News from Other Societies

The South Bay Genealogical Society will meet on Tuesday, 15 January at the Little harbor Restaurant. Ann Young will present a program, "Seventhousandandseventysixseamen." The presentation will discuss about the 1/5 of the population of Sweden and Norway who immigrated to the U.S. and Canada.

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The Pinellas Genealogical Society will hold its 2008 Seminar on 26 January 2008 at the Largo Public Library, 120 Central Park Drive in Largo, Florida. The speaker will be Rhonda R. McClure, presenting four topics. Registration begins at 8:00 AM and door prizes will be raffled off during the day. Registration is $30 for members and $35 for non-members, and a deluxe box lunch is available for $6 if ordered in advance. Details are available in the brochure available by clicking here.

FGS Tampa Meeting - Sat. 13 January 2007

The Florida Genealogical Society (Tampa) kicks off its 50th Anniversary Year with a great presentation by Adrienne Condon. Our first membership meeting and presentation of the year with a presentation about "Indentured Servitude." Many of our ancestors could only afford to come to North America by contracting themselves out for a period of years to serve their monarch or others. Learn the extent of those indentures, their duration, what they entailed, and where to search for records.

The FGS (Tampa) meeting will be held on Saturday, 13 January from 10:30 A.M. to 12:00 Noon in the Genealogy Department on the 2nd Floor West of the John F. Germany Public Library at 900 North Ashley Drive in downtown Tampa. (There is a conflict that prevents us from meeting in the Auditorium as usual.) Attendance is free.

News from Other Societies - Pasco County Gen. Soc.

The Pasco County Genealogical Society will be hosting a workshop entitled "Creating a Book using Microsoft Word" on February 2, 2008, from 10:00 am – 3:30 pm at the LDS Family History Center, 9016 Ft King Rd. Dade City, Florida.

Pam Treme and Pattie Schultz conducted this successful workshop at the Pasco County Genealogical Society in November 2006 and are repeating it by popular demand. A registration form is available at http://www.rootsweb.com/~flpcgs.

News from Other Societies - JGSTB

Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay Meeting
"Using Both On-line and Off-line Resources For a Resource Trail"
Speaker Alex Friedlander
Sunday, January 20, 2008

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay meets at Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida on Sunday January 20, 2008. A social with refreshments and library access begins at 1:30 PM, and the featured program starts at 2:00 PM.

Alex Friedlander, our speaker, will discuss "Using Both On-line and Off-line Resources for a Resource Trail." Not all information is online. He will show us how to use both online and off line resources interactively to achieve breakthroughs in genealogical research. Case studies will cover a variety of records sources, including some lesser known but valuable sites and sources, from both the United States and overseas, including Poland, Lithuania and Austria."

Anyone interested in learning how to do Jewish genealogical research is invited to attend. Beginners as well as experienced researchers are welcome. For information on the organization or directions to the meeting call Sally Israel at 727-343-1652.

News from Other Societies

Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay Meeting
" The Cantonists: The Jewish Children's Army of the Tsar "
Speaker and Author Larry Domnitch
Sunday, December 9, 2007

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay meets at Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida on Sunday, December 9, 2007. A social with refreshments and library access begins at 1:30 PM, and the featured program starts at 2:00 PM.

Larry Domnitch, our speaker, will discuss the subject of his book "The Cantonists: The Jewish Children's Army of the Tsar". Mr. Domnitch's book depicts through personal accounts a tragic and significant era in Jewish History. Tens of thousands of Jewish children – some as young as 12 years old – were forced to serve in the Czar's army for 25 years with the intent of forcing the boys to abandon their faith. This book describes their struggles as well as those of their communities. This was an era of trauma and tribulation for the entire Pale of Settlement (designated provinces where Russian Jews were forced to live), which also had long-term impacts upon the Jewish community.

Anyone interested in learning how to do Jewish genealogical research is invited to attend. Beginners as well as experienced researchers are welcome. For information on the organization or directions to the meeting call Sally Israel at 727-343-1652.

The FGS Holiday Party!

The Florida Genealogical Society would like to invite you and your spouse or friend to our annual Holiday Party. The party will take place on Saturday, December 15, 2007, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM at the home of Amil and Loraine Rose at THE LAKES, 11811 Country Cove Way in Tampa. (Tel. (813) 855-3614) A wide variety of food will be served, along with soft drinks and wine. If you care to bring a favorite dessert such as cookies, fudge or cake, it is much appreciated but not necessary. PLEASE RSVP TO THE TELEPHONE NUMBER ABOVE BY DECEMBER 7TH.

Directions are available in a document titled "Holiday Party Directions" in the "How-to" Instructions area in the right-hand column of our Web page. (See http://www.rootsweb.com/~flfgs/HOLIDAYPARTYDIRECTIONS.pdf

Help us celebrate the holiday season with another great social opportunity!

News from Other Societies

The Brandon Area Genealogical and Historical Society will hold its annual Christmas Party on Tuesday night, December 11th, at 6:30 PM at the Bloomingdale Regional Library. Bring a vegetable or dessert. Visit the society's Web site at http://www.rootsweb.com/~flbaghs/ for more information.

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South Bay Genealogical Society will hold its luncheon meeting on December 18th at noon at the SouthShore Regional Library. Damon Hosteller will present a program in which he will tell the story of the life and times of George Bushong, one of Damon's ancestors. Visit the society's Web site at http://rootsweb.com/~flsbgs for more information.

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The Charlotte County Genealogical Society will hold its annual Christmas Party on Wednesday, December 19th at the Port Charlotte Elks on Kenilworth Road, off Veterans Blvd. The party starts with an 11:30 AM cash bar and lunch at Noon (choice of entrees). A fun, interactive program will follow. Contact Barbara Kratz at (941) 743-0290 or at milkratz@comcast.net for information and reservations, or visit their Web site at http://www.rootsweb.com/~flccgs.

"Florida Lines" Newsletter from FSGS

The Florida State Genealogical Society publishes the Florida Lines newsletter four times a year with information about its events, activities, and those of genealogical societies across Florida. You can access the new issues of the newsletter at http://www.rootsweb.com/~flsgs/pub_newsletter_floridalines/vol25issue4.pdf.

2008 FGS Membership Dues

The Florida Genealogical Society's membership dues are due very soon! Membership runs from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2008 and rates are $20.00 for individuals and $25.00 for households.

The FGS membership application is available by clicking on the link in the right-hand column of our Web site or it can be accessed directly at http://www.rootsweb.com/~flfgs/FGS_member_appl_June_2007.pdf. You can also pay at our Holiday Party at Amil and Loraine Rose's home on December 15th. We'll have membership registration forms on hand so that you can provide us with your most current and complete information.

We have some tremendous educational programs and other events in mind for 2008 in order to celebrate our society's FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY! Be sure to renew your subscription and bring other genealogy friends into the society this coming year.

The Florida Genealogical Society in Tampa is the oldest continuously operating genealogical society in the State of Florida and we will make this a banner year in every way possible!

2007 Election Results

The Florida Genealogical Society held its annual elections on Saturday, 17 November 2007 with the following results. These will be your Board for 2008.

- President: Andrew M. "Drew Smith (E)
- Vice President: James H. "Jim" Weiss (E)
- Recording Secretary: Trevetta Harline Wunderlin (E)
- Corresponding Secretary: Loraine Jacobs Rose (E)
- Treasurer: Mary Lyons Rivers (E)
- Director: George G. Morgan (E)
- Director: Noreta C. Wells
- Director: Alicia Cole Truett

(E) = Elected or re-elected

Congratulations to the 2008 FGS Board! We will celebrate their election at the Holiday Party.

Come to the FGS-Tampa Holiday Party!

