Aug 25

2026-27 Program Schedule

Members and Friends of the Oakland County Genealogical Society,

With the start of the 2026-2027 Membership year, we are excited to share this year’s schedule (some months are still in development) and to thank you for being part of last year’s programs. Thank you to those who came in person so we could meet you and share stories. And SO many came via Zoom from all over the U.S. and Canada – hope that you are one of our new members from in and out of Michigan – welcome!

We are committed to helping all of you, both online and in person, so we will continue to use “hybrid” meetings (Zoom and in person) to keep you with us in whatever format you prefer. We have one gathering scheduled in 2027 for an “Ask a Genealogist” in-person event – we love to help folks break through a roadblock or learn about a resource from one of our society’s many experts. PLEASE join us and pay your dues this fall – we have a great lineup of speakers, but even with hosting them via Zoom to save on mileage costs, the prices have gone up, and your dues pay for them. You can also make donations to special funds that support records preservation and retention, so please consider supporting our society in whatever way works best for you.

SAVE THE DATE – the Oakland County Genealogical Society’s 50th Anniversary is coming in 2027!!  We are hosting a party at the Oakland County Historical Center in Pontiac on Saturday, June 12, 2027, from Noon to 3:00 PM.  We will offer displays, games, historical information, and fun! More details to come, but plan to be there!

We are VERY much in need of a Vice President and/or Program Coordinator – this President is wearing too many “hats,” and your help is requested. We also need a Recording Secretary and potential board members. Email me (judynmuhn@gmail.com) to ask questions and talk about the role.

In our annual joint meeting with the Detroit Society for Genealogical Research on November 7th (note – this will be a Saturday!), we are again grateful to have the Allen County Public Library’s Genealogy Department’s expertise with Christina Clary. Follow our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ocgsmi) and our website (www.ocgsmi.org) for updates and directions on how to sign up for the Zoom link, program updates, and helpful information and resources.

We are seeking volunteers for all our committees and would welcome any involvement if you are interested. Our committee leaders would like to teach others about their roles and train others as “backups” for when we need to take a genealogy vacation or tend to family issues. So, if you are interested in roles, please get in touch with me, and we will connect you! There are always indexing projects!!

Again, thank you for your membership in our society, and know that we welcome your comments, suggestions, and input at any time. My email is president@ocgsmi.org and we welcome your involvement!

Access the program schedule here.

Judy Nimer Muhn

President

Aug 06

Before Lewis and Clark, an Early Michigan Blacksmith Went West

The handout for this meeting is available to members in the member area of our website. The handout is 6 pages; we will *not* have printed copies at the meeting next Tuesday. Please download and print a copy for yourself before the meeting.

More than 60 years before Lewis and Clark began their famous expedition, Jean-Baptiste Amiot was already moving through the upper Great Lakes fur trade and into the Dakotas with the La Vérendrye expeditions. Why? To expand the fur trade westward, establish alliances with Indigenous nations, claim land for France, and find a water route to the Western Sea (Pacific Ocean).

How did a blacksmith at Fort Michilimackinac become part of such a far-reaching story? And why did he die in Green Bay?

Veteran genealogist Judy Nimer Muhn will unravel that mystery for the Oakland County Genealogical Society on September 1. Her presentation, “He Died in Green Bay? Why There?” uses Amiot’s life to demonstrate how extensive research can connect scattered clues across borders, jurisdictions, and collections, revealing fascinating stories that span continents.

Attendees will discover little-known sources in Michigan, Wisconsin, the Dakotas, and France, and see how unstoppable curiosity helped turn a surprising trail involving a lead tablet from 1743 into a defensible conclusion.

Muhn is president of both the Michigan Genealogical Council and Oakland County Genealogical Society. She has researched her family since age 12 and is known for expertise in French-Canadian, Acadian, Native American, Scottish, Michigan, Ontario, and Quebec research.

Register now at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/xtnXVzJCQHuhcAxBxj40uw for the 6:30 PM meeting on Tuesday, September 1st, to secure your spot and gain access to expert insights either at the West Bloomfield Township Public Library, 4600 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township 48323, or online via Zoom. We look forward to your participation!

