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You can contact us at:
PCGS

PO Box 632

Bolivar, MO

65613

info@pcgsmo.com
417-777-2820





Polk County Genealogical Society Meetings
First Thursday of every month, 7 p.m., at the PCGS Library and Research Facility on the square in Bolivar, MO



UPCOMING MEETING:


April 4, 7 p.m.

Program by Diane Warren, "Civil War Diary"


     



From April 2016 meeting:
Download the presentation of "Genealogy and DNA" by Will Westmoreland (PDF format)



INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY:
If Bolivar schools are closed because of weather, the library will also be closed. There will be no night meeting, either, if school is closed on a Thursday. If bad weather develops on a Thursday afternoon before the regular monthly meeting, members can call 417-777-2820 to find out the status of the meeting. If the area is under a "Tornado Warning" or a "Winter Weather Warning" the library will be closed.

The PCGS Library Hours are
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Mon., Wed., Fri. and Sat.



RECENT & UPCOMING MEETING PROGRAMS:
2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025

Meeting minutes are attached on a separate page which can be accessed from here.


April 2003--PCGS Members "Show and Tell"
May--Gary Ayres of the Sons of Confederate Veterans
June--Linda Myers of the Missouri State Archives
July 3--PCGS Members "Show and Tell" about Revolutionary War ancestor
July 10--Daytime meeting--Gloria Bogart Carter, genealogy columnist--1:30 p.m
.
August 7--Linda Crawford speaking on old terminology
September 4--PCGS Members "Share your Research" time
September 11--Research night
October 2--Father Moses Berry "African-American Heritage

of the Ozarks--Remembering Our Ancestors"
November 6--Election of PCGS Officers for 2004
December 4--Christmas party


January 8, 2004--Annual meeting, Program by Bill Kallenbach,
"Charles U. Becker, Missouri Secretary of State"
January 15--"Basic Genealogy" class
February 5--cancelled due to snow
March 4--video on "Old Jail Museum"
April 1--Charles Gass "Land Surveying System"

May 6--Dale Newcomb "Propaganda on Coins"
June 3--Linda Cushman, author "All for the Southern Cause"

July 1--Rena Smith and Reva Altic, "Overcashes in Pennsylvania"
August 5--Jim Hamilton, Editor of the Bolivar Herald-Free Press
September 2--Charles Gass, "The Lewis and Clark Expedition
"
October 7--PCGS Members "Audience Participation" time
November 4--"Genealogy Quiz" & election of PCGS Officers for 2005
December 2--Christmas party with refreshments


January 6, 2005--Ray Carneal on railroad history
February 3--Diane Eilenstein "Preserving Cemeteries in the National Parks"
March 3--no program

April 7--Linda Crawford "Melungeon Research"
May 5--John Lower "Relict Plants as Vestiges of Vanished Homes"
June 2--Jeff Patrick from Wilson's Creek Battlefield
July 7--Bethany Adamson, "United Daughters of the Confederacy"

August 4--Mark Stephens, "Old Photos and Restoration"
September 1--Barbara Davolt, Polk County Public Administrator
October 6--Bob Neumann, Springfield-Greene County Archivist
November 3--Laura Hoffer Ritter, records available at Pitts Chapel
December 1
--Christmas celebration


January 5, 2006--Members' New Year's Resolutions
February 2--"The Life and Times of Patrick Gass" by Charles Gass
March 2--Teresa Barker "Formation of the Universal Brethren and Dunkard Churches

April 6--Kermit Hargis, Polk County Emergency Management Director (CANCELLED)
May 4--Matt Forir, "River Bluff Cave in Greene Co., MO"
June 1--Member Share Time
July 6--Bob Marsden, Leslie's Craft Carousel, "Framing & Displaying Heirlooms"

August 3--Larry Dablemont, local author, "Authoring a book of family stories & history"
September 7--Dale Goodman of Cedar County
October 5--Michael Price "Dating of Old Photographs"
November 2--Diane Warren "Diary of a Civil War Ancestor"

December 7--Christmas party


January 4, 2007--Planning meeting, no program
February 1--John Rutherford, "Was any of your family in military conflicts?" (cancelled-snow)

March 1--Paul Mott "Wills and Trusts" (program postponed-meeting still held)
April 5--Ernestine Kinsey "Stewarts in the Civil War"
May 3--Ed Kurtz, "Homes in Bolivar"

