Warren County Genealogical Society
Warren County, Ohio
Chapter of Ohio Genealogical Society
About Us

 

(513) 695-1144

 


406 Justice Drive, Lebanon, Ohio 45036
Hours: 9 AM-4 PM Monday through Friday

Driving Directions

 wcgs@co.warren.oh.us

Our purpose is to build and promote interest in collecting and preserving genealogical records. We are here to assist you in finding your ancestors and relatives. We have many resources available to help you with your research, shorten your search and help you with court records. Our Library / Resource Room has been made available to us by the Warren County Commissioners in the New Administration Building at 406 Justice Drive. Our room is located on the lower level. This room is now the home for all books, records, and materials that our Society has collected. The public is welcome to come and use our resources at no charge. Our volunteer staff will be happy to orient you to our library and help you.  Email us if you have any questions or need our help.   If you would like to donate materials, click here to view our donation policy

 

Days open: Monday through Friday
Hours: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
We are closed the same holidays as the Administration Bldg.

 

Membership
Research Department
Meetings
Lineage Societies
Library Holdings
Directions

Downloadable Forms

Warren County Genealogical Society Resource Library

 

 

Our Beginnings
    Warren County Genealogical Society History
    Charter Members
    Charter Officers
    History of the WCGS Presidents and Years Served
    WCGS Officer History
        President
        1st Vice-President
        2nd Vice-President
        Recording Secretary
        Corresponding Secretary
        Treasurer
        Historian / Archivist
        Heir Lines Editor
        Newsletter Editor
        Office Manager
        Membership, Publications & Technology
        WCGS Website    
    History of Officers & Major Committee Heads
    Current WCGS Officers

 

 

Our Beginnings
History of the Warren County Genealogical Society

Warren County Genealogical Society (WCGS) had its humble beginnings in 1981 when a few local Warren County residents wanted to begin preserving Warren County records. On May 20, 1981, WCGS was recognized by the Ohio Genealogical Society, as an official chapter. Original board members included:  President Bart C. Gibbons; Vice President Leora Spindler; Corresponding Secretary Miriam Worley; Recording Secretary Pat Johnson; and Treasurer David Ledbetter, Jr. There were 64 charter members in Vol. 1, issue 1 of Heir Lines - September 1981 with more members in each issue of 1981 and 1982.  Dues were $5.00 single, $7.00 family

Starting in 1981, WCGS had its first mailing address at Marion Snyder’s home, 12 W. South Street, Lebanon, OH 45036. For the first year or so, members donated genealogical books they had; all of which fit into a car trunk, and put them on loan for a month or so at various Warren County Public libraries. These stops included: Salem Township Library in Morrow; the Mary L. Cook Library in Waynesville; the Mason Public Library; and the libraries in Lebanon and Franklin.  Two of the early dedicated volunteers that did all of this traveling were Helen Hutt & Nancy Burge.  The first meetings were held at the cafeteria of the old Lebanon High School, now Berry Middle School. Meetings were later held on the second floor of the Lebanon City Building; and later the Philippi Meeting Room at Otterbein-Lebanon Retirement Center, on S.R. 741 where there was ample parking, and a level entrance to the meeting room.  According to Dallas Bogan and his article in the Star Publications of April 14, 1999, page 12B,he wrote "Chet (Chester Dunn) tells the story that when the society was first started five family member sheets were on the agenda for the board members.  Bart Gibbons took one look at Chet's chart and said, 'we are cousins.' "  Pat Johnson commented, "A Big part of our beginning was the several seminars that we put on at the Presbyterian Church.  They were good money makers for us and put us on the genealogy map.  The first [seminar] was the biggest, as we had Elizabeth Simpson, a well known London England genealogist.  She was friends with Mary Jane Matz, who made arrangements for her to come here while she was in the States.  We also had John Heisy from Lancaster, Pennsylvania and George ___ who wrote books on researching your ancestors in various wars ... Back then there were no computers and seminars were an important way to learn how to research." 

The WCGS quarterly newsletter, Heir Lines, was first published in September of 1981.  For many years we had the Civil War discharges and portions of the deed index published in an ongoing series in Heir Lines

In August 1983, after letter writing by society members and the help of Judge Bowers, the County Commissioners were to vote on making a room available to WCGS in the old court house.  This was announced by Helen Hutt to open in January 1984.

