Minnesota Genealogical Society webinar proposals

The Minnesota Genealogical Society is now hosting webinars and accepting proposals for the 2015 educational year. According to the press release:

"The Minnesota Genealogical Society invites proposals for our 2015 genealogy webinars. The webinars are via our GoToWebinars.com account on the 1st Wednesday of February, March, April, May, June, August, September, October, November, and December. The MGS Education Committee especially encourages proposals for presentations with content relating to Minnesota and Upper Midwest resources and important Upper Midwest ethnic groups, including, but not limited to, Swedish, German, Norwegian, French Canadian, and Yankees. . . ."

For full details and the submission form:http://mngs.org/upload/files/Webinar_2015_RFP.pdf

Proposals must be sent no later than 9 October 2014.

Genealogy classes and events offered by MGS

MGS is the Minnesota Genealogical Society and the event and class offerings continue to expand. This "spring" has a crowded calendar. This is fantastic for everyone who desires to progress further in their family history research.

MGS has been offering special events and classes since the mid-1980s. I remember teaching the first classes at the donated old dining room table in the MGS library's first location on West 7th St. in St. Paul. 

Click on the links below for more details:

Classes: http://mngs.org/classes.htm
Events: http://mngs.org/

Don't forget to check under "About Us" for the link to Branches/Affiliates for more educational offerings. 

The Minnesota Genealogical Society Co-Sponsors Hennepin County Library Family History Fair

Join us Saturday, October 26 at Minneapolis Central Library from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for the 4th annual Hennepin County Library Family History Fair.

Nationally known Minnesota genealogist, Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, FMGS, FUGA, starts off the day with a keynote address, Check it Out! Public Library "Musts" for Genealogists.

Paula's talk is followed by three rounds of short breakout sessions presented by local genealogists.  Breakout round 1 features Finding Family in the Federal Census from Lois Abromitis Mackin and Faith

5 bits of recent genealogy news for 2013 and beyond

The world is full of genealogy news in the last several days.

1. Who Do You Think You Are?" has been renewed for a second season on TLC! See the news release on Variety!
   
2. FamilySearch and Ancestry.com recently announced a joint agreement to begin a 5-year effort to digitize and index more than 1 billion records from around the world. Read more here.
   
3. There is still time to register for the The Minnesota Genealogical Society’s October 4-5, 2013 “6th Annual North Star 2013 Family History Conference.” It features Steve Luxenberg
   Steve, a Washington Post associate editor, who wrote Annie's Ghosts: A Journey Into a Family Secret plus many breakout sessions with other great speakers. Click here for details.
    
4.  Spots are still available in several courses at the week-long Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, January 12-17, 2013. The early bird savings ends October 31st.  Click here for more details. The American Records intermediate course which I coordinate has some very special components including one-on-one consultations, hands-on computer session, and some surprises that you won't find out about until the classes begin!
   
5. CNN.com reposted a story from Real Simple magazine that talks about the growing interest in family history searching. You may recognize the name of the experts the author consulted, including my friend, Cyndi Ingle Howells of Cyndislist.com.
   

Bus it to the FGS Conference from Minnesota

If you live in Minnesota or Wisconsin, why not consider riding to the Federation of Genealogical Societies August 21-24 Conference in Fort Wayne with a bus filled with eager genealogists? The conference theme is "Journey through Generations" and you have the opportunity to travel with others who understand that phrase!

Check the website of the Minnesota Genealogical Society for the full details. MGS has arranged for hotel rooms and the bus will deliver you to the convention center each day.

St. Cloud, Minnesota Genealogy Conference, June 22

The Minnesota Genealogical Society and the St. Cloud Area Genealogists are hosting the St. Cloud Genealogy Conference on Saturday, June 22, 2013. It’s an all-day event and the cost is only $35 which includes lunch and snacks.

The program features two plenary sessions and two rounds of breakout sessions, with topics including researching at the National Archives, scanning images, finding European origins, and the newest changes at FamilySearch.org, plus two German research topics: reading German church records and German research on the web.

