Hamilton County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 15865
Cincinnati, Ohio 45215-0865
Telephone:  (513) 956-7078

HCGS Facebook  

A chapter of the
Ohio Genealogical Society

HCGS Awards Recipients

 
 
Distinguished Service Awards
1998
J. Richard Abell
Manager of History & Literature Department at the Public Library for 30 years, Chapter liaison and FGS delegate
2000
Mary H. Remler
Cemetery Committee chair, editor of Hamilton County Burial Records series
2001
Ruth J. Wells
Past Chapter president and editor of The Tracer
2005
Jeffrey G. Herbert
President and author of numerous Hamilton County books
2006
Karen Everett
Education and seminar chair, genealogy class instructor
2007
Margie Mohr
Past president, treasurer, Membership chair
2008
Jim Dempsey
Webmaster, microfilm chair, liaison with Probate Court and Recorder’s Office
2010
Robert C. Rau
Author, speaker, volunteer at Family History Center
2014
Kenny R. Burck
Past president, author, German Interest Group chair, OGS trustee, FGS delegate
2015
Jean Morrison
Past President and all other board positions except treasurer.  Chair of many committees.
2016
Jean Nathan
Years of outstanding service as Chapter President, Tracer Editor, Corresponding Secretary, Credentials Chair, German Lineage Society Chair, Newsletter Exchange Chair, Publications Chair, Ohio Genealogical Society District Trustee, a volunteer at the Norwood Family History Center, editor of genealogy books and articles and a myriad of other services to the genealogical community. 
2017
Deb Cyprych
Tracer editor for fifteen years and now our Publications Director. 
2018
Barbara Wegley
Corresponding Secretary since 1993, almost 25 years. She was also the Query Editor for The Tracer for many years.
2019
Julie M. Ross
For years of dedicated service as Editor of The Tracer, Membership Chair, as Transcriber of surnames from Hamilton County probate journal indexes before 1900 and from Recorder’s Office deed indexes from 1844 to 1869, as Co-indexer of two volumes of Catholic baptismal records, and as the current Liaison to the Cincinnati Catholic Archdiocese Archives.
2020
Eileen Muccino
For outstanding service as Membership Director 2005-2019. Editor of the award-winning Tracer since 2017 and an article contributor to that publication since 2011. Eileen has also hosted many membership renewal mailing stuffing parties and other committee meetings at her home. She has contributed to the other work of HCGS during her many years on the Board.
2021
Bob Brodbeck
For several years, Bob has performed outstanding and dedicated service as a member of the Digital Resources Committee and served as Chapter webmaster. As Digital Resources Director, he led the transition team to a new website provider after the last provider suddenly sold the business. Bob uses technology to facilitate successful virtual seminars, virtual Board meetings, and a series of “research opportunities from home” emails during the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020-2021. This award was presented by a unanimous decision of the Board of Directors.
 
