Repositories-National Archives at Kansas City

National Archives at Kansas City
400 W. Pershing Road
Kansas City, MO 64108
(816) 268-8000
Email: kansascity.archives@nara.gov
Website: http://www.archives.gov/kansas-city/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nationalarchiveskansascity
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kcarchives

Hours of Operation:
Tuesday-Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.*
Closed Sundays, Mondays, and all Federal Holidays
*Hours subject to change. Call ahead.

 Introduction:
Anyone who has cleaned out a family attic knows the importance of keeping family records. You may have military records from relatives who served in one of the World Wars—or even the Civil War. Or pictures of your great-great grandparents on the day they became American citizens. Now imagine the task of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)—record keepers for all historically valuable records created by agencies of your Federal Government. The National Archives at Kansas City is just one of many locations across the country that provides access to these records.

Holdings:
The National Archives at Kansas City has two public research areas available to you—the research room, for use of original documents from our holdings, and the computer search room for use of online and microfilmed materials. In our research room you can see original historical documents, photographs, maps, drawings and much more from nearly 100 Federal agencies located in the states of Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Our holdings total nearly 80,000 cubic feet of material. By law, we preserve and provide access to permanently valuable, non-current Federal records with historical, legal, or fiscal value.

For genealogists, records of particular interest include naturalization records, alien case files,  Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary inmate case files, and various records from Bureau of Indian Affairs agencies.

If you wish to view original records, you must call or email ahead to schedule an appointment.

Rules:
All researchers are issued a researcher card. Please bring identification such as a driver’s license, passport, or student ID so that we can issue you a researcher card.

Please plan on leaving your personal belongings in a locker. Laptop computers, digital cameras, and pre-approved flatbed scanners are permitted in the research room. Self-service copying or scanning of original records is dependent upon the condition of the documents. Staff will provide guidance about what is permissible.

A self-service copy machine is available in the research room to make paper copies for a fee. A limited number of camera stands are also available for researcher use.

Please visit our website for a list of rules and to understand what you are permitted and not permitted to bring into our research room at
http://www.archives.gov/research/start/nara-regulations.html.

Amenities:
The National Archives at Kansas City has free parking directly in front of our building. Our facility is within walking distance of numerous other attractions, including the National World War I Museum and Union Station. There are dozens of restaurants and several hotels close by.

Repositories-National Archives at Kansas City

Repositories-Tulsa City County Library

Tulsa City County Library, Hardesty Branch

Genealogy Center,
Tulsa City County Library, Hardesty Branch
8316 E. 93rd St.
Tulsa, OK  74133
www.tulsalibrary.org/genealogy
918-549-7691

The Genealogy Center’s comprehensive research collection includes traditional resources like books and microfilm, as well as online databases and subscriptions like: AncestryLibraryEdition, Fold3.com, American Ancestors, and HistoryGeo.com. 

The center’s print collection contains many out of print books. The books are divided into sections by states, families, and general genealogy research.  Materials within the state sections include county records and histories, along with books highlighting military, church and cemetery records. The center also includes a large Native American collection on microfilm, in book form, and through online access. The collection is non-circulating.

The center’s website contains indexes to map collections, vertical files, and family file collections.  Links to the Tulsa World and Tulsa Tribune death notices, useful websites, program handouts, and an American Indian research tutorial are also included. 

The library has a large parking lot with easy access from Memorial Drive in South Tulsa. There are several restaurants within a mile of the Hardesty Library. The Woodland Hills Mall is less than 5 miles away.  

Repositories-Tulsa City County Library

Exhibitor Profile-Daniel Boone Footsteps

Booth #110

America’s story is a westward moving tale with countless thousands following in the footsteps of Daniel Boone, America’s pioneer hero, who lived his last 20 years not far from St. Charles, Missouri. Generations more moved west after the American Revolution, with new freedoms won and with new opportunities enticing them forward.

