Florida Genealogical Society (Tampa)

Our Website Has Moved!

2010-10-01T13:57:00.001-05:00

For current information about the Florida Genealogical Society of Tampa, please visit our website at fgstampa.org.

2010 Fall Seminar - September 18, 2010

2010-06-04T08:30:00.001-05:00

The Florida Genealogical Society of Tampa is extremely pleased to announce details about its 2010 Fall Seminar. The annual event will be held from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Saturday, September 18th, 2010, in Room 2708 of the Marshall Student Center on the campus of the University of South Florida in Tampa. Registration will begin at 8:15 AM. Our speaker will be Curt B. Witcher, the Senior Manager for Special Collections and the Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He is an internationally recognized genealogy expert, speaker, author, and researcher. Mr. Witcher's biographical information can be found below.

Mr. Witcher will present a series of four lectures: Using Military Records for Genealogical Research; Using Church Records in Your Genealogical Research; Doing Effective Genealogical Research in Libraries; and Mining the Mother Lode: Using Periodical Literature for Genealogical Research.

Registration for the seminar is $35 for FGS members and $40 for non-members. If you join FGS in conjunction with registering for the seminar, you will be entitled to the Member rate of $35.00 and your membership will include the remainder of 2010 and all of 2011! You may access and print the membership application form at our web site at fgstampa.org. Simply complete the application and return it with your check for the amount of the membership and the Member conference registration rate.

There is plenty of parking adjacent to the Marshall Student Center. Attendees can purchase an all-day parking permit for $5 (Visa or MasterCard only; no cash) from permit vending machines located within the parking facilities. You may want to consider car-pooling with friends. A map of the USF Campus can be found at the FGS website in the right hand column under 2010 Fall Conference Documents. Driving directions from all over the Tampa Bay area and parking information will be posted on the FGS website soon.

There are a number of very good dining facilities offering a variety of menu options inside the Marshall Student Center and in adjacent buildings. These include sit-down and take-out facilities. There are outdoor tables adjacent to the Marshall Student Center for your enjoyment if you so choose. Lunch is on your own.

Please take the time to read Curt's biographical profile below. He is one of the luminaries of genealogy in our time, and the Florida Genealogical Society of Tampa is very pleased and honored to have Curt B. Witcher as our speaker for this year's Fall Seminar.

We invite you to join us and bring all of your friends for what is guaranteed to be a superb day of genealogical presentations!

The registration form is available at http://tinyurl.com/FGS-Fall-Seminar. A map of the USF Campus is also available on our website, and detailed driving directions and parking instructions will be posted there soon.

Curt B. Witcher is the Senior Manager for Special Collections at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, IN, where he manages The Genealogy Center. He serves as general curator for that institution’s Rare and Fine Book Collection as well as the institutional archives, and is the Supervisor for the new Lincoln National Foundation’s Lincoln Library Collection. He received his B.A. in history and English, and his MLS in Library and Information Science, from Indiana University and has worked the Allen County Public Library for more than thirty years.

Curt is a member of the Genealogy Committee of the American Library Association, a past chair of the association’s History Section, and a participant in other genealogical and historical committees of that organization. His is currently the Vice President of Development for the Federation of Genealogical Societies. He is a former president of both the Federation of Genealogical Societies and the National Genealogical Society. He is the founding president of the Indiana Genealogical Society and has memberships in a number of historical and genealogical organizations in the state and country.

Curt participated in the 1990s in Indiana University's Continuing Education Program as an adjunct professor, teaching courses on beginning genealogical research. He is the co-editor of the 1987 through 2010 editions of the Periodical Source Index (PERSI), the largest and most comprehensive subject index to historical and genealogical periodical literature, published by the Allen County Public Library Foundation and ProQuest, Inc. He has served on the Advisory Board for Ancestry.com as well as on the FamilySearch Advisory Council of the Genealogical Society of Utah. From 2002 through 2006, Curt served on the review committee for The BYU Family Historian. He was a research consultant for both seasons of the PBS Series, Ancestors. He is currently the co-chair of the Genealogy Publications Committee of the Indiana Historical Society and a member of Indiana’s State Historical Records Advisory Board.

