Genealogy Article

When genealogist Mara Munroe needed help solving a 400-year-old mystery, she tapped the library's Reference staff and historical documents collection.

Munroe has been documenting her husband’s New England ancestry for his application to join the Mayflower Society by the 400th anniversary of the landing at Plymouth in 2020. “The [library’s] set Mayflower Families through Five Generations is invaluable in this research," Munroe explains. "I found that he descends from six different passengers, including Peregrine White, the child who was born on the Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor.”

Munroe is a charter member of the Winnebagoland Genealogical Society and has decades of experience digging into the past. For people who are just starting to think about tracing their family tree, she offers this advice:

  • Organize what you already know and work steadily back in time.
  • If the family lived in this area, the Winnefox Library System’s obit index and cemetery transcriptions are good places to start.
  • For families from outside Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Marquette, Waushara or Winnebago counties, the US census, which was taken every ten years, has the widest coverage. The most recent census open to the public is 1940, when most people can find their grandparents or great-grandparents.

Explore the library’s genealogy resources under the Local History tab on our website. OPL reference staff, including Michael McArthur, Local History and Genealogy Reference Librarian, can help in your search. Stop by the second-floor desk or call 236-5205 to book an appointment.

To connect with other family detectives, attend a meeting of the Winnebagoland Genealogical Society at the library on the second Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. (Sept. – May). Most meetings have a presentation on a research tool, ethnic group or similar topic. Check the website for programs and schedules.

This article originally appeared in our November library eNewsletter. Sign up today to get reading recommendations, keep up with events and get started on a new project - like tracing your family history!