“I can’t take you back in time, but I can take you to the places where history happened,” says award-winning author and storyteller Randell Jones. His non-fiction history books tell America’s story by putting the narrative on the landscape. His exciting and factual accounts anchor the histories to places where America’s story unfolds, where previous generations have erected markers and monuments. “This is where we meet our ancestors,” he says, “standing where they stood, where they farmed, where they fought. We see the landscape across which they passed. We hear the same streams tumbling toward the oceans. We feel the same wind against our faces. Following in their footsteps, we know a good bit more about our past.”

Randell’s books include:
In the Footsteps of Daniel Boone with the companion DVD On the Trail of Daniel Boone.
In the Footsteps of Davy Crockett
Before They Were Heroes at Kings Mountain
Trailing Daniel Boone—DAR marking Daniel Boone’s Trail, 1912-1915,  and more.

His books have received numerous awards. In 2014, he received the D.A.R. History Award Medal from the Daughters of the American Revolution for his body of work. 

Daniel Boone Footsteps,1959 N. Peace Haven Rd., # 105  Winston-Salem, NC  27106, DBooneFootsteps@gmail.com, 336-407-3035.
Learn more at www.danielboonefootsteps.com.

Exhibitor Profile-Daniel Boone Footsteps

Local Attractions-St. Charles County

Photo courtesy of the Greater St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau

This is the first of a series of posts that will focus on Local Attractions. This series is for NGS attendees who want to explore on their own before, during, or after the conference. Each post will highlight a different area of St. Louis.







August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area 
South on Highway 94 from Highway 40/61. West 1.5 miles on Highway D.
This 6,987-acre area is home to the St. Louis regional office of the Missouri Department of Conservation.  It includes a visitor center, hiking trails, and numerous hunting and fishing opportunities
363-441-4554
http://mdc.mo.gov/regions/st-louis/august-busch-memorial-conservation-area
Map

Daniel Boone Home & Historic Center
1868 Highway F, Defiance, Missouri 63341
Daniel Boone’s last home has been restored and represents life in the early 1800s.
Hours: 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Combined tour of home and village is $12.
Website includes list of nearby restaurants and wineries.
http://www.danielboonehome.com
636-798-2005  

Katy Trail (a Missouri State Park)
The Katy Trail was built on the former corridor of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (MKT or Katy) and is the longest developed rail-trail in the country.  It begins at Frontier Park in St. Charles and runs through Missouri’s wine country with trailheads at Defiance, Augusta, Dutzow, Washington, and Marthasville.
Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
http://www.katytrailstatepark.com

Lewis & Clark Boathouse and Nature Center
1050 South Riverside Drive, St. Charles
Exhibits include dioramas illustrating highlights of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Native American displays, and various Missouri River habitats encountered during the journey.  The museum tour is self-guided. Visitors receive an informational brochure that includes activities for all ages.
Hours: Mon–Sat 10:00 am–5:00 p.m., Sun Noon–5:00 p.m. 
Entrance Fee: $5
http://www.lewisandclark.net/museum.html
636-947-3199

Missouri’s First State Capital (Missouri State Park Historic and Interpretive Site)
200 South Main Street, St. Charles
Hours: Mon–Sat 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Sun Noon–4:00 p.m.
http://mostateparks.com/park/first-missouri-state-capitol-state-historic-site
636-940-3322 

Missouri Wine Country
Missouri wine country is in Hermann and in Augusta but it's also anywhere there is a winery.   See the website for particular wineries.
http://www.missouriwinecountry.com/

Thanks to Viki Fagyal, Publicity Chair, Local Host Committee

Local Attractions-St. Charles County

Speaker Profile-Daria Labinsky

Daria Labinsky

Daria Labinsky is an archivist at the National Archives at St. Louis, where she has worked since 2010. She has a master’s in library science from Emporia State University and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northwestern University. She is a Certified Archivist.

Friday, 11:00 a.m., F324–“The Sick and the Dead: Veterans Administration Claim Files and Burial Case Files.”

The records she will discuss are in the custody of the National Archives at St. Louis.

