Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen
A "brick-wall" DIY genealogy podcast that features your questions and Kathleen Brandt's answers. She wants your stories, questions, and “brick walls”. But be ready to add to your "to-do" list. As Kathleen always says, this is a Do it yourself (DIY) genealogy podcast. “I'll show you where the shovel is, but I'm not digging up your family.”
Maybe, you have no idea where to start searching for an ancestor. Or, perhaps you want to know more about your family folklore. Host Kathleen has 20 years in the industry and is the founder of a3genealogy. She's able to dispense genealogy research advice and encouragement in understandable terms that won't get you lost in genealogy jargon. Along with her husband and co-host, John, she helps you accomplish "do-it-yourself" research goals, learn some history, and have a bit of fun along the way. Light-hearted and full of detailed info, Hittin' the Bricks is your solution for your brick-wall research problems.
Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen
MoSGA with Michelle: The Family Business Researcher
Michelle Spencer, the family business researcher, shares details about the upcoming Missouri State Genealogical Association (MOSGA) conference on August 8-9.
MoSGA Conference:
Register at mosga.org for the conference on August 8-9 at the Missouri State Archives in Jefferson City.
Registration is just $55 for non-members, $50 for members.
https://www.mosga.org/
Check out Michelle's business:
Combines genealogical expertise with historical context, particularly focused on family business research.
RomaMaryGrace : https://romamarygrace.com/
Youtube: @romamarygrace1909
Be sure to bookmark linktr.ee/hittinthebricks for your one stop access to Kathleen Brandt, the host of Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen. And, visit us on YouTube: Off the Wall with Kathleen John and Chewey video recorded specials.
Hittin' the Bricks is produced through the not-for-profit, 501c3 TracingAncestors.org.
Ladies and gentlemen from the depths of flyover country in the heartland of America, the Kansas City on the other side of the mighty Moe, welcome to Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen, the do-it-yourself genealogy podcast, with your questions and her answers. I am John, your humble hubby host, and today we'll be chatting with Michelle Spencer about her research and the MoSGA conference in August. There's a lot to cover, so let's start hitting the bricks, okay, and so, as always, I like to start out by saying hey, baby that's not funny.
John:So here we are today with michelle spencer and the brick hitter, kathleen ruth brand and we're going to be talking. We're going to be talking about quite a few things that are coming up, an upcoming conference with Mosga, and first we're going to talk about who we have on, and that's Michelle Spencer. And so, michelle, could you tell us what Mosca is, and a little bit about yourself and why you're here today?
Kathleen:about yourself and why you're here today. So MOSGA is the Missouri State Genealogical Association, and our annual conference is coming up quickly in a little under two weeks Now. I am a professional genealogist and my business is called Roma Mary Grace, named after my grandmothers, and I am the vice president at Moscow. On the board. We have a lot of great volunteers in the organization, and so we're always super excited when we get to the point of our conference, because that's our big time of the year.
John:I have a question Now. Kathleen said that you were in Alabama. You're vice president of Moscow, but you're living in Alabama.
Kathleen:Yes, so I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Missourian. I was born in Springfield, grew up just south of there in Ozark, missouri, and after grad school well, I went to undergrad at Mizzou and grad school well, I went to undergrad at Mizzou and grad school at Missouri State, packed the bags and the little Ford Escort at that point and went to Washington DC and I was there for right about a decade. I met my future husband while we were both working in the Pentagon shortly after 9-11. While we were both working in the Pentagon shortly after 9-11. And then he got a job in Alabama teaching at the Air Force Base, and he has been here 21 years. It took him a little while to convince me to move to Alabama, but I am getting close to my 20th anniversary, coming up just after Thanksgiving this coming year. I still don't call myself an Alabamian because what can I say?
Michelle Spencer :I'm a tiger at heart and living in a football state is challenging and I made the mistake of going out to Washington DC looking for a husband. I must have because I married John. Well, that's not true.
