Our speaker will be Craig Pfannkuche, CGS Ancestor Certificate Committee Chair

For years the Chicago Genealogical Society has been offering a series of frameable certificates which certify when a Chicagoan first came to settle in Chicago.

There are two good reasons why such certificates are issued by our CGS and valued by recipients. The first is simply, pride. For descendants of those who came to and experienced the growth of a relatively new large city on an empty prairie and who played a role, no matter how large or small, in that development should feel a sense of pride in what their ancestors have accomplished.

The second reason for the value of the issuance of such certificates is that submissions for those certificates are helpful to both genealogists/family history researchers and those researching the history of our fine city. Before a certificate can be issued, the submitter for a certificate must submit written/printed (photocopied) documentary evidence which proves a linkage between the setter and the submitter. 

Join us for this webinar to learn more about why you should apply for a Chicago Ancestor Certificate, what specific types of certificates are offered, the steps to apply, documentation, mistakes often made and how you can be successful with your application.

Craig is an independent research professional and President of Memory Trail Research, Inc. He volunteers for the CGS Board as the Ancestor Certificate Committee Chair and is our awesome bus tour guide for our annual genealogical tours. He is also the archivist for the Chicago & North Western Historical Society.

Registration is required via the Chicago Genealogical Society website under Events. Registration will close 1 hour prior to the event. The webinar will take place virtually via ZOOM. All people registered will receive an email the morning of the event with log-in instructions and a link. This information is not to be shared.