G E T  T O  K N O W  U S!

McLean County Museum of History

Location

The MCGS Library, Archives, and office are located on the second floor of the McLean County Museum of History on the Courthouse Square in downtown Bloomington, IL.  We share the Stevenson-Ives Library and Archives space with the Museum of History.  The Square is bounded by Center, Washington, Main, and Jefferson streets.  The main entrance to the Museum is through the East door.  The Museum is wheelchair/handicapped accessible through the South door.  For specific information on the Stevenson-Ives Library, including hours of operation click here.

Street address:  200 Main Street, Bloomington, IL

Museum phone:  309-827-0428

Mailing address:  P.O. Box 488, Normal, IL 61761

Email:                Directors@MCGS.org

 

 

 

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Board of Directors

2008 Officers

President	Neil Sallee
Vice President	Sara Cushing
Recording Secretary	Nadine Reining
Corresponding Secretary
Treasurer	Greg Jonas

2007 Directors

Acquisitions	Nola Marquardt
Cemetery	Judith Myers
Computer	Carl Baines
Distribution	Ruth Wilkerson
Finance	Robert Cullen
Journal	Susan Scoville Pope
Library	Marjorie Mehlberg
Long Range Planning
MCMH Representative	Donna Jenkins
Membership	Mary Scott
Newsletter Editor	William P. LaBounty
Program	Eleanor Mede
Publications	Charles Lamlein
Publicity	Pat Perkins

Our History

The McLean County Genealogical Society
Established January 17, 1966 in Bloomington, Illinois.

History of the McLean County Genealogical Society

Edited from Gleanings, Vol. 26, No. 1, Spring 1992, pages 3 & 4

Forty years ago a genealogical organization was established for an area in Illinois centered by the cities of Bloomington and Normal. It was organized for men and women expressing a vital interest in doing research on their family histories. Originally, in 1966, the name was proclaimed as the BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY. In April of 1988 the entitlement became THE MCLEAN COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY when plans to merge with the McLean County Historical Society and a move into the old McLean County Courthouse matured.

At the very beginning, back in 1965, Rachel Lundeen had created a real interest in genealogy by teaching the subject in Adult Education classes. Her comprehensive course was entitled "Your Family Tree." An interest in genealogy derived from this course prompted a clamor for a genealogy club of sorts. Finally, the YWCA agreed to call for a club organizational meeting on the 7th of November 1965. Plans were firmly made at this session to create the Bloomington­Normal Genealogical Society. Organizers agreed to meet every third Monday at the Withers Public Library at Washington and East Streets near the city center of Bloomington. Two shelves at Withers holding the genealogy books owned by the individual organizers formed a start of the Society's library.

The newly formed society of genealogical interest completed its "legal" organization in January of 1966 with the adoption of a set of by-laws and election of its first set of officers:  Elinor Wetter, President; Lula Paul, Vice-president; Doris Hilton, Secretary; Betty Hering, Treasurer; Betty Lovekamp, Corresponding Secretary; and Rachel Lundeen, Advisor.

Charter Members

Twenty four Charter Members were pronounced and accepted as follows:

Ruth Carpenter Bernadine Chariton Iris Deems Lucille Flanagan Margaret Goeway Helen Harris Betty Hering Doris Hilton Muriel Hoffman Betsy Light Louise Love Betty Lovekamp

Rachel Lundeen Josephine Munro William Munro Louise Muxfeld Myrna Park Lula Paul Anna Pisell Leroy Shutes Donna Smith Alice Steinberg Elinor Wetter Vivian Zook

Those who are still members in 2007:

Betty Hering - Normal, IL
Muriel Hoffman - Carol Stream, IL
Betty Lovekamp - Normal, IL
Myrna Park - Normal, IL
Donna Wilson Smith - Bloomington, IL 

Society Presidents 1966 – 2007

1966          Elinor Wetter 1967          Myrna Park 1968          Myrna Park 1969          Barbara Wright 1970          Barbara Wright 1971          Marian Spratt 1972          Beatrice Armstrong 1973          Beatrice Armstrong 1974          Doris Hilton 1975          Elizabeth Masters 1976          Ruth Cope 1977          Ruth Cope 1978          Esther Hannon 1979          Esther Hannon 1980          Joy Craig 1981          Joy Craig 1982          Joy Craig 1983          Peggy Fuller 1984          Peggy Fuller 1985          Sarah E. "Betty" Waugh 1986     Sarah E. "Betty" Waugh

1987          George F. Perkins 1988          George F. Perkins 1989          Dorotha Russell 1990          Paul K. Benjamin, Jr. 1991          Paul K. Benjamin, Jr. 1992     Donna M. Jenkins 1993     Donna M. Jenkins 1994     Mary E. "Liz" Veselack 1995     Mary E. "Liz" Veselack 1996     Reva S. Merrick 1997     Reva S. Merrick 1998     Charles M. Lamlein 1999     Charles M. Lamlein 2000     Candace Leatherman 2001     Candace Leatherman 2002     George F. Perkins 2003     Carol Harrington 2004     Carol Harrington 2005     Mary E. Scott 2006     Mary E. Scott 2007     Neil Sallee

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