 
Awards of Merit
1998
Steve Hutzel
Gazette editor, German Interest Group chair
1998
Karen Everett
Education and seminar chair, instructor
1998
Joan Hughes
First Families chair
2000
Jean H. Morrison
Past president, Program chair, exchange editor
2000
Kenny R. Burck
Past president, author, German Interest Group chair, OGS trustee, FGS delegate
2001
Julie Ross
Tracer editor, Membership chair
2001
William Ross
Book sales chair
2002
Marjorie Mohr
Past president, treasurer, Membership chair
2004
Ann Hambrecht
Preservation director, Research Committee chair
2004
Barbara Wegley
Corresponding secretary
2004
Deb Cyprych
Tracer editor
2004
Jennifer Hershberger
Gazette editor
2005
Doris Thomson
Records transcriber for several books
2006
Bill Graver
Author, speaker, liaison with Recorder’s Office, Historical Society volunteer
2006
Rose Moore
Irish Interest Group chair
2007
Dan Jungclas
Webmaster, producer of Chapter CDs and DVDs
2008
Phyllis Litton
Queries chair for Tracer
2009
Bill Beltz
First Families Committee member
2009
Patricia Van Skaik
Manager of Genealogy & Local History Department at PLCH, Chapter liaison, speaker
2009
David Schroeder
Manager of Local History & Genealogy Department at Kenton County Public Library, speaker
2009
Ellen Imhulse
Index editor for Tracer
2010
Shirley Kaiser
German Interest Group chair
2010
Therese Bengel
Book sales chair
2011
John Tholking
First Families Committee member
2011
Mary Tholking
First Families chair
2011
Melanie Hunt
First Families Committee member
2011
Marjorie Burress
Author of several books
2012
Barbara Gargiulo
Publication director, publisher of Chapter books
2012
Carol Franz
Indexer of numerous records
2014
Jenny Moorman Davis
Managed project to create new website
2014
James Cissell
Visionary leadership, providing revolutionary access to Probate Court records so they could be digitized and uploaded to FamilySearch
2014
Liz Stratton
Director At-Large, Treasurer, initiated PayPal and Kroger Rewards program, Long-range Planning Digital Resources Committee chair, set direction for new website redesign
2014
Karen Klaene
First Families committee, First Families Committee co-chair for 10 years, assisted many members in applying to lineage societies
2015
Eileen Muccino
10 years as Membership Director
2015
Wayne Coates
Hamilton County Recorder - Vision and support of digitization Hamilton Co. property records for internet access and the creation of digital historic and genealogical indexes.
2016
Gail Burkholz
Years of outstanding service to the Board of Directors as the Credentials Chair, later renamed the Lineage Societies Director. For several years Gail has been coordinating the activities of the First Families, Settlers and Builders, and Century Families committees and the annual lineage society luncheon.
2016
Doug Magee
For outstanding, friendly, courteous and expert service to members of the Hamilton County Chapter of OGS and the public. Doug was often called the "Map Man" as that was his specialty, and always went above and beyond the call of duty to provide knowledgeable assistance to library patrons. 
2017
Kathy Reed
For many years of service as our Recording Secretary, Program Director, and for creating and leading our new DNA Regional Interest Group. 
2017
Dave Bossart
Transcribed thousands of surnames from Hamilton County deed indexes from 1844 to 1869. 
2017
Kay Ryan
Transcribed thousands of surnames from Hamilton County deed indexes from 1844 to 1869. 
2017
Patty Wagurak
Transcribed thousands of surnames from Hamilton County deed indexes from 1844 to 1869. 
2017
Glenn Cornish
Transcribed thousands of surnames from Hamilton County deed indexes from 1844 to 1869. 
2017
Ann Peterson
Transcribed thousands of surnames from Hamilton County deed indexes from 1844 to 1869. 
2017
Julie Ross
Transcribed thousands of surnames from Hamilton County deed indexes from 1844 to 1869. 
2017
Laura Vogel
Transcribed thousands of surnames from Hamilton County deed indexes from 1844 to 1869. 
2018
Nancy Chouteau
Research and Preservation Director, assisting with Education classes, serving on the Digital Resources and the Spring
Seminar committees. Nancy also leads the Roundtable Discussion Group meetings, teaches Meet & Greet programs with Library employees and assists in many other Board projects and responsibilities.
2018
Peggy Schmidt
For extracting and creating an indexed list, then creating and photographing memorials to Find-A-Grave for all Pre-WWI veterans who are buried in Hamilton County. 
2018
David Pittinger
Over 30 years of civic leadership, outstanding public service and protecting and preserving historic records in the Recorder’s Office of Hamilton County, as well as his commitment to excellence and technological innovation by providing efficient access to millions of public records, and coordination with local libraries, historical and genealogical societies.
2018
Bob Brodbeck
For outstanding service as our Webmaster, serving on the Digital Resources committee, his guidance on publishing (on demand) HCGS books, his expertise in computing, assists in keeping us up-to-date with technological advances that help us fulfill our mission and accomplish our respective duties.
2019
Jane Edgar
For outstanding service as Editor of our quarterly newsletter, The Gazette, for nearly 10 years.
2020
Sarah Ater
Sarah, as Archivist for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, obtained approval from the Archbishop and worked with Jim Dempsey and Julie Ross to establish a research process and response system for genealogical requests for Catholic sacramental records.
2021
Mark Steinke
Mark earned this award for his role as the Corresponding Secretary for the last few years. Mark regularly visits the Chapter Post Office Box in Lockland to collect the mail (which can be quite heavy during membership renewal months), logs all mail entries, and redirects items for action. He also responds to all mailed inquiries, which include a wide assortment of topics. Mark serves on the Webinar Team and was previously HCGS Membership Director.
2021
Amy Hartman
Amy earned this award for outstanding service in her role as Chapter Social Media Coordinator. Amy initiates HCGS Facebook posts, which keep members up to date and encourage others to investigate the benefits of Hamilton County Genealogical Society. Amy’s social media skills bring the HCGS message to new generations of genealogists which is vital to our continued success.
2022 Geof Wyght, Debbie Moser,
Chip Lehman and Nancy Dawley
Their awards were earned for years of outstanding service,
commitment, and thorough transcription of thousands of names from previously unindexed Hamilton County deed books from 1830 to 1880 to provide indexes on the HCGS website for the benefit of local historians and genealogists.
 
