Hey genealogy enthusiasts! Join us in June for Digging Deeper: Records, Tools, and Skills

Paula Stuart-Warren  Education  , , ,  Leave a comment

Why join us before the seats are filled? This long-standing course speaks for itself and the evaluations from past students in this “beyond the basics course tell the story.” GRIP Genealogy Institute is the place to register. https://grip.ngsgenealogy.org/courses/digging-deeper-records-tools-and-skills/

  1. Instructors who bring many years and areas of knowledge and experience.
  2. Hands-on participation with delving into document analysis, research planning, citing sources, solving long-term research issues.
  3. Learning more about records, more places to find them, and interpreting what they show.
  4. It’s not the basic obits, marriages, or censuses, but more of the stories behind them, taking a second or third look at the nuances, and adding more record types to your research plan.
  5. We may help solve one of your own research struggles. Registrants will receive details on that.
  6. It’s a fun week, too. Time for interaction with the instructors and other students.
  7. Join us this June from your own computer!


Don’t forget! https://grip.ngsgenealogy.org/courses/digging-deeper-records-tools-and-skills/



More genealogy education: Online study groups for Mastering Genealogical Documentation

Paula Stuart-Warren  Education  ,  Leave a comment

Have you heard about these study groups? Ideal way to improve your documentation of research results while wearing your slippers. These offer great discussions to help you.

Registration is now open for the Mastering Genealogical Documentation Study Group with Cyndi Ingle! Wednesdays at Noon Pacific or Saturdays at 10am Pacific. This will be a beginner/low-intermediate level class to study the book Mastering Genealogical Documentation by Thomas W. Jones. We will cover the principles outlined in the book as well as discuss the workbook questions. More details: https://genealogypants.com/studygroups/


2024 MGD Noon PST, Apr-Jun (Wednesdays)
April 10 – Jun 5, 2024 (8 weeks) – skipping the week of Apr 24th
Registration, US$95, https://square.link/u/tWZQoWPI


2024 MGD 10am PST, Apr-Jun (Saturdays)
April 13 – Jun 8, 2024 (8 weeks) – skipping the week of Apr 27th
Registration, US$95, https://square.link/u/RMaCXRBL


(You may know Cyndi as the creator, keeper, and updater of all those genealogy and history links on https://www.cyndislist.com.)




Minnesota’s Public Lands Guide: An Oldie Still Educates

Paula Stuart-Warren  Minnesota, Uncategorized    Leave a comment

Decades ago, I purchased a copy of A Guide to the Records of Minnesota’s Public Lands (Gregory Kinney and Lydia Lucas, Minnesota Historical Society, Division of Archives and Manuscripts, 1985.) It’s been online for a while, but I still use my paper copy. It dawned on me that others may not realize they may consult it online.

It was my introduction to many aspects of early (very early) land in what became Minnesota, and for many years after 1858, with some acknowledgement of Native American lands. It’s not today’s acknowledgement that we live, work, and reside on lands of various tribes, but that also wasn’t the purpose of the guide. I’d bet that there would be an additional chapter on that today. That said, this is definitely a guide worth perusing. Many of the records described were then part of the state archives and since 1985, other agencies and departments listed have transferred significant numbes of records to the state archives.

These records hold gems with names, dates, some relationships, hardships, ownership, loss of land, correspondence, taxes, surveys, maps, scrip, swamp lands, land offices, bounty lands, reservations, railroad lands, homestead lands, land disputes, and on and on. I’d forgotten about some of the sections I had researched in many years ago.

The Table of Contents:

Intrigued? Even a quick skimming of the guide will interest most researchers. See all 124 searchable pages at https://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/pdf/MN_public_lands_records.pdf from the Minnesota Geospatial Information Office. I might have to do some more reading in it for a specific project I have right now.


Free BCG-Sponsored Webinar

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

The Board for Certification of Genealogists presents “Maternal Threads Unwoven: Identifying Margareta’s Mother in 18 th Century Sweden.”

by Jill Morelli, CG, CGL
Tuesday, March 19, 2024, 8:00 p.m. (EDT)

In spite of birth entries for Margareta’s five siblings in Hishult, there was no record of her birth in the parish. Tax records quickly identified the father and revealed multiple moves within a narrow span of time; however, identification of the mother remained elusive. No witnesses to the births of the children provided clues; no household examinations existed. Coupling the understanding of broad context (naming patterns, inheritance laws, the calendar shift, etc.) with mtDNA and documentary evidence, the mother was identified and the lack of records was explained.

When you register before March 19 with BCG’s partner Legacy Family Tree Webinars (http://legacy.familytreewebinars.com/?aid=9010) you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Anyone with schedule conflicts may access the webinar at no charge for one week after the broadcast on the Legacy Family Tree Webinars website.


A short study of Saint Paul, Minnesota Churches, Synagogues and more.

Paula Stuart-Warren  Church records  , , ,  Leave a comment

This afternoon, I was researching a church here in Saint Paul, Minnesota. I had not heard of it before. The pastor was the officiant at my Stuart grandparents’ wedding. Olga Theodora Carlsen married Earl James Stuart on 21 June 1916. The wedding did not take place in the church, but rather in the bride’s home. This was not the usual religious denomination for either the bride or groom’s family. One of the resources I used was St. Paul Historic Context Study Churches, Synagogues, and Religious Buildings: 1849-1950. It was a report prepared in 2001 for the St. Paul Heritage Foundation. [post continues below the image]

The report is 27 pages long and has no index or table of contents. The good news is it is digitized and online, therefore searchable by a variety of terms. Many other publications are noted in the text and in a lengthy bibliography at the end. I have used many of these but learned of a couple I need to consult. https://www.stpaul.gov/sites/default/files/2022-08/2001%20Context%20Study%20-%20Religious%20Bldgs.pdf

p.s. Sad that it used St. Paul and not Saint Paul, the proper name of the city and also of the Commission.


