PCGS--Meetings

Polk County Genealogical Society Meetings
First Thursday of every month, 7 p.m., at the PCGS Library and Research Facility on the square in Bolivar, MO

UPCOMING MEETING:

July 2, 7 p.m. “Hidden History” by Jo Christian, owner of Treasured Relics, estate sale service

INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY:
If Bolivar schools are closed because of weather, the library will also 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. If the area is under a "Tornado Warning" or a "Winter Weather Warning" the library will be closed.

The PCGS Library Hours are
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Mon., Wed., Fri. and Sat.

RECENT & UPCOMING MEETING PROGRAMS:
2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026

April 2003--PCGS Members "Show and Tell"
May--Gary Ayres of the Sons of Confederate Veterans
June--Linda Myers of the Missouri State Archives
July 3--PCGS Members "Show and Tell" about Revolutionary War ancestor
July 10--Daytime meeting--Gloria Bogart Carter, genealogy columnist--1:30 p.m.
August 7--Linda Crawford speaking on old terminology
September 4--PCGS Members "Share your Research" time
September 11--Research night
October 2--Father Moses Berry "African-American Heritage
of the Ozarks--Remembering Our Ancestors"
November 6--Election of PCGS Officers for 2004
December 4--Christmas party

January 8, 2004--Annual meeting, Program by Bill Kallenbach,
"Charles U. Becker, Missouri Secretary of State"
January 15--"Basic Genealogy" class
February 5--cancelled due to snow
March 4--video on "Old Jail Museum"
April 1--Charles Gass "Land Surveying System"
May 6--Dale Newcomb "Propaganda on Coins"
June 3--Linda Cushman, author "All for the Southern Cause"
July 1--Rena Smith and Reva Altic, "Overcashes in Pennsylvania"
August 5--Jim Hamilton, Editor of the Bolivar Herald-Free Press
September 2--Charles Gass, "The Lewis and Clark Expedition"
October 7--PCGS Members "Audience Participation" time
November 4--"Genealogy Quiz" & election of PCGS Officers for 2005
December 2--Christmas party with refreshments

January 6, 2005--Ray Carneal on railroad history
February 3--Diane Eilenstein "Preserving Cemeteries in the National Parks"
March 3--no program
April 7--Linda Crawford "Melungeon Research"
May 5--John Lower "Relict Plants as Vestiges of Vanished Homes"
June 2--Jeff Patrick from Wilson's Creek Battlefield
July 7--Bethany Adamson, "United Daughters of the Confederacy"
August 4--Mark Stephens, "Old Photos and Restoration"
September 1--Barbara Davolt, Polk County Public Administrator
October 6--Bob Neumann, Springfield-Greene County Archivist
November 3--Laura Hoffer Ritter, records available at Pitts Chapel
December 1--Christmas celebration

January 5, 2006--Members' New Year's Resolutions
February 2--"The Life and Times of Patrick Gass" by Charles Gass
March 2--Teresa Barker "Formation of the Universal Brethren and Dunkard Churches
April 6--Kermit Hargis, Polk County Emergency Management Director (CANCELLED)
May 4--Matt Forir, "River Bluff Cave in Greene Co., MO"
June 1--Member Share Time
July 6--Bob Marsden, Leslie's Craft Carousel, "Framing & Displaying Heirlooms"
August 3--Larry Dablemont, local author, "Authoring a book of family stories & history"
September 7--Dale Goodman of Cedar County
October 5--Michael Price "Dating of Old Photographs"
November 2--Diane Warren "Diary of a Civil War Ancestor"
December 7--Christmas party

January 4, 2007--Planning meeting, no program
February 1--John Rutherford, "Was any of your family in military conflicts?" (cancelled-snow)
March 1--Paul Mott "Wills and Trusts" (program postponed-meeting still held)
April 5--Ernestine Kinsey "Stewarts in the Civil War"
May 3--Ed Kurtz, "Homes in Bolivar"
June 2 (Saturday)--picnic at Dunnegan Park 3 - 8 p.m. Program "Ozarks Trivia"
June 7--no meeting on Thursday night
July 5--Larry Dablemont and his Uncle Norten
August 2--Brenda Pearson from Shell Title Company
September 6--Wilbur Zink "Jesse James and the Younger Gang"
October 4--Cheri Jones "Scrapbooking"
November 1--Elections; Dr. Jack Roy "Buttercup Churn and Mixer"
December 13--Christmas party; "Member share time"