The location is the Apollo High School at 1000 N 44th Avenue in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

For more details and to register, visit the MGS website:  www.mngs.org

Nordic Genealogy Conference in Minnesota: Early Bird Deadline is April 14

If you like to save money, don't forget to register for the discounted rate for the upcoming Nordic Genealogy Conference no later than Sunday, April 14th. The conference will be held in the Fine Arts Building at Inver Hills Community College, located in Inver Grove Heights [suburb of St. Paul] on Friday, April 26th and Saturday, April 27th.      

Friday night includes a dessert social, followed by a presentation by Doug Ohman, photographer of the

Minnesota Genealogy Ambassador Award

Earlier this month at the banquet during the Minnesota Genealogical Society's annual North Star Conference, I was presented with an award. It's the "Minnesota Genealogy Ambassador Award for representing Minnesota on the national genealogy scene and bringing honor to Minnesota genealogy."

It was an easy award to win and receive. Easy to win because I love Minnesota and the fantastic resources for family and social history. I love talking about my home state and those resources. I have been a member of the Minnesota Genealogical Society for 30 years (well, I did forget to renew for a time) and was one of the founders of the MGS library. Of course I promote MGS!

There are many other Minnesota residents who are also good ambassadors for the state, for Minnesota history, genealogy, and MGS. I am honored to be chosen.

MGS 2 day family history conference in Minnesota

If you have an interest in family history, you shouldn't miss the 2012 Minnesota Genealogical Society North Star Conference on October 5 & 6. It's being held in Edina, Minnesota, a Minneapolis suburb. 

The headline speaker is D. Joshua Taylor and additional sessions will be presented by 12 other speakers. Add vendors, door prizes, silent auction, free parking, and free wi-fi and it's an event you should not miss. You may have seen Josh on episodes of Who Do You Think Your Are? as he helped Sarah Jessica Parker, Ashley Judd, and Rob Lowe with their family history. He is Vice President of Administration for the Federation of Genealogical Societies

The Northland Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists will have a great presence at the conference. The Chapter will have a table in the vendor area and host a Q&A panel on Friday, October 5th, at 5:30 p.m. Both will be great places to get your family history questions addressed, find a professional genealogist to assist you in your search or consult with you, and meet some great chapter members. 

For more info on the conference and registration please visit www.mngs.org. You'll also find details about Josh Taylor and the other speakers.

I'll see you there on both days and at the Friday evening banquet. I am currently President of the Northland Chapter of APG and am presenting two sessions at the conference.

Minnesota Genealogical Society Northstar Conference Savings Deadine

August 31st is the last day to register for the 5th Annual MGS North Star Conference at the discounted prices. It's two days of genealogy education and networking on Friday and Saturday, October 5 & 6. I hope to see you there.

The main speaker is D. Joshua Taylor. Josh is a nationally known and recognized genealogical author, lecturer, and researcher. Previous speaking engagements include RootsTech, the Federation of Genealogical Societies Annual Conferences, the National Genealogical Society Annual Conference, the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy and the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh. He has been a featured genealogist on NBC's Who Do You Think You Are? and is the Vice President of Administration for the Federation of Genealogical Societies, where he chairs the Conference Planning and Long-Range Planning Committees. He has published articles in American Ancestors, UGA Crossroads, FGS Forum, Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly, and New England Ancestors, and was a columnist for Digital Genealogist.

Event Highlights

Friday -

• Plenary Session by D. Joshua Taylor
• 10 Breakout Sessions
• 5th Annual MGS Awards Banquet
• Ask the Genealogist: Q&A
• Special Seminar (Separate Registration Required)

Saturday -

• 2 Plenary Sessions by D. Joshua Taylor
• 10 More Breakout Sessions
• Vendor Exhibit Hall, Door Prizes, Silent Auction

Friday + Saturday $75 - Early Bird Special thru August 31st
Special Discounts for Young Adults (under age 26)
(Friday-only and Saturday-only registrations also available)

Members of the Association of Professional Genealogists Northland Chapter will be on hand to help answer your genealogy questions.

Visit www.mngs.org to register and to see more details. The conference takes place at the Colonial Church of Edina.

Minnesota 1940 census index now available!

The index for the Minnesota 1940 census has gone live at www.findmypast.com! My plans for the day are now changed. I am guessing it will be at www.familysearch.org pretty soon. These indexes and images are FREE.

