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Wisconsin STate Genealogical Society

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Gene-A-Rama 2026 

Join us at the WSGS Annual Gene-A-Rama for 2026! The theme this year is: 'Downs & Ups In Genealogy: The Insults & Joys In Our Efforts' and it's Friday, March 27-Saturday, March 28, at the Hotel Marshfield in Marshfield, WI. Also, the presentations will be streaming live online!

Click Here For Details & To Register

Conference Presenters

Dr. David Mc Donald, “The Preacher Genealogist”, has lectured across the country & internationally on matters of genealogy research, methodology, localities & religions. A retired Protestant minister, he has been actively engaged in genealogical matters since the Bicentennial era of the 1970s. Together with Billie Stone Fogarty, he is the founder of the Genealogy Symposium, a state archives-based institute.

Karla Leppen, a native of Marshfield, now living in eastern Portage County, has been doing genealogical research for almost 40 years. Since 2021 she has been certified by the National Institute of Genealogical Studies in Basic Level American Records and Methodology.  Her special areas of interest are Norwegian and Central European ancestry.  

Diana ElderDiana Elder is an Accredited Genealogist professional, lecturer & author with over 23 years of research experience, holding credentials for genealogy research & lecturing through the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen). She wrote the bestselling book Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist’s Guide and co-authored the companion volume, Research Like a Pro with DNA: A Genealogist’s Guide to Finding and Confirming Ancestors with DNA Evidence. 

Natalie Kruse was employed at the Marshfield Public Library for almost 30 years. She has assisted hundreds of patrons seeking answers to their family lineage, but never had success with her own until a breakthrough in 2009 uncovered details of her Icelandic family going back at least 29 generations. In 2022, Natalie found herself traversing the rough and windswept terrain of an ancient heath in Iceland to stand in front of a cairn erected by her 3X Great-Grandfather who had marked the spot where a miracle of his survival occurred.


Click Here For Details & To Register


Free Webinar! Allyson Maughan—A Last Name for Mary Ann-Finding Women’s Maiden Names

Tue, April 21, at 7pm

Click Here To Register For Free

  • Most married women in the US appear on records with their husband’s last name. What records can we turn to in our pursuit of maiden names? Follow the case of Mary Ann Wolf to learn how to find and confirm a maiden name.
    Key Learning Objectives:    
    1 Naming systems in the United States after marriage
    2 Records that contain maiden names: vital records self and children, church, cemetery, military, children’s vital records, obituaries, life sketches, and etc.   
    3 Repositories holding the records online and in person 
    4 Last names and their meanings and spellings.
    5 Case Study of Mary Ann showing resources used

If you are interested, or know someone who is, please email us at wsgs@wsgs.org


WSGS Member Benefits—Join Us!

Membership in the Wisconsin State Genealogical Society is open to any person or organization interested in genealogy. Connect with others that have an interest in Wisconsin genealogy and history, and gain access to resources and knowledge that can make your membership pay for itself! Click to Join WSGS!


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