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Dive into Genealogy Research with Our 2025 Genealogy Jumpstart Series
Your family tree starts here! Join Local History Librarian Katie Stilp for our monthly genealogy series offered select Tuesday afternoons all year long. Attend in person at the library or virtually via Zoom. If you attend in-person, you don’t need to register. If you’re attending via Zoom, please register for each session individually using the specific registration links provided.
Whether you’re a beginner, have dabbled in a little research, or are a seasoned family historian this series has something for you. We’ll focus on a different topic during each session, exploring record sets and resources to help you successfully research your family tree. We’ll also provide live demonstrations of our genealogy databases and share additional resources for deeper investigation to enhance your research toolkit.
Each session can be taken on its own, so you’re welcome to join at any time – though attending the entire series will maximize your learning experience. Missed a past session? Catch up on our YouTube channel.
A note on technology skills: In the Genealogy Jumpstart sessions, we’ll explore various website-based resources and databases available through the library. While brief instruction will be provided on how to locate and navigate these resources, time constraints prevent us from covering every feature in detail. You’re welcome to bring your own device to follow along, but please note sessions focus on genealogy research rather than developing technology skills. If you need further assistance with navigating the resources or using technology, please refer to our events calendar for Technology Help sessions. Additionally, we’ll cover offline resources, as not all genealogy records are available online.
2025 Genealogy Jumpstart Sessions
If you’d like to attend the sessions via Zoom, click on the title of the program below to register. In-person attendees don’t need to register. Handouts and videos will be available after the program.
• Getting Started in Genealogy – Handout | Video – Tuesday, February 25 at 1 pm
• Birth and Death Records – Handout | Video – Tuesday, March 11 at 1 pm
• Marriage and Divorce Records – Handout | Video – Tuesday, March 25 at 1 pm
• Cemetery Research – Handout | Video – Tuesday, April 22 at 1 pm
• Searching in FamilySearch – Handout | Video – Monday, May 5 at 7 pm
Presented in partnership with the German Interest Group-Wisconsin
• Creating Your Family Tree Online – Handout | Video – Tuesday, May 20 at 1 pm
• Ancestry Library Edition and HeritageQuest Overview – Handout | Video – Tuesday, June 24 at 1 pm
• Newspapers, Part 1 – Handout | Video – Tuesday, July 8 at 1 pm
• Newspapers, Part 2 – Handout | Video – Tuesday, July 22 at 1 pm
• FamilySeach Overview – Handout | Video – Tuesday, August 26 at 1 pm
• Census Records – Handout | Video – Tuesday, September 23 at 1 pm
• Immigration Records – Handout | Video – Tuesday, October 7 at 1 pm
• Naturalization Records – Handout | Video – Tuesday, October 28 at 1 pm
• City (and Other) Directories – Handout | Video – Tuesday, November 18 at 1 pm
• Religious Records – Handout | Video – Tuesday, December 16 at 1 pm
Additional Genealogy Programs and Services
Looking for more genealogy programs? You may also be interested in our Find Your Ancestors genealogy series. You can also find additional years’ of the Genealogy Jumpstart series using the “Genealogy Jumpstart” tag, below.