Minnesota Genealogical Society
August 2017  (Vol. 49, no. 7)
In This Issue
Letter from the President
North Star Registration
MN Genealogist Invites Military-themed Articles
Upcoming Events
Updates from our Interest groups, Branches and Affiliates
New books @ Library
Genealogy Quip
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For the most  
UP-TO-DATE information, or to contact our various volunteers and groups, please visit our website at:  MNGS.ORG
MGS Officers:

Linda Westrom

Vice President: 
Bill Holmquist
 
Gayle Geber  
 
 Melva Cain

(Full board listing on our About Us Page)
For questions or comments, please contact the  newsletter editors

This newsletter is intended for information purposes. For the latest information, please visit our website at www.mngs.org.

The newsletter is published monthly. Deadlines for submissions are the 25th of each month. Submissions can be emailed to newsletter@mngs.org
If you would like to update your email address, you can do so with the "Update Profile" link at the bottom of this email.
A Letter from the President
To MGS members, friends, and associates ;
 
Yes, the Minnesota Genealogical Society is moving.  The MGS Board has decided on a new home for MGS at 1385 Mendota Heights Road in Mendota Heights, MN.  The building is at the corner of Mendota Heights Road and Pilot Knob Road, with great access and visibility for us.  The signage on the new building will be The Minnesota Genealogy Center, which will provide expanded space for the programs and services of the Minnesota Genealogical Society, interest groups, branches and affiliates and will house the William J. Hoffman Library and Research Center.
 
The s pace is all on the main floor with parking right in front of the building.  There will be needed meeting rooms/classrooms-with one of the larger spaces having the option of being divided into two spaces-office spaces, storage spaces, and an expanded space for the William J. Hoffman Library and Research Center.  
 
The plan is to move the last part of October - the new lease begins November 1, 2017.  We will be hiring a professional library mover as 30,000 volumes is far too many to ask volunteers to pack and move.  We will be asking for volunteers to help with others parts, however, as there will be items we will need to pack.  In addition, we need to have a good housecleaning in our storage area to determine what we really need to take with us.  I'm sure many of you have moved and understand the challenge this will be. Look for the items and books we will be clearing out on the "Adopt Me" shelves next to the reception desk.  
 
One thing we will be needing for the expanded spaces are more tables and chairs for the classrooms/meeting rooms.  Some meetings may have "Bring Your Own Chair" in the meeting notice :)  until we are able to get more.  We know there will be other furnishings we will be needing but we will be using everything we currently have.  
 
North Star Conference
Remember to register for the North Star Conference on October 5 - 7 at the Earle Brown Heritage Center in Brooklyn Center!  The special topic for Thursday, October 5th  is DNA and you will need to register for that one separately from the rest of the conference.  More info is on the web page at mngs.org.   See you there!
 
Members' Morning
The August Members' Morning will be Saturday, August 19th from 10 am to 12 noon.  At that time, we will be discussing the new site and other MGS happenings. Topic for genealogy resources; the most used websites, books, blogs, conferences or other resources you don't want to be without.  
 
Enjoy the last month of summer!

Linda Westrom
MGS President
Early Birds Save on North Star Conference Registration
Early birds get the best prices for the 10th annual North Star Genealogy Conference.  Both MGS members and non-members get early bird savings if they register by August 31.

Scheduled for 6-7 October at the Earle Brown Conference Center in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota,  the conference features nationally acclaimed speakers Paula Stuart-Warren and Cyndi Ingles, as well as leading genealogy instructors from five states.  The full conference program is viewable on the MGS website ( www.mngs.org ).

The conference offers great genealogy education, outstanding networking opportunities, and chances on must-have door prizes, including DNA kits, Ancestry memberships, and more - plus an irresistible offering of books for sale from Maia's Books.

A special pre-conference North Star DNA Day is Thursday, 5 October.  Friday evening, 6 October, the MGS Awards Banquet and Celebration is a time to honor outstanding volunteers for service to MGS and genealogists who have made lasting contributions to the Minnesota genealogy community. Both DNA Day and banquet registration is open on the same webpage for regular conference registration.
memorial_day10.jpg Minnesota Genealogist Invites Military-themed Articles
Minnesota Genealogist, the quarterly journal received by all MGS members, invites articles for a special military theme issue. Several kinds of articles are welcome:
  • articles using original sources - military service records, pension records, unit histories, newspapers, etc. - to document an ancestor's military service.
  • articles using military records to solve a genealogical problem.
  • articles that teach how to find and use military records.
Because this is the anniversary of American engagement in World War I, articles with a World War I focus are especially encouraged.