Burial Case Files
The Quartermaster General’s office created Burial Case Files between 1915 and 1939 to keep track of domestic and overseas military burials. Many of the records belong to veterans who died in Europe during World War I. They can provide details of their death and burial and often include letters from family members. If a deceased veteran’s mother or widow participated in a Gold Star Mothers pilgrimage, details about their trips may be included as well.

Deceased Veterans Claim Files
The Veterans Administration compiled Deceased Veterans Claim Files to track the benefits veterans received after death or discharge from service, including pensions, disability payments, life insurance, and bonus pay. NARA–St. Louis holds claim files closed from 1917 to 1945. While most date to the WWI era, many are for veterans of the Civil War and other pre-WWI service. The files may include pension applications, lists of beneficiaries, correspondence, affidavits, medical records, and death certificates. Many files contain documents in languages other than English.

Speaker Profile-Daria Labinsky

Societies-Sappington-Concord Historical Society

The Sappington-Concord Historical Society (SCHS) was founded in 1992 to bring together those people interested in history, and especially in the history of the Sappington and Concord areas of St. Louis County, Missouri. This area starts on the north at the intersection of Watson Road and the Grant's Trail (formerly the right-of-way for the Missouri Pacific Railroad tracks) and follows the trail to I-55, southwest to Meramec River, northwest to I-44, and northeast back to Watson Road to Grant's Trail.

The Society's major function is to discover and collect any material which may help to establish or illustrate the history of the area: its exploration, settlement, development, and activities in peace and in war; its progress in population, wealth, education, arts, science, agriculture, manufactures, trade and transportation. Our historian who amassed local genealogical family information shared it with the St. Louis Genealogical Society. At this time the archives of the Society is not set up to be researched or viewed.

Although the Society does not have a permanent place to display their artifacts, the organization is very active. Quarterly membership meetings are held the fourth Wednesday of January, April, July, and October usually in the Anne Morrow Lindbergh Room on the campus of Lindbergh High School, 5000 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri. A short business meeting begins at 7 p.m. and is followed by an informative program.

An annual Memorial Day Ceremony, held at the intersection of Gravois, Sappington, and Denny roads in South County, is sponsored by SCHS as a patriotic observance honoring the veterans. Meet-at-the-Site tours and day bus trips organized by SCHS to various locations are enjoyed by many participants. In conjunction with the St. Louis County Library, SCHS holds interesting daytime presentations in the auditorium of the Tesson Ferry Library branch. Also, the Society utilizes the library's display case two times a year to display photos, documents and other memorabilia.

SCHS has worked closely with Lindbergh Schools.  This includes acquisition of a Don Wiegand sculptured bust of Charles A. Lindbergh for the high school; the restoration and display of the Concord School bell; presentation of Tombstone Tales, along with the Past and Present Partnership program, to give 5th grade students a sense of local history.

In 1999 SCHS published Sappington Concord: A History, a second printing followed, but the book is currently out of print.  SCHS also published Hometown Heroes, a collection of 140 stories told by area veterans or a family member of a veteran who served during the 20th century. This book will be available for purchase at the National Genealogical Society 2015 Conference.

SCHS membership dues are $10 for an individual, $15 for a husband/wife. The calendar year runs from January through December. Memberships are also available for businesses and organizations.  Membership forms can be downloaded from the Society's website http://www.SCHS.ws.  Membership includes the quarterly 16-page newsletter with its interesting and informative articles and photos. Join the SCHS and we'll make history together.

For more information about SCHS, visit http://www.SCHS.ws, or call the 2015 President Stephen Hanpeter at 314-918-1617.

Societies-Sappington-Concord Historical Society

Conference Official Media Registration Now Open

NGS has opened the official media registration for the 2015 Family History Conference.

NGS invites interested press, social media writers, bloggers, radio show hosts, and other media to register for official media credentials at http://goo.gl/kzoX8z. Registration is open through 16 March 2015. NGS will notify registrants their acceptance by 23 March 2015.