The Florida Genealogical Society would like to invite you and your spouse or friend to our annual Holiday Party. The party will take place on Saturday, December 15, 2007, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM at the home of Amil and Loraine Rose at THE LAKES, 11811 Country Cove Way in Tampa. (Tel. (813) 855-3614) A wide variety of food will be served, along with soft drinks and wine. If you care to bring a favorite dessert such as cookies, fudge or cake, it is much appreciated but not necessary. PLEASE RSVP TO THE TELEPHONE NUMBER ABOVE BY DECEMBER 7TH.

Directions are available in a document titled "Holiday Party Directions" in the "How-to" Instructions area in the right-hand column of our Web page. (See http://www.rootsweb.com/~flfgs/HOLIDAYPARTYDIRECTIONS.pdf

Help us celebrate the holiday season with another great social opportunity!

FGS Elections at This Saturday's Meeting!

Annual elections of officers and board meetings will be held at our regular November meeting this Saturday, 17 November 2006, beginning at 10:30 AM in the Auditorium of the John F. Germany Library! We have a slate of candidates but nominations can be made from the floor, following the procedures in the FGS By-Laws published here on our Web site.

Please make sure to attend to make your voice heard! This is your society and we want your input to elect representatives who can and will serve YOU! We also want YOUR support in volunteering for a group of projects in which you can participate, have fun, learn, and get to know your fellow society members.

See you there!

News from Other Societies

The South Bay Genealogical Society will hold it's meeting at 12:00 Noon on Tuesday, November 20th at the SouthShore Regional Library at 15816 Beth Shields Way in Ruskin, Florida. (See http://www.hcplc.org/hcplc/liblocales/sho/ for location and directions.)

Pamela Treme and Pattie Schultz will present a program titled "Write Your Family History Using a Template." A luncheon is served and costs $12.00 per person. Reservations for lunch must be received by November 14th. For more information, visit the SBGS Web site at http://www.rootsweb.com/~flsbgs/meetings.htm.

News from Other Societies

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay meets at Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida on Sunday, December 9, 2007. A social with refreshments and library access begins at 1:30 PM, and the featured program starts at 2:00 PM.

Larry Domnitch will discuss the subject of his book "The Cantonists: The Jewish Children's Army of the Tsar". Mr. Domnitch's book depicts through personal accounts a tragic and significant era in Jewish History. Tens of thousands of Jewish children – some as young as 12 years old – were forced to serve in the Czar's army for 25 years with the intent of forcing the boys to abandon their faith. This book describes their struggles as well as those of their communities. This was an era of trauma and tribulation for the entire Pale of Settlement (designated provinces where Russian Jews were forced to live), which also had long-term impacts upon the Jewish community.

Larry Domnitch is a professor of Jewish History at Touro College in Miami Beach, and he teaches language arts at Mechinah Yeshiva High School in that same city. Larry is also the author of "The Jewish Holidays: A Journey Through History", published by Jason Aronson. In addition to his two books Larry writes extensively for newspapers and journals throughout the United States and Israel. He has an MA in Jewish History from Yeshiva University, and he resides with his wife and four children in Boca Raton.

Anyone interested in learning how to do Jewish genealogical research is invited to attend. Beginners as well as experienced researchers are welcome. For information on the organization or directions to the meeting call Sally Israel at 727-343-1652.

News from Other Societies

The Brandon Area Genealogical and Historical Society meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 13th, at 6:30 PM at the Bloomingdale Branch of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System, located at 1906 Bloomingdale Avenue, Valrico, Florida. (See the link at http://www.hcplc.org/hcplc/liblocales/bdl/ for information and directions.)

Genealogy expert and speaker Nancy Evers will present a program about Scandinavian Research.

Do You Have FGS-Tampa Society Historical Photos?

Do you have any photos of FGS officers, members, or events from the years of your membership in the society? Your FGS Board is trying to compile a visual history for our Gala Golden Anniversary Celebration in 2008. If you have photos you would be willing to loan to us to scan, and then to return to you, we would appreciate your help! Labeling of names, locations, and dates is appreciated but not absolutely necessary. If you would be kind enough to help us with this project and have photos to share, please contact Trevetta Wunderlin at trevetta@yahoo.com or at (813) 977-6484. You can also bring your photos to the November meeting, the December Holiday Party, or January meeting in a self-addressed stamped envelope. We want to get these precious photos back to the owners. In addition, we will add copies to our FGS photo collection at the USF Library's Special Collections Department.

Thank you so very much for helping make our 50th Anniversary Celebration greater!

FGS Elections at November Meeting!

Annual elections of officers and board meetings will be held at our regular November meeting on 17 November 2006! We have a slate of candidates but nominations can be made from the floor, following the procedures in the FGS By-Laws published here on our Web site.

Please make sure to attend to make your voice heard! This is your society and we want your input to elect representatives who can and will serve YOU!

Volunteers Wanted for FGS Telephone Committee

The FGS Telephone Committee is in need of volunteers for our monthly calls to members to remind them of monthly meetings, seminars or other activities.

Each volunteer will have a list of 12-15 names.

Calls are made one week prior to monthly meetings held on the third Sat. of each month. If member is not at home, message can be left on the answering machine. If no answering machine is available, call back again at a different time. If unsuccessful, you do not have to make another call for that month.

If you cannot make your calls in any particular month due to illness or vacations, just inform me via phone or my email.

If you feel you could help out once per month for 15-20 minutes, it would be so appreciated by our committee. Thank you in advance if you choose to help out, you will be called by me with details.

Loraine Jacobs Rose,
Telephone Committee Chairman
Phone: 813-855-3614
Email: Lrose40221@aol.com

News from Other Societies

The Pinellas Genealogy Society will present its 2008 Seminar on Saturday, 26 January 2008, at the Largo Public Library at 120 Central Park Drive in Largo, Florida. The guest speaker will be the renowned Rhonda R. McClure who will present four lecture topics: The Golden Door Has Locks:The Detaining of Immigrants to the United States; New England Resources: Resources & Repositories; Old and New: Combining the Best of the Internet and Traditional Research; and Finding Your Famous and Infamous Ancestors. Additional information and seminar registration forms are available at the society's Web site at http://www.rootsweb.com/~flpgs/.

***** Coming Attractions - 2008 *****

Do you remember how the movie theaters used to announce the "Coming Attractions" in great lights, colors, and titles? Well, the Florida Genealogical Society can do just the same thing! We have a LOT coming in 2008!

As always, we will host our society's Gala Holiday Party in December, with details coming in a few weeks!

The year 2008 is very special for the Florida Genealogical Society. We were founded in 1958, and 2008 will mark our 50th Anniversary! Members of your board are already culling through our historical papers in the Special Collection are of the USF Library, preparing to help commemorate and celebrate the occasion. Not only will we celebrate all year long, but our Annual Fall Conference will be a gala occasion for our commemoration.

In the meantime, we will begin our Golden Anniversary Year with some great seminars!

• January - Adrienne Condon will present "Indentured Servants"
• February - George G. Morgan will present "Effectively Using Heritage Quest", an online seminar in the JFG Library computer lab -- the first of several online classes
• March - Donna Moughty will present "Getting the Most Out of FamilySearch.com"

And that is just the beginning! Your board is planning the absolute best educational programs you have ever seen at FGS, and our Annual Fall Seminar will have evolved into the best event ever.

Be sure to renew your membership, and get your genealogy friends to join FGS too! There is going to be something for everyone, and you don't want to be left out!

Help Us Celebrate Our Golden Anniversary with Style!

FGS Program for November 17th, 2007! "COLD MAILINGS"

Cold mailing? Family Survey? What does this have to do with genealogy? Well, lots more than you would think!

Just starting your genealogy? Stuck at a brick wall? Lost contact with family members? Create a mailing or survey to help reconnect with aunts, uncles, and cousins so that you can flesh out your family tree ... and maybe even locate the 'lost' family bible and other important family artifacts!

