October Meeting; Sunday October 22, 2023

Our October meeting will be a hybrid meeting. Participants can attend the meeting on Zoom or in person at Trinity Health Auditorium (formerly St. Joe's) at 5305 Elliott Drive, Ypsilanti, MI beginning at 1:30. Those attending on Zoom will need to pre-register.  A zoom link and information on how to join the meeting will be sent to members one week prior to the event. Non-members wishing to attend on zoom may send a request by Thursday October 19th to info@washtenawgenealogy.org.  

Program: "Using Ancestry.com-Tips & Tricks" by Judy Nimer Muhn 

You’ve seen the ads, you’ve thought about how to find your family, but did you know that you can access this resource FREE? Learn how to effectively use both the free and paid versions of Ancestry.com. Mostly for Beginners, we can also cover more detailed content in our Q & A time!

Our Speaker: Judy Nimer Muhn has been researching her family tree from the age of 12, specializing in French-Canadian, Acadian, Native American and Michigan research because of her own family heritage. Owner of Lineage Journeys, she conducts research for clients and offers presentations across the US, Canada and internationally. She also travels to research in archives/repositories and the locations of her ancestral homes in Scotland, France, Germany and around the United States.

Judy is the President of the Oakland County Genealogical Society, Vice-President and Social Media committee member and blogger for the Michigan Genealogical Council, board member & Awards Chair of the National Genealogical Society, Secretary of the GeneaBloggers, and a member of many societies – among them: Ontario and Quebec Genealogical Societies, Detroit Society for Genealogical Research, French Canadian Heritage Society of Michigan, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and many more. Judy has published articles in the NGS Newsletter, Oakland County Genealogical Society, Family Tree Magazine, Detroit Society for Genealogical Research, French Canadian Heritage Society of Michigan and more.
Presentations have been offered at RootsTech, National Genealogical Society's Family History Conferences, Ohio Genealogical Society's fall retreat and annual conferences, genealogical societies throughout Michigan, and across the US, Canada and Europe.
 
Class: "Meet the Dixboro Ghost: Historical Legend and Genealogical Evidence " by Ellen Hoffman 3:15
 
Just in time for Halloween, a time-tested ghost story from Washtenaw County in the 1840's, Memorialized in a plaque at the Dixboro Oak Grove cemetery, the tale is of a haunting by a local female spirit, Martha Mulholland, who accused her brother-in-law of poisoning her. The supposed ghost presence led to a judicial hearing and resulted in running the accused out of town. This talk reviews the story, then examines how it links to local history and family connections. The presenter is a descendent of the Mulholland family made infamous in the ghost story. In looking at the legend, this talk will review the kinds of evidence available to explore genealogical connections at an early period of state and county records, beyond mandatory birth and death certificates. It is also a look at how to connect compelling stories to genealogical facts.
 
Our Instructor: Ellen’s family settled in Washtenaw County in the early 1800s. On the Mulholland side, they were some of the land grant purchasers in the Dixboro area. Ellen’s grandmother was a Mulholland. Ellen is also descended from the German families (if you are old enough you may remember the Fiegel department store downtown). Ellen’s great-grandmother was a Fiegel. Ellen lived in Ann Arbor much of her adult life and still has relatives there. She is currently living in Seattle. Ellen has been doing genealogical research for about 25 years, building on earlier work by an aunt who collected stories from elderly relatives now long gone.
 

NOTICE:

 
The GSWC Library was moved into storage the week of July 18, 2022. We are no longer located at the FamilySearch Center on E. Woodland Drive in Saline. For more information click on the "Library" button on the left side of the page.

2023-2024 Lectures and Classes

Click here for information about our meetings and the meeting schedule through May 2024.

Welcome!


The Genealogical Society of Washtenaw County, Michigan (GSWC for short) functions through volunteer efforts and welcomes anyone interested in genealogy and local history, whether beginning their family research or more experienced researchers.
 
THANK YOU for visiting the GSWC website. We hope your visit will help your research and you will return often.
 
To navigate easily on this site, and get the most benefit:
  • Click on the Green Buttons on the left. Note that after you click, submenu items may appear below the button.
  • Once you sign in as a member, further submenu items will appear below Members and Washtenaw Research.
Our website features an extensive list of Washtenaw County and Michigan research links and resources; databases; indexes; a surname database; a catalog of over 2,000 books, cemetery records, and census records in our library; and a calendar of events.
For HELP with your Washtenaw County research, use the "Research Requests” button on the left.
We encourage you to become a MEMBER.  (Click here to join). Your membership in the GSWC will help you further your research goals and will also help GSWC in its important work of collecting and preserving Washtenaw County’s family history and heritage.
 

 

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