St. Louis Genealogy Events This Weekend: 26 and 27 October

Of course, there are baseball games to watch, but just in case you need something to do during the daylight hours this coming weekend, here are some suggestions:

St. Louis Genealogical Society Speaker Series: Start with the Internet . . . And Then What?

Saturday, 26 October; Orlando Gardens, 8352 Watson Road, Webster Groves, MO

Registration opens at 8:30 a.m.; lectures begin at 9:00 a.m.

Genealogists should search the Internet for their needs, but how do you make the most of what is online and what do you do next? Four area genealogy experts will share best practices and give you plenty of ways to move forward in your research. For more information, go to the StLGS website <www.stlgs.org>.

Please note: The StLGS office will be closed on Saturday, the 26th so our volunteers can attend the conference.

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Carondelet Historical Society celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Frederick W. Bouchein Library
Sunday, 27 October, 1:00 p.m., 6303 Michigan Ave., St. Louis, MO
Keynote speaker: Tom Weil, author and former travel writer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The Carondelet Historical Society Library has many books, maps, photos, and other records from this very old village, now a neighborhood, in the southern part of St. Louis. The society invites everyone to celebrate their growing library, housed in a former school building. Refreshments will be served. For more information, you can contact them at <info@carondelethistoricalsociety.org>.

Upcoming Events in Union and St. Charles, Missouri

The Franklin County (Missouri) History Fair is scheduled for Sunday afternoon, 20 October 2013, from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. at the County Seat Senior Center in Union. This free event is open to anyone who wants to learn more about the history and genealogy of the region. Many historical societies will be participating including the State Historical Society of Missouri, as well as DeSoto, Old Mines, Bellevue Valley, Jefferson County, Crawford County, Gasconade County, and Friends of Daniel Boone's Burial Site. Many local Franklin County groups will be on hand and St. Louis Genealogical Society will also have representatives there. Throughout the afternoon, demonstrations of spinning and basket weaving and genealogy workshops are scheduled to take place, and refreshments will be available for purchase. A silent auction, hourly 50-50 drawings, and attendance prizes should make the day even more fun. For more information, you can contact Sue Blesi, fair organizer, at <franklincountyhistory@msn.com> or call 573-739-9201.

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We mentioned this in a recent issue of News 'n Notes, but it bears repeating: If you are working on German genealogy, you might like to spend a day in St. Charles at the Family History Workshop on Saturday, 2 November 2013. More German Resources — There are Never Enough! features experienced German researcher, author, and lecturer, Baerbel Johnson, who will deliver four lectures: "German Records and Resources on FamilySearch.org and Ancestry.com," "German Research: Connecting People with Places," "Our German Ancestors and their Occupations," and "Helpful German Research Websites." The event, co-sponsored by the St. Charles County Historical Society and St. Charles Community College, costs $30 and will be held on the community college campus, 4601 Mid Rivers Mall Drive, in the social science building auditorium. Box lunches are available for pre-order for an additional $8.
        Pre-registration is necessary. If you would like to attend, make your check payable to St. Charles County Historical Society and mail it to 101 S. Main St., St. Charles, MO 63301. Be sure to include your name, address, e-mail, and phone number. Questions? Call the Historical Society at 636-946-9828.

Speaker Series Reminder and Special Event in Arnold, Missouri

Have you registered for the Fall Speaker Series yet? This is just a reminder that the early registration for "Start with the Internet . . . And Then What?" ends on Saturday, 12 October. Of course, you can register after that, but it will save you some money and ensure that you have a spot (and a lunch!), if you register early. For more information on the Speaker Series or to register, you can click here to go directly to the StLGS website.

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And from our friends in Jefferson County, Missouri, comes this invitation:

Using the Online Website: FamilySearch.org
Friday, 11 October
12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Arnold Branch Library, Jefferson Co., Missouri

This genealogy class will explore the overhauled and expanded FamilySearch website. Learn how to effectively search billions of records across hundreds of collections and save images pertaining to one's family.

Call the Arnold branch library for more information or to register: 636-296-2204

Two Exciting Upcoming Events

National Archives Will Host a Virtual Genealogy Fair: 3 and 4 September

The National Archives in Washington, D.C. is hosting its first-ever Virtual Genealogy Fair with live lectures and chat via the website UStream and a call-in genealogy help line. The two-day program, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, 3 and 4 September 2013, will focus on using federal records at the National Archives and is intended for all levels of researchers. If you miss the live sessions, they will be recorded and available online after the event.

The Genealogy Help Line will be open from 1 to 4 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) on both days at this toll-free number: 1-855-309-8404. You can also e-mail your queries to <inquire@nara.gov>.

For all the details, including the exact times and topics of each talk, go to the National Archives Virtual Genealogy Fair web page: <http://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/know-your-records/genealogy-fair>. Instructions for how to attend the live sessions as well as links to handout material are on the page too.

Reception in St. Charles for German Producers of Utopia: Revisiting a German State in the USA

Preparatory to a worldwide tour, the men behind a bold, exciting traveling exhibition focusing on a German Utopia that was established by immigrants to Missouri in 1834 will be in St. Charles for a reception on Tuesday, 10 September, from 5 to 7 p.m. The reception will be held at the St. Charles County Heritage Park, 1630 Heritage Landing, near the intersection of Highway 364 (the Page Extension) and Highway 94. For more information on the reception, contact Dorris Keeven Franke at  <dorris@keeven-franke.com>.

For more information on the exhibit, go to the English version of the website: <http://www.aufbruch-in-die-utopie.net/en/index.html>. The actual exhibit will begin its journey in Giessen, Germany, on 1 November. The exhibit will then travel to Bremen before arriving in Washington, D.C. in the fall of 2014. It will arrive in St. Louis at the Missouri History Museum in November 2014 and will be here until the end of March 2015.

Our Own Television Celebrity!

Have you been following our Facebook, Twitter, and News 'n Notes tidbits on the new incarnation of the popular television series Who Do You Think You Are? If so, you know that the series was dropped by NBC but picked up by TLC for this season. You also know that you can access any episodes you missed by going online to www.tlc.com, where you can watch without a cable subscription.

You will definitely want to catch the latest show, when you discover that our own Dennis Northcott, associate archivist at the Missouri History Museum's Library and Research Center, was the first of several professionals featured last night, as actor Chris O'Donnell learned about his father's family. Chris's paternal family was from St. Louis. Dennis helped Chris discover how his ancestors lived through the famous cholera epidemic in the mid-nineteenth century and pointed him in the right direction to learn more about this ancestor's military career. The beautiful interior of the Mo. Hist. Library was gleaming, and, of course, Dennis did brilliantly in his on-screen time. Be sure to check it out!

Want to Join Us in Salt Lake City?

We have had a cancellation for the Salt Lake City research trip and now have one single room available. If you wanted to join us on this year's trip but couldn't make the cutoff date, here is your chance to grab a room. We will be happy to honor the early registration price, too!

The dates again are 3-10 November and our planning meeting is set for Saturday, 17 August, at the office from 1 to 3:30 p.m.

Please send an e-mail to <slctrip@stlgs.org> or call into the office on Thursday or Saturday during business hours and ask for Ilene or Bob, if you are interested.

StLGS Office Closed This Saturday

Just a quick reminder that Saturday, 27 July is the Summer Speaker Series. Since this event will be held at our office, we will be closed to visitors that day. The Speaker Series is full, so no walk-ins, please. We look forward to seeing you for our next event!