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 Society Programs
Sep 20, 2025, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM EDTZoom (Virtual Event)Learn how to maximize your Eastern European genealogy research with what to know before you even begin. Topics: Tips for planting your family tree online, determining names/places, best online databases for getting what you need, practices for citing sources and what to expect across the pond.
Sep 27, 2025, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM EDTZoom (Virtual Event)Join us for our next Family Tree Maker SIG meeting! Whether you are new to the computer program or are wanting a refresher on some of its capabilities (especially with the new 2024 version now available) to organize and display your family history research; this meeting is for you!
Oct 11, 2025, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM EDTVirtual Meeting - ZoomWhen starting our family history journey, it was likely stressed to us the importance of civil records - birth, marriage and death records. When we have those, where do we go from there? How to better tell of our ancestors' stories while having fun and being more engaging?
Oct 18, 2025, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM EDTZoom (Virtual Event)Researching 20th Century veterans is especially difficult as a fire destroyed millions of Official Military Personnel Files in 1973. This class will look at other ways to find the stories of the WWI and WWII veterans in our families.
Nov 15, 2025, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM ESTZoom (Virtual Event)Annual Meeting 10:30am Program 11:00am Looking for a date of birth or death? When and where your ancestor became a citizen? Where he disappeared to or where he came from? These often-overlooked gems can be packed with information, and you won't believe what they can tell us about our ancestors!
Advanced registration is required for all programs.
After registering for an online program, you will receive a Zoom confirmation email containing the meeting link.
Help Us Spread The Word About Our Programs!
Click the desired link below to download a copy of the program flyer:
September: "Ten Things Every Eastern European Genealogist Should Know" with Lisa Alzo
October: "No OMPF? No Problem!" with Sara Cochran
November: Annual Meeting & "Voting Records: Genealogy's Best Kept Secret" with Pam Vestal
Questions or Suggestions?
Have a question about an upcoming program?
Do you have a suggestion for a program topic or speaker?
Past Programs
2025 Programs
June 21, 2025: Spotlight on Cattaraugus County
May 24, 2025: Community Event - Family History Day 2025
In-Person Event - Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, Central Library, Buffalo, NY
May 17, 2025: "Lure Your Ancestors Out of the National Register of Historic Places" presented by Michelle Spencer [VMA] [Flyer]
Apr 12, 2025: "From Local Militia to the Continental Line" presented by Bryna O'Sullivan [Flyer]
Mar 15, 2025: "Sifting Through the Cookbooks for Our Female Ancestors" presented by Eleanor O. Brinsko [Flyer]
Feb 15 2025: "The Underground Railroad Run Through Here" presented by Janice Lovelace [Flyer]
Jan 11 2025: "Analyzing Census Data Using Spreadsheets" presented by Tara Shymanski [Flyer]
Click to learn more about our past NextGen and Family Tree Maker Special Interest Group programs.
2024 Programs
[VMA] indicates the content is available for viewing in the Members Area.
Nov 16 2024: Annual Business Meeting & Elections and "Twenty Years of Stuff - Now What Do I Do?" presented by Elissa Scalise Powell"[Flyer]
Oct 5 2024: 50th Anniversary Founders Celebration featuring Thomas W. Jones and Karen Mauer Jones [Flyer]
Sept 8 2024: “Brick by Brick: Tracing Your Home’s History”with Tina Beaird [VMA] [Flyer]
Jul 13 2024: “Save Our Cemeteries" Workshop
Jun 22 2024: “Birthplace and Crossroads of Western New York" Talk & Workshop
Apr 20 2024: Members Meet-Up - Rochester Genealogical Society's "Genealogy in Bloom" Conference with Jeanette Sheliga
Mar 16 2024 "Chautauqua County Poor Farm & the Emigrant Train" presented by Michele Henry [VMA] [Flyer]
Feb 17 2024: "Using AI for Genealogy" presented by Margaret M. McMahon [Flyer]
Jan 20 2024: "Wide World of Passports" presented by Debra Dudek [Flyer]
Prior Programs (2021-2023)
Additional information on past member programs and trips here.
Member Program Photo Gallery
 Buffalo History Museum"Buffalo Will See It Through" exhibit |  Buffalo & Erie County Public LibrarySociety Workshop at Computer Learning Lab |
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 Family DiscoveriesBIGS Railroad Employee Record Collection |  BIGS LibraryVisit to the Buffalo Irish Genealogy Society |
 City of Buffalo Inactive RecordsTalk and Private Tour of Facility at River Rock |  Library LoveMembers showing their support for the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library and all libraries throughout Western New York |
 Tracing Our HistoryWNY Genealogy Conference - Documenting Our Families' Journeys |  Continuing EducationSociety Program on Church Records |
 Remembering Those LostErie County (NY) Casualties in WWI |  Veterans History ProjectLibrary of Congress Training - Documenting Veterans' Experiences |
Click any image to learn more about past WNYGS programs and events.