Abe Lincoln, Mark Twain, and the Civil War

Sound interesting? If you have some free time this evening, you might want to head downtown to the beautiful new auditorium in the lower level of the Central Library to enjoy veteran performer, Dave Ehlert as he portrays Lincoln and Twain in a live theatrical production. Discover how a Union president and a Confederate deserter fought against slavery and racism during the Civil War. To register or for more information, send an e-mail to Tom Pearson at <tpearson@slpl.org>.

In Memoriam, Skip Rogers, 1929-2013

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of long-time volunteer and friend of StLGS, Edward M. "Skip" Rogers. For more than twenty-five years, Skip worked for the society as office manager, printer, and data entry volunteer. He had endless energy for collecting records from cemeteries and churches, often going on site to copy information. He indexed and proofread thousands of records at home and in the office. He was ever solicitous of those of us who worked in the office, coming in for classes and special events to help set up, staying late to make sure we all got out safely. Even in the past year, when his health was failing, he had his wife, Norma, bring him into the office as often as he could. Our hearts go out to Norma and to their son, Stephen. We will miss Skip very much. (Look for more in the March issue of News 'n Notes.)

Finding Your Ancestors at the Mo. History Museum Library & Research Center

Looking for something unique in St. Louis records? The Missouri History Museum Library and Research Center may have just what you need. Join associate archivist, Dennis Northcott, for an entertaining and informative look at the genealogical treasures stored at the L&R Center.

Dennis will talk about the repository and its fascinating contents on Wednesday, 6 February from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. at the Kirkwood Public Library, 140 East Jefferson Ave., Kirkwood, Mo.

The L&R Center has city directories, military records, company newsletters, school yearbooks, historic photographs, and newspapers, as well as extensive business records for St. Louis. Dennis will walk you through what you can find there, the ins and outs of doing on site research there, and how to get the most from the L&R's website. The workshop is open to all and is free. No pre-registration required.

For directions to the library, click here: http://kpl.lib.mo.us.

For more information on the Missouri History Museum Library and Research Center, click here: http://www.mohistory.org/lrc-home.

Open House is Sunday, 27 January!

What better thing to do on a cold Sunday afternoon in January than be surrounded by a hundred or so of your "genie buddies" at the StLGS annual Open House? You won't even notice if it is raining out as you bask in the warmth of fellow enthusiasts at this always-exciting event. Open House takes place at our office, #4 Sunnen Drive in Maplewood, from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m this Sunday, 27 January 2013.

We'll have lots of eager volunteers on hand to give you a tour, answer your questions, tell you about the Special Interest Groups (SIGS), help you on the computer, or just chat with you while you indulge in a sweet treat and a hot cup of coffee or tea. If you haven't been to the office before, this would be a great time to check it out. Even if you have been there dozens of times, we welcome you to come back once more and join us for the afternoon. You can sign up for classes, peruse the new and gently used books for sale, do a bit of research in the research room or online, and be among the first to learn about this year's Family History Conference and the summer Research Institute.

There is plenty of free parking and we are within walking distance of the Sunnen MetroLink stop. More information, as always, is on our website: www.stlgs.org. We are all looking forward to seeing you on Sunday afternoon.

Congratulations to Gerry Perschbacher!

Congratulations are in order for StLGS member and former German SIG leader, Gerry Perschbacher, who was honored as the Doctor of Laws Honoris Causa recipient for 2012 from Concordia University Chicago. This honorary Doctor of Laws degree is presented to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to education through teaching competence, administrative leadership, and creativity in educational thought and action.

     Gerry is an editor, writer, and lecturer, as well as the founder of the Lutheran Hour Ministries' Research Center Archives in St. Louis, which is now one of the largest centers in North America for Lutheran research. Gerry was the first leader of the StLGS German Special Interest Group, helping it become the active, dynamic group it is today. He remains the compiler of the G-SIG Forum, a monthly e-newsletter sent to G-SIG members.

Update on NARA Visit on 23 January

If you are planning on attending the Researcher's Forum at the National Personnel Records Center  on Wednesday, 23 January from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., please take note of the following information:
     1. Participants are asked to please arrive between 3:15 and 3:45 p.m. The session starts at 4:00.
     2. You will need a current photo ID to pass onto the parking area. There is a security guard posted on the lot who will check your ID.
     3. You will need to go through a security checkpoint as you enter the building as well.

The staff is looking forward to your visit!

Researcher's Forum at Nat'l Personnel Records Center

Happy New Year, everyone! Now that the holidays are over, it's time to get back to our favorite hobby, and our friends at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis have a great event to get us started.

On Wednesday, 23 January from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., you are invited to attend a researcher's forum designed to better acquaint you with the research rooms at the National Archives St. Louis branch. The NARA staff will be on hand to teach you about the record groups it holds and how to access them. There will be special presentations by the archivists on civilian and military personnel files. The staff is also interested in feedback from researchers who visit on a regular basis.

If you are interested in attending, the National Personnel Records Center is at
1 Archives Drive
St. Louis, MO 63138

Directions to the building are at http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/#directions .

For more information, call either Wanda Williams, archivist, at 314-801-9313; e-mail to <Wanda.Williams@nara.gov> or Whitney Mahar, research room manager, at 314-801-9069; e-mail to >Whitney.Mahar@nara.gov>.