to the new Union County Genealogical Society website, a work in progress. Check back with us often as new information will be added by our volunteers.

The Union County Genealogical Society is dedicated to meeting the educational needs of their members through the preservation of the county's public records, cemetery records, newspapers and family histories for research by future generations.

UCGS is a 501(c)3 non-profit and contributions are tax deductible. Contributions are used to purchase genealogy materials housed at the Matilda Gibson Public Library in Creston, provide additional offerings on our website and assist in providing quality educational genealogy programs. UCGS is a member of the Iowa Genealogical Society.

Monthly Membership Meetings

UCGS meets on the 4th Monday of each month except December at 6:00 PM in the Genealogy Room at the Matilda Gibson Memorial Library located at 200 West Howard Street in Creston, Iowa and are also available via Zoom. Membership meetings are open to the public. For information on additional educational opportunities in genealogical research, check out our Events page.

To become a member or to renew your membership, click here

To make a donation, click here.

Southwest Iowa Genealogy Conference

The Union County Genealogical Society will host a Southwest Iowa Genealogy Conference from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm on Saturday, 04 November 2023 at Southwest Iowa Community College, 1501 West Townline Street, Creston, Iowa as well as over Zoom.

Returning popular speaker, Alice Hoyt Veen will present four sessions throughout the day. A Board-certified genealogist, professional researcher, writer, and genealogical educator, she believes family history success lies in truly understanding the records our ancestors created. She founded Prairie Roots Research in 2010 with the mission of fostering a deeper understanding of the past by researching and reconstructing forgotten lives. She is committed to assisting genealogists at every level of experience to rediscover, preserve, and share their unique family story.

Ms. Hoyt Veen has presented to international audiences for RootsTech and Legacy Family Tree Webinars. She has spoken at national, regional, and state conferences, and for numerous local organizations. She is a past trustee for the BCG Education Fund, a charitable trust advancing the educational aims of the Board for Certification of Genealogists. For the Conference Schedule and a detailed description of the presentations, go to the Events page.

Membership in IGS

Your membership in the Iowa Genealogical Society contributes to the preservation of genealogical and family history records. Benefits of membership are:

Access to IGS research facility
Access to FamilySearch affliage records when in the IGS Library
Access to Ancestry Library Edition when in the IGS Library
Bimonthly newsletter
Discounts on classes and conferences and research fees
Networking opportunities
Join a Special Interest Group
Email notification of upcoming events and classes
Access to genealogy interest groups
Access to free queries in Hawkeye Heritage

There are annual spring and fall conferences with lectures, workshops, and vendors. To become a member of IGS go to IowaGenealogy.org and click on membership.

Gathering Memories

Check out our latest Blog, Gathering Memories.

Virtual Reality and Genealogy

Check out our newest link to help you with your genealogical research. Of special interest is one that has been brought to our attention by Chris, a Boy Scout who is working on his Genealogy Badge. To read more about this new technology and how it can enhance and add interest to your research, go to our Research Links page and look for the Virtual Reality and Genealogy link.

Preservation Oaks Interview Aired 09 May

The Union County Genealogical Society was invited to participate in Preservation Oaks programming. Preservation Oaks is an international syndicated original talk program on Micro Stream Radio, where they feature interviews with professionals from Museums, Cultural and Heritage Institutions, as well as Historical and Genealogical Societies across the United States. Their main platform is preservationoaks.podbean.com. The program aired on 09 May 2022 with an interview of UCGS President, Saundra Clem Leininger.

Legacy Family Tree Seminars

You might want to explore the upcoming webinars on Legacy Family Tree Webinars at https://familytreewebinars.com/upcoming-webinars/ They are free the day of the webinar and for the next seven days so you can fit them into your schedule when convenient. They can help you learn new techniques and resources.

Also check out our Research Links page for more FREE websites that can assist you with your research from the comfort of your home. Do you have a good site link that you would like to share? If so, please emai it to unioncgs.org for consideration. If you find a link that is no longer dworking, please let us know so that we can correct it.

UCGS Celebrates Ruby Anniversary

Charter members at the 40th Anniversary of the Society organization.

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BEHOLD the Work of the Old…..

Let your Heritage not be lost.

But bequest it as a Memory,

Treasure and Blessing…..

Gather the lost and hidden,

And preserve it for thy Children.

Christian Metz, 1846

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