Just Like Spring, Our March is "Busting Out All Over"!

It's coming! Spring is in the air, and the month of March for St. Louis Genealogical Society is overflowing with meetings and special events. If you missed our February monthly meeting, "Living on the Frontier: A Look into Missouri and Illinois," featuring St. Louis County Parks museum educator Jeffrey Edison, you can still watch the digital recording on our Monthly Meeting page. You can continue learning about St. Louis history at our March monthly meeting too. Come visit us on Saturday, March 7th for our annual Open House, come play with us at our newly revived Trivia Night on Saturday, March 21st, and attend the German SIG meeting on Saturday, March 28th. Registration for our annual Family History Conference in April is now open as well. We've got so much to share with you! Read on for the details . . . 

January Genealogy Meetings are Coming Your Way!

We hope you had a festive Chanukah, Christmas, and/or Kwanzaa and that your new year will be off to a good start. As we head into January 2026 this week, we want to remind you of our upcoming genealogy meetings, and we hope you will take out your calendar, whether on your phone or that old fashioned but still reliable paper version, and note the following dates. We hope to see you very soon at a meeting or two. And stay tuned for a busy and exciting genealogy schedule for this coming year!

StLGS June Meetings and Classes

Happy Memorial Day! On this special day of remembering those who have sacrificed for our country, we also look forward to the start of summer. We hope you are ready to join us for our June monthly meeting as well as some Special Interest Group meetings and an upcoming class. Please read on for details . . .

Open House Brings Out a Crowd!

For the first time in many years, St. Louis Genealogical Society hosted an open house on Saturday, 23 March 2024, and it was a great success! It was wonderful to see so many new faces as well as some old friends who stopped by to chat. Our hardworking volunteers provided coffee, cookies, and soft pretzel bites to munch on and were available all morning to greet visitors, give tours of the office, answer a myriad of questions, and encourage people to explore our website, attend our meetings, and be part of the exciting genealogical community in St. Louis.

January 2024 StLGS Genealogy Meetings and Classes

Happy New Year! Before we tell you about the exciting meetings and classes we have planned to kick off 2024, we want to say a huge THANK YOU! to all of you who generously donated to St. Louis Genealogical Society during the past year. The outpouring of donations and words of encouragement we have received from you mean the world to all of us who volunteer for the society. Everything we do throughout the year is for the betterment of our members and friends, and we thank you so very much for recognizing that. Now, read on to learn what we have waiting in the wings as the new year begins. . .

StLGS June Meetings and Events

We hope you were able to attend our Family History Conference in May, but if you missed it, no worries. The recordings will be available until the middle of August. We have a wonderful hybrid monthly meeting coming up next week, a German Special Interest Group meeting, and a class on Catholic church records. In addition, we have updated the StLGS website to include all of the upcoming meetings and classes for the summer. Time to open your calendars and check out the details below!

StLGS June Genealogy Meetings, Classes, and Special Events

Happy Memorial Day! Summer is on its way in spite of its chilly start. Our June calendar starts with our monthly meeting in which we learn about the role that women played in defending our country during World War II. That will be followed later in the month by a German Special Interest Group meeting and a class on reading German handwriting. Finally, we are excited to offer you a fabulous Summer Speaker Series scheduled for mid-July, in which you can learn about different DNA tests and websites. Keep going for more!

Free Genealogy Webinars are Just a Click Away!

Twelve months of mostly being at home has given many of us the chance to explore new ways of learning using our computers or tablets. Have you discovered the benefits of free webinars yet? Did you know you can watch thousands of digital recordings without any fees at all? Yes, sometimes there are advertisements, but they are relatively unobtrusive and easily passed over. By now, many of us also know that there are instructions online for just about anything we want to do. In fact, just last week, like magic, a two-minute YouTube video saved this writer a trip to the store and the price of a new pneumatic door closer when just a few squeezes of a piece of metal with a strong pair of pliers was all it needed. OK, that was fixer-upper stuff—what about our favorite hobby? Are there free webinars available on genealogy? Indeed there are, and here are some places you can start to look for them.

March 2021 StLGS Genealogy Meetings, Classes, and Events

Just a few more weeks, and spring will arrive, at last! As we are moving into 2021, it's become clear that Zoom meetings are here to stay and that we can continue to learn and share with each other via technology. We are so excited about engaging those of you who reside outside the St. Louis area or who cannot travel to an in-person meeting. We miss you and look forward to the day when we can meet again in person, but in the meantime, we are continuing to plan for many interesting and exciting programs for the rest of this year as webinars. Here is what is coming up in March and a bit beyond, like our annual Family History Conference!