June 2 (Saturday)--picnic at Dunnegan Park 3 - 8 p.m. Program "Ozarks Trivia"
June 7--no meeting on Thursday night
July 5--Larry Dablemont and his Uncle Norten

August 2--Brenda Pearson from Shell Title Company
September 6--Wilbur Zink "Jesse James and the Younger Gang"

October 4--Cheri Jones "Scrapbooking"
November 1--Elections; Dr. Jack Roy "Buttercup Churn and Mixer"
December 13--Christmas party; "Member share time"


January 3, 2008--Planning meeting, no program
February 7--Herb Boyce, "Unearthing Hidden Treasures"
March 6--Jean Vincent "Hidden Treasures in the National Archives"
April 3--Sandra Brown "How to Care for and Preserve your Documents"
May 1--Mixed presentation by multiple speakers
June 5--Research night at PCGS Library
June 21 (Saturday) Picnic at Dunnegan Park 3 - 8 p.m.
July 3--Member share time
August 7--Linda Crawford "Old Documents"
September 4--Carolyn Mott "Campbell Family"
October 2--Susan Sparks "Exploring the 100 year time capsule"
November 6--Elections/Christine Thiessen "DAR"
December 4--Christmas party; "Member share time"


January 8, 2009--Planning meeting, no program
February 5--
Ben Gravely "First Churches of Polk County"
March 5--
Susan Sparks "Inventors of Polk County"
April 2--
Richard Sunderwirth "The Burning of Osceola, Missouri"
May 7--
Peter Nichols "The Springs of Cedar County"
June 4--
Ken White "Experiences with the Truman Family: the Common and Uncommon Couple"
June 13 (Saturday) Picnic
at Dunnegan Park Pavilion 1, 4 p.m.
July 2--
Member Share Time
August 6
--Charles Gass "Polk County Railroads"
September 3--
Debbi Roberts-McGinnis "History of the Collector's Office"
October 1--
James Whitman "Trip to England"
November 5
--Elections; Susan Sparks "Bolivar's Water/Sewer System"
December 3
--Christmas Fellowship


January 7, 2010--cancelled due to inclement weather
February 4
--cancelled due to inclement weather
March 4
--Wayne Holmes, author of "Rocky Comfort"
April 1
--Member share time
May 6
--Ben Gravely "Local Newspapers Old and New"
June 3
--Charles Gass "Lewis and Clark Expedition"
June 26 (Saturday) Picnic
at Dunnegan Park Pavilion 1,
4 p.m. moved to the PCGS facility
July 1
--Ezell Goodwin "The Cave and Springs of Stockton"
August 5
--Dan Cross "Tokens and Coins"
September 2
--Jean Raney "Wimberly Journals"
October 7
--Carolyn Mustain Mott "Howard S. Keeling"
November 4
--Elections; Bob Phillips "Fair Play and Dunnegan"
December 2
--Christmas Fellowship; Debbi Roberts-McGinnis "Israel trip"


January 6, 2011--member share time
February 3
--cancelled due to snow
March 3
--Doug Porter "Archaeology: The Lone Rock Petroglyph"
April 7
--William Walker "Mexican War"
May 5
--Dan Cross "A Story from Down Under: How Coins from Australia ended up in Polk County"
June 2
--Ezell Goodwin "Oldtime Cheese Making"
June 25 (Saturday) Picnic
at Dunnegan Park Pavilion 1, 4 p.m.
July 7
--Member Share Time
August 4
--Christine Thiessen "Escape from Iran"
September 1
--Leta Gass "75 years of the Ozark Empire Fair"
October 6
--Brad Wright, "Lake Stockton"
November 3
--Elections; Dr. Tim Wood "Quakers in America"
December 1
--Christmas Fellowship and share time


January 5, 2012--member survey; round table discussion
February 2
--Dr. Donald Jump, DDS "The History of Dentristy in Missouri"
March 1
--Jan Breshears Thomas "Findagrave.com"
April 5
--Bob Phillips "Paynterville, MO"
May 3
--Patrick Douglas "Douglas Family Bible Returns Home"
June 7
--Leta Gass "All the Bolivars in the USA"
June 23 (Saturday) Picnic
at Dunnegan Park Pavilion 1, 4 p.m.
July 5
--Member Share Time
August 2
--Ezell Goodwin "Gypsies in Polk County"
September 6
--Dustin Jones "Murder Mystery"
October 4
--Tom Rafiner "Civil War, Order no. 11"
November 1
--Elections; Morris Westfall "Halfway, MO"
December 6
--Christmas Fellowship and share time


