Missouri State Genealogical Association-mosga

02/06/2026

Plan now to attend the free spring mini-conference hosted by MoSGA and the Midwest Genealogy Center at the MGC in Independence! The theme is "Back to Basics: Strengthening Your Genealogical Skills." If you are new to genealogy or if you are an experienced family historian who wants to learn some new ways of doing things, this is for YOU! MoSGA will also hold its annual used book sale in conjunction with the event. Registration is at this link: https://www.mymcpl.org/events/116684/back-basics-strengthening-your-genealogy-skills

The sessions will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 21. Topics and speakers include:

• Bill Eddleman, Coordinator, Cape Girardeau Research Center, State Historical Society of Missouri - "Tracking Your Records and Some Helpful Hints”
• Liana Twente, Research Analyst and eVolunteer Coordinator, Missouri State Archives, “Tidying up Your Home Archive: Digital File Organization”
• Mary Dempsey, MGC Genealogy Reference Associate - "Introduction to FamilySearch”
• Chelsea Clark, MGC Assistant Manager – “From Clues to Conclusion: Evaluating Evidence in Genealogy”

02/03/2026

MoSGA will hold its annual used genealogical book sale at the Midwest Genealogy Center in conjunction with the spring mini-conference on March 21. There will be a larger selection this year as well. Additional details are forthcoming!

02/02/2026

10/06/2025

Seats are going fast! Call us today to reserve your spot. (573) 204-2332

10/05/2025

"LANDING" YOUR ANCESTORS: A LAND RECORDS WORKSHOP

Please join the Missouri State Genealogical Association, Cape Girardeau County Genealogical Society, and Cape Girardeau County Archive Center for a workshop on using land records, from 10 AM to 2 PM Saturday, November 8, 2025, at the Cape Girardeau County Archive Center, 112 E. Washington St., Jackson, Missouri. Presented by Bill Eddleman, MoSGA & The State Historical Society of Missouri; Marybeth Niederkorn, Cape Girardeau County Archivist; and Drew Blattner, Cape Girardeau County Recorder and President of the Cape Girardeau County Genealogical Society

Topics covered will include:
• Intro to land record types
• Metes and bounds survey system
• Researching Missouri Spanish/French land grants
• United States public land system
• Using deeds to uncover relationships
• Online research with land records

Participants will have the opportunity to apply learning using “hands-on” exercises. A laptop is recommended to get the most out of the sessions. Research time is available. Please come with questions and as much information as you have.

Limit 14 participants. Contact the Archive Center, (573) 204-2332, to register. Cape Girardeau and Jackson have numerous hotels if you are coming from out of town and need to stay the night.

Fee to attend: $5 to cover cost of supplies.

Prior to the event, we recommend participants view Dr. Eddleman's webinars on the basics of topic at the State Historical Society of Missouri’s website. (URLs in the first comment.)

08/10/2025

Another MoSGA conference wrapped up! Thanks to John Dougan and the excellent staff Missouri State Archives for hosting the event. Our behind the scenes tour was just one highlight of the weekend.

Roma Mary Grace

07/30/2025

2025 MoSGA Conference, “The Road Less Traveled – Genealogical Research in Lesser-Known Records”

August 8-9, 2025 at the Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City, MO.

Supporting Speakers from the Missouri State Archives Staff will present:

• A workshop on less-used county records for Missouri

• Presentation on Using Special Censuses in Missouri

• Archives Tours

• Additionally, there will be time for you to conduct research at the Archives.

Register at: https://mosga.org/store.php?sid=1&acs=A&ars=A&cid=36
Additional details at:https://www.mosga.org/upload/files/MoSGA_Annual_Conference%2C_August_8-9%2C_2025%2C_with_schedule(3).pdf

07/25/2025

2025 MoSGA Conference, “The Road Less Traveled – Genealogical Research in Lesser-Known Records”

August 8-9, 2025 at the Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City, MO.

Supporting Speaker, Michelle Spencer

"Carl & Roma's Farm: The Story Behind the Records & Real Estate”

Genealogists LOVE a case study! When Michelle started researching her grandparents' farm, she uncovered much more than land transactions. This case study provides insight into how a "simple deed search" added leaves to her family tree and a depth of understanding about the land, the owners, and her family history.

Register at: https://mosga.org/store.php?sid=1&acs=A&ars=A&cid=36
Additional details at:https://www.mosga.org/upload/files/MoSGA_Annual_Conference%2C_August_8-9%2C_2025%2C_with_schedule(3).pdf

07/18/2025

August 8-9, 2025 at the Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City, MO.

Register at: https://mosga.org/store.php?sid=1&acs=A&ars=A&cid=36
Additional details at:https://www.mosga.org/upload/files/MoSGA_Annual_Conference%2C_August_8-9%2C_2025%2C_with_schedule(3).pdf

Judy Russell, our featured speaker, will be presenting three sessions in addition to the keynote:

• “Polls, Personality, and Property – Making Sense of Tax Lists” - Somebody had to pay government’s bills, and they did it through the law by imposing taxes on polls, personal property and real property. The records of those taxes offer some of the best clues available to our ancestors, their families and their neighborhoods.

• “Linking the Generations with Court and Land Records” - It’s the single biggest issue genealogists face: how do we connect one generation to the next with evidence we can rely on? Vital records are excellent documentation, but they often don’t exist for the time and place we’re researching. That’s when we have to find workarounds to make sure we’re not simply putting people into family lines because they share the same names. Using court and land records, we can often find the evidence we need to link the generations accurately.

• “Doing Time – Prison Records as Genealogy Resources” - The brick walls of a family tree are no match for prison walls. From intake photo to receipts for cash and clothes when they were released, prisoners in jails and prisons were recorded and documented, often in stunning detail. Learn what records may exist – and where – about your family’s black sheep.

07/13/2025

Register at: https://mosga.org/store.php?sid=1&acs=A&ars=A&cid=36

Additional details at:https://www.mosga.org/upload/files/MoSGA_Annual_Conference%2C_August_8-9%2C_2025%2C_with_schedule(3).pdf

Keynote: “Advertising the Law: The Gems in the Legal Notices” - So many statutes required notice that someone wanted something done, and the legal notices in newspapers can be priceless sources of genealogical clues.

06/04/2025

There is still plenty of time to register for our annual conference! It will be held at the Missouri State Archives in Jefferson City, Aug. 8-9. The conference promises to be very interesting! The keynote speaker is the nationally known and highly respected Judy Russell, whose blog is "The Legal Genealogist." Information on costs, registration, and program are available at:
www.mosga.org/upload/files/MoSGA_Annual_Conference%2C_August_8-9%2C_2025%2C_with_schedule(3).pdf

To register, go to: https://mosga.org/store.php?sid=1&acs=A&ars=A&cid=36