WMGS December Monthly Meeting: 10 Genealogical Brick Walls You Will Face (and How to Demolish Them)
2025-12-03 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Online
At our December monthly meeting, genealogist Robert Cameron Weir will present “10 Genealogical Brick Walls You Will Face (and How to Demolish Them).”
“In genealogy, a brick wall is an ancestor who seemingly refuses, despite repeated attempts, to reveal their origins,” Rob explains. “No matter how hard you try, you are unable to connect them to your family tree. They remain the stubborn puzzle piece who refuses to fit in.”
Rob will survey the most common kinds of brick walls and teach us some tricks for tearing them down. We’ll learn about brick walls related to immigrants, paupers, sojourners, pioneers, name shifters, and people with hushed-up family secrets.
Whether you’re just beginning your genealogy research or have been doing it for a long time, we’ll all benefit from this presentation.
“The beginner will learn about some brick walls they will eventually face; the intermediate researcher will learn how to tackle some that they are already facing; and the more advanced genealogist will learn a different way to think about what they are probably already doing,” Rob says.

WMGS 2025 Virtual Holiday Party
2025-12-11 19:00 - 20:30
We’re excited to invite all members to our 4th annual virtual holiday celebration. It’s become a WMGS tradition that blends festive cheer with family history! This year’s party promises another evening of laughter, storytelling, and genealogical fun.
Just like our previous holiday Zoom parties, we’ll explore genealogy-themed holiday topics to spark conversation and connection.
Photo Slideshow: Share Your Holiday Memories!
One of the highlights of our party is our member-submitted holiday photo slideshow. We’d love to feature your festive snapshots, such as:

You on Santa’s lap or unwrapping holiday presents
A family holiday gathering, a favorite recipe you continue to make, or other
traditions you continue to follow
Beloved decorations or heirlooms you display each year
Toys you’ve kept from your childhood
Or other cherished photos from your archives

Dig into your photo collections for holiday photos and share them with us!
A Blast from the Past!
We’ll take another nostalgic stroll through vintage local newspapers to see how holidays were celebrated in Western Mass in years past.
Were you featured in a holiday photo or story in the newspaper? We invite you to do some newspaper searching for holiday-related clippings that we can share.
Holiday Genealogy Trivia Returns!
Get ready to test your knowledge about genealogy-related holiday facts, events, and
celebrations around the world.
Prepare your favorite holiday beverage and dress up in your holiday best or your ugliest holiday sweater! Let’s celebrate the season together, genealogy-style.

WMGS January Monthly Meeting: Who Needed It Anyway? Getting Around the Missing 1890 Census
2026-01-07 18:00 - 19:30
The 1890 census was uniquely detailed, including household relationships, occupations, literacy, housing conditions, and special schedules for Union Civil War
veterans and widows. Nearly the entire 1890 census was destroyed in a 1921 fire and subsequent water damage at the Commerce Department. Only fragments covering about 6,000 individuals survived out of over 62 million enumerated.
At our January monthly meeting, genealogist Sara Cochran will present “Who Needed It Anyway? Getting Around the Missing 1890 Census” and tell us some of the resources that may be available to address this gap.
As Sara describes her presentation, “The loss of the 1890 Federal census is a source of great frustration for American genealogists, but all hope is not lost! Learn strategies and gather tips for success in locating your family in other records between the 1880 and 1900 Federal censuses.”
Sara will present a follow-up presentation to explore even more resources and complete a case study at our April 1 monthly meeting.

WMGS January Training Session: Get Involved with WMGS!
2026-01-22 19:00 - 20:30
WMGS is seeking more volunteers to help keep our society thriving. There are many
ways to contribute and share new ideas. Routine tasks often require only a few hours
each month, while special projects offer opportunities for deeper involvement. Most tasks can be done from home, and since all of our meetings are held on Zoom, you can volunteer no matter where you live.
With all that in mind, January’s training session will serve a dual purpose:

Reviewing our current volunteer needs and exploring ways members can contribute to our society’s ongoing success.
Opening a conversation about the potential launch of a Genealogy Helpers
program.

Attending does not commit you to volunteering — it’s simply a chance to learn more. Our proposed Genealogy Helpers initiative would connect members to help each other. For example, members might review research, suggest next steps and resources,
collaborate on a shared ancestor or location, or guide those just beginning their family history research.
Your input will be vital in shaping how such a program could work and what kinds of help would be most valuable. If you’ve participated in a similar program elsewhere, we’d love to hear about your experiences.

WMGS February Monthly Meeting: Ancestors on the Move: Migration from Farms to Cities, 1870-1920
2026-02-04 18:00 - 19:30
We’re delighted that nationally-known genealogist, Annette Burke-Lyttle will join us again to present Ancestors on the Move: Migration from Farms to Cities, 1870–1920.
Between the Civil War and World War I, Americans faced dramatic changes that shaped where and how they lived. Push and pull factors, financial panics, the reality of daily life
in rural areas, and the rise of manufacturing were some of the factors that led to decisions to move from farms to cities.
Annette will guide us through the records that capture thosemovements — from census schedules and land deeds to city directories, newspapers, military files, and other sources. We’ll learn what factors influenced our ancestors’ choices and discover practical strategies to locate the documents that bring their journeys to life.

WMGS February Training Session: Getting Ready for RootsTech2026 - Preview & Review
2026-02-19 19:00 - 20:30
RootsTech 2026 is being held in Salt Lake City, UT, on March 5-7, 2026. Did you know you can virtually attend online for FREE?
Join us on February 19, at 7:00 p.m., to learn about RootsTech. We’ll explore how to register, how to watch recorded sessions from previous years, and we’ll look at what is being offered at RootsTech 2026 – – the speakers, keynote sessions, classes, exhibit halls, etc.
If you haven’t attended RootsTech virtually in the past, don’t miss this opportunity to see what it’s all about and what’s coming on March 5-7.

WMGS March 2026 Monthly Meeting: Eddie Wench - The Case of a Little Lost Boy
2026-03-04 18:00 - 19:30
A good genealogist needs the instincts of a detective —our research often unfolds like a compelling mystery. But how much can we trust the records and sources we find? When the facts don’t line up, what might be hiding beneath the surface? Can documents or titles simply be wrong?
At our March 4 monthly meeting, Julie Miller presents “Eddie Wenck: The Case of a Little Lost Boy.” Eddie Wenck was a forgotten child. His story was a mystery
for many years until research exposed an error made over 20 years ago and uncovered the hidden past of a well-known landmark. This lecture is about the importance of using original records and historical context and about following our instincts when things don’t seem right.

WMGS March 2026 Training Session: Introducing GenSocSoup!
2026-03-26 19:00 - 20:30
At our March training session, we’ll tour Thomas MacEntee’s brand‑new GenSocSoup webinar channel, now available in the Members Only area of our website. We’ll show you how it works and answer any questions about using the new platform.
GenSocSoup is an exclusive, subscription‑based learning platform — similar in style to YouTube — that provides 24/7 access to 15 on‑demand recorded webinars and
accompanying handouts created by Thomas MacEntee. Tom will be creating four brand-new webinars over the next year as well. This subscription is offered only to societies with a secure members‑only website, making it a valuable addition to our member benefits.
Tom’s webinar collection spans a wide range of topics, from basic genealogy skills to
new tools that can help us improve our research. Topics include research tips, technology, organization strategies, and more.
During our session, we’ll watch and discuss one of the featured webinars, “Navigating the Seven Cs of Genealogy,” and talk about how using themes and resolutions can help guide our research throughout 2026 and beyond.