NGS recognizes the importance of media who regularly draw attention to records, research methods, tools, software, events, and other genealogical topics. Individuals and organizations with official media designation play an important role in the success of the NGS Family History Conference by sharing in conference fun, spreading newfound knowledge, and increasing conference attendance and participation.

Official media will:

• be permitted to use the official press and blogger logos
  
• be granted use of the press table at the conference.
   
• The NGS Family History Conference blog will link to all official blogs, social media pages, and website
  
  
• NGS will award five $50 NGS 2016 Family History Conference registration credits to official media who provide the best coverage at this year’s conference

The NGS Social Media Policy can be found at http://goo.gl/Sigp7P.

If you would like to be included as part of the official media for the NGS 2015 Family History Conference in St. Charles, Missouri, 13–16 May 2015, go to http://goo.gl/kzoX8z.

Conference Official Media Registration Now Open

Meet Scott Stewart

Scott Stewart is our Official NGS Conference Photographer again this year. Scott has been doing photography for many years but just started his own small photography company, Scott Stewart Photography, in 2012. Scott has been an enthusiastic genealogist for decades, pursuing ancestors in Wisconsin, Ohio and Pennsylvania, and a regular conference attendee since the NGS Conference in Baltimore in 1993. He is married and the proud father of a daughter who recently graduated college.

Scott will be moving through the conference taking official as well as casual pictures of events and attendees to make this a richer experience for all our NGS members. He loves taking pictures of people. He said, “I see the beauty in each person I photograph, and want to share how great they look to me with others. I think it is sad people hate to have their pictures taken. Trust your photographer, because people love you just the way you are and want to treasure the moments and memories they have with you! Love them enough to love yourself.”

Scott spent his career in the US Government, retiring in 2005.  He is a full time consultant for a company developing trusted and unique solutions to address the global challenges faced by the National Security community.
 

Meet Scott Stewart

Wednesday Evening Host Event

Come to the celebration of the genealogical community as the St. Louis Genealogical Society (StLGS) hosts, Meet Us in St. Louis, an opening night casual Midwest BBQ; a grand way to kick off a week of exceptional experiences.

As the local host, StLGS is bringing together the genealogical community from all over the world. The event provides an unprecedented sharing opportunity for both new and experienced genealogists to meet, ask questions, and share with others. Already many speakers, members of the NGS Board, and members of the BCG Board have made reservations.

The event will take place at the convention center. Dinner is $39.00 per person with a cash bar available. This is a once in a lifetime experience you do not want to miss.

Wednesday Evening Host Event

Speaker Profile-Debbie Parker Wayne, CG, CGL

Debbie Parker Wayne, CG, CGL*

Friday, 8:00 a.m., F309–"Genetic Genealogy: Effective Analysis and Correlation of DNA Test Results"

To go beyond the beginner level in using DNA, hands-on experience is necessary. "Genetic Genealogy: Effective Analysis and Correlation of DNA Test Results " is an intermediate-level workshop where attendees will analyze DNA test results and correlate those findings with documentary evidence to answer a genealogical question. To get the most of this session you should already have a basic understanding of DNA inheritance patterns, available tests, and test results as covered in introductory sessions normally presented at conferences.

These hands-on exercises illustrate analysis tools and techniques to take that next step for Y-DNA, mitochondrial DNA, autosomal DNA, and X-DNA analysis. Results from multiple testing companies are included.

Debbie Parker Wayne explains the complex subject of genetic genealogy in a way that is easy to understand. She teaches traditional research topics and genetic genealogy sessions. She has teamed up with other genetic genealogists to offer week-long, interactive, hands-on DNA courses helping beginners learn to use intermediate and advanced analysis techniques. Practical Genetic Genealogy will be offered twice this summer at the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP, http://www.gripitt.org/) and Getting Started with Genetic Genealogy was offered in January 2015 at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG, http://www.infouga.org/).


