Paula Stuart-Warren, CG®, FMGS, FUGA

PaulaStuartWarren@gmail.com

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.

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]
• 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