Hit a brick wall? Scour newspaper articles, obituaries, and other articles to help contact people who might be related.

This presentation, Cold Mailings, will walk you through using MS-Word and Excel for putting a survey together, automating cover letters, generating mailing labels, creating mail merge files that address both the letters and envelopes, create and maintain a budget, and help you compile summaries of results you receive from your relatives. Handouts will be available that walk you through the entire process and give you examples and hints for your own projects.

Our presenters are Pamela "Pam" Treme and Patricia "Pattie" Schultz. Both are avid genealogists and both are professionals in the software industry. Pattie is an experienced software support and installation representative, and a software development group leader for 20+ years. Pam has a B.A. in English and has worked as a technical writer for 15 years, using MS-Word on a daily basis to produce printed books and user manuals for commercial products. Both Pam and Pattie have the expertise to help each of us master the 'mysteries' MS-Word and Excel and to learn how to use these powerful software products to augment and complement our genealogy research projects.

Don't miss this great opportunity to learn how to really use these software packages more effectively and to incorporate them into your everyday genealogy research! You will not be disappointed!

Kim Harrison Scheduled to Present Dynamite Program on 20 October!

Kim Harrison is one of the most knowledgeable individuals about online genealogical databases today! She has been involved for a number of years with several of the North American Irish online genealogical database systems providers. She has an intimate knowledge of what resources have been digitized and indexed, how the internal structures of databases operate, and how to search the databases to get the most out of them.

The Florida Genealogical Society will hold its monthly meeting on Saturday, October 20th, at 10:30 AM in the Auditorium at the John F. Germany Library at 900 North Ashley Drive in downtown Tampa. (This is a new starting time due to a change in library hours.) Our speaker is Kim Harrison, now a representative of Newsbank. Kim will present a program titled “America’s GenealogyBank: Introduction to a New Resource.” THPLC has recently added this tremendous new resource to its collection of genealogy databases and Kim will present the NewsBank and Access World News database facilities to us. Having just presented a definitive presentation to the THPLS personnel on Friday, she us eminently qualified and prepared to demonstrate to us what resources are available and how to use them to facilitate your genealogical research. Learn from and expert! Admission is free.

We sincerely hope you will join us for Kim Harrison's authoritative and insightful program. She is the most knowledgeable person in the Newsbank staff and will teach you all the ins and outs of effectively using this excellent reference resource. You can also join us for lunch at First Watch afterwards.

You do NOT want to miss Kim Harrison and her excellent program!

New Parking Arrangements at Poe Garage beside Library

Hello FGS Members and Guests!

Hillsborough County has made changes in the parking arrangements and rates near the John F. Germany Public Library on Ashley Drive. The following PDF file will help explain the the locations, new rates that may apply, and what you may expect to encounter. Needless to say, the cost of wages for the parking attendants and benefits have been escalating. The City of Tampa has finally had to respond, in its parking garages, to those expenses. You will now see new machines near the elevators at which you can pay your parking fees.

FGS President Drew Smith has had a good experience this week talking to the head of Tampa's parking administration, and he will be able to answer many of your questions at this weekend's regular meeting.

News from Other Societies

Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay Meeting
GETTING THE MOST FROM ANCESTRY.COM
Speaker George G. Morgan
Sunday, November 4, 2007

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay meets at Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida on Sunday, November 4, 2007. A social with refreshments and library access begins at 1:30 PM, and the featured program starts at 2:00 PM.

Ancestry.com is the world's largest online family history site with over 4 billion names in research databases including, but not limited to, census, birth, marriage, death, military, immigration, newspapers, directories, court, land, and probate records. Ancestry.com has added so many new and expanded databases in recent years that guidance is needed to make effective use of all that is there. George G. Morgan is an authority on Ancestry.com and recently published a new book "The Official Guide to Ancestry.com" to provide that guidance. He will speak on how to be more proficient in searching Ancestry.com. He will explore some obscure but useful databases within Ancestry.com that you didn't know existed, and you will learn how to get the most out of doing genealogy on Ancestry.com.

The purpose of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay is to assist interested individuals in learning about Jewish genealogy and how to research, document and preserve their own family histories. The Society does this by facilitating the exchange of research information, encouraging and facilitating research activities, educating members to help themselves and others, making available research resources and materials, and presenting monthly programs of interest to Jewish genealogical researchers. The Society’s library and research resources include both printed materials and Internet access as well as guided assistance from experienced researchers. Special emphasis is given to helping beginners.

Anyone interested in learning how to do Jewish genealogical research is invited to attend. Beginners as well as experienced researchers are welcome. For information on the organization or directions to the meeting call Sally Israel at 727-343-1652.

News from Other Societies

News from Other Societies

Presentation by Dr. Herman Koren
Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay Meeting
Sunday, October 14, 2007

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay will hold its October meeting at 2:00 PM Sunday October 14, 2007 at Temple B'nai Israel, 1685 S. Belcher Road, Clearwater, Florida for a presentation by Dr. Herman Koren on "Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children." This is a presentation of a love story found within the pages Dr. Koren's book "Histories of the Jewish People of Pinellas County, Florida, 1883 – 2005". This book is a comprehensive documentation of Jewish life throughout the history of Pinellas County. Dr. Koren spent several years researching and writing this remarkable book.

This joint meeting is combined with Temple B'nai Israel's program for the Tampa Bay area presentation of Dr. Herman Koren's book on the history of the Jewish People in Pinellas County. The book tells a community story within the framework of the continuum of Jewish values and history. It represents the cooperative efforts of many hundreds of people throughout Pinellas County and throughout the United States.

Dr. Koren is widely known and respected for his fifty years as a researcher, teacher, consultant, and practitioner in the environmental health field, and in the occupational health, hospital, medical care, and safety fields. He has a PhD from Indiana University, and is Professor Emeritus from Indiana State University. In addition to many publications and presentations at national meetings, he is the author of seven books. He has received the Walter S. Mangold Award, the most distinguished award offered in the environmental health science field.

This is not Dr. Koren's first venture into documenting the history of a Jewish community. In 1984, when he was active in the United Hebrew Congregation of Terre Haute, Indiana, a Reform Temple, he became the historian for that Jewish community by volunteering to write "The 150-Year History of the Jewish Community of Terre Haute, Indiana." He successfully applied his knowledge and skills from his education and professional writings to research and write Terre Haute's Jewish history. Now he has applied this same skill and knowledge to a history of the Jewish people in Pinellas County.

For information on the Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay or directions to the October 14th meeting call Sally Israel at 727-343-1652.

News from Other Societies

FGS Program for 20 October 2007

The Florida Genealogical Society will hold its monthly meeting on Saturday, October 20th, at 10:30 AM in the Auditorium at the John F. Germany Library at 900 North Ashley Drive in downtown Tampa. (This is a new starting time due to a change in library hours.) Our speaker is Kim Harrison, a representative of Newsbank. Kim will present a program titled “America’s GenealogyBank: Introduction to a New Resource.” THPLC has recently added this tremendous new resource to its collection of genealogy databases and Kim will present the database and demonstrate how to use it to facilitate your use of the database for genealogical research. Learn from and expert! Admission is free.

We sincerely hope you will join us for Kim Harrison's authoritative and insightful program. She is the most knowledgeable person in the Newsbank staff and will teach you all the ins and outs of effectively using this excellent reference resource.

FGS TELEPHONE CALLERS NEEDED

The FGS Telephone Committee is in need of volunteers for our monthly calls to members to remind them of monthly meetings, Seminars or luncheons.

Each volunteer will have a list of 12-15 names.

Calls are made one week prior to monthly meetings held on the third Sat. of each month. If member is not at home, message can be left on the answering machine. If no answering machine is available, call back again at a different time. If unsuccessful, you do not have to make another call for that month.

If you cannot make your calls in any particular month due to illness or vacations, just inform me via phone or my email.