                           A full-day hands-on workshop sponsored by

                                      The BCG Education Fund

                                      A Charitable Trust founded by the
                                      Board for Certification of Genealogists
                                  
                                       
*CG or Certified Genealogist is a service mark of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license by Board-certified genealogists after periodic competency evaluation, and the board name is registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office.

Speaker Profile-Debbie Parker Wayne, CG, CGL

Exhibitor Profile-Family Tree Tours

Booth #616

Is your ultimate goal after years of research to visit your ancestral hometown? Are you worried about researching or communicating if your town is in a non-English speaking country? Then we can help, Family Tree Tours can make your dream come true. We specialize in German heritage trips but also can help with other countries: Sweden, Italy, England, and Ireland. Whether you prefer a small group tour, independent or customized private tour, we will help you make this a trip of a lifetime.

Have you always wanted to take a River cruise through Europe? We can help you book a Viking River cruise and even add a few days extra to visit that ancestral home place, where we will have made contacts in your hometown for you. Walk the village streets, visit the church they were married or baptized, and perhaps see the house they were born in. This very emotional experience will bring all your research alive.

Please stop by booth # 616 and see what is available.

Family Tree Tours
www.familytreetours.com
info@familytreetours.com
888-798-2208

Exhibitor Profile-Family Tree Tours

Speaker Profile-George Findlen, CG, CGL

George Findlen, CG, CGL*

Wednesday, 11:00 a.m., W128–"Crossing the Border: How to Backtrack an Ancestor into Québec from the US".

Those who attempt to track French-Canadian immigrants from the US back into Quebec often stumble trying to cross the border. Two pieces of information are necessary: the names of the immigrant’s parents (including the mother’s maiden name) and the village of origin. That information is often included in a parish register marriage entry, an obituary, a civil death certificate, a naturalization petition, a marriage abstract in a surname-specific genealogical dictionary, or a county history. My talk will use an example of each to illustrate how to successfully cross the border. Once across, the standard resources of county-wide repertoires des mariages (books of marriage abstracts), Jetté’s all-Quebec genealogical dictionary, and the Drouin Collection of parish register images on Ancestry.com will enable researchers to quickly and easily backtrack an ancestor to the immigrant from France.

George Findlen is a retired college teacher and administrator who researches the blended Acadian / French-Canadian families of Eastern Quebec, the Canadian Maritime Provinces, and the New England states. His articles have appeared in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, and in genealogical society journals in several New England states, Louisiana, New Brunswick, and Quebec. He gives talks to genealogy groups in the Upper Midwest and leads skill-development workshops for the Wisconsin Historical Society Library and Archives.
                                                               

*CG or Certified Genealogist is a service mark of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license by Board-certified genealogists after periodic competency evaluation, and the board name is registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office.

Speaker Profile-George Findlen, CG, CGL

Societies-Monroe County Illinois Genealogical Society

The Monroe County Illinois Genealogical Society is a society started in the 1980s to represent Monroe County, Illinois. We meet the third Thursday of every month except November and December.
Our meetings are from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Morrison Talbott Library in Waterloo, Illinois, which is the county seat. The address is 215 Park Street, Waterloo, Illinois 62298.

Dues are $25, by calendar year January to December. If you want the quarterly mailed, $35.

Forty-nine publications for sale are listed on our website.

Research assistance by society members is available at the Monroe County Courthouse and Morrison Talbott Library on the third Thursday of most months.

Monroe County Genealogical Society
Contact Information:
Jan Wenk, President
PO Box 381
Columbia, IL 62236

For more information, visit our website at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ilmcghs/.

Societies-Monroe County Illinois Genealogical Society

Repositories-Jefferson County Library

Jefferson County Library

The Jefferson County Library Special Collection at the Northwest Branch supports two major areas of activity: genealogy & local history. The genealogy collection supports genealogical research in Missouri as well as other states and other counties. Local history offers a historical look at Jefferson County and its people. Materials available include genealogical books, maps, genealogical CDs & microfilm. Local history also includes photographs of the area, local cemetery transcriptions, and historical newspapers of Jefferson County.

