When is the last time you checked the wonderful online finding aids for many of the collections at the Minnesota Historical Society? Of course, there’s the library catalog, general descriptions of collections, and paragraphs describing various types of records, but have you seen the detailed inventories for others? MHS has many in-house comprehensive finding aids […]
Why is it that some dates just stick in our minds? For me, one is the date of Minnesota statehood. On May 11, 1858 Minnesota became the 32nd state in the United States. That’s 155 years ago. One of my great grandfathers, Michael Hanley, had already arrived in Minnesota Territory. He is on the 1857 […]
I am involved with several wonderful genealogy events that are taking place in the coming months. This means many registration deadlines. May 14, 1:00 p.m., CDT, Friends of the National Archives – Southeast Region webinar. Join me from the comfort of your own home as I tell you about the wonderful things created by the […]
My news feed had that headline to an article this morning. The article states “Recent data compiled by the Council of State Archivists, a national organization of state records executives, indicates that Iowa ranks near the bottom of the nation’s 50 states in its commitment to state records preservation. In fact, Iowa is the only […]
The value of rechecking websites you have visited before has proven quite valuable to me in recent months. I visited Roselawn Cemetery here in Roseville, Minnesota back in the 1980s after learning that my paternal Stuart great grandparents were buried there. I have written and lectured before at the surprise that was there. Alexander and […]
I received this press release on Friday from Mocavo about a brand new volunteer effort. “Mocavo Announces Genealogy Karma Back in 1999, a fantastic resource was established to bring together members of the genealogy community all around the world. The brainchild of Bridgett and Doc Schneider, Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness (RAOGK) was created to […]
It doesn’t feel like May for some of us, but it truly is here. Are you thinking about attending the 2013 Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh? It was a blast last year. We had fun in the dorms, in the cafeteria, and worked hard in the classrooms. The reviews after last July’s GRIP were fantastic! […]
Can you believe it? A press release from FamilySearch on Monday announced a historic milestone. I am proud to have been a part of it. “Thank you for contributing to the billion! We did it! We reached a major milestone of one billion records indexed and arbitrated since the launch of FamilySearch indexing in September […]
Do you know about the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh? There’s something for everyone this year. Six courses, great instructors, and time for intense networking and even some fun. GRIP 2013 will commence in less than 100 days. It begins the evening of Sunday, July 21 and end at noon on Friday, July 26. There […]
That is the title of an article in today’s online Star-Tribune. I know from my own experience that not all family members want to hang on to furniture, dishes, and other items. The sentences that really hit me are “Even highly personal items, such as scrapbooks, letters and photos, are now being shed. “We’re surprised,” […]