Memorial Day in my own family and Preserve the Pensions

This Memorial Day weekend is a time to think about all the brave men and women who have been in the military service of the United States and gave their lives for us. I am especially thinking about one Korean War serviceman, Gerald J. Mueller, from Buckman, Minnesota. Jerry was married to my Mom's only sibling, my Aunt Jeanie. Jerry never came home from the war. I was a toddler when he was declared Missing in Action (MIA). I remember his Mom, Grandparents, and two half-brothers. I recently reconnected with one of those half-brothers when we were both commenting on a Facebook page for Old St. Paul [Minnesota].

There are many websites that list the various MIA's from 20th century wars. Unfortunately some records from the past century's wars, especially up through WWII were lost in a fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis back in 1973. I shudder whenever I think about that loss. It's horrific enough that we lost so many military personnel in various wars and add to that with the loss of their records.

We have the chance to make sure the same never happens to some of our earlier military records. The War of 1812 Pension and Bounty Land applications are housed at the National Archives in Washington, DC.  The National Archives has faced many years of decreased budget and decreased staffing. The Federation of Genealogical Societies has been spearheading the War of 1812 Preserve the Pensions Project.

As of now, 35% of the funds have been raised. That does leave 65% more to go. If you donate $25, that amount is matched by Ancestry.com. If FGS, genealogists, historians, service personnel, hereditary organizations, and others raise the full amount, all those records will be digitized and online for FREE forever.

I just checked and more than 1 million digitized images are already online for free at Fold3.com. These encompass War of 1812 service anytime between 1812 and 1815. WE did this!

The search capability is helpful. Search by given name, surname, both names, geographic place, date, or topic. I searched for several surnames and found great details. Then I searched for the term Indian and found many pension records for Native Americans that will be helpful in a work project. The next search was for a couple towns where my own ancestors lived in Wisconsin and I found affidavits from men living in those towns in the pension records for other men.

We can't let these records sit and chance further deterioration. They need to be digitized NOW. Please donate today. Please visit the Preserve the Pensions page on the Federation of Genealogical Societies website.

Donating is painless. There are several methods. I have made a few donations over the past couple of years and am proud to say I am a member of the Preservation Patriots who have donated $250 or more. Why not make one or more donations over the next few months and join me and many others who feel these records must be preserved. Any amount is welcomed. Donate Now. Please.

Genealogy lectures live streamed from Jamboree

There's nothing better than attending a genealogical conference or institute for great knowledge, camaraderie, networking, and on-the-spot help. There are many great educational opportunities. I would love to meet many readers in just 2 weeks at the Southern California Genealogical Society's Jamboree but I do realize that some have family, work, health, and budget limitations.

However, the SCGS is offering a great array of Jamboree presentations via live-streaming right in your own home. The first day has a fee and the three following days are free.
You'll find a complete list of the sessions, with links to the registration pages and as well as registration information on the Jamboree website and also on the right hand column of this blog.

Here are the specifics:

Family History and DNA Conference - June 5, 2014
-Five streamed sessions, 10:00am to 6:00pm PDT
-Pay for view, $30 per session
-All-Day Pass $130 includes complete DNA syllabus
-Requires a two-step registration process
-Sessions available for 30 days after initial webcast
-Sessions will not be available in the SCGS webinar archive

• CeCe Moore: "Real World Stories from the Desk of a Genealogy DNA Detective"
• Diahan Southard: "Lab Tour: How Your Data is Generated"
• Blaine Bettinger, PhD, JD: "Using Autosomal DNA to Explore Your Ancestry"
• Dr. Maurice Gleeson: "Which DNA is Best for You?"
• Tim Janzen, MD: "Advanced Techniques for Use of Autosomal DNA Tests to Break Through Genealogical Brick Walls"

Southern California Genealogy Jamboree - June 6-8, 2014
-14 streamed sessions over three days
-Initial webcast provided free of charge
-Cost is partially underwritten by Diamond Sponsor Ancestry.com
-Many sessions will eventually be available in the SCGS webinar archive for viewing by members