 The Jefferson County Library website at www.jeffersoncountylibrary.org contains a page on “Genealogy Services” which includes Jefferson County newspaper indexes from 1866 to 1940. This is not an every name index. However, page by page the newspaper has been searched for birth, marriage and death (obituary) announcements, and other important genealogy related articles.

The section also has hundreds of rolls of microfilm on Jefferson County newspapers, probate files, marriage records, circuit court records, land deeds, plus some limited merchant and tax lists. Since the county is just south of St. Louis, they have St. Louis City and County directories. In addition the library has limited microfilm of St. Louis County & City marriages.

Below is just a brief listing of some of the Jefferson County records and their time period:

• Circuit Court 1819–1952 (including naturalizations)
• Naturalization 1910–1937
• Taxes 1857–1884
• Original Land Entry Book I & II
• Index to Deeds 1818–1885
• Deeds 1819–1898
• Marriage Records 1825–1947
• Probate Records, early to l930s
• Myrtle Gunderson Genealogical Collection
• St. Louis City Directories 1863–1955
• St. Lois County Directories 1881–1955
• St. Louis Marriages 1877–1881
• St. Louis County Marriages 1871–1933

The special collection also has a manuscript collection, containing hundreds of photos and documents on Jefferson County. This includes notes, articles, and many items that individuals have donated throughout the years. Della Lang, the local historian, has donated many items to the manuscript collection. In addition, the library is always looking for additional acquisitions. As of current, the list of holdings of the manuscript collection is not online. It is the hope of the department that one day the list will be available on the Web. However, over 300 photographs from the manuscript collection are available online through Flickr. Visit the library home page or
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffersoncountylibrary/sets/.

Staff can perform searches of up to five names in any indexed genealogy materials held by the Northwest Branch for a $10 non-refundable fee. This fee, which must be paid at the time of the request, includes the cost of copies and postage. Make check payable to Jefferson County Library. For staff to conduct research by mail, a specific book or microfilm must be specified.
Submit requests in writing to:
Genealogy Department
Jefferson County Library, Northwest Branch
5680 State Road PP
High Ridge, MO 63049
Researchers are always welcome to visit the library, use our materials, and make their own copies. Black and white copies are 20¢ per page, color copies are 75¢ per page.

Repositories-Jefferson County Library

Exhibitor Profile-Sons of the American Revolution (SAR)

Booth #217

The booth will be hosted by the Missouri Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (MOSSAR).   

The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (NSSAR) was organized on 30 April 1889, the 100th anniversary of the inauguration of George Washington as our nation's first president. The SAR is a historical, educational, and patriotic, non-profit organization that seeks to maintain and extend the institutions of American freedom, an appreciation for true patriotism, a respect for our national symbols, the value of American citizenship, and the unifying force of e pluribus unum that has created, from the people of many nations, one nation and one people. The SAR has over 500 chapters in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Switzerland, Mexico, Spain and the United Kingdom. 

The SAR is a lineage society. Each member has traced his family tree back to a point of having an ancestor who supported the cause of American Independence during the years 1774-1783.  Documents supporting each generation are required to be submitted with the application. A clear documentation trail is needed from the applicant to his Patriot ancestor. If someone has joined the SAR or DAR under his Patriot, he can obtain a DAR certificate or an SAR Membership Record Copy to document his Patriot. An SAR chapter genealogist will be glad to provide guidance.  A membership application and information can be found at http://www.sar.org/

Exhibitor Profile-Sons of the American Revolution (SAR)

Speaker Profile-Sheila Benedict

Thursday, 2:30 p.m., T246–"California Historic Missions and Their Records

Friday, 9:30 a.m., F316–" What Happened in Missouri Didn’t Stay in Missouri: California     Here They Come"

Sheila is a graduate of California State University, SB, with a BA in Political Science. She completed many post-graduate courses in history, social sciences, and also paralegal studies. Her genealogical studies include the completion of courses at the Forensic Genealogy Institute, several of the programs offered at the Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research (advance research methodology and Irish Research), National Institute on Genealogical Research, National Genealogical Society, and a recent workshop on Mastering Genealogical Proof. She taught beginning and intermediate genealogical research and oral history techniques at a local community college for four years.

