We’ve got another great presentation with John Putnam lined up for our October meeting. John will be presenting a lecture titled “New Englanders Become Americans.” This lecture is the 2nd part of John’s earlier presentation to us, “Untangling Your England … Continue reading
Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, AG, FOGS will be joining us again on November 3rd for another not-to-be-missed presentation! Her topic will be “Misbegotten Children; Tracing the Family Lines of the Illegitimate.” Nearly all families have children with seemingly missing fathers. Yet … Continue reading
Have you wondered why your European ancestors decided to emigrate to the United States, beyond hearing they were told the streets were paved in gold? Many factors pushed or pulled our European ancestors to emigrate to the United States. Genealogist … Continue reading
We’ll finally get a chance to welcome Lisa Alzo to WMGS! Lisa was originally scheduled to present at our September 2021 kickoff meeting, but the aftermath of Hurricane Ida interfered with those plans. Lisa will be presenting a lecture titled … Continue reading
We're thrilled that we'll be joined by J. Mark Lowe for a presentation titled "Marriages Here, There, and Nowhere: Finding Gretna Greens" on March 2nd. Throughout history, many couples chose to marry in a location away from their home. Often … Continue reading
We've all wished that we could go beyond the names and dates for the ancestors we've found through research. If only we had asked our most recent ancestors questions about their lives, we would know them better. But what about … Continue reading
One of the most difficult challenges in genealogical research is the area of adoption. At our May 4th meeting, forensic genealogist Michael Brophy will be joining us to present "Adoption Research in America: History, Genealogy, Legacy." Adoption has been practiced … Continue reading
It's been 50 years since Western Massachusetts Genealogical Society, Inc. was founded! We're looking forward to celebrating the 50th anniversary of the formation of our society with our members. We are thankful for the work begun by our Founders and … Continue reading
Join us at our July 6th meeting, as perennial favorite John Putnam presents the next topic in his history of New England series: "Change and Industrialization in Antebellum New England." John's presentation describes the incredible economic and social changes in … Continue reading
Summer and fall are perfect for cemetery research! To help your research be successful, member Ed Strickland will present “No Stone Unturned: Getting the Most from the Graveyard” at our August 3rd meeting. Starting with the evolution of the burial … Continue reading