Upcoming Monthly Meetings
Available to JGSSN meeting attendees: private access to the resources of the FamilySearch Center!
The FamilySearch Center resources will be available for JGSSN use after the meeting until 4:00 pm. Those resources include free access to a variety of genealogy programs, such as Ancestry.com, MyHeritage, Newspapers.com, and many others. In addition, the library will make their document, photo, slide, audio and video scanners available. Bring in your family memories and convert them to digital files. See the attachment for a list of the resources. Library staff will be available to assist.
The FamilySearch Center resources will be available for JGSSN use after the meeting until 4:00 pm. Those resources include free access to a variety of genealogy programs, such as Ancestry.com, MyHeritage, Newspapers.com, and many others. In addition, the library will make their document, photo, slide, audio and video scanners available. Bring in your family memories and convert them to digital files. See the attachment for a list of the resources. Library staff will be available to assist.
| lvfsl_web_programs_and_scanning_resources.pdf |
December 8, 2024: Members-only Holiday Brunch
Time: 10 am-1:30 pm
Location: Sahara West Library, 9600 W Sahara Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89117
Members: RSVP Click here
January 19, 2025: Guest speaker, Barb Proctor, will present: "Hiring a Professional Genealogist - When and How"
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Location: Las Vegas FamilySearch Center, 509 S 9th St, Las Vegas, NV 89101
Members: To RSVP, click here (free for members)
Non-members: To pay the $5 admission, click here and then click here to register.
"Hiring a Professional Genealogist - When and How"
This lecture aims to equip you with the knowledge needed to navigate professional genealogy effectively, whether you're considering hiring an expert or simply wish to deepen your understanding of the field. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and enhance your genealogical research skills.
About Barb Proctor:
Barb Proctor is a dedicated genealogist with over 20 years of experience researching family histories, particularly within New York City and its surrounding boroughs. Her extensive expertise in tracing lineages across one of the most historically rich urban areas in the United States is complemented by her formal education. Barb earned her Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies - US Courses from The National Institute of Genealogical Studies, underscoring her commitment to the field.
In addition to her research work, Barb actively volunteers at the FamilySearch Center, where she passionately assists individuals in uncovering their ancestral roots. Her enthusiasm for genealogy and her deep knowledge of New York City's diverse historical landscape make her a valuable resource for anyone seeking to delve into their family history.
February 16, 2025: Guest speaker, Michael Green, will present: "Jews in Nevada"
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Location: Las Vegas FamilySearch Center, 509 S 9th St, Las Vegas, NV 89101
Members: To RSVP, click here (free for members)
Non-members: To pay the $5 admission, click here and then click here to register.
"Jews in Nevada"
Who were Nevada's first Jewish residents? What role have they played in the state's history? How have they shaped Southern Nevada in particular? Join us as UNLV history professor Michael Green gives an introduction to this important part of Nevada's past.
About Michael Green:
Michael Green is a professor and chair of the history department at UNLV. He is the author of several books on Nevada and Las Vegas, including Nevada: A History of the Silver State; Las Vegas: A Centennial History (with Eugene Moehring); and A Liberal Conscience; Ralph Denton, Nevadan. He also has written several books on the Civil War era. He also is executive director of Preserve Nevada, the state's oldest statewide historic preservation organization, and a member of the board of directors at The Mob Museum. He writes "Nevada Yesterdays," read by former Senator Richard Bryan, for KNPR.
March 16, 2025: Guest speaker, Daniel Horowitz will present [topics coming soon]
Time 1:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Location: Las Vegas FamilySearch Center, 509 S 9th St, Las Vegas, NV 89101
Members: To RSVP, click here (free for members)
Non-members: To pay the $5 admission, click here and then click here to register.
At 1:30 p.m.: "Locations are Everything: the Places Your Relatives Were"
Locations are some of the key elements of genealogy research. Recognizing when the places you’ve recorded were misspelled, incomplete, or wrong can pave the way to discovering new clues about your ancestors’ lives. Daniel will show you the right tools and methodology for analyzing locations and gaining new insights.
At 3:00 p.m.: "If I Only Knew Then What I Know Now"
After over 35 years of research, an unexpected record challenged Daniel’s family tree. He retraced his steps… only to discover that he missed many details. Hear from the voice of experience what he did wrong then, how he recognized new leads, and his conclusions so you can get it right this time.