This index was created by volunteers from all over the world. Many volunteers from the Minnesota Genealogical Society participated and we were lead by Kathy Lund. More states need to be indexed. Check them out and sign up to help at FamilySearch.

Mankato, MInnesota Family History Conference

In partnership with Minnesota State University, Mankato, and the Blue Earth County Historical Society, the Minnesota Genealogical Society presents this year's greater Minnesota genealogy conference June 22 and 23.  Friday kicks off with an evening social and program at Blue Earth County Historical Society.  Saturday's full-day conference at the university, "South Central Minnesota in the 1860s," is headlined by Stephen Osman's presentation, "Minnesota's Two Civil Wars."  

A total of 16 breakout sessions on a wide variety of topics are being offered. 

For details: http://www.mngs.org/

Minnesota 1940 census is 19% indexed

That is amazing news. In less than a month since the 1940 census was made public, volunteers have indexed 19% of the 1940 U.S. census for Minnesota. I love indexing my home state. I recognize many names or can easily figure out what the enumerator wrote in most cases. I love seeing the multi-generation families all living in the same house. Yesterday I indexed four batches.

I do have to use other databases and indexes to help figure out the given or surname for some of the entries. Those names have to be indexed as the census enumerator wrote them. For Minnesota  and other place names, the spelling is to be corrected to the proper spelling. One helpful Minnesota place name guide is Minnesota Place Names: A Geographical Encyclopedia (3d ed) which is also online in expanded and searchable format at http://mnplaces.mnhs.org/upham/index.cfm

A bit of bad news, there is still 81% of the 1940 census for Minnesota to be indexed. It takes many people to accomplish 100%. On average, how many batches (pages) are you indexing in a week? My work and other volunteering schedules have kept me from doing as many as I want to do. But, I am averaging a dozen batches a week. Promise me you will try indexing at least a couple batches in the five days. Then tell me you were able to stop with just two!

A friend in Arizona sent me an email to tell me that since her home state of Indiana is all indexed and Arizona, her state of residence, is also indexed, she is now indexing in states that mean something to her genealogy friends. I love that she is helping to index Minnesota!

To sign up visit www.familysearch.org and click on the 1940 census image. That will take you to a page where you can quickly sign up. You may also indicate that you are doing this under the auspices of the Minnesota Genealogical Society or any other group.

"Ask a Genealogist" this Saturday

The Association of Professional Genealogists Northland Chapter is sponsoring a “Ask a Genealogist” panel session this Saturday, April 28th at Inver Hills Community College in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. IGH is a suburb of St. Paul.

This session will be held from 12:00 - 12:30 p.m. and is open to all conference registrants. Each registrant will receive Ask a Genealogist forms in their registration packet. APG Northland Chapter members David Suddarth, Joanne Sher, and Sandy Thalmann will be there to answer your family history questions.

The session is part of the Central & Eastern European Genealogy Conference being held Friday evening and all day Saturday. For more information on the event check the Minnesota Genealogical Society website at www.mngs.org.

The conference features three sessions by John Philip Colletta, Ph.D. plus 15 breakout sessions in 5 ethnic tracks.

For more information on the Northland Chapter please visit our page on the Association of Professional Genealogists website: http://www.apgen.org/chapters/northland/index.html

Central and Eastern European Genealogy Conference April 27 and 28 in Minnesota

I received this information from the Minnesota Genealogical Society today:

Minnesota Genealogical Society 2012 Central and Eastern European Genealogy Conference

South St. Paul, MN. The Minnesota Genealogical Society (MGS), with co-sponsorship from the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International, the Germanic Genealogy Society, the Polish Genealogical Society of Minnesota, the Pommern Regional Group of Minnesota, and the Romanian Genealogy Society, will present its Central and Eastern European Genealogy Conference April 27 and 28 at Inver Hills Community College, Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota.

The conference will feature keynote presentations by nationally known genealogical speaker John Philip Colletta, Ph.D., as well as 15 breakout sessions from Upper Midwest genealogical speakers and educators.

Conference events begin Friday April 27 with an evening dessert social and lecture by Colletta, “Finding the REAL Stories of Your Immigrant Ancestors.” Saturday April 28 will be a full-day conference with two more lectures by Colletta and five tracks of breakout presentations focusing on German, Czech and Slovak, Polish, Romanian, and general genealogy topics, including maps and DNA research. 

