StLGS Trivia Night Coming Soon!

One of the highlights of our late winter schedule is always the annual Trivia Night, coming this year on Friday, 7 March, at the Maryland Heights Centre, 2344 McKelvey Road. This is such a fun-filled event, a chance to eat, drink, and show off your knowledge of all things weird and wonderful. You don't have to be an expert on anything, just have lots of odd facts stored in your head, as most of us do.

The night begins at 6:15, when early arriving folks set up their trays filled with nibblies, their mood lighting, their libations, their good luck charms and table mascots, and then sit back to chat with others before the action begins. There is always time, too, to check out the tables filled with awesome silent auction items, usually beautifully decorated baskets filled with outstanding goodies
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At 7 p.m., the night officially begins, and that's when the juices start flowing and the real fun begins. Whether you are a die-hard trivia fan or have just come to have a good time, you will not be disappointed as the competition heats up. In addition to the rounds of trivia questions, we feature 50/50, Heads or Tails, and Dead or Alive games, and your registration fee includes soft drinks and snacks as well. And did we mention lots of cash prizes for our winners?

You can register for a full table of eight people or you can come in ones, twos, or more and we will seat you with some new friends. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to support St. Louis Genealogical Society while you have an enjoyable evening (and maybe win some great prizes for yourself)! We hope to see you there.

To register for the 2014 Trivia Night, go to www.stlgs.org or send in the order form from the registration booklet you received in your January News 'n Notes.

Missouri State Archives Releases 1963 Death Certificates

With the help of many volunteers throughout the state, who flocked to help when the call for indexers went out, the Missouri State Archives has released the images of state death certificates from 1963, all newly indexed and ready for you to find your loved ones. What a lovely treat for this Valentine's Day weekend! Have fun searching!

Celebrate Black History Month!

In honor of Black History Month, the St. Louis Public Library and Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville announce some special programs:

To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, St. Louis Public Library presents a four-part series of film screenings and facilitated discussions called "Created Equal: America's Civil Rights Struggle, Part II."

The first events are next week, with the screening of a movie called "Slavery By Another Name," which documents the new forms of forced labor that kept thousands of African-Americans in chains until the onset of World War II.

Monday, 10 February

6:30 p.m., St. Louis Public Library, 1301 Olive St., Auditorium

The following day, you are invited to attend a conversation on slavery at the library led by Dr. Olubukola Gbadegesin, from St. Louis University.

Tuesday, 11 February

6:30 p.m., St. Louis Public Library, 1301 Olive St., Carnegie Room

Both events are free and require no pre-registration. More information on from Tom Pearson, 314-539-0385.

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For those of you in Illinois, a lecture entitled "Genealogy, Know Your Roots," featuring author and family historian, Bernice Bennett, will focus on the role DNA plays in genealogy. Ms. Bennett will discuss the types of DNA tests available and how to integrate DNA results into your genealogy. Some DNA testing kits will be given away to attendees.

Tuesday, 11 February

11:00 a.m.

Morris University Center/Mississippi-Illinois Room

Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville

This is a free event and does not require pre-registration. More information from Anee Korme, 618-650-2689.

Classes in Illinois

If you live in or near Belleville or Edwardsville, Illinois, you may want to catch St. Louis Public Library's Reference Librarian, Tom Pearson, when he presents the same interesting class for two different groups. Tom's topic is "The Price is Right: The Genealogist's Guide to Free Stuff on the Internet." Both meetings are free and open to all.

Tom will show you sites where you can find free digitized books, newspapers, magazines, forms and charts, clip art, images and photographs, maps, music, and podcasts. He will also discuss sites you can use to create free blogs and websites.

On Thursday, 6 February, Tom will present his talk at the St. Clair County Genealogical Society's monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the St. Luke Parish Center, 226 North Church St. in Belleville. More information on the St. Clair County Genealogical Society on their website www.stclair-ilgs.org/.

The following week, on Thursday, 13 February, Tom will give the same talk to the Madison County Genealogical Society. This meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Edwardsville Public Library, 112 S. Kansas St. in Edwardsville. More information on the Madison County Genealogical Society on their website www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ilmadcgs/.

And, if you can't make it to these two Illinois locations, Tom is giving this talk at the St. Louis Public Library on Saturday, 22 March, at 10:30 a.m. in the Training Room on the 2nd floor of the downtown branch at 1301 Olive. This talk is free, but pre-registration is suggested. You can contact Tom at tpearson@slpl.org .