About Daniel Horowitz
Daniel is the Expert Genealogist from MyHeritage. He speaks at genealogy conferences around the world. He has been dedicated to genealogy since 1986. He was the teacher and the study guide editor of the family history project “Searching for My Roots” in Venezuela for 15 years. Daniel is involved in several crowdsource digitization and transcription projects and holds a board level position at the Israel Genealogy Research Association (IGRA).
April 6, 2025: Guest speaker, Bert Reiner will present "A Trip of Remembrance"
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Location: Las Vegas FamilySearch Center, 509 S 9th St, Las Vegas, NV 89101
Members: To RSVP, click here (free for members)
Non-members: To pay the $5 admission, click here and then click here to register.
"A Trip of Remembrance"
Join us for a personal lecture with our fellow JGSSN member Bert Reiner, who recently returned from a Holocaust reunion in Dresden, Germany—the city of his birth. Supported by the German government, this all-expense-paid trip allowed Bert to rediscover his family's past and stand once more at the graves of his ancestors. If you have German parents or grandparents who lived there prior to or during WWII, this talk will describe how you might participate in such a journey, discovering connections to your own history and culture.
In this lecture, Bert will share his experience of locating his family's former home and uncovering "Stolpersteine," or "stumbling stones," memorial plaques set in sidewalks across Germany to honor Holocaust victims. Learn how these powerful markers keep alive the stories of those who lived before and discover the programs Germany has implemented to educate their youth about the Holocaust and ensure that these stories are never forgotten.
About Bert Reiner:
Bert is now retired, has had 30+ years’ experience in the development, quality and manufacture of toys, and juvenile furniture. He had worked in several toy companies, the last as Sr. VP at Coleco, in Hartford, CT. He lives in Las Vegas, has three children and eight grand-children.
May 18, 2025: Guest speaker, Jon Baime, will present: "Filling in the Blanks"
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Location: Las Vegas FamilySearch Center, 509 S 9th St, Las Vegas, NV 89101
Members: To RSVP, click here (free for members)
Non-members: To pay the $5 admission, click here and then click here to register.
"Filling in the Blanks"
Where do I come from? For some, the question has a simple answer - for others, the truth can be much more complicated. With the rise in popularity of at-home DNA tests, it’s now easier than ever for people to uncover their family history and, sometimes, things their parents wish would stay buried. Interested in learning more about his family heritage, Jon Baime took an at-home DNA test and uncovered a family secret that has been hidden for half a century.
“I don’t want you to take that test until after I am dead!” These were the words spoken by my 92-year-old father demanding that I wait until after his death to take an at-home DNA test. I asked him why, but he gave no explanation. What's a 54-year-old man to do when his father insists he shouldn't take a DNA test until his death? Take one, of course. Weeks later the results would lead me to discover just what he couldn’t bring himself to say.
Where do I come from? For some, the question has a simple answer - for others, the truth can be much more complicated. With the rise in popularity of at-home DNA tests, it’s now easier than ever for people to uncover their family history and, sometimes, things their parents wish would stay buried. Interested in learning more about his family heritage, Jon Baime took an at-home DNA test and uncovered a family secret that has been hidden for half a century.
“I don’t want you to take that test until after I am dead!” These were the words spoken by my 92-year-old father demanding that I wait until after his death to take an at-home DNA test. I asked him why, but he gave no explanation. What's a 54-year-old man to do when his father insists he shouldn't take a DNA test until his death? Take one, of course. Weeks later the results would lead me to discover just what he couldn’t bring himself to say.
About Jon Baime:
Jon Baime is an Atlanta-based independent producer with a specialty in non-fiction projects. Jon’s work encompasses reality series and lifestyle programming on one end and science, environment, and socially conscious content on the other. Over the past 20 years, some of Jon’s work as a producer has included the nationally syndicated travel TV series “Small Town Big Deal” and the motorsports series “Caffeine and Octane.” He has also edited training videos for the Centers for Disease Control and a series of web videos called “Science Nation” for the National Science Foundation. Jon also produced segments for “This American Land,” a PBS series covering environmental issues.
Prior to being independent, Jon worked for TBS’s Environmental Policy unit, traveling the world, producing and editing the long-form documentary series “People Count” hosted by Jane Fonda focusing on climate change and population issues. He also served for two years as a producer on "Real News for Kids," a weekly children's news show produced by CNN and syndicated to television stations in over 200 markets. Jon started his career in television at CNN in 1987.
