Decatur & Macon County Genealogical Society & Library

Just read a great article in Family Tree Magazine by Sunny Jane Morton about research plans and how to organize them! I had never thought about doing it this way but hey I may just try it this year. It is a month by month method plan and here is how I am going to do it, I think! I am going to choose 12 things that I would like to accomplish in my research for 2026 and then give each one a month to do it in. It could be that I will accomplish it in one evening or it could take me all month to do it in! It could also be that I have to abandon it the next month but pick it back up in another month that I accomplish the project quickly. I might have to juggle it to another month due to the fact that life happens but I am going to try to get those 12 items done!
So I am going to get busy and pick out those 12 things to accomplish-get out my calendar and assign those 12 things-and get busy! What 12 things are you going to accomplish this year in your genealogy travels?

Don’t forget to go to the Decatur Area Arts Council website and vote for #4 in the Christmas card contest

Community Invited as Second African American Heritage Trail Marker Is Dedicated December 4

WHAT: The Heart of Illinois Community Foundation and the Untold Stories Committee will host a special ceremony to unveil the second historical trail marker on the Macon County African American Heritage Trail.

WHO: Heart of Illinois Community Foundation, Decatur Public Schools #61, Lumpkin Family Foundation, Untold Stories Committee, Parsons Elementary School and members of the Macon County African American Heritage Trail Committee

WHEN: Thursday, December 4, 12:30 p.m.

WHERE: Parsons Elementary School, 3591 N. MacArthur Rd., Decatur, historical marker is located on the back of the school on the playground

WHY: The Macon County African American Heritage Trail is designed to preserve, honor, and elevate stories that have often gone untold – highlighting leaders, places, and events that shaped local and national history. This marker honors Judge James Benton Parsons and Black educators.

Please join us!

Join us tonight at 6pm!

Please join the Decatur and Macon County Genealogical Society as we present:
WW I CODE TALKERS
Given by Gail Leonard
on
November 5, 2025
6pm to 8pm
Decatur Genealogical Society Library
2623 East Pershing Road
Decatur, Illinois
$5 Admission

“Who’s Your Daddy?”

As a member of the Decatur Genealogical Society over the last 20 or more years it has truly been enlightening, interesting, fullling and a journey that all my binders of family recorder I have documented for generations to come. Like many of my fellow genealogist I have spent endless hours, days, weeks, months, and years putting together what I think are best and most aurati records for my many families.

As many of you know we just don’t have one or two families, we have many. I have 4 Grandparents: Stork, Delahunty, Fitzpatrick & Cunningham 8 Great grandparents: Stork, Delahunty, Fitzpatrick, Cunningham, Stafford, Glassburn, Schick, Carroll, 16 GG Grandparents; Delahunty, Ryan, Stafford, Meagher, Cunningham, Fink, Glassburn, Brunnemer, Stork, Mauelem, Schick, Young, Fitzpatrick, Valentine, Carroll, Ryan and so forth. I have tried to document as much on these families as I could possibly find. I like to call it ”Who’s Your Daddy?”

The things I have found out on this journey have truly amazed me. My Father had a brother he didn’t know he had. He died when he was 6 or 7 months old and his parents never told my dad. I found his out when I ran across an obit in a 1912 newspaper. My dad’s grandfather committed su***de in Indiana in 1927. My Great Grandfather Schick was a man his in-laws, the Youngs, didn’t like. I found some letters that were written during the Civil War that spoke of this dislike. The things that can found doing research. I might also add this a GREAT Winter Sport. You are out of the weather.

Decatur and Macon County is truly blessed to have at the availability of its citizen and the citizens of our surrounding counties one of the newest and best genealogical libraries in the state of Illinois. It is not just about Macon County records. There a hundred of existing Family Histories, and there are records on every county in the state of Illinois and every state in the United States. There are foreign records also. There are Mayflower records, DAR records. It will truly surprise you what is available at the New and Great Decatur Genealogical Society.
Just My Opinion
Michael C. Delahunty

Grand Opening
September 26, 2025
2623 East Pershing Road
(One Block West of CAT)
11:30 A.M.-12:00 P.M.
Library will be open until 3:00 P.M.

Just a reminder that tomorrow is the big day! The Decatur and Macon County Genealogical Society & Library will be back open at our new location for your genealogical research! We can't wait to see you and show you our new building.

Here is the floorplan of the new library! Come check it out yourself on the 20th when we open the doors at 10:00 for our soft-opening!

FOR THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO LEARN
ABOUT CLEANING & REPAIRING TOMBSTONES...
THIS IS YOUR PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO VOLUNTEER!
Join us Monday, August 4th from 9am to 11am at the Day Jones Cemetery. We will be there solely to clean and repair headstones. For those who have commented they'd like to learn, this is perfect. This teaching session will be free except that you need to bring a gallon of water for rinsing. Don't forget to bring yourself drinking water too!
Experienced tombstone cleaners are invited as well.
EVERYONE WELCOME!