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June Partridge Zintz Memorial Library June Partridge Zintz (1927–2007) Founder & First President The Western New York Genealogical Society maintains an expanding reference library that serves as a repository of genealogical information pertaining to Western New York. The primary focus is the eight counties of Western New York - specifically Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming. However, the collection also contains information on New York State, New England, as well as other states and many foreign countries. The collection includes more than 3,000 books and 700 rolls of microfilm, family histories, periodicals, and card indexes. DONATE MATERIALS Collection Catalog As a reference library, collection materials are non-circulating. Books are arranged in a "modified" Dewey Decimal Classification system which is easily understood and usable. Items are catalogued by author, title and subject. SEARCH Library Chair: Rhonda Hoffman libra rian@wnygs.org For Download WNYGSCatalog-Web VITAL INDEX OF EARLY WESTERN NEW YORK FAMILIES Resource of approximately 120,000 index cards containing the birth, death, & marriage information for early Western New York families collected and complied from 75 sources. VITAL RECORDS & VITAL RECORD SUBSTITUTES Church R ecords Birth, Marriage, Death Records Cemetery R ecords Member-Submitted Bible and Marriage Records Published & Unpublished Record Manuscripts ANCESTOR CHARTS, FAMILY HISTORIES, & GENEALOGIES Collection of Member-Submitted Ancestor Charts Published & Unpublished Family Histories & Manuscripts Buffalo & Erie County Public Library & the Western New York Genealogical Society present "Buffalo's Neighborhoods: Exploring Our Migrant and Immigrant Heritage" View Digital Exhibit General Collection Holdings Atlases, Gazetteers, & Maps Immigration Resources Microfilmed Records Military Records & Resources Directories & Histories Guides & Indexes Periodicals How To Books Floor Plan Download WNYGS-ZintzMap Collection Assistance Days Each month, WNYGS volunteers are on-site at the Central Library to assist researchers with the society's library collection and answer general research questions. Join us for these upcoming winter dates: Wed., December 3 12-4p Sun., December 7 12-5p Fri., December 12 9a-12p Tues., January 6 10a-1p Sun., January 11 12-5p m Thurs., January 29 12-4p Tues., February 3 10a-1p Sun., February 8 12-5p Wed., February 25 12-4p In addition to these special assistance days, the collection remains accessible to all members and patrons during regular library hours. Have questions about this program? Email our volunteer coordinator at volunteers@wnygs.org to learn more. Research Requests & Referrals Research Assistance A s an all-vo lunteer organization, the s oci ety has neither the personnel nor the facilities to handle individual research requests . While the society does not recommend specific individu als, it encourages everyone seeking assistance to do their own research before hiring an outside professional. Locally, the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library and The Buffalo History Museum maintain lists of known researchers for hire. Additionally, several professional genealogy trade associations including the Association of Professional Genealogists , the Board for Certification of Genealogists , and the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists offer member directories; please note each organization is responsible for establishing its own membership requirements and professional/ethical standards. In addition to our Collection Assistance Days, the WNYGS Facebook Discussion Group offers society and community members the opportunity to post their questions for fellow researchers. With more than 3,500 members participating, you never know what you might learn o r find. B&ECPL Library Research Services The Grosvenor Room offers select research services. A summary of services can be found on the library’s website . Collection Location The Zintz Collection is housed at the following location: Buffalo & Erie County Public Library - Central Branch Grosvenor Room (Special Collections & Local History) 1 Lafayette Square Buffalo, NY 14203 Click to view current library hours . Grosvenor Room Policies See the Grosvenor Room’s Visiting Us webpage for information on the library’s policies and amenities. Collection Guides The Grosvenor Room's collection finding guides include many WNYGS resources. Duplication: Duplication of library materials is restricted to small quantities for personal research. Written permission from WNYGS is required to reproduce more than a small portion (a few images) of an item from the WNYGS collection.

The Western New York Genealogical Society's mission is to help preserve and encourage interest in Western New York's rich genealogical heritage - specifically Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, & Wyoming Counties. We focus on education and preservation. Image of Buffalo waterfront Source: Library of Congress Digital Collections Shared History We stern New York’s strategic location on the Great Lakes has made it both a terminus and a gateway of migration. First home to Native American communities, the region was later settled primarily by New Englanders following the Revolutionary War. The opening of the Erie Canal provided an easy route west, attracting the first of many waves of immigrants from Europe. Many people remained in the area and have been followed by others from around the world. Membership Experience everything membership has to offer - both in-person and online. JOIN Volunteer Make a difference by sharing your time, skills, and expertise with WNYGS. HELP Donate Support our work and mission by making financial contribution today. GIVE Recent Society Programs Family Tree Maker Special Interest Group (SIG) Virtual Meeting with Gabrielle Kandefer Nov 8, 2025 10:30a-12:00p EST Virtual Program - Zoom Annual Meeting & "Voting Records: Genealogy's Best Kept Secret" with Pam Vestal Nov 15, 2025 10:30a-12:00p EST Virtual Program - Zoom VIEW ALL Featured Resources SOCIETY LIBRARY June Partridge Zintz Memorial Library Collection DATABASE Buffalo New York Deaths Collection Index PUBLICATIONS Western New York Genealogist and Journal NEXTGEN SIG Connect Through Our Special Interest Group Collection Assistance Days Each month, WNYGS volunteers are on-site at the Central Library to assist researchers with the society's library collection and answer general research questions. Join us for these upcoming winter dates: Wed., December 3 12-4p Sun., December 7 12-5p Fri., December 12 9a-12p Tues., January 6 10a-1p Sun., January 11 12-5p m Thurs., January 29 12-4p Tues., February 3 10a-1p Sun., February 8 12-5p Wed., February 25 12-4p In addition to these special assistance days, the collection remains accessible to all members and patrons during regular library hours. Original Holland Land Company Vault (Mayville, NY) News and Updates Jan 1, 2025 : New and Returning Board Members Start Term May 16, 2024 : Buffalo and Erie County Public Library and the Western New York Genealogical Society's online exhibit, “Buffalo's Neighborhoods: Exploring Our Migrant and Immigrant Heritage," Named 2024 Winner of the National Genealogical Society Conference SLAM! Idea Showcase

Upcoming and past member programs. Regional and national speakers. Meetings, webinars, field trips, and workshops - free and paid. For members and general public. Register online. Past event photo gallery. Member Meetings & Programs Upcoming Programs Past Programs Photo Gallery 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 No events at the moment 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: Schedule of 2026 program dates to be announced shortly. Questions or Suggestions? Have a question about an upcoming program? Do you have a suggestion for a program topic or speaker? Program Chair: Jeanette Sheliga progra ms@wnygs.org NextGen SIG Chair: Gabrielle Kandefer nextgen@wnygs.org Upcoming Programs Past Programs Photo Gallery Past Programs 2025 Programs [ VMA ] i ndic ates th e content is available for viewing in the Members Area. Nov 15, 2025: Annual Business Meeting & "Voting Records: Genealogy's Best Kept Secret" presented by Pam Vestal [ VMA ] [ Flyer ] Oct 18, 2025: "No OMPF? No Problem!" presented by Sara Cochran [ VMA ] [ Flyer ] Sep 20, 2025: "Ten Things Every Eastern European Genealogist Should Know" presented by Lisa Alzo [ VMA ] [ Flyer ] 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 [ 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 ] i ndic ates th e 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 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 Click any image to learn more about past WNYGS programs and events.

Special Interest Groups Our SIG's Mission & Purpose Created in 2024, the NextGen Special Interest Group aims to provide a place for younger individuals interested in genealogy to collaborate and meet one another while having fun doing it. Our objectives are: Bridge together digital and physical research to create a more complete picture of available genealogical records. Bring awareness to resources that are either free to use or more affordable to further accessibility. Actively listen to our members to ensure we are focusing on the areas and activities that interest them most. Virtual & In-Person Meetings Upcoming Meetings Schedule of 2026 meeting dates to be announced shortly. Past Meetings Family Tree Maker SIG Virtual Meeting Sat., November 8, 2025 NexGen SIG Virtual Meeting Sat., October 11, 2025 Family Tree Maker SIG Virtual Meeting Sat., September 27, 2025 Family Tree Maker SIG Meeting Sat., July 26, 2025 NextGen SIG Meeting: In-Person Meet-up Sat., June 21, 2025 Family Tree Maker SIG Meeting with Mark Olsen Thurs., March 20, 2025 NextGen SIG Meeting: "Digital Media and Organization Strategies" Sun., April 27, 2025 Family Tree Maker SIG Meeting with John Fassbender Sat., May 31, 2025 NextGen SIG Meeting: "Free Websites & How To Use Them" Sun., February 23, 2025 Your Feedback Thoughts on Future NextGen Events Click To Complete Short Survey via Google Forms Click above to view/download. Ideas or Suggestions? Have suggestions about this group's direction and activities? Do you have suggestions for topics for upcoming meetings? NextGen SIG Chair: Gabrielle Kandefer nextgen@wnygs.org EMAIL ME Family Tree Maker Savings Because the first objective of the NextGen SIG is the bridging together of digital and physical research, incorporating Family Tree Maker (FTM) in our research seemed like a natural second step. So, in addition to our NextGen Special Interest Group we’d like to add a Family Tree Maker Special Interest Group for our members. The NextGen SIG and FTM SIG would be held on alternate months. Some features of FTM include: Endless report generating capabilities The ability to merge data with existing Ancestry accounts (including media!) Can be saved to your personal computer Allows photos, documents and research notes to be added to profiles Special Family Tree Maker Offer: A new version of FTM is available for Windows and Mac users -- and now with more features than ever! MacKiev is offering an exclusive discount (up to $50 off) to any current or interested members of the WNYGS FTM Special Interest Group. Complete information on the offer including discount code are available on the Society website in the Members Area. To learn more about the product, visit the FTM page on MacKiev's website and the FTM Facebook users group .

