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• IN Chapter Fall Meeting 2026

  • When
    19 Sep 2026
  •  
    9:45 AM - 2:30 PM
  • Location
    Virtual via ZOOM

  in chapter Fall Virtual meeting

  Secrets of German Genealogy:
  Hidden Clues in Church and Civil Records
  Featured Speaker Andrea Bentschneider

  9:45 AM - 10:00 AM EDT - Welcome and Announcements
  10:00 AM - 11:00 AM EDT - Secrets in German Church Records
  11:00 AM - 12:00 PM EDT - Secrets in German Civil Vital Records
  12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EDT - Lunch break
  1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EDT - Using Witnesses in German Records
  2:00 PM - 2:30 PM EDT - Live Q&A on German Genealogy

  Andrea Bentschneider is one of Germany’s foremost genealogy experts, with more than 30 years of experience helping families discover and understand their German heritage. She is the founder of Beyond History, a leading genealogy research firm in Hamburg, and the German Genealogy Collective (GGC), an international membership community for English-speaking researchers with German ancestry.

  As president of the Association of German-Speaking Professional Genealogists since 2013 and former interim vice president of the International German Genealogy Partnership (IGGP), Andrea is actively shaping the future of German genealogy worldwide.

  Whether you are exploring an ancestral village, decoding German records, or reconnecting with your family’s story, Andrea brings expertise, cultural insight, and genuine passion to the journey.

  Unless technical difficulties occur, a recording will be available to attendees until November 18.

  For online registration:
  $30.00 PalAm members (any chapter) before Sept 5 https://square.link/u/15Oa6q3p

  $50.00 Non-members or any after Sept 5
  https://square.link/u/AVWPVAkU
  

  Questions: indianapalam@gmail.com

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• NC Chapter Fall Seminar

  • When
    26 Sep 2026
  •  
    10:00 AM - 3:45 PM
  • Location
    ZOOM

  NORTH CAROLINA chapter
  PALATINES TO AMERICA - GERMAN GENEALOGY SOCIETY

  THE SWISS AND PALATINE STORY OF
  NEW BERN'S PAST

  Baron Christoph de Graffenreid led Swiss and German immigrants to North Carolina to found New Bern in 1710. This presentation will include information about the origins and Swiss roots of settlers, the American Branch and associated families.

  Palatines to America has established the de Graffenreid Circle; applicants must prove descent from an immigrant to the New Bern settlement to qualify for membership. Upon approval, a pin and certificate will be presented to the member.

  

  Presenter: Victor T. Jones, Special Collections Librarian, Kellenberger Room, New Bern-Craven Public Library, New Bern, NC.
  
  Victor T. Jones, Jr., was born in New Bern, North Carolina, and grew up in Craven County. He became interested in his family's history while in high school. For over twenty years, he has worked in the Local History and Genealogy section (Kellenberger Room) of the New Bern-Craven County Public Library.

  To register, send an email to Bonnie Everhart (bonnieeverhart@gmail.com) with your name and Pal-Am membership number.

  The cost is $10.00 via Paypal to ncpalam
  or
  mail a check payable to NC Chapter, Pal-Am to
  Bonnie Everhart
  7792 Young Rd
  Hickory, NC 28602

  A link to the seminar will be emailed to registrants September 22^nd, 2026.

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• PA Chapter Fall Webinar & Annual Membership Meeting

  • When
    26 Sep 2026
  •  
    1:00 PM
  • Location
    ZOOM

  Pennsylvania chapter Fall WEBinar
  and Annual Membership Meeting

  The Pennsylvania Chapter’s Fall Webinar and Annual Membership Meeting is happening on Saturday, September 26, 2026, beginning at 1:00 pm EDT.  Join us via Zoom for two interesting presentations, then stay connected for our Annual Membership Meeting.

  Putting Those Records to Work
  and
  Legal History of Title Origins in Pennsylvania

  Our first session on Records explores the clear use of each document we locate. Each can be mined – directly or in combination with other records – for more: a deeper, richer context for our family members and their place in time. In our second session on Title Origins, we will learn that PA law begins with one premise: William Penn owned it all. Knowing how the genealogists can read between the lines when tracing land ownership back to the beginning pays big dividends for research.

  
  

  Judy G. Russell, The Legal Genealogist®, is a genealogist with a law degree who provides expert guidance through the murky territory where law and family history intersect. An internationally-known lecturer and award-winning writer, she holds credentials as a Certified Genealogist® and Certified Genealogical Lecturer® from the Board for Certification of Genealogists® and is a Fellow of the Utah Genealogical Association. Her blog is at https://www.legalgenealogist.com.

  Our Annual Membership Meeting will convene at approximately 3:15 pm, following a brief break at the conclusion of the presentations. Please join us for this important look back at the past year and overview of upcoming activities, as well as the election of officers for the next year. Agenda and background material will come out closer to the meeting date.