Friday, June 6 - Four sessions 1:00pm to 6:30pm PDT

• Judy G. Russell JD, CG, CGL - "Dowered or Bound Out: Records of Widows and Orphans"
• Blaine Bettinger PhD, JD - "DNA and the Genealogical Proof Standard"
• Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, FUGA - "Manuscript Finding Aids: Locating Migrating Family Records"
• F. Warren Bittner, CG - "Proof Arguments: How and Why"

Saturday, June 7 - Six sessions 8:30am to 6:00pm PDT

• F. Warren Bittner, CG - "Elusive Immigrant!"
• Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL - "Staying out of Trouble: The Rights and Responsibilities of Today's Genealogist"
• Michael Leclerc - "Researching Your New England Ancestors"
• Bennett Greenspan - "The Future of Genetic Genealogy"
• Dr. Maurice Gleeson - "Researching Your Irish Ancestry"
• Cyndi Ingle - "The Internet: A Genealogist's Printing Press"

Sunday, June 8 - Four sessions 8:30am to 3:30pm PDT

• D. Joshua Taylor - "Resources of the DAR: Beyond Revolutionary War Soldiers"
• Dawn Thurston - "How to Write a Personal History that Captures your Interesting Life"
• Dr. Maurice Gleeson - "Ireland and the Slave Trade"
• Denise Levenick - "Dirty Pictures: Save Your Family Photos from Ruin"

Please help us spread the word about this outstanding educational opportunity for family historians and genealogists from around the globe. Share this news with your cousins, friends, society members, and followers.

Recordings of my genealogical presentations

I have received several requests asking how someone might hear my lectures. The most requested ones are railroad research, research planning, research reports for ourselves, NUCMC, and the WPA. Of course, your society may engage me as a speaker. Just email me PaulaStuartWarren at gmail.com for my info packet with all the details.

Many of my lectures (and those of many other speakers) have been recorded and the recordings are available for purchase. These recordings keep me company when I am driving long distances in my car.

Not all presentations are suitable for recording. This may include lectures that depend heavily on the visuals, first-time lectures, or those presented in workshop format. All recordings are copyrighted and intended for individual listening. Any other use must be only with permission of the speaker and may require a fee.

Fleetwood Onsite Conference Recording  available in CD and download formats. Fleetwood has recorded the Federation of Genealogical Societies 2011 Springfield, IL, 2012 Birmingham, AL, and 2013 Fort Wayne, IN conferences.

JAMB Inc.  available in CD formats. JAMB has recorded a variety of national and state level conferences for several years.


If you wish to purchase the accompanying handout for any of my recorded lectures, please send me an email for details.

Paula is interviewed on the Genealogy Guys Podcast

While I was at the Ohio Genealogical Society's conference in Sandusky, Ohio earlier this month, I was interviewed by Drew Smith for the Genealogy Guys Podcast that is hosted by Drew and George G. Morgan. We covered several topics including railroads, research planning, and genealogical institutes. I was able to mention my own railroad connections and love of railroads. Drew is a great interviewer. At the end I loved hearing that George picked up several tips from my railroad lecture at that conference.

You can listen to the entire May podcast at http://genealogyguys.com. My segment is at the end, but the rest of the podcast is very worthwhile.

A few dates & links for your genealogy calendar

Do you have these events on your summer genealogy calendar? I will be presenting sessions at all of these events and would love to meet you there. Have a genealogy question? Bring it along to the event and I will help you figure out the answer! Just click on the underlined words to reach the website and see all the details for each event. Each of these has something for all levels of research experience. Learn more about online and offline research, records, repositories, methodology, and more from experienced presenters.

June 6-8, 2014: Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree, Burbank, California. This event has many special features, subscription website access, exhibit hall, plus education and fun!

July 20-25, 2014: Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Five days of exception genealogical education and a syllabus on a beautiful college campus. There are still open slots in some of the courses.

August 3-8, 2014: Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh, "On the Road," Orchard Lake, Michigan (suburban Detroit). Five days of exception genealogical education and a syllabus on a beautiful college campus. There are still open slots in some of the courses.

August 27-30, 2014: Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference, San Antonio, Texas. Four days of genealogical education, large exhibit hall filled with vendors, extensive syllabus, special luncheons with a speaker, evening events to celebrate Texas history, all adjacent to the famed San Antonio River Walk.