In addition to the more than five hundred record and methodology articles he has penned for local, state, and national genealogical periodicals, Curt authored in 2000 the book, African American Genealogy: A Bibliography and Guide to Sources. He served for eight years as the National Volunteer Data Input Coordinator for the “Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System,” building a free, online database that has basic information on the service records of 6.3 million Civil War soldiers that can be accessed at http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss. Curt has chaired eight national genealogical conferences—four in Fort Wayne, two in St. Louis, and one each in Baltimore, MD and Richmond, VA.

Curt was distinguished in 1995 as a fellow of the Utah Genealogical Association (FUGA) and received the Federation of Genealogical Societies' highest honor, the Rabbi Malcolm H. Stern Humanitarian Award, in 1997, and the Federation’s David Vogels Award in 1999. In 1997, he was one of the Kellogg Foundation's "Expert in Residence" scholars. He is the 2002 ALA-RUSA History Section Genealogical Publishing Company Award winner and in 2003 was honored by the Indiana Historical Society as that year’s Willard Heiss Memorial Lecturer. Curt was recognized in 2006 by being named the first fellow of the Indiana Genealogical Society. He was honored in May of 2007 with the National Genealogical Society’s P. William Filby Award for outstanding, lifetime contributions to genealogical librarianship.

News from Other Societies - Lee County Genealogical Society

2010-06-04T07:13:00.003-05:00

I’m happy to announce the Lee County Genealogical Society is partnering with the Estero Island Chapter NSDAR in presenting Debbie Duay, Ph.D., Lineage Research Chairman for the Florida State Society DAR in a FREE genealogy workshop titled “Researching Your Revolutionary War Patriot Ancestor”. Please see the flyer at http://tinyurl.com/LCGS-Seminar for more information.

The workshop will be held on Saturday, October 23, 2010 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Lakes Regional Public Library in Fort Myers, FL.

Pre-registration is required. To register, contact Marlene Long at melongdar@comcast.net or send the attached registration form to the address shown.

This workshop will provide you with steps to begin or continue your ancestor search for your early colonial ancestors.

Don’t delay. Contact Marlene for a seat at the workshop and mark your calendar.

Hope to see you there!

Carol

Carol Rooksby Weidlich

President, Membership Chair and Webmaster

Lee County Genealogical Society, Inc.

www.LCGSFL.org

FGS Meeting - Saturday, July 3, 2010

2010-06-02T16:54:00.003-05:00

The Florida Genealogical Society (Tampa) is pleased to announce its program for Saturday, July 3, 2010, at 10:30 AM in the Auditorium of the John F. Germany at 900 N. Ashley Drive in downtown Tampa.

Our speaker will be Karen Packard Rhodes who will present a program about "Reading Old Colonial Handwriting & Spanish Paleography." The lecture will discuss general considerations in reading old handwriting, including abbreviations, letter forms, condition of manuscripts, and the paper, ink, and pens used by creators of these documents. She will show show specific examples from documents in the General Archive of the Indies, the Library of Congress, and her personal genealogy files of the letter forms, punctuation (or, more specifically, the lack thereof), abbreviations, and other aspects of the old documents, dating from 1563 to the early 1800s, beginning with Spanish documents and ending with documents in English.

Ms. Rhodes is currently a post-baccalaureate student in history and Spanish at the University of North Florida, specializing in Spanish colonial Florida. In connection with her studies in Spanish Paleography under Dr. J. Michael Francis of the Department of History at UNF, Karen spent the month of May 2008 conducting original research at the General Archive of the Indies in Seville, Spain. Karen completed the 40-course program of study from the National Institute of Genealogical Studies of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, "with distinction," with a specialty in American Records. Karen has received a grant from the University of North Florida to conduct research into the family lines of St. Augustine, Florida, during the Second Spanish Period (1783-1821) to correlate family relationships to the historical events of the period. Karen is the author of the book Non-Federal Censuses of Florida, 1784-1821: A Guide to Sources (McFarland, 2010).

