globalgenealogy.com/globalgazette/authors/authsh.htm

We would like to invite you browse these pages, come to our meetings and lectures; volunteer for some of our ongoing projects, become a member, send us suggestions, and information.

This organization is about family, yours, everyone’s, and ours!
It is about great stories!

It is about treasure hunts, and memories. It is about history. History found in pictures, recipes, and old stuffed animals.

It is to draw us closer to our pasts, gives us stories to share, a framework to build our futures on.

It is a lesson in diversity, in shared destiny, the sacrifices our ancestors have made to give us perspectives for our future.

you can e-mail webmaster: HERE

We need you!!!

Shirley Hodges
(Our September Speaker at BCGS Meeting)
Honored with 2008 Genealogy Appreciation Award

Shirley Hodges of Albion was presented with the 2008 Library of Michigan Genealogy Appreciation Award at the 2008 Abrams Genealogy Seminar in July at the Library of Michigan.

Shirley has been actively doing genealogical research since 1967. She has taught family history classes and seminars in the United States and Canada since 1994 and has served as a guest lecturer for several college-level programs since the mid-1990s. Although she has focused much of her research on tracing female ancestors, she covers a wide variety of topics aimed at both the novice and advanced genealogical researcher. Shirley is currently serving as the president of the Genealogical Speakers Guild. She is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, National Genealogical Society and numerous other state and local societies.

"Shirley is a great advocate of the Library of Michigan," said Randy Riley, special collections manager at the Library of Michigan. "When speaking to out-of-state audiences or at national conferences, Shirley often functions as an ambassador of the Library. She praises our staff and collections, and actively encourages researchers to visit Lansing to take advantage of the Library's collection."

Shirley has long viewed the Library of Michigan as her "home" collection. In the past she has readily volunteered her time to assist the Library by providing presentations or promoting various events. Besides being a well-respected researcher, she is an outspoken supporter of the Library of Michigan's Abrams Foundation Historical Collection.

The Library of Michigan Genealogical Appreciation Award is sponsored by the Library of Michigan and the Library of Michigan Foundation annually as a way to recognize and thank the genealogical community in Michigan. Past winners 008 Library of Michigan Genealogy Appreciation Award include Dr. Joseph Druse, Ruth Lewis, Barbara Brown, J. William "Bill" Gorski, Peggy Sawyer Williams and John Castle (August Speaker at BCGS Mtg.).

Do you have roots in Berrien County? If so, be sure you look into how you can receive one of the following certificates:

PIONEER CERTIFICATES: Start now on your research so that you can receive your certificate at our annual presentation in June 2009.

The Berrien County Genealogical Society offers five (5) levels of Pioneer Certificates:

Trailblazer: anyone living in the County prior to 1805 (before Michigan was made an official Territory with a "Governor".)

Founder: anyone living in the County between 1805 to January 25, 1837 (prior to Michigan becoming a State.)

Settler: anyone living in the County between January 26, 1837 (Michigan's Anniversary) and December 31, 1862 (prior to the 1st recorded deed in Michigan under the Homestead Act of 1862.)

Homesteader: anyone living in the County between January 1, 1863 and June 30, 1908 (whether they filed land under the Homestead Act or not) this is Michigan's Homesteader period.

Builder: anyone living in the County between July 1, 1908 and December 31, 1929 this was the last big immigration into the US before the activation of the 1924 National Origins Act. (The Act being the first permanent immigration quota law, which established a discriminatory quota system, non-quota status, and a consular control system; also established was the Border Patrol.)

If you would like more information, notify us at info@bcgensoc.com and put "Pioneer Certificate" in the subject line.

Navigation Tips
Use your browsers "back" button to back up a page, or you can simply click on the word "HOME" that is located on every page. Use your mouse to click on photos, words and other links to navigate directly to that page or full size photo. If your mouse rolls over something and it changes color, then that is a link to another page or site. As always, contact Cory if you have troubles or questions. (use e-mail link to the left) .