Western New York Historian Project About the Project What is the Western New York Historian Project? In the summer of 2020, we reached out to the village, town, city, and county historians of the eight counties of WNY and asked them to participate in the society 's Western New York Historian Project. We did this by emailing or mailing a questionnaire to each of the historians for whom we had an email or address listed. We hoped they would share with us their response to our questions. What is the purpose of this Project? We wanted to learn from the historians, in their own words, about their job and role as the guardians of their municipality's history the historic records and collections within their village, town, city or county the means they use to provide this information to the community at large their goals, as historian, for the next four years, and how, and in what ways, WNYGS could help them in achieving these goals. Image: Genesee County History Department Research Library (Batavia, NY) WNY Historian Project Chair: Marie-Cecile Tidwell, PhD historianproject@wnygs.org What have we learned so far? The WNY historians are very dedicated and loyal keepers of history. Some are new to the task, while others have been in their role for as many as 45 years. They often fulfill their duties with little or no pay; even office and storage space can be limited, if any. Some historians work in conjunction with the county and town historical museums and societies, as well as with local government officials. Municipality websites may have sections devoted to local history and often include material presented by their local historians. What is our goal as a result of the Historian Project? Our goal is to share with our membership what we have learned through this project in order to help them with their family research of their WNY ancestors. It is our hope that in addition to learning more about the history of the eight counties of WNY, our membership, as well as others in the community, will volunteer with these local historians and societies in the preservation of these important and often irreplaceable pieces of family and local history. The mission of the Western New York Genealogical Society is to preserve public and historical records, and to encourage interest, knowledge, and research in the WNY region's rich genealogical heritag e. This is a mission we share with all local historians across WNY. Find A Government Historian Association of Public Historians of New York State (APHNYS) Government Appointed Historians of Western New York (GAHWNY) News & Events of Interest In Western New York Erie & Niagara Cou nt y : Elaine Timm & Concordia Cemetery Recognized with WNY German Culture Award Nov 13, 2025 Article in November-December issue of The German Citizen [p. 1, 3] discussing the award recipients' important work in Upstate New York. Society-Published Historian Profiles Click title t o download and view the PDF. The Role of a Town Historian: "In Her Own Words" WNYGS JOURNAL - Vol. 47, No. 4, p. 145-150 By Marie-Cecile O. Tidwell, PhD and Jeanne M est, Town of Sheldon Historian Historic "Gems" of Genesee County WNYGS JOURNAL - Vol. 48, No. 1, p. 7-12 By Marie-Cecile O. Tidwell, PhD The Historians of Erie County WNYGS JOURNAL - Vol. 48, No. 2, p. 52-56 By Marie-Cecile O. Tidwell, PhD The Historians & Treasures of Cattaraugus County WNYGS JOURNAL - Vol. 48, No. 3, p. 76-81 By Marie-Cecile O. Tidwell, PhD Orleans County: Its Historians and Treasures Western New York Genealogist , Vol. 49, No. 1, p. 13-16 by Marie-Cecile O. Tidwell, PhD Wyoming County: Its Historians and Treasures Western New York Genealogist , Vol. 49, No. 2, p. 35-42 by Marie-Cecile O. Tidwell, PhD Allegany County: Its Historians and Treasures Western New York Genealogist , Vol. 49, No. 3 , p. 52 -56 by Marie-Cecile O. Tidwell, PhD Niagara County: Its Historians a nd Treasures Western New York Genealogist , Vol. 50, No. 1 , p. 13-20 by Marie-Cecile O. Tidwell, PhD Chautauqua County: Its Historians a nd Treasures Western New York Genealogist , Vol. 50, No. 2 , p. 32-40 by Marie-Cecile O. Tidwell, PhD BE A MEMBER When you become a member, you'll receive this and other helpful content in The Western New York Genealogist .

News & Announcements Read below for the latest information and updates from the Society. Member Announcements April 26, 2023: A Message from the WNYGS Website Team Invitation & Instructions for Accessing the New Online Members Area For more than fifteen years, the Western New York Genealogical Society’s website has been a valuable tool for sharing information about our programs, projects, and resources. Now, after more than a year of planning and implementation, we are pleased to announce the launch of our new website [www.wnygs.org ]. We encourage you to explore the site’s new look and expanded capabilities: Register online for upcoming programs and events . Discover society resources available both online and in the June P. Zintz Memorial Library (located at the Central Branch of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library). Use PayPal or check to purchase new memberships, renewals, and products through our online store . Support the society’s work with an online charitable donation. Review volunteer opportunities for a variety of rewarding positions and projects. Members can also sign up for the website’s new Members Area, which provides exclusive digital access to: All current and past issues of our publications, the Journal and the Western New York Genealogist , for viewing or download. Video recordings and handouts from past programs (by special arrangement with the speakers). Digital indexes, collections, and record sets. Special member announcements and updates. To request access: Visit our website at www.wnygs.org and click on ‘Member Log in’ (located near the main site menu). Click ‘Sign Up’ and, when prompted, enter the email address associated with your society membership and your desired password. You will receive a confirmation email from the administrator once your request has been approved. We hope you enjoy these enhancements and find your membership a valuable resource in your research. Sincerely, The WNYGS Website Team

Society Policies Policy on Recommendations Policy on Living Policy on Facebook Policy on Researcher Recommendations As an all-volunteer organization, the society has neither the personnel nor the facilities to handle individual research requests. While the society does not recommend specific individuals, it encourages everyone seeking assistance to do their own research before hiring an outside professional. Locally, both the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library and The Buffalo History Museum maintain lists of known researchers for hire. Additionally, several professional genealogy trade associations including the Association of Professional Genealogists , the Board for Certification of Genealogists , and the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists offer member directories; please note each organization is responsible for establishing its own membership requirements and professional/ethical standards. S ocial Media Policy Regarding Inquiries Involving The Living In its mission and in its efforts, the Western New York Genealogical Society (WNYGS) is committed to (1) fostering a collaborative, professional environment both in person and online; (2) providing and supporting continuing education; and (3) encouraging best practices among our members and the larger genealogical community. In an era of exploding genealogical research and evolving tools for genetic genealogy, it is important to think about ethics and privacy. We as genealogists and members of the Board of Directors have certain ethical responsibilities governing privacy and respectful consideration when dealing with the living, living descendants, and living relatives. Human experience is varied, and each person’s reaction to biological parentage can be highly sensitive and deeply personal. Private information and private correspondence are part of the research process, but how, where, and with what permissions we choose to publicly share that information are important considerations. Whether in the role of adoptee, biological parent, or biological relative, the research we undertake can have serious impacts. While we encourage members to inquire about research techniques and resources, we ask that researchers use caution and discretion and not post/publish specific situational details (known or speculated) with direct name associations to potentially living individuals. It is our view that by promoting respect and sound, ethical decisions, we all benefit in the long run. For more information on the ethics of genealogy, we encourage researchers to read Judy Russell's blog post on the topic. S ociety Guidelines for the WNYGS Facebook Discussion Group Thank you for joining the Western New York Genealogical Society (WNYGS) Discussion Group and agreeing to uphold our guidelines. This Facebook group’s mission is two-fold – (1) to further genealogical education and (2) to foster a professional and supportive environment. With this mission in mind, here are some important questions for all members to ask before posting content on our page: Do I adequately understand this record/resource and its source? Do I have the necessary information to properly cite the resource (both the original source and/or sharing party)? Can I verify the resource’s authenticity? Does the image/resource have the necessary credentials and documentation to qualify as a “satisfactory substitute for the original”? [https://www.ngsgenealogy.org/wp-content/uploads/NGS-Guidelines/Guidelines_CompTech2016-FINAL-29Sep2018.pdf ] Am I respecting the legal rights of the owner, “author, originator, compiler”, or any other authorized party? [https://www.ngsgenealogy.org/wp-content/uploads/NGS-Guidelines/Guidelines_SharingInfo2016-FINAL-30Sep2018.pdf ] Do I fully understand and observe the Terms of Agreement by which an image or resource may be bound? Have I received the necessary permissions to share this resource and/or information publicly? Have I properly identified and attributed “all ideas, information, and data from others”? Have I done all that is necessary to avoid and prevent potential plagiarism? As genealogists, professional standards and ethics should guide our every action - regardless of the format or medium. We would ask all group members to honor the concepts above. Through our posts, we can model best practices and share research techniques. Therefore: Group members are encouraged to make inquiries, recommend resources, and discuss potential research strategies, case studies, and brick walls. Attribution of sources is critical; whenever possible, individuals should include a direct link to the source, article, or post. Members shall not solicit or post copies of images from subscription databases unless allowable under the established Terms of Agreement. Also, please remember that this page is administered by volunteers who do not pre-read or clear the content. While the administrators reserve the right to remove content not within our guidelines, page members are solely responsible for what they post. If you observe content you feel is not within our guidelines, please alert the administrators. If you have questions about these guidelines and would like to discuss content before posting, please do not hesitate to contact us. For more on the professional and ethical standards for genealogists, members are encouraged to review the guidelines of the National Genealogical Society and the Association of Professional Genealogists. Thank you for making a page an inclusive, welcoming, and professional place for all who are interested in genealogy. Policy on Recommendations Policy on Living Policy on Facebook

Contact Us Contact Information Western New York Genealogical Society P.O. Box 338 Hamburg, New York 14075-0338 Email: info@wnygs.org For the fastest response to specific questions, please address all inquiries and requests to the appropriate officer or committee chairperson. Library Location June P. Zintz Memorial Library Collection Buffalo & Erie County Public Library - Central Branch Grosvenor Room (Special Collections & Local History) 1 Lafayette Square Buffalo, NY 14203 Click to view current l ibrary hours . President Marie-Cecile Tidwell, PhD president@wnygs. org Accounts Payable & Rec eivable Laury Lakas – Treasurer treasurer@wnygs.org Bible & Marriage Records biblerecords@wnygs.org Books for Review bookreviews@wnygs.org Community Outreach & Publicity Kaitlyn Pauley – Chair publicity@wnygs.org Library (Inquiries, Donations, & Acquisitions) Rhonda Hoffman – Chair librarian@wnygs .org Memberships (New, Renewal, & Address Changes) Becky Burke – Registr ar registrar@wnygs.org NextGen Special Interest Group (SIG) Gabrielle Kandefer nextgen@wnygs.org Preservation (Microfilming & Digitization) Vacant - Chair preservation@wnygs.org Programs & Events Jeanette S heliga – Chair programs@wnygs.org Publications: WNY Genealogist (formerly Journal ) (Article Submissions, Books Reviews, & Comments) Marie-Cecile Tidwell, PhD – Editor (Interim) editor@wnygs.org Society Clippings (Member News & Obituaries) Frederick Kester – Society Historian 1172 Woodstock Avenue, Tonawanda, NY 14150-4604 Transcriptions /Indexing Vacant – Chair transcriptio ns@wny gs.org Volunteers - General volunteers@wnygs.org Volunteers - Zintz Library Linda Kennedy – Coordinator libvolcoordinator@wnygs.org Website Jennifer Liber Raines – Webmaster webmaster@wnygs.org WNY Historian Project Marie-Cecile Tidwell, PhD – Chair historianproject@wnygs.org

