Michigan Research Group

Use this group to find local researchers, or ask questions about doing genealogy research in Michigan.
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  • Brock Robertson

    morning bob

  • James P. LaLone

    New group on Facebook - Pinconning Genealogy Group

    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pinconning-Genealogy-Group/178884932...

  • James P. LaLone

    The Historical Society of Greater Lansing is excited to announce that we will be opening our first exhibit in our new mini-museum in the Creyts building (corner of Washington and Oakland) this summer! The exhibit, called When Everyone Shopped Downtown, will be all about the glory days of shopping in downtown Lansing in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. We're looking for donations for the exhibit, including vintage Christmas decorations, children's toys, and min-century Modern furniture. If you have something you'd like to donate, please drop us an e-mail at info@lansinghistory.org. Thanks!
  • James P. LaLone

    The Mid-Michigan Genealogical Society April newsletter is out!
    http://mmgs.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/apr-2012-newsltr.pdf
  • James P. LaLone

    Touring Early Grand Rapids Opera: From the Ridiculous to the Sublime 
     
    Gilbert R. Davis, Professor Emeritus, Grand Valley State University
     
    From the middle of the nineteenth century local “opera houses” opened their doors to Italian and American companies criss-crossing the nation to bring opera to the provinces. Grand Rapids audiences were thrilled by Emma Abbot’s celebrated English Grand Opera and Anna Pavlova’s Boston National, but fly-by-night operators and scam artists also brought in their share of turkeys--and we thought Mark Twain was making up the outrageous performances of his Duke and Dauphin in Huckleberry Finn! Nineteenth-century newspaper promotion of the touring companies often has a frontier flavor and the reviewers of out-of-town talent would let loose on them.
     
    Emeritus professor Gil Davis retired from teaching Shakespeare at GVSU to spend more time as a scholar of operatic performance. On May 8th he will offer a lively and entertaining account of 144 years of Grand Rapids opera history!
     
    Dinner: Tuesday, May 8th, 2012, 5:30PM -- social time (bar available) before the 6:00pm dinner and presentation afterward
    Venue: The University Club, 111 Lyon NW, 10th floor of Fifth/Third building. Sign your ticket at the kiosk for free parking in the Fifth/Third below-ground or surface lots. Enter from Monroe or Ottawa and tell the attendant you are with the Torch club.
    Reservations: The charge for your meal and parking is $28 per person, payable at the door. Cash or check only. Please reserve as soon as possible at http://www.torchclubgr.org/rsvp.htm or call 616-340-8782. Note that Torch Club can ADD reservations after 3:00pm on Friday, May 4th, but can't cancel. If possible, they will substitute a new reservation for you, but you will be responsible for the cost if they can't. Walk-ins are welcome and can take their chances!
  • James P. LaLone

  • James P. LaLone

    Saturday June 30th will be the next meeting of the Royalty and Nobility Research Support group in Lansing. We are expecting about a half dozen people at this time. I would appreciate knowing what everyone is bringing for the potluck (not all pasta salads). I will have table service. Please bring your own beverages. We will meet from 11 till 4. I now have wireless so you can bring your laptops.

    PLEASE let me know ASAP what names you are researching (limit to 5 or 6) so I can post them so you will all know if you want to share info to the poster.  Bring printouts. I do have a photocopier if needed. 

    Please bring a memory stick if you want me to make copies of any of the books I have downloaded. Europe at present is 12.5 GB and England (including Scotland & Ireland) is 8.5 GB.  Please make sure your memory stick is all ready to use (I don't want to continually turn my computer on and off to make the stick operate). 


    That's all for right now, more to follow - mark your calendars! For more info contact jimmypnl at gmail dot com.

  • James P. LaLone

  • James P. LaLone

    The Michigan Oral History Association now has a site on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MichiganOralHistoryAssociation

  • James P. LaLone

    Next Mid-Michigan Genealogical Society meeting presents:

    “Oral History as a Resource for Family History”

    Geneva Wiskemann at 7:00 pm,

    Business Meeting afterwards
    Plymouth Congregational Church
    2001 E. Grand River Ave., Lansing, MI 48912

  • James P. LaLone

  • Derek S. Davey

    “Researching your Family from A- Z”
    Saturday, October 6, 2012 - 9:00 am- 3:00pm
    First Presbyterian Church
    433 N. Calhoun St.
    Lapeer, MI 48446

    Are you interested in your family history? Learn about genealogical principles and ethics, research tools, records, and how to use them. Attendees will learn how to research, organize, and evaluate their findings. Sources discussed will be vital, court, church, immigration, military, and cemetery, burial, probate and land records. Special attention will be given to using the internet as well as libraries, historical and genealogical societies. The Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) will also be discussed.

