This book will be of most use to family researchers who are comfortable using a computer to search the Internet for connections to their family tree. Each chapter is specific to a geographical location and is packed full of website addresses, as well as written instructions on successful searching in a specific area. Author Anne Hart has done a fantastic job of putting so much information into one book and making it all come together so well. A valuable tool for anyone with Continue Reading

Kentucky Pioneer and Court Records

Posted July 20th, 2010

This is a small book packed full of genealogical nuggets that have been compiled from reliable Kentucky records with various sources. The information listed in the Kentucky Pioneer and Court Records was collected from sources such as courthouse and church registers, cemeteries, and old family Bibles. Many of the entries date back to the early 1800s. Marriages, births, deaths, and wills are among the many diverse records listed in this collection of data about old Kentucky families. A large Continue Reading

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

Posted July 14th, 2010

Meet eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce, sleuth extraordinaire, who has a penchant for chemistry; especially the concocting of poisons, which she doesn’t mind using on her sisters. She lives on an old English country estate with her widowed father and two older sisters, a cook, and a gardener; her mother died in a mountain-climbing accident in Tibet when Flavia was very young. The family is lost in their own endeavors, which leaves time for brilliant Flavia to create her world of chemistry experiments and Continue Reading

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand

Posted June 29th, 2010

Retired Major Pettigrew is a widower who leads a quiet life in a quaint English village of manor house and charming cottages. His “old” values of proper manners, family history, and their place in society have put him at odds with his son’s brash modern ways. When the Major’s friendship with the widowed Mrs. Ali, shopkeeper of Pakistani descent, blossoms into romance, it has the townsfolk talking. The story follows the Major’s relationships with his son, Mrs. Ali, and his village friends with surprising mishaps and humorous Continue Reading

Guide to Naturalization Records of the United States

Posted June 11th, 2010

Guide to Naturalization Records of the United States is a gold mine of information for genealogists! In one place we can find the names, addresses and phone numbers of all repositories of naturalization records in the United States, its territories and possessions. The author, Christina K. Schaefer, organizes state information by state, county and city. She lists all locations of naturalization records of residents of United States territories and possessions. The locations of Continue Reading

Your Genealogy Affects Your Health

Posted June 9th, 2010

We often hear comments such as “She looks like her mother,” or “Heart disease runs in the family.” Our genetic family history can affect our personalities, our appearance, and our health. Explore what is known about the effects of our ancestors’ genes on our own lives. In Your Genealogy Affects Your Health,
F. Clarke Fraser, Ph.D., M.D., explains basic information in terms that we can all understand. Find this book in the Illinois Room of Hayner Downtown Library.
(IR 929.1072 FRA)

An Uncertain Tradition

Posted May 19th, 2010

Over time, the Illinois Senate seat races have run the gamut from hotly contested to quietly boring. In this book the contestants’ personalities show through, exhibiting various ideologies and distinctly different manners of meeting their responsibilities. This reference volume contains portraits, timeline graphs, and more to lay the foundation for deeper research into Illinois’s government. (IR 328.73092 KEN)

German-English Genealogical Dictionary

Posted May 10th, 2010

The title of this book sums up the contents without the need for further explanation. It is designed to help the user translate documents that have been written in German. The listings in this guide focus primarily on the words, symbols, and abbreviations found on genealogical documents. Using it in conjunction with a standard German-English Dictionary, the user needs no prior knowledge of the German language to be able to obtain accurate translation results. The listings are defined in one word or simple short phrases, keeping the user from Continue Reading

The Three Weissmanns of Westport

Posted May 5th, 2010

After forty-eight years of marriage, Joseph Weissmann announces he wants a divorce from his wife, Betty, and claims irreconcilable differences; but the real reason is his young assistant, Felicity. Joe intends to be generous in the divorce settlement, but with Felicity’s help, that doesn’t happen. To Betty, this is devastating, but she views life as a “picnic” and leaves her elegant New York apartment to live in her wealthy Cousin Lou’s run-down, quaint cottage on the beach in Westport, Connecticut. Her two daughters join her: Miranda, the Continue Reading

Finding Your Chicago Ancestors

Posted April 19th, 2010

With the help of this book, looking for ancestors in the “Windy City” doesn’t have to make you feel like you are chasing the wind! Author Grace DeMelle has put together a guidebook that is great for beginners. Whole chapters are devoted to answering specific questions about the “who, what, and where” of researching in the Chicago and Cook County areas. So, before you head north in search of family connections, stop by the Illinois Room of Hayner Downtown Library and take a look at this simple-to-understand and very informative step-by-step guide. (IR 929.107207731 DUM)

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