Please join us on Saturday, March 28, 2026 as we explore two exciting and timely topics for our nation’s 250th Semiquincentennial. You will learn how to discover your American Revolution ancestors and also how to find the lost maiden names of the women in your families whose places in history are often forgotten.
Description: Patriots & Loyalists: Tracing Your Ancestors in the American Revolution
Beginning with “the shot heard ‘round the world,” the American Revolution forever changed North America and the world. Learn more about the role your ancestors played in this pivotal part of American history. Whether your ancestor was a patriot or a loyalist, discover the key resources to investigate the family story.
Learn how to look for clues to determine if your ancestor served in the military. Explore resources used to find pension records, bounty land documents, militia rolls, regimental histories, correspondence, burials, service records, and more. Explore the various repositories that hold this information from the National Archives, state libraries, and local research centers. Military records can provide a wealth of information revealing burial locations, wives, widows, family members, children’s birth dates, affidavits, maiden names, and more! Learn how to navigate online databases and how to identify which resources have the answers you need.
Description: Who’s Your Mother?: Tips for Finding Maiden Names
Do you know your ancestor’s maiden name? In this presentation the top sources for possibly identifying the maiden name of your female ancestors will be discussed. The most common problem in researching female ancestors is identity. Females became known and identified by their husbands’ name. Learn what to look for in records along with some research tips and tricks.
Our goals for this program:
- Provide some information so you can start to think about researching “maiden names” in a little bit different way.
- Learn what records contain “maiden name” clues to help you uncover your ancestor’s identity.
- What “maiden name” search strategies will help.
Our Spring Workshop program will be presented by William D. “Bill” Buckner
Bill Buckner has been the Library & Research Services Manager of the Genealogy Center of the Waco-McLennan County Library for the past twenty-seven years. He is committed to furthering access to information, the pursuit of knowledge, and sharing all he has learned with others.
Bill initiated and co-hosts with the Central Texas Genealogical Society the very popular annual State-wide and beyond Genealogy Lock-in also known as The Genealogy Network of Texas event. Locally, this event has helped bring together the organizations and individuals that use, support, and have an interest in the Waco Genealogy Center collection. In 2011, Bill envisioned a statewide version of the Genealogy Lock-In, one that would connect libraries and societies with genealogy collections across Texas, provide a slate of genealogical programming, and promote local collection resources. Each library hosts their own events to promote their local collection resources, individualizing the event to their local genealogy patrons. Eighty-four libraries/societies in four states participated in 2025.
Bill has been a valued Texas State Genealogical Society volunteer for well over a decade. In 2009, Bill was elected as the TxSGS District 12 (now District 6) Representative, a position he continues to fill. He began as a member of the Book Awards Committee in 2009 and was enlisted to chair that committee in 2010. In 2014, Bill was appointed overall TxSGS Writing Awards Chair. In 2021, Bill was named a Fellow of the Texas State Genealogical Society.
Additionally, Bill has served on various genealogy/history committees with the American Library Association (ALA) and the Texas Library Association (TLA).
Bill received his BS from Southwestern University, and his MS in Library Science from the University of North Texas. Bill is a fourth-generation Texan and lives in Temple, Texas, with his family.