Jul 21

Acorns to Oaks Volume 47 Issue 3

The newest issue of Acorns to Oaks is available on our website and will be emailed to members. Members may download either a viewable or printable issue now here:
https://ocgsmi.org/our-quarterly-acorns-to-oaks/

 

Jul 10

Don’t forget!

Don’t forget to visit the OCGS table during Celebrate America’s 250th.

 

Jun 12

Acorns to Oaks Article Deadline is Approaching

A reminder that the deadline for Acorns to Oaks is July 1. There is time to prepare your articles, updates, and genealogical related information with Jay, our editor. He will help if you need it as you write! email to: qeditor@ocgsmi.org.

Thanks!

May 22

Why Should I Look at Revolutionary War Pension Records

The elevator is back in service.

Pension records are an invaluable source for learning more about your Revolutionary War ancestor, his family, military unit, and fellow servicemen. Discover how to access these rich files and what family history information could await.

The location is the Bloomfield Township Library, 1099 Lone Pine Rd., Bloomfield Township, MI 48302. If you are not able to drive to the Library, register in advance to participate on Zoom.
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/1gqzh_rATyu2HJZHji1ybA.

Speaker: Melissa Tennant Rzepczynski, MLS

With her vast experience in family history instruction and research methodologies, Melissa Tennant Rzepczynski brings her knowledge, strong customer service skills, and expertise in family history research to those interested in learning more about their family.

Melissa created Branch Discoveries, LLC in 2022, offering consultations, document retrievals, research services, presentations, and much more. Her knowledge and analytical skills are from two decades of research experience in the following topics, the Midwest and Southeast United States, immigration and migration, property and probate records, African American, female ancestors, and more.

Melissa began her career in the genealogical field at the Hillsborough County Public Library in Tampa, Florida in 2001. Then she joined the staff of the Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 2007, where she held several significant positions during her fifteen-year tenure. Melissa has presented at numerous events, including RootsTech, Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) Conference, Ohio Genealogical Society Conference, and Indiana Genealogical Society Conference. She has been an instructor for the Midwest African American Genealogy Institute (MAAGI) since 2016.

Mar 29

Women in the Revolution: Women At War 1775-1783 Could You? Should You? Would You?

April 7 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 p.m.

 

No charge, join us in person at the Bloomfield Township Public Library, 1099 Lone Pine Rd., Bloomfield Township, MI 49032

 

April 7, 2026 – Megan Heyl – Women in the Revolution: Women At War 1775-1783
Could You? Should You? Would You?
The roles that women played ranged from maintaining the home-front to supporting the military in ways that will surprise us all. Could you, should you, or would you do what these women accomplished? Let’s step back in time and learn about these Revolutionary War women heroes.

If you are not able to drive to the Library, register to view on Zoom using this link:
https://tinyurl.com/4s7tvnss.

Megan has been teaching the majority of her life. She taught in the public school systems in Ohio and Michigan where she now resides in Holland Michigan. She taught mostly in the middle and high school sectors teaching academic support – where her students were either on probation, parole, or in special education.

After retiring, she found herself interested in genealogy, and pursued her second career as a researcher, doing client work, offering educational services and speaking for various libraries, societies, and conferences for the past 20 years. She is the owner of Hunting Down History, runs the Genealogy Study Group and the Basics and Beyond Group, is the Education Director of the British Institute for the International Society for British Genealogy and Family History, and has her Masters Degree in Education Administration. She belongs to many local, national and international genealogical societies and historical societies, writes articles for many quarterly publications, and is currently writing her first book.

Mar 26

History Programs Available to Members of the Historical Society of Michigan

Mar 26

Can you Judge and Help Young Historians?

Feb 23

What Did We Learn: Applying AI & Writing Skills

Share your Stories!

Join with fellow genealogists as we share the results of our research with each other! January’s AI presentation from Steve Little and February’s writing ideas from Laura Hedgecock gave us ideas of what to do in sharing our ancestral stories and our researching findings. Come to this March meeting to share with others and learn how to refine what you have into some great storytelling and perhaps have it published in our Quarterly!

Register in advance to attend https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/t_yeMvt1T3egZsbipJBGyQ

We are utilizing new screening tools to help prevent AI (artificial intelligence) from stealing our speaker’s presentation slides and content. So we will be asking you to turn on your camera and wave to us, to confirm that you are a PERSON and not an AI “bot”. Thank you for understanding and helping us to prevent copyright infringement.