Local history, genealogy programs planned in Monroe County

MONROE COUNTY — Three local history events are approaching. The first is Oct. 21.

Genealogical workshop

A genealogical workshop, hosted by the Nancy DeGraff Toll Chapter , Daughters of the American Revolution, will take place at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 21 at the Ellis Library & Reference Center, 3700 S. Custer Road in Monroe.

Attendees will learn how to determine if they had ancestors in the American Revolution.

“Please bring any information you have on the person you believe fought in the American Revolution,” organizers said.

Helping attendees with research will be four members of the Nancy DeGraff Toll Chapter and Debbie Blaske, state registrar; Cindy Miilu, state organizing secretary; and Marie Zawol, state lineage research chair.

To register, call Susan Fortney, regent, at 734-652-5621, or Charleen Kolar, registrar, at 734-777-4331.

Local History Week

Monroe County Local History Week is Nov. 17-23. Programs will be offered daily in the lower level of the Johnson Phinney House, 22 W. Second St. in Monroe.

Sponsored by the Monroe County Historical Society and the Monroe County Museum System , the week offers local daily guest speakers who will talk about local topics. Admission is free. To learn more, call 734-242-3445.

Speakers and topics are:

David Eby will discuss "Remembering Our County Dead Since the Civil War" on Nov. 17.

Ralph Naveaux will discuss "Everyday Life and Survival in Frenchtown" on Nov. 18.

Rick Grassley will discuss "Some Notable People from Monroe County You Never Heard of" on Nov. 19.

David Ingall will discuss "Monroe County's Civil War Soldiers" on Nov. 20.

Michael Huggins will discuss "Monroe County's Lighthouses" on Nov. 21.

Jacob Heck will discuss "Surveying the Situation: A History of How Monroe County Got on the Map" on Nov. 22.

Richard Micka will discuss "The Monroe Marsh: A Nationally Known Wildlife Mecca" on Nov. 23.

Fall Family History Seminar

The Michigan Genealogical Council will hold a Fall Family History Seminar from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 16. at the Michigan Library and Historical Center in Lansing. Attendees also can attend virtually with Zoom Webinar.

Angie Bush will speak. She is a genetic genealogist researcher with Ancestry ProGenealogists in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Subscribe Now: For all the latest local developments, breaking news and high school sports content.

"Angie has been interested in her genealogy since she was very young. After college, she spent several years working in biotech while continuing to pursue her genealogy hobby. With the growing popularity and introduction of autosomal DNA testing in 2012, she decided to combine her two loves into one career," seminar organizers said. "Although she spends a lot of time working on recent unknown parentage cases (adoptions, unknown fathers), her favorite type of research to do involves solving decades old 'brick- walls' using a combination traditional records and genetic evidence."

Tickets are now available using Eventbrite. The cost is $50 through Nov. 2 and $60 afterward. A free lunch is served.

To register, visit mimgc.org .

— Contact reporter Suzanne Nolan Wisler at swisler@monroenews.com .

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Local history, genealogy programs planned in Monroe County