Small Business Saturday includes family history businesses

Paula Stuart-Warren  Books, Conferences/Institutes, Professional Genealogists  Leave a comment

Some thoughts for today that is widely billed as Small Business Saturday, a day to support local, small, and in some cases, struggling businesses trying to stay afloat.

Have you hired a professional genealogist to consult on your family history or to do research for you? Have you hired that person to edit the family history you are writing? Maybe you had the person provide one-on-one assistance at a library, archive, courthouse, or historical society. What about sending in your reservation and payment for a genealogical institute, seminar, or a conference? The instructors at those events often are those with genealogy businesses. You may be waiting for a delivery of a book purchased from a genealogy book dealer or a genealogical society. Is there a website or blog that teaches you about other websites, research opportunities, or discusses the records?

Other small businesses in the area of genealogy include companies selling maps, charts, research trips, cruises, and research at a specific repository. Many of the historical societies and libraries we visit are small businesses.

Some of these are one-person businesses and that definitely qualifies as a small business. Others with several employees or volunteers are still a small business.

I wonder how many genealogists thought about these businesses on Small Business Saturday? Please support your fellow family history enthusiasts so that the services and supplies they offer will be around for a long time. Did you do something today to provide this support by ordering a service or some supply or book? The day isn’t over yet?

 

 

 

 

Discount on genealogy assistance — just 3 left for this Thanksgiving special

Paula Stuart-Warren  Uncategorized  Leave a comment

Only THREE left of this Thanksgiving Special! 

Read the full details on my research and assistance gift certificates and the $20 discount right here.

Any certificates purchased no later than the U.S. Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26, 2015 at midnight Central Time will get a special bonus savings of $20.00 for any 2 hour certificate purchase. Thus, the cost is only $80.00 for a 2 hour segment.

 

 

Findmypast.com discount code for Thanksgiving

Paula Stuart-Warren  findmypast.com, periodicals, PERSI  Leave a comment

Have you been thinking about a subscription to Findmypast.com? Now’s the time! How about a special Thanksgiving gift to yourself or for a family member or friend?

From now through 30 November 2015 you can get the World subscription at at 75% discount. The special code to use when paying is THNKSGNG15.

To learn more about Findmypast:

  • Click on Search to see all the record categories and to search in a specific category. This includes records from many countries.
  • The category of Newspapers and Periodical is where you will find Irish, British, and U.S. newspapers plus the PERiodical Source Index (PERSI). Oh, the gems in past periodicals found via PERSI.
  • Investigate the News tab to find the blog, Expert Tips, and much more.

Interested? Here’s where you subscribe.

Reserve hotel rooms now for the 2016 Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference

Paula Stuart-Warren  Conferences/Institutes, Federation of Genealogical Societies, FGS, Illinois State Genealogical Society, Springfield  Leave a comment

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Today’s the day! It’s officially time to begin making your hotel reservations for the 2016 FGS conference. Anyone with an interest in family history is invited! The dates are 31 August – 1 September 2016 and the place is Springfield, Illinois. The host society is the Illinois State Genealogical Society.

Book your hotel today to learn genealogy in the Land of Lincoln and help us celebrate FGS’ 40th Anniversary! To learn more about the two large hotels (one across the street and one connected) visit www.fgsconference.org/

Watch the FGS website for more details. Springfield is welcoming FGS back with a massively renovated Prairie Capital Convention Center!

‪#‎FGS2016‬

Lutheran pastor discovers her Jewish roots

Paula Stuart-Warren  Uncategorized  Leave a comment

The Reverend Heidi Neumark was raised Lutheran and became a Lutheran Pastor. He daughter found the interesting tidbit about the Jewish background and they did more research. The family history includes the  horror of a concentration camp. An article in the Duluth News Tribune yesterday tells the story of the journey and how it developed into a book. She will be talking about the journey in Duluth on Thursday of this week. As the article states,

“It’s a spiritual journey. It’s a personal journey. It’s a journey about what do we keep from each other inside of families. What I hope is that people come away with a sense of being willing to face what’s in their own families and build stronger and broader relationships as a consequence of that,”

The article tells more of the story.

