June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada

June already? One of my nephews turns 45 today. Two of my children have birthdays in the next couple of weeks. June is also a month for honoring some specific groups among us. Canada begins National Indigenous History Month and on June 21st honors National Indigenous Peoples Day. A large part of my genealogy and history research and teaching business is dedicated to indigenous individuals, families, and tribes. Especially along the U.S. and Canada border, that means research in both countries with many family connections. This press release tells more about why Canada celebrates this month.

“OTTAWA, ON, June 1, 2025 /CNW/ – Today, I join Canadians from across the nation in celebrating the beginning of National Indigenous History Month.

Our rich and diverse stories—and the resilience and wisdom they embody—have profoundly shaped this land and our national identity. I am encouraged to see more and more Canadians listening and learning from these powerful narratives.

Every day, we deepen our understanding of our national history and uncover new truths through the stories of Indigenous peoples, including Survivors of residential schools. Some of these stories contain unspeakable pain, loss of culture and of language, but also tremendous courage and determination.

Only by understanding the impacts of our history can we take meaningful steps toward reconciliation and build a more inclusive society for the future. History is being written every day, and with their incredible achievements and positive contributions, Indigenous peoples are writing new chapters that are shaping a vibrant and successful future we can be proud of.

On this month and every month, let us honour our past and embrace the history, knowledge and traditions of our First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities.

Mary Simon.”

 

 

A great week of virtual learning awaits genealogists of all levels but hurry to sign up

One month from now, you’ll be sitting in your most comfortable chair and reading through the fabulous syllabus that accompanied the virtual GRIP Genealogy Institute course “BEYOND Digging Deeper: Sources, Methods, and Practices.” It will be the day AFTER the course ends. But, only if you have registered and attended this online course! It’s not the same as the other GRIP course previously offered, Digging Deeper, because we are going BEYOND that. These courses operate separately and may be taken in any order.

Not registered yet? From June 22-27, Join me and Amy E. K. Arner, CG; Cyndi Ingle; Teresa S. McMillin, CG; Debbie Mieszala, CG; Kimberly T. Powell, AG; and Cari Taplin, CG, as we delve into additional essential record types and provide sessions showing the research process and effective use of tools. This course features hands-on creation of research questions, research plans, and research reports with our guidance. Application of the methodology learned will be put into practice throughout the week. Education, camaraderie, some laughs, networking, and eye-opening learning that can’t be beat! AND the sessions are recorded and available for 2 weeks afterward.

CHECK OUT THE DETAILS https://grip.ngsgenealogy.org/courses/beyond-digging-deeper-sources-methods-and-practices/
 
 

23andMe DNA company to be sold and continue privacy policies

Today’s AP News (Associated Press) carried a report on the 23andMe DNA company. “Biotechnology company Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is buying 23andMe for $256 million, two months after the genetic testing company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.”

Be sure to scroll down the page to read all parts of the article including this important paragraph. “Regeneron said Monday that it will comply with 23andMe’s privacy policies and applicable law, process all customer personal data in accordance with the consents, privacy policies and statements, terms of service, and notices currently in effect and have security controls in place designed to protect such data.”

https://apnews.com/article/regeneron-23andme-genetic-testing-bankruptcy-65490338bd5863231af6aa87ea426326

 

 

Upper Midwest family genealogy connections? Join us for a new institute, UMGI!

August 8-9, 2025. Two-day in-person Institute as part of the Minnesota Genealogical Society‘s education programs. The NEW Upper Midwest Genealogical Institute (UMGI)! Join us for this special institute and related activities held at the Midwest Genealogy Center in the Saint Paul suburb of Mendota Heights. Free parking, an extensive syllabus, comfortable classroom, and a pizza fest. Along with other knowledgeable presenters, I am presenting two sessions.

  • Finding and Using Manuscripts, Special Collections, and Repositories (All in the upper Midwest.)
  • .Upper Midwest Military Records (Interesting records before, during, and after military service.)

Full details https://mngs.org/upper-midwest-genealogy-institute.

