Library Reference Materials
Materials In Our Reference Library
Family Histories - some forty plus volumes ranging from professionally published books to compilations in various types of bindings by members of their charts, pictures, and narrations. Some are indexed.
Histories of Belgian Towns - mostly written in Flemish, primarily West Flanders towns but we are constantly adding more East Flanders information in all areas.
VVF- Vlaamse Stam - We have many years of this publication by a large genealogical society based in Antwerp.
Exchange Publications - We exchange publications with about a dozen or more societies here in the US but also three in Canada and three in Belgium.
Microfilms of Newspapers
De Volkstem (Depere, WI) 1891-1919
Gazette van Moline (IL) 1907-1940
Gazette van Detroit (MI) 1916-1986 (Last 22 years not on microfilm)
Census Records For Many Towns in Belgium - and also records which correspond to our probate records.
Belgium Laces - Publication of Belgian Researchers now published in Oregon, originally in Holyoke Mass.
Over 13,000 funeral memorial cards for US , Canada, and Belgium.
Over 6000 copies of Bereavement letters from Belgium mostly from W. Flanders area. Excellent source of family information.
What's New At The Library?
This past March (2018) we had a visitor to the library named Christian Sonneville. He brought with him a book that he had translated, that his father wrote about his life as a Constable. Constable Sonneville wrote his life story in 1990 when he was eighty years old. Christian, realizing the historical value of the memoirs, turned them into a book and illustrated it with historical photos. There are memories of both World Wars and everyday life in the towns of Zomergem and Ronsele, East Flanders. Christian was born and raised in Zomergem and has lived in the US since 1983. The book is titled "Constable Sonneville, His Life Story" and was written in Flemish and English. Copies are now available for sale in the library or can be ordered at: Christian.sonneville@hotmail.com