Pull Up Your Genes - Genealogy Lock-in at Jonesboro Public Library

The Craighead County - Jonesboro Public Library is hosting a "Genealogy Lock-in" on Saturday, July 18th, 5 PM to Midnight.

The library is located at 315 West Oak Ave in Jonesboro.  For additional information about the event, they can be reached at 870-935-5133 or through their website: libraryinjonesboro.org

HeritageQuest Enhanced/Expanded Searching

Great news for those using HeritageQuest at home!  Below is the news release explaining the details.  Happy searching!!

Coming March 4, 2015, HeritageQuest Online (HQO) will be materially improved and enhanced with a much richer content set and a more powerful, intuitive interface.

• Complete 1790-1940 U.S. Federal Census with images and every-name indexes for all years
• Additional census records such as Mortality and Non-Population Schedules, Indian Census Rolls, and more
• Expanded collection of genealogy and local history books and city directories with an all-new user interface, thumbnail images and hit highlighting
• Complete Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land record collection (NARA M804)
• Freedman’s Bank Records with full-page register view
• Periodical Source Index Archive (PERSI), 1800-2009
• U.S. Serial Set Memorials, Petitions and Private Relief Actions
• All-new research aids
• Interactive census maps
• And more

The product will have a more modern look and feel that will make it easier to use and help streamline the research process for genealogists.

Additional Information

• The conversion to the new version will be automatic.  No changes will need to be made by libraries.
• Authentication methods will remain the same, including:
  • Static IP address
  • Referring URL
  • Barcode
  • Embedded username/password
  • Usage reports: We will use the same usage reporting system that’s currently available today
• All-new image viewer with more functionality
• Grayscale or color images
• ADA Section 508 compliance

New Browser Requirements

• HeritageQuest Online will be optimized to perform best on current versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, and Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 or newer (we recommend IE 11+).  This gives libraries the most up-to-date security, as well.
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 or older will no longer be supported.  The new HeritageQuest Online may work in discontinued operating systems (such as Windows XP) and browsers, but we will not guarantee compatibility or make fixes.

Stoddard County Genealogy Program - "Whoooo are Your Ancestors?"

"Whoooo are Your Ancestors?" The STODDARD County Genealogy Society will host a workshop on Saturday, October 18, at the Keller Public Library from 10:00 - 3:00. Cost is $10.00, which covers materials and lunch.

Speakers include BIll Eddleman, Publisher; Martha Carwile, "Women in the Revolutionary War"; Nancy Matthews from Paragould and Carolyn Cox from Sikeston. RSVP by October 1 by calling the library at 573-624-3764 or email kellerpl@yahoo.com.

Genealogy Books at the Local Author Fair

An exciting part of the Library's first "Local Author Fair" is the opportunity to purchase local history books!  (There are a total of 23 authors, illustrators, etc., participating in this event.)

The Butler County Genealogy Society will have their books for sale, including their latest, Volume 3 of the Butler County History.

Robert H. Forister is the author of several local history books and will be showcasing his newest publication, "Wayne County Missouri History and Memories of my Childhood There".

Volumes 1 & 2 of "Butler County : a pictorial history" by John Stanard will be available to be purchased.

The library is just one of the many venues to be a part of the "Iron Horse Festival".  Stop by as you celebrate Poplar Bluff's railroad history and browse the works of many talented people from our community!

Butler County Genealogy Society Meetings Update

Just a reminder regarding the meetings of the Butler County Genealogy Society through the end of the year. (Is it really that close?!)

The September meeting has been scheduled a week early and will take place on the 18th (the 3rd Thursday) instead of the normal 4th Thursday (the 25th) due to a conflict with a conference members will be attending.

October's meeting will be held as normal on the 23rd.

November and December meetings will not be held as the 4th Thursday falls on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.  However, the Society members usually have a holiday get together in early December and that date is still pending.  Normal business meeting functions and reports are not conducted at that time.

The scheduled meetings will continue to be held at 1:30-2:30 PM at the First United Methodist Church, 500 N. Main St.  Don't forget to stop by the library before or after the meeting to do a little research!

Missouri Digital Heritage - Missouri Governors Records, 1837-1897

Sketch of the Governor’s Mansion, Jefferson City,
Missouri from the History of Jasper County, Missouri.

Have you taken a look at the Missouri Digital Heritage website fromt the Missouri State Archives lately?  If not, they've added great historical resources for 19th century Missouri providing insights into the governing of the state.  The latest is:  Missouri Governors Records, 1837-1897.  The following details show just what you'll find!

  The collection includes official records of 19th century Missouri governors. Missouri’s sixth governor, Lilburn Williams Boggs is the first for which the Missouri State Archives holds gubernatorial records.

  Missouri governors from the 19th century coped with tensions surrounding the expulsion of Mormons, slavery, violence along the Kansas border, guerilla bands, vigilantes and the outbreak of the Civil War. Other topics in the collection include emancipation, the ousting of elected officials, voter disenfranchisement, civil unrest, outlaws, veterans’ issues, inflation, economic worries, labor unrest, railroad construction and massive debts.

  Records of governors currently on-line include those for the years 1837-1893. Forthcoming additions to the collection include the years 1893-1897. The Missouri State Archives does not hold records for governors in office from 1821-1836.

  The records include correspondence, court records, advertisements, letters of recommendation, resignations, arrest warrants, extradition requisitions, pardons, rewards for capture, bills, invoices, receipts, oaths of loyalty and supporting materials, election notices, writs of election, and legal opinions by the Missouri Attorney General and the Supreme Court of Missouri. The collection also contains maps, memoranda, meeting minutes, newspaper clippings, petitions, proclamations, reports, resolutions, statistics and telegrams.

8 Week Genealogy Class

University of Missouri Extensions’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute delivers courses designed to complement the interests, concerns and lifestyles of the over-50 adult.  New programs for Fall 2014 include Researching Your Family History which will run weekly from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesdays starting on September 9 and ending October 28. These classes are presented using interactive television (ITV) and will be held at the Poplar Bluff Municipal Library. The cost for each course is $90 which includes 8 sessions and handout materials.  For more information on the classes, or to register, call the extension office at 573-686-8064 or visit their website at extension.missouri.edu/butler.

Researching Your Family History

[8 SESSIONS] -- 10–11:30 a.m., Tuesdays
Sept. 9, 16. 23, 30 and Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28

One of the world’s most popular hobbies is genealogy.  You may have dabbled a bit or have already been bitten by the genealogy bug. What starts as simple curiosity can quickly grow into an obsession. People decide to research their family’s history for different reasons, perhaps to understand a little more about themselves and their roots; to give their children a sense of family by providing them with information about their ancestors, where they came from and how they lived; to compile a family medical history; to qualify for a lineage society, such as the Daughters of the American Revolution or Sons of the American Revolution or other heritage societies; or to publish a family history book. Whatever your motivation, this class will examine the “hows” and “wheres” to research your family history. It is helpful if participants have begun the process and know how to complete pedigree charts and family group sheets, either on paper or a computer. Though not required, participants will find access to a computer of benefit since many sources of information are readily available online.

Instructor: Anna L. Martin, EdD, retired educator, has been researching her family tree for more than 30 years. After teaching high school history, it was a natural progression to researching her family history.  She previously taught a genealogy course at NCMC in Trenton, Mo., and two genealogy courses for Osher. She continues to write a monthly genealogy column for her hometown newspaper, the Republican Times in Trenton, and has written articles for the Missouri State Genealogy Society journal and the local Genealogy Society of Central Missouri newsletter. She is a member of the Genealogy Society of Central Missouri in Columbia and the Grundy County Genealogical Society.