Society Membership Member Benefits Society Membership Membership Period A society membership runs annually from May 1st to April 30th and starts with the June issue of the Western New York Genealogist , regardless of the date on which you join. For all annual memberships, renewal is due on or before May 15th each year. For those joining mid-year, back issues of the Genealogist will be sent electronically. Member Benefits Meetings & Programs Minimum of six meetings (in-person and online) per year featuring speaker programs, workshops, and member field trips. Western New York Genealogist Four issues (June, September, December, and March) of our quarterly member publication, the Western New York Genealogist . Content includes topics such as research strategies and techniques, resource profiles, developments in the field of genealogy, and upcoming regional and national programs. June Partridge Zintz Memorial Library Use of the society's reference library located in the Grosvenor Room of the B&ECPL Central Library (downtown Buffalo). The Zintz Collection contains more than 3,000 books, 700 reels of microfilm, and hundreds of genealogical and historical periodicals. Our library also includes such unique society resources as the Vital Index of Early Western New York Families , bible and marriage records , and member-submitted ancestor charts. Website Members Area Access to the special "Members Area" of the society's website, which contains such resources as recorded programs, handouts, publication back issues, annual indexes, databases, and records. Community & Connection Share, learn, break down brick walls, and get the latest updates from the society via our website and private Facebook Discussion Group . Volunteer Opportunities Help the researchers of today and tomorrow by sharing your time, skills, and expertise with the society. Participate in ongoing society service opportunities including record transcription and indexing, microfilming and digitization, and community outreach. Annual Memberships INDIVIDUAL One Adult. Annual Dues: $30 JUNIOR Age 18 & Younger. Digital Version of P ublication. Annual Dues: $10 FAMILY Two Adults, One Household. Annual Dues: $35 SOCIETIES & LIBRARIES One Organization. Print Version of Public ation. Annual Dues: $30 Life Memberships LIFE One-Time Payment . Individual Dues : $350 Family Dues: $500 Supporting the Work Today & in the Future Your convenient one-time payment* entitles you to a lifetime of membership benefits. Full balance must be received within one year. * O ne-time and semi-annual payment op tions are availab le. The membership process just became even easier. Click the link below to join or renew online through our store. At checkout, simply select whether you will be paying by PayPal or check (to be mailed to address provided). JOIN OR RENEW ONLINE Prefer to submit your membership or renewal using a mailed paper form? WNYGSMembershipForm WNYGSRenewalForm Click the icon to print/download the appropriate membership form. When completing, please remember to include your zip code + four to help facilitate society mailings. Mail your completed form and check (payable to "WNYGS") to the address indicated on the form. Need Further Assistance? Have any questions about membership? Need additional information about the sign-up or renewal process? Need to update your contact information? EMAIL US Society Registrar: Becky Burke registrar@wnygs .o rg Mailing Address: P.O. Box 338 Hamburg, NY 14075

Genesee County Vital Records Dates of First Vital Statistics Records (as published in the Western New York Genealogical Society Journal ) Click the county below to view individual town and village record information: Allegany County Cattaraugus County Chautauqua County Erie County Genesee County Niagara County Orleans County Wyoming County This map shows each Western New York county's founding date and the name of its parent county. Town and Date Births Marriages Deaths Notes ALABAMA - Incorporated 17 Apr 1826 2 Mar 1882 17 July 1882 27 May 1882 ALEXANDER - Incorporated 8 June 1812 30 Sept 1893 11 Dee 1893 27 Aug 1893 ALEXANDER - VILLAGE All records included with the Town records BATAVIA - Incorporated 30 Mar 1802 21 Jan 1882 7 Jan 1882 18 Feb 1882 BATAVIA - CITY 5 Nov 1887 5 Nov 1887 5 Nov 1887 BERGEN - Incorporated 2 Apr 1814 6 July 1883 7 Dec 1889 1 Jan 1883 BERGEN - VILLAGE All records included with the Town records BETHANY - Incorporated 8 June 1812 16 Feb 1882 15 Feb 1882 9 Feb 1882 BYRON - Incorporated 4 Apr 1820 20 Jan 1882 30 Mar l882 4 Jan 1882 CORFU - VILLAGE 27 Dec 1890 3 Oct 1891 6 Nov 1890 All records included with the Town records DARIEN - Incorporated 10 Feb 1882 26 Jan 1882 11 Jan 1882 23 May 1882 ELBA- Incorporated 14 Mar 1820 31 Jan 1882 7 Jan 1882 16 Mar 1882 ELBA - VILLAGE All records included with the Town records LEROY - Incorporated 8 June 1812 22 Feb 1882 15 Feb 1882 11 Jan 1882 LEROY - VILLAGE - Incorporated 6 May 1834 15 Feb 1882 26 Jan 1882 19 Feb 1882 OAKFIELD - Incorporated 11 Apr 1842 4 July 1885 23 Sept 1882 6 Mar 1892 OAKFIELD - VILLAGE All records included with the Town records PAVILION - Incorporated 19 May 1842 30 Jan 1882 13 Feb 1882 23 Feb 1882 PEMBROKE - Incorporated 8 June 1812 1847 -1849; 3 Apr 1882 1847 -1849; 19 Apr 1882 1847 -1849; 26 Apr 1882 STAFFORD - Incorporated 24 Mar 1820 1 Feb 1882 18 Jan 1882 10 Jan 1882 Source: WNYGS JOURNAL , Vol. 1, No.4, March 1975 In cases where data is not available, it can be assumed that the dates of records are similar to the other towns in the county.

Allegany County Vital Records Dates of First Vital Statistics Records (as published in the Western New York Genealogical Society Journal ) Click the county below to view individual town and village record information: Allegany County Cattaraugus County Chautauqua County Erie County Genesee County Niagara County Orleans County Wyoming County This map shows each Western New York county's founding date and the name of its parent county. Town and Date Births Marriages Deaths Notes ALFRED - Incorporated 11 March 1808 9 Oct 1877 14 Apr 1882 22 Apr 1882 ALLEN - Incorporated 31 January 1823 Nov 1887 Sep 1883 Feb 1888 ALMA - Incorporated 23 November 1854 1877 1884 1884 ALMOND - Incorporated 16 March 1821 AMITY - Incorporated 22 February 1830 ANDOVER - Incorporated 28 January 1824 ANGELICA - Incorporated 25 February 1805 14 Jul 1887 29 Apr 1908 7 Jul 1887 Earlier records destroyed in fire BELFAST - Incorporated 24 March 1824 1847-1848, 1882 1847-1848, 1882 1847-1848, 1882 BIRDSALL - Incorporated 4 May 1829 1877 1887 1888 BOLIVAR - Incorporated 15 February 1825 BURNS - Incorporated 17 March 1826 CANEADEA - Incorporated 11 March 1808 1886 1886 1886 CENTERVILLE - Incorporated 15 January 1819 Nov 1902 Nov 1902 Nov 1902 Earlier records destroyed in fire CLARKSVILLE - Incorporated 11 May 1825 28 Oct 1890 26 Apr 1888 23 Feb 1890 CUBA - Incorporated 4 February 1822 16 Feb 1882 2 Feb 1882 1 Feb 1882 FRIENDSHIP - Incorporated 24 March 1815 29 May 1882 Jun 1882 Jun 1882 GENESEE - Incorporated 16 April 1830 1883 1885 1885 GRANGER - Incorporated 18 April 1838 1888 1888 1888 GROVE - Incorporated 8 March 1827 1887 1887 1908 HUME - Incorporated 20 February 1822 2 Sep 1886 2 Nov 1886 8 Sep 1886 INDEPENDENCE - Incorporated 16 March 1821 17 Mar 1886 17 Mar 1886 17 Mar 1886 NEW HUDSON - Incorporated 10 April 1825 RUSHFORD - Incorporated 8 March 1816 1886 1886 1886 Older records reportedly burned SCIO - Incorporated 31 January 1823 Oct 1904 Oct 1904 Oct 1904 Earlier records burned WARD - Incorporated 21 November 1856 1898 1901 1898 WELLSVILLE - Incorporated 22 November 1855 1886 1886 1886 WEST ALMOND - Incorporated 5 April 1833 WILLING - Incorporated 19 November 1851 1900 1900 1900 WIRT - Incorporated 12 April 1838 1878 1883 1885 Source: WNYGS JOURNAL , Vol. 2, No.1, June 1975 In cases where data is not available, it can be assumed that the dates of records are similar to the other towns in the county.

Buffalo New York Deaths Collection & Index In the fall of 2020, researcher Janice Wernicki generously donated her project, Buffalo New York Deaths Collection and Index, to the Western New York Genealogical Society. Compiled over the course of twenty years, this important genealogical resource is the result of the painstaking collection, compilation, and indexing of local death listings, death notices, and tributes. The index contains information on the deaths of approximately 130,000 Western New Yorkers from 1867 to 2015. This unique collection is available by special arrangement with WNYGS. Remember A STATEMENT FROM COLLECTION CREATOR & DONOR, JANICE WERNICKI "In memory of my father, Robert W. Moran (1917-1967) , my mother, Lorna Booker Eberle Moran (1909-1997) , my mother-in-law, Adele Matyjasik Wernicki (1924-1994) , and my father-in-law, Alphonse Wernicki (1924-1989) With The Hope That Their Names and Others Will Never Cease To Be Spoken." Search the Death Name Index (1867-2015) To search for an individual, enter the person's surname and click search. Search Table results may contain a large quantity or data. Please remember to scroll over and down completely. You may advance the results page by click the < or > arrows at the bottom right of the table. CODE KEY + Item is available in the collection Part Part of the item is available in the collection [Blank Info Column] Only name listing is available in the collection A Article COT Card of Thanks DN Death Notice O Obituary ROD Report of Deaths IM In Memoriam Name Vol. No. Month Day Year Info Notes TITUS - Harry T V39 12 15 2013 + Obit BOOKER-TURNER - Evelyn M Sheila V37 7 4 2014 + O TURNER - Evelyn M Sheila V38 7 4 2014 + O BOOKER-WILSON - Floy Marie V37 7 10 2014 + O WILSON-BOOKER - Floy Marie V37 7 10 2014 + O BRADDEN-SHUPE - Elizabeth Grace V37 10 16 2014 + O SHUPE-BRADDEN - Elizabeth Grace V37 10 16 2014 + O BOOKER-GONZALEZ - Louise Emily V37 10 18 2014 + O GONZALEZ-BOOKER - Louise Emily V37 10 18 2014 + O BOOKER - John William Jack V37 10 23 2014 + O BOOKER-OFFERBECK - April V38 11 24 2014 + DN OFFERBECK-BOOKER - April V38 11 24 2014 + DN BOOKER - Keith Corky V38 12 26 2014 + O MILLER - Lorna Claire V38 12 27 2014 + O BOOKER-MOWAT - Elsie Eileen V38 1 23 2015 + O MOWAT-BOOKER - Elsie Eileen V38 1 23 2015 + O INNES-MOTTERAM - Iris V38 2 10 2015 + O MOTTERAM-INNES - Iris V38 2 10 2015 + O JAGER - Joseph V38 3 9 2015 + O BARTLETT-HOWDEN - Kathleen G V38 3 16 2015 + O HOWDEN-BARTLETT - Kathleen G V38 3 16 2015 + O BEUTLER - Harry I V38 4 1 2015 + DN BUBB-FREEMAN - Paula B V38 4 29 2015 + O FREEMAN-BUBB - Paula B V38 4 29 2015 + O HEINZ-RICHARDSON - Dorothy J V39 5 14 2015 + DN Page 1 of 6,702 Ordering A Digital Copy Items Contained in the Collection: Death Notices, Obituaries, In Memoriam Pieces, Card of Thanks, Report of Deaths, and Articles Costs & Instructions Cost Per Request: Member Free Non-Member $5.00 To request a digital copy of an item from the collection, email buffalodeaths@wnygs.org with the deceased's name (as listed), the volume number, and date of publication. Please remember to include your name, email, telephone number, and member number, if applicable, with your request. A member of the Preservation Team will then confirm that the collection item is available and request payment. Payment can be made by either: PayPal (Specific payment instructions will be provided.) Check (payable to "Western New York Genealogical Society") mailed to: WNYGS Buffalo Deaths Collection, Attn: Jennifer Liber Raines, 25 Brompton Ct., Orchard Park, NY 14127. Once payment has been received, a digital copy of the item will be emailed to you. All funds received help support the mission of the Western New York Genealogical Society, an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. There are three deaths. The first is when the body ceases to function. The second is when the body is consigned to the grave. The third is that moment, sometime in the future, when your name is spoken for the last time. — David M. Eagleman, author and neuroscientist

