July 2026
NOW IS THE TIME!
Do you need to renew your membership?
Do you want to become a member of STGS?
NOW IS THE TIME!
Dues are $30 for individuals, $35 for families, and $20 for students.
You can join/renew at the next in-person meeting or you can mail your dues to: STGS, P.O. Box 1904, Covington, LA 70434 .Click the button below to download a membership form.
ANNOUNCING A GENEALOGICAL PROGRAM SPONSORED BY THE
ST. TAMMANY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY (STGS) AND THE ST. TAMMANY PARISH LIBRARY (STPL)
AUGUST 15, 2026
Hybrid Meeting: Program will be offered in-person at the
St. Tammany Parish Library’s
Slidell Branch in Slidell, LA
and as a virtual broadcast for those at home.
WHAT MOTIVATED MY ANCESTOR TO MOVE FOUR TIMES?
Using Records to Understand the Push and Pulls of
a French Immigrant’s Life (1845-1929)
By Michele Barrere Tymkiw
When genealogists talk about immigration, it’s tempting to focus on dates, ports, ships, and places on a map. But long before the goodbyes were said or the trunk was packed, deep questions had to be answered: Should I leave? Where should I go? The forces that push an ancestor away and pull them forward lie at the heart of every immigration story. A researcher may assume that an ancestor’s reasons to leave one place for another are the same as any other immigrant. But understanding the influencing factors, often unique to that time, place, or the individual ancestor, is what makes that ancestor come alive.
In her presentation, Michele Tymkiw explores the unique push and pull factors that influenced one of her great-great-grandfathers to emigrate from France to New Orleans in 1860 and relocate four times over the course of his life. Michele will describe how, by examining historical records and visiting the places her ancestor lived, she was able to piece together a story of mobility, adaptation, and persistence—bringing emotional depth to the trail of records.
Join this presentation to discover how to identify the motivations behind an ancestor’s immigration and to learn about significant record sources that may be available to those who are researching families with roots in France, New Orleans and/or St. Tammany Parish.
With a journalism degree from Loyola, Michele’s working career led her to create healthcare documentaries, marketing materials, newsletters, and articles for Ophthalmology Times, a physician publication. Now retired, she applies those same writing and research skills to pursue New Orleans genealogy. She’s visited just about every archive and library in New Orleans, walked through many a cemetery, visited France and their archives, spent days at the Covington Courthouse, read countless NOLA history books, and searched online records in French and English. She is a member of the St. Tammany Genealogy Society and Vice President of the Genealogical Research Society of New Orleans. She has written several articles for publication on genealogy topics.
DATE: Saturday, August 15, 2026
TIME: 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Central Time
TWO LIVE VIEWING OPTIONS: IN-PERSON AND
REMOTE BROADCAST
In-Person Attendance: Slidell Branch of the
St. Tammany Parish Library
ADDRESS: 555 Robert Blvd. in Slidell, LA 70458
At Home Viewing: St. Tammany Parish Library (STPL)
Live Broadcast via Zoom
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You must register for this program on the
St. Tammany Parish Library’s event calendar
whether you plan to attend in-person or view from home.
Admission is limited, so please register right away.
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You must register for this program on the St. Tammany Parish Library’s event calendar whether you plan to attend in-person or view from home.
Admission is limited, so please pre-register right away.
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TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE ST. TAMMANY PARISH GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY (STGS)
For all those who have not yet joined STGS, you can download a membership form from the STGS website at sttammanygenealogy.com, print it, fill it out, and mail it with your dues. We will add you to our list for future webinars. If you do not have access to a printer, please email STGS at stgsgenealogy@gmail.com and ask STGS to mail you a membership form. Please feel free to contact us at the above referenced email address if you are not sure whether you
have renewed for 2026.
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Your Membership Matters!
Ask to be added to the STGS Mailing List! Use the "Contact Us" button in tool bar above.
Meeting Location:
This month's program is at , 555 Robert Blvd. LA and remotely via zoom.
St. Tammany Genealogical Society