The Church of St. Peter in Mendota was the first Catholic parish in Minnesota and the first church building was a log cabin. The “historic church” that still stands was built in 1853 and it overlooks the Minnesota River. My late in-laws were married in the historic church on June 6, 1943. It’s a really […]
When I did the Native American course for Ancestry, I truthfully stated that there were 566 federally recognized tribes in the United States. A few others are recognized by states and many are trying to obtain federal recognition. It’s a long process that requires extensive research. Some of the Bureau of Indian Affairs guidelines have […]
The War of 1812 Pension and Bounty Land Records are filled with family details. These records are housed at the National Archives in Washington, DC. Unfortunately, they are in deteriorating condition. William Lamson served in the War of 1812 in a New York militia unit led by Captain Cornelius Dubois. His War of 1812 Pension […]
Downsizing is always tough. Getting rid of paper is tough. Scanning is preserving some of it. I am gradually doing this and printed words from the past that I find bring joy, sadness, and laughter. A marriage license, report cards, greeting cards with special messages, poetry someone wrote for me, photos from high school, notes […]
Hot off the Press — a neat press release from Findmypast. Another reason to love our libraries. I share this as an Ambassador for Findmypast. Findmypast Community Edition Now Available to U.S. Libraries Findmypast, a global leader in family history, announces the availability of a library edition within the United States Provides access for libraries, […]
Just one more day until registration opens for the January 2016 Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy aka SLIG. The 21st year of SLIG will take place from January 11-15, 2016 with 13 courses. Registration online will open on Saturday, June 20, 2016, 9:00 am MDT (8 PDT, 10 CDT, 11, EDT, and corresponding times in […]
Yellow. That was my Mom’s favorite color. Today would have been her 89th birthday. I grew up in a yellow house with a yellow fence. I helped repaint that house and fence many times. When I was a child she even had a yellow convertible. She had a favorite yellow suit. I remember other yellow […]
This is Part 4 of an ongoing series of posts about great online resources from historical societies, archives, libraries, and other places around Minnesota. Don’t forget to check the websites of these organizations for lists, catalogs, and finding aids that tell you about the other extensive research resources that need to be used in person. […]
The guest author post on the Ancestry blog today is by me. It’s a short piece about tracing Native American Ancestry and links to my Ancestry Academy course on the same subject. It’s really tough to say all you want to share in a limited number of words! That’s why it links to the fuller […]
In 1982 or 1983, I joined the German branch of the Minnesota Genealogical Society. It was already a force in the world of Germanic research. It has become a separate entity, the Germanic Genealogy Society, with a worldwide presence. I am proud to be a member of the group of the forefront of this new […]