Member Meetings & Programs

The Western New York Genealogical Society hosts a minimum of six member meetings a year. These meetings are generally held on the third Saturday of the month during March, April, May, September, October and November (unless special opportunities or conflicts arise). Occasionally, bonus webinars, trips, and workshops may be offered during the year.

As a special benefit for members, videorecordings and digital handouts are made available whenever possible.

Upcoming Programs

Save The Date: Fall/Winter Programs

Saturday, October 28th at 10:30 a.m. Program Topic: "Spotlight on Wyoming County"

Additional program details will be announced as soon as available.

Upcoming Programs

Questions or Suggestions?

Have a question about an upcoming program?

Do you have a suggestion for a program topic or speaker?

EMAIL US

Program Chair:

Jeanette Sheliga
programs@wnygs.org

Past Programs

2023 Programs

[MA] indicates the content is available for viewing in the Members Area.

May 20 2023: "How to Write Ancestral Stories Your Relatives Will Want to Read" with Pam Vestal [MA]

Apr 15 2023: "Technology to the Rescue: Free Tools Every Genealogist Needs in their Toolbox" with Linda Debe [MA]

Mar 18 2023: "Using Historical Literature to Explore Your Ancestors Lives" with Karen A. Fortin

Feb 18 2023: "Maps Galore: Finding & Using Online Maps from the Library of Congress" with Annette Burke Lyttle

Jan 21 2023: "Mysterious Codes: Passenger Manifests Letters and Numbers” with Christine Cohen

2022 Programs

[MA] indicates the content is available for viewing in the Members Area.

Nov 19 2022: Annual Society Business Meeting & Elections and "Finding Your 19th Century Ancestors on Fold3: Is There a Better Way?”with Brian Rhinehart

Oct 8 2022: "Intro to U.S. Church Records: Why We Care Where Grandma Went to Church" with Sunny Morton

Sept 17 2022: "Courthouse Records of Western New York" with Jeanette Sheliga [MA]

Jul 12 2022: WNYGS Sponsored GRIP Webinar: “Reconstructing the Lives of Our Farming Ancestors” with Annette Burke Lyttle

May 18 2022: "Jewish Genealogy 101" with Lara Diamond

Apr 16 2022: "From Birth to Death: New York State Vital Records" with Rhonda Hoffman, Genealogy Specialist, B&ECPL [MA]

Mar 19 2022: "Ready for Release Day: Prepping for 1950 Census Research" with Amanda Perrine [MA]

Feb 19 2022: "Mysterious Relatives & How the Weather Affected Your Ancestors" with Ari Wilkins

Jan 19 2022: "Spotlight on Niagara County: A Panel Discussion" with the Niagara County Genealogical Society [MA]

Prior Programs (2019-2021)

Additional information on past member programs and trips here.

Past Programs

Member Program Photo Gallery

Buffalo History Museum "Buffalo Will See It Through" exhibit	Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Society Workshop at Computer Learning Lab
Family Discoveries BIGS Railroad Employee Record Collection	BIGS Library Visit to the Buffalo Irish Genealogy Society
City of Buffalo Inactive Records Talk and Private Tour of Facility at River Rock	Library Love Members showing their support for the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library and all libraries throughout Western New York
Tracing Our History WNY Genealogy Conference - Documenting Our Families' Journeys	Continuing Education Society Program on Church Records
Remembering Those Lost Erie County (NY) Casualties in WWI	Veterans History Project Library of Congress Training - Documenting Veterans' Experiences