Cafes in cemeteries: will the idea come to the U.S.?

Paula Stuart-Warren  Cemeteries  1 Comment

I love this idea. A story on the ABC News website “Dead Good Coffee: Cemetery Cafes Gain Popularity” tells about a new trend in Europe. Coffee cafes in cemeteries are attracting a wide variety of customers. A visit before or after visiting the graves of our ancestors might soothe the nerves. A group of genealogists transcribing the words on tombstones could have a mid-morning coffee break together. When the other customers ask what the group is doing, we could spread the word about our society.

I haven’t heard of any such cafes in the U.S. but I can think of some perfect places for them. Many cemeteries are extremely picturesque and would provide a perfect backdrop while sipping a hot drink. It might even bring in some extra funds for struggling cemeteries. Okay, Roselawn, Calvary, Resurrection,
Elmhurst, and Forest Lawn here in the St. Paul area, how about it? I want to visit my relatives in your cemeteries, and stop for a cup of hot tea and think good thoughts about them. Somehow I don’t see the national cemeteries such as Fort Snelling doing this but maybe my parents and my in-laws can put in a good word with the workers cutting the grass and shoveling snow around their resting places.

The article tells how the cafes are pretty much home-spun and not interfering with the solemnity of the cemetery. They provide rest rooms, a place for mourners to meet, and just might make a cemetery visit less traumatic for some.

To read the story, click here.

$2.3 Million in National Archives Grants for Historical Records Projects

Paula Stuart-Warren  National Archives  Leave a comment

I received this press release from the National Archives yesterday. The projects include some wonderful one that will aid family historians!

Washington, DC… Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero has awarded 44 grants totaling $2,283,079 in Federal funds for archives and publishing projects in 32 states, territories, and the District of Columbia.  The National Archives grants program is carried out through the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).  A complete list of the new grants is online at www.archives.gov/nhprc/awards/awards-11-13.html

Publishing grants totaling $1.1 million went to nine publishing projects from the U.S. Colonial and Early National Period, including the papers of Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Adams, Thomas
Jefferson, James Madison, Dolley Madison, and John Jay.  Projects to record the Documentary History of the Ratification of the U.S. Constitution and the Documentary History of the First Federal Congress also received funding.

Grants totaling nearly $700,000 went for State and National Archives Partnership (SNAP) grants to enable 28 state historical records advisory boards to carry out their mission to support archival education and strengthen the nation’s archival network.

Digitizing Historical Records grants, totaling over $500,000, went to seven projects to digitize World War II Oral History files; the papers of Leo Szilard, the nuclear physicist; the papers of General Oliver Otis Howard,  Civil War general, Commissioner of the Freedman’s Bureau, and third president of Howard University; Historical Collective Bargaining Agreements from the 1880s through the 1980s; the Center for Jewish History’s American Soviet Jewry Movement collections; Early Connecticut manuscripts; and 19th century trademark files in the California Archives, including the original trademarks and specimens from Levi Strauss & Co. jeans, 19th century medicines and tonics, and the original trademark registered to Anheuser Busch for its Budweiser lager. 

The Archivist also announced that the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference has awarded its 2013 Herbert C. Finch Online Publication Award to the NHPRC for the development of Founders Online (founders.archives.gov), an innovative database of the papers of America’s Founders. The Finch Award was established to honor the memory of the former Assistant Director of Cornell University Libraries.

A family genealogical connection to Chicago’s Soldier Field

Paula Stuart-Warren  Chicago, Stuart  Leave a comment

One of my favorite lectures to present during seminars is “Your Anytime Library: Success in the Virtual Stacks.” It’s about finding digitized records, books, pamphlets, and periodicals while lounging in your own home. So much has been placed online that we get excited about it. The number of websites with such material is growing by the day as are the individual collections already online. Each time I present it, the handout needs to be extensively updated to keep up with all the changes. As I say in my preface to the lecture: “Peruse books at any hour without starting the car or breaking into the library? Add newspapers, documents, family trees, pension records, periodicals, and more to the accessible items and you might be housebound for days (months?).”

I periodically check these sites for my family surnames and localities to see if anything new has been added. Tonight I spent extra time on one specific person, my Great Granduncle James Edward Stuart (1842-1931). I have posted about him before. At times he seems to be everywhere online. He was a Brigadier General, served on active duty in three wars, and was Chief Inspector for the Postal Service in Chicago. I have stories about him that don’t appear online and I may not share them for a long time!

Tonight I found a connection that would have thrilled my late father. Ol’ Jim Stuart was part of the ceremony when Soldier Field in Chicago received its current name. Soldier Field is the home of the Chicago Bears. It seems particularly fitting to find this bit of history in a week when the Chicago Bears will be playing the Minnesota Vikings. Alas, they are playing here at the Metrodome and not at Soldier Field. On a future trip to Chicago, I just might take a tour of Soldier Field now that I have a connection and know more about its name.

I found this on Hathitrust.org and the digitized and searchable book is Chicago’s Great Century, 1833-1933, by Henry Justin Smith. (page 176, Chicago: Consolidated Publishers, 1933).

Appalachian research collection accepted at University of Kentucky

Paula Stuart-Warren  Appalachia, Kentucky  Leave a comment

National Public Radio station WUKY at the University of Kentucky is reporting that the papers of  “distinguished Appalachian history professor, Ron Eller who’s retiring from UK at the end of the academic year” have been accepted in the Special Collections Library.

Click here to read the story. I imagine it will be some time before the collection is open to researchers. In the meantime, I will just dream of the Kentucky gems I might find in his papers.