Sheila resigned as administrator at Old Mission Santa Inés in 2012 but stayed on as the part-time archivist. She returned to professional genealogy and is now a self-employed forensic and family genealogist. She was the program chair for the FGS 2002 Conference in Ontario, California and received their award of merit; was awarded the Pearl Chase Historic Preservation and Conservation Award from the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation.

Sheila is the author of Research in the States: California, which will be launched at the NGS 2015 Conference, St. Charles, Missouri. She recently wrote a forensic genealogy article that was published in the Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy Newsletter.

She is a member/past board member of the Association of Professional Genealogists; vice-president of the APG Virtual Chapter; life member/past president California State Genealogical Alliance; Genealogical Speakers Guild; life member/past board member National Genealogical Society; life member Santa Barbara County Genealogical Society; San Luis Obispo County Genealogical Society; Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy; Santa Barbara Paralegal Association; American Association for State and Local History; and the Society of California Archivists.

She lectured for many years at NGS and FGS Conference on a variety of topics such as California research, including the California Mission System, finding your Irish paper trail in the USA for Irish-Americans, and many methodology presentations including following paper trails, collaterals, land and tax records, probate and other court records – forensic discussions included, city directories, county histories, maps, public and private records, Catholic and other religious records. For more information and titles of her topics, you can visit her website Benedict Research Services at http://www.benedictprogenealogy.com.

Speaker Profile-Sheila Benedict

Repositories-St. Louis County Library

St. Louis County Library History and Genealogy Department—Home of the National Genealogical Society Collection

Founded in 1998, the St. Louis County Library History and Genealogy Department is a major research destination offering access to a growing collection of more than 85,000 print items, 850 periodical titles, 40,000 microfilm items, and a variety of electronic databases.

CONTACTING THE LIBRARY
History and Genealogy Department
St. Louis County Library
1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd.
St. Louis, Missouri 63131-3598
Phone: (314) 994-3300, extension 2070
Email: genealogy@slcl.orggenealogy@slcl.org
Website: http://www.slcl.org. Information about the History and Genealogy Department is located under the “History and Genealogy” tab.

Hours of operation
Use of the History and Genealogy Department is free and open to the public during regular business hours:
Monday–Thursday, 9 am–9 pm
Friday & Saturday, 9 am–5 pm
Sunday, 1–5 pm

The library is closed on legal holidays and other times as announced.

VISITING THE HISTORY AND GENEALOGY DEPARTMENT DURING THE NGS CONFERENCE
The library is making special arrangements to accommodate the large number of researchers expected to visit the History and Genealogy Department during the NGS Conference. Please check for updates at http://www.slcl.org/content/visiting-history-and-genealogy-department-during-ngs-conference.

The library’s website includes online finding aids to microfilm collections, indexes to selected sources in the department’s collection, and other useful information.

Print materials in the History and Genealogy Department can be searched via the library’s online catalog at http://webpac.slcl.org.

COLLECTION EMPHASES
The department’s collections offer unique genealogical and historical sources emphasizing the St. Louis metropolitan area, the state of Missouri, and states and foreign countries that fed migration into Missouri. The department offers substantial holdings for New England states, the original 13 colonies, and a growing collection of sources from foreign countries. Military history and sources for research on various ethnic and national groups are well represented.

MAJOR COLLECTIONS
The St. Louis Genealogical Society Collection offers unique materials for research in the St. Louis area, the state of Missouri, and states east of the Mississippi River, as well as sources for finding European roots.

The National Genealogical Society Collection includes 30,000 items available for checkout or request through interlibrary loan. The collection features state, county, local and family histories, cemetery, church, court, land, marriage, and estate record abstracts.

