StLGS July Genealogy Meetings

Summer has arrived most definitely throughout the world, so we hope you are staying cool and dry! We have some interesting meetings this month, air conditioned at both our office and the St. Louis County Library! Please don't forget that the deadline for early registration for our Salt Lake City Research Trip is tomorrow, June 30th, and remember that you can still watch the digital recordings of our Family History Conference for another two weeks by registering to view them. All the information you need is below. . . . 

June 2026 Genealogy Meetings

Summer is in sight, and many of us are firming up our vacation plans. Luckily, all of our upcoming meetings will be recorded, so you can attend in person when you are able or watch them at your leisure if you have a scheduling conflict or two. We are planning some exciting fall events, but until those plans are finalaized and ready for us to announce them, we want to remind you about the deadlines for registering for our Salt Lake City Research Trip or watching the digital recordings of the Family History Conference. Here's what's on tap for June . . . 

May Genealogy Events

Thanks to everyone who made our Family History Conference such a great success. If you missed the in-person event, you can still register to watch the recordings. The May monthly meeting should be of interest to those who have Native American heritage, early Missouri ancestors, or just enjoy learning about history. We have a new class coming up very soon, and registration is open for our annual research trip to Salt Lake City. Read on for more! 

FHC 2026 a Big Success Thanks to Our Wonderful Supporters!

Our in-person 2026 Family History Conference, "A Genealogical Journey Through Missouri History," is now a beautiful memory! Although it started as a cold, windy day, the hundred or so people who joined us at the Maryland Heights Community Center were happy and excited to be spending the day enjoying their favorite hobby. And, good news! It really isn't over, since registration for the conference includes a copy of our electronic syllabus and access to all six of the digital recordings. That means if you didn't register at all, you can still do so and watch all of the lectures. All the information you need is below the photos.

The StLGS Online Store Has Expanded!

With the introduction of our newly rebuilt online store, we can now offer some extra perks for our friends and members online! We frequently have people asking to purchase gift certificates for StLGS membership, products, and events. Until recently, we've only been able to provide those in-person or via mail. But that is now changing! In addition, we have greatly expanded our selection of books for sale by adding the gently used history and genealogy books in our Trading Post to our online store. We are excited to share the details with you!

April Genealogy Events and a Look Back at Trivia Night

The month of March has gone by in a busy blur, and we now look forward to an Irish SIG meeting and a new class for you to attend, either in-person or via Zoom, coming up soon. Registration is open for our annual Family History Conference featuring John Dougan and Christina Miller from the Missouri State Archives. Remember that early registration ends on Saturday, 4 April! By registering before that date, you save some money and help us plan more efficiently. In addition, one of the events we look forward to most each year is our annual research trip to Salt Lake City, and registration is now open for that. Read on for more!

In Memoriam: Ann Carter Fleming

We say a heartbreaking farewell this week to our friend and one of the backbones of StLGS, Ann Carter Fleming, who passed away on 22 March 2026. Ann’s accomplishments as a genealogist were legendary, and, perhaps more importantly, she was a patient mentor to a generation of us who were always learning from her skills as a researcher, writer, and editor. Ann was a perfectionist, and she demanded it from others. Her attention to detail and her ability to organize were apparent in everything she did.

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 . . . 

February Genealogy Meetings and Class AND Information on Special Upcoming Events!

As we dig out from the massive snow and ice storm this past weekend, we want to remind you that if you missed any of our January genealogy meetings, you can snuggle up on the couch and enjoy some of the recordings posted on our website. Then, you can plan ahead to join us in February. Our annual "Ask Louie at Your Service" meeting started the new year with many interesting questions, and the recording is available on our Monthly Meeting page. The German Special Interest Group (G-SIG) hosted Timo Kracke, a German genealogist, who spoke on databases hosted by German genealogical societies. That recording and Mr. Kracke's handout are available on the G-SIG page. The Irish Special Interest Group (SIG) hosted a Zoom presentation featuring Susan McKee, who provided helpful tips on "Organizing Your Genealogy: Getting Your Research Year Off to a Good Start." The recording of the meeting and Ms. McKee's handout are posted on our Irish SIG page. We hope to see you at our February meetings and our first class for 2026. Read on for details. 

August Genealogy Events and Classes

 

It seems that no matter where you are this summer, the weather is going to play a part in your daily life. For most of us, it's been hot and humid, but the good news is that all of our StLGS events are in comfortable air-conditioned meeting rooms. If you prefer, you can stay at home enjoying your own cool house and attend our events via Zoom. So, check out the August schedule, and make plans to join us soon.

StLGS July Genealogy Meetings

Happy Almost Fourth of July! We hope you have a safe and enjoyable holiday! After you put away your barbecue supplies and polish off the last of the leftovers, be sure to pull out your calendar and make note of our upcoming genealogy meetings, all indoors and air conditioned! Please don't forget that the deadline for early registration for our Salt Lake City Research Trip is today! And remember that the deadline for watching the digital recordings of the Family History Conference is Sunday, 3 August. You can still register to see them. All the information you need is below. . . . 

June StLGS Meetings and Classes

Summer is almost here, and we are excited to bring you some great upcoming meetings. We have one class scheduled for this coming weekend, and we want to remind you about the deadlines for registering for our Salt Lake City Research Trip or watching the digital recordings of the Family History Conference. Here's what's on tap for June . . . 

