Edmond Genealogical Society (EGS)

11/10/2025

Come join us for our November EGS meeting on Nov. 17th. We'll hear a fun program presented by our President, Jan Beattie, that is sure to get us in the holiday spirit! Come find out where some of your family traditions may have originated!

We have many tried-and-true Christmas traditions in the United States: decorating your Christmas tree, baking holiday cookies, and keeping up with the Elf on the Shelf. However, have you ever wondered about how our ancestors might have celebrated Christmas? The November 17, 2025 Edmond Genealogical Society’s program entitled Christmas Traditions of Our Ancestors, will be presented by our EGS president, Jan Beattie. Come find out if your family celebrates any of the old traditions.

Jan Beattie is a native of California, but came to Oklahoma more than 45 years ago to attend college and never left. Now she is married with two children and two granddaughters and retired from the medical field. She now has time for her genealogy hobby.

She is involved in several genealogy and lineage-based societies and loves to share her knowledge with others. She is President of the OHCE (Oklahoma Home and Community Education) Genealogy Group in Oklahoma City and President of the Edmond Genealogical Society. She is Registrar for Cordelia Steen DAR Chapter in Edmond and a member of OK DAR State Speakers Staff and OSDAR State Application Team (SAT). She is State/Department Registrar for DUV (Daughters of Union Veterans) and State/Division Chaplain for UDC (United Daughters of the Confederacy). She holds memberships in Oklahoma Genealogical Society, First Families of the Twin Territories, Colonial Dames 17th Century and several other genealogical organizations and lineage societies and holds chapter and state offices in most of them. She is also involved in "Cemetery Hopping" to help others locate the final resting places of their Oklahoma ancestors. She has been researching her family for almost fifty years and is passionate about genealogy.

Edmond Genealogical Society meetings are free and open to the public. Programs start at 6:30 p.m. Meetings are held the third Monday of the month at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints located at 15700 N. Penn, Oklahoma City. Enter through the doors on the south side of the building. The church offers plenty of parking and is fully handicap accessible. For more information on EGS, go to our website edmondgensoc.org, send an email to info@edmondgensoc.org, or visit us on Facebook at Edmond Genealogical Society. If any changes are made to this event, we will post the information on our page and website.

10/18/2025

At the Edmond Genealogical Society’s Monday, October 20, 2025 meeting two videos, by genealogist Lisa Lisson, will be shown. The video What AI Can and Can’t Do video will introduce one to different AI platforms and describe where they can and can’t be used for genealogy. The second video, The Three Free AI Tools I Use For Genealogy Research, will delve into ChaptGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. You’ll see a demonstration of questions to ask, a variety of results, and ways to winnow down the information to what you’re actually wanting to find. There will be time for questions and answers afterward (answers hopefully given by those members familiar with AI).



Edmond Genealogical Society meetings are free and open to the public. Programs start at 6:30 p.m. Meetings are held the third Monday of the month at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints located at 15700 N. Penn, Oklahoma City. Enter through the doors on the south side of the building. The church offers plenty of parking and is fully handicap accessible. For more information on EGS, go to our website edmondgensoc.org, send an email to info@edmondgensoc.org, or visit us on Facebook at Edmond Genealogical Society. If any changes are made to this event, we will post the information on our page and website.

09/09/2025

We all have our unique skills and talents and one of mine is the ability to "grave dowse" to determine unmarked graves. I can even determine if the person interred is male or female, man, woman or child.

In preparation for my program I'll be giving to the Edmond Genealogical Society on Monday evening on "Grave Dowsing ..... Plus the Oklahoma Cemetery Directory", several members had asked me in advance for a hands-on dowsing demonstration and tutorial. So this morning, Jerry Heppler from EGS plus Ricia Allen and Vicki Adkins from the Cordelia Steen DAR chapter, met me at a local cemetery to learn the technique. And they all successfully learned the art of grave dowsing. I had some great students! All were also able to determine gender! Practice makes perfect so I am sure they will be practicing a lot in the upcoming weeks to hone their new-found skills! If you'd like to learn about this wonderful addition to your genealogy toolbox, don't miss our September program on Monday, Sept. 15th at 6:30 at the LDS Church at 15700 N. Penn. I'll also be discussing the Oklahoma Cemetery Directory which is a wonderful resource for anyone with family buried in Oklahoma. Don't miss it!

09/07/2025

Program: Grave Dowsing .. plus, The Oklahoma Cemetery Directory.



The September 15, 2025, program, presented by our very own EGS president, Jan Beattie, will cover Grave Dowsing and The Oklahoma Cemetery Directory. Grave Dowsing, is the ability to identify unmarked graves and whether the interred are male or female and infant, child or adult, and how to make dowsing rods. We’ll also see a demonstration video of the different techniques used in grave dowsing.

The Oklahoma Cemetery Directory, a publication with photos, driving directions, GPS coordinates and cemetery histories of almost 5,000 cemeteries across the state will help you locate the cemetery where your Oklahoma ancestors and family are buried.