FGS Meeting - Saturday, June 5, 2010

2010-05-15T18:04:00.003-05:00

The Florida Genealogical Society (Tampa) is pleased to announce its program for Saturday, June 5, 2010, at 10:30 AM in the auditorium of the John F. Germany Library at 900 N. Ashley Drive, Tampa, Florida.

Our speakers will be Pam Treme and Pattie Schultz presenting a program titled "Taming Templates." You've heard the advice many times." Just use a template in your word processor or spreadsheet program to do this, that, or the other task." But when you try, you're lost. And it's a shame because so many routine tasks that genealogists perform can be made simpler by using a template. At our 5 June meeting, Pam and Pattie will show you templates. They will be explaining what templates are, how to find or create them, and how to use them. They'll demonstrate templates so that you can see how they work. You'll see what Microsoft and other sites offer for free. Pattie and Pam put special emphasis on the templates you can use to present your family history.

Join us for a program that will help you streamline your genealogy work!

News from Other Societies - Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay

2010-05-15T18:02:00.000-05:00

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay will meet at Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida on Sunday, June 13, 2010. A pre-program social with light refreshments and library access begins at 1:30 PM, The program starts at 2:00 PM.

This program will be an information sharing session where individual researchers will report on significant discoveries they made in their family research and how they were able to achieve these successes. These successes will provide insight and give encouragement to others on how they too can achieve success in their family research. Bring a success story with you, and tell us about it.

The Jewish Genealogical Society’s library and research resources including printed materials and Internet access, along with guided assistance and information exchange from experienced researchers will be available to participants at the meeting. Members may check out library materials to take home.

The purpose of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay is to assist interested individuals in learning about Jewish genealogy and how to research and document 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, arranging genealogical research tours and presenting monthly programs of interest to Jewish genealogical researchers.
Anyone interested in learning how to do Jewish genealogical research is invited to attend. Beginners as well as experienced researchers are welcome. For further information on the Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay or directions to the meeting call Clint Elbow at 727-786-5518.

The Federation of Genealogical Societies to Digitize the War of 1812 Pension Files

2010-05-06T23:25:00.008-05:00

Press Release: Salt Lake City, UT [April 27, 2010]

With the approaching bicentennial of the War of 1812, the Federation of Genealogical Societies, a non-profit genealogical organization headquartered in Austin, Texas, is pleased to announce a national fund-raising initiative to raise $3.7 million to digitize of the War of 1812 pension files. The digitization process will enable online access by historians and family researchers to the memories and biographies of those who fought to protect our nation’s independence. This announcement is being made at the start of the National Genealogical Society’s 2010 conference, an event that will draw more than two thousand genealogists to Salt Lake City, Utah.

The War of 1812, often referred to as America’s second war for independence, significantly shaped this country’s identity both internationally and domestically. Many remember the War of 1812 as the war that give us the “Star-Spangled Banner” and the burning of the White House. Some of the great leaders of our country, including three presidents, took part in this conflict. Nearly 300,000 men served, including members of at least eighteen Native American tribes. The pension records for the War of 1812 consist of more than 7.2 million documents in 180,000 files. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) receives more than three thousand requests per year for War of 1812 pensions, placing them among the most requested sets of records. Digitizing these valuable records will preserve the originals by removing them from continued heavy use. It will also make the images of the records much more widely available. NARA reports these important historical records already have been conserved and readied for digitization, so scanning could start as soon as funds are received. With the cost for digitizing and saving a single page from a pension file being fifty cents, supporters will see progress from the earliest days of the fund-raising initiative.