January 3, 2008--Planning meeting, no program
February 7--Herb Boyce, "Unearthing Hidden Treasures"
March 6--Jean Vincent "Hidden Treasures in the National Archives"
April 3--Sandra Brown "How to Care for and Preserve your Documents"
May 1--Mixed presentation by multiple speakers
June 5--Research night at PCGS Library
June 21 (Saturday) Picnic at Dunnegan Park 3 - 8 p.m.
July 3--Member share time
August 7--Linda Crawford "Old Documents"
September 4--Carolyn Mott "Campbell Family"
October 2--Susan Sparks "Exploring the 100 year time capsule"
November 6--Elections/Christine Thiessen "DAR"
December 4--Christmas party; "Member share time"

January 8, 2009--Planning meeting, no program
February 5--Ben Gravely "First Churches of Polk County"
March 5--Susan Sparks "Inventors of Polk County"
April 2--Richard Sunderwirth "The Burning of Osceola, Missouri"
May 7--Peter Nichols "The Springs of Cedar County"
June 4--Ken White "Experiences with the Truman Family: the Common and Uncommon Couple"
June 13 (Saturday) Picnic at Dunnegan Park Pavilion 1, 4 p.m.
July 2--Member Share Time
August 6--Charles Gass "Polk County Railroads"
September 3--Debbi Roberts-McGinnis "History of the Collector's Office"
October 1--James Whitman "Trip to England"
November 5--Elections; Susan Sparks "Bolivar's Water/Sewer System"
December 3--Christmas Fellowship

January 7, 2010--cancelled due to inclement weather
February 4--cancelled due to inclement weather
March 4--Wayne Holmes, author of "Rocky Comfort"
April 1--Member share time
May 6--Ben Gravely "Local Newspapers Old and New"
June 3--Charles Gass "Lewis and Clark Expedition"
June 26 (Saturday) Picnic at Dunnegan Park Pavilion 1,
4 p.m. moved to the PCGS facility
July 1--Ezell Goodwin "The Cave and Springs of Stockton"
August 5--Dan Cross "Tokens and Coins"
September 2--Jean Raney "Wimberly Journals"
October 7--Carolyn Mustain Mott "Howard S. Keeling"
November 4--Elections; Bob Phillips "Fair Play and Dunnegan"
December 2--Christmas Fellowship; Debbi Roberts-McGinnis "Israel trip"

January 6, 2011--member share time
February 3--cancelled due to snow
March 3--Doug Porter "Archaeology: The Lone Rock Petroglyph"
April 7--William Walker "Mexican War"
May 5--Dan Cross "A Story from Down Under: How Coins from Australia ended up in Polk County"
June 2--Ezell Goodwin "Oldtime Cheese Making"
June 25 (Saturday) Picnic at Dunnegan Park Pavilion 1, 4 p.m.
July 7--Member Share Time
August 4--Christine Thiessen "Escape from Iran"
September 1--Leta Gass "75 years of the Ozark Empire Fair"
October 6--Brad Wright, "Lake Stockton"
November 3--Elections; Dr. Tim Wood "Quakers in America"
December 1--Christmas Fellowship and share time

January 5, 2012--member survey; round table discussion
February 2--Dr. Donald Jump, DDS "The History of Dentristy in Missouri"
March 1--Jan Breshears Thomas "Findagrave.com"
April 5--Bob Phillips "Paynterville, MO"
May 3--Patrick Douglas "Douglas Family Bible Returns Home"
June 7--Leta Gass "All the Bolivars in the USA"
June 23 (Saturday) Picnic at Dunnegan Park Pavilion 1, 4 p.m.
July 5--Member Share Time
August 2--Ezell Goodwin "Gypsies in Polk County"
September 6--Dustin Jones "Murder Mystery"
October 4--Tom Rafiner "Civil War, Order no. 11"
November 1--Elections; Morris Westfall "Halfway, MO"
December 6--Christmas Fellowship and share time

January 3, 2013--"You Thought You Knew What We Do" a behind-the-scenes look at PCGS
February 7--Jeff Patrick, Wilson's Creek National Battlefield
March 7--Ben Gravely "Cable Mill in Polk County"
April 4--Shawn Thacker "Genealogy and Technology"
May 2--Leta Gass "Polk Counties in the USA"
June 6--Member Share Time
July 4 --No MEETING
July 11--Potluck dinner at PCGS facility 6 p.m.
August 1--Nick Maas, "Polk County Ice Cream and Milk Business"
September 5--Gary Ayres (program postponed); Member Share Time
October 3--Ed Hagerman "History of the FFA in Missouri"
November 7--Elections; Leta Gass "Trip to Ireland"
December 5--Christmas Fellowship (CANCELLED)

