Paula Stuart-Warren, CG®, FMGS, FUGA

[email protected]

Some of these lectures can be tweaked to reflect specific geographic areas where the seminar will be presented. Most of these are suitable for webinar formats as well as in-person presentations. Several are available in lecture format or as a 2-hour interactive workshop. If you are thinking about a full day event, I can suggest topics that work well together and then a theme for the day.

Watch for a new section of half-day seminar offerings. 

Sources/Records

• City, County, & State Archives: Not Created Equally
• City Directories: So, You Think You Know ALL About City Directories?
• City and Rural Directories: Delve Deeply into Contents and Resources
• Family History Gems in Century and Bicentennial Farms Programs
• The Farmer in the Dell . . . and in Many U.S. Records
• Finding and Using Manuscripts, Special Collections, & Repositories
• Found: One Ancestral Address, the Poor Farm
• Genealogical and Historical Periodicals In Print & Online
• Genealogical Goldmine: The Records of Old Settlers’ Organizations
• Lord Preserve Us! Using Church Records in Family History Research
• Newspaper Research: The Dailies, Weeklies, and Beyond
• After Military Service: Records of Bonuses, Pensions, Relief, and Other “Benefits”
• Railroad Records and Railroad History: Methods for Tracking [This can be tailored to different parts of the U.S. It can be a 1- or 2-hour presentation.]
• Online & On Track: Railroad Records, Indexes, and Finding Aids on the Internet
• Research Rewards in County Courthouse and Town Hall Records
• Deeds: Clues to More than Land (this can be tailored to specific areas and talks about all the clues in land records, including some surprises)
• Tho’ They Were Poor, They May Have Been Rich in Records
• The Three Rs: Reading, ‘Riting, and Research in School Records
• The U.S. Federal Government: Underutilized Research Resources
• The WPA Era: Free Records Boon from the Government [This can be tailored to different parts of the U.S.]

Research Methodology & Aids

• Research Reports for Ourselves: More than a Research Log
• NUCMC & Its Newer Cousins: Free Keys to “Lost” Ancestral Manuscript Records [concentrates on finding manuscript resources via extensive online databases that hold golden clues]
• Developing Successful Research Habits
• Your Anytime Library: Success in the Online Book Stacks
• Finding Ancestral Places of Origin: Where Did They Come From?
• Finding Maiden Names: Let Me Count the Ways
• Genealogical Correspondence by E­mail and Regular Mail: Effective Use of the Who, What, When, & Where
• Indexes and Databases for Native American Research
• The Neighbors Knew: Strategies for Finding YOUR Ancestral Details in THEIR Records
• Seeking Your Comfort Zone as You Approach Different Repositories
• Stuck? Have You Tried . . .? Have You Overlooked . . . ?
• Superb Seven: Fabulous Avenues for Finding Family in Manuscript Collections
  They Joined, They Associated: Finding Records of Germanic Organizations and Other Collections
  • Option to focus on other ethnic groups.
• Twentieth & Twenty­-First Century Research
• Where Are Those Records They Told Me To Check?
• What’s Next? Developing Step-­by­-Step Research Plans (audience participation presentation; can also be done as a 2 or 3-hour workshop with extensive hand­s-on work)

Other Topics

• The Art of Successful Genealogical Research Trips
• A Baker’s Dozen: Easy Ways to Begin Writing Your Family History
• Beginner’s Workshop [Can be presented in 2, 3 or 4 sessions, each is one­ hour long]
• Getting the Most Value When Working with a Professional Genealogist
• Problem Solving Sessions [Using pre­written audience questions or Q&A Panel with other professionals]
• 10 Fantastic Free Online Finding Aids
• Subscription Databases: Gems That are Worth the Money

Specific Repositories & Geographic Areas

• Genealogical Research in the Dakotas
• Major Midwestern Archives & Their Records
• Midwestern & Plains States Level Census Records
• Minnesota Genealogical Research: Exceptional Resources
• New York State Research: The Changing Face of the Modern Era
• Researching Midwestern River People
• Researching at the Minnesota History Center: Minnesota and Beyond
• Research Nugget in the Midwest: The Allen County Public Library
• Research Via the Hallowed Shelves & Tools of the DAR Library in Washington, DC
• Research at the Wisconsin Historical Society: Wisconsin and Beyond
• St. Paul/Minneapolis Area Research Facilities Where You Can Do It Yourself!
• The U.S. National Archives: The Nation’s Attic
• Michigan: Upper Midwest Research Gem

German, Irish, and Native American

• World War I Era U.S. Alien Registrations [Mainly German but with a surprise from one state.]
• They Joined, They Associated: Finding Records of Germanic Organizations and Other Collections
• German Research Gem: Back Issues of Genealogical and Historical Periodicals
• Irish Railroad Workers and Records of the Railroads
• Sources and Methods for Researching Native American Ancestors [One or two hour presentation] (Note: This can be tailored for different parts of the U.S.)
• Researching Midwestern and Plains States Native Americans [Variation of the preceding lecture.]

Professional Genealogy Lectures

• Branch Out: Expanding Your Business Beyond Client Research
• The BUSINESS of Speaking
• Structuring a Successful Genealogical Research Business
• Becoming a Successful Professional Genealogist

Genealogical and Historical Society Topics

• It Ain’t Brain Surgery! Publicity for Society Events & Activities
• Creating the Operating Handbook Your Society Needs
• Increasing Attendance at Your Annual Seminar or Conference
• Problem Prevention and Problem Resolution
• Twenty­-First Century Strategies for Handling Society Correspondence
• Your Society Can’t Afford to Do A Seminar? Here’s How!

Luncheon & Banquet Presentations

These are lighter talks with a message and include humor. They are a perfect length (25­-30 minutes) for a banquet, luncheon, or at the end of a seminar day. I am willing to provide one of these at no extra cost if done on the day or evening of the event or the previous evening.

• Prepared? Of Course! Genealogical Research Trips & Murphy’s Law
• Why Do I Descend From THESE Families?
• How I Fell Into Genealogy Writing and Can’t Climb Out
• Names and Genealogy? Mine? Yours? Theirs?
• The Best Ask for Help
• How to “Drag” Your Family into Genealogy

Note: Click here for capsule descriptions for most titles listed on this page. Please don’t hesitate to ask for others.

Updated March 2024