South Suburban Genealogical and Historical Society - Illinois

09/09/2025

September is Library Card Sign-up Month. While the SSGHS Library is not a public library (our items do not circulate, and we do not have library cards), we encourage all genealogists and historians to support their local public, school, academic, and special libraries. Get your library card!

Books and so much more. From ebooks and audiobooks to maker labs and museum passes—a library card is the key to it all. One Card. Endless Possibilities.
September is .
https://ilovelibraries.org/librarycard/

09/09/2025

Might your enslaved ancestor be mentioned in such an ad? These ads often contain a physical description that you won't find anywhere else.

Genealogy Tips: Surprising Finds in Runaway Ads

Read the story on the GenealogyBank blog: http://bit.ly/465rk76

In this article, Katie Rebecca Merkley explores a genealogy resource often overlooked: runaway ads for indentured servants and slaves.

Westchester Herald (Ossining, New York), 29 May 1832, page 3

09/09/2025

It's also not about who can get back the farthest. We're just saying.

09/07/2025

Congratulations to the Village of Thornton Historical Society, which celebrated its 50th anniversary today!

09/06/2025

Family Tree Magazine shows you how to craft AI prompts to get more from your genealogy research:

Use tools like ChatGPT to further your research! These suggested AI genealogy prompts will show you how.

09/05/2025

As a society whose mission is to help people trace their family history, we ask teachers to please be mindful that the “create a family tree” assignment may not be possible for some students. Here’s an alternative. If the goal of the assignment is to teach the concepts of family tree research, perhaps select a handful of notable or historic figures, and have the student choose one to research.

"Our foster son came home with ‘Family Tree’ homework. Here’s how we chose to handle it:
Tonight we got the dreaded homework assignment... the one that seems innocent enough—until you have a kid whose tree has gone through a hurricane of sorts, with leaves and branches strewn and mixed about into a jumbled mess. I lamented through dinner; when we finally sat down, I asked him who he thought his family was. He was confused and embarrassed. He looked up at me as if he was begging for the right answer.
'Who are we?'
'Are we family?'
'Quinn and Riley are not my sisters... or are they?'
'Do I have sisters? I know my Mom and Dad... do I have a Grandpa?'
'Is your kids’ Papa, mine too?'
Because calling us family seems disloyal to his mom, and not calling us family seems disloyal to us—that’s not fair to a five year-old, traumatized boy. So, we decided to scratch the whole family tree; and instead, we made a 'People I Love' tree. His face lit up and he rattled off names to fill the tree... There was a place for us all—for Shane fand me, his momma and daddy; and frankly, anyone he loved. We talked at the end, about how God made us all, God is love, love makes a family—and that makes us all one big family. We drew hearts around mommy, and drew pictures of G playing with me and my husband; and the tension was gone.
For my teachers, educators, and administrators: I know this is just an oversight and not intentionally insensitive. I love my kids’ teachers so much. If you have a foster child or a child with an atypical family, would you consider sending them home with a 'People I Love' tree? Or, even better—what are YOUR suggestions?"
Credit to the rightful owner~
Read more about the beautiful story - https://vfastories.com/a-kindergarten-teacher-in-california-uses-her-childrens-artwork-to-change-dress-into-a-work-of-art/

09/04/2025

Earlier today we shared an article from FamilySearch Tree Magazine on the “genealogy” of the National Football League.

Did you know that one of the teams that founded the American Professional Football Association (which became the National Football League) was the Hammond Pros, from right across the state line in Hammond, Indiana?
Did you know that George Halas played for the Pros?
Did you know that Pros coach, Fritz Pollard, was the first African American coach in the NFL? Learn more here:

09/04/2025

It’s football season, and Family Tree Magazine explains the “genealogy” of today’s NFL teams. Later today we’ll post about a regional connection to the founding of the NFL.

https://familytreemagazine.com/history/genealogy-timeline-nfl-teams/

This handy football history timeline tells you the genealogy of today’s NFL teams, their “parent” teams, and the years they were established.

09/03/2025

Sat., Sept. 13 at 10 am: “Brick by Brick: Tracing Your Home’s History” with Tina Beaird.

Tina Beaird explains and teaches methods needed to unearth your home’s historical secrets.

Tina Beaird, owner of Tamarack Genealogy, is the genealogy & local history librarian at a mid-sized Chicagoland public library. She holds a Masters of Library and Information Science degree with a specialization in Archives/Preservation from Dominican University in River Forest, IL. Tina has won multiple research and digitization grants over the years to preserve and digitize historic documents and photographs.

She lectures nationally on topics including genealogical methodology, military records, Scottish research, plus photo and archival preservation. Tina has assisted researchers for over 20 years, and occasionally still finds time to conduct her own family research, which she has been pursuing for over thirty years.

Tina is the First Vice-President of the Illinois State Genealogical Society, and board director for the Oswegoland Heritage Association. She is also an active member of the American Library Association and the Society of American Archivists. She volunteers her time, when available, with several Chicagoland historical and genealogical societies.

Tina will join us in person at SSGHS. Tina’s handout is at bit.ly/ssghs09

Those who wish to view the presentation via Zoom must register at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/QR7V0ftGSJeLMxVgKWumZg

09/03/2025

We're the place for local and family history in the Chicago Southland. Come check us out!

09/03/2025

The genealogical community remembers Gary Mokotoff, who died Sunday. Mokotoff was an author, lecturer, and Jewish genealogy researcher. He was the publisher of AVOTAYNU, the International Review of Jewish Genealogy, and was the former president of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS). He also served on the board of the Federation of Genealogical Societies. He was the creator of the JewishGen's Jewish Genealogical Family Finder and the Jewish Genealogical People Finder. Recognizing that there were many spelling variants of Eastern European Jewish surnames, even though they sounded similar, Mokotoff collaborated with Randy Daitch to create the Daitch–Mokotoff Soundex, system which provides a phonetic alternative to searching databases of names. Mokotoff was co-author of "Where We Once Walked: A Guide to the Jewish Communities Destroyed in the Holocaust." May his memory be a blessing.