The Missouri History Museum operated by the Missouri Historical Society. See “The Jefferson Memorial Building and the intersection of Lindell Boulevard and DeBaliviere Avenue after the completion of construction for the River des Peres Sewerage and Drainage Project in the area, 25 September 1930,” Wikimedia, (https://commons.wikipedia.org : accessed 17 April 2021). Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about exploring the major state repositories for Missouri research. We discuss some of the major record collections at the Missouri State Archives, the Missouri Historical Society, and State Historical Society of Missouri. We look at the Missouri Digital Heritage website and...
How did German emigrants to St. Louis, Missouri, influence the Civil War? In part 1 of this series, we explored reasons why Germans migrated en masse to Missouri in the 1840s and 1850s. In part 2, we will meet two ordinary people who experienced this period in vastly different ways. Guest blogger, Heidi Mathis provides us with an in-depth view of the time and place. By Heidi With the influx of German and Irish immigrants moving to St. Louis in the 1840s and 1850s, how did earlier settlers from the southern states react? The story of how these two groups...
If the descriptive relationship terms full or half are unfamiliar to you or find it a challenge to describe relationships, this blog post may help you. Figuring out the exact relationship you share with a DNA match can be challenging at times. When the relationship is a “half” relationship, it can be even more tricky. The amount of shared DNA between two matches doesn’t directly indicate whether a relationship is full or half. Traditional documentary research is needed to definitively discern if a relationship is full or half. It’s all about the common ancestor It is essential to understand and...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about the geography and history of the state of Missouri. We also discuss how understanding the land and geography will help in researching Missouri ancestors. Diana shares some of her takeaways from the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) course she took with Pam Sayre on Missouri. Links Research in Missouri: The Land and the History – blog post by Diana Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) Research Like a Pro eCourse Study Group – more information and email list Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist’s Guide by Diana Elder with Nicole...
Do you have ancestors who emigrated from Germany to Missouri in the mid-1800s? As part of our deep dive into Missouri research, this two-part series will discuss why German emigrants chose the St. Louis area of Missouri to settle and their part in the Civil War. Guest blogger, Heidi Mathis provides us with an in-depth view of the time and place through several “characters” in history. By Heidi Mathis Diana’s previous article “Research in Missouri: The Land and the History” looked at some of the factors that affected settlement in Missouri. After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, St. Louis developed...
Do you have your DNA results on 23andMe and would like to use Ancestry’s tree-building capabilities to make connections and discoveries? If so, this article will provide ideas of how to work with the matches to get the best results for your DNA analysis. 23andMe provides haplogroups and X-DNA matches for autosomal testing which can help in identifying whether a DNA match is on the maternal or the paternal line. Fran Shockley, the Family Story Sleuth offers her organizational method in this guest post. Enjoy! By Fran Shockley I just finished listening to The Research Like a Pro Podcast Episode...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about Nicole’s ProGen study group assignment to write a family narrative about one generation in a family. We discuss Nicole and Diana’s ancestor, Thomas Bradley, his life in Lincolnshire, England, and his four illegitimate children. Join us as we discuss the process of acquiring records about his life, organizing the information into a narrative, and selecting details about his life to include in the narrative. Links Illegitimate in Lincolnshire, England: The Children of Thomas Bradley – first draft of Nicole’s family narrative ProGen assignment Time Travel to Lincoln Castle Prison – blog...
Knowing where to find the records for any given locality is always the quest for a researcher. For those with ancestors in Missouri, that quest is about to get easier. Missouri researchers have a wealth of information about the state and its settlers available both for online and on-site research. In Research in Missouri: The Land and the History, we looked at the geography, settlement patterns, and history that affected when and where our ancestors settled in Missouri. Finding additional records can shed light on their actions and provide evidence for relationships. Several repositories on the state level hold record collections...
We have all heard of someone being a first cousin once removed or another relationship “once removed,” and sometimes it gets confusing, and you may think, “…Ummm, we are cousins, that’s all that matters.” If you are at an extended family reunion, that pretty much IS all that matters! If you are invited, you know that you are attending with people descended from the same parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents. Perhaps you’re lucky to have a family that organizes extended family reunion events, there may be descendants at the party who share even more distant grandparents with you. The challenge is...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about how to research in state-level archives. Join us as we talk with Senior Archivist at the Maine Archives, Sam Howes. Sam is a genealogist who received a master’s degree in Archives Management and has been working at the Maine Archives for several years. He shares exciting news about the launch of the Maine Archives online catalog. Links Maine State Archives Maine State Archives Catalog Maine, State Archive collections : COLLECTION RECORD, 1718-1957 at FamilySearch All records from the Maine Archives in the FamilySearch catalog Samuel Mayall Petition – item description in...
