Topeka Genealogical Society

03/05/2026

RootsTech Watch Party Tomorrow! 9-5 at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library. Free live stream from RootsTech in Salt Lake City FamilySearch event. Come for fun with friends and free food. Registration is required.

Please support this free event. Register at

Join us for a day of online genealogy sessions curated from the hundreds of sessions at RootsTech in Salt Lake City, Utah.. Event starts at March 6, 2026 9:00 AM CST

03/03/2026

Reminder - DNA SIG this morning at 10:30am. Sort, color code and cluster your matches!
Register at

DNA SIG - Getting Your DNA Results at Virtual - Zoom on Tue Mar 3 2026, 10:30am CST: Our DNA Special Interest Group is Making Some Changes in 2026! ...

03/03/2026

Tom Schmidt recently treated TGS members and guests to inspiring stories of Kansas men who carried "the Colors" into battle during the Civil War. Our February meeting, "Kansas Save the Flags" lecture, was about preserving the fragile remains of those flags and remembering the sacrifice of the men who carried them. If you missed the program, a recording is available to members (login required) for on-demand viewing under the Past Programs tab on the TGS website.: https://tgstopeka.org/past-programs/

03/01/2026

Attend the largest genealogy conference on the planet at the RootsTech Watch Party at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library on Friday, March 6 from 9-5 pm. Attend two general sessions and four other sessions of your choice. There will be fun and food, too! Come and go as you please, but registration is required! Register at

Join us for a day of online genealogy sessions curated from the hundreds of sessions at RootsTech in Salt Lake City, Utah.. Event starts at March 6, 2026 9:00 AM CST

03/01/2026

The TGS DNA Special Interest Group will meet on Tuesday, March 3, at 10:00am on Zoom. Paula Smith will give tips on how to proceed after receiving your results. She will discuss ethnicity results and color coding and clustering strategies to sort your DNA matches. Register for a Zoom link below:

DNA SIG - Getting Your DNA Results at Virtual - Zoom on Tue Mar 3 2026, 10:30am CST: Our DNA Special Interest Group is Making Some Changes in 2026! ...

02/20/2026

Are you tired of the same dinner routine day after day? Spice up your meal with a tasty menu and lively conversation on Thursday, February 26 at 5:00pm at On the Border Restaurant in Topeka. TGS members will gather for a meal before our meeting and program at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library at 7:00pm. If you can't join us for dinner, please enjoy lunch, a snack or take out any time between 11:00am and 9:00pm. Mention TGS or present the attached flyer and TGS will receive 20% of all sales as a fundraising activity.

Monthly Dining Out/ Fundraiser at On the Border on Thu Feb 26 2026, 11:00am CST: Our February 2026 dining out/fundraiser will be at On the Border, 1235 SW...

02/20/2026

Join us for an inspiring evening of Civil War history!
The Topeka Genealogical Society invites you to “Kansas Save the Flags Project” on Thursday, February 26, at 7:00pm in Marvin Auditorium at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library.
Our speaker, Tom, will bring to life the true stories of heroic flag bearers—the men who carried regimental colors into battle and inspired their fellow soldiers through extraordinary courage. Their experiences and the banners they carried, preserved through the Save the Flags initiative, offer a powerful window into Kansas history and the legacy of those who served.
The program is free and open to the public. Attend in person or register for a Zoom link here.

“Kansas Save the Flags Project” by Tom Schmidt at Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library on Thu Feb 26 2026, 7:00pm CST: Kansas Save the...

02/18/2026

Write this down! The TGS Writing Group will meet for the first time on Friday, February 20, at 10:30am in Anton Room 202 in the Topeka and Shawnee County Library. The topic for the day is "Getting Started."
Come for inspiration, practice, help or praise! Please register ASAP at the following link to help Terry and Phyllis prepare materials for the group.

TGS Writing Group at Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library on Fri Feb 20 2026, 10:00am CST: New in 2026!   The TGS Writing Group! "Every...

02/04/2026

It's only the fourth day of February and TGS has already hosted two events and there are more to come!

Sunday, Feb. 8 at 2:00pm on Zoom - Lincoln and Lancaster County Genealogical Society British SIG shared with us - topic "Tea and Trees: Starting Your British Family History"

Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 7:00pm on Zoom - Foundations of Family History - topic "Finding Their Stories"

Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 9:30am at the public library - Brick Wall SIG in- person research help

Friday, Feb. 20 at 10:00am at the public library Anton Room - TGS Writing Group - topic Getting Started!

Thursday, Feb. 26 at 7:00pm at the public library - topic "Kansas Save the Flags Project" (Civil War flag preservation and battle stories of the flag bearers)

Thursday, Feb. 26 all day and group meeting at 5:00pm for dinner and fundraiser at On the Border Restaurant

Details and registration links can be found on the TGS website under "Upcoming Events"
https://tgstopeka.org/

If you missed our February Morning Joe and Jaw or the DNA SIG on the first Monday and Tuesday of the month, check out the TGS website and circle March 2 and 3 to join us next month.

Welcome to the Topeka Genealogical Society! Get to know your ancestors… We’re here to help! Since 1965, we have been […]

01/26/2026

Many thanks to Katie Keckeisen and Humanities Kansas for a fantastic TGS program on the effects of the Dust Bowl years on Kansas families and communities in the 1930s. The photos and first-hand accounts of the storms were horrific.

01/17/2026

Katie Keckeisen's presentation “Life in Kansas During the Dust Bowl” this Thursday, January 22, at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library at 7:00pm is part of Humanities Kansas's Speakers Bureau, featuring humanities-based presentations designed to share stories that inspire, spark conversations that inform, and generate insights that strengthen civic engagement. This event is sponsored by a grant from the Speaker's Bureau.
Katie is the local history librarian at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library. She holds a BA in Forensic Anthropology and History from Wichita State University and an MA in Museum Professions from Seton Hall University. Her thesis - "The Grinning Wall: History, Exhibition, and Application of the Hyrtl Skull Collection at the Mutter Museum" - has been cited in several published works. She has worked in museums and archives throughout the United States. Her work on the permanent exhibit "Becoming Johnson County" at the Johnson County Museum helped earn the exhibit an Award of Excellence from the American Association of State and Local History.
About Humanities Kansas
Humanities Kansas is an independent nonprofit leading a movement of ideas. Since 1972, HK’s programming, grants, and partnerships have documented and shared stories to spark conversations and invite new insights. Together with statewide partners and supporters, HK encourages Kansans to draw on diverse histories, literatures, and cultures to create connections with one another and strengthen Kansas communities and our democracy. Visit humanitieskansas.org.

01/17/2026

Here is the link to view the Inspire genealogy program on demand. Barb LaClair and I talked about family history and how TGS can help everyone research their ancestry.

We're exploring genealogy! Providing advice and resources to help find our roots.