Genealogists, historians, and scholars of military history have long appreciated the value of pension files. A typical pension file may contain documents that describe a veteran’s service as well as why he, his widow, or his dependents qualify for a pension. In the cases of widows’ and dependents’ filings, there are typically a number of documents proving the claimant is related to the veteran. The testimony of a veteran’s comrades can provide unique and valuable data on what military life entailed, the rigors of everyday camp life, and details of particular skirmishes and battles. One may discover numerous details of an ancestor’s life in these pension files, some of which may be many dozens of pages long.

The Federation of Genealogical Societies is committed to projects that link the genealogical community and advance the cause of preserving records and making them more accessible. The Federation will be working with the genealogical and historical societies nation-wide, particularly in states where War of 1812 activities took place, as well as the many War of 1812 societies and bicentennial commissions, to raise awareness about this vital preservation and access project and to raise the funds necessary to complete the project.

Those interested in contributing to the Preserve the Pensions! Project or wanting additional information should contact the Federation of Genealogical Societies via their website at www.fgs.org/1812, or contact Curt Witcher at 260-421-1226 or 1812@FGS.org.

The Florida Genealogical Society of Tampa, as a member of the Federation of Genealogical Societies, will want to actively support this very important project. Please visit the FGS website to donate to the Preserve the Pensions Project. You have a number of donation options:

Donate to the General War of 1812 Pension Project
Make an anonymous donation to the War of 1812 Pension Project
Make a donation to honor as a Tribute to a living person, perhaps someone who is a student of history
Make an Memorial donation to a deceased individual in honor of the War of 1812 Pension Project
Make an Memorial donation in honor of one of your own War of 1812 ancestors
Make a donation in honor of notable genealogist Marsha Hoffman Rising

We hope that our members will donate to this exceptionally important digitization, indexing, and preservation project. We will look forward to providing a society donation to the project and hope that our members will also support the project by contributing at the website at http://fgs.org/1812. For more information about how to donate by mail, please contact the FGS Office:

by mail at P.O. Box 200940, Austin, TX 78720-0940
by telephone at 1-888-FGS-1500
by fax at 1-866-FGS-1350
by email at office@fgs.org

Thank you for your help in bringing these important records to the genealogical community!

News from Other Societies - South Bay Genealogical Society

2010-05-06T23:18:00.002-05:00

The South Bay Genealogical Society will hold its May meeting on May 18, 2010, at the SouthShore Regional Library at 15816 Beth Shields Way, Sun City Center, Florida. The speaker will be Don Churchill presenting a program about Elderhostel programs relating to genealogy, and the service he has been doing - a week of "Cemetery Surfing" in St. Kitts. His program is titled "Death and Genealogy should not be avoided."

The program will be preceded with a luncheon. For information call (941) 722-5156 or visit their website at http://www.rootsweb.com/~flmgs.

News from Other Societies - Pinellas Genealogy Society

2010-05-05T23:52:00.003-05:00

Nationally known genealogist and speaker, George G. Morgan will present a program entitled "Push-Pull: The Reasons for Migration" on Saturday, May 15th, at 10:30 AM at the Largo Public Library.

"The earliest humans, from earliest times, have migrated from place to place seeking survival and sustenance. Our more recent ancestors also moved around for the same and other purposes. What made your ancestors leave their homes and move hundreds or thousands of miles? What drew them to a specific place to settle? This session examines some of the reasons why it is important to become a student of history, geography, and sociology in order to understand and trace your ancestors’ movements."

George is the author of eight books, hundreds of print and online genealogy columns, the co-host of "The Genealogy Guys Podcast" (at http://genealogyguys.com), and the owner of Aha! Seminars. Don't miss this one!

The program is preceded by an informal Q&A session on "Computers in Genealogy" beginning at 9:45 am.

Light refreshments will be served after the presentation and there will be opportunity to talk with the speaker and PGS members.

FGS Meeting - Saturday, May 1, 2010

2010-04-20T00:32:00.000-05:00

The Florida Genealogical Society (Tampa) is pleased to announce a special program for Saturday, May 1, 2010, at 10:30 AM. Society members will be given a special, behind-the-scenes tour of the Special Collections at the USF Library. This meeting has been specially arranged and is only open to members of the Florida Genealogical Society, Inc. (Tampa) due to space constraints.

