"I
am bound to them, though I cannot
look into their eyes or hear their
voices.
I honor their history. I cherish
their lives. I will tell their
story. I will remember them." Author
Unknown
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You can
contact us at: PCGS
PO Box 632
Bolivar, MO
65613 info@pcgsmo.com 417-777-2820
BOARD OF
DIRECTORS President
Cay Sergent Vice
President Ben
Gravely Secretary
Leta Gass Treasurer
Julie Trout Director-at-large
Betty Doyle
When you
see this icon, click to leave our site and go to the
online map.
Visit PCGS to pick up your free commemorative map of
Bolivar!
OCTOBER 7, 2021, 7 p.m. Kenneth Murray "Polk
County Picture
Collection"
President's
Corner
Gratitude is one word that comes to mind
frequently these days. In relation to PCGS, we owe a
great debt of gratitude to so many individuals. Many
people make the work here possible and support the
mission of the organization. It is like a pebble
thrown into a pond and the ripple effect spreads out
over the surface area far from where the small
pebble was initially thrown. Perhaps Mother Theresa
said it best in her quote: "I alone cannot change
the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters
to create many ripples."1 Together we
accomplish so much. More than we ever could as
individuals. We are glad that you as members choose
to join with us and support our mission of
preserving history and supporting genealogical
research.
Our members support us first by paying membership
dues. Dues help to pay the bills from supplies
needed to the postage required to send out a
newsletter. Your support as members also tells us
that you care about the preservation of Polk
County’s history and genealogy.
Monetary donations are also given throughout the
year. All of these, no matter the size, help to pay
utility costs, insurance, repairs, and the list goes
on. These donations are essential to keep the
society operating.
Our volunteers work many hours on various projects
as well as helping those
who request help via email, telephone, or come in
the door. Without them, none of this would be
possible. Their faithful service makes all the
difference in the work of PCGS.
Some offer their support by caring enough to
preserve the history of the area.
When they see something that needs to be preserved;
they work to get the material into the proper place.
Others support by just caring about the work and
keeping informed about events and activities.
Some provide needed supplies such as hand sanitizer,
paper towels and soap.
Each gift makes a difference and helps in some way.
Gifts of genealogical research are made. These might
include family research or private papers. All help
in increasing the materials available.
Ultimately all of the above support our mission
statement: Polk County Genealogical Society, Inc. promotes
genealogical research by providing educational and research opportunities,
offering community services in related fields, and collecting, preserving, and
publishing genealogical and historical records.
Gratitude - yes, we are grateful for all that
everyone does to make our mission
possible. Without the support of many, our work
would not be possible.
Cay Sergent, PCGS President
1 Goodreads. (n.d.). Retrieved April 6, 2021,
from
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/49502-i-alonecannot-change-the-world-but-i-can-cast
New on our website: Obituary Files
updated
Finding Aids updated
Tribute page updated
Ancestors page updated
Archived Newsletters updated Requesting
research from PCGS: Our Resources
page has been updated with a new
look and price chart.
*THE BEST WAY
to request a lookup is to email us
with your request before sending
paymentand we will let you
know if we can help you with your search.
Remember to please be
specific with your request, giving the
full name of the person you are looking
for, with any relevant dates and Polk
County place locations. Email
info@pcgsmo.com
****************************
Please remember to be patient with
the volunteers--at PCGS the volunteers know the
collection and have helped hundreds of people
just like you find that probate, obituary or
long lost family history. They also have a love
of the craft and travelers. We have all visited
those places where the staff grunts and points
to the genealogical section. Not here at PCGS!
You will always be greeted with enthusiasm and
helpfulness. Be generous--share your data with
the facility and leave as large of a donation as
you can. Those donations and your support are
what keep our doors open and the lights on, four
days a week year round. We look forward to your
visit!
Susan Sparks, Past President
Did you know?
PCGS is 27 years old!
The PCGS Research Facility
(original Carnegie Public Library) is 106
years old!
The Polk
County Genealogical Society
was established in 1994.
Interested parties first met
for an organizational meeting
in February 1994. The first
program and business meeting
was held in April 1994. At the
time, the Society was a
special interest group of the
Friends of the Polk County
Library and was supported
financially by the Friends.
The first name of the Society
was the Bolivar Genealogy
Group, but the name was soon
changed to the Polk County
Genealogical Society.
In 1996, the Society
became independent of the
Friends of the Library. The
first publication for sale by
the Society was published in
1998. There are now over 80
publications available for
purchase at the Society’s
library. The Society
incorporated in August 1999
and became a not-for-profit
corporation in January 2001.
The Society does not receive
any funding from local or
state entities. All money
comes from donations of
individuals, research fees,
and sales of society
publications.
In October 2001, PCGS
purchased the Carnegie library
building located on the town
square of Bolivar, Missouri
and completed renovation of
the ground floor in the summer
of 2002. The Polk County
Genealogical Society Library
was opened to the public in
July 2002. The lower floor
houses the research
collection. While the Society
focuses on Polk and
surrounding counties, there is
material from across the
United States, including a
large selection from Tennessee
and Kentucky. Researchers also
have access to Ancestry.com,
Fold3.com (a military site),
and Newspapers.com. The only
fee charged is for copies. The
all-volunteer staff is
available to help at any time.
The upstairs was renovated in
2005 and houses the
collections that have been
given to the Society. Finding
aids are created for these
collections which helps
researchers find information
valuable for them without
having to go through the whole
collection. Also, this floor
contains the old Polk County
records dating back to 1835.
Court docket books, probate
record books, and court cases
are housed on this floor.
The Society continues to
promote and encourage the
preservation of local and
family history through
informative programs, classes
and special events. The Polk
County Genealogical Society
Research Facility’s regular
hours are Monday, Wednesday,
Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.
to 2 p.m. Monthly meeting are
held the first Thursdays of
each month at 7 p.m.
(Exceptions to our regular
schedule and open days are
listed on our website
www.pcgsmo.com.) PCGS has
welcomed visitors from all
over the United States and
Canada and hope to continue to
do so for many years to come!
INCLEMENT WEATHER
POLICY:
If Bolivar schools are closed
because of weather, the library will also be
closed. If Polk County is under a Winter Weather
Warning, the facility will be closed.
There will be no night meeting, either, if school
is closed on a Thursday.
If bad weather develops on a Thursday afternoon
before the regular monthly meeting, members can
call 417-777-2820 to find out the status of the
meeting. Winter Weather and Tornado Warnings will
mean automatic cancellation of meetings.
CLOSING DATES
FOR 2021: Friday,
May 21 (Staff training) Monday, May 31
(Memorial Day)
Monday, September 6 (Labor Day) Wednesday - Sunday, November
24 - November 28 (Thanksgiving) Thursday, December 23 through Sunday,
January 2 (Christmas break) We will open at 10
a.m. on Monday, January 3, 2022
GEOCACHING--Geocaching
is an activity in which the participants use a
Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or other
navigational techniques to hide and seek containers
(called "geocaches" or "caches") anywhere in the
world.
PCGS is now part of the geocaching community.
Copyright
2003-2022, Polk County Genealogical Society, Inc. All
Rights Reserved. Last revised: September 13, 2021
Located on the southeast corner of the
courthouse square in Bolivar, MO
If you found this
website to be helpful, please remember that the
Polk County Genealogical Society is a
501(c)(3) non-profit organization. This means that
any donation, both large and small, is tax
deductible. This could include
books, needed items or cash donations. Click
button to donate through PayPal.
