Directory of Members

Candace Marx is the owner of Timeless Treasure Genealogy, specializing in Chicago and Midwestern family history research. She earned a Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University and is an alumni of the ProGen Study Program. She is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), the Genealogical Speakers Guild, and a Past President of the Illinois State Genealogical Society (ISGS). She was awarded the American Society of Genealogists Scholar Award in 2019 for a family narrative written about her Luxembourger ancestors. Candace has written articles for the ISGS Quarterly, FamilyTree Magazine, and the APG Quarterly.

• Boston University Genealogical Research Certificate (OL23)- Spring 2017
• Pro Gen Study Groups 36- 2017-2019
• Excelsior College Genetic Genealogy course (GENE 201)- Spring 2021
• Associate in Arts, Waubonsee Community College- December 2022
• Family History Academy Speaker Skills Workshop, fall 2023
• Certification Discussion Group (BCG prep course with Jill Morelli), spring 2024
• Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG), January 2025 (Advanced Research Methods with Paul Graham)
• Bachelor of General Studies, Northern Illinois University- in progress

ASG Scholar Award, 2019

• Awarded a $1000 scholarship for family narrative, “A Luxembourger Family Comes to America: The Wagners of Aurora, Illinois.” Used funds for Excelsior College course tuition.

IMF Foundation Scholarship, Waubonsee Community College, 2022

• Awarded the 2022 IMF Foundation Scholarship, for students taking courses in the manufacturing/automation field.

SLIG Scholarship for First-Time Attendees, 2024

• Covers cost of attending the January 2025 SLIG Course, “Advanced Genealogical Methods”

• Illinois Research and Records
• Midwestern Research
• Luxembourg Ancestors
• 19th-20th century ancestors and records
• Introduction to DNA research
• Creative and unusual (out-of-the-box) topics

Below are completed lectures and topics I am developing for future opportunities. I am also happy to create a lecture "on demand" for a topic of interest, please reach out to discuss!

Lectures "Ready To Go"

• The Widow Won, the Barkeep Lost: Using Historical Context and the FAN Club to Enrich Your Family Stories- an engaging 19th century case study that illustrates how to bring family legends to life by using historical, social, and cultural context, as well as the FAN Club theory of research.
• Thinking Inside the Box: Display Your Family History in a New and Unique Way- A more hands-on lecture that discusses how to create a family history shadowbox, with examples, inspiration, and an art history lesson.
• Too Good to Be True: Learn How to Spot and Stop Genealogy Fraud- A lecture that introduces beginning family historians to the genealogy world's long history of fraudsters and fabricated facts. The Genealogical Proof Standard is introduced, and demonstrates how it can be the best defense against family tree fraud.

Ideas in Progress (allow 3-5 months lead time before presenting):

• Luxembourgers to the Midwest- a history of Luxembourger culture and settlement in the Midwest, and tips and tricks for locating your Luxie ancestors.
• Introduction to Y-DNA- using a case study and a walk through FamilyTree DNA, this lecture will introduce beginners to the benefits of using Y-DNA for research.
• Payments and fraud prevention for professional genealogists- using the speaker's years in banking, this lecture will look at the various electronic payment options available to professional researchers, and discuss tips to protect yourself from the latest financial scams.
• Citation building (for intermediate genealogists and those who are interested in writing their family histories)- with a campy horror movie theme, this lecture will break down the citation crafting process, and provide tips and resources for making citations less "scary"
• Historic roads through Illinois- This historical lecture would focus on early 20th century roads that ran through the state, the remnants of which are still around today. Discussion will include Route 66, the Lincoln Highway, and the Egyptian Trail, among others.

Feel free to contact me to discuss! I am comfortable doing in-person or online lectures, and am willing to travel if my schedule allows.

Thinking Inside the Box: Display your Family History in a new and unique way

• 2022 CAGGNI (Computer Assisted Genealogy Group of Northern Illinois) Conference, Schaumburg IL, September 2022
• The Little White School Museum, Oswego IL, February 2023
• Town & Country Public Library, Elburn IL, October 2024

The Widow Won, the Barkeep Lost: Using Historical Context and the “FAN Club” to Enrich Your Family Stories

• APG (Association of Professional Genealogists) Writer’s SIG, July 2024 (virtual)
• Allen County Public Library, December 2024 (virtual)
• UPCOMING: Kane County Genealogical Society, September 2025
• UPCOMING: Computer Assisted Genealogy Group of Northern Illinois (CAGGNI), November 2025

Too Good to Be True: Learn How to Spot and Stop Genealogy Fraud

• St. Charles Public Library, St. Charles IL, February 2025