By January 1984 WCGS finally moved to a more permanent location at 300 E. Silver Street, lower level (basement) of Probate Court Building. Judge Bowers made arrangements for WCGS to use two small rooms as a resource center in exchange for answering genealogical queries that came to the Court.   Betty Greer and Chester Dunn were the main volunteers. This is where our "library" began. Our collections purchased or donated by charter members had grown to fill one wall about 12 feet deep and 4 shelves high. The WCGS card catalog, referencing names in our Warren County books, was also started at this time. This is when we began asking new members (and old ones) to submit their family group records and pedigrees charts for their Warren County ancestors. Our first big project was an every name index for Beers History of Warren County, Ohio, with each name being written on a 3x5 card. Many volunteers helped by doing a number of pages from the History.   Upon completion, Beer’s History, was reprinted with our index in it. Some of the other early projects included the cemetery transcriptions and copying the 1880 Warren County, Ohio census by hand. Chester 'Chet' & Betty Dunn and the late Evelyn (Hall) Preest visited and transcribed tombstones from virtually every cemetery in Warren County. 

The Warren County Genealogical Society moved to the second floor of the Academy Building at 190 New Street, P. O. Box 296, Lebanon, Ohio 45036, about December 1997, while the new administration building was being built. Some of the faithful volunteers included: Chester Dunn, Dallas Bogan, Bob Mehl, Ruth Justison, Helen & Ralph Hutt, Dorothy Linkous, Bobbi Apking and Chuck Griffen.  Knowing the need for expanded space, the county commissioners provided WCGS the opportunity to help plan our resource center/library in the lower level of the new administration building next to Warren County Archives.

The Warren County Genealogical Society moved to its present location in the lower level of the new Administration Building, 406 Justice Dr., Lebanon, Ohio 45036, on May 25, 2001.  This new move made our records much more accessible to researchers and county employees. Our indexes have been a great resource to Archives and other county departments.

By the spring of 2001 we had our first email at wcgs@go-concepts.com. It was decided that a web page was needed to help researchers of Warren County, Ohio make contact with our society and to also better meet their needs. In August 2001, Dana Palmer was asked to create a website for Warren County Genealogical Society. It was decided by the board to make the website interactive featuring many databases of Warren County to help researchers quickly make a list of their relatives and sources listed in Warren County with the applicable reference pages so that volunteers in the Warren County Genealogical Society library could be more efficient in answering queries. Researchers could also bring in their list and we would help them obtain copies of original records listed on our website. It took about 6 months to create the website and by spring 2002 it was finished. We were provided with a county email, our current one, wcgs@co.warren.oh.us and launched our first website www.co.warren.oh.us/genealogy/home.htm. By spring of 2003 we revamped the website, including many more online indexes, and changed the name of our home page to our current one, www.co.warren.oh.us/genealogy/index.htm

With our ambitious projects and new acquisitions we have created a very well organized research library. We have many master indexes for various records searchable online at our website or on our computers in our library.

Currently we are working on digitizing tombstones called our "Virtual Cemetery" from all the cemeteries in our county; and also creating a master probate index including the years 1803-1996. If you would like to help with these or any of our other projects, please click here to be redirected to our project page.


 

 

 

Charter Members
(as of 1981, 1st edition of Heir Lines)