Looking Forward to the StLGS Winter/Spring 2021 Schedule

We hope you are having a healthy and happy holiday season and staying safe. After you are finished celebrating Chanukah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa, it will be time to get back to genealogy! In a more normal year, StLGS would have the whole 2021 schedule ready for you by now, but due to the uncertainty of the times, we are taking it a bit more slowly this year. We have no idea when it will be safe to gather in person, but we are looking forward to bringing you the very best experience possible by continuing our successful livestreamed and digitally recorded virtual meetings and classes. Take a look at what's coming up . . .

StLGS September Genealogy Meetings and Events

As we continue to bring you our meetings and classes in an online format, we are delighted to hear that so many of you have been enjoying the experience. It's been a difficult time for everyone, which makes us even more excited that we can offer you an ongoing program of lectures and classes that are interesting, appeal to all skill levels, and viewable no matter where you live. In addition, registration for our virtual Fall Speaker Series is underway and we hope that you will be able to join us for this four-part series of lectures from the comfort and safety of your home. Read on for all the details.

June StLGS Meetings and Special Events

For several years, the first News Flash blog of each month has been about upcoming StLGS and other genealogy events. In March of this year, however, we went into quarantine, and all aspects of our lives began to change. Now, thanks to so much hard work on the part of many people, we can, at last, bring you a revised schedule for June featuring a variety of exciting events, all of which will take place online. No matter what the weather or where you are, you can grab a cup of your favorite beverage, get comfy in your tee shirt, shorts, and flip flops in front of your computer or tablet, and enjoy learning from some of our most experienced genealogy lecturers throughout the month. Here is what is coming up:

March Genealogy Meetings, Classes, and Special Events

Spring is in the air, and now that the weather shows signs of brightening up, March is crammed with all kinds of exciting genealogy events. In addition, there are many conferences and workshops coming up in the next few months. So, prepare yourself to keep busy doing your favorite hobby and grab your calendar!

Upcoming Meetings

StLGS Monthly Meeting: Saturday, 14 March 2020

"More Than Checkmarks: Finding Female Ancestors," by Jake Eubanks, St. Louis County Library Headquarters Auditorium, 10:00 a.m.; free, open to all, no pre-registration needed. More information available on the StLGS website.

 

Cliff Cave Library Genealogy Presentation: Wednesday, 4 March 2020

"Researching in Alsace and Lorraine," by Dan Lilienkamp, St. Louis County Library Cliff Cave Branch, 6:30 p.m.; free, open to all, no pre-registration needed. More information available on the library's website. 

St. Clair County (Illinois) Genealogical Society Monthly Meeting: Thursday, 5 March 2020

"Introduction to DNA Testing for Genealogy," by Bob McDonald, St. Luke's Parish Hall, 226 N. Church Street, Belleville, 7:00 p.m.; free, open to all, no pre-registration needed. More information available on the group's website.
   

Czech Genealogical Researchers Monthly Meeting: Saturday, 21 March 2020

"The Irish in Bohemia," by Mary Petersen, St. Louis County Library Headquarters, East Room, 1:30 p.m.; free, open to all, no pre-registration needed. More information available on the group's website.
 

Upcoming StLGS Classes

• "Legacy Family Tree 101" (PC only) by Cathy Amen, Saturday, 21 March 2020

• "Intermediate Irish Research," by Carol Hemmersmeier & Kay Weber; Saturday, 28 March 2020

Classes are held at the StLGS Office from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. Free to StLGS members; fee for non-members; pre-registration required at 314-647-8547.

 More information on these and more StLGS classes on our website.

StLGS German Special Interest Group Meeting

"German Genealogy: What Do You Need to Know?" by Carol Whitton, CG, German SIG leader; Wednesday, 25 March 2020, St. Louis County Library Headquarters Auditorium, 7:00 p.m.; free, open to all, no pre-registration needed. Click here for more information.

