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Any person, eighteen years of age or older, who is able to document their lineal
descent from one or more of the Mayflower Passengers is eligible to apply for membership
in the Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of Illinois. Collateral relationships
are not eligible for membership. Children
who are descendants of Illinois Mayflower members may apply for a Junior Associate
membership by completing the Junior Associate Application form.
To become a member of the Society, an applicant must be able to prove their lineage
from one of the listed individuals using primary documentation. In the absence of
primary documentation, secondary documentation, such as published genealogies, family
documents and other official records, may be considered. The General Society requires
that vital records be provided for the three (3) most current generations. This
includes birth, marriage, divorce and death records for the line carriers and their
spouses. The Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of Illinois provides
copies of the Mayflower Families Through Five Generations books to the following
libraries throughout Illinois; Antioch Public Library, Arlington Heights Memorial Library,
Decatur Genealogical Library, Dixon Public Library,
Gail Borden Public Library (Elgin),
Galesburg Public Library, Genealogical Library of Southern Illinois (c/o John A.
Logan College in Carterville), Lake County Genealogical Library, The Newberry
Library (Chicago), Peoria Public Library,
Quincy Public Library, Rockford Public Library,
South Suburban General & Historical Society (South Holland), Urbana Free Library,
Wheaton Public Library, Winnetka Public Library. Any of these resources would be a good place to
start your Mayflower ancestry search. If you do not live near any of these libraries,
check with your local library. They may be able to help with genealogical resources
of their own, or through inter-library loans. Please keep in mind that, while the
internet can provide some useful genealogical information, there is a great deal
of mis-information to be found as well. On-line photocopies of Census Records or
Vital Record indexes may be of value, but be very wary of any “family trees” you
might find. Most are undocumented and poorly researched. They will not be accepted
as proof of descent.
Membership fees vary by age and type of membership.
You may apply for membership in the Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of Illinois by filling out a Preliminary Application form and indicating one Mayflower ancestor.
You must sign the application, and send the signed form back by mail to me with a non-refundable application fee of $100.00.
Please do not send copies of any documentation along with your Preliminary Application.
Your documents will be requested by the Historian later in the process.
The process for becoming a member is simple and straightforward.
To begin, please send a Preliminary Application Request Email
to the State Membership Secretary.
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