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. . . . 

Sharing the Results of the Genealogical Hunt!

We love tracking down our ancestors through online databases, in courthouses, and at county clerks’ offices and can easily spend hours and hours in the pursuit. In the process we uncover the details of our forebears’ lives—birth and death dates that tie them to a place, marriage records that tell us who some of their closest friends or family were, and census records that show us the makeup of their families. Digging a little deeper, we can also discover fascinating details about their occupations, their brushes with the law, whether they left their homeland to start over in a new location, and much more. DNA has taken genealogical research to a whole new level and provides another tool to break through those brick walls we all seem to have. We learn so much as we are pursuing our ancestors, it's wonderful to pay it forward to others. Jane Theissen, our StLGS Quarterly editor, hopes to inspire you to take the plunge into writing for our journal. Jane writes . . .

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.

Early Registration Savings Extended for Genealogy Writing Events

It's not too late to kick-start your family history research and writing with two special events from StLGS, and now, early registration pricing has been extended through June 30th! Don't let time slip by—register today and get that little push you need to take your family research to the next step. Learn how to capture some of your interesting family stories and make them into an article, short story or book! First, join us on Saturday, 13 July 2019, for our 2019 Summer Speaker Series:

Your Family Stories: What DID They Say?

Featuring John Philip Colletta, Ph.D.

Nationally known writer, instructor, and lecturer, John Philip Colletta, Ph.D., comes to St. Louis as our featured guest at the beautiful new Maryland Heights Community Center, 2300 McKelvey Road, from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. He will deliver lectures on:

• Breaking through Brick Walls: Use Your HEAD!
• Turning Biographical Facts into Real Life Events: How to Build Historical Context
• Principles of Good Writing and Storytelling 
• Writing a Narrative Family History: The Snares and Pitfalls

Your day includes all four lectures plus lunch. Registration booklet and more details on our website.

 2019 Summer Writing Institute

 Are You Ready to Write Your Family History?

The following week, we will host a four-day intensive workshop on writing. Meet with us Monday through Thursday, 15–18 July, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the StLGS office in Maplewood for lectures, hands-on practice, and plenty of good advice on best practices for writing short stories, articles, or your family history book. Local writers/editors Viki Fagyal, Bob Goode, Ilene Murray, and Jane Theissen will show you:

• How to use timelines and historical context
• How to create style sheets
• How to use Microsoft Word to format your writing and include graphics
• What you need to know about copyright
• How to create the various parts of a book

In addition, Liz Kelley, publications manager at No Waste Publishing, will be on hand on Thursday to walk you through the steps to take to get your manuscript published.
 

The Summer Writing Institute includes morning snacks and lunch each day. All participants will receive a notebook and USB drive of handout material. You can learn more about the Institute and how to register on our website.

Save $15

Register for both events and save $15. Both the Speaker Series and Writing Workshop registration booklets include the reduced combination price and you can register online at our secure store.

Questions? Contact us at programs@stlgs.org or call us during office hours, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 9 a.m. until noon. We look forward to seeing you in July!

So Many Things to Remember!

This week's blog is a reminder of three special genealogy events you don't want to miss. With so much going on this busy springtime, it's easy to let things slide. Pre-registration (save money!) is open now—but only for a limited time—for the following:

2019 Summer Speaker Series: Your Family Stories: What DID They Say?

Featuring John Philip Colletta, Ph.D.

Saturday, 13 July 2019

Maryland Heights Community Center

 2300 McKelvey Road

8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.

• Breaking through Brick Walls: Use Your HEAD!
• Turning Biographical Facts into Real Life Events: How to Build Historical Context
• Principles of Good Writing and Storytelling 
• Writing a Narrative Family History: The Snares and Pitfalls

Your day includes all four lectures plus lunch. Registration booklet and more details on our website.
 

 2019 Summer Writing Institute: Are You Ready to Write Your Family History?

Monday through Thursday, 15–18 July 2019

StLGS Office

 4 Sunnen Drive, Suite 140, Maplewood, Missouri

9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. each day

• Lectures
• Hands-on practice
• Advice on best practices for writing short stories, articles, and/or your family history book. 

Featuring local writers/editors Viki Fagyal, Bob Goode, Ilene Murray, and Jane Theissen, and Liz Kelley, publications manager at No Waste Publishing.

Includes morning snacks and lunch each day. All participants will also receive a notebook and USB drive of handout material.

You can learn more about the Institute and how to register on our website.

Save $15 by registering for both the Speaker Series and the Writing Institute together. Both registration booklets have the combination price and you can register online at our secure store.

2019 Salt Lake City Research Trip

Sunday, 27 October–Sunday, 3 November

• Seven nights at the Salt Lake Plaza Hotel
• Shuttle service to and from the airport
• Sunday dinner
• Monday evening meeting
• Individual assistance all week from two experienced leaders
• Pre-trip meeting
• Electronic mailing list for out-of-town participants 

Pre-registration ends 30 June. You save $100 and can take part in all pre-trip preparations if you register by that date. More information and a four-page registration flyer are on the StLGS website.