Membership Benefit
Ohio Chapter MEMBERS ONLY
A NEW membership benefit is available only to members who join or renew their membership in the Ohio Chapter of Palatines to America for 2025-2026. Send a digital summary of your German Genealogy research to ckfsmail@gmail.com. A review of your research will be conducted, and you will receive a complimentary listing of areas where you may have overlooked opportunities to find additional information on your family in Germany and North America. We are not offering to do your research, but we will provide you with hints on where you might find new information yourself. If you have just renewed or are a new member, please send proof of membership. I do not receive new members and renewals in real time.
German Community Forum Series (Free on ZOOM)
Saturday, March 21, 2026, 10 am Eastern, Tips and Tricks to find your ancestors in German church records. There will be time to take your questions on this topic.
German Community Forum Series, Ohio Palam – at 10 am to around or before 12 noon – Our facilitator this month is Carol Swinehart, who holds a Master of Education and has been researching German roots in Hesse, Westphalia, Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and Niedersachsen since 1975.
Registration:
To join this ZOOM only event , please Email ckfsmail@gmail.com with “GFS” in the subject line. We receive a high volume of emails, so we might miss yours if it doesn’t include “GFS” in the subject line.
The Ohio River is shown in the website header. Early settlers used it to populate the Northwest Territory. The river served as a means to transport their families, possessions, and crops. Settlements along the banks included Marietta, Steubenville, and Cincinnati.
The Ohio Chapter of Palatines to America
2026 German Genealogy Spring Seminar
and Membership Meeting
Saturday, April 18, 2026
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Via Zoom
With Speaker
Stephen Wendt, MLIS
Stephen Wendt, MLIS, is a professional genealogist, speaker, instructor, and writer. Stephen assists global clients wit
h their diverse genealogical research needs. A specialist in Prussian/Germanic and Scottish genealogy, he regularly speaks on a variety of genealogical topics at the international, national, state, and local levels.
Four Sessions
1 Exploring Your German Roots: Essentials for Finding Records
Gain a better understanding of German genealogy in
the German Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the pursuit of records with numerous resources and
examples.
2 How to Discover Your German Ancestral Hometown
More often than not, getting across the Atlantic is challenging. Explore some of the most common North American records used in the pursuit of discovering the German ancestral hometown .
3 Top Research Sites For the Former Eastern Prussian Provinces
Explore the most common websites for doing
research in the former Eastern Prussian provinces. Learn how to overcome barriers when dealing with sites in a foreign language.
4 Navigating Shifting German Surnames
Learn how to better navigate the recurrent, shifting nature of German surnames on both sides of the pond.
Registration includes 30-day availability to recordings of presentations on the Ohio Chapter of Palatines to America’s private YouTube channel. This gives you the opportunity to watch again, or if you can’t be with us on the 18th, you can watch at your leisure.
A Zoom link and handouts will be emailed to paid registrants a few days prior to the seminar. The Zoom link is for the registrant only. It can not be used by others.
Any Zoom questions or problems, please email Lori Poch at loripoch@yahoo.com
Register today Online!
or via check payable to Ohio Chapter PALAM send to Ohio Chapter PALAM c/o c/o Jill Filo, 2999 Kendall Road, Copley, OH 44321-2544
If paying via check include:
NAME: MEMBER# _______ ______
ADDRESS: ______
CITY, STATE, ZIP: ______
PHONE: EMAIL*: ______
*Must include email for Zoom link and handouts
German Community Forum Series (Free on ZOOM)
Saturday, Feb TBA Bring your questions? We will try to help with your Brick Walls. Also bring interesting facts about your ancestors – funny, strange … anything interesting to others.
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About Oh Palam
The Palatines To America German Genealogical Society was founded in 1975 with headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. The PALAM National Library Collection is now housed in the Columbus Metropolitan Library on 96 S Grant Ave. in Columbus, Ohio 43215. To contact the Ohio Chapter, click the link here to our contact form (preferred method) or write to PO Box 302, Worthington, OH 43085.
Ohio Chapter Officers & Committee Members CLICK HERE.
Read the history of the Ohio Chapter PalAm CLICK HERE
Check out our National Organization CLICK HERE
Join Palatines to America Ohio Chapter
- Learn from experienced researchers at our free workshops.
Walldorf, B-W - Participate in the German Community Forum Series (Free)
- Attend German research seminars in the Spring and Fall (Special Rates for all PALAM members)
- 2023-2025 Review of Digital Summary of your German Research (Free for all Ohio members only)
- Read our quarterly newsletter – Palatine Heritage
- Buy Ohio Chapter German genealogy publications and merchandise.
- Access our Members Only Section
our Mission = Advance Knowledge
- To further interest and study German-speaking immigration in Ohio.
- Encourage members to further their research of their family’s history in Ohio, the US, and German-speaking areas.
- Promote information about the life, times, and social life of German-speaking emigrants and their descendants.
The Palatines to America’s collection of genealogy books is housed in the Columbus Metropolitan Library.
Please check with the library to confirm these times.
Hours: Mon-Thur: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. Fri: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sat: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sun: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
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