Bill Archdeacon Betty M. Korff
Howard & Eunice Barnett Carolyn L. Lambert & Kathleen Lambert
Russell & Evelyn Bartlett Dan Ledbetter, Jr.
B. R. Bashford Phyllis Leisz
Margaret Beckett Bette Patton-Leslie
Janet L. Beedle Diana Linkous & Dorothy Welch Linkous
Ferne Biehle Joan Lippert
Adele Blanton Anne Long
Beverly Ann Blatz Glenn & Betty McElroy
Dorothy H. Bollinger Dixon Maple
Edna Bowyer Charles H. & Linda K. Lanter Marker
Carl & Yvonne Bradstreet Delbert & Evelyn Martin
Hon. Clarence J. Brown Harold L. Martin
Helen M. Buckborough Charles Albert Matz, III
Nancy L. Burge Mary Jane Matz
Dorothy J. Carter James & Ann Milar
Robert L. Cartwright & family Laverne Moore
Robert Chenoweth Ruth Moore
Florence Cole Robert D. Murphy
Doris Collier Louise Orr
Tannetta & Gloria Cook Evelyn Preest
Wanda Hamblin Deck Helen M. Rabenstein
Marjorie L. Diebel Lucy Graydon Ratliff
Mrs. Milton (Sarah) Dodds Helen E. Robertson
W. W. Drake Frank H. Robison
Chester L. Dunn William A. Schoeliver
Evelyn Easter Joe Scofield
Tom & Edwina Essex Berdette Slaughter
Judith Evans Marion & Charlotte Snyder
Oscar & Mary Fleckner Leora R. Spindler
Diana Fondersmith Nancye Stern
Pearl Gamble Raymond E. Sutton
Bart C. Gibbons Carol Swearengin
Wm & Frances Gilbert Kenneth & Jessie Van Meter
Betty L. Greer Victoria Visintainer
Julia Rebecca Hardin Wilma Lee Voorhees
Jesse Hollingsworth Vivian K. Warwick
Thelma Weidner Hudson Vivian Werk
Ralph C. & Helen L. Hutt Constance Witte
Lena M. Iorns Anne E. Woolley
Ebenezer H. Johns Joseph E. & Miriam Ellis Worley
Patricia H. Johnson Richard & Jean Young


 

 

 

Charter Officers, 1981

Position

Officer / Committee Head

President Bart Gibbons
1st Vice-President Leora Spindler
2nd Vice-President Nancy Burge
Recording Secretary  Patricia Johnson
Corresponding Secretary Miriam Worley
Treasurer Dan Ledbetter, Jr.
Historian Mary Jane Matz
Heir Lines Editor Linda K. Marker Lanter


 

 

 

History of WCGS Presidents & Years Served

Year (s)

President

1981

Bart Gibbons

1982-1983

Patricia Johnson

1984-1985

Thelma Hudson

1986-1987

Marion Snyder

1988-1989

Chester Dunn

1990-1991

Harriet Foley

1992-1993

Chester Dunn

1994

Helen Hutt

1995-1997

Chester Dunn

1998

Helen Hutt

1999-2000

Bob Mehl

2001-2007

Diana Linkous

2008-2013

Dana Palmer

2014 Diana Linkous

 

 

History of Officers & Major Committee Heads

Position

Officer / Committee Head

Term

President

Bart Gibbons
Patricia Johnson
Thelma Hudson
Marion Snyder
Chester Dunn
Harriet Foley
Chester Dunn
Helen Hutt
Chester Dunn
Helen Hutt
Bob Mehl
Diana Linkous
Dana Palmer
Diana Linkous

Linda Eckert

1981
1982-1983
1984-1985
1986-1987
1988-1989
1990-1991
1992-1993
1994
1995-1997
1998
1999-2000
2001-2007
2008-2013

2014-2016
2017

1st Vice-President

Leora Spindler
Nancy Burge
Leora Spindler
Marion Snyder
Helen Hutt
Chester Dunn
Marion Snyder
Chester Dunn
Ralph Reed
Dallas Bogan/ Chester Dunn
(none)
Dallas Bogan
Bob Mehl
Bobbi Apking
Diana Linkous
(none)
Mary Everhart
(none)
Sue Frary
Dana Palmer
Maryanne Vallone
Linda Eckert

Dana Palmer

1981-1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1986-1987
1988-1989
1990-1991
1992-1993
1994
1995
1996-1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005-2007
2007-2009
2010-2016
2017

2nd Vice-President

Nancy Burge
Leora Spindler
Yvonne Bradstreet
Phyllis Leisz
Dallas Bogan
(none)
Bobbi Apking
(none)
Chester Dunn
Diana Linkous

Arne Trelvik

1981-1982
1983
1984-1985
1986-1993
1994-1995
1996-1997
1998
1999-2001
2002-2007
2008-2013
2014 - present

