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!

It's Time for Our Annual Genealogy Gift List!

It's become a holiday tradition to publish our "Genealogy Gift Guide" each year to bring you timely suggestions for the genealogists on your holiday shopping list. As always, we have a wide variety of gift suggestions that are easy to find either locally or online. Something here is sure to fit the bill for the family historian on your annual gift-giving list whether you get into your car or shop comfortably at your computer. Have fun fulfilling someone's (or your own) wish lists!

Two Exciting Genealogy Announcements!

 Happy President's Day. We hope you are staying warm and dry during this winter of every kind of weather! This week, we have several items to share with you that we believe are of interest to our genealogy community. With luck, you will discover something new to help move your research forward.

StLGS News to Start the New Year

As the new year begins and a huge storm engulfs most of the country, we thought we'd bring you a bit of cheer with a few items of interest from our society. Our social media reach is expanding, and we want you to know how and where to get the latest information from us. And, at this time of end-of-year giving (and upcoming spring cleaning), we're restating our policies on what types of donated materials we can accept.

Time Once Again for our Annual Gift-Giving Guide for Genealogists!

Every year about this time, we publish our "Genealogy Gift Guide," filled with ideas for the genealogists on your holiday shopping list. We have a wide variety of gift suggestions. You can purchase some in the stores and most online. Something here is sure to fit the bill for that family historian on your annual gift-giving list whether you get into your car or shop comfortably at your computer. Have fun fulfilling someone's (or your own) wish lists!

It's Time for Our Annual Genealogy Gift-Giving Guide!

Every year about this time, we publish our "Genealogy Gift Guide," filled with ideas for the genealogists on your holiday shopping list. We have a wide variety of gift suggestions. You can purchase some in the stores and most online. Something here is sure to fit the bill for that family historian on your annual gift-giving list whether you get into your car or shop comfortably at your computer. Have fun fulfilling someone's (or your own) wish lists!

StLGS Election Results and Three New Books for Sale in Our Store!

Thanks to all of you who voted in the election for two of our 2024–2025 officers. With unanimous votes, Michelle Pearce has been reelected treasurer, and Donna Foelsch will take over as vice president for programs beginning in January. We’d like to say a huge thank you to Kay Weber, who currently holds that position and is ready to step down and hand the reins to Donna. Kay has worked tirelessly during the past few years to ensure the society’s meetings, classes, and special events have been of wide-ranging appeal. She has juggled countless schedules, phone calls, texts, and emails, so our meetings could run as smoothly as possible. Because of her efforts, all of us have greatly benefitted, and we thank her from the bottoms of our hearts for all she has done for StLGS. In addition to her job as vice president for programs, Kay is co-leader of our Irish SIG, and we look forward to her continuing in that position in the future.

And now for some great new books just added to our online store, of special interest to those of you whose ancestors may have served in the military fighting for the Union during the Civil War . . .

St. Louis Through the Ages: Exploring the City of Your Ancestors

Many of us have deep roots in St. Louis. Even if you don’t have ancestors who lived here, if you have lived in St. Louis for a good part of your life, you likely feel very close to the city’s history. For those reasons, we invite you to attend “St. Louis Through the Ages: Exploring the City of Your Ancestors,” our annual Fall Speaker Series, featuring Emily Jaycox and Dennis Northcott from the Missouri History Museum’s Library and Research Center. Emily and Dennis will present four lectures on Saturday, 16 September 2023, from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. (Central) at the StLGS office, 4 Sunnen Drive, Suite 140, Maplewood, MO 63143.

Biographies for Sale at the StLGS Trading Post and Beyond

Do you often wish someone had written a biography or family history to help move your genealogy along? Maybe someone did write an article or a book. You can use search engines to find books about your family, or you can see if someone has donated a book to the StLGS Trading Post, where we sell gently-used history and genealogy books donated to the society by members and friends.

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.

2020 Holiday Gift Ideas for Genealogists

As the holiday season gets into full swing for this strangest of years, we are repeating one of our annual traditions: our list of gift suggestions for your favorite genealogist or historian. Luckily, you don't have to venture outside to purchase any of these items, as all are available online. So, go fill your coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or hot toddy cup, grab your credit card, and have fun working on the following ideas to make your genie-buddy's holiday just a bit brighter (or to gift yourself!)