St. Paul Mayor Latimer and the St. Paul Public Library

Way back in 1989 I had the pleasure of meeting St. Paul Mayor George Latimer. One of the large genealogy conferences (NGS) took place in St. Paul. I found out that he was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution and had an interest in family history.

He accomplished many things for the benefit of St. Paul over the 14 years he served as our Mayor. He still resides in the city and has had a great honor bestowed upon him. The central St. Paul Public Library in downtown St. Paul is being renamed the George Latimer Central Library.

I love this library building and took the bus to it as a child, researched there for school projects while in high school, even went there with a special beau (that's all I will say about those visits!), and used it for family history research. 

To read a very nice article about Mayor Latimer and the library at Twin Cities.com, click here.

The St. Paul Library's website is here.

The trains are back at St. Paul's Union Depot!

National Train Day is this Saturday, May 10th. It's a great week for trains in my area. After a 40+ year absence, trains are again arriving and departing from Union Depot in downtown St. Paul. The first "new" arrival was late last evening. And late it was, by 70 minutes. 

The Depot has been beautifully refurbished. It is now a place where travelers can board local buses, MegaBus, Greyhound, Jefferson Lines, and in mid-June, the Green Line light rail opens. That line runs from downtown St. Paul to downtown Minneapolis.

The Union Depot is a place where my paternal Grandpa Earl James Stuart took my cousin Dave and me to watch the trains. Grandpa was a superintendent with the Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Paul, & Omaha Railway. His brother LaMer Stuart and Uncles Fred and Lou (L.F.) Slaker worked for the same railroad in Wisconsin and Minnesota. A maternal Great Granduncle Sam Dow (Daoust) worked for the Omaha as did maternal Great Granduncle Thomas Hanley, a half-brother to my Grandpa Michael Hanley. I keep writing about these men in hope some descendant of theirs ever reads my blog!

Evernote for genealogy!

Cyndi Ingle of Cyndislist.com has a new blog. It's dedicated to those of use who need help with Evernote. I am a new user of Evernote to help me keep track of many things, add notes and images and so much more. I am happy she has this new help for those of use who are technologically challenged at times.

Check out her new blog at http://evernotegenealogy.postach.io/

She also has links to many other websites that offer help on her Cyndi's List.

She is a dear friend but I don't get any remuneration for talking about this new venture. Go Cyndi!

4 busy months of genealogical education for me

I just updated my large wall calendar that I see each time I walk into my office. I have a busy next four months. I hope you will be able to join me at one or more of these places where I will be lecturing. Be sure to click on the links for full details on the hotels, registration and all the presentations at each event.

• April 30-May 3, Ohio Genealogical Society Conference, Genealogical Expedition, Sandusky, Ohio. My presentations are:
• Midwestern Railroad Research
• What Next?Hands-on Research Planning (2 hour workshop)

• June 6-8, Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree, Burbank, California. My presentations are: 
• Manuscript Finding Aids: Locating Migrating Family Records
• Research Reports for Ourselves: More than a Research Log
• What Next? Hands-on Research Planning

•  July 20-25, Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. My presentations are in two of the courses:
• Intermediate Genealogy: Tools for Digging Deeper: (12 sessions)
• Becoming an Online Expert: Mastering Search Engines and Digital Archives (2 sessions)

•  August 3-8, GRIP on the Road in Orchard Lake, Michigan (suburban Detroit). My presentations are: 
• Intermediate Genealogy: Tools for Digging Deeper: (12 sessions) 
• Bridging the Gap: New England to the Midwest, 1780-1840 (2 sessions)

•  August 27-30, Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference, San Antonio, Texas. My presentations are: 
• The Dotted Line: Sign Before Other Steps
• Volunteering from a Distance
• Research Gems: Southern and Western Historical and Sociological Journals

Proven: A private railroad car for L. F. Slaker

A family story is proven! Many years ago, I was told a similar story by two older relatives. Last night I found the proof of the story. The story was that my Great Granduncle Louis F. Slaker was so important with the Omaha railroad (Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Omaha  Railway) to have his own private railroad car. I have researched and documented much about the Slaker (Schleicher) family in Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, California, Washington and other places. Louis served the railroad in many capacities, including several division supervisory roles. Louis' sister Emma Slaker Stuart is one of my paternal great grandmothers. Louis is usually found as L. F. Slaker.

