McConnell Area Historical Society Genealogy Research Page

Hello all who are interested in genealogy. I'm Robin Pardus. Kevin and I are very excited to get this program for the Historical Society underway. Our goal is to help people who are researching their families to connect with others that might be able to help them and share info with. We are hoping this will bring families together that may not know about the others. I would like to take this time to explain how this program will work.

1. First and foremost this family information can be put in locked filing cabinet, or it can be displayed for others to find information and be able to get your address, phone number, etc. to get in contact of you for sharing of your family's information.

2. Now for the important part. This is how it will work: (Pretend that the following was from McConnell, Illinois). Example: Unknown “Smead” writes or E-mails the Historical Society. They are looking for info on Elihu Smead, born Jan 18, 1833. I get the information and will go to the files and look for Elihu Smead. I find him and look to see who donated the family information or tree. I contact the person who wrote or E-mailed the Historical Society. I let that person know that “Yes, we have that info”! I explain that the dates match and will tell them one piece of information such as that he died on December 5, 1896. I then will in turn tell this person that they must contact, the following person, (this is the person who donated the family tree or information), to get more family information. Example: For the Smead family information they would have to contact Robin or Jerry Pardus. If s/he still does not understand how this procedure works please feel free to contact me.

4. You may send typed family trees, copies from your family books, gedcoms, or CD-ROM's. We do have a data base at the museum are starting to enter the information that we are receiving. (Donated information only). This computer is not online so you can be sure that it will not be put on the Internet. Also by sending the Gedcoms or CD-ROMs it will help us get your information on our data base faster and be sure there are no mistakes made when re-entering your information. Gedcoms can be sent to Robin or Kevin and they can transfer onto them to the data base.

Here is a example of a Generation chart filled out. Please notice that the one relative I have only name listed with still living in info place. This is because this relative is still living and also does not want any info on her given out over the net.

Now whether you are just getting started in genealogy with this chart or have your whole family trees all typed up, either are welcomed to be donated to the genealogy files of the McConnell Area Historical Society.

By donating your family information you will also be leaving information to help for further generations to find one another. We all in one time or another ask about our hertiage. Genealogy is fun and very intersting. Who knows maybe you will find you are related to someone very important!

5. The genealogy material that will be open to the public are: Cemetery records of Waddams Township donated by Gary Price. Gary has done a very intensive study/transcribing of cemeteries in Waddams Township. Basswood Cemetery transcriptions were donated by Robin Pardus. Donated family trees displayed for public, photographs of cemeteries on CD-ROM are done by Robin Pardus.

6. I will also be available if needed to do look-ups in the cemetery books for information needed and to take photos of tombstones for those living out of Stephenson county.

This chart is in Adobe Acrobat format. If you need to install the Acrobat Reader Click Here to download and install it.

McConnell Genealogy Research Page