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March Classes at St. Louis County Library

• 5 March: "Exploring the Ancestry Database," Thornhill
• 10 March: "FamilySearch Basics," Florissant Valley
• 11 March: "Family History Online: Databases for Genealogical Research," Rock Road
• 17 March: "History and Genealogy in Newspapers," Sachs
• 18 March: "Library Skills for Genealogical Research," Natural Bridge
• 19 March: "Discovering Ancestral Military Veterans," Weber Road
• 26 March: "Finding Ancestors in U.S. Census Records," Headquarters
• 31 March: "Who Were My Ancestors? Beginning Family History Research," Meramec Valley

All library classes are free but require pre-registration. More information available on the library's website.
  

Upcoming Special Events

"That Fabulous Summer" (1904 World's Fair)
Lecture and film at the Missouri History Museum, Sunday, 8 March 2020,

Lee Auditorium, 2:00 p.m. Free; no pre-registration required.

The museum is also sponsoring several classes this month with St. Louis Community College that are historical/genealogical in content. Specific details are on the museum's website.

Tours at Bellefontaine Cemetery

Celebrate Women's History Month and the coming of spring by taking a walking or a trolley tour at Bellefontaine. Tours are planned throughout the month of March. More information in the March Events Calendar on Bellefontaine's website.

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  StLGS Trivia Night: Saturday, 7 March 2020

Richmond Heights Community Center, 8001 Dale Avenue (just south of I-64 between Hanley and Big Bend); doors open at 6:15 p.m.; questions begin at 7:00 p.m.

Questions on all topics. We'll provide snacks, fun, and an awesome silent auction!

Check out our website for more information and/or to register.

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48th Annual Family History Conference
Proof Positive . . . Evidence in Court Records

Featuring Judy Russell, JD, CG, CGL
AND John Dougan, Missouri State Archivist
PLUS
Local speakers, Exhibitors, Prizes and Raffles, and More!
Saturday, 4 April 2020
Orlando Gardens, 2050 Dorsett Road, St. Louis, MO 63043
Registration and complete program information
 on the StLGS website.

 

One Last Event and a Sneak Peek at the Exciting StLGS 2020 Calendar

Jewish SIG Meeting is Last StLGS Event of 2019

Because of the holiday season, StLGS does not schedule monthly meetings in December. However, there is one Jewish Special Interest Group (SIG) meeting coming up on Sunday, 8 December that is free and open to all, regardless of whether you have Jewish ancestors. This workshop, from 10:00 a.m. until noon, features "The Photo Detective," Maureen Taylor, internationally known for her expertise in historic photos and their preservation, who will present tools and tips for photo identification, family history and research, and photo preservation. She will focus on twentieth-century photographs and immigrant ancestors in this special workshop co-sponsored by the Brodsky Library, the St. Louis Jewish Community Archives, and St. Louis Genealogical Society.

The Jewish Federation is handling registration for this event, and pre-registration is requested. You can contact Kathy Schmeltz at 314-442-3761 or at kschmeltz@jfedstl.org or register directly on the Center for Jewish Learning's website. (See the blog post from 11 November 2019 for specific directions.)

January Monthly Meeting: Ask Louie

Please join us in January when our exciting 2020 schedule of meetings and events begins. Our first monthly meeting of the new year will be on Saturday, 11 January, at 10 a.m. in the auditorium at the Headquarters building of the St. Louis County Library, 1640 South Lindbergh Boulevard. We'll start the year with a panel discussion where you can "Ask Louie." Bring your genealogy questions or email them ahead to programs@stlgs.org, if they are a bit complicated. Our panel of experienced genealogists will try to help you break through a brick wall or two. More information is on our website's Monthly Meetings page. We hope to see you at the January meeting.

Annual Trivia Night: Saturday, 7 March 2020

This popular fundraiser will take place on Saturday, 7 March, at the Maplewood/Richmond Heights Community Center. Always a fun-filled occasion, this evening event has rounds of interesting questions, a fabulous silent auction, and bonus rounds with excellent prizes. Registration is now open, and we do hope you will invite friends or just come by yourself and make new ones. Go to the Trivia Night page on our website for more information and/or to register.

Much More to Come in 2020

To see all of the meetings and events planned for 2020 and/or to download an events flyer, visit the Calendar of Events page on our website. Save the dates for our Family History Conference, our Summer Speaker Series, the upcoming Technology Institute, and the annual Salt Lake City Research trip.

The Special Interest Group schedules and flyers for 2020 are now available as well. Check them out on the SIG web pages:

German SIG
 Irish SIG 
Jewish SIG