2019 Holiday Gift Suggestions for your Favorite Genealogist (or You!)

Lucky for us, there is an abundance of wonderful possibilities for holiday gifts for your favorite genealogist or historian. We offer you the following ideas to make your genie-buddy's holiday just a bit brighter (or to gift yourself!)

St. Louis Genealogical Society

1. An individual or family membership, just in time for the start of the 2020 year's events and our ever-expanding collection of online databases
2. Gift certificates, available in any amount, good for discounts on workshops or items in the StLGS store (Check the website for how to order.)
3. Copies of society publications, such as The War of 1812 in Missouri (volumes 1 and 2) or Orphanage Care in St. Louis; all available in our online store or at the office

Technology-related Gifts

1. Flash/thumb drives to use in libraries or to move, share, or store files
2. A portable external hard drive for extra storage or backing up files
3. A subscription to an online/cloud backup plan such as Backblaze or Carbonite
4. Extra supplies for digital equipment: memory cards, batteries, portable mini-tripods
5. A subscription to Ancestry, FindMyPast, Newspapers.com or any similar service
6. A DNA testing kit (Choose one of the major companies: FamilyTree DNA, Ancestry, or 23andMe. Select the one that has the most people in its database that are similar to your recipient. The more people with the same background in the database, the more accurate the results.)
7. A genealogy software program or an upgrade to an existing program
8. Gift cards to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store or to the appropriate store for their particular smart phone or tablet so they can buy additional apps
9. Gift certificates to local community colleges or adult education sponsors for classes and practice in using technology

Not Technological

1. Archival quality photo storage boxes or photo albums
2. Acid-free photo mounting supplies and/or photo marking pens
3. Acid-free, archival quality sheet protectors and/or paper
4. Good quality three- or four-inch D-ring binders for storing copies of sheets and documents
5. Gift certificates to historical/genealogical societies in areas where ancestors lived for membership, publications, and/or special events

Books!

Almost all genealogists are book lovers and you can't go wrong by adding to their collections. Try some of these . . .

1. Any of the QuickSheets by noted genealogist Elizabeth Shown Mills (or, better yet, her excellent book on source citations, Evidence Explained)
2. The series of Genealogy at a Glance laminated booklets available in a variety of ethnicities: German, Irish, French, etc.
3. Books on American states of interest; for instance, any of the NGS Genealogy in the States series
4. Books that are specific to areas of interest: neighborhoods, religions, occupations, or any other unique aspect of their family history

Remember, as a StLGS member, you are entitled to a discount on many of the products in our online store. Be sure to log in as a member to get your discount code before you shop. Click here to go to the StLGS online store. Or come by the office and see what we have available in our lobby sales area. Have fun doing your holiday shopping or just treating yourself to a gift!

A Great Tool for Placing Your Ancestors in History

Names, dates, and places are seldom interesting by themselves. To bring our ancestors to life, we need to know what was happening in the world around them. A little-known website that has been around for many years offers an easy and fun way to get historical context about your ancestors into your genealogy research. The site is called dMarie Time Capsule and you can find it here.

Unlike many websites, this one has few bells and whistles. In fact, it looks rather plain and sparse. However, it is filled with thousands of bits of historical trivia that will bring a special date to life in seconds. Type in a date and discover what was happening in the world at that time. Starting with the year 1800, you can find news headlines, presidents, and people born on a particular day. After 1880, you can also find top songs and prices for goods. After 1900, you can add books and toys, and after 1948, television shows. The last year for which there is data is 2002.

Begin by typing a date in the blue rectangle and then decide whether you want the computer to generate a page for you (Quick Page) or whether you want to customize your own (Advanced Page). The latter allows you to add personal touches, such as family events, and pick and choose among a list provided. If you choose to customize your page, you will be guided sequentially through the list of headlines, birthdays, songs, TV shows, top new toys, and popular books so you can personalize each category.

Here is a Quick Page generated for 13 August 1950, when, as you can see, stamps were three cents each and many of us were watching the Ed Sullivan Show while humming "Mona Lisa," by Nat King Cole, and playing "Clue," a hot new toy of that year.

A button above the title (not pictured) gives you a printable version that you can print from the screen or copy/paste into another file by taking a screen shot. There is also an option for starting over, in case you want to do more than one.

Have fun while you bring your family to life!