 
Award of Recognition
2009
Kenny R. Burck
Past president, author, German Interest Group chair, OGS trustee, FGS delegate
 
 
Enduring Contribution to Genealogy
2017
Patricia Van Skaik
This award recognizes her 30+ year career at the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County. The highlights of her service were published in the April 2017 issue of The Gazette newsletter: https://goo.gl/m5sbhV.
 
 
Certificates of Appreciation
1998
Friends of the Public Library
2000
Jim Dempsey
HCGS Microfilm chair
2000
Staff of the History & Genealogy Department, Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County
2001
Gertrude Ross
Assisting with HCGS book sales
2002
Debbie Newman
Member of HCGS Research Committee
2002
Doris Thomson
Transcribing 10 volumes of Cincinnati death records for publication
2002
Janet Strithold
Member of HCGS Research Committee
2002
Marilyn Armstrong
Member of HCGS Research Committee
2004
Kay Ryan
Assisting with HCGS publications
2004
Mark Steinke
HCGS Membership chair
2006
Karen Beiser
Assistant Head of History & Genealogy Department, Public Library
2007
Paul Schewene
Supporting HCGS classes and programs
2007
Wib Everett
Assisting HCGS Education Director
2009
Eunice Beltz
Assisting HCGS First Families Committee
2010
Betty Bauscher
Indexing marriage banns for HCGS website
2010
Christopher Smith
Assisting with HCGS programs at Public Library
2010
Larry Dolan
Indexing marriage banns for HCGS website
2011
Colleen Phillips
Assisting genealogists at Public Library
2011
Cynthia Greenman
Member of HCGS Research Committee
2011
David Pittinger
Assisting researchers as Chief of Staff, Hamilton County Recorder’s Office
2011
Doug Magee
Assisting genealogists at Public Library
2011
Jean Widmer
Member of HCGS Research Committee
2011
Judge James Cissell
Probate Court Judge, led digitization of historic Probate Court records
2012
Barbara Wegley
Indexing Probate Court records
2012
Bob Brodbeck
Indexing Probate Court records
2012
Carolyn Engel
Indexing wills
2012
Dan Jungclas
Indexing Probate Court records
2012
Dave Bossart
Indexing wills
2012
Debbie Judd
Indexing wills
2012
Dick Okenfuss
Indexing Probate Court records
2012
Fred Schroeder
Indexing Probate Court records
2012
Glenn Cornish
Indexing Probate Court records
2012
Irma David
Indexing Probate Court records
2012
Jeff Herbert
Indexing Probate Court records
2012
Jerry Volker
Indexing Probate Court records
2012
Judy Craven
Indexing wills
2012
Kathy Reed
Creating and maintaining HCGS blog
2012
Kay Ryan
Indexing Probate Court records
2012
Liz Stratton
Indexing wills
2012
Marilyn Armstrong
Indexing Probate Court records
2012
Peg Fay-Feder
Indexing Probate Court records
2012
Peter Frame
Indexing wills
2014
Bob Brodbeck
Creating new website
2014
Deb Cyprych
Creating new website
2014
Eileen Muccino
Creating new website
2014
Gail Burkholz
Creating new website
2014
Jane Fitzpatrick
Creating new website
2014
Jim Dempsey 
Creating new website
2014
John Tholking 
Creating new website
2014
Kathy Reed 
Creating new website
2014
Kym Pitman
Research Committee for several years
2014
Alan Jones
Indexed the Tracer for three years
2014
Dave Bossart
Indexing Probate Journals
2014
Ann Peterson
Indexing Probate Journals
2014
Laura Vogel
Indexing Probate Journals
2014
Patty Wagurak
Indexing Probate Journals
2015
Jane Edgar
5 years as Editor of The Gazette
2015
Bob Brodbeck
Publication Director, CreateSpace assistance - Webmaster
2015
Amy Hartman
Social media presence - Digital Resources Director
2015
Pam Sattari
Civil War Cemetery project and Publication Director
2016
Julie Ross
For her outstanding efforts in coordinating a group of Chapter volunteers working at the Cincinnati Catholic Archdiocese Archives to locate and make available sacramental records for members and family historians.
2016
Sarah Patterson
As the Archivist at the Catholic Archives, for her interest and expertise in coordinating with Chapter members to develop a process for ordering Cincinnati Catholic Archives sacramental records that are a valuable resource to genealogists and family historians.
2016
Melanie Hunt
For her generous time and talent for over 25 years of serving the needs of the Chapter as a member of the First Families Committee, and working with the Chapter Lineage Committee to provide a meaningful experience for inductees to honor their First Families of Hamilton County ancestors. 
2017
Beverly Breitenstein
For her years of leadership as the Century Families lineage society chair.
2017
Peggy Schmidt
For her service to the Civil War Cemetery project identifying, photographing and placing the data on our website.
2017
Kathe Edwards
Serves as the Irish Interest Group Chair, works with the Webinar Content Creation committee, volunteered at the Catholic Archives, and assisted with the Annual Seminar.
2017
Nancy Chouteau
For Director of Research & Preservation, for presenting programs with the Education Committee, assisting with the Annual Seminar, and working on The Tracer committee
2018
Sandra Morgan
She has and is continuing to work as our Recording Secretary, is on the Lineage Society and the Spring Seminar committees and she recently assumed the position of chair of the Century Families of Hamilton County.
2018
Rick Cauthen