A Taste of Our FHC AND Please, Don't Toss Those Yearbooks!

Our annual Family History Conference on Saturday, 3 May 2025, was a huge success, thanks to dozens of hard-working volunteers and more than one hundred curious participants, both in-person and online. For the first time since the pandemic, we had an almost-capacity live audience, and our three dynamic speakers captivated everyone with the endless possibilities that artificial intelligence and DNA analysis bring to genealogy. If you couldn't attend on Saturday, we have a treat for you—all the lectures were recorded, and they will be available for viewing for the next three months. Here's how you can access them . . .

Some Reminders AND Some Genealogy News from our St. Louis Friends

Just a friendly reminder that the deadline to save money with early registration to our annual Family History Conference is this week—Thursday, 17 April 2025. You won't want to miss "Artificial Intelligence (AI) and DNA: Tools for Unlocking Your Past," featuring Steve Little, Jim Brewster, and Josiah Schmidt! It's a full day to learn more about the newest topics in genealogy. Details and registration are on the Family History Conference page on our website. We also want to remind you that registration for our Research Trip to the FamilySearch library in Salt Lake City is now open. This is a wonderful way to spend a week in October with fellow researchers at the world's largest genealogy library. All the information you need to learn about the trip and register is on our Annual Research Trip page, and we'll have more for you in a future post, so stay tuned! Now, we'd like to share some important information from some of our local St. Louis repositories.

Artificial Intelligence and DNA in Genealogy: New Tools for Your Research

For decades, those of us researching our family history have watched technology change the way we work. If you started your journey towards the end of the twentieth century, you expected to travel to a library or courthouse, sit among books, periodicals, and boxes of old papers, and read unindexed material for hours. If you were fortunate, some of what you needed was microfilmed, and you could crank faded and blurry images until your shoulders ached and your hands cramped. The first of many updates in genealogy came to microfilm readers when they became more automatic. Film could be threaded, advanced, or reversed with just a touch of a button.  But, lucky for us, technology forged onwards, and our lives became a whole lot easier.

April Genealogy Events AND Registration is Open for our Family History Conference AND Our Annual Salt Lake City Trip!

Our Open House on Saturday, 22 March, was a great success, and now we have more exciting events and meetings for you to attend, either in-person or via Zoom, coming up soon. Registration is open for our 53rd annual Family History Conference featuring Steve Little, Jim Brewster, and Josiah Schmidt. Remember that early registration ends on 17 April! By registering before that date, you save some money and help us plan more efficiently. In addition, one of the events we look forward to most each year is our annual research trip to Salt Lake City, and registration is now open for that. Read on for more!

StLGS March Genealogy Meetings and Events

We've had a little taste of spring in St. Louis this week, and we are looking forward to our March meetings and events. If you missed the February meeting on "Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Genealogy," featuring our co-webmaster Jim Ross, you can still watch the digital recording on our Monthly Meeting page and get some great ideas for how you can incorporate this new technology in your own family history research. You can dive deeper into AI at our upcoming Family History Conference! Later this month, the German SIG has a meeting, and we are excited to welcome you to our annual Open House on Saturday, March 22nd. Read on for more information. 

February Genealogy Meeting and Class AND Information on Special Upcoming Events!

Our genealogical year got off to a great start with several very well-attended meetings. Our January "Ask Louie at Your Service" meeting, as always, generated a host of interesting questions, and we've added a handout covering the websites mentioned during the meeting to our Monthly Meeting page along with the digital recording of the meeting. The Irish Special Interest Group (SIG) hosted a Zoom presentation featuring the noted author, John Grenham. The recording of the meeting and Mr. Grenham's handout are posted on our Irish SIG page. The German and Jewish SIGs also met this past month, but neither meeting was recorded. We hope to see you at our February monthly meeting and our first class for 2025. Read on for details. 

The 2024 Livestreamed FHC is Over, but Digital Recordings are Now Available!

Thanks to everyone who made our 2024 Family History Conference such a resounding success! We are so grateful to the many volunteers who worked behind the scenes to organize the program and to those who worked all day at the conference. Many thanks go also to the archivists and librarians from local repositories who came to share information with registrants, and, of course, to our members and friends who attended both in person and via Zoom. From the early hours of the morning to late afternoon when people with smiling faces headed to their cars, tired but happy, the day was filled with great conversations, an incredible amount of new information, arms full of items purchased from the StLGS sales tables, and many promises to get online and start practicing new skills! Did you miss it? Well, here is some good news . . .

May's StLGS Genealogy Meetings and Classes; Last Chance to Register for the Family History Conference!

Because of the annual Family History Conference (FHC) scheduled for Saturday, 4 May 2024, there is no regular monthly meeting. We hope you will join us in June, and we'll tell you more about that meeting later on in this post. It's not too late to register for the FHC! You can still attend in person or watch the livestreaming next Saturday. Plus, everyone who registers will have access to all eight of the recordings, which will be available for ninety days after they are posted. You won't want to miss this chance to hear David Rencher, chief genealogical officer of FamilySearch, plus four other outstanding regional speakers! Here is what is coming up this month.