Newspapers in many localities reports railroad activities and also local news related to railroad personnel. It's been a great way to follow other Slaker and Stuart family members through their movements in Wisconsin and Minnesota as they worked at various railroad jobs. L. F. Slaker appeared more than other family members due to his job level.

Earlier tonight I found that aforementioned proof. A local news item in one newspaper mentioned his private railroad car. I also found other mentions of this car, visiting family, job changes, vacations, and more in local news columns.

Worthington Advance [MN], 24 February 1905, page 5, column 2

The full article newspaper can be viewed at the Library of Congress' Chronicling America website.

North Dakota State University Archives and Institute for Regional Studies reopens

It's always a good thing when a great research place stays open. It's sad when one is closed, even temporarily. In the case of the Institute for Regional Studies and the North Dakota State University Archives, that temporarily closed is now in the past. It has reopened in a new location.

I noted the announcement in the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead's March 29th online edition. The article gives a good overview of the collections. It also says "It isn’t easy to find the new location of the North Dakota State University Archives. Stashed out in the old Knox Lumber Co. warehouse at 3551 7th Ave. N., it’s the last right turn before Interstate 29 on Seventh Avenue."

I used to spend a lot of time researching at the Institute when it was located in the university's main library. What a wealth of information for North Dakota and also for some families along the North Dakota and Minnesota border. 


Click here for the full article.

Click here for the repository's website with collection details and online databases. Browse the tabs for great details.

2014 FGS Conference Registration is now open!

“Gone to Texas” – A Conference for the Nation’s Genealogists

Online registration is now open for the 2014 Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference, scheduled 27-30 August 2014 in San Antonio, Texas. Register at www.fgsconference.org by 1 July 2014 for an early-bird discount. This year’s conference theme is “Gone to Texas,” and the local hosts are the San Antonio Genealogical and Historical Society (SAGHS) and the Texas State Genealogical Society (TSGS). 

The full program is on the website, plus hotel details, special events, other activities and more in beautiful San Antonio. I have been to Texas many times in the last 30 years but never to San Antonio and I am excited to see the Riverwalk, Alamo, and other places. 

I am a member of the FGS board of directors and love the camaraderie of FGS conferences. By the way, as you will see, the program offers something for family historians at all levels of experience.

The 2014 conference blog may be viewed here: fgsconference.org/blog/

Job for a Minnesota genealogist

Carver County Historical Society, Waconia, MN, is seeking a half time genealogist/researcher. Applications will be taken until April 25, 2014, with interviews to follow early May. Interns are encouraged to apply.  To apply please email cover letter with salary requirements, and resume. Email questions preferred.

This is from the Minnesota Historical Society's Local History News for March 26, 2014. 

Read the full job description here. 

Facebook has helpful pages you may not know about!

Have you spent time exploring Facebook? I love keeping in touch with my children, grandchildren, cousins, nieces, friends, colleagues, and others via this social media tool. High school graduating classes have pages as do families, historical societies, family organizations, surname groups, newspapers, school reunion groups, libraries, genealogical organizations and businesses, restaurants, plus even dogs and cats.

Some pages require that you ask to join and be accepted into the group. Others simply hope that you "like" the page. Whether you are on Facebook now or will be joining, be sure to click on that cog wheel in the upper right hand corner and then on settings where you will be able to set various privacy and notifications parameters.

I am learning and also having fun with some of these pages. I love the pages about St. Paul history. Most of my life was spent in St. Paul. A few of my favorite Facebook pages:

• Old St. Paul Minn : www.facebook.com/groups/190978714441142/

• St. Paul Revisited:  www.facebook.com/SaintPaulRevisited

• You know you're from Roseville MN when. . . .www.facebook.com/groups/187655801277036/ [All the cousins on my Stuart side grew up in Roseville, my family has shopped in Roseville forever, and I now live in Roseville.]

• Mountain View Historical Association:  www.facebook.com/MVHistory [My oldest son was born in Mountain View, California when we lived there for a year.]

