Events

Join SCCGS to see past lectures and handouts on the Member website for a limited time.

Researchers unite! To be successful, this meeting relies on sharing your thorny or difficult to solve research problems. Or, share a finding aid or resource that is new to you which may help others solve their family history stumbling blocks.

Register in advance for this meeting at this link.You will receive a confirmation email afterwards.

May 4, 2023

7:00 p.m. (Central).

Michelle was born and raised in St. Clair County in a family that immigrated from the Balkans on two sides – Croatia and Macedonia. War, conflict and limited earning potential propelled them to come to the area in the early 20th century where a large Slavic community and the meat-packing industry drew thousands to the region.

Strongly identifying with her culture, she began studying Russian at age 15 because schools in the area did not offer other Slavic languages. She is a graduate of St. Louis University with a degree in history and a comparative theology minor. Her post-graduate education focused on Eastern European history and concepts of nationalism and ethnic identity plus library science at Indiana University-Bloomington. She has over 23 years of communications, marketing, and strategic leadership experience and has spent the last 13 years working for one of the region’s largest family-owned companies.

Mrs. Petroff wanted her 10-year-old twins to feel more connected to their Croatian roots and recently invested a lot of time and effort into investigating their immigrant relatives and where they come from. She will be submitting documents for dual citizenship in April, thanks to the information and documentation SCCGS helped gather.

August 3, 2023

7:00 p.m. (Central).

September 7, 2023

7:00 p.m. (Central).

“Using Ortssippenbücher to Research Your German Ancestors”

Registration link to come.

Ortssippenbücher contain genealogical information about families in a specific town, village, or parish. Information can cover many generations of a family back to the beginning of religious records. Discover how to access and use these books for your German research.

Presenter, Robin McDonough is a staff member in the St. Louis County Library’s History & Genealogy Department. She is a former high school history teacher, and holds bachelor and master of science degrees in education. She has been helping others with genealogy for seven years in the department, and has been researching her own family for over twenty years, including several German lines.