If you feel you could help out once per month for 20-30 minutes, it would be so appreciated by our committee. Thank you in advance if you choose to help out, you will be called by me with details.

Loraine Jacobs Rose,
Telephone Committee Chairman
Phone: 813-855-3614
Email: Lrose40221@aol.com

John F. Germany Library Hours Change

The hours at the John F. Germany Library in Tampa have changed. They are:

• Monday through Thursday - 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM
• Friday and Saturday - 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
• Sunday - 12:30 PM to 5:00 PM

The changes have caused FGS to change the starting time of our monthly meetings (on the third Saturday of each month) to 10:30 AM, effective with the October 20th meeting.

Be sure to check the hours of any branch library location as their hours have also changed. A listing of links to all HCPLC locations can be found at http://www.hcplc.org/hcplc/liblocales/locationsbranch.html.

News from Other Societies - South Bay Genealogical Society

The South Bay Genealogical Society announces its programs for November and December 2007:

11/20/07 "Writing your Family History Using a Template" by Pattie Schultz and Pam Treme. Noon luncheon prior to speakers at 1 pm. The speakers will also touch on using Microsoft Word features.

12/18/07 " The George Bushong Story" by Damon Hostetler. Damon dresses up in costume portraying his 3rd great-grandfather and covers 100 years of American History, 1780-1880. Noon luncheon prior to speaker at 1 pm.

For more information, visit the society's Web site at http://www.rootsweb.com/~flsbgs/.

FGS Program for 20 October 2007

The Florida Genealogical Society will hold its monthly meeting on Saturday, October 20th, at 10:30 AM in the Auditorium at the John F. Germany Library at 900 North Ashley Drive in downtown Tampa. (This is a new starting time due to a change in library hours.) Our speaker is Kim Harrison, a representative of Newsbank. Kim will present a program titled “America’s GenealogyBank: Introduction to a New Resource.” THPLC has recently added this tremendous new resource to its collection of genealogy databases and Kim will present the database and demonstrate how to use it to facilitate your use of the database for genealogical research. Learn from and expert! Admission is free.

We sincerely hope you will join us for Kim Harrison's authoritative and insightful program. She is the most knowledgeable person in the Newsbank staff and will teach you all the ins and outs of effectively using this excellent reference resource.

News from Other Societies: South bay Genealogical Society

The South Bay Genealogical Society will meet on Tuesday, November 16th, at Noon at the SouthShore Regional Library. The speaker will be George G. Morgan who will present a program titled "The Genealogist as CSI." The collection and analysis and comparison of evidence are keys to genealogical problem solving, similar to the work of a crime scene investigator. Learn step-by-step methodologies to succeed as a genealogical CSI. More information is available at the SBGS Web site at http://www.rootsweb.com/~flsbgs.

News from Other Societies: Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay meets at Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida on Sunday, November 4, 2007. A social with refreshments and library access begins at 1:30 PM, and the featured program starts at 2:00 PM.

Ancestry.com is the world's largest online family history site with over 4 billion names in research databases including, but not limited to, census, birth, marriage, death, military, immigration, newspapers, directories, court, land, and probate records. Ancestry.com has added so many new and expanded databases in recent years that guidance is needed to make effective use of all that is there. George Morgan is an authority on Ancestry.com who recently published a new book "The Official Guide to Ancestry.com" to provide that guidance. He will speak on how to be more proficient in searching Ancestry.com. He will explore some obscure but useful databases within Ancestry.com that you didn't know existed, and you will learn how to get the most out of doing genealogy on Ancestry.com.

Mr. Morgan, an avid genealogist, is president of Aha! Seminars, Inc. He served on the senior staff of the Genealogy Forum for America Online. Mr. Morgan has been an adjunct instructor with the School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Florida in Tampa, where he taught courses in "Introduction to the Internet" and "Web Page Design and Management. He is the author of the popular weekly genealogical column, "Along Those Lines..." which is published each Friday at the Ancestry.com Web site, and in the Ancestry.com Daily News E-mail newsletter. He is the past editor of the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) online newsletter, the Delegate Digest. Mr. Morgan is the author of the book, "The Genealogy Forum on America Online: The Official User's Guide", published by Ancestry.com.

The purpose of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay is to assist interested individuals in learning about Jewish genealogy and how to research, document and preserve their own family histories. The Society does this by facilitating the exchange of research information, encouraging and facilitating research activities, educating members to help themselves and others, making available research resources and materials, and presenting monthly programs of interest to Jewish genealogical researchers. The Society’s library and research resources include both printed materials and Internet access as well as guided assistance from experienced researchers. Special emphasis is given to helping beginners.

Anyone interested in learning how to do Jewish genealogical research is invited to attend. Beginners as well as experienced researchers are welcome. For information on the organization or directions to the meeting call Sally Israel at 727-343-1652.

News from Other Societies

"Thou Shalt Teach Them Diligently Unto Thy Children."
Presentation by Dr. Herman Koren
Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay Meeting
Sunday, October 14, 2007

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay will hold its October meeting at 2:00 PM Sunday October 14, 2007 at Temple B'nai Israel, 1685 S. Belcher Road, Clearwater, Florida for a presentation by Dr. Herman Koren on "Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children." This is a presentation of a love story found within the pages Dr. Koren's book "Histories of the Jewish People of Pinellas County, Florida, 1883 – 2005". This book is a comprehensive documentation of Jewish life throughout the history of Pinellas County. Dr. Koren spent several years researching and writing this remarkable book.

This joint meeting is combined with Temple B'nai Israel's program for the Tampa Bay area presentation of Dr. Herman Koren's book on the history of the Jewish People in Pinellas County. The book tells a community story within the framework of the continuum of Jewish values and history. It represents the cooperative efforts of many hundreds of people throughout Pinellas County and throughout the United States.

Dr. Koren is widely known and respected for his fifty years as a researcher, teacher, consultant, and practitioner in the environmental health field, and in the occupational health, hospital, medical care, and safety fields. He has a PhD from Indiana University, and is Professor Emeritus from Indiana State University. In addition to many publications and presentations at national meetings, he is the author of seven books. He has received the Walter S. Mangold Award, the most distinguished award offered in the environmental health science field.

This is not Dr. Koren's first venture into documenting the history of a Jewish community. In 1984, when he was active in the United Hebrew Congregation of Terre Haute, Indiana, a Reform Temple, he became the historian for that Jewish community by volunteering to write "The 150-Year History of the Jewish Community of Terre Haute, Indiana." He successfully applied his knowledge and skills from his education and professional writings to research and write Terre Haute's Jewish history. Now he has applied this same skill and knowledge to a history of the Jewish people in Pinellas County.

For information on the Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay or directions to the October 14th meeting call Sally Israel at 727-343-1652.

FGS Tampa's 2007 Fall Conference is a Great Success

The 2007 FGS (Tampa) Fall Seminar was, by all accounts from attendees, vendors, and the FGS Board, an unqualified success! Our speaker, Amy Johnson Crow, CG, delivered four information-packed presentations from which every attendee -- both beginner and veteran researcher -- agreed that they learned a great deal. Amy is a consummate presenter who incorporates quality information and humor in all of her materials. We are exceptionally proud to have brought Amy to Tampa for this, our third annual Fall Conference.

Our vendors, societies, and other exhibitors enjoyed the intense interest of all of our more than 80 attendees. In addition, there were 20 door prizes, as well as many free books and magazines, donated by the following: Aha! Seminars, Inc., AncestorStuff.com, Ancestry Publishing, Digital Genealogist, LLD, Everton Publishers, the Florida Genealogical Society, Inc., the Genealogy Guys Podcast, the Hillsborough County Public Library System, RootsMagic, Inc., Trevetta Hartline Wunderlin, and more. We are sincerely grateful for the support of our society's activities by these wonderful people .