Articles must be received by October 15 to be considered for this issue; earlier submissions may receive more favorable consideration. Send articles to journal@mngs.org by October 15. Photos or other images should be send as separate files.
Upcoming Events
For more information on classes and registration,
visit http://mngs.org/eventListings.php?nm=38

Webinars

If you're new to webinars,  click here.
 
Looking for a Man Who Didn't Want to Be Found - Using Military, WPA Records & More
Wednesday, August 2     7:00 pm to 8:15 pm
Description:
People sometimes disappear intentionally. Midwestern scofflaw and bigamist Robert Lee Chamberlain stole church funds and abandoned his family, rattling around the Midwest and Pacific Northwest before dying in New Mexico. By following clues in the records it's possible to track down even a 20th-century scofflaw.
Location:
Online
Cost/Register:
Free!

Click here to register.
Instructor:
Diane L. Richard is a professional researcher, lecturer, and author since 2004. She focuses on the south, African-American, lineage research, and genealogy tools. She has appeared on Who Do You Think You Are?; writes for Internet Genealogy, Upfront with NGS, etc., and edits two genealogy journals. She has emigrant landless peasant ancestry!

Getting Started in Genealogy - What I Wish I Would Have Known When I Started
Wednesday, September 6     7:00 pm to 8:15 pm
Description:
How do you get started in genealogy? How do you organize what you know? Learn tools for success such as pedigree charts and family history software, where to go, and how to avoid common assumptions that can lead you astray.
Location:
Online
Cost/Register:
Free!

Click here to register.
Instructor:
Kelli Bergheimer is a writer, teacher, and editor. Kelli holds a Master's in Education: Curriculum and Instruction, and a Master's in Business Management. Kelli runs three small businesses-Writers Etc., Geo-Centric Learning, and Mess on the Desk, a genealogical organization company.
Updates from our Interest Groups, Branches and Affiliates


DNA Interest Group

August 6, 2017 , Time  1-3 PM .
Roseville Library,  Community Program Room
218 North Hamline Avenue,  Roseville, MN 55113
 
Presenter:  Jay Fonkert
Evidence Stew: Adding DNA Spice to the Mix.

Sep. 101-3 PM
Shoreview Library Community Room
4560 N Victoria St
Shoreview, MN 55126

Speaker: Beth Balkite
Program: The Intersection of Genetic Counseling and Genetic Genealogy

English/Welsh Interest Group
Meetings will resume Saturday September 23.
  • September 23, 2017, 10 a.m.-noon
    Finding English Places of Origin before 1850, Lois Abromitis Mackin, Ph.D., location TBD.
  • October 28, 2017-depending on the date for the 2017 Hennepin County Library Family History Fair, our meeting may consist of providing a table at the fair-please volunteer to help at the table!
  • December 9, 2017, 10 a.m.-noon
    Reading Old Handwriting, Julia Mosman, location TBD.
Because libraries do not allow us to reserve rooms more than a month in advance, we cannot announce all locations. For updated meeting information, go to our website at https://uk2mngenie.wordpress.com/ or our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/mgsenglishwelsh/. If you have questions, please contact us at  englandwalesig@gmail.com.


Germanic Genealogy Society
GGS Fall Meeting - Saturday, Sept. 16
GGS member Shirleen Hoffman will be
 presenting two topics at our September meeting held in the 4th floor MGS board room in South St. Paul:

  • Finding and Using Those Elusive Naturalization RecordsNaturalization records can be very rewarding in the pursuit of your family history research.  They can reveal town of origin, birth date, port of arrival, vessel, occupation, information about family members and other interesting details.  This presentation will explain the naturalization process, how it changed over the years, information in the records and strategies to find the records.
  • Solving Problems with Cemetery Records
     
    Cemeteries are wonderful resources for those interested in learning more about their family history. This presentation will explain the types of cemeteries, the kinds of records they prepared and strategies for successful cemetery research. 
GGS Library Workshop - Saturday, October 14
The workshop will begin with two short presentations followed by an opportunity to explore the GGS collection at the Concordia University library.  This is also a time when you can receive individual help with your research.
 