John:It's an interesting way to phrase that, but there's a whole lot that goes. That's like skipping the part one of the book there, isn't it?
Kathleen:Well, I actually just went looking for adventure and considering myself a policy nerd, and I lived in Maryland, the and virginia in those 10 years and I worked on the hill in the contracting world as well and in the pentagon. So yeah, it was quite the experience very cool, I'm sure it was I got to travel.
Kathleen:I did a lot of work internationally. It was an awesome experience, well, and then I went to Germany. Actually, I've been, I lived in Germany twice. I did a year during my undergrad as a foreign exchange student, and then I did a post-grad fellowship after I worked on the Hill, and so it was a marvelous experience.
John:Michelle, do you want to talk a bit about your company? Yes, I'd love to.
Kathleen:About a little over a decade now I've been a professional genealogist, and that's after working for nearly 20 years in the defense and national security area, and so it was a big switch for me.
Kathleen:But I've always loved family history and had dabbled in genealogy, but I really got into it as a professional when I had an opportunity to work with actually an architect who does historic preservation, and we worked on and still do National Register nominations listing buildings and properties in the National Register. The first project I worked with her on was Sunflower Ordnance Works in the middle of Kansas, so it was a defense World War II ammunition plant that was built, and so it was really interesting because there was a lot of historical research and genealogy required, and so together we made a great team because she does all the architecture and I do the historical research. She does all the architecture and I do the historical research, because the reason that a property is significant can be simply who lived there or what they did, what happened, or the property itself. So it was a great intro and it's the reason my tagline is the family business researcher, because I've done so much business research and I see it as a great opportunity to expand your knowledge and the story of your family.
Michelle Spencer :I love that Michelle and being born and my family's from western Kansas. I love that whole history part.
Kathleen:It was a great way to start because there were so many things that you learn, as with any historical research. You're like I never thought about that or, you know, considered it in that way, and so, yeah, it was just a great way to get my feet in. So we've been partners for 11 years now and she's actually trying to retire, but we're still finishing up some projects and will be for a couple of years, but we're still finishing up some projects and will be for a couple of years. So I'm a little more focused on genealogy, although using that background because I think it's just so interesting, and I've actually started a YouTube channel because I don't have you for an editor, john. Trying to edit my own stuff is challenging, so it's been a bit of a slow process, but so now I only have three videos up, but they do pretty well, and so I just need to get in the groove more so that I do that. And what is it called? Roma, mary.
John:Grace, and we'll get all of that information, the specific links we'll put in our show notes so that everybody can click on those and go to them and find them.
Michelle Spencer :I think this is fun and, John, you know we talk a lot about niches and different niche for genealogists and the historical homes or historical community research is definitely a big one. It would probably be in my top five.
John:Well, what I find interesting is that guests seem to be following their specific interest, which is not necessarily related to genealogy, becomes the area of genealogy. They're through line for it, with financial or tax records on one. There's just always this other link, external, that drives the research. Let's talk a little bit about what you do for Mosca.
Kathleen:Okay, I've been a member of Mosca for nearly two decades, but about 10 years ago somewhere in there their blogger, they had a blog and that person was leaving, and so they put out a notice for somebody who would blog for them and so I basically joined the board that way. Now we had some issues with our blog, so we ended up closing it down and, as you can imagine, today with social media and Facebook and everything, a blog that just sort of repeats other genealogy news is not really worthwhile. So we did close that down, but I stayed on the board and have worked through several positions. But I stayed on the board and have worked through several positions because we're all volunteers and so it's about what needs to be done at the time or how we can help each other out. The mission is really to support family history and the maintenance of records, preservation of our shared past, and it's challenging because we don't have a building. It's not physical. We are a group of volunteers who want to support that mission of protecting, preserving and sharing our past.
Michelle Spencer :One of the things I know that Moscow is really involved in is something about the pioneer families, the Missouri. Can you explain that to our listeners?