Directions and map (for two locations) for paid "Save Our Cemeteries" workshop on July 13, 2024. "Save Our Cemeteries" Program - Directions July 13, 2024 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Directions The map above shows the I-190 thruway Exit 23 - Packard Road and Exit 24 - Witmer Road. Morning Session - Directions from the South to the Calvin K. Richards Community Center (7000 Lockport Road): 1. Take the I-190 NY State Thruway North across Grand Island to exit 23 and turn right on to Packard Road. 2. Get into left lane and at the 2nd light (Military Road-RT 265) turn left . Travel north 1 mile to Lockport Road. 3. Turn right onto Lockport Road and head east 0.5 miles past the Active Hose Fire Co. & the Helmel Manufacturing. 4. Turn left onto Veterans Memorial Park 7000 Lockport Road. At the stop sign turn left onto Joe Rotella Way. 5. Follow this road through the park to the Calvin K. Richards Community Center (0.5 mile). Parking is in the rear. Afternoon Session - Directions from the Calvin K. Richards Community Center to Witmer Cemetery: 1. Go out through the park via Joe Rotella Way and turn right on to Lockport Road, go past the Active Hose Fire Co. 2. At the traffic light, turn right on to Military Road (Route 265). 3. Travel north 0.8 miles to Witmer Road (Route 31) and at the traffic light turn left onto Witmer Road. 4. Go straight 1 mile through the traffic light at the Niagara University entrance and just past Cerrone Trucking (on the left side), turn left onto Pennsylvania Avenue and drive to the parking area in the front of the cemetery.

Dates of First Vital Statis tics Records (as published in the Western New York Genealogical Society Journal ) Click the c ou nty below to view indi vidual town and village record information: Allegany County Cattaraugus County Chautauqua County Erie County Genesee County Niagara County Orleans County Wyoming County This map shows each Western New York county's founding date and the name of its parent county. County Vital Records Information

1865 New York State Census As one of its many service projects, WNYGS organized the preparation of an amended index of the 1865 New York State Census for Erie County. Many dedicated volunteers worked on this project over a number of years. While originally collected and documented on index cards, the society later created a digital version that now resides here for genealogical researchers. VIEW ERIE INDEX It is important to note that while planning and researching this project several existing printed an d online indexes for Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Niagara Counties were identified; those resources appear below. At the time of the project, n o censuses were available for Genesee or Wyoming Counties. Allegany 1865 Census Index of Allegany County, New York by Mrs. Charles Burton Published index available in the WNYGS Research Library [ call no. 974.7 new ] Cattaraugus Town and County index files (html and .doc formats) available for view and download online at http://sites.rootsweb.com/~nycattar/census.htm#1865 Chautauqua Selected Information from the 1865 New York State Census for the County of Chautauqua by Lois and Norwood Barris (2 volumes) Published index available for download on the Chautauqua County Historian's website at https://chqgov.com/county-historian/lois-and-norwood-barris and in print form at the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library - Grosvenor Room . Genesee Not available. Niagara Index 1865 N.Y. State Census Niagara County by the Niagara County Historian Published index available in the WNYGS Research Library [ call no. 974.7 new ] Orleans Surname and Town indexes available for viewing online at http://www.orleans.nygenweb.net/census/1865Cen.htm Wyoming Not available.

Niagara County Vital Records Dates of First Vital Statistics Records (as published in the Western New York Genealogical Society Journal ) Click the county below to view individual town and village record information: Allegany County Cattaraugus County Chautauqua County Erie County Genesee County Niagara County Orleans County Wyoming County This map shows each Western New York county's founding date and the name of its parent county. Town and Date Births Marriages Deaths Notes CAMBRIA - Incorporated 11 March 1808 12 Feb 1884 26 Feb 1884 13 Feb 1884 HARTLAND - Incorporated 1 June 1812 23 May 1848 to 12 Aug 1849, 1 June 1881 11 Oct 1848 to 27 Dec 1849, 7 Apr 1888 17 Feb 1848 to 10 Dec 1849, 15 July 1887 LEWISTON - Incorporated 27 Feb 1818 8 Jan 1847 to 6 June 1868, 21 Sept 1882 5 Jan 1847 to 14 Aug 1876, 21 Aug 1882 15 Jan 1847 to 5 May 1876, 15 Dec 1883 LEWISTON VILLAGE - Incorporated 17 Apr 1822 See Town of Lewiston records LOCKPORT - Incorporated 2 Feb 1824 27 Apr 1882 29 Jan 1908 27 Nov 1884 LOCKPORT CITY - Incorporated 26 March 1829 as Village; 1865 as city Feb 1868 3 Nov 1881 14 Nov 1881 NEWFANE - Incorporated 20 March 1824 8 Sept 1869 28 Nov 1883 10 Sept 1883 NIAGARA - Incorporated 1 June 1812 as Schlosser; 14 Feb 1816 as Niagara 14 July 1891 1 May 1908 11 May 1892 NIAGARA FALLS - Incorporated 7 July 1848 as Village; 17 Mar 1892 as City 2 Jan 1892 6 Apr 1882 23 Mar 1882 NORTH TONAWANDA - Incorporated 8 May 1868 as Village; 24 Apr 1897 as City 28 Sep 1887 9 Nov 1887 15 Nov 1887 PENDLETON - Incorporated 16 Apr 1827 3 Jan 1886 29 Sep 1886 5 Feb 1886 PORTER - Incorporated 1 June 1812 9 Jan 1884 7 Jun 1883 31 Dee 1883 YOUNGSTOWN VILLAGE - Incorporated 22 Aug 1854 7 Feb 1886 3 Mar 1886 to 8 Dec 1907 (later records kept by Town) 8 Mar 1886 ROYALTON - Incorporated 5 Apr 1817 3 Oct 1888 1 Sep 1888 25 Aug 1888 MIDDLEPORT VILLAGE - Incorporated 1859 14 Jun 1887 7 Sep 1887 28 Jul 1887 SOMERSET - Incorporated 8 Feb 1823 19 Jun 1882 2 Jul 1882 20 Jun 1882 BARKER VILLAGE - Incorporated 1908 See Town of Somerset records WHEATFIELD - Incorporated 12 May 1836 9 Jan 1879 20 Feb 1879 4 Jan 1879 WILSON - Incorporated 10 Apr 1818 1 Jun 1884 4 Jul 1884 29 Jun 1884 WILSON VILLAGE - Incorporated 25 June 1858 13 Sep 1899 see Town of Wilson records 6 Oct 1899 Source: WNYGS JOURNAL , Vol. 1, No.2, September 1974 In cases where data is not available, it can be assumed that the dates of records are similar to the other towns in the county.

Preservation Program Microfilming & Digitization As genealogists, historical records are essential in our understanding family and regional histories. WNYGS is committed to preserving and sharing local resources and helping document those individuals who called Western N ew York home. Our Preservation Program preserves old church, cemetery, and historical records of genealogical significance in Western New York. After project review and approval by the Board, the society will microfilm and/or digitize any records, preferably from the 19th century and earlier, that have not previously been preserved. WNYGS will staff and/or fund the project and furnish the recordholder with a copy of the materials. In return, the society will receive copies which will then be placed in the Zintz Library Collection for member and researcher use. Scanning documents for our enhanced bible and marriage records indexing project. P roject Possibilities Are you a recordholder seeking a preservation partner? Are there important or at-risk materials the society should be made aware of? Please email the Preservation Chair with any suggestions, leads, and possibilities. Preservation Chair: preservation@wnygs.org Recent Society Projects Erie & Niagara Counties: Kittinger Family Bible Click link above for full project description. St. Colu mba's R.C. Church Parishioner Index (1938-1940) (Buffalo, NY) [Compiled from Z intz Library collection holdings: 974.7 ER BUF 1938 chu sca; 974.7 ER BUF 1939 chu sca; 974.7 ER BUF 1940 chu sca] Genesee County: Church Book of the German Lutheran Concordia Church / German Evangelical Lutheran Concordia Church (Byron, NY) Church Book of the German Evangelical Lutheran St. Paul’s - Gemeinde U.A.C. of East Oakfield / Oakfield German Lutheran Church (Oakfield, NY) Conducting church record inventory prior to microfilming. On-site image capture for record indexing project. Transcription & Indexing Committee An important component of the WNYGS mission is to further member access to Western New York-related genealogy documents. Through the years, this undertaking has made a considerable amount of records available, all through the efforts of our dedicated volunteers. Are you are interested in making a difference by volunteering to transcribe or index? You are encouraged to contact the Transcriptions Committee Chair at transcriptions@wnygs.org . Transcription Chair: transcripti ons@wnygs.org Genealogists with connections to Western New York are encouraged support this important work. Whether you decide to make a charitable contribution or purchase a Lifetime Membership, your generosity makes preservation possible . SUPPORT

Sorry, it looks like this is an old link. We've recently updated our website and some of the page links have changed. Check the URL, or go back to our homepage and try again. Image of Buffalo "newsies" (newspaper boys) ready for work (1910) Source: Library of Congress Digital Collections Back to Homepage

