Holiday Season: A Perfect Time to Save Your Family's Oral History

Oral history is of vital importance to our families, and as we approach another holiday season, we want to revisit a topic we first covered in 2017: interviewing family members. Many of us have experienced personal loss during the past few years. Once those members of our family who hold the "old" memories are gone, the stories are gone too. So, as you gather during the next few weeks to celebrate Chanukah, Christmas, and/or Kwanzaa, think about sitting with your relatives and capturing those family stories before they are lost.

Gift Ideas for Genealogists

Are you ready for the holiday season? It's here! As we look ahead to Chanukah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa, it's time to start thinking about holiday gifts for those genealogists on your shopping list, and we are pleased to present our traditional "Genealogy Gift Guide," in case you need some ideas. Although it's easier than it was during the past few years at this time to get out to the stores, you can still purchase almost all of these items online. So whether you get into your car or shop in your jammies at your computer, have fun fulfilling someone's (or your own) wish lists.

Looking Forward to Another Successful Year with YOUR Help, Please!

What a roller coaster ride we all have been on for the past few years, but St. Louis Genealogical Society has survived and thrived, and we are looking ahead to another exciting year of genealogy, with your help. We have managed to weather the storm of pandemic and rising costs 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 managed to accomplish a great deal this past year, due to your support and generosity, and we are excited about what is in the future for the society. 

Like many of you, we watched the St. Louis County Library Headquarters building come down a few weeks ago, leading to the loss of our regular monthly and Special Interest Group meeting space, but we have worked with the library to begin holding meetings at alternate locations. We have opened our office again, welcomed back many of our faithful volunteers (and several new ones), and have begun to hold many of our meetings as hybrid, which allows so many more of you to attend. We continue to be very proud of what our society has and will accomplish!

Remembering Those Who Fought in the Mexican American War

The year was 1846 and James K. Polk was president. You may remember from high school history that he was a firm believer in the Manifest Destiny, the right of the United States to continue spreading westward from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans. Texas, which had belonged to Mexico until it won its independence in 1836, had only recently joined the union, a process that took a decade because it was a southern state with pro-slavery values, and its statehood was opposed by the northern states. Mexico still controlled what is now California and most of the Southwest. However, some of the boundary lines between the United States and Mexico were not fully drawn. The U.S. believed that they owned a slice of land between the Rio Grande and the Nueces River; Mexico claimed the same territory. In the summer of 1845, even before Texas became a state, the president sent U.S. troops into the disputed area, starting a ball rolling that would lead to all-out war.

Looking for Genealogy Book Bargains? We've Got You Covered!

St. Louis Genealogical Society has operated a Trading Post of gently used genealogy books for many years. However, having the society office closed during COVID and because of many generous donations during the past two years but few opportunities to interact with the public, we have built up an almost overwhelming number of used books, and they are priced to sell! The Trading Post is open to anyone coming into our office on Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday mornings and is located in the front lobby to the left of the new books for sale. (And, of course, if you live too far to visit, we can ship to you—although we will have to add postage to your order).

November/December StLGS Genealogy Meetings

Happy Halloween! As the year winds down, don't forget St. Louis Genealogical Society still has a few meetings for you to attend, either in person or virtually, via Zoom. And while we are enjoying our Halloween treats, we are also hard at work planning next year's exciting calendar of events. Our November monthly meeting will again be at the Thornhill branch of St. Louis County Library, but will also be livestreamed for those who can't attend in person. We have our last Jewish SIG meeting in early December, and, in case you missed the Fall Speaker Series, the good news is you can still attend virtually! The recordings remain available until the end of the year, and you can register on our website. Also, StLGS members, today is the last day to vote in our annual election of officers! More information about everything is below.

Got Vikings in Your Family History? A Surprising Number of People Do!

Long before the world had Spiderman and Wonder Woman, many people’s idea of superheroes looked like larger-than-life Viking warriors. These remarkable people seemed to have been everywhere in the ancient world, conquering and pillaging before settling down in a myriad of locations. They left their genes behind in children with light eyes and light hair, and they left place names, runic writing, extremely advanced artisanal skill sets, and long-buried treasure in a stunning number of places.

As the young folks in your life don their Halloween costumes this year, let’s look back at these precursors to our Marvel heroes to see who they were and how they affected all of modern history, including many of our own families.