Awards and Historical Certificates
OCHS Awards
The Oconto County Historical Society has given preservation awards since 1998.
The President’s Award: Residential
Acknowledgment of an individual or individuals responsible for the preservation or restoration of a private residence in Oconto County, particularly its exterior.
The President’s Award:
Public and Commercial
Acknowledgment of an individual or individuals responsible for the preservation of a public building, construction, or site in Oconto County. Restoration need not be complete, but a significant commitment, either financial or otherwise, will need to be demonstrated to qualify a public or commercial site for consideration.
Volunteer of the Year Award
Acknowledgment of an individual or individuals who have given of their time and talents to further the mission of the Oconto County Historical Society.
George E. Hall Award
Acknowledgment of an individual or individuals responsible for the preservation of local county history through any medium, including print, audio technology, or video technology that documents the history and leaves a physical record for future generations.
Duane Ebert Award
Acknowledgement of any individual for a life time of dedication to the preservation of Oconto county history, including but not limited to achievements in written local histories, achievements in genealogical research and documentation, achievements in volunteer activities on behalf of local historical organizations, and other achievements related to the preservation of local artifacts, objects, sites, and/or history.
Kay Stewart Award
Acknowledgment of an individual or individuals for documentation of family histories, genealogies, and or other stories relevant to Oconto County families, past and/or present.
Historic Certificates
There are several state agencies that issue certificates honoring historic aspects of families. The Wisconsin State Genealogical Society has Military, Pioneer, Century, and Family Reunion certificates that can be obtained at any time. The Wisconsin Veterans Museum has Civil War and World War I certificates. The Wisconsin State Fair has Sesquicentennial and Century Farm and Home certificates. The deadline for application is March 1 of each year
Civil War Ancestor Certificates
The Wisconsin State Genealogical Society issues certificates to persons who are directly or collaterally descended from Wisconsin Civil War ancestors. Applicants must prove direct descent or collateral descent and prove that the Civil War Ancestor was born or lived in Wisconsin or enlisted in or served in a Wisconsin Civil War unit. Applicants may apply for certificates to be issued to themselves or to other persons. The person to whom the certificate is issued need not currently live in Wisconsin. The purpose of the Civil War Ancestor Certificate Program is to recognize families with Wisconsin roots, encourage people to undertake genealogical research, develop a database of information for researchers, and improve the quality of genealogical research.
Certificates cost $20.00 for WSGS members and $25.00 for non-members. Checks should be made payable to WSGS. See the Attachments section below for the application form, instructions and tips for filling out the form. An application worksheet is also attached to assist you with laying out your final application information.
To apply for a Civil War Ancestor Certificate simply complete the application and pedigree forms found below in the Attachments section, and mail them with a check payable to WSGS for the number of certificates requested to:
WSGS Civil War Certificates
P.O. Box 5106
Madison, WI 53705-0106
Please allow 6-8 weeks for processing. For additional information, write WSGS at the above address or send an e-mail message to wsgs@wsgs.org
Pioneer & Century Certificates
The Wisconsin State Genealogical Society issues certificates for persons who are directly descended from Wisconsin pioneer or century ancestors. Applicants must submit evidence to prove direct descent and to prove that the ancestor
The purpose of the Pioneer/Century Certificate program is to recognize families with Wisconsin roots, encourage people to undertake genealogical research, develop a database of information for researchers, and to improve the quality of genealogical research. Applicants may apply for certificates to be issued to themselves or to other persons. The person whom the certificate is issued need not currently live in Wisconsin.
Certificates cost $20.00 for WSGS members and $25.00 for non-members. Checks should be made payable to WSGS. See the Attachments section below for the application form, instructions and tips for filling out the form.
To apply for either Pioneer or Century Certificates simply complete the application and pedigree forms found below in the Attachements section, and mail them with a check payable to WSGS for the number of certificates requested to:
WSGS Civil War Certificates
P.O. Box 5106
Madison, WI 53705-0106
Please allow 6-8 weeks for processing.
Three volumes of Some Pioneer Families of Wisconsin indexing the Pioneer and Century Certificate applications submitted from the beginning of the program through 2001 have been published and are available for sale from WSGS. Please see our Bookstore page for more information. Applications submitted since 2002 are not yet indexed nor is there an online searchable database available at this time.
For additional information, write WSGS at the above address or send an e-mail message to wsgs@wsgs.org
Family Reunion Certificates
The Wisconsin State Genealogical Society provides an attractive Family Reunion Certificate to honor Wisconsin families celebrating reunions.
The certificate show the name of the Wisconsin family (for example, “The Smith Family,” “John L. Smith Family,” or “John L. and Betty (Martin) Smith Family”), the number of the reunion celebrated (1st, 2nd, 20th, etc.), and the date and place held.
To apply for either Family Reunion Certificates simply complete the application and pedigree forms found below in the Attachments section, and mail them with a check payable to WSGS for the number of certificates requested to:
WSGS Civil War Certificates
P.O. Box 5106
Madison, WI 53705-0106
Please allow 4-6 weeks for processing. For additional information, write WSGS at the above address or send an e-mail message to wsgs@wsgs.org
Wisconsin Veterans Museum
Certificates of Service and Service Records
Commemorate and honor the military service of your Wisconsin ancestor with a souvenir Certificate of Service. Available for Wisconsin Service Members who served in the Civil War or World War I, these Certificates contain information taken from official sources that tell the story of your ancestor.
The Civil War Certificate of Service lists the full name of the soldier, date and place of enlistment, units affiliation, information on promotions or wounds received while in service, date of death or discharge, battles in while his regiment participated, and a brief regimental history. This single document provides a close look at the details of a soldier’s service while also providing the broad context of where he served and the battles he served in.
The World War I Certificate of Service contains the full name of the service person, residence and age at enlistment, date and place of birth, eye and hair color, height, date and place of enlistment, units served with, ranks held, serial number, battles in which their unit participated, dates served overseas, and date and place of discharge, if that information is available in the original records.
You can purchase a Certificate of Service for $10.00 at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Gift Shop, or by mail. If ordering by mail, please use our online Civil War or World War I databases to confirm that the name you seek is present. Then send a check for $10.00 per certificate, plus $2.00 shipping and handling, to the attention of:
Reference Archivist Wisconsin Veterans Museum
30 W. Mifflin St.
Madison, WI 53703
Wisconsin State Fair
Each year the Wisconsin State Fair accepts applications for either Century or Sesquicentennial farms or homes. The property must be continuously held by the same family. To request a copy of either application, write to
Century or Sesquicentennial Farm and Home Program
640 South 84th Street
West Allis, WI 53214
or call Jill Albanese, Program Coordinator, at (414) 777-0580. Applications are NOT available online. The deadline for applications is March 1, 2013, and only one certificate is issued per property.
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