Welcome to the Rapid City Society for Genealogical Research, Inc. (RCSGR)
Serving the Rapid City, Black Hills and Western South Dakota genealogical community by providing a learning and sharing environment and by providing genealogy materials and assistance to its members and the public.
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and to the right for events schedule)
Past Programs
Looking for information regarding past programs and handouts,
see below (or go to the following--need to have Member access):
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Genealogy Education/Programs
Past Programs/Handouts
Tracing Your
Female Ancestors
Gena Parkhurst began our program by providing us with useful information regarding D.A.R. (Daughters of the American Revolution). She then introduced our speaker, Cindy Christensen, who presented an interesting program on tracing your female ancestors. Cindy indicated that it is difficult to research our female ancestors as there is little information on women in the past. Most states did not keep birth records until the later 19th century.
So where might you find information when tracing your female ancestors? You can search for information in census records (however, men are usually listed as the head of the household), birth/death records, marriage records, guardianship records, probate and estate records, cemetery records, pioneer records/certificates, tombstones, obituaries (Newspapers.com), Find-a-Grave.com (there may be information others have provided). States have different laws so you will need to familarize yourself with that state's laws. You may want to search state, county, town, and township records. Check who is living near each other in the census--this may give you clues as to family or friends as they may have lived close to each other. Church records are very helpful as they may contain religion, birth, marriage, and death records. In the past women were referred to as the "wife of" so you may need to search for the husband's name. In colonial times, women had to return home where they were born to be married so you may need to search in that ancestor's hometown.
AUGUST 2023 PROGRAM:
Tracing your "Adoptive" Family Member