The Northland Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists will facilitate an "Ask the Genealogists" Q&A session during lunch on Saturday.

More details can be found at www.mngs.org. Conference registration is open at http://www.mngs.org/blog/?page_id=97&action=register&event_id=16.

About the Minnesota Genealogical Society (MGS)

The Minnesota Genealogical Society (MGS) was organized in 1969 to help Minnesotans and people with Minnesota connections research and discover their family history. MGS collects and publishes genealogical, biographical, and historical material, offers educational classes and conferences to support interest in family history, and promotes family history and genealogy as a rewarding hobby and area of lifelong learning.

Education in Minnesota during Family History Month

October is Family History Month and the Minnesota Genealogical Society offers some opportunities for us to expand our knowledge including these:

October 7-8, Edina Minnesota: North Star Conference featuring one of the Genealogy Guys, George G. Morgan, and other great speakers.

October 22, Minneapolis, Minnesota: Family History Fair in conjunction with the Minneapolis Central Library of the Hennepin County Library system.

Click here to visit the MGS website for more details.

Take the bus to FGS Springfield!

If you live in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa or Illinois and are planning to attend the September 2011 Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference in Springfield, Illinois, you need to know about two bus trips!

The Minnesota Genealogical Society and the Wisconsin State Genealogical Society are both sponsoring coach bus trips to Springfield. It's more fun to travel as a group, make new friends, maybe take a nap, and save on gas!

The Minnesota route will go through Iowa and the Wisconsin route will go south from Wisconsin. 

It's also a great way to talk with others as you plan which lectures to attend and on the way home you can all compare notes!

MGS trip: http://www.mngs.org/programs.htm#springfield

WSGS trip: http://wsgs.wetpaint.com/

My Hanley and Welch families and the Minnesota Genealogical Society in Winona

I am looking forward to being a part of the MGS all day meeting in Winona, Minnesota on June 25th. It's the birthplace of my Grandpa Mike.

My maternal grandfather Maurice Michael Hanley was born there 12 September 1893. His parents were Michael Hanley and Johanna Welch/Walsh. Johanna was the sister of other Welch's who came to Winona from the parish of Ballyferriter which is situated on the beautiful Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland.

Among the families that some of these Welch siblings and others married into were Feiten, Hinds, McGrath, and Kellner.

Michael Hanley, the father of Maurice Michael (Grandpa Mike), was first married to Margaret Carney and they had six children. Michael and Johanna also had six children. Grandpa Mike's sister Mabel Hanley Hewson was the one who gave me the family connections.

It will be my first time to present a lecture in Winona. The day has many other speakers. To see the full program, register for the day, and order your lunch, click here. The day is co-hosted by the Winona County Historical Society.

Minnesota British Isles Family History Day

The Minnesota Genealogical Society & The Irish Genealogical Society International proudly present “British Isles Family History Days, Irish, Scottish, English, and Welsh Genealogy” featuring David E. Rencher, AG, CG, FUGA, FIGRS, Chief Genealogical Officer, FamilySearch.org.

• Friday, April 29, 2011: An Evening with David Rencher, Dessert Reception and Presentation "The Sun Never Sets on the Data Empire."

• Saturday, April 30, 2011: Irish, Scottish, English, and Welsh Genealogy 
• Two plenary sessions presented by David Rencher
• Twelve Breakout Sessions
• Vendors and Exhibitors

Events will take place at Hennepin Technical College, Eden Prairie, MN 20 minutes from Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport.

For more information, full lineup, and registration, Click Here.

There are also details there for a guided tour of the beautiful Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis which is home to such notables as Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey, Charles A. Lindberg, Paul Wellstone, Tiny Tim, Carl Pohlad, Curtis Carlson, several former Minnesota governors, prominent sports figures, and many other other people.

Minnesota Genealogical Society's NEW website

The new Minnesota Genealogical Society website has debuted. I just noticed that tonight while I was searching for some information. Be sure to check it out, learn abut the library, upcoming events, publications, MGS Branches and affiliate organizations, and to see the online library catalog.

Click here to see the new website.