History of the Brown County Genealogical Society

On the evening of June 19, 1997, a group of 15 people met in the basement of the Morrill Public Library to officially establish the Brown County Genealogical Society. The organizational meeting was spearheaded by Lyle Hinz, who returned to Kansas in 1996. Encouraged by a George family relative, Barbara George, he initiated the formation of the society. During the inaugural meeting, Lyle was elected president, with Marla Hathhorn as vice-president, Nancy Prawl as secretary, Sharilyn Gilbert as treasurer, and Sandy Carter as newsletter editor. At its start, the Society boasted 49 charter members and saw its membership grow to nearly 200 in the early 2000s.  

The first home of this Genealogical Society was a desk at the Brown County Historical Society, where members could join both organizations simultaneously. There, they had access to a few key genealogy books, newspapers, and just the beginnings of an obituary file. Lyle continued to conduct research and respond to correspondence for the Historical Society until June 1999, when they relocated to their current address at 116 S. 7th Street, Hiawatha.  

What began as a simple conversation among cousins has now transformed into a library brimming with shelves of books, an extensive collection of family history queries, and a vast index of obituaries and funeral cards, along with old tax and probate records, as well as past issues of Brown County newspapers.  

Lyle still volunteers at the genealogy library once a week, serving as an invaluable fountain of genealogy information.  

The genealogy library is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 AM to 3 PM, from April through December, and on Tuesdays from 10 AM to 3 PM for the months of January through March.  

The Brown County Genealogical Society operates as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.