VIRTUAL: Family History 101: Beginning Your Investigation

Join professional genealogist, author, and local historian, Ray Johnson, for a fun look at beginning the investigation into your family history. Topics include: Where do I start? Census Records, Naturalization and Immigration Records, Vital Records, Newspapers, and Cemetery Research, plus tips and tricks as well as how to stay on track.

About Ray Johnson
Ray is a lifelong resident of the Chicagoland area growing up in Cicero, Illinois. He was a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Army serving for four years in “The Old Guard” the U.S. Army Honor Guard and Official Escort to the President. After serving in the U.S. Army, he became a police officer in DuPage County, Illinois finishing as a Gang/Narcotics Investigator.

After his career in law enforcement, he used his investigative skills to delve into the forgotten aspects of
Chicago history. In 2005, he started Johnson Research Services and conducts research for other authors, television production companies, attorneys, and family historians. He also conducts lectures and classes on the topics of cold cases, Chicago history, and genealogical research. Currently, the website for that business and his history blog is http://www.historycop.com

He has written three books on Chicago history to date: Chicago’s Haunt Detective, Chicago History: The Stranger Side, and The Great Chicago Fire. He likes to look at history as a criminal investigator would, separating the facts from the fiction and debunking many things once thought to be historical facts. Ray’s work has been featured on Discovery ID’s Cold Valley and A Crime to Remember, History Channel’s, American Ripper, Travel Channel’s Mysteries at the Museum, Rich Hall’s BBC series, The American Experience, Unsolved Mysteries, as well as local television and print media.

He currently lives in Lombard, Ill.