One of the great delight and highlights of the annual Fall Seminar is the awarding of the FGS Volunteer of the Year award. This year's recipient is Loraine Jacobs Rose. Loraine is a much-loved and -respected member of the society and the Corresponding Secretary of the FGS Board. She s, coordinating the Telephone Tree to remind our members of monthly meetings and other upcoming events, handling correspondence, and contributing her efforts and talents wherever they are needed. Despite personal and family health concerns, she has worked tirelessly in the past year (and indeed for many years) to make our genealogical society a high quality, professional and scholarly organization. Loraine is shown at right receiving her 2007 Volunteer of the Year Award plaque from society president Drew Smith. In addition, her name has been added to the society's Volunteer of the Year Award plaque that hangs in the Ceta Rodgers Armitage Room at the John F. Germany Library in downtown Tampa. Her name joins that of Treveta Hartline Wunderlin, the 2006 award winner, and their names and contributions will be honored and remembered for all time by our society.

Planning is already under way for the FGS 2008 Fall Seminar, which will commemorate and celebrate the society's 50th anniversary. We are the oldest genealogical society in the State of Florida and are planning a gala conference for next year! Watch for details in the coming months, and let us know if you'd like to volunteer to be part of the planning and excitement!

Florida State Genealogical Society Newsletter is Available

The Florida State Genealogical Society's quarterly newsletter, Florida Lines, is available at http://www.rootsweb.com/~flsgs/pub_newsletter_floridalines/vol25issue3.pdf for your information and enjoyment. Included are articles about identity theft issues, the upcoming FSGS annual conference in Orlando on 9-10 November 2007, and the slate of nominees for election to the FSGS Board.

Excitement is Building for the Florida Genealogical Society’s 2007 Fall Seminar!

The excitement is really building for the Florida Genealogical Society (Tampa) 2008 Fall Seminar! Plans have fallen into place and we’re ready to welcome all who attend.

We are extremely pleased to welcome our speaker, the very distinguished Amy Johnson Crow, CG, for the 2007 Fall Seminar. Amy is a well-known and very well-respected genealogical researcher and speaker. She is a Certified Genealogist, accredited by the Board of Certification of Genealogists (BCG). She has held numerous offices in local, state, and national-level societies and had led each to success! She is an excellent writer, having authored genealogy columns, newsletters, and articles in national genealogical magazines. She also is the co-author, with Pam Porter, of the enormously successful book, Online Roots: How to Discover Your Family's History and Heritage With the Power of the Internet, one of the National Genealogical Society's series of publications.

We have a very exciting series of lectures to be presented. First, Amy will be presenting four (4) excellent programs for your genealogical learning experience. They are:

• Researching Your Civil War Ancestors Online
• Ten Years is a Long Time: Census Substitutes for the In-Between Years
• Finding Ancestors Before 1850
• Finding Female Ancestors

Beginners and experienced genealogists will learn a great deal from each of these sessions. A special session, Beginning Your Genealogical Research, will be presented at the lunch hour by our society president and nationally recognized lecturer and author Drew Smith. (Box lunches will be available for sale on-site at the registration desk on your arrival!)

Books, services, and genealogical and lineage societies will be represented in force in our exhibit hall. You can learn, buy, and join at the same time!

In addition, we have arranged for great give-way items AND we currently have NINETEEN terrific door prizes to be drawn during the conference. Door prizes have been contributed by the following organizations and individuals:

▪ AncestorStuff.com

▪ Ancestry.com and its parent company, The Generations Network, Inc.

▪ Aha! Seminars, Inc.

▪ The Digital Genealogist, LLD

▪ Florida Genealogical Society, Inc.

▪ The Genealogy Guys Podcast

▪ George G. Morgan

▪ RootsMagic, Inc.

▪ Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library Cooperative

▪ Trevetta Hartline Wunderlin

The 2007 FGS Volunteer of the Year will also be announced and awarded a personal plaque, and the volunteer’s name will be added to our Volunteer of the Year on display in the Ceta Rodgers Armitage Room at the John F. Germany Public Library in downtown Tampa.

Please look for the registration form here at our Web site (on the right-hand side). We welcome you to join us on Saturday, 8 September 2007, at the Hillsborough Community College Campus on Dale Mabry, across from Raymond James Stadium (where the Buccaneers play). There will be signs there to direct you to the Student Services Building. (There’s also a map here on our Web site.) WALK-INS ARE WELCOME ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT! Come to the seminar and bring your friends and genealogy colleagues!

FGS is thrilled to bring Ms. Crow to Tampa for our annual Fall Seminar, and we are looking forward to an extraordinary day of genealogy, friendship, and fun! Please join us on September 8^th at HCC!

Oral Histories at the Tampa Library Web Site

The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative's Web site has not one, but two excellent online collections of materials online. Most of our society's members are already well-acquainted with the TBPLC Web site at http://www.hcplc.org, and we use it all the time to search the library catalog and to work with the genealogical databases that are available to us remotely. However, there is more at the Web site than just those resources.

You certainly must be using databases in other areas of the THPLC's Information Gateway. However, be sure to explore both of the great online collections. From the HCPLC's main Web page, click on the link box labeled "Oral Histories and Photo Archives" and you will be taken to a screen that links you to both the fabulous digitized Burgert Brothers photographic collection of historic Tampa and to Hillsborough Remembers, a collection of three wonderful oral history projects that have been captured at our terrific library's Web site. These include:

• A Slice of Life
• World War II @ Home and Abroad
• Central Avenue Oral History Project

Each of these collections offers distinctive oral interviews in both PDF and Web page format, and most also include a downloadable audio file. These interviews offer an unparalleled insight into the history of Tampa and its environs.

Get online and enjoy these great interviews and, if you haven't explored the Burgert Brothers photos, explore the wealth of images that bring historic Tampa to life!

News from Other Societies

The Brandon Area Genealogical and Historical Society (BAGHS) will hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday, August 14th, at the Bloomingdale Regional Public Library, located at 1906 Bloomingdale Avenue adjacent to Bloomingdale Senior High School, at 6:30 p.m. Member Linda Soloski will present a program, "Espionage in the Revolutionary War: Was Your Ancestor One of These?" Refreshments will be served.

News from Other Societies

"HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2007 IAJGS CONFERENCE"
Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay Meeting
Sunday, September 9, 2007

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay will meet at 2:00 PM Sunday September 9, 2007 at Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida for a repport on the highlights of the 2007 International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies Conference (IAJGS). A one-hour beginner's genealogy discussion and problem solving session starts at 1:00 PM; a social with refreshments and library access begins at 1:30 PM, and the featured program starts at 2:00 PM.

This year's IAJGS Conference was held in Salt Lake City in July. Several members and officers from the Tampa Bay JGS were among the 600 plus attendees from all over the world. Approximately 200 educational seminars on genealogical topics were presented during the weeklong conference, and there were numerous special interest and "birds of a feather" group meetings as well as vendor exhibits and computer lab and resource rooms.

Those who attended the conference will report on and provide an overview of one or more of the educational sessions they attended. Anyone interested in more in-depth information on any topic presented will find it in the conference syllabus that will be available and/or from a set of audio recordings of many of the IAJGS sessions.

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay’s library and research resources are available to all meeting attendees and can be loaned out to members. Anyone interested in learning how to do Jewish genealogy research is invited to participate. Beginners as well as experienced researchers are welcome.

For information on the organization or directions to the meeting call Sally Israel at 727-343-1652.

Florida State Genealogical Society Newsletter

The latest issue of the Florida State Genealogical Society Liaison Newsletter can be viewed by clicking the link.

