5 day Free access to military records on findmypast.com

Paula Stuart-Warren  findmypast.com, Military  Leave a comment

This great news about five days of free military records access was sent by findmypast.com

“In honor of Memorial Day on May 27, and in remembrance of all who died while serving our country, findmypast.com will offer its collection of U.S. and international military records for free in the days leading up to the national observance.

With more than 26 million U.S. and international military records available, findmypast.com is encouraging people to explore and learn about the heroic efforts of their ancestors this Memorial Day. Record sets such as ‘Draft Registration Cards,’ ‘Casualties Returned Alive,’ ‘POWs’ and others will offer a captivating glimpse into the lives and experiences of our veteran ancestors.

The US and International military records will be available free of charge starting at midnight EDT on Thursday, May 23 until midnight EDT on Monday, May 27. Anyone can access the records by registering for free at findmypast.com.” 

First-ever New York State Family History Conference September 20 and 21, 2013.

Paula Stuart-Warren  Conferences/Institutes, New York, New York Genealogical and Biographical Society  Leave a comment

This press release was received from the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society. I am honored to be among the speakers at this inaugural event. I have some brief New York ancestral connections, have researched that state for clients, and a fun research project on a relative’s family has been all over the state.

NEW YORK, NY, March 19, 2013 — The Central New York Genealogical Society and the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society are cosponsoring the first-ever statewide genealogical conference in New York.  The two-day conference will be held on September 20 and 21 at the Holiday Inn & Conference Center Liverpool, just outside Syracuse, New York.  Preconference research activities will be available on September 19.  Attendees will have an opportunity to advance their skills in researching

New York families and to build general skills through 20 lectures in two parallel tracks; two luncheons and a dinner, all with riveting speakers; and exhibits by vendors and societies. The Conference Program and exhibitor information may be found on the Conference website, www.NYSFHC.org.

New York State poses numerous challenges for even the most experienced family history researcher.  The New York State Family History Conference will break down research barriers and provide a forum that brings people together to share their research knowledge and problem-solving experiences and to collaborate on key research issues. Future conferences will be scheduled at regular intervals.The earlybird registration fee for the two-day Conference (excluding meals and printed syllabus) is $115 until July 1, after which it will be $140; members of the CNYGS or the NYG&B receive a $25 discount. Purchase tickets in the online store at www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org. 

Conference speakers include the top names in New York genealogy:  Blaine Bettinger, The Journal of Genetic Genealogy;  Ruth Carr, New York Public Library (retired);  Sachiko Clayton, New York Public Library;  Laura Murphy DeGrazia, CG, NYG&B Record; Stefani Evans, CG, National Genealogical Society; James D. Folts, New York State Archives;  Karen Mauer Green, CG, NYG&B Record;  Eric Grundset, Library of the Daughters of the American Revolution;  Terry Koch-Bostic, National Genealogical Society; Michael Leclerc, Mocavo; Joseph Lieby, Palatines to America German Genealogical Society;  Maira Liriano, New York Public Library;  Kathleen Roe, New York State Archives;  Paula Stuart-Warren, CG; and  D. Joshua Taylor, findmypast.com.

Sponsors of the conference include: findmypast.com, Mocavo, the National Genealogical Society, the New York Public Library, the Office of Cultural Education/New York State Education Department, and the William G. Pomeroy Foundation.

For more information on the host organizations, please visit their websites:

Online Finding Aids from the Minnesota Historical Society

Paula Stuart-Warren  Minnesota Historical Society  Leave a comment

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 but has been posting some on its website.

A few examples:

  • Thomas Scantlebury and Family: An Inventory of Their Papers
    U.S.-Dakota War reminiscences of a soldier in Company H of the Seventh Minnesota Infantry, accompanied by three diaries (1853-1857) and miscellaneous family information relating in part to the establishment of New Auburn (Sibley County), Minnesota.

Happy Birthday, Minnesota!