GGS Annual Membership Meeting - Saturday, November 11
Join us to hear Joni Sussman, local author, publisher and editor as she shares Holocaust survivor stories gleaned from interviewing her mother, Hinda Kibort.  Kibort was a survivor of Stutthof Concentration Camp.
Ms. Sussman's company, Kar-Ben Publishing, is headquartered in Minneapolis.  She publishes fiction and nonfiction books with Jewish content for children of pre-school through middle school age. 



Romanian Genealogy Society

Tuesday, August 01,
ROMANIAN GENEALOGY RESEARCH
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. 
1185 Concord Street N., Suite 218 in South St. Paul, Minnesota

RGS Special Guest Stasa Cvetković
This seminar will be geared towards beginner and intermediate researchers who have not done very much research in European records. Mr. Cvetković is most experienced with the regions around western Romania and eastern Serbia, and that is the focus of his talks, but he can also generally address other areas. Information learned could be applied to research of ancestors of many ethnic backgrounds (Serbian, Hungarian, Germanic, etc.), not just Romanians
  • Basic Romanian genealogy considerations for beginners;
  • Civil (government) records repositories in Romania and Serbia, and access to the records which are protected by privacy protection laws (usually 100 years);
  • Church parish records in the region, what information they contain and how to obtain them;
  • Private life of Banaters in 18th, 19th and the first half of 20th century with a spotlight on Banat earth architecture, regional cuisine, transportation and other subjects.
Advance registration is required. Registration prices include seminar, coffee and rolls, and light lunch and beverages. Each seminar will be held at the premises of Minnesota Genealogical Society. To register and for more information visit Romanian Genealogy Society. 

Questions? Contact Vicki Albu (651)-402-6805


Saturday, October 28
Family History Fair 2017 Hennepin County Library. Watch for updates at http://romaniangenealogy.com/events-news/events-festivals/. Contact us to volunteer to help at our table. 

RGS Meetings
  • Saturday, September 16, 2017
    room 218 1:00 to 3:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, November 18, 2017
    ROOM 416 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. (annual meeting)
For updated information, visit our website or Facebook



Yankee Genealogical Society

Saturday, August 5
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
1185 Concord Street N., Suite 218, South St. Paul

MGS Library Catalog and  Subscription Web Sites
With MGS Library Committee and Yankee Members
Make the most of the new library catalog and the best web sites for Yankee research:  FindMyPast, AmericanAncestors, and Ancestry.  As time permits, we'll cover:
  • New England Town Records
  • New York Dutch Church Records
  • PERiodical Source Index (PERSI)
  • New York Genealogical and Biographical Record
  • New England Historic Genealogical Register
  • AGBI and Boston Transcript
Saturday, November 4
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
A Yankee Thanksgiving
1185 Concord Street N., Suite 218, South St. Paul
 
All Things Mayflower
Our guest panel: Lorrie Link, Mayflower Society's Minnesota State Historian; Yankee Genealogical Society members Lois Mackin, a Mayflower Society member, and Linda Camp, with "rookie" questions.

Come and bring your questions! Who can join Mayflower Society? How can the Society help with research? What's the difference between a Pilgrim and a Puritan anyway?
New Additions at the William J. Hoffman Library and Research Center


Western Massachusetts families of 1790, Volume 2 edited by Helen Schatvet Ullmann, CG, FASG. (Call Number: MA 929.209744 ULL
V. 2)


Spruce Grove township, 1889-1989  
(Call Number: MN 977.684)


History of rock County in the World War 1917-1918-1919 (Call Number: MN 977.625)

Gravestone inscriptions in Ross County, Ohio by Ralph W. Cokonougher.
(Call Number: OH 977.182 COK)


Births, deaths, marriages and other genealogical gleanings from newspapers for Crawford, Vernon and Richland counties, Wisconsin, 1873-1910 compiled by Vernon D. Erickson (Call Number: WI 929.377573 ERI)



Genealogy Quip
"You know you're addicted to genealogy when you act like a kid at Disney World when you visit a cemetery."
-Twisted Twigs on Gnarled Branches