Members should meet at 10:30 AM in the Grace Allen Room on the 4th floor of the University of South Florida Library. An introduction to the contents of the Special Collections will be presented, with special attention to the materials of genealogical significance. These include: the Floridiana Collection; Hillsborough County Marriage Indexes and Certificates; Naturalization Records; funeral home records from Boza, Blount & Curry, and other funeral homes; records of Ybor City immigrant mutual aid societies and clubs in the Tampa area; records and artwork from the Tampa cigar industry; access to the Shoah Foundation Collection and to other materials in the USF Libraries Holocaust & Genocide Studies Center materials; and more.

The Special Collection is also the holder of an important American children's book collection, especially rich in 19th-century literature, 20th-century series books, dime novels, "toy" and chapbooks and early schoolbooks. A colorful and charming group of McLoughlin Bros. chromo-lithographed picture books forms a high point.

The USF Libraries' archival holdings comprise USF, political, literary and historical papers from individuals and organizations. Highlights are the papers of Florida governor LeRoy Collins, civil rights leader Robert W. Saunders, Jr., science fiction writers Piers Anthony, Harry Harrison and Mike Resnick, and Ybor City mutual aid societies, as well as two important Second Seminole War diaries. A new collection of Latin American science fiction books is being organized, as are a collection of unique handmade books from Cuba.

You never know what is in your own backyard until you go and look. Join us for the special tour of a treasure trove here in Tampa!

Please see the map and driving directions at http://guides.lib.usf.edu/mapdirections. Additional details concerning parking will be emailed to every current member before the event.

Don't miss this exciting tour!

News from Other Societies - Manasota Genealogical Society

2010-04-19T23:28:00.003-05:00

The next Manasota Genealogical Society Meeting will be Tuesday, May 4th, 2010 from 9:30 am-12:00 noon at the Central Public Library. The meeting will feature a panel of experts in genealogical research addressing and answering questions from the audience. Following the panel discussion, the computer special interest group will feature a short presentation on Navigating the MGS Website.
For more information, call Jean Morris at (941) 722-5156 or visit the society's website at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~flmgs

News from Other Societies - South Bay Genealogical Society

2010-04-02T16:40:00.002-05:00

South Bay Genealogical Society will hold its April meeting on April 20, 2010, at the SouthShore Regional Library at 15816 Beth Shields Way, Sun City Center, Florida. The speaker will be Ann Mohr Osisek presenting a program titled "Once upon a Desk: Organization is not a Fairy Tale."

The program will be preceded with a luncheon. For information call (941) 722-5156 or visit their website at http://www.rootsweb.com/~flmgs.

FGS Meeting - Saturday, April 3, 2010

2010-03-20T15:33:00.001-05:00

The Florida Genealogical Society (Tampa) is pleased to announce its program for Saturday, April 3, 2010, at 10:30 AM in the auditorium of the John F. Germany Library at 900 N. Ashley Drive, Tampa, Florida.

Terry and Jim Willard will present a program titled “Beginner's Genealogy” that serves as a great introduction to tracing your family tree and is a terrific refresher for those who have been working on their family history for some time.

Terry and Jim have pursued active careers in education, teaching since 1969 and teaching students from the ages of 5 to 95. Terry holds a B.A., M.A., and C.A.S. in French from the University of Maine. Jim has a B.S. In History, M.Ed., and C.A.S. in Secondary Counseling from the University of Maine. Terry taught French language and culture classes at the high school level (26 years) and to adults (since 1995) at the Sarasota County Adult and Community Education Program. Jim has 26 years of service at the middle and high school level and since 1995 at the Sarasota County Adult and Community Education Program. In Sarasota, Terry taught French language and culture classes as well as team-taught with Jim various genealogy, computer, and eBay classes. Jim taught many levels of computer literacy classes, digital camera classes, and scanner classes. They continue to do workshops for Adult Education in Sarasota. Since 2004 they have also been teaching the same variety of classes for The Villages Lifelong Learning College in The Villages, Florida.