January 3, 2013--"You Thought You Knew What We Do" a behind-the-scenes look at PCGS
February
7--Jeff Patrick, Wilson's Creek National Battlefield
March 7
--Ben Gravely "Cable Mill in Polk County"
April 4
--Shawn Thacker "Genealogy and Technology"
May 2
--Leta Gass "Polk Counties in the USA"
June 6
--Member Share Time
July 4 --
No MEETING
July 11--Potluck dinner at PCGS facility 6 p.m.
August 1
--Nick Maas, "Polk County Ice Cream and Milk Business"
September 5
--Gary Ayres (program postponed); Member Share Time
October 3
--Ed Hagerman "History of the FFA in Missouri"
November 7
--Elections; Leta Gass "Trip to Ireland"
December 5
--Christmas Fellowship (CANCELLED)


2014
January 2--Member Survey
February 6--
cancelled
March 6--
Leslie James "Map Preservation"
April 3--
Mike Henderson "Polk County Boys in the Civil War"
May 1--
Dr. Stephen Trobisch "A Diary of a German Officer in Missouri during the Civil War"
June 5--
Member Share Time
June 28 Potluck dinner
July 3 NO MEETING
August 7--
Dr. Stephen Trobisch "Dear Soul, 15th century book"
September 4--
Dale Goodman
October 2--
Richard Kee "Pretty Boy Floyd's Gun"
November 6--
Elections; Mike Henderson "Ruyle Civil War Diary"
December 4--
Christmas Fellowship

2015
January 1--No meeting because of holiday
February 5--
William Walker  "War of 1812"
March 5--
Marilyn Smith  "History of Highway 65"
April 2--
Steve Haberman "Greene County Archives"
May 7--
Jerry Fry "The Lyon Project"
June 4--
Tom Rafiner on his book about Missouri's burnt district during the Civil War "Cinders and Silence"
July 2--Member Share Time
August 6--
Daniel Keith "History of Confederate Battle Flags"
September 3--
John L. Rothdiener "S.S. Sultana Disaster"
October 1--
Steve and Sandra Goforth "Touring the Brown House"
November 5--
Elections;
Genealogy Basics
December 3--
Christmas Fellowship

2016
January 7--Brick Wall Night
February 4--
Leta Gass "How to Write Your Life Story"
March 3--
William Walker  "World War I"
April 7--Will Westmoreland "DNA"
May 5--
"An Evening with Molly Brown" Erin Smither of the State Historical Society of Missouri
June 2--
Member Share Time
July 7
--Leta Gass "The Pledge of Allegiance"
August 4--
NO MEETING
September 1--Jeff Patrick "Guarding Our Borders" a book about Gen. John J. Pershing and Pancho Villa
October 6--
Erin Smither, "Springfield Streetcar Strike"

November 3--
Elections;
Susan Sparks "Untold Stories"
December 1--
Christmas Fellowship


2017
January 5--cancelled due to weather
February 2--
Genealogy Q&A
March 2--
Billy Pearson "Hickory County"
April 6--Ben Francka "Geology of Polk County"
May 4--
Erin Smither "State Historical Society of Missouri"
June 1--
Member Share Time
July 6
--Tiffany Phillips, Polk County Circuit Clerk
August 3--
Reminiscence and Sharing

No meeting in September
October 5--
Leslie James "Prohibition"

November 2--
Elections; "A Genealogical Potluck"

December 7--
Christmas Fellowship

2018
January 4--no meeting
February 1--
Research Night
March 1--
Ethan Davis "Missouri in the Civil War"

April 5--Group discussion "Questions from your Descendants?"
May 3--
Linda Kimbrell "Manhattan Project"
June 7--
Member Share Time
July 5
--Ethan Davis "Top of the Rock" Museum
August 2--
Anne Keller "Louisiana, Missouri"

No meeting in September
October 4--
Member Share Time

November 1--
Elections; Anne Keller "Baskets"

