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FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Do I need to log in to use this site?

That depends on what you are interested in. There are almost 1,500 pages of information throughout the site, and many of them are currently open to the public. You do not need to be a member of the St. Louis Genealogical Society (StLGS) to view the open pages.

The website does contain a “Members Only” area, and to view the pages contained in that section of the site, you must be a member of the society who is logged in (See “I am a member of the society. How do I log in?”)

If you are interested in registering for an event or purchasing items, you do need to log in so that you can retrieve your coupon code(s) and use your member’s discount in our store.

 

I am a member of the society. How do I log in?

Look on the right side of the home page above the “Become a Member” button for the word “Login.” Enter your username and your password and click the “Login” link. Another option is to click the “Login” link that is near the top of every page on our website.

 

What’s my username, and where do I find it?

If you joined the society prior to November 2014, your username is your StLGS membership number, unless you have already changed it. Your membership number can be found:

  • On the card you received when you joined the society
  • At the top of the mailing label on your paper Quarterly journal
  • At the top of the email you receive each time the digital version of the Quarterly journal becomes available online

If you have joined the society since November 2014, your new username is generated automatically from the first part of the email address you provided when you joined. For example, if your e-mail address is 1234abc@blahblah.com, your user name will be 1234abc.

Questions about logging on or your membership number should be sent to the vice-president of membership at membership@stlgs.org.

Where do I find my password?

You will not see your password on any society document. The password is something that you make up when you first set up your account. You are the only person who knows what it is.

When you create your account, you should make a written note of your password. We do NOT keep a copy of your password in the office.

 

What if I forget my password?

If you forget your password, click on the “Forgot Username/Password” link under the “Login” button on the upper right side of the home page. On the next screen, in the login box, select the “Forgot password?” link. Enter your username (membership number or first part of your email address before the @) OR your email address in the box on the right side and follow the instructions on the screen. Be sure to use the email address we have on record for you. You will get an email soon after you submit your request with a link you must click to set up a new password. Please respond promptly as the link in the email will expire. Be sure to save your new password someplace safe. We do NOT keep your password and do not ever see it.

If you have any further difficulties with logging into the website, feel free to contact our office to get your problem resolved.

 

Is it safe to use my credit card to make purchases from your online store?

Credit card purchases in our store are processed by a service called Virtual Merchant, which is an independent processor of internet credit card transactions. They provide a reliable and secure service to millions of customers.

Whenever you use your credit card to purchase a product or service, you will click through several screens. Your transaction is not complete until you get to the screen that says your card has been accepted. You will also receive an e-mail verification shortly afterward.

 

I’m looking for my ancestor. Where’s the data?

By and large, all of the data on St. Louis area ancestors can be found within the Research section of the website. There are several ways to locate data of interest to you. Here are a few suggestions:

  • Use the Search feature. In the Navigation Bar at the top of the screen is a “Search” tab. Click on it and type in whatever you are looking for. You can also use the blue “Search” boxes on the right side of the home page. The top box is for searching for specific surnames or people. Use the bottom box to search the site for specific information.
  • Use the drop-down menus within the Research area. The Research area is divided into six major sections:

Community
Congregations
Government
Institutions
Life and Death
Publications

Take some time to scroll through each of these broad areas of research to discover all of the gems that are contained within each.

 

I have a comment about the site. How do I contact the society?

If you are having any difficulty in using the site, have a suggestion on how to improve the site, or have had a success in finding a long-lost ancestor, we want to hear from you.

We encourage you to let us know about any broken links or other problems with the website. We are interested in your feedback. What do you like? What helped you locate relatives? What could we do better?

Please see the Contact Us page for postal addresses and email addresses to use in your correspondence or contact us via Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram and/or Threads.

 

How do I move around on this site?

The main means of navigation on the website is the gold Navigation Bar, which appears at the top of each web page. Moving your cursor over any of these headings (except Home) activates a drop-down list with sub-headings. Each entry can be clicked to open a new web page.

An entry with a greater-than sign “>” to the right, opens another list with a new level of pages. Many pages, especially in the Research area, contain additional lists of links on the right hand side of the page. Most of those links lead directly, or nearly directly, to data pages. Finally, many pages have additional links embedded in the text. These links are shown in blue. Quick Help Guides are available on the site that explain in greater detail how to navigate and what you will find. The guides are PDFs so you can read them on your screen, save them, and/or print them. You can find links to the guides on the home page.

Last modified: 30-May-2024 10:21