Daily Archives: December 13, 2025

Dr. Deborah A. Abbott, PhD “Using City Directories in Genealogical Research”

In genealogy research City Directories are often used to track ancestors between the U.S. Federal Census years. They become especially important between 1880 to 1900 years due to the loss of the 1890 census records. Even though the residential listings are the most used part of the directory, there are many other ways to incorporate city directories into your genealogy research. This presentation will introduce you to the many sections of a city directory and how to use them along with residential listings and other sources. Learn not only how to trace your family through the years, but also about the city or rural community in which they lived, places where they worked, schools they may have attended, etc. Learn how to identify family migration patterns, which can add depth to your family history while providing research clues that may help solve brick walls.

Cleveland native, Deborah A. Abbott, PhD, is an active professional genealogist specializing in genealogical methodology, manuscript collections, and African American family research. She belongs to many local and national genealogical groups, is a frequent speaker around the country and author.  She is a familiar face to LCGS members and has inspired many of us to “dig deeper” and “follow the facts”.  We are honored to host her again!

CARLA CEGIELSKI  “Mastering the Art of Reading Old Handwriting: Strategies for Success.”

Even though we have access to nerdy apps that read and transcribe old handwriting on deeds and wills, it’s not 100% accurate so we still need to build deciphering skills.  Learning to read old handwriting can be time-consuming and requires patience. In this presentation, Carla will share several strategies for deciphering old handwriting.

BIO:  Carla Cegielski, a familiar face for LCGS, is a full-time family history researcher specializing in Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, and West Virginia research. She has been providing professional research services to attorneys, historians, genealogists, hobbyists, and others since 2007. Carla is the author of the NGS course Reading Old Handwriting. She was also creator and coordinator of the 2021 Reading, Transcribing, and Abstracting Old Documents course at the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP)

Even though we have access to nerdy apps that read and transcribe old handwriting on deeds and wills, it’s not 100% accurate so we still need to build deciphering skills.  Learning to read old handwriting can be time-consuming and requires patience. In this presentation, Carla will share several strategies for deciphering old handwriting.

BIO:  Carla Cegielski, a familiar face for LCGS, is a full-time family history researcher specializing in Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, and West Virginia research. She has been providing professional research services to attorneys, historians, genealogists, hobbyists, and others since 2007. Carla is the author of the NGS course Reading Old Handwriting. She was also creator and coordinator of the 2021 Reading, Transcribing, and Abstracting Old Documents course at the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP).

Thursday, January 29, 2026 – IN-PERSON New Officer Induction, Program and Luncheon

This meeting will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 8751 Kirtland Rd (Rt. 306), Kirtland, OH 44094.   The business meeting will start at 10 a.m. followed by the induction of new officers and our monthly program after which a luncheon will be served.  The luncheon will be semi-catered by Mission BBQ who will provide the main dishes and we’ll supplement with some salads and desserts.  Please pre-register via email by Monday, January 26 and let us know if you are able to bring a salad or dessert – respond to lcgsohio@lcgsohio.org

John Tracy Cunningham will present the program  “FamilySearch 201 – Intermediate Topics.

While many of us enjoy using FamilySearch for research we could use it better.  This presentation will cover treatment of living persons, connecting your line to deceased ancestors already in the tree, changing person and relationship information, correcting data problems and using the Family Tree Validator; the Change Log; Notes, website locations for conducting research, and being a good FamilySearch citizen.   If you haven’t been on the website recently, take time before the program to reacquaint yourself with it to get the most out of the presentation.

John Tracy Cunningham is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is the son of Tracy Cunningham Jr. and Eleanor Marie Walker, and is married to his dear Betty.  He was raised in small-town Southern Illinois, graduated in 1973 from the University of Illinois with a BS in Aerospace Engineering, and entered the United States Air Force as a second lieutenant.  23+ years later, he retired as a lieutenant colonel in Italy and became a defense contractor in Germany, retiring for good 11 years later, then being able to devote his time to his passion, family history.  He had walked into the county courthouse at age 13 and quickly discovered that all eight great-grandparents had died in that same county.  He hasn’t slowed down, but the research has become more difficult.  He enjoys science fiction, history, politico-military affairs, theology, languages, the sciences, and research into just about anything.