For serving as the chair of the Jewish Interest
Group, speaking on Jewish-related genealogical topics, coordinating the digitization of the Weil Funeral Home records, serving on the Digital Resources and the Spring Seminar committees and participating in many other Board-related events.
2018
Paul Cauthen
A regular contributor to the Board and assists Board members on numerous occasions. Paul also serves on the Digital Resources and the Spring Seminar committees.
2018
Nancy Dawley
For outstanding service and many hours of time to HCGS and to Hamilton County genealogists by index transcription to improve access to Hamilton County deed records.
2018
Sara Jones
For outstanding service and many hours of time to HCGS and to Hamilton County genealogists by index transcription to improve access to Hamilton County deed records.
2018
Chip Lehman
For outstanding service and many hours of time to HCGS and to Hamilton County genealogists by index transcription to improve access to Hamilton County deed records.
2018
Debbie Moser
For outstanding service and many hours of time to HCGS and to Hamilton County genealogists by index transcription to improve access to Hamilton County deed records.
2018
Steve Headley
For his dedicated service to the genealogical
community, his contributions to Newsdex: An Index to Local Newspaper Articles, his knowledge of the library collection, his friendly manner in assisting patrons with their family history questions and providing them with resources within the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio.
2019
Mark Steinke
For serving as our Corresponding Secretary.
2020
Jean Nathan
For returning to the HCGS Board to serve as Program Director.
2020
Jean Woll
For returning to the HCGS Board to serve in a new Board position, Director of Marketing.
2020
Rudy Heath
For preserving historic records at the Hyde Park Community United Methodist Church. In 2012 he was asked to accept the records of the Nast German Methodist Church from 1838 to 2010 and Trinity Methodist Church from 1837 to 1955. He organized and inventoried the records using standard archival methodologies and containers. He and church volunteers then extracted and indexed the members’ names in many of the books. HCGS thanks Rudy for his excellent work in record preservation and for having the records digitized by staff at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.
2021
Mark Cooper
As HCGS Membership Director, Mark was challenged by the pandemic to change the membership renewal process. In previous years, a large group got together to stuff envelopes with several items for a mass mailing. Mark, along with a few advisors, developed a new method where the majority of members received email notification, with only a few needing a mailed packet. This process precluded the need for in-person meetings with volunteers. Mark also volunteered to co-chair the new HCGS Civil War Soldiers Lineage Society, which was introduced this year.
2021
Paul Cauthen
Paul earned this award for his long-standing service as a Board advisor and his acceptance of the role of editor of the society newsletter, The Gazette. Paul introduced a new newsletter format in 2020, and gathers, edits, and delivers the Chapter news in a timely and high-quality manner.
2021
Martha Surber
Martha was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for her many years serving as Library Acquisitions Editor for The Tracer. Martha reviews purchases made by the Genealogy and Local History Department of CHPL and provides the details for publication in the Tracer. This information leads members and other readers to the newest history and genealogy books and new volumes of published genealogical series in the Cincinnati library collection.
2021
Kevin Grace
Kevin was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for his outstanding support of the genealogical community. Kevin recently retired from his role as the head of the Archives and Rare Books Library, University Archivist, and Senior Librarian at the University of Cincinnati. He was employed there for over forty years and was responsible for the development of rare book and archival collections. These items include many records used by genealogists and family historians. Kevin was responsible for acquiring the Hamilton County public records, as requested by the Ohio State Archivist, for permanent retention at the University of Cincinnati, and has worked with the Chapter on the digitization of records held in the UC Archives.
2022 Grace Evans and Dianne Jatzek Their awards were earned for years of outstanding service,
commitment, and thorough transcription of thousands of names from previously unindexed Hamilton County deed books from 1830 to 1880 to provide indexes on the HCGS website for the benefit of local historians and genealogists.
2022 Carol Wimer Owner of InPrint Madeira, received a Certificate of Appreciation on 25 July 2022 for her longterm service to HCGS as designer and printer of the Tracer and other flyers, documents, and newsletters. Carol has been a partner in development and design of the society’s quarterly journal, and her high standards have aided HCGS in making the Tracer a nationally recognized
publication.
 
 
 
page modified: June 2024