Local historical society blogs are gems

Paula Stuart-Warren  Blogs, Historical Societies  Leave a comment

Have you checked for blogs written by staff at the city and county historical societies in ancestral localities? You might find one for a place where you lived as a child. These cover a variety of topics including photos of people and places, overviews of research collections, local historical events, biographical notes on local families, historical sites, history of area buildings, cemeteries, churches, and  local disasters.

Recent FamilySearch Digital Updates

Paula Stuart-Warren  FamilySearch  Leave a comment

Every time I look at the digitized images on FamilySearch.org I find something new. A recent press release reported “FamilySearch has added more than 135 million indexed records and images from Brazil, Canada, England, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, and the United States. Notable collection updates include the 1,227,603 indexed records from the new Canada Census, 1911, collection, the 949,214 indexed records and images from the Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Immigration Cards, 1900-1965, collection, and the 132,330,416 indexed records from the United States Public Records Index .”

The updates also include material from England, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, and from Indiana and other states. Search these collections and more than 3.5 billion other records for free at FamilySearch.org. I find a lot of current day connections via the Public Records Index.

SLIG & Halloween mean 10% savings. Plus the Family History Library!

Paula Stuart-Warren  Family History Library, Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, SLIG  Leave a comment

It might be Halloween, but more importantly for genealogists, it’s the last day to save at least 10% on registration for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. Mark 13-17 January 2014 on your calendar and then visit www.slig.ugagenealogy.org. to register. Several courses still have open spots.

Still thinking about registering? Do it today and save money. Join the sponsor society, the Utah Genealogical Association, and save even more. Don’t forget that the Family History Library is there, too! I hope to see you in Course 1, American Research and Records. I coordinate this course. The consultations and private computer lab will all take place at the Family History Library. All regular classes take place at the Radisson Hotel.

Instructors:
Debra Mieszala CG
Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, FUGA, FMGS
D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS,

This intermediate level course provides in-depth learning on 19th-21st century U.S. resources and the methodology for using them. The 2014 course focuses on topics more related to researching families and individuals. Informative and interactive classroom hours delve into significant records and strategies that take you beyond basic research tools both online and off. On-site FHL library support and a computer lab from course instructors provide one-on-one assistance and guidance with your own research. This course alternates years with a course focused on localities. Prerequisites: experience researching in a variety of repositories, familiarity with FamilySearch.org and other websites, and previous class room learning related to family history. 

The full lineup appears on the SLIG website. www.slig.ugagenealogy.org

The Minnesota Genealogical Society Co-Sponsors Hennepin County Library Family History Fair

Paula Stuart-Warren  Hennepin County, Lectures, Libraries, Minnesota Genealogical Society  Leave a comment

Join us Saturday, October 26 at Minneapolis Central Library from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for the 4th annual Hennepin County Library Family History Fair.

Nationally known Minnesota genealogist, Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, FMGS, FUGA, starts off the day with a keynote address, Check it Out! Public Library “Musts” for Genealogists.

Paula’s talk is followed by three rounds of short breakout sessions presented by local genealogists.  Breakout round 1 features Finding Family in the Federal Census from Lois Abromitis Mackin and Faith
of Our Fathers: Using Religious Records in Genealogical Research from Trudi Campbell. Breakout round 2 features Digging Up Clues in the Cemetery from David W. Suddarth and Going Beyond Online Databases from Alice Eichholz, Ph.D., CG.  Breakout round 3 features Fun Ways to Share Family History from Linda Coffin and Hello, My Name is FamilySearch.org, Have We Met? from Kim Ashford.

The presentations are just part of the Family History Fair story. Over 25 genealogical, historical, and heritage groups, including MGS, will be at the fair to show and tell what they do.  Groups exhibiting include African-American, Czechoslovak, Civil War, Finnish, cemetery, Germanic, Irish, Italian, Norwegian-American, Polish, Pommern, Welsh, Swedish, Slovenian, and West Indian/Caribbean, as well as several lineage societies.  The MGS exhibits will include a selection of genealogy books for purchase, as well as copies of the Minnesota research QuickGuide.

Preregistration is strongly suggested to make sure you get in! Preregister here.

Minnesota Historical Society website and preservation

Paula Stuart-Warren  Minnesota Historical Society, Preservation  Leave a comment

The Minnesota Historical Society’s website has many great features. I have blogged about some of these. Scroll down the right side of this blog to see the index to past posts.

One of the important sections is “Preserve Your Family Treasures” which I have found to be quite helpful. The topics discussed are oral histories, letters and papers, organizing family papers, photographs, metals, and textiles.


Click here to learn more about taking care of your family artifacts and history.

Your story could be on Genealogy Roadshow!

Paula Stuart-Warren  Genealogy Roadshow  Leave a comment

I hope you have watched the first three episodes of Genealogy Roadshow that have been on PBS. The fourth show is this Monday evening, October 14. It’s been an interesting series. Of course, it’s not directed at any of us who are truly experienced researchers but it does feature interesting stories and people. Hundreds of research hours happened behind the scenes to prove or disprove the stories handed down in families. I hope that viewers not previously bitten by the genealogy bug are thinking about their own family details and about possible research. It’s like Antiques Roadshow in that it has short sequences that give an overview of the story and research result. Our family stories may not end up being worth thousands of dollars like some of the antiques, but are probably more valuable in our hearts.

Maybe your own family story would be of interest to the producers as they work on a second season? Now’s the time to submit it. 

Click here to access the submission form. The website states “the Expert genealogists will uncover rich and surprising history about the people and places that make up our incredibly diverse and fascinating country.”

I have to admit I have enjoyed seeing my friends Josh and Kenyatta as the hosts and have recognized several colleagues in the audiences.