MARSHALL—The Lyon County Historical Society Museum, located downtown across from the post office in the former library building, is inviting anyone interested in tracing their family history to its upcoming genealogy workshops and Genealogy Club meetings, Executive Director Jennifer Andries announced. The Genealogy Club meets at 1:30 p.m. on the first Monday of each month in the Joseph Amato Research Center at the museum.
“The Genealogy Club meets the first Monday of the month at 1:30 in the Joseph Amato Research Center,” Andries said. “We held a meeting here just this past Monday. We had about six people come in and we were talking about family history, genealogy tips and tricks. I also shared with people on our e‑mail list that we have two workshops coming up.”
The first workshop will be held on Monday, August 4, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. It will cover the basics of genealogical research, including census, military and vital records, and will be led by a local genealogy specialist from the Spicer area. The second workshop takes place on Monday, October 6, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. and will focus on DNA testing, including how to sort matches and determine relationships. Both sessions are free and open to the public; membership is not required. “Put them on your calendar and reach out to us if you have any questions at all,” Andries added.
The museum’s Joseph Amato Research Center, named in 2024 in honor of the late local historian, remains open to the public during museum hours. “It’s right behind the front desk on the main floor,” Andries explained. The center houses school annuals, family history books, telephone directories, plat books, town and church histories, veterans’ files and an extensive obituary card catalog covering Lyon and surrounding counties. Volunteers maintain the collection and assist visitors with microfilm readers and hard‑copy newspaper archives.
“We really want people to utilize it and we keep adding information,” Andries said. Patrons are welcome to browse physical yearbooks, directories and photographs, or request fragile items stored in acid‑free boxes. “If you’ve put a family history book together, feel free to donate a copy to us and we’ll add it to our collection.”
The Lyon County Historical Society Museum is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. For more information, call 507‑537‑6580 or visit lyoncomuseum.org.