FGS Program for 18 August 2007

The Florida Genealogical Society will hold its monthly meeting on Saturday, August 18, 2007, at 10:00 AM in the Auditorium of the John F. Germany Library at 900 North Ashley Drive in Downtown Tampa. The guest speaker will be Tom Mayers of Longboat Key. He will talk and give a photo presentation on his family in Longboat Key and Tampa. He is a descendant of Capt. John Savarese. A Southern Research Special Interest Group (SIG) will also meet at 1:00 PM in the History and Genealogy Department on Floor 2-West, and our Ask-a-Genealogist will be there to help with your research questions.. Admission is free.

"Once in Love with Amy ..." - Amy Johnson Crow, CG

World-famous Vaudevillian, stage actor, and immortal film star Ray Bolger is remembered by almost all of us as the wonderful Scarecrow in "The Wizard of Oz," the hit musical, "On Your Toes," and in many other film and television roles. He starred in the hit Broadway musical in 1948 titled, "Where's Charley?" and scored an instant hit with the song, "Once in Love with Amy," which stopped the show every night and for which he won the coveted Tony Award.

The Florida Genealogical Society is very pleased to have as our speaker for the upcoming Fall Seminar on September 8th the very distinguished Amy Johnson Crow, CG, as our speaker. We know that, to paraphrase Ray Bolger's great hit, "once you've heard her, you'll be in love with Amy!" Amy Johnson is a well-known and very well- respected genealogical researcher and speaker. She is a Certified Genealogist by the Board of Certification of Genealogists (BCG). She has held numerous offices in local, state, and national-level societies and had led each to success! She is an excellent writer, having authored genealogy columns, newsletters, and articles in national genealogical magazines. She also is the co-author, with Pam Porter, of the enormously successful book, Online Roots: How to Discover Your Family's History and Heritage With the Power of the Internet, one of the National Genealogical Society's series of publications. (Learn more about Amy's background at http://fgstampa.blogspot.com/2007/07/amy-johnson-crow-will-be-our-special.html.)

Amy will be presenting four (4) excellent programs for your genealogical learning experience. They are:

• Researching Your Civil War Ancestors Online
• Ten Years is a Long Time: Census Substitutes for the In-Between Years
• Finding Ancestors Before 1850
• Finding Female Ancestors

Beginners and experienced genealogists will learn a great deal from each of these sessions. A special session about beginning your genealogical research will also be presented at the lunch hour. (Box lunches will be available for sale on-site!) In addition, we have arranged some great giveways and door prizes for the drawings throughout the conference.

FGS is thrilled to bring Ms. Crow to Tampa for our annual Fall Seminar, and we can almost guarantee that you will fall "in love with Amy!" So ... get in gear and download our PDF seminar registration form at the right here on the Web page or at http://www.rootsweb.com/~flfgs/2007FGSFallSeminarRegistrationForm.pdf and get your registration in NOW! Don't miss this extraordinary conference!

Mona G. Walters Byrge

The Florida Genealogical Society extends its sincere condolences to Neal B. Byrge and the survivors of Mona G. Walters Byrge, a member of our society. Mona was born in Spencer, MacLean County, SD in May of 1924, and departed this life on 26 July 2007. She is survived by her loving husband of 63 yearsm two daughters, nine grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. She was interred on Monday, 30 July 2007, at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, FL.

RESEARCH HELP WANTED!

FGS receives several e-mails each month from people outside the area who would like to obtain copies of obituaries and funeral notices from the Tampa Tribune or St. Petersburg Times on microfilm at the John F. Germany Library. This is a moneymaker for the society because we charge $15.00 per hour for the research and $ .25 per copy. However, the work can be be done before or after our regular monthly meeting OR on another visit you might make to the library.

We would like someone to conduct the research, create an invoice to the requester (from a form document), and mail the copies and the invoice to the requester. You can then request reimbursement for the costs of the photocopies, envelope, stamps, etc. from the FGS Treasurer.

If you are willing to invest a little of your time to help satisfy these requests and to make a little extra money for the society, please contact George Morgan at (813) 920-0619 or at rabidgenealogist@hotmail.com.

Many thanks!

John F. Germany Genealogy Collection Reorganization is Complete!

There has been a major change in the History and Genealogy Department at the John F. Germany in downtown Tampa! Major portions of the collection have been reorganized, re-cataloged, and physically reorganized.

When Melvil Dewey (10 December 1851 - 26 December 1931) devised his Dewey Decimal Classification system for library classification, he established ten (10) major classes, and each class was divided into ten classes. The 900s represented and included History and Geography, with the following ten sub-classes:

• 900 - Geography, History, and Biography
• 910 - Geography & Travel
• 920 - Biography, Genealogy, and Insignia
• 930 - Ancient world
• 940 - Europe
• 950 - Asia
  
• 960 - Africa
  
• 970 - North America
  
• 980 - South America
  
• 990 - Other areas

Most genealogists already know that the 929 area contains a lion's share of "genealogy" material. However, from a genealogical perspective, the Dewey Decimal System has never been necessarily ideal. Looking at the 930s to 990s, you would find cemetery books, local histories, geographies, and other geographically-related materials filed outside the 929s -- particularly in the 974s for U.S. geographical materials Therefore, if you simply walked into the John F. Germany Library's collection on 2-West and made a bee-line to 'read the shelves' in the 929s, you would miss a huge amount of resources.

Melissa Shimkus, Melinda Philips, and other staff members have been working extremely hard over the last year to implement a "Modified Dewey System" that has been adopted by some of the largest public library systems in the U.S. and beyond. The 'modified' system entails reclassifying and re-cataloging the materials outside the 929s, and then physically relocating those newly classified items. They are now inter-shelved with the 929s so that, whenever possible, all the print materials concerning a physical location are grouped together for ease of use. Note that the periodical collection is not interfiled with these materials.

Your absolute best way to gain access to what is in the collection and where it is is to always use the online catalog. Any of the library staff are more than happy to give you a tutorial, as well as a tour of the new organization of the collection. Knowing how to access and use the online catalog (and the Information Gateway databases (and not just the "Genealogy" databases!) gives you the power to search the THPLC catalog or any other public library catalog worldwide that you can access via the Internet. This skill can help you pre-plan any library visit so that you can concentrate on the research, and less on the "find" activities.

We owe Melissa and the staff at the JFG Library an enormous thank you for the hundreds of hours they have dedicated to making this transition project a reality! You should now have a much easier time finding helpful reference materials -- but still learn to use that catalog!

- George G. Morgan

Amy Johnson Crow: Our Great Speaker for the 2007 Fall Seminar!

Amy Johnson Crow will be our special guest speaker for the FGS Fall Conference on Saturday, September 8, 2007, at Hillsborough Community College's Dale Mabry Campus, across from the Tampa Buccaneers' Stadium!

Amy is among the best-know genealogists and speakers in the United States. She is a Certified Genealogist and works as a researcher, author, editor, and lecturer. Amy is the co-author with Pam Porter of the best-selling book, Online Roots: How to Discover Your Family's History and Heritage with the Power of the Internet. She also has served as editor for the NGS Guides series, writes for magazines and journals, and is an active member of the Ohio Genealogical Society.

Amy is extensively published, having had articles published in AncestryMagazine, Genealogical Computing, Heritage Quest Magazine, Indiana Genealogist, The Hoosier Genealogist and the NGS NewsMagazine. She is a winner of the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors’ Excellence-in-Writing contest for published articles. She is a past editor of Ohio Civil War Genealogy Journal.

Amy is the current President of the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors (ISFHWE), serves as Third Vice President of The Ohio Genealogical Society, and is also the OGS Webmaster. She is the developer of DeafBiographies.com, a phenomenal Web site devoted to biographical information about Deaf Americans at http://www.deafbiographies.com. She serves as and is a member of numerous state and county genealogical societies.

We are very fortunate, indeed, to have Amy Johnson Crow as our speaker for the FGS Fall Seminar. You will not want to want to miss any of Amy's great presentations!

You will find a registration form in the right-hand column of this Web site. Simply click on it, download it, fill it in, and sent it in with a check to FGS.