    Derek teaches genealogy at Lourdes University in Sylvania, OH and Terra Community College in Fremont, OH. Derek is the coordinator of the Michigan Research Community sponsored by Family search which is located on Facebook. He holds a certification from Boston University in genealogy and is a member of the Assoc. of Professional Genealogists, the Ohio Genealogical Society, and Genealogical Speakers Guild.

    Class size will be limited to the first 75 registered. Cost for this one day class will be $40.00/person for members. The cost for non members will be $45.00/person. Discounts will be given to groups that register together over 10. Brown Bag it or Restaurants in the area. Doors will open at 8 am. Door prizes will be available. Make checks out to Lapeer County Genealogy Society POBox 353 Lapeer, MI 48446

  • Catherine Davis

    @Derek--

    How do you find the Michigan Research Community on facebook?  I tried entering that title in the facebook search routine and was redirected to University of Michigan Housing.

    Thanks.

  • Derek S. Davey

    Try Michigan Genealogy Research community.

  • Catherine Davis

    Finally found it.  The correct search entry is just Michigan Genealogy Research. 

  • James P. LaLone

    The Michigan Genealogical Council has a Facebook site - https://www.facebook.com/groups/93824065431/

  • James P. LaLone

  • James P. LaLone

    Genie collection update move to State Archives from Kris -

    An update on the transfer of the Abrams Foundation Historical Collection to the Archives of Michigan.

    The print resources have begun their move to the Archives! The first book to be moved was “Descendants of Christian Geiger”, by Barbara J. Brown, an appropriate and fitting tribute to a wonderful woman and generous supporter of the Archives and the collections

    over the years.

    Over the next few weeks, the collection will be in transition as resources are transferred to their new home. Staff is working hard to ensure that interruptions to collection access are kept to a minimum and will be giving periodic updates on the progress.

    The microfilm collection, including U.S. city directories, county histories, and Sanborn maps, was transferred to the Archives last month and is available for research.

    We encourage researchers to stop by and visit the Archives, take a look around, see all the changes, and utilize the Collection. As always, please contact the Archives staff with any questions. We appreciate your patience as we navigate through this exciting transition, and look forward to assisting you in your research.
  • Derek S. Davey

    Time is running short on the Genealogy Boot Camp October 6 2012 in Lapeer, Michigan. Great overview of how to do your genealogy from A to Z. Look forward to seeing your there.

  • James P. LaLone

    Interesting article (below) and a good book to read in conjunction with this is LIES MY TEACHER TOLD ME: EVERYTHING YOUR AMERICAN HISTORY TEXTBOOK GOT WRONG (rev. ed.), by James W. Loewen.

    http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/1686/slavery_is_detroit_s_b...

     

  • Sonja Hunter

    For those who haven't noticed, Seeking Michigan is slowly adding images for the 1894 Michigan state census to their site.  To read more about this see:  http://kalamazoogenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/09/seeking-michigans-ce....

  • James P. LaLone

    Update report from Kris Rzepczynski
    An update on the transfer of the Abrams Foundation Historical Collection to the Archives of Michigan.

    The move is now complete! The last book to be brought out to the open stacks, already in the Archives

    ’ holdings, was the Michigan Genealogical Council’s (MGC) excellent publication Michigan Surname Index. A fitting "thank you" to MGC for their support during these last few years, and an appropriate bookend to the first book in the move, Barbara Brown's history of the Geiger family.

    Location and call number information in ANSWER, the online catalog available at www.answercat.org, has also been updated to reflect these changes; an Archives of Michigan resource will read "Archives of Michigan – Michigan Historical Center (2E)" in the Location field in the catalog record.

