Filling out the FAMILY TREE

Duluth has multiple resources for genealogy research

STORY AND PHOTOS BY KATHLEEN MURPHY

Genealogy is one of the most popular hobbies in the United States, second only to gardening. The parallels are certainly there — while some people find inner peace and satisfaction in nurturing the growth of their garden, others find it in the process of getting to know their ancestors. Maybe they heard rumors that an ancestor was a famous historical figure, or perhaps they simply wanted medical knowledge. Both are common reasons to dive into genealogy. Another common and legitimate reason is good old fashioned curiosity. We all occasionally wonder who we are and where we came from.

It can feel like a daunting task to start, even with the abundance of online information available today. Fortunately, Duluth has several places to turn for help. “The first thing you’ll want to do is sit down and make a list of everything you already know,” said Kathleen Cargill, genealogy workshop instructor and administrative assistant at the St. Louis County Historical Society. She suggests speaking to family members, especially older members, in order to create a family tree that is as detailed as possible. Ask about names, birth and death dates, and places of residence.

With this information in hand, head to the Duluth Public Library’s genealogy room, located on the second floor of the downtown branch. They have city directories, old newspapers on microfilm, and many other resources to help get started, including online resources that require subscriptions if used at home. “The library was my first stop when I began researching my family tree,” Cargill said. “The librarians there are very helpful and quite knowledgeable about research options.”

While at the library, pick up information on the Twin Ports Genealogical Society, which meets at the library on the first Monday of the month. Their meetings are open to the public and they often have speakers. University libraries, such as the Kathryn A. Martin Library at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, often have special collections to assist in genealogical research, as do civic organizations and museums.

Another excellent resource is the Family History Center located in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 521 Upham Road in Duluth. “Sometimes people think they have to belong to the church to utilize their genealogy center, but that’s not true. Anyone is welcome to use it, and the staff is exceptional,” Cargill said.

Cargill’s workshop, “Basic Genealogy: How to Create a Working Binder,” gives the amateur genealogist guidance in organizing the inevitable plethora of information that will be created in a genealogical search. For ease of access, she encourages researchers to find a place in their home that is set aside just for this project. Once that is established, obtain supplies that will help keep information organized, such as threering binders, magnifying glass, and acid-free sheet protectors. Learn how to set up a basic hard copy file system in order to back up your documents online. And finally, fill your family binder.

Cargill has made two binders for her own family research, one for each side of her family. She wrote a short biography for every ancestor she researched, and included copies of any documents, maps and pictures. “It’s an addicting hobby,” she said. “But very enjoyable, especially if you like research.”

If you can’t get to the library or Family History Center, a lot of research can be done online. Websites such as ancestry.com and 23andme. com provide DNA testing, but they also provide a means of organizing your research online. Several other sites allow people to search for information, such as findagrave.com, a burial data site.

If your family has a strong military background, there are even more resources available. Jay Hagen, a program assistant at the Veterans Memorial Hall, became interested in genealogy while searching for the remains of his uncle who had fallen in battle during World War II. Marine Sergeant James Joseph Hubert was listed as “killed in action” during the Battle of Tarawa in November of 1943. He was not found and his body declared “non-recoverable” until 2015, when an unmarked burial trench was discovered on the Pacific Island of Tarawa. Testing concluded that one set of remains did indeed belong to Hubert, and Hagen and his family were able to have a re-interment ceremony in 2017. “It was very satisfying to be able to bring him home, even though I never knew him,” Hagen said.

A genealogy search can indeed be satisfying, but it can also produce some unexpected results, such as discovering a hidden adoption or questionable paternity. Cargill encourages people to go forward with the search anyway, and not be deterred at the prospect of discovering family secrets. It’s more common than people think. “Don’t be afraid of bombshells in your family; it’s what makes the search interesting,” Cargill said.

IF YOU GO:

The Twin Ports Genealogical Society meets in the lower level of the downtown branch of the Duluth Public Library, 520 W. Superior St, on the first Monday of each month at 6 p.m. Check their website at DuluthFamilyHistory.org for more information.

Jay Hagen, a program assistant for the Veterans Memorial Hall, became interested in genealogy during a search for his uncle, who had been killed in action during World War II, but whose remains had not been found until 2015. Pictured in July, he displays the program for his uncle's reinterment ceremony

Kathleen Cargill, administrative assistant at the St. Louis County Historical Society, displays one of her family's genealogical binders. The binder shown follows her mother's side of the family from Bermuda to Minnesota.