WEST CHESTER, OH (FOX19) – Just in time for October’s Family History Month, the West Chester Library will host an Ancestry Database Program on October 11th at 7:00 PM to assist in exploring your family tree! 

President of the Butler County Genealogical Society and professional genealogist Pam White will lead the presentation, detailing how to access SSDI, Civil War, and census records, as well as much more.  “The program is on the Library edition of Ancestry, since the Middletown Public Library System has recently added Ancestry to their databases,” she explains, “Much of the information I’ll be sharing can pertain to the individual subscription version of Ancestry, but I’ll use screenshots of the Library version in my lecture.”

White has a great deal of expertise in the field, stating, “I have research experience in the local tri-state area, New England, several Southern states, Germany, and England.”  In addition to running her own business, Key Genealogy, and volunteering with the Butler County Records Center Archives, she is also a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and holds a Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies in American Records and a Certificate in Genealogical Research from the Boston University Center for Professional Education’s Genealogical Research Certificate Program.

This program is hosted and organized by the West Chester Library, located at 9363 Centre Pointe Drive in West Chester, and will be held in Community Room A/B.  Registration is not required and attendance is free.  For more information, please call the Library at (513)777-3131.

The newly added Ancestry database access is only one of the many tools for historical and genealogical research that can be found within the Middletown Public Library System collection.  Birth, death and marriage records as well as other historic records dating back to the early 1800’s are readily available.  The Middletown Public Library System website, www.middletownlibrary.org, also contains multiple links for online research assistance and information.

The Middletown Public Library System serves a population of almost 200,000 people in the cities of Middletown, Trenton, and Monroe and the townships of West Chester, Liberty, Lemon, Madison, and Wayne with a collection of nearly half a million materials. The main library is located in downtown Middletown, with branch libraries in West Chester and Trenton. 

IRON RIVER—On Thursday, Oct. 6, the Iron County Genealogical Society will meet at 1 p.m. in the J. Patrick White Conference Room at the West Iron District Library.
 People are asked to please note the change in day for this group’s meeting.

 Ross Parcels, director of the Iron County Historical Museum, will be speaking about Alfred Branchini, for whom Legion Post 17 in Iron River is named, with an emphasis on his death on July 31, 1918, during the second battle of the Marne.
 Parcels has a great deal of information about the action in which Branchini died. He was a member of Co. L in the 125th Infantry Regiment of the 32nd (Red Arrow) Division. The talk will feature an examination of Branchini’s “Burial Case File” from the National Archives at College Park.
 Anyone interested in genealogy or Iron County history is encouraged to attend. Meetings are open to all individuals and are held in the J. Patrick White Conference Room of the West Iron District Library.

The annual noon luncheon meeting of The Genealogy Society of White County, Illinois will be held Oct. 29 at the American Legion Hall in Carmi.

Guest speaker Seth Graves will speak about southern Illinois and the War of 1812.

The buffet luncheon will include roast beef, fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, cole slaw, coffee, tea, rolls and cake. The price of the luncheon buffet is $15. This price includes both tax and tip.

The Legion Hall is located at 1206 Oak St. and is handicapped accessible. Ample, off-street parking is available.

Members and guests having questions about the luncheon may telephone Charlene Shields at 966-3744 or Nancy Hays at 265-3197.

Reservations and checks may be mailed to the society at PO Box 142, Carmi, IL 62821 by Oct. 21.