The Society of
Indiana Pioneers
FindResearchHonor your ancestors.
Interested in learning more about the Society of Indiana Pioneers (SIP)? You are in the right place.
This section will tell you who we are and our interesting history. Also, we’ll share some of the projects underway to honor our Indiana pioneer ancestors.
Why Join? Am I eligible? Is my ancestor already proven? Are there different levels of membership?
With 100+ years of being in existance, we lots of questions about our lineage society. This section should be a great resource to help you make your own decision on joining and check eligibility.
Yes! I’m interested in becoming a member of The Society of Indiana Pioneers. Where do I begin?
This section explores the application process and you can find out about the types of documents that are necessary to submit.
We have grants and awards for educators, school-age history groups and graduate students with Indiana history studies.
We have everything you need to apply for either The John H. Holliday Award, a Graduate Fellowship Award, and Field Trip Grants within this section
Looking for help to begin the application process? Where to begin obtaining documents?
If you are new to family history research — Indiana research in particular — this section should be a great resource for you. Looking for your Indiana pioneer documents can be a little feast or famine. If your family tends to be more on the famine side when it comes to documentation, then this will be particularly helpful.
What does member engagement look like for the Society of Indiana Pioneers?
With about half of our members being out-of-state, engagement looks different for everyone. We welcome our members to join us for the annual meeting and participate in pilgrimages, which are trips based on Indiana pioneer history. Local history conferences and participating in the Indiana Statehood Day program are just a couple of ways we engage with our communities.
Interested to see what other members are up to? We love to highlight magazine articles, radio programming, authored books and honors given to our active members when it comes to Indiana history.
Certificates. Tacks & Charms. Books for sale.
If you are looking for something special to display as a member of the Society of Indiana Pioneers, our certificates and tacks/charms are a wonderful addition once your applications have been approved!
Any Indiana history book readers and collectors? The Society of Indiana Pioneers does have some great books that we have self-published and are for sale.
Interested in learning about a few of our Indiana pioneer ancestors?
Since 1916, the Society of Indiana Pioneers has had almost 10,000 ancestors added by thousands of applicants and members. Join us to celebrate a few of them here in this section.
Some are prominent and some were just busy keeping their families fed and a roof over their heads. Some only stayed in Indiana briefly before heading on West, but all have interesting stories to be shared.
*** This is a new project for 2022, so keep checking back as more are added. We are just getting started!
Looking for some interesting articles on Indiana history and family history research?
Our staff genealogist has been with the Society of Indiana Pioneers since 2006 and has a lot to share about things that have been learned over her years of working with applicants. Pick a subject and maybe you might find something of interest!
Contacts
The Society of Indiana Pioneers
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2207
(317)441-8293
indianapioneers.org
Staff
Office Manager – Sally Fadely, Indianapolis
Genealogist – Terry Engel, Avon
Society Officers

Dr. Ronald V. Morris
Member since 2015. Served on Board of Governors and multiple committees.

Bruce W. Oakley
Member since 2000. Served as Treasurer since 2006 and on the Board of Governors.

Dr. Robert E. Clements
Member since 2015. Served on Board of Governors and multiple committees.

Terri Gorney Lehman
Member since 1992. Served on Board of Governors beginning in 2011 and multiple committees.

Marcia A. Krieg
Member since 1995. Served on Board of Governors and multiple committees.

Robert H. Everitt
Member since 1990. Served as Secretary for over 22 years, as President in 1995-6, on the Board of Governors, and on multiple committees.

Jeanie Pike Hornung
Member since 2012. Served on Board of Govenors and multiple committees.
Board of Governors

Jan Aikman Dickson
Member since 1992.

Judith N. Griffin
Member since 2013.

Kathryn Wilsey Lerch
Member since 2016.

Nelson Price
Member since 2005.

Margaret Weir Smith
Member since 2016.

Joan R. Everitt
Member since 1990. Served as President in 2002-3.

Jeffrey W. Hornung
Member since 2019.

Charles A. Liles, Sr.
Member since 1999.

Robert D. Rati
Member since 1980. Served as President in 1997-98.

David R. Yeley
Member since 2016.

Dr. James P Fadely
Member since 1985. Served as President in 2015-16.

Eric A. Koch
Member since 2013.

Linda Saltzman McCall
Member since 2009.

William A. Rhodehamel
Member since 1985.
Pictures to be added shortly for the following members on the Board of Governors:
Roberta R. Caito – Member since 2003
MacKenzie Ulm Ledley – Member since 2011
Andrea D. Neal – Member since 2010
Julie H. Newhouse – Member since 2006 / Past President 2019-20
Dr. Kathy Parkison – Member since 2015
Charles E. Short – Member since 2016
Eric N. Ward – Member since 1983