South Suburban (Chicago, Illinois area) Genealogical and Historical Society

The
History
of SSGHS:

South Suburban Genealogical and Historical Society was organized in February of 1968 under the
name of South Cook and North Will Counties Historical and Genealogical Society.

By 1973 there was a library of some type with Thelma Kohlberg in charge of the books, which were
kept at her house.

In 1975 the Society moved from one of the modular buildings at Thornton Community College to
quarters in the Roosevelt School building in South Holland. Custom built library shelves and tables
were donated by Edith Degenhart.

In 1979 the library benefited from two large donations of books and periodicals.

In 1983 books were inventoried and a value of $43,000 placed on them.

We began a serious quest for a new home early in 2003. Preliminary inquiries about sites had begun
years earlier. By May we had found a new home in Hazel Crest and after renovations it was open
for business on June 2, 2003.

Librarians who have served the Society include:

Thelma Kohlberg

Margaret (Peggy) Poe Laird

Joan Alguire

Alice DeBoer

Our library currently houses over 11,000 books, periodicals and microforms. In addition to those
items, we have CDs, maps, directories and special collections manuscripts.

The current librarian is Paula Malak.

The
Services
of SSGHS:

Meetings, classes and workshops
Research in Special Records, including the Pullman Car Works Personnel Records.
Speakers' Bureau.
SSGHS Forum- An online message board to provide a forum for SSGHS members and guests to share information, ask questions or make comments.
Cemetery Photo Service - SSGHS photographers will take photographs that you request of tombstones located in our area of interest. We can also provide photographs of buildings or other landmarks of interest to you.
Pioneer Certificates - A very nice memorial gift to your children, grandchildren, or others to honor
your ancestors.
WWII Harvey Letters - Do you have roots in Harvey, IL?

THE FOLLOWING OFFICERS WILL SERVE for 2008-2009:
President: Kathy Wellington Nassios
First vice president: Shirley Koelling
Second vice president: Judy Baouab
Corresponding Secretary: Nadine Blocker
Recording secretary: Laurie Coolidge
Treasurer: Robert Foster

SSGHS: A “home” for those interested in genealogy, family history, and the history of our area.

The Society’s prime area of interest is the 20 townships of southern Cook County and eastern Will County with

its total population of 1,000,000 and the adjoining Chicago communities of Roseland, Pullman, and Kensington.

Within this geographic area, we continue to provide a center where genealogists, beginning and advanced, can share

their enthusiasm, growing knowledge, and family search problems and solutions.

Our library facilities with meeting rooms close at hand—all in the Hazel Crest Municipal Center—provide bright

and functional quarters where we may engage in these activities. We are just completing our fifth year in Hazel Crest.

Our core programs: library, Pullman, programs, publications, and outreach/education.

Our library now includes more than 11,000 books and related materials—CD’s, microforms, pamphlets,

and other research materials. While the emphasis of the library collection is on our prime area of interest,

we have considerable materials on northwestern Indiana, downstate Illinois, and the rest of the United States

as well as general how-to-do-it genealogical books. The library is open from 21 to 26 hours a week.

The Pullman collection is located immediately adjacent to the library is the This contains 200,000

employee files covering 50 years of the operations of the Pullman Corporation.

Our monthly schedule of programs generally operates from September to June. During the year our mix

of programs of genealogical and historical subjects included programs on Research into African-American Genealogy;

Genetic Genealogy; The Alpha Wreck Odyssey (an Indiana Dunes shipwreck with possible ties to the

Underground Railroad); Do-It-Yourself Photo Restoration Basics; Jane Reed – How does the genealogist/historian

prove a story of murder, deception, and revenge in frontier Ohio of 1820?; and Favorite Genealogy Websites.

Our schedule of publications includes 11 monthly newsletters (September through June with a combined

July-August issue), our quarterly publication Where The Trail Cross, and special publications such as

First Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery (Blue Island-Alsip), the result of reading of tombstones conducted

by SSGHS volunteers.

Outreach/Education: Activities for the 2007-2008 program year included the taping of two TV programs on

SSGHS for the Hazel Crest Public Service Channel; the display of our information boards at the Homewood, Dolton,

and New Lenox public libraries with upcoming displays at the Crete, Riverdale, and other libraries; an information

and research afternoon at the library for Illliana Jewish Genealogical Society members; and speaking

Copyright 2008, South Suburban Genealogical and Historical Society
3000 West 170th Place, Hazel Crest, IL. 60429 - 1174
Telephone: (708) 335-3340
E-mail to: ssghs@usa.net

Last update 25 May 2008

SSGHS is based in its research library at 3000 W. 170th Pl., Hazel Crest, IL. 60429 - 1174 The telephone number is (708) 335-3340.

SSGHS is based in its research library at 3000 W. 170th Pl., Hazel Crest, IL. 60429 - 1174
The telephone number is (708) 335-3340.