Kathleen:Absolutely. We have what we call the First Families Program, and there are a couple of different aspects and it's actually expanded. You can apply by providing your family information, and that can be done on the Moscow website. But what it means is we celebrate people's beginnings in this state and there are different types of certifications. So one of them is Pioneer, as you just mentioned. We also have the War of 1812, which we've added as a separate piece, and so you have a couple of different options. But it's not just for the families, because you can also, as a MOSCA member, see that list and see what other people have joined and have done that certification process, and so we have one very hardworking board member who reads all those applications and works with the families, the person who's submitting it, and that is not a job that I want. So I think it's a great thing that somebody else does it, because it's a lot of work. It is a lot of work, but it's a great opportunity to share family history, your family history.
John:Yeah, it's always interesting to me how many volunteers are involved in genealogy. Talk about passion project. It just seems like there's so many who are willing to volunteer time and effort. The work they do, the product of that collective effort, is extraordinary.
Kathleen:Well, and one of the things a lot of times people we ask for people to join the board and there are elected positions. We also have directors. But we have several committees. So, for example, I am leading the awards committee and we give grants and awards Grants are for that piece that I mentioned preservation organizations throughout the state of Missouri to submit an application for support for what they're doing in terms of preservation of records. So, for example, a small museum will get a box of records from somebody which are newspapers and photos and all kinds of things mixed in together and, as you said, the volunteers there are trying to figure out how to organize those and process. So it's a great opportunity.
Kathleen:But back to the Moscow committees they're all ad hoc. We have a conference committee, we have an awards committee and sometimes people feel like they're not, they don't know enough or they're not professional genealogists so they couldn't possibly join the board. But I'm one of the few professional genealogists. Most people are, you know, just people who have Missouri kin and have done research or interested in research. They don't have to know anything specific, they don't have to be professional genealogists. In fact, the broader the knowledge and the diversity of our group, the better right, because you get new ideas and better ideas. So we're open to everybody.
John:That's wonderful.
Michelle Spencer :Michelle, you mentioned that you give these awards and I'm assuming that's at the conference and I want to make sure we talk about the conference.
John:The conference for Moscow is August 8th and 9th, that's two weeks from today. I think yes.
Kathleen:Yes.
John:Tell us about that.
Kathleen:Well, we are excited because our conference is our big thing. It's what we do once a year and, as you know, with COVID things got crazy and had to cancel, and then we tried virtual, and then we did a little bit of both of in-person and hybrid, so we had some online as well. Hey, we're back to in-person, and so we are excited with that and, most importantly, our partnership with the archives. So we're holding this at the state archives with the archives, so we're holding this at the state archives. What that means is you can go see someone speak, but you can also go do your personal research on your family, and the archives is going to have tours available, but also just one-on-one if you need help figuring out how to research or something specific you're looking for.
Kathleen:They're excited too because they're ready for us to come, but they will be available on Friday. And then there's a tour. You have some tour options, let's put it that way and then I'm not sure exactly the dates and the times on that, but they will be open for research, at least on Saturday morning as well. We're trying to. We don't have a precise time yet if they're going to go through the end of the conference or not, but that's just a great opportunity to not only join in the conference but to do research at the State Archives.
John:So after you get inspired and learn from the speakers, then you can dive right in.
Michelle Spencer :Even though I use the archives a lot, no matter how many times I go, it's always for a different project. I'm always learning, but I'm driving from Kansas City that morning, so we'll see. And I'm really excited to hear about our speaker.
John:I mean, I know Judy Russell and I'm excited about listening to her, and this is my first conference since COVID, by the way, Getting back to in-person meetings has also been a theme this year, with a lot of the podcasts with people we've talked to, is that there's so much was tried with the hybrid and the online, but I think, especially when it comes to genealogy, it seems that the in-person offers a whole lot more, that it's just it's that connection that people are really after. It's not necessarily just the information, but it's just that connection that people are really after. It's not necessarily just the information, but it's connection Right, which again is one of those recurring themes that I find in family researchers is that personal connection beyond just the information, which is possibly why there's such a tight community within the genealogy world.
