Events

Presenter John Liepa  John Liepa will help us trace who we are as Iowans, beginning with the Ioway, one of 17 distinctive indigenous tribal groups. From Spanish explorers and French trappers, traders and priests; to the dominant English, Germans and Irish; to Scandinavians, Dutch and Czechs, we’ll explore why they left their homelands and how they ended up in Iowa. African-Americans, Eastern Europeans and Hispanics have different stories to share along with other “newer” Iowans. This talk is personal and interactive and we’ll work together to discover who we are, and who we are becoming as Iowans.

Presented in partnership with Ames Public Library and Story County Genealogical Society. Program funded by Humanities Iowa, a private, non-profit state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the State Historical Society of Iowa.

John Liepa is Professor Emeritus of History and Political Science at Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC.) He taught courses in Political Science, U.S., and Iowa History from 1972-2010. He has a B.S in History and an M.A. in Political Science from Iowa State University. He received an “Excellence in Education” award in 2001 and was honored as DMACC’s “Educator of the Year” in 2004. He served five terms on the State Historical Society of Iowa’s Board of Trustees from 1998 – 2113, having served both as Chair and Vice-Chair; and, on the Iowa Historical Foundation, the fundraising arm of the State Historical Society of Iowa. He is a Speaker with Humanities Iowa.

General Meeting - With election of officers and sharing

Presenter Sue Schlichting Many of us have years of research tucked away in binders and boxes. We’ve dedicated time and energy to studying our family tree. How can we use today’s tools to help us bring our research to life and share the stories of our ancestors? AI can help us organize, transcribe, and create engaging stories that our family will want to read. You don’t have to be a tech wizard to use these tools. We’ll provide you the basic rules and tools to help you get started turning your family history research into cherished family stories.

Sue is a genealogist, speaker, teacher and mentor with the organization Pursuing Your Past. Sue Schlichting grew up on a farm in Eastern Nebraska. She has over 30 years of research experience. Sue has expertise in Midwestern research with an emphasis in Homestead records, Quaker, Swedish and German records.

Presenter: Anna Marie Scott  Anna Marie Scott is a geographer and GIS enthusiast who believes maps are a powerful way to tell stories about places and people. She will be drawing from her experience creating maps and educational resources to share how maps can be valuable tools for genealogy research, helping visualize the paths and locations of ancestors. 

Anna Marie Scott recently earned her master's degree in Geography from the University of Northern Iowa, where she studied GIS, cartographic design, and spatial data analysis.