MEETINGS
Here are the meeting dates and speakers for 2024-25 year. The meeting days are the first Thursday of the month. Normally we meet at the Old Courthouse Museum at 200 W. 6th St. on the 2nd floor old law library. Meetings are held in
person unless otherwise stated. If you have an idea for a speaker or topic, or are willing to speak, email info@siouxvalleygenealogicalsociety.org
Tour of Mt. Pleasant Cemetery–Thursday, September 5th 6:30 p.m.
Perhaps the one truth in life is that one day we will die. Our cemeteries and burial grounds will perhaps be the last physical reminder of our existence. This is why we consider these places as sacred ground, a place of remembrance and reflection. Mt. Pleasant Cemetery was organized in November of 1873 and the first burial took place the following year. Filled with stones with names significant in the history and development of Sioux Falls, it is the final resting place for many who struggled to build what we enjoy today. Join us to learn more about the life and death of those Sioux Falls pioneers.
Join SVGS on Thursday, September 5th at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery at 6:30 p.m. for a highlights tour of the cemetery by Kevin Gansz, Curator of Education, for the Siouxland Heritage Museums. Lynette Trainer, Researcher for SVGS, will also have a handout on researching cemeteries. Mt. Pleasant Cemetery is located at: 2001 E. 12th Street and streetside parking is available. It may be hot so bring water and wear walking shoes. This tour is available to non SVGS members but a $5 cash contribution must be paid the evening of the tour to Kevin Gansz.
“Tips and Tricks when Conducting an Oral History Interview”, Thursday, October 3rd 7 p.m. lecture, social time 6:30 p.m.
Oral history is a technique for generating and preserving original, historically interesting information – primary source material – from personal recollections through planned recorded interviews. Topics that will be covered include how to create the interview questions that will prompt a conversation, equipment to use, and free software to use for editing.
Our speaker is Gwen McCausland who has been the director of the South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum in Brookings for 10 years and has worked in the museum field for over 20 years. She has a masters degree in ethnology with a concentration in Welsh folklore and oral histories from Cardiff University in Cardiff, Wales. Gwen is a veterinarian’s daughter growing up on a sheep farm in North Dakota. She is a 4-H leader and enjoys fiber arts, gardening, and spending time with her family.