Michelle Spencer :Well, john, there's also this whole thing about the data that we're getting at these conferences, like in this particular one, there's some from Judy Russell. Michelle, you're speaking. The networking is just our breaks in between our speakers. So we kind of need that energy, because there's so much that we're learning at the same time. We need to give our brain just a 10 or 15 minute break.
John:I can still get tickets or still register, right, or are you sold out?
Kathleen:No, we, there's still available spaces. Absolutely join us, and you can register at mosgaorg for the conference there. So that's our homepage. You click on the link right below and register, and you can pay through PayPal. So it's quick and easy.
Michelle Spencer :And you don't have to be a PayPal member. You can just be a guest and pay through your credit card. That's correct.
Kathleen:And when you said networking is so important, it's absolutely right. And in the past couple of years again, we've had shorter conferences, partially because of costs and partially because of COVID kind of, you know, getting your toe back in the water and we miss that ability to spend more time together. So the two-day conference this is the first time since pre-COVID that we've had a two-day event, but it's just so much different because then you have more downtime, because, as you said, you know that 15 minutes between speakers is not always enough to do more than let yourself, let your brain relax for a minute.
John:Being able, I'm sure, to go out to dinner and think about it and, even after dinner, chat, assimilate all that information, because that's an ambitious schedule and there's a lot, a lot of great speakers and a lot of great topics that are spread out throughout those two days.
Michelle Spencer :John, I also want to mention that I thought Moscow and I did register. I thought it was very reasonable. The rate for this two-day conference is wonderful. I believe it's $55 unless you're a member, and then it's $50. Is that correct, michelle?
Kathleen:Yes, that's correct, and you do have an option for a boxed lunch on Saturday, because lunch on Saturday is our annual meeting and that is when we will announce the grant recipients and the awards, as well as we go through our election for 2026. So that election basically takes place via email, but we announce the results.
Michelle Spencer :I just registered so I have this fresh in my mind. There's an option of a lunch platter on the top, but if you scroll down there's like three more options.
John:Okay, okay, because a primary motivating factor for my wife is the food that will be served I hear you it's very important. She woke up this morning talking about where we were getting lunch and I'm like I haven't even had coffee yet.
Michelle Spencer :I don't care. Okay, so you tell us a little bit about the conference itself. I know you're speaking, as I mentioned, and Judy Russell is speaking. Can you tell us about the presenters?
Kathleen:Absolutely Again, because we're holding it at the archives. We're spending Friday morning on a couple of workshops so that if you're not used to researching at the archives but also we just find more things. As you said, you never know what you don't know about a place like the State Archives. So they're going to talk about lesser used county records and about unusual censuses in Missouri. So those are two things that you know. There's no way that we know about every single one and have found all of our relatives in it or not. So those are a couple of exciting things.
Kathleen:Then on our keynote is Judy Russell and she will be speaking about a couple of different things, but our focus was really what about the unusual things, the lesser used sources? She's going to talk about prison records and newspaper notices, records and newspaper notices, tax lists and court and land records. Now, the court and land records are of particular interest to me because I will be presenting a case study and this is, I'd like to say, the culmination. But that's not even true because I'm not done. But I have been researching my grandparents' farm for the last three years and this is about what I have discovered about the 920 acre farm, because what I did was research from the US government to my grandparents, which was around a hundred years, and, as you can imagine, all the transactions, the family members, the total strangers. It's just, it's amazing what you find, and so it's a great fit. Judy will talk about some of the details that you can find in Courtland Records, and then I'm going to provide the case study.
John:And that case study is a very personal connection, isn't it?
Kathleen:Absolutely, it's study is a very personal connection, isn't it? Absolutely, it's. In fact, a few years ago I told my parents look, I'm going to be working on our family tree for the rest of my life. I said, you know, help me prioritize.
