June 2, 2017, and 18 years later still genealogy blogging

Paula Stuart-Warren  Blogs  , ,  5 Comments

18 years of my own blog preceded by many previous years of blogging and other writing for the former Federation of Genealogical Societies. I am not a daily blogger. My client consultations and research and webinars pay the bills. I only have a couple affiliate connections where I received minor sums for promotion. Those posts are rare and are identified as affiliates. If I receive a book for review, I will note that it was sent for that purpose.

My blog posts cover a variety of topics and I appreciate my readers whether you subscribe or just check it often. I appreciate others who promote some of my blog posts on social media. Gail Dever, you are wonderful with your Genealogy à la carte and social media posts championing other bloggers.

Don’t forget to read what other bloggers write. General genealogy, specific locales, and particular record type blogs are useful. Some blogs are authored by staff members at historical societies, archives, and libraries.

If you ever see something incorrect in a post, let me know. Everyone can learn something new or different.

Thank you for my 18 years and here’s to many more.

 

 

June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada

Paula Stuart-Warren  Canada, Indigenous People, Native American  , , , , ,  Leave a comment

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

Paula Stuart-Warren  GRIP, GRIP Genealogy Institute  , ,  Leave a comment

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

Paula Stuart-Warren  DNA  ,  Leave a comment

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!

Paula Stuart-Warren  Institutes, Minnesota Genealogical Society  , ,  Leave a comment

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

Paula Stuart-Warren  Uncategorized  , ,  Leave a comment

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

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

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

Paula Stuart-Warren  Uncategorized  , , , ,  Leave a comment

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

Paula Stuart-Warren  Military, MyHeritage  ,  Leave a comment

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

Paula Stuart-Warren  City directories, GRIP Genealogy Institute, Hennepin County  , , , , , ,  2 Comments

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