American Naturalization Processes and Procedures, 1790-1985 is gifted to researchers!

Paula Stuart-Warren  Naturalization    Leave a comment

I have several bookcases filled with genealogy and history books. Some are available online today, but it’s easier to have some books open and spread out on my desk while researching or creating PowerPoint slides for a presentation. One of my favorite books on these shelves has long been out of print and not available online. That has changed!

It’s not a lengthy tome, is full-page size, and my copy has some sticky notes signifying portions I often reference. The book? American Naturalization Processes and Procedures 1790-1985″ by John. J. Newman, published by the Indiana Historical Society Press, 1985. The late Judge Newman provided us with some valuable history and laws in his book.

Lauren K. Peightel. of the Indiana Historical Society (IHS), knew how much this book is needed. She suggested to her colleagues at IHS that they needed to take a look at making it available and the IHS Press found his heir who gave permission so that we all could benefit. The news has been all over Facebook, but in case you missed that, now you know!

Don’t forget to check it! https://images.indianahistory.org/digital/collection/IHSPub/id/3265/rec/3

Even if you don’t need it today, check the Table of Contents https://images.indianahistory.org/digital/collection/IHSPub/id/3225/rec/3



Continuing genealogy education via GRIP in June and July, 2024

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

GRIP offers many courses to take you further in your family history research. It’s easy to register at https://grip.ngsgenealogy.org/. If you have a National Genealogical Society member log-in, use that. Otherwise, you can create a free log-in so you can register. There are still some seats in most courses. Generally there are 25-40 “seats” available in each course, so there is room for you. I am involved in three courses in the online June week:

Digging Deeper: Records, Tools, and Skills (I am the coordinator and main instructor. The other instructors are specifically chosen for their expertise and knowledge.)

Not Just Farmers: Records, Relationships, and the Reality of Their Lives (Coordinated by Cari A. Taplin, CG, and I am an instructor for four sessions.)

Midwest Family History Research: Migrations and Sources (Coordinated by Jay Fonkert CG, and I am an instructor for two sessions.)

More on those courses and others are at https://grip.ngsgenealogy.org

Learn more about “Digging Deeper” in past posts on this blog but hear from past students here https://genealogybypaula.com/2024/02/tuesday-20-may-is-grip-genealogy-institute-registration/


Database of Irish-American emigrant letters launched

Paula Stuart-Warren  Ireland, Uncategorized  ,  Leave a comment

Great news this week! The University of Galway has debuted a database of letters and other material that covers roughly the late 1600s to the mid 20th century. It includes material sent from North America back to Ireland.

“The archive includes approximately 7,000 letters, running to more than 150,000 documents, along with other important historical papers. It was collected over five decades of research by Kerby A. Miller, Emeritus Professor of History at University of Missouri and Honorary Professor of History at University of Galway, who donated the material to the University of Galway Library. “

Read about the collection: https://www.universityofgalway.ie/about-us/news-and-events/news-archive/2024/march/university-of-galway-launches-imirce-database-of-irish-american-emigrant-letters.html# This also includes how to help expand the collection if you have letters or memoirs to contribute.

Searches: https://imirce.universityofgalway.ie/p/ms?pageTitle=Home+-+University+of+Galway+Digital+Collections



More free online Minneapolis and Hennepin County city directories

Paula Stuart-Warren  City directories, Minnesota, Uncategorized  , ,  Leave a comment

From the Hennepin County Library Special Collections newsletter:

hennepin county library special collectionsMarch/April 2024Check out what’s new and noteworthy this spring in Special Collections.New in the Digital Collectionscity directories
More Hennepin County City DirectoriesThe online city directory collection is growing! Last month we added three more years of Minneapolis directories, which now cover nearly 100 years (1859-1955). We also added Lake Minnetonka (1941-1977) and Morningside (1962-1966). More directories will be digitized later this year from additional suburbs including Richfield, Golden Valley, Brooklyn Park and more.Search and browse the online directories

Recaps of RootsTech 2024: MyHeritage

Paula Stuart-Warren  Conferences, Uncategorized  ,  2 Comments

Even when I am not in attendance at a big conference, institute, or seminar, I do appreciate receiving a press release from various societies and companies that had big announcements, discoveries, or other news from the event. I don’t always have time to get the news out to my readers, but I do try. The points below are from MyHeritage and their Keynote address at RootsTech.

  • 20 billion records — we recently reached the significant milestone of 20 billion historical records available on MyHeritage!
  • All-new profile pages with hints — a major enhancement to the profile pages on MyHeritage including the ability to see and add new details from matches in the context of the page. Read more here.
  • OldNews.com — a whole new website for exploring historical newspapers from all over the world. Read more here.
  • Coming soon: AI photo scanner on the MyHeritage mobile app — the smart scanner previously available only on the Reimagine app will be added to the MyHeritage mobile app very soon.
  • Coming soon: share your DNA results with an expert — the ability to share your DNA results securely with a DNA expert to help you with your results will soon be added.
  • Coming soon: Ethnicity Estimates 2.0 — a major upgrade to our ethnicity estimate model will be released in the summer of 2024

March 10: “By the way, the special promotion we had going for DNA data uploads — offering free access to Ethnicity Estimates and advanced DNA tools to anyone who uploads a new DNA data file to MyHeritage — has been extended until March 10.”

Be sure to sign up to receive electronic newsletters or blog announcements from the various genealogy companies and societies. It’s a great way to keep up and not miss special sales or news. https://blog.myheritage.com/2024/03/rootstech-2024-recap/