DEKENT-L Archives

From:
Subject: [DEKENT] (DCGS) of PA
Date: Tue, 29 Aug 2000 08:15:33 EDT

Good morning,

I, Helen M. Imburgia have recently become Founder/President
of The Delaware County Genealogical Society of PA. Please
read on to understand what we are about & to see if your are
interested in becoming an advisior/member.

A few months back, I had a discussion with a few of my friends
about starting The Delaware County Genealogical Society of PA.
(Ginny DeNenno, Doreen Hannum, Joyce Newlin Turnicky.) Over
the years, when I instructed my Genealogy Workshops, or did lectures
many of my students had asked me to become the founder of such an
organization & to please do something about the county records!
(Which, I always had in the back of my mind, to do, for many years.)

I have contacted an attorney for instructions on how to set up
this type of organization. I do not want to collect due's, so I did not
need to incorporate! I do not want to have monthly meetings with
by-laws, etc. In other words, I do not want the "old type of genealogy
society" -- I would like to see an online Delaware County Genealogical
Society of PA. We need to do something with a society that will move
us into the "new wave," the future. I do suggest having lectures, in
different parts of the county, at different times, on genealogy topics:
census records, the Mormons, the Civil War, or any topic that would
have anything to do with genealogy. By becoming more active in our
communities, we will hopefully bring attention & more interest to
genealogy. We dearly need to get back to our Family Roots!

Furthermore, we are very concerned about our Genealogy Records
at The Delaware County Court House & Fair Acres where the Archival
Records are stored.

Issues:

1. Archival Records--How they are kept & stored. We need a
place to view these records & make them available to the
public. Improper use, a docket was being used to prop a door
open. There is no temperature control, where they are stored,
etc. We have been give (3) reasons why we can't see the
records.

a.) We have been told there is no room for visitors to do
research!

b.) They are not insured to have visitors!

c.) Someone stole a docket & now no one is allowed in
Fair Acres to view the records!

2. Public Records--in general not being available to the
public. Divorce Index, Citizenship Papers, Letters of Intent,
Immigration Records, Veterans Records in the Recorder
of Deeds Office, etc. To get Citizenship Records you have to
call are go to the Passport Office, the clerk takes your name
& the name your researching, she in turn calls a woman at
home who gives her the Book and Page No. Then Fair Acres
is called to retrieve the record. We asked why does this woman
have the index cards in her basement? We have been given (2)
reasons:

a.) The woman she calls is/was part of the DAR Historical
Society who did a lot of genealogy research over the years.

b.) She was a former clerk at the court house & when she
retired, she took the index cards with her because she had
made them.

3. Missing/lost Public Records--Murder Index Docket;
Adoption Docket (1865-1921) (maybe in Chester); Tax Docket;
Dela. Co. Court House's Immigrate Wall Records, etc.

4. Clerks & people in charge at the Delaware County Court
House--They are very unpleasant, rude; they act like you are
bothering them; they do not want to help you & they make it
very apparent; they get mad or upset if they have to make
copies for you, they will not make a copy while you wait
you have to come back next week, etc. (What if you are not
from the area.)

Note: If anyone ever experienced any difficulties &/or problems getting
county records please contact me!

My plans are, to have people online who can give advice, guidance,
direction & help to anyone doing genealogy research in Delaware Co., PA.
Over the years I have enjoyed giving advice but I'm now finding most
of my time is spent doing this. Hence, I would like to compile a list of
people who would be interested in being a member/advisor of the society
by having an area of expertise &/or giving out genealogy advice on
research in Delaware Co., PA. I for one, do not know everything there
is to know about genealogy &/or Delaware Co. I would like to bring
the many genealogist of Delaware County together collectively--
more heads are better than one, especially mine! :)


SUBJECT NAME E-MAIL ADDRESS

Bethel Twp. Rick Nicholson
Census Records Helen M. Imburgia
Chester City Helen M. Imburgia
Clifton Heights Tom DiFilippo
Concord Twp. Ginny DeNenno
Darby Borough Tom DiFilippo
Dela. Co. Court House Rec. Gloria Boyd
East Lansdowne Tom DiFilippo
General Genealogy Info. Helen M. Imburgia
Ethel Dougherty
German Gene. Helen M. Imburgia
Immaculate Heart Chr. Helen M. Imburgia
Irish Gene. Helen M. Imburgia
Italian Gene.
Lower Chichester Twp. Helen M. Imburgia
Newspapers
Upper Darby Tom DiFilippo
Welsh Gene. Rick Nicholson

Note: When you become a member/advisor you may want to put (DCGS)
after your name when answering queries so people know who we are!

If you would be interested in signing up as a member/advisor
for what ever topic you would feel comfortable giving advice on,
please contact me. In no way are we to do the research for these
people, only to give them direction & guidance. I have found people,
especially from Europe & Australia, who really need help. In fact,
anyone from outside the area, are at a loss, when doing genealogy
research in an area or country they know nothing about!

If you know of anyone who would be interested in becoming a
member/advisor of the society, please have them e-mail me or
call me at (610) 358-1102.

Happy hunting, Helen

Helen M. Imburgia
396 Derry Drive
Aston, PA 19014
(610) 359-1102

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