Botna Valley Genealogical Society -- BVGS
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Welcome Modern

 
 
 
 
 
 
The Botna Valley Genealogical Society is happy to welcome you to our website!  BVGS was started in January of 1980 after a common interest in genealogy was discovered among local citizens at a workshop offered at the Oakland High School by Iowa Western Community College.  There were thirty-one charter members in the Society.  Membership has fluctuated over the years with thirty-six members at the present time.  We hope you enjoy your visit to our site, and that you will come back often.

Our Society meets the first Monday of each month at the Floyd Caughell Genealogy Room in the Eckels Library in Oakland, Iowa.  Most meetings consist of a business meeting, scheduled program, and/or a work session.  Starting in 2006, these meetings will begin at 1:30 p.m.  We are always happy to have visitors or new members join us!

 
 
Be sure to check out information on the following pages:

Tentative Agenda for Monday, December 1, 2014.

Bulletin Board

Reminisce with Photos

Click on this link for information about our 2014 Anniversary Dinner Party.

December 1st, 2014
Christmas Party Time!!
Thanksgiving is this week, and we wish ALL our readers a wonderful day of celebrating with family and friends!!  SPECIAL THANKS to each of you who have supported Botna Valley Genealogical Society with your membership, your attendance at our meetings, your help in our Genie Room, and your support of us from a distance!!  You are why we are still surviving as a Society!!

Our Christmas Party is just around the corner ~ Monday, December 1st, 2014 to be exact.  We hope a lot of you are making plans to attend.  It will begin at 1:30 p.m. at the Genie Room in the Eckels Library.

We are planning a gift-exchange game this year, so NOT the white elephant exchange we have done the past two years.  Each person attending is asked to bring a wrapped gift (maximum cost of $5) for this game.  Should be fun!

We will also plan to play Genealogy BINGO which we have done in the past.  For this we ask each of you to bring a wrapped gift of $1 or less.  We really seem to have a lot of fun with this when players start "taking" gifts. 

The afternoon will end with socializing and a light lunch.  Thanks to Phyllis Brandes and Loree Hamilton who have agreed to organize this!!

One last thing before I bring this to a close . . .  BVGS's CHRISTMAS PRESENT HAS ARRIVED!!!!!!  Thanks so much to Pam Paulson for taking care of the ordering and setting up of our new scanner for slides and negatives!!  Soon it will be available for your individual use!!  We will plan to have a program on its operation and use early in 2015 so that you can start using it on those old negatives and slides you have stored away.

Oh yes, how could I forget one more thing . . .  Our 2015 officers are Pam Paulson, President/Registered Agent; Helen Williams, Vice President; Carolyn Hotze, Secretary; and Phyllis Brandes, Treasurer.  3-year Board Member, Russ Brandes; 2-year - Mary Sternberg; 1-year - Barb Butcher.  Nominating Committee will be Carolyn Hotze, Chm.; Phyllis Brandes, Lotus Paulsen.  Newsletter Committee, Barb Butcher, Mary Sternberg.  Scrapbook, Pam Paulson.  THANK YOU to the outgoing 2014 officers and to those who have agreed to serve for 2015!!!!

Looking forward to seeing you at the Christmas Party on December 1st!!  As always remember to offer someone a ride who might not be able to come otherwise.  Bring a guest who might be interested in our Society.  See you soon . . . 
 

"Life is lived forward but understood backward."