 

 

 

U.S. National Archives free online genealogy presentations

Press release info from the U.S. National Archives. “This year’s #Genealogy Series begins TODAY, May 13! Join us for a series of five presentations, all free and available on YouTube, by experts on US National Archives staff. See the full list of times and topics: https://www.archives.gov/calendar/genealogy-series/2025.” Missed today’s? Catch up on these and past years on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=national+archives

 

 

The first Maternity Hospital in Minneapolis, Part 2

For Part 2, this is an exercise in following up on something written or told to you. Where should we look for additional information on the general topic or specific item. Because the newspaper article discussed in my blog post of May 10th was referring to a Minnesota place, I began some searching for more information in Minnesota repositories. The following items are only some of the information and links I found that relate to that first Maternity Hospital.

Minnesota Historical Society, Saint Paul, Minnesota https://www.mnhs.org/

Ripley Memorial Foundation Hospital and foundation records. https://www2.mnhs.org/library/Ripley Memorial Foundation Hospital and foundation records.

Minnesota. Department of Human Services. Adoption Unit. Minnesota. Department of Human Services. Adoption Unit. (Note: Many data access restrictions.) https://www2.mnhs.org/library/findaids/dhs022.xml#a8

Library and Archives Catalog for several books and collections about Martha Ripley and the hospital.  https://mnpals-mhs.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?vid=01MNPALS_MHS:MHS&lang=en

Minnesota History: The Quarterly of the Minnesota Historical Society index. https://mnhs.gitlab.io/archive/minnesotahistory/index/indexr.html Click on the linked volume and page numbers to read the items for free.

The MNHS Library and Archives Catalog also shows several books and other collections about Martha Ripley and the hospital.  https://mnpals-mhs.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?vid=01MNPALS_MHS:MHS&lang=en

Minnesota History: The Quarterly of the Minnesota Historical Society index. https://mnhs.gitlab.io/archive/minnesotahistory/index/indexr.html Click on the linked volume and page numbers to read the items for free. 


Read the full James Lileks article here https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-first-maternity-hospital-was-a-savior-for-unmarried-mothers-and-unwanted-babies/601344982

Part 3? In a few days!

 

 

The first Maternity Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Part 1

The 10 May 2025 Minnesota Star Tribune has an interesting article titled “Minneapolis’ first maternity hospital in 1886 was a savior for unmarried mothers and unwanted babies.” The subtitle says “Founder Martha Ripley was not only an obstetrician but also a mother figure to the women and infants at the facility.”

The article by long-time writer for the newspaper, James Lileks, is full of information about her, the hospital, and its evolution into related care.

“Mothers of the early- to mid-19th century had a wide choice of places to give birth — the bedroom, the living room, the spare room, the kitchen. Births, after all, happened at home. But what if one had no home? Where could the poor or unmarried expectant mothers go? Options were few until a maverick doctor created Minneapolis’ first maternity hospital.”

The specific phrase “unwanted babies” is somewhat erroneous. My belief is that some of those babies were definitely wanted by the mothers of all ages. Family and societal pressures plus financial and housing issues were some reasons that some birth mothers were forced to give their child up for adoption. I have attended lectures on the general subject and the reasons are numerous for giving up the babies. Martha Ripley helped the birth mothers in many way, more than only delivering babies.

My interest in history and genealogy immediately sent me to ArchiveGrid to locate possible manuscript collections related to Dr. Ripley and the hospital.

 

Part 2 of my blog post will appear tomorrow, 11 May, with many more connections to records and books. In the meantime, read the full article https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-first-maternity-hospital-was-a-savior-for-unmarried-mothers-and-unwanted-babies/601344982

 

MyHeritage honors 80th anniversary of VE Day with free access to WW II collections

From the MyHeritage Blog: “On May 8, 1945, World War II came to an end in Europe. Known as VE Day — Victory in Europe Day — it marks the official surrender of Nazi Germany and the beginning of the end of the most devastating conflict in modern history. This year marks the 80th anniversary of that historic moment. At MyHeritage, we’re taking the opportunity to reflect, remember, and help people everywhere reconnect with the stories of those who lived through it. To commemorate VE Day, MyHeritage is offering free access to all collections related to World War II during May 7–11, 2025. Whether your relatives served in the military, worked behind the scenes, or were affected by the war in other ways, this is your chance to uncover their stories through historical records.”