From 1995-2000, Terry and Jim served as co-hosts for the popular PBS Television series Ancestors, traveling around the country conducting workshops and promoting the series from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco, CA, and from Dallas, TX, to Portland, ME. They co-authored (along with Jane Wilson) the book, ANCESTORS: A Beginner’s Guide to Family History and Genealogy, which accompanied the series. They also wrote the teacher’s guide that helped teachers and students benefit from viewing the series.

Since then they have conducted workshops and spoken at genealogy conferences throughout Florida, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Texas, California, and each of the New England states. They have published over 40 articles in Ancestry Magazine, are beta testers for Family Tree Maker, write reviews of the recent publications at Ancestry.com, and write a monthly genealogy column for The Villages Daily Sun. They accompany a group of adult students to Salt Lake City for a research trip annually.

Yetive Brooks Olson Passes Away

2010-03-20T15:00:00.000-05:00

The Florida Genealogical Society extends its sincere condolences on the passing of Yetive Brooks Olson, a former member of our society. She passed away on March 12th after a brief illness. You may read her obituary at http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/tbo/obituary.aspx?n=yetive-brooks-olson&pid=140689952.

State Funding Aid to Libraries Is Threatened - Action Needed Before Friday, March 19th

2010-03-16T16:26:00.002-05:00

The Florida Legislature is once again threatening to eliminate state funding to our state’s libraries. The attached press release from the Florida Library Association summarizes the crisis at hand.

We have seen in the past two years how funding cuts have severely damaged our public libraries and the services they provide to communities. Staff have been fired or not replaced. Branches have been closed. Hours of operation have been cut back. Collection development dollars have been slashed. That was only Round One! If this latest attempt to eliminate all of the $21.2 million of state aid to libraries is successful, our libraries will be decimated.

You can help stop or significantly reduce the funding cuts. Please visit the Florida Library Association’s Advocacy Action Alert site at the web address below.

http://capwiz.com/ala/fl/issues/alert/?alertid=14792616

Here you can compose an email message to the leaders in Tallahassee. However, action is needed before Friday, March 19th. The committees are nearing the end of their work to report their bills out of committee and introduce action on the floors of the legislative chambers.

If you value our libraries and the work they do for our communities, it is essential that you participate in this communications action. If your genealogical research benefits from our libraries’ genealogy collections, databases, meeting room space, and knowledgeable staff members, you have to help protect them. Their existence and continued operations depends on each and every one of us.

Please visit the website now, complete the online form to generate emails, and pass the word to every single person you know who uses libraries for any purpose here in Florida.

This is a huge crisis, and YOU can really help!

Sincerely yours,

George G. Morgan

President, Aha! Seminars, Inc.

Director, Florida Genealogical Society, Inc.

VP of Membership Services, Federation of Genealogical Societies

Very concerned citizen

News from Other Societies - Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay

2010-03-10T13:46:00.000-05:00

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay presents:
“Graveyards Tell Genealogical Stories”
Sunday, April 18, 2010

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay (JGSTB) will meet at Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida on Sunday April 18, 2010, where a team of veteran genealogists of the JGSTB will speak on genealogical clues that can be found on tombstones. A social with refreshments and library access at 1:30 PM will precede the featured program that starts at 2:00 PM.

Graveyards are not just a resting place for the dead. They have stories to tell. Tombstone inscriptions quite often provide valuable information about the deceased that is not available from other sources. Rita Shapiro and Vicki Adelson, assisted by a team of JGSTB members with experience in cemetery research, will tell how to locate the cemeteries where your ancestors are buried, and they will discuss the types of genealogical clues that can be found on tombstones. Internet resources such as the “JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Register” (JOWBR) will be demonstrated, showing how to locate the cemetery where your ancestor is buried, the location within a cemetery of his or her gravesite, and in some cases how to see an actual photograph of the tombstone of the deceased. Inscriptions on tombstones often identity the name of a parent of the deceased, and that can take your research back another generation. The presenters will give examples of their successful research in cemeteries to show you how graveyards can tell genealogical stories about your own ancestors.

