One of my favorite blog topics was in an email press release today. “WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 22, 2026) —The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) today announced $41.4 million in grants for 81 humanities projects across the country. These include an online version of Noah Webster’s 1806 and 1828 dictionaries, a new permanent exhibition at […]
I’ve attended a couple events sponsored by the Saint Paul Police Historical Society. I have collateral relatives who served their communities in law enforcement roles here in Minnesota. Does your family have a police officer or other law enforcement official in the past? Check for a police or sheriff historical society. Some offer a website, […]
Some major events coming up. Click on the links to learn more and to register. Additional ones can be found by clicking on the Speaking tab above. August 6-9, 2026. Virtual Conference. PaGE. Pennsylvania’s Genealogy Event! Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. Topics on Pennsylvania records, religions, and regions, military, immigration, and occupations. 32 top speakers! My […]
Do you know why it’s called the North Star conference? Time for some online sleuthing to figure out why. Registration is now open for the 2026 North Star Genealogy Conference and pre-conference, to be held October 29-31, 2026, at the Eagan Community Center in Eagan, Minnesota., ALL of this is included in your conference registration! […]
Press release today from the B&O Railroad Museum as it changes its name and expands the focus of the museum. I have some presentations related to railroad history and records online and offline that I was planning to enhance for 2027 and some for the autumn of 2026.. ime to update some slides and handouts […]
I will be one of the volunteers at the event on Friday, July 3, 2026 during the afternoon as we share about tracing family history, answer questions, and celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence!
Indexes, transcripts, and added knowledge are great to find in our family history endeavors. In Minnesota, we have a unique collection that fits that sentence. Do you know about the Dalby Database? Many years ago I discovered this as I was working on my Faribault, Rice County, Minnesota Cooks. My Great Grandfather, John Thomas Cook, […]
In the midst of my moving, my daughter’s moving, and the new great grandson, our family has suffered a sad loss. My baby sister passed away this past weekend. Sheila Anne Stuart, Mom, Grandma, Daughter, Sister, and Aunt. April 8, 1954 – June 6, 2026. Her many health issues are no longer causing her pain […]
Only 2 weeks left to register for the June 22-26 virtual “Digging Deeper: Records, Tools, & Skills” virtual blockbuster course. I lead this long running course and teach along with 4 specialists in the field of genealogy. We cover 19-21st century US records, online resources, “hidden” records, analysis, & methodology. This course can prepare you […]
June 2, 2007. Seems so long ago that I began this blog. It was 19 years ago and that means next year will be the 20th Anniversary of this blog. I haven’t been blogging much over the last two months. The reasons are many and diverse.