The Berks County Genealogical Society
celebrated its 25th Anniversary
on July 24, 2005
OFFICER ELECTIONS
Key Dates:
March General Meeting
- Election of Nominating Committee
April General Meeting - Nominations from the floor and
from the nominating committee
May General Meeting - Election of Officers
June Dinner Meeting - Installation of Officers
TIDBITS
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The Mary Owen Steinmetz Award
Plaque - 2006
This plaque has been donated by the Jacqueline B. Nein Charitable Trust
in her memory. It lists all the winners of
the Steinmetz Award who have given so much work to further the goals of our
Berks County Genealogical Society. We honor their efforts to serve our
members and the public in their search for their ancestors. In so doing , we
honor our forefathers by our recognition of these honorees.
In 2006, we
had two Mary Owen Steinmetz Award Winners
 | Jacqueline B. Nein - Posthumous Award - Jacqeline B. Nein was born
September 23, 1931 in Mt. Penn. She was
one of the founders and an original member of the Berks County
Genealogical Society who wrote THE NEIN FAMILY HISTORY, as well as
published and indexed many church records for the society. She passed away
January 22, 2000 and is buried in the Nein Family cemetery, Oley Township.
The society has chosen to recognize her past work and the contributions
from her Jacqueline B. Nein Charitable Trust to our society. We are most
grateful for her help.
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 | Sylvia Ann Graybill was awarded the Mary Owen Steinmetz Award for
2006. Sylvia Ann Graybill has been doing genealogical research for
twenty-six years on her family and her husband’s family. She has mentored
nearly all of the members of the Berks County Genealogy Society and shared
her information freely with them. She is a fountain
of knowledge to one and all who come into our library to search their
family roots. She is related to many members of the society through
various family lines. Sylvia Ann has served on the board in various
capacities and served as librarian many times over the years.
Members find her contributions, knowledge and guidance
to be a keystone of our growing society. |
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February 2006 - Many new additions to the Maps section of
Online Research. Includes township warrantee
maps for Exeter and Muhlenberg townships. |
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The Reading Eagle
newspapers from 1868 to December
of 1972 have been accessioned and are
available in our library. |
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July 2001 - Pennsylvania now has Revolutionary War, Spanish American War,
and World War I Service Medal records online! Check out
ARIAS.
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July 2001 - The
Berks
County Office of the Prothonotary now has searchable indexes online!
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NEW NAMES IN THE SURNAME INDEX - Thousands of new names were added to the
surname index in December 2000. Check it out today and make
some new branches on your family tree.
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NEW SEARCH CAPABILITY - A new search capability
was added to the BCGS web page in July. This is the fastest way to
look up surnames and to find lost information. The search includes a
'sound-alike' option which performs a Soundex-like search. When
searching for surnames, use ALL lower-case letters.
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GREAT CHRISTMAS IDEA--A year gift membership in the Berks County
Genealogical Society. Click on Membership
for information and form.
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Another GREAT CHRISTMAS IDEA--one for the Society. Send a contribution to
the Capital Projects Fund of the Society. The Society likes gifts too. We
have additional computer needs. |
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As part of your membership in our Society, you will receive issues of our
Newsletter "Branches of Berks". As a member you can post queries in these
issues. Many members exchange family information that started as a
connection made through this resource. |
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For the Outlet Shopping Spouse! There are plenty of
fine outlets to shop in the Reading area. Drop your shopping
spouse at the outlet area and visit our library. You'll learn a
lot more and spend a lot less than your shopping spouse. |
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Membership dues are due July 1. See the form on the
Membership page. |
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If you have not yet visited our library, plan to do so soon. |