Volunteers Needed for Telephone Committee

Volunteers are needed for the FGS Telephone Committee. Members make calls to 10-12 members to remind them of the upcoming FGS meeting, which is held on the third Saturday of each month. You would therefore be making your calls starting the weekend or the first few days of the week preceding that third Saturday. Calls take 1-2 minutes for each member you call. You can leave a message with anyone who answers the telephone or leave a message on the answering machine.

If you have a conflict and can't make your calls for the month due to illness or vacation, you can let Loraine Jacobs Rose and she will make your calls for you or arrange for someone else to help out.

If you can contribute 20-30 minutes total per month, it would be very much appreciated! Please call Loraine Rose at (813) 885-3614 or send an e-mail to Lrose40221@aol.com to discuss volunteering.

Many thanks!

Loraine

News from Other Societies: Florida State Genealogical Society's 2007 Conference

The Florida State Genealogical Society will be holding its annual conference on 9-10 November 2007 (as always, on Veterans Day Weekend) at the beautiful Sheraton Orlando-Downtown Hotel at 60 S. Ivanhoe Boulevard in Orlando, Florida. The hotel has been acquired by Sheraton International and has undergone a fabulous, multi-million dollar complete renovation. It is the perfect place for this year's conference!

Featured guest speakers are Dr. Thomas Shawker, MD, and Patricia O'Brien Shawker, CG^SM. Dr. Shawker will present two sessions: "DNA Testing: The Very, Very Basics" and "Race Ethnicity, and Ancestry: Genetic Genealogy and DNA Testing." Ms. Shawker will present two sessions: "Passport Applications" and "NARA Records: A Case Study."

The Shawkers will be joined by Jack Butler, Alvie Davidson, CG^SM, Greg B. Gronlund, MLS, Donna M. Moughty, Ann Mohr Osisek, Mary Patrice Parker, Elaine Powell, Deanna D. Ramsey, and a host of vendors and exhibitors. The Association of Professsional Genealogists (APG) Florida Chapter, will host an Ancestor Roadshow for which attendees can sign up for professional genealogists' consultation on brickwall problems.

You can learn more about the program at the FSGS Web site (above). You can access a PDF file of the detailed registration form at http://www.rootsweb.com/~flsgs/pub_conf_reg.pdf, and you can make your hotel registration at the Sheraton by clicking this link.

FSGS will bring yet another great state conference to us, and the Sheraton in Orlando is a wonderful venue for the event!

FGS Program for July 21st, 2007

The Florida Genealogical Society (Tampa) is pleased to announce the upcoming program for July 2007 at the John F. Germany Library at 900 N. Ashley Drive in Downtown Tampa.

The guest speakers will be Noreta Wells and Sarah “Sally” Miller, who will present a program about “An Overview of the DAR and a Discussion of the Contents of the DAR Library in Washington, DC.” Both Noreta and Sally are experts in Revolutionary War Patriot research, and they each have intimate knowledge of the National Society of the Daughters of the Revolution (NSDAR) Library at 1776 D Street, NW, in Washington, DC 2006. Both Noreta and Sally are DAR members and have assisted others in researching and documenting their American Revolutionary War ancestors to facilitate joining he DAR.

Noreta and Sally will discuss the background of the NSDAR and will address the venerable NSDAR Library, its contents, resources that are available in our own local libraries in both Tampa and Largo, and answer any questions you may have about the DAR. They can also direct male descendants of Revolutionary War ancestors and patriots to the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) contacts that they have.

This is an exciting program for FGS Members and visitors from other societies. Noreta and Sally are extraordinarily helpful and will help clarify any mystery that you have about the NSDAR!

In the afternoon, there will be a special interest group meeting in the Ceta Rodgers Armitage Room on the second floor of the West Wing of the library (in the Genealogy and Local History Department) to discuss Southern Research. In addition, FGS plans to have a society member on duty for the "Ask a Genealogist" program to assist patrons with getting started with their genealogical research or with trying to crack through their "brickwall"
research problems.

Admission to the meeting is free.

Jill Noblit MacGregor Presents Fascinating Program

If you missed our meeting on 16 June 2007, you missed a terrific program presented by Jill Noblit MacGregor (right). Jill is is a native Floridian and third generation native of Tarpon Springs the great grand-daughter of Tarpon Springs Pioneer Granville Edwin (G.E.) Noblit, Sr., originally of Brockwayville, PA.

Jill is the author of a recent book, Once Upon A Bayou, a historical biography featuring the life and legacy of her great-grandfather, Noblit, Sr. during the formative years of Tarpon Springs history and the birth of Pinellas County, of which, Noblit Sr., dubbed the "Daddy of Pinellas," played a key role in their beginnings.

One of the goals of our society's programs is to highlight local people, events, and history. Pinellas County was a part of Hillsborough County until 1911.

Free Genealogy Classes at John F. Germany Library

The Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System offers free genealogy classes. The following classes are being offered at the John F. Germany Public Library in downtown Tampa on the dates indicated below.

• 6/23 - Introduction to Genealogy
• 7/14 - Genealogy Sources
• 7/28 - Census Records

The classes will be held in the Computer Lab at the library. Attendance is open to the public. For more information, please contact Melissa Shimkus, Reference Librarian of the History and Genealogy Department, at (813) 273-3652.

Reminder of the FGS Program for Saturday, June 16th!

Jill Noblit MacGregor

Jill Noblit MacGregor is a native Floridian and third generation native of Tarpon Springs the great grand-daughter of Tarpon Springs Pioneer Granville Edwin (G.E.) Noblit, Sr., originally of Brockwayville, PA. Born and raised in the bayou city of Tarpon Springs, MacGregor's love of history and her local heritage runs deep. Primarily a published author of poetry, featured in store gift books and magazines, Jill has written and performed local plays/musicals and performs The National Anthem for featured Bay area sports events. Her recent book publication of, Once Upon A Bayou, is a historical biography featuring the life and legacy of her great-grandfather, Noblit, Sr. during the formative years of Tarpon Springs history and the birth of Pinellas County, of which, Noblit Sr., dubbed the "Daddy of Pinellas," played a key role in their beginnings. Jill is currently working on another historical biography featuring the inspiration account of a local survivor of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis in 1945. MacGregor considers herself blessed to have grown up in an area so rich in history and diversity, an area that is a constant source of inspiration for her music and writing.

Ms. MacGregor will present a program at out June 16th meeting about her Noblit ancestors of Tarpon Springs, Florida -- a real insight into this area of Florida, her ancestors, and the writing of this great new book. You won't want to miss this presentation!

Have the FGS News Appear on YOUR Copy of Google

We're all busy and sometimes forget to go looking for notices of meeting programs and events, announcements, news, and other information. However, if you're like the majority of Internet users, you probably use the Google search engine. And Google has many powerful facilities and they're very easy to use.

One of the is the ability to customize how your screen Google Web search screen looks. Instead of the plain old, mostly-blank, white screen, you can make Google use that dead white space to display some important information! That includes Weblogs (or "blogs") such as the one that we are now using for our FGS (Tampa) Web site here at http://fgstampa.org, and your favorite podcasts. All it takes is a few minutes to create a free account at Google and set to customize your Google Web search page to be a personalized one, accessible by using a Login ID and Password (which you also can save on your computer).

In order to make this process easy, we've prepared some step-by-step instructions for everyone. You'll find them in a PDF file titled iGoogle Set-up Instructions in the list on the right side of this screen in the "How-to Instructions" list. Simply click on the link, open the document in the Adobe Reader, print the document, and follow the instructions. (If you don't yet have the Adobe Reader installed on your computer, it is a FREE DOWNLOAD from the Adobe Web site at http://www.adobe.com.)

If you have any problems with the instructions, please send an e-mail (with your name and telephone number) to George Morgan at our e-mailbox at fgstampa@hotmail.com and he'll get in touch and help you get set up.