To view the long list of records available, check the MyHeritage blog: https://blog.myheritage.com/2025/05/honoring-the-80th-anniversary-of-ve-day-with-free-access-to-wwii-records/

 

 

 

 

More Minneapolis and Hennepin County City Directories Now Online

Exciting news from the Hennepin County Library System! More online and free city directories have been added for Minneapolis and other cities in Hennepin County, Minnesota. The following can now be accessed from the already valuable online collection.

  • Bloomington, 1963-1966
  • Brooklyn Center, 1966-1982
  • Brooklyn Park, 1964-1980
  • Crystal, 1969-1983
  • Edina, 1941-1977
  • Golden Valley, 1951-1981
  • Hopkins, 1942-1977
  • Lake Minnetonka, 1940-1977
  • Minneapolis, 1859-1963
  • Morningside, 1962-1966
  • New Hope/Plymouth/Wayzata, 1964-1983
  • Osseo/Maple Grove, 1977-1982
  • Richfield, 1950-1976
  • Robbinsdale/Crystal, 1937-1981
  • Louis Park, 1933-1977

This announcement fits into one of the sessions I am teaching online June 23-27 . It’s part of GRIP Genealogy Institute and share about ways to learn things like this even before many others know about it! “Mining the Written Words of Repositories, Societies, and their Staff” is just one of the amazing sessions being offered in the virtual course, “Beyond Digging Deeper: Sources, Methods, and Practices.” More details at https://grip.ngsgenealogy.org/courses/beyond-digging-deeper-sources-methods-and-practices/

 

Oh, and the link to view the city directories is https://box2.nmtvault.com/Hennepin2/jsp/RcWebBrowse.jsp

 

 

 

Debuting 2025–2026 NEW Half-Day Single Topic Virtual Seminars

I love my webinar audiences. They listen and learn for an hour and then have great questions and comments that I love to address then or research more after the webinar. Questions at the end of some one-hour presentations show me that more info is needed on certain subjects. Commenters say “you didn’t mention” or “did you know about” and that tells me I need to expand on certain subjects. I have files and files of the information from my research but one hour doesn’t always allow for more to be included. I have a plan to remedy that.

In January 2025, I presented a half-day seminar on railroad records for the Peoria, Illinois, Public Library. It was accompanied by a handout totaling 22 pages. As that seminar did and any that I offer will have:

.• Background info on the subject
• What the records include
• Methodology for finding and using the records discussed
• Details on specialized finding aids to locate records
• A section related to the state or region in which the sponsoring organization is located
• Some have mini case studies related to the topic
• Time for questions, comments, and any warranted discussion


An extended handout for these events, covers all these sections with reminders of the content, tips, suggested books and articles on the topic, website links, and a section covering the region in which the virtual seminar is being presented. Handout distribution is sometime reserved for host organization members per the choice of the organization, especially if registration for the seminar is free. It’s a member benefit.

Whether the half-day seminar will be offered free or will have a cost to register is also the choice of the sponsoring organization and their budget. Education is not always free.

When an organization contacts me about doing a virtual presentation, I email a detailed set of details on my presentation services and the fees for different types of presentations and recording availability. I have updated that to reflect the NEW offering of a half-day seminar on one topic. More topics will be added later.

So, what are the initial half-day seminar topics?

  • Research in Railroad Records and Railroad History: Methods for Tracking Workers

  • The WPA Era? A New Deal of a Free Records Boon from the Government

  • Sources and Methods for Researching Native American Connections

  • Finding Astounding Family and Business Details in Manuscripts and Special Collections Repositories

 

Genealogical, historical, business, and community organizations may email me at PaulaStuartWarren at gmail.com for this information. Please provide me with some options as to when you might wish to schedule so I can check my calendar. I have open times throughout May-December of 2025 and into 2026