History

On October 10, 1973, fifteen family research enthusiasts gathered at Mrs. Neil Thompson's home in St. Cloud. Inspired by a shared interest in ancestral exploration, they formed the St. Cloud Area Genealogists (SCAGS). Initially, monthly meetings were hosted in members' homes, but as attendance grew, the St. Cloud Public Library became the gathering place. Today, we meet both in-person at Stearns History Museum and online, with recorded sessions available for later viewing.

Here's a succinct history of our newsletter, PasTimes:

• 1977: Maureen Beuning initiated the monthly newsletter with a simple one-page design.
• 1980's: Bill Kukuk and Joe Weldon maintained one-to-two-page editions.
• Advancements: Editors like Gretchen Leisen, Inez Kronenberg and Annette Towler expanded content and added unique features.
• 1987: Gretchen Leisen took over as editor and publisher, serving for over three decades.
• 1989: A content named the newsletter, and PasTimes emerged as the winning title for the bi-monthly publication (approximately 12 pages long).
• 2023: Ann Weisman redesigned the newsletter into an electronic email format.

For over 50 years, we've united family history enthusiasts through our activities. Little did our founds know that we'd be connecting - now virtually - half a century later.

Quick Facts

• Established: Founded in 1973 and incorporated in 1976.
• Newsletter: Bag in 1977, transitioned to digital design in 2023.
• Social Media: Started in 2019.
• Online Meetings: Commenced online delivery of membership meetings in 2020, followed by hybrid meetings in 2022.
• Find-A-Grave Project: Manage over 19,000 memories (including 15,000 obituaries)
• Branding: Introduced a new logo, letterhead, and branding colors in 2023.
• Surnames: Our members researched 500+ surnames.

Our journey continues, connecting generations through history.