Jan will explain that family researchers who want to trace their family trees and find where their Oklahoma family is buried now have the benefit of tracking down even the most obscure cemetery, thanks to the endeavors of Oklahoma Home and Community Education (OHCE) Genealogy Group in Oklahoma City (of which she is President). Per Jan “Many may know the name of the cemetery where their ancestor is interred but have no idea where it is located; much less how to find it. We also realized that we were losing a lot of Oklahoma’s history because there was simply no record of many of the small cemeteries where our ancestors are buried. We endeavored to locate all known cemeteries and single burial locations from all 77 counties across Oklahoma. There are almost 5,000 of them! We published this tool to help people locate the cemetery their Oklahoma ancestor or family member is buried. It provides cemetery entrance or overview photos, driving directions from a fixed point, legal descriptions and cemetery histories of the cemeteries if they are known as well as any famous burials the cemetery may contain or other interesting information. It is a great research tool for anyone with Oklahoma ancestors.”

Jan Beattie is a native of California, but came to Oklahoma more than 45 years ago to attend college and never left. Now she is married with two children and two granddaughters and retired from the medical field. She now has time for her genealogy hobby.

She is involved in several genealogy and lineage-based societies and loves to share her knowledge with others. She is President of the OHCE (Oklahoma Home and Community Education) Genealogy Group in Oklahoma City and President of the Edmond Genealogical Society. She is Registrar for Cordelia Steen DAR Chapter in Edmond and a member of OK DAR State Speakers Staff and OSDAR State Application Team (SAT). She is State/Department Registrar for DUV (Daughters of Union Veterans) and State/Division Chaplain for UDC (United Daughters of the Confederacy). She holds memberships in Oklahoma Genealogical Society, First Families of the Twin Territories, Colonial Dames 17th Century and several other genealogical organizations and lineage societies and holds chapter and state offices in most of them. She is also involved in "Cemetery Hopping" to help others locate the final resting places of their Oklahoma ancestors. She has been researching her family for almost fifty years and is passionate about genealogy.

Edmond Genealogical Society meetings are free and open to the public. Programs start at 6:30 p.m. Meetings are held the third Monday of the month at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints located at 15700 N. Penn, Oklahoma City. Enter through the doors on the south side of the building. The church offers plenty of parking and is fully handicap accessible. For more information on EGS, go to our website edmondgensoc.org, send an email to info@edmondgensoc.org, or visit us on Facebook at Edmond Genealogical Society. If any changes are made to this event, we will post the information on our page and website.

08/29/2025

Please join the OHCE Genealogy Group for a Fall Genealogy Workshop! Oct. 4th from 9-4 at the OSU Extension Center in Oklahoma City. They will have 4 great programs (all presented by EGS members, by the way!) plus representatives from local libraries, repositories and historical/genealogical societies. Don't miss it! Registrations are now open. Includes lunch and all handouts and materials! They will have several door prizes including an Ancestry DNA kit! Flier with registration blank follows. Print it off and mail in your registration. Remember to indicate your lunch choice. Mark your calendars for Oct 4th and plan to attend this fantastic, interesting workshop! Even if you are an experienced genealogist, there is still a lot you will learn!

08/10/2025

Come join us for our August program on Aug. 18th. Past Director of the Family History Library, Sherrie Furber will present an interactive program on Using the Familysearch.org Website.

The August 18, 2025 Edmond Genealogical Program will be presented by real estate agent Sherrie Furber, who has 35+ years of experience as a volunteer genealogist. Mrs. Furber will present a hands-on live with FamilySearch.org where program attendees can ask questions and she’ll answer/show them how to search for the information they want.
Sherrie Furber has researched many generations of her ancestors and currently provides assistance to hundreds of people seeking her help individually at the Family History Center, at 5020 NW 63rd, Oklahoma City.

“In high school I did a family tree project for my English class. When I interviewed my grandparents and heard all of the great stories behind their lives, I wanted to know more. They shared their old photographs and documents with me, and I knew I wanted to help them create a record that could be enjoyed by all of their children and grandchildren.” Furber said. And today, she said, “It’s never been easier to find your ancestors, especially with FamilySearch.org.”

A native of San Francisco, Furber met her husband Dan at Brigham Young University’s Hawaii campus. His work brought them to Edmond, OK in 1997, where they chose to stay and raise their three children and re-establish the family real estate business.

Edmond Genealogical Society meetings are free and open to the public. Programs start at 6:30 p.m. Meetings are held the third Monday of the month at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints located at 15700 N. Penn, Oklahoma City. Enter through the doors on the south side of the building. The church offers plenty of parking and is fully handicap accessible. For more information on EGS, go to our website edmondgensoc.org, send an email to info@edmondgensoc.org, or visit us on Facebook at Edmond Genealogical Society. If any changes are made to this event, we will post the information on our page and website.

07/28/2025

The OHCE Genealogy Group is hosting a Fall Genealogy Workshop! Oct. 4th from 9-4 at the OSU Extension Center. They will have 4 great programs plus representatives from local libraries, repositories and historical/genealogical societies (including EGS!). Don't miss it! Registrations are now open. Includes lunch and all handouts and materials!