2014
January 2--Member Survey
February 6--cancelled
March 6--Leslie James "Map Preservation"
April 3--Mike Henderson "Polk County Boys in the Civil War"
May 1--Dr. Stephen Trobisch "A Diary of a German Officer in Missouri during the Civil War"
June 5--Member Share Time
June 28 Potluck dinner
July 3 NO MEETING
August 7--Dr. Stephen Trobisch "Dear Soul, 15th century book"
September 4--Dale Goodman
October 2--Richard Kee "Pretty Boy Floyd's Gun"
November 6--Elections; Mike Henderson "Ruyle Civil War Diary"
December 4--Christmas Fellowship

2015
January 1--No meeting because of holiday
February 5--William Walker "War of 1812"
March 5--Marilyn Smith "History of Highway 65"
April 2--Steve Haberman "Greene County Archives"
May 7--Jerry Fry "The Lyon Project"
June 4--Tom Rafiner on his book about Missouri's burnt district during the Civil War "Cinders and Silence"
July 2--Member Share Time
August 6--Daniel Keith "History of Confederate Battle Flags"
September 3--John L. Rothdiener "S.S. Sultana Disaster"
October 1--Steve and Sandra Goforth "Touring the Brown House"
November 5--Elections; Genealogy Basics
December 3--Christmas Fellowship

2016
January 7--Brick Wall Night
February 4--Leta Gass "How to Write Your Life Story"
March 3--William Walker "World War I"
April 7--Will Westmoreland "DNA"
May 5--"An Evening with Molly Brown" Erin Smither of the State Historical Society of Missouri
June 2--Member Share Time
July 7--Leta Gass "The Pledge of Allegiance"
August 4--NO MEETING
September 1--Jeff Patrick "Guarding Our Borders" a book about Gen. John J. Pershing and Pancho Villa
October 6--Erin Smither, "Springfield Streetcar Strike"
November 3--Elections; Susan Sparks "Untold Stories"
December 1--Christmas Fellowship

2017
January 5--cancelled due to weather
February 2--Genealogy Q&A
March 2--Billy Pearson "Hickory County"
April 6--Ben Francka "Geology of Polk County"
May 4-- Erin Smither "State Historical Society of Missouri"
June 1--Member Share Time
July 6--Tiffany Phillips, Polk County Circuit Clerk
August 3--Reminiscence and Sharing
No meeting in September
October 5--Leslie James "Prohibition"
November 2--Elections; "A Genealogical Potluck"
December 7--Christmas Fellowship

2018
January 4--no meeting
February 1--Research Night
March 1--Ethan Davis "Missouri in the Civil War"
April 5--Group discussion "Questions from your Descendants?"
May 3-- Linda Kimbrell "Manhattan Project"
June 7--Member Share Time
July 5--Ethan Davis "Top of the Rock" Museum
August 2--Anne Keller "Louisiana, Missouri"
No meeting in September
October 4--Member Share Time
November 1--Elections; Anne Keller "Baskets"
December 6--Christmas Fellowship

2019
January 3--no meeting
February 7--Julie Trout "Bloody Benders of Labette County, Kansas" cancelled
March 7--Jolee Martinez "Drake House in Bolivar, Missouri"
April 4--Tim Ritter "Sifting through the Ashes"
May 2--PCGS 25th Anniversary Celebration
June 6--Native Americans in Missouri by Rita Gentle Rain
July 4--no meeting
August 1--Julie Trout "Bloody Benders of Labette County, Kansas"
No meeting in September
October 4--Storytelling Time
November 1--Elections; Morris Westfall
December 6--Christmas Fellowship

2020
January 2--Research Night/Brick Wall Night
February 6--Family Heirloom Night cancelled due to weather
March 5--Family Heirloom Night
April 2--cancelled due to CDC regulations for COVID-19 pandemic
May 7-- cancelled due to COVID-19 uncertainties
June 4--cancelled due to COVID-19 uncertainties
July 2--cancelled
August 6--cancelled
September 3--cancelled
October 1--Genealogy webinar
November 5--Sharon Fieker Cummins from the "Adoption Triad of the Ozarks"
December 3--Member Share Time

