PURPOSE SCCGS was founded in 1977 and incorporated in 1978 in order to: Preserve and perpetuate ancestral records for educational and historical purposes; Encourage the study of family history and to teach the methods of genealogical research; Promote genealogical publications; Promote the preservation and safeguarding of genealogical data; and Publish and circulate literature relative to the purposes and acquisitions of the Society.

OFFICERS and CHAIRS Members, kindly include your membership code number from your mailing label) with correspondence. President, Larry Kritis, for concerns, feedback on how SCCGS is meeting your needs, project ideas, to volunteer? Treasurer, Sheila Kronenberger Budget, Sandi Bennett Membership Chair, Diane Auth MEETING and LECTURES MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION Meetings are held the first Thursday of each month. Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: St. Luke Parish Hall, North Church and East "C" Sts., Belleville, Illinois. (Guests always welcome.) Programs of genealogical interest are featured and summarized in the Newsletter. Inclement weather and lecture information: Nancy Pannier, 1st Vice-President & Program Chair, (618) 235-7417. UPCOMING LECTURES 2008 DATE TOPIC and SPEAKER December 4, 2008 Christmas Party and Show and Tell Inclement weather canceled the 2007 party but neither rain, snow, sleet, or the muffin man will keep this one from happening! November 6, 2008 Paper Conservation and Encapsulation Patricia Hamilton will demonstrate special techniques genealogists may need to preserve artifacts and memorabilia collected over the years. Some of you may remember Pat as the genealogy section archivist at the Belleville Library many moons ago. She painstakingly compiled the Bibiliography to the Archives. Her successor, Lou Ann James, subsequently toiled to produce The Supplement to that publication. October 2, 2008 Family History Month: Hauntings and History of Jefferson Barracks Military research expert Tom Pearson will entertain the audience with little known ghostly encounters at these historic burial grounds. An attendance prize will be offered titled Ghosts of Jefferson Barracks by David Goodwin September 4, 2008 PowerPoint for the Buffudled Genealogist Tom Pearson will dispell the mystery behind PowerPoint and demonstrate tricks of the trade for sharp presentations. August 7, 2008 Belleville Library: 100 Years and Counting Dana Prusacki, Archivist. Always enlightening, come hear the new and upcoming research tools, collections, and books of one of St. Clair's best research institutions. In celebration of Ms. Prusacki's first anniversary as archivist, cake will be served.

QUARTERLY Four issues/year; indexed. Table of Contents | Submit articles to our Quarterly Editor, Diane Walsh. | Surname search engine on the SCCGS Home Page. Exchanged with many libraries (see below). NEWSLETTER Ten issues annually (begins first month after joining, so join/renew by November to receive all for the coming year). Submit Queries to Newsletter Editor, Tom Pearson, for publication in both our publications. (Include member number). ACQUISITIONS CURRENT PROJECTS Currently acquiring microfilmed probate case files (originals), a $20,000 project. Help achieve this goal (scroll down page). Booker T. Washington Cemetery sexton book transcription Zion Lutheran Church (Belleville) registers translations from German and vital records extracts Belleville Catholic School Graduates List Walnut Hill Cemetery burials and tombstone photographs. Belleville's largest cemetery.

The Quarterly is exchanged with many societies and libraries

• Belleville [IL] Public Library
• Newberry Library, Chicago, IL
• Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, IN
• Family History Library, Salt Lake City, UT
• Library of Congress

100% of your donation earmarked for the Probate Project is applied to each microfilm roll purchased. Honor Your Ancestor For each $20.00 donation (the cost per reel), SCCGS will add a gift plate with the donor's name and one ancestor's name (or couple, or family) on one reel of microfilm. In the case of multiple donations, you may honor a different ancestor/couple/family on each reel, or the same name/couple/family on all reels, just tell us your wishes. All Society acquistions are housed at the Belleville Public Library for public use.

Mail the names to be honored and your check or money order (no cash) payable to St. Clair County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 431, Belleville, IL 62222-0431.

To date (Dec 2007) SCCGS funded the acquisition of 611 rolls as of December 2007, of which 110 rolls were donated by individual members. The following rolls are currently available in the BPL: Top

• Probate Record, Rolls 1–90 – Wills [originals, not court copy in books, early from 1770s forward]; rolls 51–90 ordered 2/2007.
• Non-Probated Wills, Rolls 1–16 [most of these date in the 1930–60s]; rolls 7 – 16 ordered 2/2007.
• Probate Records of the Circuit Clerk, Rolls 1–505 [early, from 1770s forward, intestate case files and some guardianship–related records c1860s, 1870s ].

SOME PAST LECTURES

Funding provided by Membership dollars. We invite you to join us!

Researching Your Family in Germany
Mindmapping Your Family Story
Early Postal History of St. Clair County
Cemeteries
Trail of Tears in Southern Illinois
Civil War Soldiers: Male and Female
Colonel Benjamin Stephenson’s Family History
East St. Louis War Memorial, and WWI Units from St. Clair County
Plain Clothes Combatants: Civil War Guerrillas and Partisan Rangers
The Privy
Remembering the Maine: Researching Spanish-American War Veterans in Print and Internet Information Sources
Scrapbooks of Your Family History
A Sickly Season: Summer Fevers and Deaths in St. Clair County, 1770s-1920
Social Activities Our Ancestors Brought with Them
The Research Process
Milwaukee Area Research
Millstadt Historical Society