07/17/2025

Fall Genealogy Seminar
A workshop for genealogists of all skill levels
presented by OHCE Genealogy Group
Saturday, October 4th, 2025
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
OSU Extension Conference Center
2500 N.W. 63rd St., Oklahoma City
$50.00 (includes lunch, snacks and all materials)
Several Door prizes! - including an Ancestry DNA kit!

Registration opens soon! - Registration Deadline September 20

Tentative programs include:
Getting Started in Genealogy – More than Just the Basics
DNA – What is it and How Can it Work for You?
Determining Familial Relationships
Using AI and Full-text Search at Familysearch … and more!
Plus…
Representatives from several libraries, archives, genealogical societies and organizations with information about what is available for the researcher at their facility, including websites, software, etc.

Send a message to learn more

06/11/2025

Save the date and plan to attend! More details available soon. OHCE Genealogy Group will be offering an all-day Fall Genealogy Workshop on Sat. October 4th at the OSU Extension Center. Tentative programs include: Getting Started in Genealogy, DNA and How It Can Work For You, African American Research, Native American Research, Identifying Familial Relationships and more! Let us know of a program topic you'd be interested in!

05/19/2025

EGS MAY MEETING CANCELED

Due to the possibility of predicted storms we have decided to cancel tonight's EGS meeting. We will reschedule the program later in the year. Everyone stay home and stay safe!

05/07/2025

Our May meeting will be an interesting one! Mark your calendars and plan to attend!

May 19, 2025 – EGS Program Information

Program: Grave Dowsing .. plus, The Oklahoma Cemetery Directory.

The May program, presented by our very own EGS president, Jan Beattie, will cover Grave Dowsing and The Oklahoma Cemetery Directory. Grave Dowsing, is the ability to identify unmarked graves and whether the interred are male or female and infant, child or adult, and how to make dowsing rods. We’ll also see a demonstration video of the different techniques used in grave dowsing.
The Oklahoma Cemetery Directory, a publication with photos, driving directions, GPS coordinates and cemetery histories of almost 5,000 cemeteries across the state will help you locate the cemetery where your Oklahoma ancestors and family are buried.
Jan will explain that family researchers who want to trace their family trees and find where their Oklahoma family is buried now have the benefit of tracking down even the most obscure cemetery, thanks to the endeavors of Oklahoma Home and Community Education (OHCE) Genealogy Group in Oklahoma City (of which she is also President). Many may know the name of the cemetery where their ancestor is interred but have no idea where it is located; much less how to find it. We also realized that we were losing a lot of Oklahoma’s history because there was simply no record of many of the small cemeteries where our ancestors are buried. We endeavored to locate all known cemeteries and single burial locations from all 77 counties across Oklahoma. There are almost 5,000 of them! We published this tool to help people locate the cemetery their Oklahoma ancestor or family member is buried. It provides cemetery entrance or overview photos, driving directions from a fixed point, legal descriptions and cemetery histories of the cemeteries if they are known as well as any famous burials the cemetery may contain or other interesting information. It is a great research tool for anyone with Oklahoma ancestors.
Jan Beattie is a native of California, but came to Oklahoma more than 45 years ago to attend college and never left. Now she is married with two children and two granddaughters and retired from the medical field. She now has time for her genealogy hobby.
She is involved in several genealogy and lineage-based societies and loves to share her knowledge with others. She is President of the OHCE (Oklahoma Home and Community Education) Genealogy Group in Oklahoma City and President of the Edmond Genealogical Society. She is Registrar for Cordelia Steen DAR Chapter in Edmond and a member of OK DAR State Speakers Staff and OSDAR State Application Team (SAT). She is State/Department Registrar for DUV (Daughters of Union Veterans) and State/Division Chaplain for UDC (United Daughters of the Confederacy). She holds memberships in Oklahoma Genealogical Society, First Families of the Twin Territories, Colonial Dames 17th Century and several other genealogical organizations and lineage societies and holds chapter and state offices in most of them. She is also involved in "Cemetery Hopping" to help others locate the final resting places of their Oklahoma ancestors. She has been researching her family for almost fifty years and is passionate about genealogy.
Edmond Genealogical Society meetings are free and open to the public. Programs start at 6:30 p.m. Meetings are held the third Monday of the month at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints located at 15700 N. Penn, Oklahoma City. Enter through the doors on the south side of the building. The church offers plenty of parking and is fully handicap accessible. For more information on EGS, go to our website edmondgensoc.org, send an email to info@edmondgensoc.org, or visit us on Facebook at Edmond Genealogical Society. If any changes are made to this event, we will post the information on our page and website.

04/28/2025

SAVE the DATE!!
OHCE Genealogy Group will be hosting a fall all-day Family History Workshop on Saturday, Oct. 4th at the OSU Extension Center. Details are still being worked out but there will be 5-6 different programs on several research topics. The day will start off with a "Getting Started in Genealogy" program and several others will follow. Lunch will be included. Watch for more details coming soon! Mark your calendars now and plan to attend!