Chautauqua County Vital Records Dates of First Vital Statistics Records (as published in the Western New York Genealogical Society Journal ) Click the county below to view individual town and village record information: Allegany County Cattaraugus County Chautauqua County Erie County Genesee County Niagara County Orleans County Wyoming County This map shows each Western New York county's founding date and the name of its parent county. Town and Date Births Marriages Deaths Notes ARKWRIGHT - Incorporated 30 Apr 1829 1 Jan 1849-31 Dec 1849, 15 Apr 1885, 1 Apr 1886- 1 Jan 1849-31 Dec 1849, 1881 1 Jan 1849-31 Dec 1849, 1885 BUSTI - Incorporated 16 Apr 1823 1872 to 1880 misc, 1 Jan 1898 - 15 Jan 1898 9 Nov 1897 Records 1882 to 1898 destroyed by fire. LAKEWOOD - Incorporated 1893 1847, 1848, 1849, 1851 (no 1850), 1898- 21 Jan 1848-31 Dec 1848, 1898- 1847, 1848, 1851, (no 1849 or 1850)1898- Records 1882 to 1898 missing - fire. CARROLL - Incorporated 1825 1847, 1848, 1849, 1881- 1847, 1848, 1849, 1881- 1847, 1848, 1849, 1881- CHARLOTTE - Incorporated 18 Apr 1829 Aug 1881 14 Jul 1882 11 Feb 1882 SINCLAIRVILLE - Incorporated 1887 1 Jan 1914 1 Jan 1914 1 Jan 1914 CHAUTAUQUA - Incorporated 11 Apr 1804 1881 1881 1881 MAYVILLE - Incorporated 1830 1882 misc 1888-1907 (Town Clerk has records 1908-) 1888 CHERRY CREEK - Incorporated 4 May 1829 1881 1881 1881 CHERRY CREEK - VILLAGE Incorporated 1893 1896 1896 1896 Records kept by Town Clerk. CLYMER - Incorporated 9 Feb 1821 22 Apr 1881 18 Feb 1886 26 Sep 1881 DUNKIRK - Incorporated 17 Nov 1859 1914 1914 1914 Earlier records destroyed by fire. DUNKIRK - City Incorporated 1880 1885 1885 1885 ELLERY - Incorporated 29 Feb 1821 Jul 1885 Jul 1885 Jul 1885 Earlier records destroyed by fire June 1885; there is a book for a year in the 1840's. BEMUS POINT - Village Incorporated 1911 Records kept by Town Clerk. ELLICOTT - Incorporated 1 June 1812 17 Jul 1881 15 Jun 1881 9 Oct 1886 CELERON - Incorporated 1896 5 Apr 1904 19 Oct 1904 15 Aug 1904 Earlier records destroyed by fire. FALCONER - Incorporated Jan 1891 Jan 1891 Jan 1891 Jan 1891 Town Clerk has earlier records. JAMESTOWN - Incorporated 6 Mar 1827, City 1886 16 Mar 1882 18 Jul 1882 9 Jan 1882 ELLINGTON - Incorporated 1 Apr 1824 27 Dec 1880 only, 16 Mar 1882- 27 Oct 1881 5 Jul 1882 FRENCH Creek - Incorporated 23 Apr 1829 misc 1847, 1848, 1849, 1883- misc 1847, 1848, 1849, 1884- misc 1847, 1848, 1849, 1882- GERRY - Incorporated 1 June 1812 22 Jan 1849, 28 Aug 1881, 18 Jul 1882- 5 Sep 1849, 12 Mar 1884- 2 Jul 1849, 14 Aug 1881- HANOVER - Incorporated 1 June 1812 1881 21 Mar 1883 31 Jul 1881 FORESTVILLE - Incorporated 1848 misc 1874 to 1891- 1891 1891 SILVER CREEK Incorporated 1848 misc 1874, 1880, 1881, 30 May 1888- misc 1874, 1880, 1881, 13 Jun 1888- misc 1874, 1880, 1881, 4 Jun 1888- Merged with Town 1902. HARMONY - Incorporated 14 Feb 1816 1882 misc 1882 misc 1882 misc PANAMA - Incorporated 1861 18 Jan 1914 none (Records kept by Town Clerk) 17 Jan 1914 Previous births and deaths kept by Town Clerk. KIANTONE - Incorporated 16 Nov 1853 22 Dec 1881 8 Dec 1881 27 Aug 1882 MINA - Incorporated 23 Mar 1824 1 Sep 1881 3 Jul 1881 16 Apr 1882 NORTH HARMONY - Incorporated 1919 1920 1920 1920 Previous Records kept by Harmony Town Clerk. POLAND - Incorporated 9 Apr 1832 10 Sep 1884 12 Sep 1882 26 Nov 1884 POMFRET - Incorporated 11 Mar 1808 Jan 1881 Jan 1881 Jan 1881 FREDONIA - Incorporated 1829 1885 1885 (Kept by Town Clerk after 1906) 1885 PORTLAND - Incorporated 9 Apr 1813 15 Feb 1881 misc, 1891- 29 Sep 1881 misc, 1891- 12 Apr 1882-Apr 1883 misc, 1891- BROCTON - Incorporated 1894 Records kept by Town Clerk. RIPLEY - Incorporated 1 Mar 1816 1847, 1848, 1849, 1850, 1881- 1847, 1848, 1849, 1850, 1881- 1847, 1848, 1849, 1850, 1881- SHERIDAN - Incorporated 16 Apr 1827 10 Jul 1875 23 Feb 1882 24 Sep 1881 SHERMAN - Incorporated 7 Apr 1832 1 Oct 1881 13 Dec 1881 26 Feb 1885 STOCKTON - Incorporated 9 Feb 1821 10 Jul 1881 3 Jul 1881 19 Jul 1881 CASSADAGA - Incorporated 1921 Sep 1923 none (records kept by Town Clerk) Sep 1923 VILLENOVA - Incorporated 24 Jan 1823 Nov 1887 Dec 1887 Nov 1887 Earlier records destroyed by fire. WESTFIELD - Incorporated 29 Mar 1829 none (Town Clerk), 1881 (Registrar) 1881 (Town Clerk), none (Registrar) none (Town Clerk), 1881 (Registrar) WESTFIELD Village Records kept by Town as above. Source: WNYGS JOURNAL , Vol. 1, No.3, December 1974 In cases where data is not available, it can be assumed that the dates of records are similar to the other towns in the county.

Publishing a genealogy-focused quarterly for more than 45 years - Western New York Genealogist and Western New York Genealogical Society Journal. Issue previews. Contains research strategies, regional resources, field updates, and program infomation. Table of Contents. Regional authors. Article submission guidelines. Purchase of back issue collection. Society Publications The Western New York Genealogist Current Issue Preview Submission Guidelines Journal Back Issues The Western New York Genealogical Society has published a quarterly without interruption since 1974. Published in June, September, December and March, each issue contains articles relating to the eight counties of Western New York on such topics as research strategies and techniques, resource profiles, developments in the field of genealogy, and program and event information. The current name of the publication is The Western New York Genealogist , for short, the Genealogist . In the past, the publication was called the Journal . Current Issue Preview Below are the Table of Contents highlights from our current issue: T he Western New York Genealogist Volume 52 , No. 2 September 2025 p. 26 Upcoming WNYGS & Community Events p. 27 President’s Message p. 28 Select German Genealogy Resources in the Grosvenor Room by Rhonda Hoffman (3495L) p. 33 CLASSIFIED: Celebrate 200 Years of the Erie Canal with the Grosvenor Room by Libby Stengel, Local History Librarian, Buffalo & Erie County Public Library p. 36 Middleport, Niagara County, New York – A Friendly Community on the Erie Canal by Christa Lutz (3918), Village of Middleport Historian p. 38 Das Haus, EinHaus, Und Der Stall, German Heritage Museum – Hamlet of Bergholz, Town of Wheatfield, Niagara County by Elaine Timm (2325), Member of the Board of Trustees, Das Haus Museum p. 43 In Memoriam: Daniel Alan King, Historian, Brocton, NY p. 44 Historic Concordia Cemetery - City of Buffalo, Erie County, New York by Bonnie Fleischauer, Public Information Officer, Concordia Cemetery & Concordia Foundation p. 48 Poem: Dear Ancestor, Author Unknown Click to see the highlights from our previous four issues. Current Issue Preview Submission Guidelines Western New York Genealogist Submission Guidelines Western New York Counties of Interest Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming Material for Publication We are interested in articles for the Genealogist , especially those pertaining to Western New York research and resources. Other topics of interest include how-to articles, genealogical tools, case studies, and historical articles relevant to Western New York genealogy. Outlines or articles should be submitted to the editor for consideration. Articles on individual families generally cannot be published as they are of limited interest to our members. Material accepted or simultaneously submitted for publication by another organization should not be submitted. It is not our intent to duplicate material printed elsewhere. Format Article length: 1500-5000 words for feature articles. Software: Microsoft Word (.docx) Font: Cambria, 11 pt Footnotes font: Cambria, 9 pt Spacing: Single line; one space only at the end of sentences Page orientation: Portrait Margins: Left: .8" Right: .8" Top: 0.5" Bottom: 0.46" Images Images may be included with the submitted article. Images should be submitted separately and must meet copyright requirements. The author is required to obtain permission for publication from the image copyright holder and/or holding repository. Citations Citations should be included as endnotes following the current edition of Evidence Explained by Elizabeth Shown Mills. Deadlines for Completed Article Submissions to the Content Editor December Issue - September 1st March Issue - December 1st June Issue - March 1st September Issue - June 1st Contract If your completed article is accepted, a contract will be emailed to you to be signed and returned to the society in duplicate. The society will retain one copy and return a signed copy to the author by mail. Compensation The Genealogist is staffed by volunteers. No compensation is paid for articles. The author will receive an electronic copy of the issue in which the article appears upon request. Journal Back Issues Article Submissions or Questions? Please send all articles, outlines, and questions to the Editor. Editor: Marie-Cecile Tidwell, PhD (Interim) editor@wnygs.o rg Purchasing Back Issues of the Journal The Western New York Genealogical Society Journal Back Issue Collection (1974-2022) is now available for convenient direct download. When you order, you will receive access to one ZIP file (315.3 MB) containing the complete set of searchable PDFs for volumes 1-48 (192 issues). These files are for personal use only and may not be shared or distributed without the written permission of the Society. The emailed link is valid for 30 days. Retail Price: $60 Member Price: $30 (with 50% off promo code) ORDER ONLINE Important Discount Information for WNYGS Members: Individual issues are currently available for viewing and download at no additional cost in our website's Members Area. For those members wishing to download the entire set as one file, you are eligible to receive the collection at 50% off the retail price when you apply the special promo code listed in the Members Area.