Kathleen:What would you like to know so that I can share those stories with you while you're still here and have the opportunity to share in that? And they both said they would like to know about the farms they grew up on, and so my grandparents owned a general store in the small town of Florence, missouri, which is really just a spot in the road that's still there, and they saved up their money and they bought farmland, primarily through the Great Depression, and in 1941, they closed the doors and moved to the farm. So, yeah, it's been emotional and it's it's fascinating to see who you're related to and who you can't find links to. In fact, you might be total strangers. But I'm very excited to do this presentation because it's a lot of my story and my family's story and I noticed you are right after lunch, so that's when everybody needs a good stimulating story.
Michelle Spencer :Right right Again, my food issue. Well, you want something that's really engaging and that's a wonderful one called the Carl and Roma's Farm the Story Behind the Wreckers in Real Estate. So that sounds like a great presentation. I also want to mention that Judy Russell is our genealogical lawyer attorney. Of course, now she does not practice, but that is her background.
John:So again an external niche leading her into kind of the genealogy world. Again an external niche leading her into kind of the genealogy world where her experience in the legal brings her in through to be a resource for genealogy. That's. I mean, it's really kind of interesting.
Michelle Spencer :She does everything. She's definitely one of our leaders. There's quite a few of us who joined the genealogy world around the 2008 period.
Kathleen:And she was one of the people that we were all trained by. I've seen her speak numerous times. Her tagline is the legal genealogist. We're very excited to have her in Missouri again.
Michelle Spencer :So let me make sure, Stop John. I think that was it. Oh, about the conference. There's one last thing about the conference. I'm assuming you want more members or you also use this conference as a fundraising. Maybe do you have tables or selling anything. What should we?
Kathleen:expect. There are two things that we really try to encourage people with the conference, and that is to join our organization. Again, it's very reasonable price it's $25 a year to be a member of MOSCA and what you get out of that is an ability to be part of our group and to focus on preserving our shared past. But we also have a quarterly journal that you get as part of membership and there is a members area of the website where we have some different databases that you can use to find your family, so it's surname database as well as those first families.
Kathleen:In addition, as I mentioned, we provide funding through what's called the 21st Century Fund. We provide funding to local societies and organizations that are preserving documents, records, those things that are of our shared past, and the way we raise money for that is truly to pass the hat at the Moscow event. So, as you can imagine, because we haven't had big conferences and they've been shorter, we haven't raised nearly as much money in the last few years, and we really want to change that because, as you can imagine, there are documents, there are records, there are photographs that people are donating all over the state and we want to help keep those for future generations. And the way we do that is to support those local organizations to preserve that material, that is all I had, John.
John:Do you need to thank Michelle for coming on Hitting the Bricks with Kathleen, because I'll let you do that now if you'd like to.
Michelle Spencer :I really have John, stop it, get back on here, ok, sorry.
John:Go ahead.
Michelle Spencer :OK. So, michelle, I really do enjoy this. I really wanted people to know about Moscow, and I was so excited that it was in person myself that I really want everyone to hear it, and we will see you in a couple weeks in uh jeff city you will see you're not.
John:John will not be there I have to take care of the dog and I.
Michelle Spencer :Yeah, I don't know why I said we, but I meant we as in the listeners and michelle, she actually speaks with the royal we normally.
John:She says we require a cup of coffee, we require a sandwich, bring it to us quickly. And uh, I'm just kidding, michelle, thank you so much for tolerating my foolishness and uh, greatly appreciate. It's been a joy talking with you well.
Kathleen:Thank you so much. I appreciate the invitation and I'm glad we got to do this today. Thanks, Michelle.
John:Well, congratulations, you made it to the end of another episode. Thanks so much for staying. Thanks to Chewy Chewbacca Brandt for always giving us an excuse for throwing out a carpet and for his unwavering lack of interest in anything we're doing. The theme song for Hittin' the Bricks was written and performed by Tony Fisknuckle and the Platts. Watch for the next appearance in the basement of your local county courthouse. Do you have a question for kathleen? Drop us a line at hitting the bricks at gmailcom and let us know.