• Rawdon Historical Society:  www.facebook.com/groups/162120912771/ [My Copping ancestors settled in Rawdon, Quebec, Canada in the early 1800s.] 

Update on 2014 Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh

In case you didn't know, this is a reminder that the 2014 edition of the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP) is being offered in two places this year.

• July 20 - 25 on the serene campus of La Roche College in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with 6 courses
• August 3-8 on the beautiful campus of the Polish Mission in Orchard Lake, Michigan (suburban Detroit) with 4 courses.

There are still spots in courses at each location. Join the students, instructors, coordinators, and GRIP directors for a great week of learning. Classrooms and dorms are air conditioned, the cafeterias are handy, the education is superb, each registrant gets a course syllabus, the networking and other learning are dedicated, and fun is also guaranteed. The areas of both campuses have hotels and restaurants within a few miles. I actually like the airports in both places so that's another plus.

Just ask anyone who has attended GRIP the past two summers and you will likely find someone itching to return.

See you in both cities!

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. 

Baby books in the UCLA Special Collections Library

I haven't looked at my baby book or those of my three children in a long time. My youngest child turns 37 in a few days so that book will bring back some great memories. Need to get that box down from the high shelf! My own mother's baby book that was started in 1926 yielded much family history information. I spent some time figuring out what the connection was to those listed as newborn and 1st birthday gift givers for her.

The University of California - Los Angeles Special Collections Library has a huge collection of baby books collected from a variety of places. The library's blog has a post from February 14th, that is titled "Grow(ing) Up! The UCLA Library Baby Record Books Collection." This year is the 10th Anniversary of the beginning of the collection.

The post's last paragraph states "The books and their handwritten and pasted-in contents have been used for research and teaching in pediatrics, printing history, economic and social status, material culture, linguistics, architecture, advertising, folklore, depictions of family, and other topics and disciplines." I sure hope that the other topics include family history.

One baby book item I found in the UCLA Library catalog:

• Baby birth announcements, height and weight chart, and photographs for Charles Wriggins Walker, born 14 February 1914 in Buffalo, N.Y., 1914-1920.

Click here to read the full blog post.


A quick check on ArchiveGrid.org for the phrase "baby book" shows 385 entries. Keep in mind that some hits in any catalog might yield books on how to care for a baby!

Thank you West Valley Genealogical Society

A week ago I was in sunny Arizona to do a seminar in Sun City for the West Valley Genealogical Society. I had the opportunity to experience a tour of their library. Wow! It's huge, has books, atlases, many computers, databases, space to research, and more. I think I could have spent several days there. What a gem for those who live in Arizona but also for the snowbirds who descend upon the state. (Oh do I wish I was one of them after this winter in Minnesota!). The library is at 12222 N. 111th Avenue, Youngtown, Arizona. Free parking right in front, too!

The group was welcoming, the seminar was well-organized, great door prizes were awarded, lunch from Paradise Bakery was awesome, and we all had great opportunities for learning and some laughs. I could not have asked for a better day.

One other highlight of the weekend was that one of their members, Linda Caldwell McCleary, was my host for the weekend. Linda and I have known each other for more years than we will publicly admit to. She is a former board member of the Federation of Genealogical Societies but we really needed some catching up time!

I mentioned door prizes and that brought about a moment in which I was speechless. Yes, me, speechless. Toward the end of the door prizes, Judy Linnebach announced some special door prizes that the speaker (me) didn't know about. Seems that their last year's seminar speaker, J. Mark Lowe, had provided three prizes of shirts that said "Genealogy by Paula" and I was totally surprised. Thanks, Mark!

I owe many thanks to Arlene Sampson and Judy among others for all the planning!

Oh, did I mention that the WVGS library has a huge sign outside?

One more thing you might want to know. The library has an obituary file. I found the obituary of one of my children's Granduncles in that file! Thank you WVGS volunteers! Plus the index is online at www.azwvgs.org/library.asp. As the website states, "The West Valley Genealogical Society Obituary database contains nearly 50,000 records dating from 1963 to the present, with a heavy concentration from the 1980’s to date. The database covers primarily the cities of NorthWestern Maricopa County, Arizona . . ."