Dig Deeper

Ask interesting questions!

EXAMPLE 1:
Where did my ancestors live? –> Check census records at the National Archives online.
Who lived close by? –> Look on the same census page for other familiar names and look at our Map Search page to see who their neighbors were.
What St. Louis churches or synagogues were in their neighborhood? –> Do a visual map search on stlgs.org for nearby houses of worship and check our comprehensive list of Congregations in St. Louis.

EXAMPLE 2:
Where did my ancestors work and with whom did they associate in St. Louis? –> On this website, check out “Occupations & Societies” and “Publications.”
Check St. Louis city directories at the St. Louis County Library Digital Archives.
Check more St. Louis city directories at the Missouri Digital Heritage Hosted Collections.

EXAMPLE 3:
Are any of my ancestors buried in St. Louis? –> On this website, search “Cemeteries.”

EXAMPLE 4:
There are so many Catholic churches in St. Louis! Where do I begin?
Watch this presentation by Rena Schergen, the archivist at the Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis.
Researching Your Catholic Ancestors   Handout    Password: 529gYO9!

EXAMPLE 5:
What was it like to immigrate to America?
Leaving Home and Becoming An American – Part I    Handout    Password: V^%HLk5=
Leaving Home and Becoming An American – Part II    Handout    Password: rT6?JD!s

Sometimes it is helpful to see your family’s journey by putting their key events on a timeline. Here are a couple of resources to help you build a timeline.

Family Timelines
Genealogical Timelines Can Be Wonderful Research Tools

Inevitably, there will come a day on which you will hit what genealogists call the brick wall! No matter where you look, you just cannot find the important link to the next generation back especially for the women in your family tree. It happens to everybody. Here is a helpful presentation that provides hints about the why and how to get past that wall.

“Finding Grandma”    Handout    Password: 3veKq82.

DNA is a relatively new and important tool you can use to help discover and verify your ancestors across generational lines. The following two presentations provide help to understand and use DNA in your family search.

“Got DNA?”    Handout    Password: R8&j6*!j
“Using DNA Testing For Your Research”    Handout    Password: 3tNDeQ!h

Where and how are you storing your family’s unique paper treasures? How do you preserve those deteriorating family documents and photos? Learn more about proper preservation of paper heirlooms so you can protect your precious family inheritance.

“Preserving Family Documents and Photos”    Handout    Password: S%Pn1hs%

You’ve seen dozens of lectures presented using Microsoft PowerPoint software, but have you thought of how you might use it for your genealogy? Learn the basics of creating PowerPoint presentations so you can share family photos, memories of trips, family stories, research documents, and so much more.

“Using Power Point For Genealogy”    Handout    Password: 42=B5@1i

Another way to share your family story is to write a biography of an ancestor. The St. Louis Genealogical Society has hundreds of examples of personal biographies written and shared by our members and friends. Here is a list of more than 400 biographies you can search or explore for reference.

StLGS Biographies

Another way to share your family story is to publish on one of the popular internet genealogical sites like Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, or WikiTree.com.

Understanding GEDCOM & Posting Family History by Ted Steele and Ilene Kanfer Murray