Orleans County Vital Records Dates of First Vital Statistics Records (as published in the Western New York Genealogical Society Journal ) Click the county below to view individual town and village record information: Allegany County Cattaraugus County Chautauqua County Erie County Genesee County Niagara County Orleans County Wyoming County This map shows each Western New York county's founding date and the name of its parent county. Town and Date Births Marriages Deaths Notes ALBION - Incorporated 15 Jan 1875 ALBION VILLAGE - Incorporated 21 April 1828 2 Jul 1887 6 Aug 1887 14 Jul 1887 BARRE - Incorporated 6 Mar 1818 16 Sep 1884 16 Jan 1908 26 Sep 1884 CARLTON - Incorporated 13 April 1822 CLARENDON - Incorporated 23 Feb 1821 1 Mar 1847-1849, 9 Oct 1884 10 Feb 1847-1849, 2 Oct 1884 12 Feb 1847-1849, 29 Oct 1884 No records from 1849 to 1884. GAINES - Incorporated 14 Feb 1816 8 Apr 1884 25 Dec 1883 8 Feb 1884 HOLLEY - VILLAGE Record kept by Murray Town Clerk. KENDALL - Incorporated 7 Apr 1837 Records kept at Town Hall, Kendall, NY 14476. MEDINA VILLAGE - Incorporated 3 Mar 1832 1 Jul 1885 1 Jul 1885 1 Jul 1885 MURRAY - Incorporated 8 Apr 1808 9 Aug 1884 29 Jul 1884 17 Aug 1884 RIDGEWAY - Incorporated 6 Apr 1813 7 Feb 1882; delayed births 1869-1902. 11 Jan 1882 2 Feb 1882 Have births, deaths and marriages for 1848-1849. SHELBY - Incorporated 6 Mar 1818 1 Jun 1882 13 Jun 1882 19 Aug 1882 YATES - Incorporated ca1820-1822 Aug 1883 Sep 1883 Aug 1883 Source: WNYGS JOURNAL , Vol. 2, No. 2, September 1975 In cases where data is not available, it can be assumed that the dates of records are similar to the other towns in the county.

Wyoming County Vital Records Dates of First Vital Statistics Records (as published in the Western New York Genealogical Society Journal ) Click the county below to view individual town and village record information: Allegany County Cattaraugus County Chautauqua County Erie County Genesee County Niagara County Orleans County Wyoming County This map shows each Western New York county's founding date and the name of its parent county. Town and Date Births Marriages Deaths Notes ARCADE - Incorporated 6 Mar 1818 (kept by Village Clerk) Jan 1882 (kept by Village Clerk) ARCADE VILLAGE Jan 1882 (kept by Town Clerk) Jan 1882 ATTICA - Incorporated 4 Apr 1811 5 Jul 1881 14 Jul 1881 26 Jul 1881 All vital statistic records kept at Attica Village Office. ATTICA VILLAGE - Incorporated 2 May 1837 5 Jul 1881 14 Jul 1881 26 Jul 1881 BENNINGTON - Incorporated 6 Mar 1818 13 Jun 1881 5 Nov 1881 15 Aug 1881 CASTILE - Incorporated 27 Feb 1821 1847-9 and 1884 1847-9 and 1884 1847-9 and 1884 Records are kept at County Clerk's Office, Warsaw, NY. Previous records destroyed by fire. CASTILE VILLAGE - Incorporated 19 Jun 1877 All vital statistic records kept at Town Clerk's Office. COVINGTON - Incorporated 31 Jan 1817 21 Aug 1881 29 Mar 1882 22 Apr 1882 EAGLE - Incorporated 1 Jan 1823 12 Dec 1913 22 Jan 1908 3 Jan 1904 GAINESVILLE - Incorporated 25 Feb 1814 12 Sep 1913 1902 1 Feb 1914 GAINESVILLE VILLAGE - Incorporated 1897 All vital statistic records in Town Clerk's Office. SILVER SPRINGS VILLAGE - Incorporated 1897 Records are kept by the Town of Gainesville. GENESEE FALLS - Incorporated 1 Apr 1846 25 Apr 1882 6 Oct 1881 29 May 1882 PORTAGEVILLE VILLAGE - Incorporated 1866 Ceased 1874. All records with the Town Clerk. JAVA - Inc 20 Apr 1832 1885 1881 1885 MIDDLEBURY - Incorporated 20 Mar 1812 (kept by Wyoming Village Clerk) 1880 (kept by Wyoming Village Clerk) WYOMING VILLAGE - Incorporated 31 July 1875 1880 (kept by Town Clerk) 1880 ORANGEVILLE - Incorporated 14 Feb 1816 1882 1882 1882 PERRY - Incorporated 11 Mar 1814 21 Apr 1881 21 Apr 1881 21 Apr 1881 All vital statistic records are kept at the Village Hall, Perry, NY. PERRY VILLAGE - Incorporated 1830 Records are kept by the Town Clerk. PIKE - Incorporated 6 Mar 1818 1914 1909 1914 PIKE VILLAGE - Incorporated 23 June 1848 Records are kept by the Town Clerk. SHELDON - Incorporated 19 Mar 1808 1882 1882 1882 WARSAW - Incorporated 19 May 1808 1882 1882 (1901 - 1907 village records also) 1882 WARSAW VILLAGE - Incorporated 17 April 1843 1900 (kept by Town Clerk) 1900 WETHERSFIELD - Incorporated 12 April 1823 22 Jul 1881 7 Apr 1908 21 Feb 1885 Source: WNYGS JOURNAL , Vol. 2, No.3, December 1975 In cases where data is not available, it can be assumed that the dates of records are similar to the other towns in the county.

Research Links The society maintains the following list of free online resources related to Western New York genealogical research. A s the web and social media continue to change and expand, researchers are encouraged regularly explore and share available resources. Blogs and Podcasts Eastman's Genealogy Newsletter by Dick Eastman GeneaBloggers by Thomas MacEntee Genealogy Gems by Lisa Louise Cooke Genealogy Guys Podcast by George G. Morgan and Drew Smith Genealogy In Time Magazine The Genetic Genealogist by Blaine Bettinger, PhD, JD The Legal Genealogist by Judy G. Russell , JD, CG Broad Catalog/Collection Searching Worldcat: "WorldCat.org lets you search the collections of libraries in your community and thousands more around the world...search for popular books, music CDs and videos—all of the physical items you're used to getting from libraries. You can also discover many new kinds of digital content, such as downloadable audiobooks. You may also find article citations with links to their full text; authoritative research materials, such as documents and photos of local or historic significance; and digital versions of rare items that aren't available to the public." – It is important to note their website can help users to locate the closest target item using their results sorting by zip code feature. Cemetery Related Resources Association for Gravestone Studies Billion Graves Find A Grave Genealogical Societies Regional Buffalo Genealogical Society of the African Diaspora Buffalo Irish Genealogical Society Central New York Genealogical Society Chautauqua County Genealogical Society Genesee Area Genealogical Society Jewish Genealogical Society of Buffalo Italian Genealogical Society of Western New York (email only) Niagara County Genealogical Society Painted Hills Genealogical Society (covering Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua County) Rochester Genealogical Society State New England Historic Genealogical Society (including New York State) New York Genealogical & Biographical Society Polish Genealogical Society of New York State Canadian - Regional Ontario Ancestors Niagara Peninsula Branch General Resources – Genealogy Cyndi's List – New York: A categorized & cross-referenced index to the vast genealogical resources on the Internet. Family Search : Access the largest collection of genealogical records in the world. Free resources include records (electronic and microfilm), finding guides, and available services (online, at Family History Centers, and by phone). Steve Morse : Stephen P. Morse's site for the "one-step" finding of immigration records, census records, vital records. Also includes information on best practices for dealing with calendars, maps, foreign alphabets, and other applications. General Resources – New York State Genealogy BuffaloResearch.com : Cynthia VanNess' quick reference of Buffalo & Erie County resources. Site includes links to vital record repositories, maps, directories, name lists, obituaries, and more. RootsWeb - New York Resources : Varied genealogical links listed by county. New York GenWeb : A "Gateway to New York Genealogy and History" grouped at both the state and county levels. Historians: Village, Town, City, and County Association of Public Historians of New York State : Features an online database of the 1600 member town, village, city, and county historians in New York State. Government Appointed Historians of Western New York : Features links and contact information for town, village, city, and county historians that is searchable by Western New York county. Historical Societies Allegany County Historical Society Buffalo History Museum (also known as The Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society) Cattaraugus County Historical Museum and Research Library Chautauqua County Historical Society & the McClurg Museum Holland Purchase Historical Society (Genesee County) Niagara County Historical Society Orleans County Historical Association Holland Land Company Specific Resources Holland Land Company Collection @ SUNY Fredonia's Reed Library : An overview of available collection resources and targeted finding guides. Site also provides information on Holland Land Company records located at other regional and state repositories. Holland Land Office Museum Holland Land Company – Selected Resources Libraries & Research Repositories Regional Buffalo and Erie County Public Library System Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System Nioga Library System (Niagara, Orleans, and Genesee Counties) New York State New York Public Library : The New York Public Library "holds more than 51 million items, from books, e-books, and DVDs to renowned research collections used by scholars from around the world." It "provides patrons worldwide with powerful online tools to help them discover its extensive resources and services. On nypl.org, visitors can browse the Library’s immense collections, download e-books, and view more than 800,000 items from our award-winning Digital Gallery." New York State Library – Research New York State Archives NYHeritage : New York Heritage Digital Collections features a broad range of materials that present a glimpse into our state’s history and culture, from the colonial era to present. Over 350 libraries, museums, archives, and other cultural institutions make their collections' primary source materials available through this website. Across the Co untry Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center : Based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the ACPLGC has "one of the largest research collections available, incorporating records from around the world." Digital Public Library of America : The DPLA "brings together the riches of America’s libraries, archives, and museums, and makes them freely available to the world. It strives to contain the full breadth of human expression, from the written word, to works of art and culture, to records of America’s heritage, to the efforts and data of science." Library of Congress : The LOC "is the nation’s first established cultural institution and the largest library in the world, with millions of items including books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections." National Archives and Records Administration : NARA "is the nation's record keeper...valuable records are preserved and are available to you, whether you want to see if they contain clues about your family’s history, need to prove a veteran’s military service, or are researching an historical topic that interests you." National Archives and Records Administration – Resources for Genealogist Native American Resources – Regional Seneca Nation of Indians Tonawanda Band of Senecas, 7027 Meadville Road, Basom, NY 14013 (716) 542-4244 Tuscarora Nation, 2006 Mt. Hope Road, Lewistown, NY 14092 (716) 622-7061 Newspaper Resources Fulton History : A free searchable online collection of more than 57 million historical newspaper pages from the USA & Canada. Google Newspaper Archive : Provides searchable database of free digitized newspapers from around the world. Library of Congress – Chronicling America : Site provides information about historic newspapers and free searches of and access to select digitized newspaper pages. NYS Historic Newspapers : This project provides free online access to a wide range of newspapers chosen to "reflect New York's unique history." Organized by county.

