A recent special award. All about genealogy knowledge and sharing

Once in a while, I get a surprise related to my work in genealogy. If you’ve read any of my biographical info on my website, when I am doing a presentation for a group, or have attended anytime I am teaching you may have figured out that I am a big proponent of continuing education. Not just in adult education in many areas, but especially in the fields of genealogy and history. I started offering the Minnesota Genealogical Society’s classes that were offered many years ago.

This past Halloween weekend was the annual North Star Conference of the Minnesota Genealogical Society. Prior to that I had received a letter from Mike Amidon, the society president, telling me about something at the Friday Awards event and social time. By the way, the appetizers were fantastic and we listened to the humorous but meaningful talk by Katherine Willson. Then came the Awards time.

I received the 2026 Minnesota Genealogy North Star Award for outstanding contributions to genealogical research, writing, and education. WOW. I am still blushing.

Jay Fonkert read some very kind words as Mike Amidon presented the certificate to me. Jay sent me his initial script but said he didn’t say all that exactly and added some things. Boy did he ever but neither of us recalls it all! Thank you to Jay, Mike, and the Awards Committee.

“ What can we say? Paula Stuart-Warren is a star! Yes, she has been a fixture in Minnesota genealogy since the 1980s, which means she started her genealogy career when she was about five years old! She is deservedly a Fellow of MGS. She is a long-term faculty member in the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy and the GRIP Genealogy Institute, which is now a program of the National Genealogical Society. She has been a board-certified genealogist since 1988 and is a Fellow of the Utah Genealogical Association, and won numerous other awards. She continues to teach both live and virtually across the country and here in Minnesota. Her website, Genealogy by Paula, is worth visiting. Paula indisputably is one of the best-known and highly regarded genealogy educators in America. Paula makes us proud!”