2021
January 7-- cancelled due to COVID-19 uncertainties
February 4--cancelled due to COVID-19 uncertainties
March 4--cancelled due to COVID-19 uncertainties
April 1--cancelled due to COVID-19 uncertainties
May 6-- cancelled due to COVID-19 uncertainties
June 3--cancelled due to COVID-19 uncertainties
July 1--Member Share Time
August 5--Morris Westfall
September 2--Carol Poindexter "Polk County Recorder's Office"
October 7--Kenneth Murray "Picture Collection of Polk County"
November 4-- Brad Wommack "Care and Preservation of Tombstones"
December 2--Member Share Time

2022
January 6--cancelled due to weather
February 3--cancelled due to weather
March 3--Betty Doyle "So You Think You're Related to a President"
April 7-- Tim Ritter "The Young Brothers Massacre, 1932"
May 5-- Morris Westfall "Ozark Tobacco & Candy Co."
June 2-- Sue Entlicher "My Time in the Missouri House of Representatives"
July 7-- Linda Anderson "The Osage of Missouri"
August 4--Donna Prudhoe/Deb Shirley "Mailing Mae"
September 1--"Free Genealogy Research Tools"
October 6--Leta Gass "Evil Women of the World"
November 3--Anne Keller "DAR"
December 1--Fellowship and Share Time

2023
January 5--Morris Westfall "History of the MFA"
February 2--Betty Doyle "J. J. Bentley, Methodist Preacher" (Living History Tour)
March 2--Leta Gass "The Man with Two Lives" (Living History Tour)
April 6--Jim Hamilton "My History as a Newspaper Editor"
May 4--Rachel Lightfoot, "Duties of the Polk County Clerk"
June 1--Sandy Crawford, Missouri Senate "You Can, Too. Our Journey to the Missouri Senate" book
July 6--Leslie James, Missouri State Archives
August 3--Tim Ritter: "Wild Bill Hickok and Davis Tutt – A Big Bucket of Ugly."
September 7--Kaitlynn McConnell, "Ozarks Alive"
October 3--Jeff Patrick, "World War I"
November 2--Elections; Linda Crawford, "History of Gold, MO"
December 7--Fellowship and Share Time

2024
January 4--Dave Berry, former publisher of Bolivar Herald-Free Press
February 1--Morris Westfall "Governors of Missouri"
March 7--Jean Pufahl Vincent "Treasures and Tales of the Polk County Museum"
April 4--Diane Warren "Civil War Diary"
May 2--Billy Marshall "Orleans in Polk County"
June 6--Tim Ritter "Tornado Outbreak of April 18, 1880"
July 4-cancelled because of Independence Day holiday
August 1--Katherine Faulkner "Election of 1896"
September 5--Tiffany Phillips, "Duties of the Circuit Clerk"
October 5--Susan Kelly, "OzarkWatch Magazine"
November 7--Elections; PCGS 30th Anniversary Celebration
December 5--Fellowship and Share Time

2025
January 3--No January Meeting
February 6--Billy Marshall "Polk County Courthouse History"
March 6--Morris Westfall "Missouri Scenic Rivers System"
April 3--"Cruise down the Rhine River" by Michelle Bates and friends
May 1--Rachel Boyce, Polk County Collector
June 5--6 p.m. Picnic at Dunnegan Park
July 3-Ericka Schwartz, Holocaust survivor
August 7--Tim Ritter "New Madrid Fault"
September 4--Jolee Martinez "The Drake House"
October 2--cemetery stories and video
November 6--Elections; Jean Vincent "Northern Cherokee Nation"
December 4--Fellowship and Share Time

2026
January 3--No January Meeting
February 5--Tim Ritter "Bonnie and Clyde"
March 5--Alice Kinslow Kugler "Full Text Search at FamilySearch.org"
April 2--"Journal of Charlotte Coffin Gardner" by Leta Gass and Martha Offutt
May 7--Carolin Kesper, German Exchange Student
June 4--6 p.m. Picnic at Dunnegan Park
July 2-
August 6--
September 3--
October 1--
November 5--Elections;
December 3--Fellowship and Share Time

Meetings are free and open to the public. Everyone welcome!

Meeting schedule for the year 2026
Business Meetings/Programs,
1st Thursdays of every month
(held at PCGS Library)

No January Meeting
February 5
March 5
April 2
May 7
June 4
July 2
August 6
September 3
October 1
November 5
December 3

Business meetings are the first Thursday of every month at the Polk County Genealogical Society Research Facility, on the square in Bolivar, MO

Business meetings are the first Thursday of every month at the
Polk County Genealogical Society Research Facility, on the square in Bolivar, MO