Paula Stuart-Warren  Hanley, Minnesota, Winona  Leave a comment

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 census as a farmhand in Winona County. He later lived in the city of Winona. His brother is also listed but in a different household.

The annual history tour that I take with my three youngest grandchildren will include Winona this summer. The 11 year old asked to visit all the addresses where his ancestors resided. I will be doing just that at 478 Wilson Street in Winona. I will also tell them about the Hanley family.

Great genealogy events on my schedule and hopefully yours!

Paula Stuart-Warren  Alien records; Citizenship and Immigration, Conferences/Institutes, Federation of Genealogical Societies  Leave a comment

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 WPA Historical Records Survey workers pre-WWII. You might be amazed at what they did for family historians. Register at www.friendsnas.org/webinarSch.htm
  • May 16, 7:00 p.m. St. Croix Valley Genealogical Society meeting at the public library in River Falls, Wisconsin. I will be presenting an interactive workshop on Research Planning. Pre-registration is not necessary. http://scvgs.wordpress.com/meetings/
  • June 7-9 is the 44th annual Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree plus the pre-event Family History and DNA day on June 6th. Last day for pre-registration is Friday, May 24th. I am attending the DNA day and taking part in six presentations at Jamboree. www.genealogyjamboree.org/
  •  July 21-26 is the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh. Some courses are full but others do have a few spots left. I coordinate and teach in the “Intermediate Course: Tools for Digging Deeper” and teach in the “Bridging the 1780-1840 Gap: From New England to the Midwest.”Hurry! The Early Bird deadline is May 15th. www.gripitt.org
  • August 21-24, Federation of Genealogical Societies 2013 Conference in Fort Wayne Indiana. I am co-chair of this event and will be doing three presentations. Join a fantastic group of speakers and volunteers for a great week of genealogical learning, extended hours at The Genealogy Center of the library, some fun social activities, and networking galore plus a large Exhibit Hall. Early Bird deadline is July 1st. (save $50!) https://www.fgsconference.org/
     
  •  September 20-21, the first statewide New York Family History Conference sponsored by the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society. A great event near Syracuse, NY with many speakers, activities, and exhibits. www.nysfhc.org/index.html for details.

    “Five years later, Iowa still in need of state archivist”

    Paula Stuart-Warren  Archives  1 Comment

    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 state in the nation without a state archivist and no pending action to fill the nearly five year vacancy.”

    I have researched at the state archives location in Des Moines and found it to be challenging. Equipment, finding aids, and records were all a challenge. Until recently the website lacked much as far as cataloging and is still far from helpful to people wishing to delve deeper into the history of Iowa and its people. I am sure it’s frustrating to the remaining staff who struggle to keep up.

    Hopefully those with the power to affect change will learn that the news is spreading and will work toward a solution. A great archivist and staff make all types of historical research so much easier. When I talk about Midwestern Research or about repositories of the Midwest, it’s difficult to include Iowa as there isn’t much that can be used for screen shots. Children with school assignments, news reporters, authors, genealogists, military researchers, history buffs, as well as Iowa history itself, need a leader to bring the state archives in Iowa up to snuff.

    Thankfully, there are many records filmed by the Family History Library and that provides a lot of help. Many local level courthouses and genealogical societies offer more help. 

    Read the entire article in the Press-Citizen.con.com here.

    Revisiting websites: Roselawn Cemetery, Roseville, MN

    Paula Stuart-Warren  Cemeteries, Stuart  Leave a comment

    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 Emma (Slaker) Stuart are buried with no headstones. The surprise is because Alex’s occupation in Minnesota, Kansas, Illinois, and Wisconsin was that of a tombstone carver. A distant cousin told me he did exquisite work. On that visit I never asked who owned the burial plots because silly me just assumed that the husband owned them.