The Julius K. Hunter and Friends African American Research Collection (JKH) features unique African American genealogical resources in print and on microfilm.

The William C.E. and Bessie K. Becker Collection is comprised of sources for German, Swiss, and Irish research. Featured is a collection of more than 850 microfilm reels of parish records from Canton Bern, Switzerland.

The Mary F. Berthold Collection is a premier collection of rare and heavily used works acquired from the National Genealogical Society’s reference library.

The Jewish Genealogical Society of St. Louis Collection—Originally housed at United Hebrew Temple, this collection offers a unique look at Jewish history, including more than 100 Yizkor books memorializing destroyed Jewish communities and listing residents killed in the Holocaust.

OTHER COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS
St. Louis sources
A large selection of microfilm featuring city directories, vital records, naturalizations, probate records, cemetery records, funeral home records, and other important sources for St. Louis City and County research.

U.S. States
The department offers many print sources, including vital record indexes and abstracts; cemetery and funeral home records; church records; land ownership records and maps; military records, including indexes and abstracts for federal and state records and extensive holdings for the Civil War period; genealogical journals and newsletters; probate court, wills and estate records; and local, regiona,l and state histories.

Church records
Collections include St. Louis-area Lutheran, United Church of Christ, and Catholic records, including those for the Archdiocese of St. Louis and the Diocese of Belleville, Illinois.

Newspapers
The library holds current and historical St. Louis newspapers, including those published for immigrant, ethnic, and local communities.

Published family histories
The department offers more than 13,000 published family histories, many of which are available for checkout and through interlibrary loan.

Sources for national and ethnic research
The department’s collection features unique foreign sources, including German Ortsippenbücher (genealogical registers extracted from parish records), Scottish memorial inscription books, an extensive collection of “Marriage Repertories” for Québec, parish registers of French North America, and church records for Canton Bern, Switzerland.

Periodicals
Holdings include more than 850 periodical titles relating to genealogy and local history.

Electronic databases
The library offers Ancestry Library Edition, Fold3, Heritage Quest, Pro-Quest Historical St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Newspaper Archive, and a variety of other databases for genealogical and historical research. Databases can be accessed via public computers and the wireless network at all St. Louis County Library locations. St. Louis County Library card holders living in the St. Louis metropolitan area can use most databases at home for free.

DEPARTMENT SERVICES
On-site reference help from the knowledgeable staff is available to assist researchers locate and use library materials and equipment.

Lookup services—the department accepts requests for lookups in indexed sources. See http://www.slcl.org/genealogy-and-local-history/services for more information.

PastPorts monthly electronic newsletter—PastPorts offers department news, articles highlighting department sources, and a listing of free classes and events. The newsletter is delivered electronically to subscribers via email for free. Past issues and subscription information are available on the library’s website.

Family History Library microfilm–Microfilm and microfiche ordered from the Family History Library in Salt Lake City may be viewed at St. Louis County Library.

Interlibrary Loan service–interlibrary loan allows St. Louis County Library card holders access to materials from other libraries. Many History and Genealogy Department books are made available to other libraries through the interlibrary loan system.

Classes and events—the department staff offers free classes on genealogy, sponsors monthly meetings of the St. Louis Genealogical, and holds special events as announced.

USING THE COLLECTION
Security procedures
Personal items allowed in the department include:

• Writing paper
• Pens and pencils
• Personal notes
• Laptop computers (without case)
• A small wallet, change purse, or fanny pack
• Three-ring binders (subject to inspection)
• Coats, jackets, and sweaters

Researchers who would like to use a public computer should bring a valid St. Louis County Library card OR a valid state ID or driver’s license.

Items not allowed in the department include:

• Purses
• Bags
• Brief cases and portfolios
• Back packs
• Accordion files
• Laptop computer cases
• Personal books
• Library books from other departments
• Food and drink

Coin-operated lockers are provided on Tier 4 of the library building next to the elevators. Lockers require a quarter, which is automatically refunded when the key is returned.

Repositories-St. Louis County Library