From German Girls Genealogy (Teresa Steinkamp McMillin & Debra A. Hoffman):
Registration for 2025 SLIG Virtual courses opens on Saturday, May 17th for German Phase 1: Identify the Hometown. See https://slig.ugagenealogy.org/slig-fall-virtual/ for more information on the course and for details on how to register.
Certified genealogist Teresa Steinkamp McMillin and I (Debra A. Hoffman, PLCGS) are the co-coordinators of this new SLIG course. In conducting research on German immigrants, it is not enough to know that immigrants came from Germany or even a specific German state (e.g., Baden). Teresa and I designed this course to instruct our students on how to find the hometown by conducting thorough research using United States sources and utilizing appropriate research methodology.
My presentations will include an overview of the history of Germans in the United States and their geographical settlement on the East Coast. German Americans are the largest ancestry group in the United States and their influence can be seen in the cities and towns along the eastern seaboard. I will also cover German religious history as German immigrants brought their religious beliefs and the record-keeping practices with them to America. My presentations on methodology include conducting a literature search and creating a locality guide. Challenging genealogical research problems must be thoughtfully analyzed and methodically tackled. I will also present on the appropriate methodology for locating a German town of origin and will cover appropriate sources, such as vital and church records. To view all the presentations that will be given in this course, click on the link above.
Teresa and I have been successful in locating the German hometown in our research and want to share our knowledge and expertise with you, so you can have that same success. We are looking forward to having you join us in October 2025!
Lind Street Research 