Remembering the Last 50 Years Celebrating Our 50th Anniversary With a proud history dating back to 1974, the Western New York Genealogical Society celebrated its work, impact, and the dedication and passion of its members and volunteers in 2024. 50th Anniversary Memories As we looked back over the past fifty years of the Western New York Genealogical Society, many of our members shared memories of how they became interested in genealogy and of their time in the Society. Project Compiler: Lynda Zaky Wood Shared Memories January-March Memories Memory 1: Carolyn Dawley (#18) of Chandler, AZ [1/3/2024] Memory 2: Glenn Atwell (#13) of Buffalo, NY [1/10/2024] Memory 3: Lynda Zaky Wood (#3560L) of Buffalo, NY [1/17/2024] Memory 4: Barbara Keil (#3684) [1/23/2024] Memory 5: Beth Benson (#4034) [1/31/2024] Memory 6: Nancy Cluff Siders (#2954) [2/7/2024] Memory 7: Lois Lane (#3782L) [2/13/2024] Memory 8: Rhonda Hoffman (#3495L) [2/21/2024] Memory 9: Marie-Cecile Tidwell (#3625L) [2/28/2024] Memory 10: Doug Batt (#3098) [3/6/2024] Memory 11: Doug Batt (#3098) [3/13/2024] Memory 12: Marsha A. Smith (#3978) [3/20/2024] Memory 13: Nancy Gavin Koester (#3650L) [3/27/2024] April-June Memories Memory 14: Shirley Vivion [4/3/2024] Memory 15: William Martin [4/10/2024] Memory 16: Brian Cotton (#3512) [4/17/2024] Memory 17: Michele Bewley (#3392) [4/24/2024] Memory 18: Shawna Rose-Wickman [5/1/2024] Memory 19: Nancy Bernard Watson [5/8/2024] Memory 20: Ae Dustin [5/14/2024] Memory 21: Brenda Rainey Farrara [5/22/2024] Memory 22: Larry Naukam (#1163) [5/29/2024] Memory 23: Wilfred Vasile (#69L) [6/5/2024] Memory 24: Gale Murray (#416L) [6/12/2024] Memory 25: Delores Calandra (#3566) [6/18/2024] Memory 26: Diane Kujawski (#1764) [6/26/2024] July-September Memory 27: Pamela Bouquin (#3378) [7/3/2024] Memory 28: Suzanne Scripter Harris (#3520L) [7/10/2024] Memory 29: Dennis Gates (#1508) [7/17/2024] Memory 30: Peter Ames (#3375) [7/24/2024] Memory 31: Dr. John R. Schmidt (#3699L) [7/31/2024] Memory 32: Lois Lane (#3782L) [8/7/2024] Memory 33: Lois Lane (#3782L) [8/14/2024] Memory 34: Becky Burke (#3790F) [8/21/2024] Memory 35: Kay White (#3974) [8/28/2024] Memory 36: Fred Kester (#364) [9/4/2024] Memory 37: Fred Kester (#364) [9/11/2024] Memory 38: P. Marthia (#3970) [9/18/2024] Memory 39: P. Richard (Dick) Kreitner (#3756) [9/25/2024] October-December Memory 40: Charleen Scime (#4028) [10/2/2024] Memory 41: Mary Kay Wright (#1202) [10/9/2024] Memory 42: Gloria Osborne (#2909) [10/16/2024] Memory 43 : Lisa (Schreiner) Berta [10/23 /2024] Memory 44 : Sandy Hudson (#1461) [10/30 /2024] Memory 45 : Sandy Hudson (#1461) [11/6 /2024] Memory 46: Barbara A. Jones (#3593) [11/14/2024] Memory 47: Dave Yearke (#2380L) [11/20/2024] Memory 48: Joanne Clements (#3767) [11/27/2024] Memory 49: Jack Donohue (#3968) [12/4/2024] Memory 50a: Vincent Hazewski (#4063) [12/11/2024] Memory 50b: Lynda Zaky Wood (3560L): [12/11/2024] Click to see 1st Quarter Member Memories (#1-13, January-March 2024) Click to see 2nd Quarter Member Memories (#14-26, April-June 2024) Click to see 3rd Quarter Member Memories (#27-39, July-September 2024) Memory 50b : Lynda Zaky Wood (#3560L ) Asking a genealogist for a memory for the WNYGS 50th anniversary is nearly impossible. A genealogist isn’t worthy of the name or a grain of salt if they only have one. As our family’s historian now, memories have flashed through my mind like a dying man’s life passing before his eyes. COULD THE MEMORY BE THE BEGINNING OF MY JOURNEY. I have been working on our tree for nearly as long as the society has existed. During WWII my mom and her sister lived in New Jersey while her parents worked for the war effort; it was during that time, her journey began. My interest was piqued after reading Roots by Alex Haley and how his family’s history unfolded with the journey of Kunte Kinte, Haley’s 4th great grandfather. I’d begun to think of my family’s history. That Christmas in 1977, I gifted my mother Finding Your Roots from Doubleday Book club. The book came with worksheets to complete. Off and running, a lot of time was spent in municipality and county basements looking through musty and dusty census, birth, marriage, and death records. Not to mention the deeds and search and surveys. Once a discovery was made, we recorded it in triplicate or more. MAYBE THE MEMORY IS THE PASSING OF MY MOTHER: All the family history was passed to me. Not just the title of family historian, but the physical history; every copy of each document. She’s been gone since 1993 and I’m still discovering record copies. With the age of computers and the internet, I’ve made it so that much of that information is now down to just three copies of each: hard copy, in the computer hard drive and on a flash drive as well. OR WHEN I had brick walls on both sides of our tree. I’d seen an event for WNYGS on Facebook. Mom had been a member and a director on the Board of Directors, and I remembered how much she’d learned from June Partridge Zintz, Glenn Atwell and the society. I went to a program at St. Louis RC Church with lunch at Ulrich’s where I met other members of WNYGS who would help me break some of those walls while becoming forever friends. AFTER THAT, OF COURSE, MY MEMORY COULD BE: My WNYGS journey began when I was part of the 3-person programming committee consisting of Jennifer Libre Raines and Sandi Russo. The three of us pulled together some memorable programs including researching your Native American roots and the Western New York Genealogical Conference. At the latter, I met Josh Taylor, President of NYGBS and Blaine Bettinger, The Genetic Genealogist. The day of any program, fellow programming committee member, Sandi and I would be found manning the hospitality table, greeting members and hoping to bring in more members. These programs were pre-Covid-19 and pre-zoom, so most programs were recorded and available to members to view. AND IT COULD BE. Indexing and transcribing which became my favorite past-time, either on my own or for familysearch.org . It wasn’t long before I began doing the same for WNYGS. Soon after, I was asked to join the Board of Directors. During lockdown I was asked to help with several transcription and indexing projects. Once these projects ended, I was asked to come back to the Board again, but this time serve but this time on the 50th anniversary committee as the memory coordinator. HOWEVER, The best memory by far has been accepting the founders award on behalf of my mother during the Founder’s Day luncheon this past October. I’m humbled and honored to have accepted it on her behalf. It has been my pleasure to be the memory coordinator. While I will be stepping away from the board and programming committee, I will be making more memories working on my own family tree and stories. -------------- Memory 50a : Vincent Hazewski (#4063 ) Although I only recently became a member (#4063) I have been actively researching my family history for the past 30 years. A recent experience prompted me to write it down and share. I am currently employed as the facility manager for the Center for the Arts at UB’s North Campus. I also have a part time seasonal position operating a high pressure steam plant as a stationary engineer in a mixed use facility. I was working the part time job, making building rounds. My tour takes me to the loading dock, where a large open top dumpster resides. It was filled to the top with miscellaneous items, much of it discarded items from tenants. Perched on top was a high school yearbook from 1955. I picked it up, thinking it would be interesting to leaf through during my break, which I did. And got interested in who it belonged to. The owner’s name was written inside. There were many signatures, mostly of the senior class, though the owner was a sophomore at the time. It turns out the owner’s sister was a senior and likely knew many of them. I got to thinking, did the yearbook get separated from its owner by accident, and maybe they would like to have it back? Or maybe a relative might like to have it? I just could not let it go to the landfill without making an effort to put it into the hands of someone who would appreciate having it. So I put my genealogical research skills to work to help make that happen. I found her in the 1950 US Census, so I had her parents’ names. Digging further, I learned she was employed as a junior high math teacher in Lancaster after graduating from Houghton College and marrying a dentist soon thereafter. The trail went cold for a while, finding nothing on her until I found her husband’s obituary. In it were listed the names of her daughter and two sons, both of which were noted as PhDs. I found it interesting that the obituary noted their advanced degrees. One of the sons had a spouse and son noted, so I concentrated on researching him. He got his doctorate at UB. Further research found a paper online he had authored. The paper included his email address at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena. Armed with this information, I emailed him, explaining the circumstances of how a found the yearbook and asking if he would like to have it. He emailed me back, informing me that his mother had just sold her home of 60 years, and he did not know of the existence of this yearbook, and would like to see it. He also noted my email sigfile had my affiliation with the CFA at UB. He asked if I had possibly met his mother, as she had been a volunteer usher at many CFA events. I had not, but our events staff (with who I shared this story) fondly remembered her. The yearbook is on its way to the owner’s son. -------------- Memory 49: Jack Donohue (#3968) Like many of you, my memories of and questions about family members started when I was young. My mother's side of the family had plenty to offer - ultimately dating back to the Mayflower. My father's side was altogether a different matter. While he grew up in South Buffalo, the second generation of Irish immigrants, with loads of family scattered around the area, he didn't have a great interest in keeping up with his family roots - or they were distorted with family lore with little basis of fact (ah, the Irish). And I'm sure like many of us, it was only after he died that I realized I hadn't been more attentive to finding out his family history. That changed when I read Tim Bohen's book "Against the Grain". I came back to Buffalo on a regular basis to explore churches, the Holy Cross Cemetery in Lackawanna, and the fabulous Grosvenor Room in the downtown library. ...And the even more fabulous people there, especially Rhonda Hoffman, who helped me find a great, great grandfather I didn't know I had (see above: "ah, the Irish"). ...And then discovering after I joined the WNYGS, my high school European Studies teacher (in 1976) was a founding member of the Society - Glenn Atwell. Congrats to the WNYGS for our first 50 years. Thanks for helping me on my genealogical journey. May the next 50 be as prosperous. -------------- Memory 48: Joanne Clements (#3767) I joined the Western New York Genealogical Society a few years ago in hopes of finding out more about my ancestors who emigrated from Germany to Niagara County in the 1800’s. Since joining, I have been introduced to distant relatives who live in Niagara County. They have been able to provide additional clues to why those ancestors emigrated in the first place. I have also learned more about the history of Buffalo and surrounding areas. I have relatives buried in the Concordia Cemetery and have been interested to read about the Concordia Cemetery project. By being on the Board of the Society, I have met several wonderful people who have been able to give suggestions and tips for further research. Thank you WNYGS! ---------------- Memory 47: Dave Yearke (#2380L) I had always wondered about the origin of the name "Yearke." There were various surnames that sounded similar and had similar spellings, but as far as I knew only people in our direct family spelled it that way. So, in 1985, I decided to start investigating. I wrote to some relatives, who were quite helpful in other ways, but none had an answer on this issue. I pursued this on and off for a few years, but not diligently. I went to various places and looked up records, but didn't have any luck. On July 29th, 1993, I hit paydirt. I was in the basement of Erie County Hall, looking through marriage records, and found license applications for my great-grandfather and all of his siblings, except for his brother Charles, the eldest sibling. After going through all the indexes of males, I decided to look for his wife in the indexes of females and found a record showing her husband as "Charles Gierke." I started looking for that last name, and in a short amount of time had a marriage license for his mother, who remarried after my g-g-grandfather died, as well as for a sibling who remarried. The dates and details checked out, so I knew I was on the right track. Charles is listed with the last name "Yearke" in the 1884 Buffalo city directory, and this is the earliest use of that spelling I can find, other than a William Yearke in the 1883 directory, and for whom I am still trying to establish a relationship with our family (if any). All of his siblings started using the same spelling in 1887, after their father died the previous year. I don't know if they were trying to make the name more phonetic, or if it was a spelling error they just decided to keep, or if there was a reason they were trying to distance themselves from the original spelling. It's still a mystery to me. Since then, I have used that spelling to find newspaper articles, census records, and other interesting items for the early family. I know now my g-g-grandparents probably came from Prussia, but I have not yet found any records from that area. I guess more searching is in order. ---------------- Memory 46: Barbara A. Jones (#3593) It was the early 1990s and my son asked me some questions concerning his ancestors. I knew my paternal grandparents were buried in the cemetery across the street but so were my gr grandparents. But then a brick wall on that line. I can now trace the paternal line to 1637 in colonial MA. In my research I experienced a few unique events. 