“We should all endeavor to do things that are a challenge or not easy,” said Jim Stuber, current co-chair of the Mt. Lebanon Genealogy Society. Though reserved and modest in demeanor, Stuber’s presence is significant in preserving the history of Mt. Lebanon and uncovering the personal histories of its residents – monumental concepts which Stuber does, in fact, make look easily achievable.
Stuber was born in southern Iowa, earned his undergrad degree in mathematics from the University of Iowa, and graduate degree in industrial engineering from the University of Michigan. There, he was recruited by Mellon Bank and became a Mt. Lebanon resident in 1975, currently residing in the Uptown area. At Mellon he worked as a manager of information technology, and in 2007 retired after 36 years of service. “After retirement, I did the typical retiree ‘nothing’ for a few years,” he said. When he was ready to pursue his next venture, his work with databases “came in very handy in genealogy research,” said Stuber, who has held an interest in the topic since the 1970s.
For the past 15 years, Stuber has served as the co-chair of the Mt. Lebanon Genealogy Society, and previously served on the board of directors for the Historical Society of Mount Lebanon. While no longer on the board, Stuber actively fundraises for the historical society through personalized genealogy studies, which he has done for the past eight years.
In exchange for a donation to the historical society – typically ranging from $100 to $250 – he conducts research on a person’s family history and presents them with a binder of information, including a family tree as well as any discovered birth records, marriage records, past residences, military records, death records, newspaper clippings and much more. Through these studies, Stuber has raised more than $6,000 for the historical society, which goes toward the organization’s operating fund including expenses like rent, utilities and office supplies.
Those even casually interested in genealogy are likely familiar with the popular television series, Who Do You Think You Are?, where genealogists assist celebrities in tracing their family histories, often with surprising results.
“People are always fascinated by the things I find,” said Stuber. And in fact, when Stuber conducted two different genealogy studies for me, I felt just like I was on an episode of Who Do You Think You Are? and fascinated each time with what Stuber was able to uncover for me in only a matter of weeks.
“So often, the person will say, ‘I had no idea!’” said Geoff Hurd, former historical society president, who served on the board of directors during Stuber’s tenure and has been present for the unveiling of many of Stuber’s findings. Often, Stuber will meet with clients at the historical society to present his research – perhaps even within the Stuber Family Library – which is named for Jim and his family in recognition of their financial support of the society’s capital campaign.
These fascinating finds are all a matter of public record, but the art is in locating, verifying, and interpreting the results to piece together a story – and here is where Stuber’s 50+ years of experience in genealogical research and information technology are invaluable. Further, while Stuber uses popular digital sources to conduct his research, like Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, FindaGrave.com, Fold3.com and others, he doesn’t pay for any site subscriptions, as most of his research is conducted at the Mt. Lebanon Public Library, where access to subscription versions of these sites is often free.
And at the library, for those who wish to delve into their family histories on their own, the Mt. Lebanon Genealogy Society meets eight times per year, always on Mondays at 1 p.m., and has been doing so since 1981. At one particular meeting in February, more than 50 punctual, diligent note-takers listened carefully to guest speaker Kate Townsend, genealogist and former professional investigator, who shared tips and tricks for using Ancestry.com. The genealogy society’s purpose is to promote genealogy and provide education to those doing genealogy research, according to Stuber, and it’s clear that there’s no lack of interest in the topic in Lebo.
The irony, however, is that often people become interested in those highly sought-after, identity-forging stories too late to learn from those who could have told us firsthand.
“Oftentimes, people develop an interest in genealogy late in life, and by that time, the people who could tell the stories aren’t around anymore,”
said Stuber. But thanks to Stuber’s keen interest and skill in using data to piece together complex puzzles, as well as his drive to promote education in the field of genealogy, those stories we thought were lost – or were previously unaware of completely – are attainable to share with generations to come.
Though Stuber is set to step down from his co-chair position with the Genealogy Society this spring, he continues to actively weave his story and help others uncover theirs. Stuber has taken on volunteer work with the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh’s Archives and Records Center, where he helps fulfill requests including birth, marriage and death records. At 76, he also continues to frequent the gym and walk the streets of Mt. Lebanon almost daily. Certainly, Stuber’s legacy of endeavoring to do challenging things will be long-lasting and
little-contested.
Those interested in genealogy studies through Jim Stuber and the Historical Society of Mount Lebanon can contact mtlebanongs@gmail.com [1].