Don't miss any of the FGS news and information! Get yourself set up soon!

Mrs. Jean Evelyn Jones, Former FGS President, Dies

Jean Evelyn Jones, 80, of Tampa, FL, passed away Monday, May 21, 2007. Born on April 17, 1927 in Boston, MA, to the late Jessie Grindell and William McCollough, she moved to Tampa in 1947 and remained there for the duration of her life. In August of 1948 she married Truby Jones, and they enjoyed a happy and fulfilling relationship spanning 59 years. She was tremendously active in her community, embracing activities in the Eastern Star, the Daughters of the Nile (and their supporting work for Shriners Hospitals for Children), the Florida Alpha Parliamentarian Group where she became adept at parliamentary procedures, Sunset Park Garden Club for 40 years, and acting as President of the Florida Genealogical Society.

A visitation will take place from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Thursday, May 24, 2007 at Blount & Curry Funeral Home, 605 S. MacDill Ave. Funeral services will be held in the funeral home chapel on Friday, May 25, 2007 at 1:00 p.m. with interment following at Hillsboro Memorial Gardens, Brandon. Jean requests that your support and donations be made directly to the Tampa Shriners Hospitals for Children, 12502 N. Pine Dr., Tampa, FL. 33612-9499.

Donations will be accepted, too, by the Florida Genealogical Society (Tampa) to place memorial books in the John F. Germany Library's genealogical collection. You may contact fgstampa.org to discuss a memorial donation.

FGS's Fall Seminar Registration Form Is Online!

We're gearing up for our 2007 Fall Seminar with special guest speaker Amy Johnson Crow, CG. The registration form is available for review, download, and printing here at our FGS Web site! Scroll down the page and, on the right side of the screen, you will see an area titled "Important FGS Documents." The registration form is right there as a PDF file! The Adobe PDF Reader is a free download at the Adobe Web site at http://www.adobe.com.

Your FGS Board is working hard already to make this the best annual seminar yet! Don't miss your opportunity to be there and hear Amy Johnson Crow's great presentations, the vendors, the door prizes, and more! Mark your calendar now for Saturday, September 8th, 2007, at the Dale Mabry Campus of Hillsborough Community College!

Reminder of the FGS Program for Saturday, May 19th!

Just a reminder that Melody Porter will be presenting a program on May 19th titled, "Georgia Research Locations: Not Just for Georgia Researchers." She describes it in her workshop abstract as follows:

"Ever wonder about that little library you just drove by on your way home to Florida? Have you made the commitment to finding the missing piece of information on the family line at a brick wall?

"As a genealogist whose family lines did not run into Georgia or even close, I was less than ecstatic about my research opportunities when I moved to Georgia. However, I am now a believer in never overlooking a potential research site – no matter how small even if it is in Georgia. This lecture will give you information about research sites that will make you plan your next trip up north through every Georgia genealogy research location you can find!!"

To see the main announcement for this program, go to the April 15th posting by clicking on the link earlier in this sentence.

We hope to see you there!

A Thank You to Our Telephone Committee!

The FGS Board at our April 17th regular meeting recognized and thanked our dedicated Telephone Committee. This group calls all of our members each month to remind them of the date, time, speaker and topic for the upcoming regular meetings. The committee members are:

• Loraine Rose, Committee Chairperson
• Muriel Bradley
• Ruth Eleson
  
• Dick and Nancy Evers
• Mildred Hawk
• Alice Merlin
• Angie Morner

We sincerely appreciate the time and effort that goes into the telephone committee's work. As a token of appreciation, those committee members who were present at the meeting were awarded a Volunteer Pin. (Anyone who missed the meeting may contact Drew Smith to get their pin.)

Thank you all again!

All about Our June Speaker: Jill Noblit MacGregor

Jill Noblit MacGregor is a native Floridian and third generation native of Tarpon Springs the great grand-daughter of Tarpon Springs Pioneer Granville Edwin (G.E.) Noblit, Sr., originally of Brockwayville, PA. Born and raised in the bayou city of Tarpon Springs, MacGregor's love of history and her local heritage runs deep. Primarily a published author of poetry, featured in store gift books and magazines, Jill has written and performed local plays/musicals and performs The National Anthem for featured Bay area sports events. Her recent book publication of, Once Upon A Bayou, is a historical biography featuring the life and legacy of her great-grandfather, Noblit, Sr. during the formative years of Tarpon Springs history and the birth of Pinellas County, of which, Noblit Sr., dubbed the "Daddy of Pinellas," played a key role in their beginnings. Jill is currently working on another historical biography featuring the inspiration account of a local survivor of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis in 1945. MacGregor considers herself blessed to have grown up in an area so rich in history and diversity, an area that is a constant source of inspiration for her music and writing.

Ms. MacGregor will present a program at out June 16th meeting about her Noblit ancestors of Tarpon Springs, Florida -- a real insight into this area of Florida, her ancestors, and the writing of this great new book. You won't want to miss this presentation!

Amy Johnson Crow: Our Great Speaker for the 2007 Fall Seminar!

Amy Johnson Crow will be our special guest speaker for the FGS Fall Conference on Saturday, September 8, 2007, at Hillsborough Community College's Dale Mabry Campus, across from the Tampa Buccaneers' Stadium!

Amy is among the best-know genealogists and speakers in the United States. She is a Certified Genealogist and works as a researcher, author, editor, and lecturer. Amy is the co-author with Pam Porter of the best-selling book, Online Roots: How to Discover Your Family's History and Heritage with the Power of the Internet. She also has served as editor for the NGS Guides series, writes for magazines and journals, and is an active member of the Ohio Genealogical Society.

Amy is extensively published, having had articles published in AncestryMagazine, Genealogical Computing, Heritage Quest Magazine, Indiana Genealogist, The Hoosier Genealogist and the NGS NewsMagazine. She is a winner of the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors’ Excellence-in-Writing contest for published articles. She is a past editor of Ohio Civil War Genealogy Journal.

Amy is the current President of the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors (ISFHWE), serves as Third Vice President of The Ohio Genealogical Society, and is also the OGS Webmaster. She is the developer of DeafBiographies.com, a phenomenal Web site devoted to biographical information about Deaf Americans at http://www.deafbiographies.com. She serves as and is a member of numerous state and county genealogical societies.

We are very fortunate, indeed, to have Amy Johnson Crow as our speaker for the FGS Fall Conference. You will not want to want to miss any of Amy's great presentations!

Look for more information and a seminar registration form online here very soon!

News from Other Societies

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay will meet at 2:00 PM Sunday June 20, 2007 at Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida for a genealogy problem solving session –"ASK THE EXPERTS”. A social with refreshments and library access begins at 1:30 PM, and the featured program starts at 2:00 PM.

In this working session a panel of experienced resident genealogists will assist those who have come up against a dead end in their family research and don't know what to do next. The solutions presented should be of value to anyone doing family research.

The problem-solving panel will include Debbe Hagner & Emil Isaacson, our resident experts. Ms. Hagner is a professionally accredited genealogist who has a Certificate in Family History Research from Brigham Young University and who been researching her own family’s genealogy for more than 30 years. Dr. Isaacson has 24 years experience in Jewish genealogy and has researched his ancestral roots back seven generations to the late 1700’s in Europe. He conducts an annual 2-day seminar in Jewish Genealogy for the JGSTB. Other experienced genealogists will be available to assist as needed.

Those who present problems to "ASK THE EXPERTS” by E-mail to prior to the meeting will be given priority by the panel. Time permitting; problems presented from the floor will also be addressed.

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay’s library and research resources are available to all meeting attendees and can be loaned out to members. Anyone interested in learning how to do Jewish genealogy research is invited to participate. Beginners as well as experienced researchers are welcome.

For information on the organization or directions to the meeting call Sally Israel at 727-343-1652.