1 - I was at the LDS library in the early 1990s when a man who was doing research for the first time. The volunteer was very helpful but when she finished I mentioned he might try Surrogate's Court. I had found this helpful since at that time census records were on microfilm and knowing an address helped narrow the search. I had just found my grandfather’s uncle who passed away in 1899. The new person recognized the Surname Hauser. He said his aunt married a Hauser and mentioned his name. I couldn’t believe it but he was the 6 month old on my microfilm reader. He mentioned his aunt was still alive and another nephew had researched the Hausers. I couldn’t believe it. The researcher was a college professor who taught religious German studies. He was kind enough to share his research back to a town in 1500s in Germany, now a B&B. 2 - Also about 1990 I was at the WNYGS library on South Park. I showed the volunteer my gr grandfather’s death certificate. It stated he died in Johnsburg NY. The volunteer stated she thought it was Johnsonburg. Sure enough, she was correct. It is what allowed me to break through. I would have never found him since my gr grandmother was born in Bath NY and my grandfather was born in MI. I just figured his father was from MI. I would never have looked in Wyoming County. This broke the brick wall for my Coburn line. Another surprise was that on the census was a Fullington family who were neighbors of the Coburn family and connected through a marriage. This was mid 1800s. In 1940s my Dad married my mom, a Hauser and her sister married a descendant of the Fullington family. Johnsonburg is located about an hour by car from the Hauser family in north Buffalo. I spent over 20 years looking the Kromer surname in Cleveland where my grandmother was born. Finally found them on a Google search since my gr grandfather’s brother was a famous singer. He preformed at Carnegie Hall and the White House. I feel the most interesting aspect is the part my ancestors had in the history of Buffalo. A Coburn and Wolfe (from the Hausers) married into the Rumsey family. In fact Mary Coburn was the mother in law of Ansley Wilcox. Thank you for all you do. I might still be looking for Coburns had it not been for a very helpful volunteer who was willing to help me. -------------- Memory 45: Sandy Hudson (#1461) Many years ago, while reading my newly delivered copy of the Journal I noticed an article written by one of our members stating that she had been given a very old family bible from a friend who had purchased it at a flea market. He thought that she might be able to find someone in the society who would be related to this family. I could hardly believe my eyes when I read the names of my great-great grandparents. I immediately made a phone call explaining that I was interested in purchasing the bible that was mentioned in the Journal. She then invited me to her home and said that as long as I could show her proof of my relationship, she would be delighted to turn it over to me. Her friend who purchased the bible did not want any compensation in return but thought that perhaps making a donation to the society would be nice. Wow. How unbelievable and wonderful! Over the years I have been able to show the bible to other members of my family who were just as excited as I was to see this family treasure that we probably never would have known existed had it not been for the kindness of those two individuals. -------------- Memory 44: Sandy Hudson (#1461) Many years ago, while reading the newspaper I came across an article that mentioned The Western New York Genealogy Society. What? I didn't realize that there was a genealogical society in WNY. Had I known, I definitely would have attended that very first meeting 50 years ago. My interest in family history began when I was about 12 years old. One Sunday afternoon while visiting my grandparents after church I was playing a card game with my grandma and during a lull in the game I asked her the names of her mother and father, and then I wanted to know when they came to America, and then I asked her what country they emigrated from, etc. I wrote down everything she told me that afternoon on a tiny piece of paper before heading home. Over the next 65 years that tiny piece of paper has grown to twenty-three 3-ring binders, trees online, DNA testing, etc. ---------------- Memory 43: Lisa (Schreiner) Berta I grew up in Hamburg, NY. My father, John “Jack” Schreiner’s has Lola Kimmel as an elementary school teacher. The Kimmels were former neighbors of my paternal grandparents, Francis and Agnes (Petrie) Schreiner. Mrs. Kimmel was also my fourth-grade teacher at Charlotte Avenue Elementary School, and fostered my love of reading and science by gifting me a copy of Eleanor Clymer’s “Search for a Living Fossil: The Story of the Coelacanth.” As the end of fourth grade approached, my mother, Jane (Clark) Schreiner, said I was to have a schedule and purpose that summer break, and every summer afterwards. And she had already set it up during a parent-teacher conference. There was a schedule of mornings to pack lunch, hop on my bike, and report to Mrs. Kimmel at the Hamburg Historical Society Museum on South Park Avenue until she said my volunteer day was complete. That generally happened as the museum was locked up in the afternoon. After reporting to Mrs. Kimmel, I received assignments to clean floors, dust, clean more surfaces, help with filing, clean, clean the back room, and clean a bit more. Turns our Mrs. Kimmel had a great sense of humor that I missed as a student. WNYGS was housed in the Museum, and member of WNYGS asked for help moving huge bound books of the Erie County Independent. Over the weeks, I helped Mrs. June Partridge Zintz with more WNYGS books, reshelving with Mrs. Kimmel’s approval, or helping members find and read microfilm. Weeks later, Mrs. Zintz asked what I knew of my family tree. I had spotted my great aunt Edna (Clark) Schnautz’s book “Alanson Clark, 1807-1888," and I was excited to show her my name in the book. Mrs. Zintz encouraged me to continue researching my tree. Several years later, my genealogy binder received 4-H blue ribbons at the Erie County and New York State Fairs. I became a life member of WNYGS in 2007. Today, I’ve joined nearly 40 lineage societies and assist prospective members with their genealogy research for several societies. ---------------- Memory 42: Gloria Osborne (#2909) Even as a kid I was always interested in where my family came from. Finding time was always a problem, but in the early 1990's I began serious research. Although I lived in Michigan, my family still lived in the Buffalo area. I joined both the WNYGS and the Niagara County Genealogical Society since some of my mother's Irish family originally located in Lockport. My Dad's German family was from Buffalo and also Tonawanda and both Orleans and Genesee Counties. I returned often to visit my family, of course, but also made many stops at the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library where I found many useful resources; newspaper microfilm, filmed local church records and clippings scrapbooks among others. My mother was a wonderful source of information to get me started and the research findings provided a great rapport with her as she aged. I greatly expanded her basic knowledge and found much more that she didn't know about her family, information which she always looked forward to hearing about. I look forward to the quarterly Genealogist journal from the Society for their helpful indexes and transcriptions and local history. I made contact with a cousin who is also a member. In 2006 I compiled a book on my dad's paternal family for a family reunion and now I am currently putting all this 30-plus years of research about my mother's 4 Irish ancestor families into a book for my own family. ----------------- Memory 41: Mary Kay Wright (#1202) My memory goes back over 40 years concerning the Journal. When my husband and I joined, we volunteered to help collate and mail the Journal as a way of becoming acquainted with active members. At first, we worked in the DAR on Delaware. Collating by hand took many helpers and we soon enjoyed the task and company. Our next move was to a room in the Marine Drive apartments where Isabelle Clifford lived. Over time, the collating was handled by the printer. My late husband, Joe, had retired from the Post Office and ways of handling the mailing changed. Preparing and presorting the Journal for the Post Office was a big job. Many changes have been made over the years resulting in our current. professional Western New York Genealogist. I look back with fondness on all my fellow Journal volunteers. ------------------- Memory 40: Charleen Scime (#4038) I am a new member of WYNGS with a nearly 20 -year journey in genealogy. I am second generation Italian on one side and third generation on the other. My families came to the US around 1900. It all started in 2006 when I joined a computer club that had a SIG on genealogy. At that time using the internet for information was fairly new, and not nearly as sophisticated as it is now! We were taught how to use AOL search, Ask Jeeves, Mamma, Alta Vista and many more for our research. After a couple months I was hooked. As in many families, the “old people” did not share information. Maybe I was just too young to ask, or maybe they thought if they didn’t talk about it they would assimilate into the American culture better. All I knew is that I was Sicilian on one side of my family and Calabrese on the other side. All Italian – this will be so easy, I thought! Well, as all of you know, nothing in genealogy runs in a straight line. I had quite a bit of information on names of ancestors on my Mom’s side of the family but very little on my Dad’s. In order to get started on my Dad’s side I started writing letters in English and using a translator to add the Italian, looked up all the Scime families near my grandfather’s town, stamped the envelopes and popped them in the mail. I sent 11 letters and got answers from 3. I still had relatives in the same town! I was amazed and even more excited to see what I could learn. One of my cousins sent me a handwritten list of my grandfather and his siblings. There were THIRTEEN in all and only 4 came to the US. That was new information. I worked both ends to the middle with that information….. I followed up on the Scime family in Castelvetrano, Sicily and Springfield, Illinois in the US. I looked up those relatives on Facebook, if you can imagine! I found so many of them and we began to talk about what we knew. We created a “family” Facebook page where we could exchange that information. We relied heavily on google translate! Well, that is where it all began. I was fortunate enough to meet my cousins from Springfield, Illinois and in 2017 (and just recently in July of 2024) in Sicily. What an awesome feeling to meet second cousins and find we looked so much alike! I now teach beginning genealogy classes in Florida and in NY – showing new or aspiring genealogists and family historians some unusual places to start, how to get organized, and sources as to where to go from “here”. My hobby goes hot and cold, depending on what I have going on – but every one of us knows – once you start going down a rabbit hole….. it is very hard to come up!