Western Massachusetts Genealogical Society, Inc.

WMGS October Monthly Meeting: Alienation of Affection - Divorce in the United States
2025-10-01 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Online
Many of us have encountered ancestors who mysteriously disappeared from records, only to discover they were divorced. Or we’ve found information that suggests another
marriage or separation. Uncovering the official documentation behind those earlier marriages or separations can be a challenge.
Join us at our October monthly meeting as Christine Cohen returns to present “Alienation of Affection: Divorce in the United States.”
As Christine explains in her presentation description, “[Divorce] case files can include marriage date and place, names and ages of children, current and former residences,
and affidavits by the spouses about their marriage and reason for divorce. Clues are in the census, city directories, military pensions, county histories, county courthouses, and especially in newspapers. This could be the reason for a ‘lost spouse.’”

WMGS October Training Session: Write Your Family History Using Traditional and AI Strategies
2025-10-16 19:00 - 20:30
How might traditional and AI tools be used to write a family history? In our October training, WMGS board member John Putnam will give a hands-on workshop on the strategies he uses. (You may remember John from his well-received July 2025
presentation, when he shared his family’s journeys through the hilltowns of Western Massachusetts.)
Starting with his template for developing stories, John will explain his step-by-step process for writing a family history. We’ll learn more about:

Using AI tools to find more detailed information that is period- and locale
specific to our ancestors.
Incorporating basic genealogical material with this additional research.
Using AI to draft reports or revise them for tone, grammar, and spelling.

John encourages us to identify an ancestor living between 1800 and 1950, so we can
follow along in real time. He’ll also ask volunteers to share their research findings. This is a great opportunity to get some direct feedback!

WMGS November Monthly Meeting: Finding Aids and the National Archives
2025-11-05 18:00 - 19:30
We’re delighted to welcome nationally known genealogist Craig R. Scott to present Finding Aids and the National Archives on November 5.
Craig will guide us through the structure of our National Archives. He’ll also explain how to use finding aids — guides, indexes, catalogs, and more — to navigate its vast
collections.
Craig describes his talk this way: “The National Archives of the United States documents American history from the time of the First Continental Congress. That is a lot of paper, pictures, and other things, so much in fact that it requires organization.”
“Organization means that there are rules about how things will be filed and how they can be located once they are stored,” Craig says. “Finding aids is a term that describes the various publications, such as guides and indexes, microfilm catalogs, reference information papers, inventories, preliminary inventories, special lists, checklists, descriptive pamphlets, and other tools that have been created to assist either the researcher or the archivist in locating records.”

WMGS November Training Session - Tech Talk with Dave: Mapping Your Ancestors' Migration
2025-11-20 19:00 - 20:30
It’s time for another Tech Talk With Dave! In November, Dave Lapierre will present “Mapping Your Ancestors’ Migration.” This session will expand on the mini-presentation he gave at our September 25 training session.
Dave will show us how to:

Use Google My Maps to create a map with various pinned locations from an
ancestor’s migration
Connect the various pinned locations
Save and export a KMZ file from Google My Maps
Import the KMZ file into Google Earth / Google Earth Pro
Play the “tour” in Google Earth / Google Earth Pro

Dave will also provide a step-by-step handout with all the directions, so that we can map our own ancestors’ migrations and journeys.

WMGS December Monthly Meeting: 10 Genealogical Brick Walls You Will Face (and How to Demolish Them)
2025-12-03 18:00 - 19:30
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.
