SVGS Mission

The Sioux Valley Genealogical Society is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Our mission is:

• to give assistance to individuals and organizations interested in genealogical research through a local association focused on genealogy
• to preserve and collect genealogical and historical records and information in a research library
• to educate members on current genealogical topics through meetings, workshops, and publications

Our library is located on the second floor of the Old Courthouse Museum. Our monthly meetings are typically held in the Law Library on the second floor of the Old Courthouse. In January and February meetings are held virtually via Zoom.

History

The Sioux Valley Genealogical Society (SVGS) was organized in 1972 by sixteen founding members. Based in Sioux Falls, the original purpose of the SVGS was to assist members in conducting research on their ancestral history through programs and resources. Members learned how to conduct research and organize the information they needed. The SVGS began collecting resources focused on the Dakota Territory region and the home countries of the immigrants who settled there.

Although SVGS’s initial programming focused on genealogy research methodology and assisting members with their family research, subsequent projects have been initiated in the past fifty years to promote the public’s understanding of the importance of genealogy in their communities, especially in Sioux Falls. These projects have included recording all the grave markers in old, abandoned cemeteries for use in the Genealogy Section of the Downtown Library branch of Siouxland Libraries. In 1982 these efforts helped create a state law that made South Dakota counties responsible for the documentation and preservation of abandoned cemeteries (South Dakota State Codified Laws Chapter 7:  7-26-6 and 7-26-7). As a result of this law, Minnehaha County formed an abandoned cemetery board, who in turn allocated funding for preservation of abandoned cemeteries, including at least fourteen cemeteries in Minnehaha County.

Through membership meetings, The Pioneer Pathfinder newsletter, and awarding pioneer certificates to persons who prove their direct descent from people living in South Dakota prior to statehood in 1889, SVGS continues to be a leader in genealogical education in the Sioux Valley area of South Dakota. Annual Seminars promote new areas of genealogical research such as DNA analysis.