  Register Here to join us for this event. If you have questions about the presentations or the annual meeting, please email us at info@pennpalam.org.

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• Colorado Chapter Fall 2026 Seminar

  • When
    3 Oct 2026
  •  
    9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
  • Location
    Highlands Ranch Senior Center

  COLORADO chapter 2026 Fall Seminar

  The Colorado Chapter of Palatines to America is pleased to announce that Gail Blanenau has accepted our invitation to be the speaker at our Fall Seminar on 3^rd October 2026. Registration Coming August 1st. Visit www.copalam.us for more details.

  Gail's Topics:
  1. Power Combination: German Church Records
  and Farm Histories
  2. Finding Your Family in Numbers: How to Find and
  Navigate German Census Records
  3. Finding Your Germanic Home Village and Parish
  4. Mountain Peaks and Trails: Your Swiss Ancestral Journey

  The seminar will be a hybrid event.

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• PA Chapter Third Tuesday for October 2026

  • When
    20 Oct 2026
  •  
    7:00 PM
  • Location
    ZOOM

  PA chapter Third Tuesday Zoom PROgram

  The Pennsylvania Chapter’s series of Third Tuesday Zoom programs continues. Presented at 7:00 PM ET, they are free and open to all. Join us for our October program:

  Tips and Tricks of Deciphering German Handwriting
  Tuesday, October 20, 2026

  Learn the top tips and tricks for deciphering the old German script! With expert insight on how to easily recognize certain letters, how to tell tricky letters apart, abbreviations, spelling variations, names, and more, you'll be amazed at what you can read after only an hour of learning! Your ancestors' stories are waiting for you.

  
  

   Katherine Schober is German-English   genealogy translator, author, and dedicated   educator. As the founder of Germanology   Unlocked, she brings over a decade of   professional experience to her mission of   helping individuals uncover and preserve their   German family stories. Katherine specializes   in deciphering old German handwriting,   offering a range of services that include expert translations, engaging webinars, and in-depth classes and workshops. Her expertise has made her a sought-after speaker at major national genealogy conferences such as RootsTech, the International German Genealogy Partnership Conference, National Genealogical Society, and more. Her contributions to the field have been featured on the History Channel and PBS's "Finding Your Roots".

  Register here to join us for this program. If you have a question that you want to ask, feel free to email us in advance at info@pennpalam.org or pennsylvaniapalatines@gmail.com.

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• PA Chapter Third Tuesday for November 2026

  • When
    17 Nov 2026
  •  
    7:00 PM
  • Location
    ZOOM

  PA chapter Third Tuesday Zoom PROgram

  The Pennsylvania Chapter’s series of Third Tuesday Zoom programs continues. Presented at 7:00 PM ET, they are free and open to all. Join us for our November program:

  What's Your Problem???
  Tell Us About It!!!
  Tuesday, November 17, 2026

  The November Third Tuesday program brings back our popular discussion of member research problems. What is your brick wall in researching your Pennsylvania German ancestors? Perhaps you are seeking the name of the ship that brought Heinrich Schmidt to these shores and when. Or maybe you found brothers George and Casper Henzel operating a butcher shop in Allegheny City in the 1860’s, but George disappeared after Casper and his 

  

  family moved west. How might you find George? Perhaps you found one census record listing your third great grandmother’s first name as Margaretha but another shows Magdelena. Which is right or are they even the same woman? Might “Mar.” mean Martha or Marie or Margaret or some other variation? WHAT DO YOU DO NEXT?

  We can’t solve your problem or do the research for you, but maybe other attendees can offer ideas and suggestions for your next steps. For detailed information on how to submit your problem and the information we will need, see below.  The submittal deadline is October 17, 2026.

  Register here to join us for this program. If you have a question that you want to ask, feel free to email it to us in advance at info@pennpalam.org.

  SUBMITTAL GUIDELINES

  INFORMATION WE WILL NEED ABOUT YOU:
  Your Name
  Your Email Address

  GUIDELINES FOR SUBMITTING THE PROBLEM:
  It must be Pennsylvania-related. Please include the name of the County and Township, if known.  It must be general enough that other people can contribute to or benefit from the discussion.

  INFORMATION WE WILL NEED ABOUT THE PROBLEM:
  What’s the problem?
  Who does it involve (names, dates, places)?
  What do you already know (facts, documentation)?
  What do you hope to learn?
  Where have you looked?

  HOW TO SUBMIT:
  Condense the information into two paragraphs. A one- or two-page attachment, with a chart or a map, can accompany your submittal. Email your information to programming@pennpalam.org with “Third Tuesday Program on November 17, 2026” in the subject line.

  
  

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