Welcome to GSWC!
The Genealogical Society of Washtenaw County, Michigan (GSWC) welcomes anyone interested in genealogy and local history, whether they are beginning or more experienced family history researchers. We publish a quarterly journal called Family History Capers and hold eight general meetings a year, each with a program and a class. We have three active special interest groups - German, Ireland & UK and DNA. Attending GSWC meetings will help you keep current in the world of genealogy.
Thank you for visiting the GSWC website. We hope your visit will be productive and that you will return often. Our website features an extensive list of Washtenaw County and Michigan research links and resources; databases; and indexes. Washtenaw Research is our most important page, with twenty categories and its own page navigation. The Bible registry has over 2,000 surnames and 9,500 individual names. The library catalog has over 2,000 books. The members surname database has over 350 names--its manager is busy going through family group sheets to add more.
Please see Public Downloads and About Us > About Our Website for navigation notes.
We invite you to explore the site. Browse the categories on the Washtenaw Research page and click on some links. Filter the records in the Library Catalog by name, subject, or location. Email a member directly from Members Surnames by clicking on the envelope icon by a name. If you need a library look-up, please submit a request to the research committee, which meets every Monday at the library. The GSWC Library is temporarily closed.
GSWC Meeting December 8, 2024 1:30 PM
After the brief business meeting starting at 1:30pm Richard Hill will present, via Zoom, "Finding Your Family with DNA Testing."
Learn how adoptees and others find biological parents and siblings through DNA testing. Review the case that started it all and see today’s recommended strategies. View examples of surprise discoveries and see the tools used to identify relationships.You may attend by Zoom or in person at the Trinity Health Education Auditorium, Administration Building, Ann Arbor.
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After a short intermission Annette Burke Lyttle will teach, via Zoom, "Probate Records: Wills and a Whole Lot More."
Probate records can be some of the richest genealogical resources. Yes, they can contain wills, but often the best information comes from the other records in the packets—and our ancestors didn’t even have to die to make an appearance in a probate action. Learn about how to find probate records online and mine them for genealogical gems.
Family History Capers - Current Issue
To read the current issue of Capers, 48#1, first log in. Then, go to Washtenaw Research > Capers Archive. Contents include Washtenaw County Rural Schools: Part 1, Lyndon Schools; Oral History Interviewing Tips: Floor Plans, Part 2; Washtenaw County Farm Bureau and Junior Farm Bureau Membership, 1944; Book Review of Buried Secrets; Hull and Van Buren marriage, 1908; and Theodore D. Ford bible record.
2024-2025 Lectures and Classes
Click here for information about our meetings and the meeting schedule through May 2025. Become a Member!
Membership in GSWC will give you full access to the society collections by unlocking member-only indexes, databases, cemetery records, and the Family History Capers archive. Membership will open up opportunities for you to meet like-minded people who will listen to your stories. For next year we are exploring having one main speaker followed by small group sessions. A questionnaire will be sent out in January. We encourage you to become a member and help plan our future. You may join online or with a mail-in form.
Our work is done entirely by volunteers. We have projects you may be interested in, as listed on the Volunteer page. Whether your skill set lies in writing, editing, speaking, teaching, research, administration, marketing, cataloging, indexing, data entry, or field work (reading gravestones! photography!) you can find your special niche here. Or, try something new! Join us and experience the satisfaction of helping others.
Our Memberships and Social Media