Jon originally hails from South Orange, N.J., and is a 1986 graduate of Ithaca College.
Jon Baime is an Atlanta-based independent producer with a specialty in non-fiction projects. Jon’s work encompasses reality series and lifestyle programming on one end and science, environment, and socially conscious content on the other. Over the past 20 years, some of Jon’s work as a producer has included the nationally syndicated travel TV series “Small Town Big Deal” and the motorsports series “Caffeine and Octane.” He has also edited training videos for the Centers for Disease Control and a series of web videos called “Science Nation” for the National Science Foundation. Jon also produced segments for “This American Land,” a PBS series covering environmental issues.
Prior to being independent, Jon worked for TBS’s Environmental Policy unit, traveling the world, producing and editing the long-form documentary series “People Count” hosted by Jane Fonda focusing on climate change and population issues. He also served for two years as a producer on "Real News for Kids," a weekly children's news show produced by CNN and syndicated to television stations in over 200 markets. Jon started his career in television at CNN in 1987.
Jon originally hails from South Orange, N.J., and is a 1986 graduate of Ithaca College.
June 15, 2025
July 20, 2025: Guest speaker, Susan Weinberg, will present: "Mining the Manifest"
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Zoom Lecture. Zoom Link will be sent with the registration confirmation.
Members: To RSVP, click here (free for members)
Non-members: To pay the $5 admission, click here and then click here to register.
"Mining the Manifest"
After 1906, immigration manifests offer a wealth of information, but what do you do if your family came over prior to that time? And how did they go from New York to other areas in the United States? This presentation explores the immigration period from the early 1890s through 1906, a period which begins to offer useful information for a genealogical search. Using a case approach, we will look at derivative naturalization documents, trace contacts they were going to through the NY vital records and follow immigrants who found their route through Canada. Once in New York, we will explore how you can follow their journey to the areas outside of New York. We will explore cases with name changes and variable spellings, work back from other documents, and resolve conflicting data.
About Susan Weinberg:
Susan Weinberg is an artist, author, researcher, and frequent speaker on genealogy topics. Drawing on her long career in finance, she often applies spreadsheets as an analytic tool in her genealogy research. Her creative work often involves storytelling and frequently explores family history themes. Susan is active in organizations within the world of Jewish genealogy, serving as the president of the Minnesota Jewish Genealogical Society (MNJGS), vice president of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) and vice president of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest (JHSUM). She developed the Jewish Identity and Legacy Project, an oral history project with elders, then authored the book We Spoke Jewish: A Legacy in Stories that includes oral history, artwork, and history on three groups of Jewish immigrants who spanned the 1900s. Susan has created and manages websites for the former Jewish communities of several ancestral towns. She writes frequently for publications on genealogy topics and does genealogy research for clients around the world.
| mining-the-manifest-handout.pdf |
Happy Summer Vacation!
September 14, 2025: Guest speaker, Terri Conway, will present: "From Immigrants to Citizens: Tracing Your Naturalized Ancestors"
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Location: Las Vegas FamilySearch Center, 509 S 9th St, Las Vegas, NV 89101
Members: To RSVP, click here (free for members)
Non-members: To pay the $5 admission, click here and then click here to register.
From Immigrants to Citizens: Tracing Your Naturalized Ancestors
Unlock the secrets of your family's history with our informative lecture on how to determine if and when your ancestor was naturalized. Dive into U.S. naturalization records spanning from 1790 and into the 20th century and discover crucial details about your ancestors' journey to citizenship. Learn step-by-step methods to verify your ancestor’s naturalization status, consult the comprehensive FamilySearch Wiki, and navigate the FamilySearch Catalog to locate District Court records that may hold invaluable insights. This lecture will provide the tools you need to expand your genealogical research.
About Terri Conway:
With ancestors from Galicia, Poland and Ukraine, Terri Conway has researched many types of genealogical documents, including U.S. naturalization records that have helped her learn about the origins of her family, and help others.
After retiring from a career in international human resources, Terri earned her professional certificate in genealogy from Boston University. She volunteered at the FamilySearch Center from 2021-2023 and continues to help anyone looking for their ancestors from Eastern Europe, particularly Poland and Galicia.
Finding the Las Vegas FamilySearch Center and where to park:
Click here for directions.
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