Recording Secretary 

Patricia Johnson
Adele Blanton
Florence Cole
Juanita Cooper
Adele Blanton
Dorothy Bollinger
Norma Mehl
Jane Bailey
Vicki Bergerhouse
Martha Daubenmire
Jucy Scott
Mary Ann Raymond  

1981
1982-1983
1984
1985-1987
1988-1989
1990-1991
1992-1996
1997-2008
2009-2010
2011-2013
2014

2015-present  

Co-Recording Secretary

Rebecca Parry
Dot Maruscik
LaVonne Smith

2007
2007-2009
2010

Corresponding Secretary

Miriam Worley
Anne Wooley
Yvonne Bradstreet
Shereen Baysore
Charlotte Snyder
Dorothy Linkous
Lisa Axt
Arne Trelvik

Candy Jo Tucker
Marti Daubenmire

1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986-2000
2001-2003
2004-2013
2014

2015 - present

Treasurer

Dan Ledbetter
Chester Dunn
Dorothy Bollinger
Dorothy Bollinger & Marion Snyder
Marion Snyder & Peter Berninger
Peter Berninger
Harriet Foley

1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986-1997
1998-Current

Historian / Archivist

Mary Jane Matz
Leora Spindler & Marion Snyder
Helen Hutt & Leora Spindler
Betty Greer
Leora Spindler
Ruth Justison
Vicki Bergerhouse

1981-1982
1983
1984
1985
1986-1999
1998-2009
2010-Current

Co-Historians / Archivists

Maryanne Vallone & Dot Maruscik

2007-2009

Heir Lines Editor

Linda K. Marker Lanter
Vivian Warwick
Patricia Johnson
Harriet Foley

Elfe Dona

1981-1982
1983
1984-1985
1986-Current

2016

Newsletter Editor

Marion Snyder
Harriet Foley
Norma Mehl
Helen Hutt
(none)
Diana Linkous
Arne Trelvik

1983-1991
1991
1992-1993
1994
1995-1999
2002-2007
2007-current

Office Manager

(none)
Betty Greer
Chester Dunn
Chuck Griffen
Vicki Bergerhouse

1981-1985
1986-1992
1993-1997
2002-2011
2011-current

Membership & Publications Technology

Chuck Griffen
Chuck Griffen
Arne Trelvik

1998-Current
2002-2011
2011-current

Co-Publications

Michele Ullum

2006-Current

WCGS Webmaster

Dana Palmer
Arne Trelvik
(co-Webmaster)
Debbie Large

2001-Current
2007-present
2016

Warren County OHGenWeb Project Arne Trelvik 2003-current

Library Holdings
 

Library Holdings

These are some of the resources we have in our library.

A

Adoptions, Ancestor charts, Apprenticeships, Assessor records, Archives, Atlases

B

Births, Biographies, Bible Records, Beers (History of Warren Co.)

C

Cemetery records, Card catalog, Coroner's Inquest, Court records, Computers, Copiers, Chancery court records, Charts for Census records

D

Deaths, Deed index, Divorces, Diaries

E

Estate records, European research, Early Settlers

F

Family group sheets, Family histories, Family folders, First Families

G

Genealogies, Guardianships

H

History of Warren County, Histories of Ohio Counties and States

I

Internet, IGI

J

Journals

K

Kentucky stuff

L

Lunacy records, LDS records

M

Marriages, Microfilm, Microfiche, Magazines, Maps

N

Naturalizations, Newspapers, Neighboring counties

O

Obituaries, Orphans, Oswald Funeral Home Records, Ohio counties

P

1803 Pioneers, Pedigree charts, Place Names, Poor House, Probate court records, Publications, Printers

Q

Quaker records, Quarterlies-Heir Lines exchange with other Ohio counties

R

Records of account, Recorder’s Office records, Readers for microfilm & fiche

S

Shakers, Scanners, State records

T

Tax lists, Town & Township records and histories

U

US Census

V

Vital records, Vertical File, Veterans records, Volunteer researchers

W

Wars, Wills & Estates

X

Xerox copies

Y

Yearbooks

Z

 


 

©2002-2017 Warren County Genealogical Society
For Non-commercial Use Only
This page was last updated on
January 5, 2017