Midwest Genealogy Center

Cinco de Mayo has really caught on as a day of celebration with festivals around the Kansas City area. Independence had their own celebration in McCoy Park. The day was chilly, but the air was festive. People from many Latin countries came to perform and browse around. There was a group of dancers composed of enthusiastic special needs young people. Several conglomerates of beautifully dressed dancers with shining, braided hair entertained us with their lively music. Colorful costumes and dancers, magicians, and poetry were some of the entertainment. A big attraction was the children’s Spanish and English translation books offered by the North Independence Branch.
 
Midwest Genealogy Center also got the word out about the resources offered at our branch. The MGC table was right on the edge of the action. One gentleman approached us and told us about his grandfather, who had been in Alcatraz, and his desire to find out more about some papers he has from that event. Several people stopped by asking specifically about Mexican genealogy and our book collection on that topic. Beth was even able to answer some questions in Spanish!
 
We were a bit cold, but happy to represent MGC!
 
Beth S. & Cecilia G.
Midwest Genealogy Center
 

If your ancestor was born in Ireland before 1864, Irish church records should be searched. In most cases, you will need to know the name of the civil parish and the ecclesiastical parish. See A New Genealogical Atlas of Ireland by Brian Mitchell for more on this.
 
Ecclesiastical parishes in Ireland include Church of Ireland, Roman Catholic, and Presbyterian. They are organized as follows:

 1) Existing Catholic Church records typically start with the mid-19th century. In most cases, you would need to know the name of the Roman Catholic Parish.

 2) Church of Ireland records start earlier; however, approximately 1/3 to 1/2 of these records were destroyed in the 1922 bombing of the Public Records Office in   Dublin. The Church of Ireland was the state church of Ireland and the basic unit for most record keeping.

 3) If you are tracing a Presbyterian family, follow the congregation name, which may be different from the parish names. However, many of our Presbyterian ancestors came to the United States in the 1700s, which is before existing Irish Presbyterian Church records.

The Family History Library has microfilmed about 30 percent of Catholic Church records, all Quaker, only a few Presbyterian, and Church of Ireland. (You must search a specific civil parish name in the Family History catalog to see if they have filmed the church records for that area).
 
The Irish Family History Foundation, a pay as you go site, has most church and civil records (See their map for specific counties available).
 
Irish Genealogy has church records for Kerry, Cork, Carlow, and Dublin City (See complete set of available records on their site).
 
Still stuck? Call the Midwest Genealogy Center at 816.252.7228 to make an appointment with an Irish expert for help with these records, sites, and more.
 
Go n-eiri an t-adh leat! (Good Luck!)
 
Cindi F.
Midwest Genealogy Center
 

With springtime weather upon us, can a genealogy road trip be far behind? Maybe it is time to take what you have learned from your research and set off to follow in the footsteps of your ancestors. There is nothing quite like visiting the towns or farms they inhabited to help see through their eyes. You don’t want to miss the local cemetery, either!
 
If those ancestors were pioneers on the Great Plains who, like mine, didn’t leave behind any photographs or letters to illuminate their lives, Steven R. Kinsella has authored a beautiful book to help you learn about the homestead days on the prairie. He gathered up letters written by the first generation of non-Native Americans that tried to live on the prairie and published them in 900 Miles from Nowhere: Voices from the Homestead Frontier. Each letter is prefaced with some background information about the writer of the letter and the circumstances.
 
The letters in each chapter are grouped by subject, and the many illustrations are perfectly chosen historic photographs of the homesteaders posed in front of their dugouts, soddies and claim shacks, as well as their families, fields, and funerals. From their prairie homes in Texas to North Dakota, the settlers wrote letters to friends and relatives that "chronicle the spirit of a sturdy and determined people who sought to better their lives on the harsh, inhospitable landscape of the Great Plains."
 
After reading these letters, their words may haunt you the next time you drive past an abandoned farmhouse.
 
Kathy F.
Midwest Genealogy Center
 

History is all around us. We share it when we tell stories about the church our grandparents were married in, look at old photos of family farms, spend an afternoon visiting a historic cemetery, and pass through a neighborhood where family members once lived. It is in these buildings, sites, and objects that we have our most visible and valuable ties to the past.
 
In May each year, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, in conjunction with state and local partners, recognizes the importance of preserving our built environment through the celebration of National Historic Preservation Month. This year’s theme is "See! Save! Celebrate!" The theme spotlights your community's distinct historic places and encourages the recognition of their roles in the creation of our personal stories. The Trust asks that visitors and residents see the community’s historic places, work to save them, and celebrate their vital role in our community.
 
In addition to events planned around your community, MGC is offering a one-hour class on Saturday, May 11, 2013 on Researching Your Historic Property at 10:00 a.m. This class is free, however, registration is required.
 
Wendy S.
Midwest Genealogy Center

The Midwest Genealogy Center has joined the Pinterest community. We are very excited about this new opportunity to share all the wonderful resources MGC has to offer. Pinterest’s main attraction is the ability to share photos and websites through "pinning" and allow others to share or "repin" your information; think online scrapbooking. Users create boards to hold their pins, and followers can repin whole boards, as well.
 
