How You Can Help StLGS This Holiday Season

St. Louis Genealogical Society (StLGS) has had a busy, productive year, and, with your help, we are looking ahead to another exciting schedule of genealogy events in 2026. Many genealogy societies continue to struggle, losing members, lacking volunteers, and coping with reduced finances. However, we continue to stand solid in the genealogy community because of our wonderful, loyal members and friends, and as this year comes to a close, we are asking you once again to remember the society in your year-end giving plans. We have accomplished a great deal this past year, due to your support and generosity, and we are excited about what is in the future.  We continue to be very proud of what our society has done and will do in the upcoming months!

Where are the Death Certificates?

St. Louis Genealogical Society has a very active presence on Facebook, both a News and Events page and a wonderful group just shy of 4,300 members. No politics, no precocious baby or animal videos, no endless goofy jokes—OK, maybe a few occasionally, but only about genealogy! We know that many people avoid social media, but our Facebook group provides a safe space for people to ask and answer genealogy questions, announce meetings and other special events, and spread the joy of genealogy. Sometimes inquiries are posted in the group that need a bit more time and space to answer, and this week brought up one that is so important, we thought we'd devote a post to it. So, for all of you asking about online death certificates, please read on . . .

StLGS News to Start the New Year

As the new year begins and a huge storm engulfs most of the country, we thought we'd bring you a bit of cheer with a few items of interest from our society. Our social media reach is expanding, and we want you to know how and where to get the latest information from us. And, at this time of end-of-year giving (and upcoming spring cleaning), we're restating our policies on what types of donated materials we can accept.

How to Find an Old Post and Other Social Media Search Tips

Have you ever seen a post in a Facebook group, then later couldn't find it when you went back to look for it? Social media can move fast these days, and as we have all been at our computers and using social media more and more, it's important we sharpen our search skills so we can more easily find what we want. For instance, you can search most blogs, including this one, for names, topics, places, and more. Similarly, you can search for people, surnames, and places (and more) in the St. Louis Genealogical Society's Facebook group. You can also quickly locate genealogy-specific accounts and tweets on Twitter. Here is how you can search smarter when you are using social media.

StLGS Adds News and Events Facebook Page

St. Louis Genealogical Society hosts a thriving Facebook group, currently almost 2,600 people and growing every week. Now, for the benefit of our members and other interested genealogists, we've created a Facebook page dedicated solely to society news and events. The new page will not accept comments and is only for announcements and upcoming meetings, classes, and other important messages from the society. We are excited that this page will supplement the calendar on our website and will also be a vehicle to reach people who want the latest society information at their fingertips.

You do not have to ask to join the new page. Just "like" it and "follow" it so you get the updated announcements in your feed. You do have to join the group, however, if you want to post or make any comments.

If you are in the Facebook group, how do you get to the News and Events page or vice versa? Easy!

From the Facebook group to the News and Events page: Look at the right-hand side of the group page and you will see a white rectangle that says "St. Louis Genealogical Society N . . ." It's actually a link to the other page. Try it!

From the News and Events page to the Facebook group: Find the News and Events page at https://www.facebook.com/stlgs.newsandevents. If you want to go directly from there to the group, again look on the right-hand side of the page. You will see a blue button that says "Visit group." Click it and you will go to the group page.

 

Searching in the Facebook group: Did you know you could search for older posts in the Facebook group? Again, look at the side of the page, this time on the left. See the search box? Just pop in a keyword and it will find the messages in which that word appears. It's a simple way to search for popular topics like orphanages or cemeteries!

We look forward to seeing you on Facebook! And don't forget we're on Twitter, too. Follow us there at @StLGS or go to https://twitter.com/StLGS.

StLGS Genealogy News Roundup

We've got several items to share with you, both on a national and local level. First, this past week at the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) annual conference in Washington, D.C., a major announcement: FGS and the National Genealogical Society (NGS) are merging! They will combine into one bigger and better National Genealogical Society, a move which is now underway and will be ongoing through 2020.

The two groups have followed slightly different paths, as one focused on assisting societies and the other on helping individuals, but they have long had the same goals: ongoing education, preserving records, and working to support excellence in genealogical standards. Now, instead of competing to get speakers and to develop programs, the two groups will work together, supporting both local societies and family historians across the globe.

Each group already has an annual conference scheduled for next year, and those conferences will still take place. NGS is holding its conference in Salt Lake City in May and FGS will meet in Kansas City, Missouri, in September. By 2021, the merger will be complete and the newly reformulated NGS will hold a conference in Richmond, Virginia.

As a society that has been actively involved with both FGS and NGS, we are excited to learn about this merger and look forward to a bright future for the organization.

Locally, we have been busy on Facebook, creating a new page for news and events. Our Facebook group continues to grow, with more than 2,500 members and is a wonderful way for people to ask questions, get help, share photos, and connect with others. However, we have long wanted a place just to post meetings, classes, and special events. In the group, whenever anyone posts anything, everything that came before slides down and it's hard to keep important items at the top where people can see them. On our new Facebook page, we can make announcements and keep information current and visible. You will always be able to see what is happening in the society by looking at that page. Find us now in our group AND on our news and events page.

Currently Available in the StLGS Trading Post

StLGS maintains a used book area in our office lobby that we call the Trading Post. We accept donations of books and a limited number of unique genealogy journals and software. We currently have the following available:

• The Connecticut Nutmegger, from 1980–2019, published by the Connecticut Society of Genealogists
• The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, from 1964–2018, published quarterly by the NEHG
• The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, 1918, 1963, 1994–1999, and 2012–2015, published quarterly by the NYGB Society

These journals contain family histories and articles focusing on solving genealogical problems. While they last, they are just ten cents per journal! Stop by or call the office (314-647-8547) if you are interested. (NOTE: Postage is extra, if journals are mailed.)

In Memoriam: Kent Wilton

We are sad to report that former board member and newsletter editor, Kent Wilton, passed away on 15 August 2019. Kent served as News 'n Notes editor early in the 2000s, when the position was elected, and, as such, it placed him on the board of directors. Kent was a graduate of DePauw University and of Washington University. He served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam and earned a Bronze Star and other honors. He was a systems engineer for IBM and worked in sales for Lexmark.

Kent had a great sense of humor and was easy to work with. After he left StLGS, he joined a company selling fine wines, and he was always eager to share information about the treasures he found. We extend our deepest sympathy to his wife, Marilyn, to his son Gregory and his family, and to Kent's brother, Doug.