    We encourage researchers to stop by and visit the Archives, take a look around, and see all the changes. As always, please contact the Archives staff with any questions. We appreciate your patience as we navigate through this exciting transition, and look forward to assisting you in your research.
  • James P. LaLone

  • James P. LaLone

    Another Michigan site - http://genealogytrails.com/mich/

  • James P. LaLone

    Registration is now live for the 2013 Abrams Genealogy Seminar! Featuring Dr. Thomas Jones, the event will be held July 12-13 and is brought to you by the Archives of Michigan and the Michigan Genealogical Council. The event's information and registration page can be found here: http://seekingmichigan.org/events/2013-abrams-genealogy-seminar. With a terrific lineup of programs and speakers, we look forward to seeing you in July!
  • James P. LaLone

    Registration is now live for the Archives of Michigan's first-ever Genealogy Lock-In, a FREE event to be held Friday, 12 July 2013 from 6p-10p: http://seekingmichigan.org/events/genealogy-lock-in.

    Timed to coincide with the Abrams Genealogy Seminar, being held on Friday, July 12 – Saturday, July 13, the Archives will be open to Lock-In registrants from 6p-10p; pizza and refreshments will be available to registrants from 5p-6p.

    Please note that, although there is no additional fee, the Lock-In does require a separate registration from the Abrams Seminar.

    Space is limited, so sign up today!
  • James P. LaLone

    MICHIGAN HISTORY magazine (May/June 2013) has an article "Slavery in Early Detroit" by Tiya Miles, p.33.
  • James P. LaLone

    The link is the the Lansing Parks & Recreation catalog. Wait till it downloads then go to p.33 and right hand column under the Turner-Dodge mansion is a genealogy class being offered July 11, 1-4, $12.00. http://digital.zoompubs.com/publication/?m=17015&l=1
  • Clifford. Alan. Sisson

    Attempting to locate information for Leonard. Elwood Munson s. born 1868. D 1935. Married Christina Ann Heminover 1891. They were in Owosso Mi. In 1894 as there daughter. Vera Marie Munson was born there. 26 August. 1894. Vera married Chester E Sisson 1910. Her brothers name was Marshall. Date born unknown, death date unknown also. Thanks. cliffsisson@ yahoo.com.
  • Catherine Davis

    @Clifford Alan Sisson--marriage record for Leonard and Christina is available at https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12060-22873-57?cc=1452....  It gives his parents' names, etc. (If the link doesn't take you directly there, start at familysearch.org/search/.)

    If you follow him through the censuses, you can see he lived:

    1870--Attica, Lapeer, MI

    1900--Grand Ledge, MI (Children Vera M. 5 and Thelma L. 11mo.)  all b MI

    1910--Humbird, Bonner, Idaho (Children M Vera 15, L Thelma 10, and M Marshall 2.  Marshall b. Idaho.  Leonard and Chrissie m. 18 yrs, 4 children, 3 still living.  His parents were also there, H. Charles 62, b MI and E. Mary 57, b. NJ, m. 43 yrs. 2 children, 2 still living. 

    1930--Seattle, King, WA.  Leonard 64, widowed and Marshall 24.

    Leonard's death info at https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N35P-DC3, although record is not viewable but you should be able to obtain from the county.

  • James P. LaLone

  • James P. LaLone

  • James P. LaLone

  • Catherine Davis

    familysearch.org recently loaded an index of Michigan deaths, 1921-1952 which gives birth date and parents' names and well as death date and place.

  • James P. LaLone

  • Aubrey Shreve

    Just wanted to say hi. I am new to this site and I was born, raised, and currently reside in MI. There are parts of my family that were in MI from the early 1700's. I have officially become an ancestry/genealogy addict and just keep looking for more ways to dig deeper!

  • James P. LaLone

    Aubrey, welcome, you are related to me through the BOURASSA and MELOCHE families.  Have posted some of the BOURASSA family info here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/4706859959/10150150295044960/ (see attachment). I also maintain French-Canadian Descendants group here on GenealogyWise.

  • James P. LaLone

  • James P. LaLone

    Listing if internet sites for Michigan research - https://www.facebook.com/groups/54113196878/10151878696101879/

  • Kristi Burns

    I am so excited to find this group!!!  I am originally from Michigan, but recently living in North Carolina.  I am a descendent of the McPhersons from the Torch Lake, Antrim County area.  Most of the family lives in the Muskegon area, but I have found a few McPhersons in the Antrim area, too.

    Kristi

  • James P. LaLone

    Historical fiction dealing with the Michigan area - http://www.envisionthepast.com/michigan-fiction/

  • James P. LaLone

    I am interested in Chief Okemos and ran across an item saying his daughter was married to a LORANGER, I did work on their genealogy of those who settled in Williamston but cannot see any connection yet, can anyone add to this?

