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Mercer County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society
MEETINGS
Meetings are held at the Richardson-Bretz Building, 119 West Fulton Street, Celina on the second Sunday of each month at 2:00 p.m (with some date exceptions due to holidays). Meetings are open to the public.
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January 11, 2026
The Mercer County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society will hold its first meeting of the new year on Sunday, January 11, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. The meeting will take place at the Richardson-Bretz Building, located at 119 West Fulton Street in Celina.
This month’s program will feature an informal roundtable discussion. Members and guests are invited to share recent genealogy discoveries, research accomplishments, or interesting finds. Those with research questions or challenges are encouraged to bring them along, as experienced members will be available to help. If you have books, photographs, or other items you would like to share with the group, please feel free to bring them. The public is always welcome.
February 8, 2026
The Big Four Bridge in Sidney
Have you ever driven underneath the old railroad bridge south of downtown Sidney and wondered how this structure came to be? The magnificent landmark was an engineering marvel which has been in constant use for over 100 years. It is an iconic piece of Shelby County history as well as the focal point for several urban legends. Learn more in a presentation by Jane Bailey, Curator of the Shelby County Historical Society.
Jane Bailey has been the Curator of the Shelby County Historical Society since 2015. She is also the Building Coordinator for the award-winning Wallace Family Learning and Innovation Center located in Downtown Sidney. Jane grew up nearby in Fort Loramie where she attended high school before attending Bowling Green State University where she obtained a Bachelor’s degree. Aside from her love of history, Jane is an avid reader who enjoys traveling the country and world as well as attending Renaissance Festival across the Midwest.
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March 8, 2026
The Mercer County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society will hold its next meeting on March 8 at 2:00 p.m. at the Richardson-Bretz Building, 119 W. Fulton Street, Celina.
The program topic will be:
Understanding the Pros and Cons of Using the Website Find a Grave, with a Focus on German Surnames from 1825 to 1925
Our speaker will be Sam Schmitz. With 29 years of experience in genealogical research, Sam reads, transcribes, and translates German, Latin, and French script. He specializes in assisting individuals of German ancestry in identifying and locating their ancestral places of origin within German-speaking regions of Europe.
April 12, 2026
Our April meeting will feature Julie Peel, Mercer County Recorder.
The meeting will begin at our usual time of 2:00 p.m., but will be held at the Mercer County Courthouse. Please enter through the north doors or the entrance closest to the post office.
Julie will provide a brief overview of the Recorder’s Office and discuss how its records can assist with genealogical research. She will also share information about the Fraud Alert Notification Program, Century Farms, and DD214 military discharge records.
Members will also have the opportunity to sign up for the Fraud Alert Notification Program.
The meeting is expected to conclude around 3:00 p.m.
May 10, 2026
Our May meeting was originally scheduled for May 3rd, but due to a scheduling conflict we were unable to schedule the room for that day. Instead we will be meeting on Sunday, May 10th, which happens to be Mother's Day. Give her a treat and bring her along!
Beth Keuneke, Programming Specialist for the St. Marys Community Public Library, and Lori Martensen, a member of the Friends of the St. Marys Community Public Library, will give a presentation on local history resources offered by the library, with special emphasis on accessing the digital records of the St. Marys newspaper collection. A demonstration will be given of the archives, which includes newspapers dating back to 1873. Members are welcome to take a sneak peek at the newspaper collection prior to the meeting by visiting stmarys.historyarchives.online/home.
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June, July, August
There are no meetings scheduled during the summer.
September 13, 2026
Did you ever wonder how Mercer County got its name?
George Washington’s close friend, General Hugh Mercer, was a physician and soldier during the American Revolution. He was mortally wounded at the Battle of Princeton and died four days later.
Join us as Caitlyn Clark, Director of the Riley House Museum in Celina, presents the story and biography of the man for whom Mercer County was named.
October 11, 2026
Crowd favorite speaker Karen Miller Bennett will join us for our October meeting.
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Karen will present a PowerPoint program featuring photographs of cemetery stones along with stories of the ancestors buried at Swamp College Cemetery, located at the corner of Swamp and Karch Roads, Mercer County. She will also highlight the cemetery's history and some of the families connected to it.
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November 8, 2026
In honor of Veterans Day, Karl Hagaman from the American Legion will join us as our speaker for the November meeting.
Please join us as Karl shares a presentation related to veterans and their service. Additional details about the program will be announced as they become available.
December 13, 2026
Our December meeting will feature the First Families and First Pioneer Induction.
Join us as we recognize and honor these families. Please see Judy Zehringer for the program.
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