 

Native American course online November 17th

Paula Stuart-Warren  Uncategorized  Leave a comment

Update: Did you miss this webinar? You may still purchase it and view it on your own. That handout is available too.

You may still register for my Tuesday, November 17th “Native American Genealogy Crash Course” that will be online at Family Tree University.  Registrants get a link to my 6 page handout. The U.S. time is 7:00 pm ET, 6:00 CT, 5:00 MT, and 4:00 PT.

Learn more here from Family Tree University about signing up:  http://www.shopfamilytree.com/native-american-genealogy-on-demand-crash-course

Doc Slaker was a real stud

Paula Stuart-Warren  Google  Leave a comment

It’s really not what you are thinking! My Great Grand Uncle Louis F. Slaker owned a English Setter named Doc Slaker. This dog was a real stud. It’s a true statement. I never met the man or his children or grandchildren, though I do have photographs. How do I know about the dog? Periodically, I do Google searches for some of my less common family surnames in case anything new shows up. A recent search turned up this information from a 1903 American Kennel Club volume.
Slaker Kennel Club

(from: American Kennel Club Stud Book, Volume 19, New York: American Kennel Club, 1903, page 815. Viewed on Google Books 15 November 2015.)

It’s interesting that it says St. Louis, Minn. for him. No such city name in Minnesota. There is a St. Louis County. Per city directories, he was living in St. Paul around that time. by the 1905 state census, he was in St. James, Watonwan County, Minnesota. Doc Slater had children, er offspring, er puppies that were listed in subsequent Kennel Club directories.

Don’t forget to do some general searches for your uncommon surnames. Maybe you will find some nice surprises, too.

Now, where might I find a picture of the studly Doc Slaker?

 

Minnesota websites for genealogical & historical research: Part 7

Paula Stuart-Warren  Minnesota  1 Comment

It’s been a while since I did a post on Minnesota links. This is Part 7 of my ongoing series of posts about great online resources from historical societies, archives, libraries, and other places around Minnesota. Don’t forget to check the websites of these organizations for lists, catalogs, and finding aids that tell you about the other extensive research resources that need to be used in person.  You will be astounded at all that is available both online and in these places. To view parts 1-6, scroll down the right side to the Categories section and click on Minnesota.

 

Veterans Day: Always remember how freedom is preserved

Paula Stuart-Warren  Civil War, fold3.com, Military, Veterans, War of 1812, World War II  Leave a comment

Veterans Day. Armistice Day. Day of Remembrance. Whatever you call it, it’s a day to honor those who have served in the military to help protect freedoms around the world. I have many relatives who served the U.S. citizens. Among them, my Dad, Bill Stuart, served in WWII, Great Great Grandfather William Slaker was in the Civil War until he was injured, 1c1r Robert Hanley was a POW in WWII, several Hanley granduncles served in WWI. Maternal Granduncle William G. Cook returned from WWI with a badly injured leg. Uncles by marriage, Bill Ronnan, Eddie Hatfield and Jerry Mueller (MIA, Korea to this day) served too. My ex-husband was in the Navy during the Viet Nam era. A schoolmate from grade school, Tom Kingston, was killed n Viet Nam. It made the viewing of the memorial in Washington DC even more personal and sobering.

On Fold3.com I found an amazing Civil War Navy widow’s pension for my brother-in-law’s Great Great Grandmother Elizabeth T. (Marfing) DuBois.  Theodore Bailey DuBois suffered a head injury and the resulting story in the pension record is both sad and interesting. Some day I will tell you about the zillion details from that pension record.

Online at SWVA.com, Margaret Linford, President of the Smyth County [VA] Genealogical Society, talks about Veterans Day, various military records and the War of 1812 Preserve the Pension Project. Readers know that I am a member of the Board of Directors of the Federation of Genealogical Societies which is heading this project. You can read more about the Project at www.fgs.org.

To read Margaret’s excellent writing on “String of Pearls: Preserving the records of our veterans’ service,” visit http://goo.gl/pSNv4H

What better day to contribute to the preservation project at www.fgs.org!