Manitoba Genealogical Society

South West Branch

Chartered in 1978, the South West Branch of the Manitoba Genealogical Society Inc. began with a membership of 18. That number has now grown to nearly 100 worldwide. The Branch has been and continues to be engaged in conducting workshops, locating resources and promoting family history research.

The boundaries of the Branch are the United States border to the south, the Saskatchewan border to the west, Riding Mountain National Park to the north and on the east by a line running north/south just west of Portage la Prairie. The total area includes 54 municipalities.

Branch Meetings 

Meetings are held the first Wednesday of the month, September - June (except when the first Wednesday is a school holiday) at 7:30 pm at the following location:

Crocus Plains School
Room 102 - 1930 1st Street
Brandon, MB

Enter the school from the west parking lot, northwest door. The classroom is on the east side of the school. Guests are welcome. Sometimes there are special events at different locations and times.

Check with Sheila at 204-725-3095 for details or exceptions to the rule.

Research Requests

We welcome contact with fellow researchers.  If you are tracing roots in SW Manitoba and have a question or two, you might want to direct your queries to our research committee. Researchers may also contact any member of the Branch Executive to initiate a request. This is all done by volunteers.  Donations to our library are appreciated to offset operation costs.

Upcoming Program Information:

    
September 1, 2010

Our Library

The Margaret E Goodman Memorial Library is located in Knox United Church, 18th Street & Victoria Ave in Brandon, MB (entrance is via the east side of the building). Here, the books, newsletters, cemetery records, newspaper abstracts and other materials which pertain to the area served are available to members and others. The library is open on Monday afternoons from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. (statutory holidays excepted); other times by appointment.   Please call Vivian 204-726-4141,  Sheila 204-725-3095 or Barb 204-727-3054 to make an appointment for another time.

Current Projects

Branch members have completed the indexes for the 1901 Census for South Western Manitoba and are continuing to index the obituaries from Brandon and area newspapers. We are now involved with the MGS project of indexing the 1891 Census for Manitoba. Obituary indexes for the Brandon Sun are completed from 1900 to 1919. The goal of the Branch is to eventually have indexes for obituaries, marriage notices and birth notices from the newspapers from the late 1800s to current day on file in the Branch Library.

Publications

To order one of the publications listed below, send your request by email or by mail to:

South West Branch
327 Kirkcaldy Drive
Brandon, MB, Canada
R7A 0C3

Please use the subject line or mark your envelope: Publications

Indexes to the 1901 Census for Manitoba

• RM of Argyle
• RM of Arthur
• Boissevain - Village
• Brandon - City
• RM of Brenda
• RM of Cameron
• RM of Daly
• RM of Elton
• RM of Glenwood
• RM of Lorne
• RM of Louise
• RM of Morton
• RM of North Cypress/Village of Carberry
• RM of North Norfolk
• RM of Oakland
• RM of Pembina
• RM of Pipestone
• RM of Riverside
• RM of Sifton
• RM of South Cypress
• RM of South Norfolk
• RM of Turtle Mountain
• RM of Wallace/Village of Virden
• RM of Westbourne
• RM of Whitehead
• RM of Whitewater
• RM of Winchester

The New Leaf 

The journal of the South West Branch of the Manitoba Genealogy Society Inc. Published four times yearly, it is distributed to all Individual Members. It contains all sorts of hints, tips and articles pertaining to genealogical work, as well as news from the Branch.

Obituary Indexes

• Obituaries of Brandon Newspapers 1900 - 1909
• Obituaries of the Brandon Sun 1910 - 1919
• Obituaries of the Brandon Sun 1920 - 1929
• Obituaries of the Brandon Sun 1930 - 1939

Heritage Dinner

Each year in April, the Branch sponsors a Heritage Dinner, at which time, a member of the Branch is honoured for service to the genealogical community by the presentation of the Ruth Testor Memorial Award.

Watch this space for details of the 2011 Heritage Dinner.

Branch Membership

Please print a copy of our Membership Application and forward to the Branch as requested.

Our Favourite Links

Click here to go to our links.

Branch Executive

• President: Eleanor Burch
• VP Operations: Vacant
• VP Administration: Jack Dodds
• Secretary: Laura Crookshanks
• Treasurer: Vivian Privat
• Past President: Graham Switzer

Contact Us

Should you wish to contact us, please send an email or send your mail to:

South West Branch
327 Kirkcaldy Drive
Brandon, MB, Canada
R7A 0C3