Directory of Members

A native of southern Illinois, Rick Allen has many years of genealogical experience. He is the owner of Backstory Bloodhound, LLC, conducting on-site genealogical research at facilities in southern Illinois, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri. He loves to bust through those brick walls by using original records. Rick taught American history part-time for Southeast Missouri State University for 8 1/2 years. He retired after 33 years of service at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois and now focuses exclusively on genealogy. Rick was the editor of the Saga of Southern Illinois for seven years, is currently a Director of the Illinois State Genealogical Society (chairing the Long-Range Planning Committee) and is Treasurer of the Pope County (Illinois) Historical Society. He has been researching his family history since he was a teenager and has published several family history books as well as record books. He has a deep interest in preserving records and making them accessible to future generations.

• DNA
• Document Retrieval / Record Agent
• Family History Research
• Heraldry / Lineage Societies
• Military
• Tutor / Coach
• Methodology & Resources
• Available for in-person events
• Author/Writer
• Editor
• Available for in-person events
• Available for virtual events

The One-Word Key to Solving Most Brick Wall Problems - One key word can assist researchers with solving most brick wall problems. After learning the word, this lecture examines approaches and examples to jump start stymied research.

Never Give Up: My 46-Year Search for Claiborne Hall’s Father - Sometimes an ancestor appears to have been dropped from outer space! Come along on a journey to uncover the truth about a man who shows up in 1810 in Tennessee without parents. Using documentary and DNA evidence, participants will have a chance to evaluate the evidence discovered on the 46-Year search for the right answer!

Research in Deepest Southern Illinois: Challenges and Surprises - This session will explore a little of the region’s unique history and settlement patterns. Then we will look at the types of records, resources, collections, and facilities available to assist researchers within the region. Some surprising finds in local records will be discussed.

Ordinary People: Extraordinary War: Personal Stories of the American Civil War - By using a variety of sources, this session demonstrates the types of information that can bring to life our ancestors, both civilian and military, from both North and South.

Got Everything from Census Records? Look Again - This presentation examines the instructions given to census takers and many of the less obvious items that might be missed by researchers when examining federal census records from 1790 to 1950.

More coming soon! 

Illinois State Genealogical Society, Annual Conference, October 2023

At Your Doorstep Workshop, Illinois State Genealogical Society, April 2025

Genealogy Society of Southern Illinois, April 2026

Computer Assisted Genealogy Group of Northern Illinois, June 2025

Johnson County, Illinois Genealogical and Historical Society, April 2026, April 2025,
and several earlier programs

Pope County, Illinois Historical Society, February 2026, April 2025, and several earlier
programs