Our boards will highlight MGC resources, classes, information, and much more. We look forward to seeing you all out in the Pinterest universe. If you are already on Pinterest, please take a look at our Pinterest page and become one of our followers! (You do not need an account or log-in to be able to view our Pinterest account). If you have any suggestions, please feel free to write a comment or send us an email.
 
Nicole P.
Midwest Genealogy Center
 

What better way each year to celebrate the infamous April Fool’s Day than to dress up! Here at the Midwest Genealogy Center, we are all about history, family, and maybe not dressing up, but definitely about making history come alive! We started this fun "History Dress Up Day" five years ago when we moved into our new building. Since then we have had staff dress as ancestors of all descriptions.

We have had famous and not so famous visitors like Annie Oakley (we checked her firearms at the door), Queen Elizabeth I, a seventeenth century pilgrim, a Freedom Rider, and a pioneer (she left her covered wagon at home). Jane Goodall also visited (without her primates). One year we even had a “Rebel with a Genealogy Cause!” Poodle skirts, choir robes, and even polyester make the day fun.

But don’t wait until April 1st each year to visit us here at the Midwest Genealogy Center. We make history come alive every day, as we help you search for your ancestors—no fooling!

Charlotte M.
Midwest Genealogy Center
 

Genealogists love to share...most of the time. After all, it is by sharing that we find genealogy gold. It is with this spirit that we use social media. One of our goals is to meet our customers where they are at online. By using social media, we are able to connect with you in a unique way on your terms. MGC is using a variety of platforms for your convenience including Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest.

Twitter is a new platform for us! There you’ll find updates on what’s going on in the building, links to library resources, updates on classes and events, and genealogy quotes.

We’ve got some innovative and fun plans for Pinterest, so stay tuned for more on that.

And then we have Facebook and Google+, currently the two most popular social media platforms on the Internet. Find us on either and you’ll get U.S. history trivia, "today in history" facts, updates on classes and events, periodical reviews, links to our blogs, links to helpful external sites, and more. And with Google+, it is our hope that we’ll eventually be able to provide more services with their community and hangout features.

By utilizing social media in this way, we’re able to keep you in the loop when you can’t be in the building. Like us, Circle us, Follow us—whatever it is you do on the platforms that you use. And let us know how we can better serve you using these platforms. What are some things you’d like to see? How can we make MGC a better social media genealogy resource for you?

Cynthia S.
Midwest Genealogy Center

The Kansas State Historical Society has announced that, effective April 1, 2013, they have suspended their interlibrary loan (ILL) program to out-of-state libraries. What does this means for the patrons of the Midwest Genealogy Center? Unfortunately, we will no longer be able to borrow newspapers on microfilm from the Kansas State Historical Society.

This microfilm will still be available to the public at the Kansas State Historical Society in Topeka. They will also be available through ILL at most Kansas public libraries. If you have any questions about this new policy, please contact us at 816.252.7228.

Kirsten G.
Midwest Genealogy Center
 

In celebration of Earth Day on April 22nd, the staff of MGC would like to let you know about some of the things we do to encourage our co-workers, as well as patrons, to be more eco-friendly.

Did you know that there are recycling bins for paper, aluminum cans, and plastic bottles in our patron lounge and by our copiers? Customers and staff are encouraged to reuse paper or recycle whenever possible. MGC also offers recycled scratch paper near each copier.

MGC can also show you how to save your database searches to a flash (thumb) drive rather than print out your search results. This can save on your printing costs, organization time, and paper. If you don’t have a flash drive or forgot to bring one, MGC also has them for sale. For more information, please ask at the Information Desk during your next visit.

Ever wonder about what happens to all those old light bulbs that illuminate our facility. Any compact fluorescent bulb, if not properly dispose of, can release dangerous mercury into the environment. Our staff carefully sorts through the old bulbs and drops them off at a local recycling facility where they are properly disposed of.

Finally, our MGC staff takes pride in internally recycling office paper, newspaper, cardboard, paper board, aluminum, and plastic packaging and bottles used by staff.

Have you introduced a recycling program or other eco-friendly idea? Share it with us. We’d love to learn from you.

Wendy S.
Midwest Genealogy Center
 

This week the Midwest Genealogy Center, in conjunction with the Mid-Continent Public Library, joins libraries in local schools, college campuses, and communities across the nation in celebrating National Library Week. This week recognizes the attributes, contributions, and value of libraries and its staff in their respective communities.  
 
First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country, annually each April.

Today, modern libraries are more than repositories for books and other resources. They serve as community centers, places of education, computer labs, and meeting spaces. They are the heart of the community and are there to serve all its citizens of all ages.

Here at MGC, our staff works to deliver not only excellent customer service but also to provide the latest and best genealogical resources from databases and periodicals to books and microfilm. We also offer classes and special programming throughout the year on a variety of topics.
 
So, in honor of National Library Week, come visit our facility or any MCPL branch and learn about all that 21st century libraries can offer you. For more online information, visit our MGC website and check out our upcoming classes and events.

Wendy S.
Midwest Genealogy Center