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Genealogical Society helps search for roots SECTION 2 - PAGE 1 - PLAINDEALER - FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 1984 By Kurt Begalka Shaw Free Press News Media We've all got roots, and the McHenry County Genealogical Society wants to help you dig for them. "One reason people join is to look up their backgrounds," Society "President Roberta Smith said. Established in 1981, the society collects, preserves and disseminates history materials between members and through various libraries in the county. The group shares ideas, in­ formation and methods on research in fnonthly meetings and various outings. Some 230 members belong to the society, scattered across the United States. Projects include indexing the 1860 county census, recording tombstones in­ scriptions from area cemeteries, copying and translating early records from county churches and reprinting the first (1872) plat map book for McHenry County. Society Vice President Phyllis Bauer of McHenry suggests working from the known to the unknown when tracing your past. "You start with yourself and at home," she said. Question relatives using a tape recorder. Search for old letters, diaries, birth cer­ tificates, passports, diplomas, photographs, and birth, marriage and 'death records. More reliable sources are census, land and other govern­ ment records. The biggest mistake people make is not to record their sources. Use ancestral charts and family group sheets. "Sooner or later you're going to get evidence that doesn't jive," Smith added. The spelling of many names are changed. "Vowels are in­ terchangeable," Bauer said. Names were also translated. Zimmerman, which means carpenter in German, became Carpenter. Cooper means barrelmaker. "0" or "vich" on a name means "son of," Bauer said. She said blacks have a particularly hard time tracing lineage since their forefathers often borrowed the name of their masters. The Civil War claimed many records, especially in the South, Bauer said. Nineteehth century New Englanders kept good records that were far enough away from the fighting to be preserved. Librarian Dorothy Uttich said between eight and 10 people use the Historical and Genealogical Room of the McHenry Library each day. It contains many d o c u m e n t s , i n c l u d i n g naturalization and land records, national passenger and im­ migration lists, a copy of the 1885 History of McHenry County and many how-to books like The Researchers Guide to American Geneology. Much of the in­ formation is on microfilm, like copies of the 1840-1910 county census. The 1877 Directory of McHenry County was an ex­ clusive publication. "You had to pay to get in it," Bauer said with a smile. "You had to have a lot of money and a little bit of pride." You need not live in McHenry to see these materials. What your local library doesn't have can be obtained through inter- library loans, Ms. Uttich said. Choice libraries £ outside the county are the Rockford Public Library, Wisconsin Historical Society Library at Madison, the Newberry Library on Walton Street in Chicago, Illinois State Archieves and the Illinois State Library in Springfield. Hie Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mor­ mons) have the world's largest collection of genealogical material. In addition to the main library at Salt Lake City, Utah, there also are branch libraries in Wilmette and Schaumburg, m. G e n e a l o g i c a l H e l p e r magazine and issues of the old Woodstock Sentinel are two other easily-available sources. "You have to be a detective," Smith said. "You have to be a bloodhound." For her, "recently" is 150 years ago. "I think the. interest is definitely growing," Ms. Bauer said. "People have lost their sense of roots and sense of belonging to a given area." general News © U of I will hold riders' forum The University of Illinois Department of Animal Science will sponsor a Riders' Forum Sunday, March 11, targeted to owners, trainers and exhibitors of the many stock-type horse breeds, with major emphasis being placed on training the performances horse. A special session on youth showmanship is also planned. The major clinician for the 1984 Riders' Forum is Terry Thompson, who recently moved to Pleasant Plains, 111. from New York. Thompson has trained horses for 15 years. In his time he has ridden 20 world champions, 17 national cham­ pions and several youth champions. Thompson is also a published author, To appeal to the youth audience a session on "Showmanship At Halter", will be presented by Ms. Mary Hannagan. She is the manager of Gordon Hannagan Farms, and has had oustanding success showing horses within the AQUA and during her 4-H career. Registration information is available from the McHenry County Cooperative Extension Service, 789 McHenry Avenue B.O. Box 431, Woodstock, 338- 3737. Farm women sponsor Board of Trade trip The McHenry County Farm Bureau's Women's committee is sponsoring a bus trip to the Chicago Board of Trade and Chicago Mercantile Exchange Tuesday, March 6. Pat Beard, chairman, said the cost is minimal, and resrevations are on a first-call, first-served basis. Persons wishing to go should call the Farm Bureau, (815) 338-1520. The bus will leave the Farm Bureau at 7:30 a.m. and return about 4:30 p.m. The Mercantile Exchange is in a new location, occupying its own building at Monroe Street and Wacker Drive. Traders familiar with the operation of the two exchanges will discuss such topics as hedging, forward contracting, the role of the commodity ex­ changes in the marketing process, the role of speculators, and the anticipated start of trading in agricultural options sometime this fall. is Your Noma w TONY PICK 385-2336 :HUCK LEWANDOWSKI 385-2304 1308 N. PARK McHENRY iSM RtCAN FAMILY AUTO mm mamtss HIAITH UH EXCITING WOMEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL THIS WEEKEND AT McHENRY COUNTY COLLEGE THE SECTION V JUNIOR COLLEGE TOURNAMENT Elgin Community College (2) Friday March 2 5:30pm Lake County College (3) WINNER McHenry County College U) Friday March 2 7:30pm COLLEGE OF PUPAQE (4) SAT MAR.3 7:30pm WINNER CHAMPION *The section V champion will advance to the Region IV Championship to be held at TRITON Community College. Come out and see such great former high school athletes as Cheri Bacon (In her last college games in the McHenry County Area)& Diane Pllgard of C.L. Central, Debra Mlnogue of C.L. 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