Story County Genealogical Society

07/10/2025

We had a wonderful turnout at the open house honoring Mary Lohr!

As Mary and Jim prepare for their next chapter in South Dakota, we send them off with our warmest wishes. Mary has been a cornerstone of the Story County Genealogical Society, and her contributions over the years are too numerous to list. She has held every office in the Society and has been instrumental in its growth and success.

Thankfully, this isn’t goodbye—Mary is still a member of our Society and plans to join us via Zoom for future meetings.

Thank you, Mary, for everything you’ve done—and continue to do—for genealogy in Story County!

07/08/2025

Please join us on Wednesday July 9th from 1-3 for an Open House to bid farewell to Mary Lohr.
Jim and Mary Lohr are moving to South Dakota.
The Open House will be at Ames Public Library in the PEO Room.

07/07/2025

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Iowa Free Online Genealogy Research Toolkit - Updated

Do you have "go-to" websites for searching for Iowa genealogy records? Here are 80 free websites for you to use for your research. Maybe there are a few you don't use or may not have even heard of.

Get this Free Downloadable Toolkit and start visiting these websites. You'll be glad you did!

https://theancestorhunt.com/blog/iowa-free-online-genealogy-research-toolkit/

07/07/2025

A $20 million renovation and expansion project will begin this summer at the Butler Mansion, which will become the new home of the Italian - American Cultural Center of Iowa.

See the renderings of the future space: https://www.businessrecord.com/work-on-new-italian-american-center-begins-soon/

07/07/2025

The Iowa Genealogical Society, whose library includes thousands of books, periodicals and microforms, plans to relocate to an iconic building south of Des Moines’ downtown in space that will allow the group to expand its offerings and hold conferences in the same building as its expansive library,...

06/16/2025

Check this out free sessions from Ancestry. Look for the earlier sessions on YouTube.

🗓️ Spring into Summer with events this month!

June 3rd: Join us for a Facebook Live session with Crista as she hosts a military deep dive.

June 4th: In this live webinar, learn how to get as much information as possible on your ancestors who lived to see the passage of the 13th Amendment. Register now: https://bit.ly/4jnyvvW

June 11th: Whether you just started exploring your family tree or you’ve been at it for a while and have hit the proverbial genealogy brick wall, this webinar will give you practical tools to dig deeper and make meaningful discoveries in your family tree. Register now: https://bit.ly/4kDjmYn

June 17th: Every other week, Crista goes live on our page for an educational session. Mark your calendars for this session filled with all things family history research for the summer season.

June 18th: Join Crista as she reveals the most common mistakes made by both beginners and experienced family historians alike. You'll learn how to recognize the way some of your assumptions, habits, behaviors, and blind spots might be causing you to get stuck, or worse, be causing you to climb the wrong family tree. Register now: https://bit.ly/4kEtakV

June 25th: Do you need help climbing over, going around, or breaking through your genealogy brick wall? Join Crista as she shares proven strategies for conquering even the most challenging family history challenges. Register Now: https://bit.ly/3ZFGSvI

06/16/2025

Check this out a free session from the National Archives. Look for previous sessions in the 2025 National Archive Genealogy Series on YouTube.

Tune in for our final session on researching immigrant ancestors. Participants will learn about AR-2 forms and online search methods for locating and requesting records from the National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/calendar/genealogy-series/2025

06/16/2025

Please come to the Genealogy is for Everyone session this Thursday, June 19 from 6 PM to 8 PM at the Cambridge Memorial Library in Cambridge, Iowa.
This is a second session of a two part series of a Beginning Genealogy Class.
Everyone is welcome.

06/04/2025

06/02/2025

If you need assistance with your genealogy research, stop by the Ames Public Library, 515 Douglas Ave., in Ames, Iowa, on Saturday, June 7 between 1 and 3 PM CDT. Members of the Story County Genealogical Society will be available to help or advise you. No appointment needed.

Send a message to learn more

05/17/2025

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