December 6--
Christmas Fellowship



2019
January 3--
no meeting
February 7--
Julie Trout "Bloody Benders of Labette County, Kansas" cancelled
March 7--
Jolee Martinez "Drake House in Bolivar, Missouri"
April 4--
Tim Ritter "Sifting through the Ashes"
May 2--
PCGS 25th Anniversary Celebration
June 6--
Native Americans in Missouri by Rita Gentle Rain
July 4
--
no meeting
August 1--
Julie Trout "Bloody Benders of Labette County, Kansas"
No meeting in September
October 4--
Storytelling Time

November 1--
Elections; Morris Westfall

December 6--
Christmas Fellowship


2020
January 2--
Research Night/Brick Wall Night
February 6--
Family Heirloom Night cancelled due to weather
March 5--
Family Heirloom Night

April 2--cancelled due to CDC regulations for COVID-19 pandemic
May 7--
cancelled due to COVID-19 uncertainties
June 4--
cancelled due to COVID-19 uncertainties
July 2
--cancelled
August 6--
cancelled
September 3--
cancelled
October 1--
Genealogy webinar
November 5--
Sharon Fieker Cummins from the "Adoption Triad of the Ozarks"
December 3--
Member Share Time
 


2021
January 7--
cancelled due to COVID-19 uncertainties
February 4--cancelled due to COVID-19 uncertainties
March 4--
cancelled due to COVID-19 uncertainties
April 1--
cancelled due to COVID-19 uncertainties
May 6--
cancelled due to COVID-19 uncertainties
June 3--
cancelled due to COVID-19 uncertainties
July 1
--Member Share Time
August 5--
Morris Westfall
September 2--
Carol Poindexter "Polk County Recorder's Office"
October 7--
Kenneth Murray "Picture Collection of Polk County"
November 4--
Brad Wommack "Care and Preservation of Tombstones"
December 2--
Member Share Time



2022
January 6--cancelled due to weather
February 3--
cancelled due to weather
March 3--
Betty Doyle "So You Think You're Related to a President" 
April 7-- 
Tim Ritter "The Young Brothers Massacre, 1932"
May 5-- 
Morris Westfall "Ozark Tobacco & Candy Co."
June 2-- 
Sue Entlicher "My Time in the Missouri House of Representatives"
July 7--  
Linda Anderson "The Osage of Missouri"
August 4--
Donna Prudhoe/Deb Shirley "Mailing Mae"
September 1
--"Free Genealogy Research Tools"
October 6--
Leta Gass "Evil Women of the World"
November 3--
Anne Keller "DAR"
December 1--
Fellowship and Share Time


2023
January 5--Morris Westfall "History of the MFA"
February 2--
Betty Doyle "J. J. Bentley, Methodist Preacher" (Living History Tour)
March 2--
Leta Gass "The Man with Two Lives" (Living History Tour)
April 6--
Jim Hamilton "My History as a Newspaper Editor"
May 4--
Rachel Lightfoot, "Duties of the Polk County Clerk"
June 1--
Sandy Crawford, Missouri Senate "You Can, Too. Our Journey to the Missouri Senate" book
July 6--
Leslie James, Missouri State Archives
August 3--
Tim Ritter: "Wild Bill Hickok and Davis Tutt – A Big Bucket of Ugly."
September 7
--Kaitlynn McConnell, "Ozarks Alive"
October 3--
Jeff Patrick, "World War I"
November 2--
Electons; Linda Crawford, "History of Gold, MO"
December 7--Fellowship and Share Time


2024
January 4--
Dave Berry, former publisher of Bolivar Herald-Free Press
February 1--
Morris Westfall "Governors of Missouri"
March 7--
Jean Pufahl Vincent "National Archives"
April 4--
Diane Warren "Civil War Diary"
May 2--

June 6--

July 4-
cancelled because of Independence Day holiday
August 1--

September 5
--
October 5--

November 7--
Electons;
December 5--Fellowship and Share Time


Meetings are free and open to the public. Everyone welcome!



Meeting schedule for the year 2024
Business Meetings/Programs,
1st Thursdays of every month
(held at PCGS Library)

January 4
February 1

March 7 

April 4 

May 2 

June 6 

July 4 - cancelled  

August 1
September 5
October 3
November 7
December 5


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Business meetings are the first Thursday of every month at the
Polk County Genealogical Society Research Facility, on the square in Bolivar, MO

Copyright 2003-2025, Polk County Genealogical Society, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Last revised:  January 2024

Located on the southeast corner of the courthouse square in Bolivar, MO




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