    Info on the LORANGER family of Williamston, MI is here:

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/FrenchDetroit/10153058728624451/

  • James P. LaLone

  • James P. LaLone

  • James P. LaLone

    New Facebook page for Michigan Indian researchers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1278293728864154/

  • James P. LaLone

  • James P. LaLone

    Michigan Rails 2016
     
    Please join us for a full day of Michigan railroading sessions
     
    October 8th at the Library of Michigan, 9:00 – 4:30
     
    Topics to be covered include: passenger trains, research sources, Upper Peninsula railroads, south east railroad lines, preservation efforts, rail photography, boat trains and the Pere Marquette 1225 engine. Rare Michigan railroad material will be on display along with a railroad cookbook browsing collection in the Martha W. Griffiths Michigan Rare Book Room.  
     
    As a special gift, event goers will take home a memento from the outstanding staff from the Michigan State University Special Collection Library.  A reproduction from the Cookery & Food Collection in the Michigan State University Libraries, a 1941 menu from the Super Chief, a line of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad Company.
     
    Books and photographs will be available for purchase. Registration is required for breakfast and lunch. Cost is $15.00 per person with free parking.
     
    For registration please see: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RAILS16.
  • James P. LaLone

    Of possible interest -

    Did you know that the tallest Union soldier could very well have looked down at the top of President Lincolns’ head? How about that the Drummer Boy of Shiloh was never at that battle, but he was the last Civil War soldier serving in the U.S. Army?

    Michigan’s Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Memorial Hall and Museum in Eaton Rapids will be sponsoring a Free Civil War History Seminar on Tuesday, May 23, 2017, at 7:00 PM at Michigan’s GAR Memorial Hall & Museum located at 224 South Main Street in Eaton Rapids.  The topic of the presentation will be “Things you might not know about Michigan (and a few other places too) in the Civil War.”  The presenter will be Mr. Bob Griggs.

    Keith G. Harrison

    Board President

    Michigan’s GAR Memorial Hall & Museum

    (Grand Army of the Republic, Department of Michigan

    James B. Brainerd Post 111 Memorial hall and Museum, Inc)

    224 South Main, Eaton Rapids, Michigan 48827 

  • James P. LaLone

    Michigan’s Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Memorial Hall and Museum in Eaton Rapids will be sponsoring a Free Civil War History Seminar on Sunday, September 24, 2017 at 3 pm at Michigan’s GAR Memorial Hall & Museum located at 224 South Main Street in Eaton Rapids.  The topic of the presentation will be Lincoln Memorialized - Early Monuments to the 16th President.

    The presentation will provide a timeline of the early efforts to memorialize President Abraham Lincoln.  From before the Civil War through 1922, there were many ideas and designs to do this and you learn about several you never heard of. Speaker will be Mr. Bruce Butgereit,  a professional historical researcher, preservation consultant, genealogist, public speaker, and historian & former commander of the Michigan Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, has coordinated restoration efforts for many Civil War memorials and conducted countless ceremonies to dedicate and/or rededicate headstones for Civil War soldiers.  Morel information at GARBrainerdPost111MemorialHallAndMuseum or to our website at http://garmuseum.weebly.com/

     

    Keith G. Harrison

    Board President

    Michigan’s GAR Memorial Hall & Museum

    (Grand Army of the Republic, Department of Michigan

    James B. Brainerd Post 111 Memorial hall and Museum, Inc)

    224 South Main

    Eaton Rapids, Michigan 48827

    Telephone: 517-694-9394

    Website:  a href="http://garmuseum.weebly.com/" target="_blank">http://garmuseum.weebly.com>

    Email:  GARmichigan@gmail.com or pcinc@prodigy.net

    Face Book:  GARBrainerdPost111MemorialHallAndMuseum

  • James P. LaLone

    Next Mid-Michigan Genealogical Society meeting

    February, 28, 2018
    Chris Shafer – Finding German Ancestry.

    Family History Center

    431 E Saginaw St, East Lansing, MI 48823
    Center’s Phone: (517) 332-2932. Entrance at the rear (North) door
    https://mmgs.wordpress.com/

    See Also http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Mid-Michigan-Genealogical-Society/63844634435