    My late night rechecking of cemetery websites to see what is new brought me to a burial index on the Roselawn website. I did a search for Stuart and found this:

    Then I clicked and found this wonderful map showing the burials.The pink rectangles are the burials of Alex and Emma and their two adult unmarried daughters, Nellie and Louise. Imagine my surprise to see the names to the left of Louise. That is their another daughter, Florence, and her husband James A. Gordon. Checking them in the index I found that Emma owned their burial plots, too. Alexander had abandoned his family for many years. Family story has it that Emma was not easy to live with. Whatever the reason, Emma apparently was in charge of the finances. Now, where on earth did this woman get the money to purchase these spaces? Research finds always lead to more questions.

    The Harold and Hetty Stuart listed in the database are the son and daughter-in-law of Alex and Emma. Visit the Roselawn online records search here. http://www.roselawncemetery.com/

    Mocavo Announces Genealogy Karma

    Paula Stuart-Warren  Mocavo, volunteers  Leave a comment

    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 help genealogists collaborate with the genealogy community to document their research, while also offering genealogists a way to give back to a community that had helped them in the past. RAOGK quickly turned into a global organization. The group’s volunteers were able to help thousands of genealogists make progress in their family history research.

    The ROAGK website went offline in 2011 because of a computer disaster. Sadly, Bridgett Schneider passed away later that year, and the website was never able to come back online. In tribute to Bridgett and Doc Schneider and all of the participants in RAOGK, many volunteers have created programs similar to ROAGK to help bring together the expertise of the genealogy community. Doc and Bridgett’s legacy and the efforts of thousands of volunteers inspired us to create a place for researchers to come together and collaborate to help other members of the genealogical community.  

    Today, at Mocavo, we are excited to announce the launch of Genealogy Karma. Modeled after Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness, we hope to empower the Mocavo community and connect researchers all around the country. If you’re looking for documents, records, or photos from an ancestor who lived far away, we will connect you with family history volunteers who can do this research for you in other cities. Likewise, if you’d like to give back to the Mocavo community and have a little time to donate, you can sign up as a volunteer.”

    To learn more and for directions, visit www.mocavo.com/karma

    Disclosure: Mocavo has provided me with access to Mocavo Plus.

    Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh Savings Ends May 15th

    Paula Stuart-Warren  Conferences/Institutes, Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh, GRIP  Leave a comment

    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!

    There are still a few spots left in some courses. The week begins late afternoon on Sunday, July 21st and ends at noon on Friday, July 26th.

    I coordinate and teach in Intermediate Genealogy: Tools for Digging Deeper.  In this course we have a lot of interaction and students have the opportunity to submit a problem of their own for discussion. Debbie Mieszala, CG, and D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS are the other instructors.

    I am also teaching in the Bridging the 1780-1840 Gap: From New England to the Midwest coordinated by Josh Taylor.

    Registration and payment no later than May 15th gives you a $35.00 savings. Check it out now at http://www.gripitt.org/

    One Billion mark for FamilySearch.org

    Paula Stuart-Warren  FamilySearch, Indexes  Leave a comment


    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 of 2006. We are grateful for the many volunteers who dedicate their time and efforts to make these records freely available for online research.

    Kenneth B. (California, United States), Brittney S. (Idaho, United States), and April R. (Alberta, Canada) were the lucky ones to index and arbitrate the billionth record! They will receive a FamilySearch backpack stuffed with FamilySearch goodies. We also want to thank all the volunteers who have contributed to the billion records with a FamilySearch indexing badge.

    It took us seven years to reach the first billion. How long do you think it will take us to reach the next billion? The advances of technology and the dedication of our volunteers have increased the speed in which we can process and deliver records for publication. Join the global effort to make the next billion records available for family history research. Start indexing now! familysearch.org/indexing”

    Have you helped with indexing records? It really isn’t difficult. Well, there are some tough to read records, but most aren’t that bad. You receive access to an easy-to-fill-in indexing form. I will be back to helping with the indexing next fall after I am finished with the work of co-chairing the 2013 FGS Conference. Anyone can contribute, we don’t need to be members of the Mormon Church. We all benefit.