Hello friends!

It’s been a busy summer so far over here in Madison, with a lot going on personally and professionally. I’m so excited to share some of my favorite behind-the-scenes updates with you.

Client Work

I’ve been working with a wonderful range of clients lately, from quick record retrievals to deep-dive, ongoing research.

Recently, a project took me up to the Diocese of Green Bay’s archives. My client was hoping to prove their Canadian connections, but because of the age of the records we needed, Wisconsin's official vital records were nonexistent for one person. I had a hunch the solution lay in the Diocese’s religious records.

The catch? Their archives currently have a 12-week backlog for requests. (To be clear—this isn't a failure of the archive, but a reflection of how many people are currently rushing to apply for Canadian citizenship by descent!)

Knowing a three-month delay would stall my client's application, I hopped in the car and drove up to Green Bay to do the research myself. The archival staff was incredibly helpful, setting me up at a microfilm reader with the historic parish registers.

• The Result: Six hours of scrolling saved my client weeks of waiting, kept us from adding to the diocese’s backlog, and even let me sneak in a little research on my own family. A total win-win!

Presentations and Appearances

Part of why I’ve been a bit quiet on social media is because I've been hitting the speaking circuit!

• WPR Appearance: I appeared on The Lee Rayburn Show on Wisconsin Public Radio! I joined host Lee Rayburn and Rebecca Hopman (Genealogy Services Librarian at the Wisconsin Historical Society) to talk about the recent Canadian citizenship changes, how they impact Wisconsinites, and what you need to know to apply. [Listen to our hour-long discussion here].

• Recent Talks: In May, I spoke at the Wheaton Public Library about the Irish in the Great Lakes, and in June, I presented "Michiganders and Canadians" for the Ontario Ancestors' virtual conference.

• Looking Ahead: I have four talks lined up for September and October. Registration is officially open for the Minnesota Genealogical Society’s North Star Genealogy Conference (in-person only!), where I'll be presenting on Managing Your Digital Family Archives and Researching LGBTQ+ Ancestors. [Grab your spot here] (And stay tuned to find out if I present on Halloween in costume or not...)

Blog Update

52 Ancestors: At the Cemetery

I wrote about the St. Francis Xavier Cemetery in Ecorse, Michigan, where my 3x great grandparents Thomas LeBlanc and Adeline McQuillan were buried. Part of the reason I wrote about this cemetery specifically was because in mid-May, I planned a cemetery cleanup for St. Francis Xavier, and I wanted to share how important cemeteries are as a record of our ancestors, including the clues you can find just from burial proximity.

Remembering a young soldier

For Memorial Day, I wrote a blog about my great uncle Emile Asselin, who died in France towards the end of World War I. I will often fixate on one ancestor or another for a while and really dig into their stories, and lately Emile has been one of my fixations. Interestingly, one of the minor items in the blog, a newspaper report from 1912 that he went to a military academy in De Pere, Wisconsin, led me down a wild rabbit hole that isn’t covered in the blog, but I’ll write about eventually.

Through the archivist at St. Norbert College in De Pere, I discovered that Emile and his brothers all attended the preparatory high school there. I received incredible yearbooks, report cards, and photos—but also a mystery. Emile left the school in 1909, yet a 1912 newspaper claims he was still in De Pere at a military academy. It turns out he was actually in St. Paul, Minnesota... and I am still untangling how he got there.

Prioritizing Evidence Over Expectation: Researching LGBTQ+ Ancestors

In celebration of Pride Month, in June I wrote a blog about researching LGBTQ+ ancestors. This is a topic near and dear to my heart, and not one that is covered by many genealogists. Whether we know it or not (or want to admit it or not), we all have LGBTQ+ ancestors in our family trees, and often the most important tool to uncovering the truth is simply an open mind. Check out this blog for some tips and tricks, and know I plan to write more about this in the future.

52 Ancestors: The Ancestor Who Stays With Me

This blog might be a difficult read for some, as it discusses my great grandmother who was institutionalized for mental illness for decades. Her name was Eleanor Drouillard, and her life and institutionalization has had a major impact on me. She has always been an inspiration for me to delve into genealogy from the very beginning, in part as a way of getting answers.

I’ve opened up comments on the blog to encourage more of a community space, but I'd love to hear from you directly, too.

Have you ever attempted to research an ancestor who was institutionalized? What records did you find most useful, or what was the most frustrating roadblock you hit?

Reply to this email and let me know—I might feature your tips or questions in a future newsletter!

Stay cool out there!

💖Janelle

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