The mission of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay is to assist interested individuals in learning about Jewish genealogy and learning 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 - Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay

2010-03-10T13:44:00.000-05:00

“The JGSTB 2010 Guide to Jewish Genealogical Research:
A Foundation for Beginners and an Update for Experienced Researchers”
A two-part Jewish Genealogy Seminar will be presented by
The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay (JGSTB)

Part 2 - March 14, 2010

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay will offer the second of the two part seminar entitled: “The JGSTB 2010 Guide to Jewish Genealogy Research: A Foundation for Beginners and an Update for Experienced Researchers” March 14, 2010 (Part 2) at 2:00 PM at Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida. Registration will be held at 1:30 PM on Sunday March 14, 2010. A seminar booklet summarizing all the material to be presented will be provided and will be essential for those able to attend only one of the two sessions.

This seminar will focus on developing the proper approaches and applying the necessary tools, techniques and short cuts to most effectively connect you with your ancestors in the old country. Recently developed Internet resources as well as local non-internet resources will be emphasized to enable the beginner to discover his or her family history as well as facilitate the experienced researcher in resolving “brick wall” problems.

Dr. Emil H. Isaacson will lead the seminar. Dr. Isaacson has 25 years experience in genealogy and has researched his ancestral roots back seven generations to the late 1700’s in Europe. He will share his successful and sometimes unsuccessful techniques.

The course is free to current paid-up members of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay. A one-year family membership will be included in the $25 course fee for non-members. An additional $10.00 fee will be charged for seminar materials to defray printing costs, but only one booklet will be needed per couple or family. Annual membership in the Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay is $25 per individual or family.

Anyone interested in learning how to do Jewish genealogical research is invited to attend. Early registration is recommended so that sufficient copies of the printed booklet and handouts will be available.

To pre-register for the class, for further information on the organization, or for directions to the meeting, call Sally Israel at 727-343-1652.

The purpose of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay is to assist interested individuals in learning about Jewish genealogy and how to research and document 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, arranging genealogical research tours and presenting monthly programs of interest to Jewish genealogical researchers.

Anyone interested in learning how to do Jewish genealogical research is invited to attend. Beginners as well as experienced researchers are welcome. For further information on the Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay or directions to the meeting call Sally Israel at 727-343-1652.
For those who need directions, here is how to find our meeting place:

We meet at Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida. (the red star on the map below) This is just across the bay from Tampa and just off of Ulmerton Road (SR 688) that exits from I-275. Icot Blvd. intersects with the north side of Ulmerton Road (SR 688) between U.S. 19 and 49th Street. From Ulmerton Road, turn north into the Icot Center entranceway (there is a large Autoway Nissan Dealership on the corner). You will find a left-turn lane on Ulmerton at the Icot entrance if you are coming from the West. If you are coming from the East, just make a right turn into Icot Blvd.

There are "Icot Center" gateposts marking the entranceway onto Icot Blvd. from Ulmerton Road. You will see a Holiday Inn Express Hotel on your right and a Nissan Autoway dealership on your left as you enter Icot Blvd. Proceed about a quarter of a mile on Icot Blvd, and your will see the Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services building on your right. It is identified with a large masonry sign at the entranceway into the parking lot.

Click HERE <http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Clearwater&state=FL&address=14041+Icot+Blvd> for a "MapQuest" link to the map show below. You can use this link to get specific driving directions from wherever you are.

Doris H. Coles Passes Away

2010-02-27T16:39:00.002-05:00

The Florida Genealogical Society extends its sincere condolences on the passing of Doris H. Coles, a member of our society. She passed away on February 18th after a brief illness. You may read her obituary at http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sptimes/obituary.aspx?n=doris-coles&pid=139982094.

FGS Meeting - Saturday, March 6, 2010

2010-02-25T01:31:00.000-05:00

The Florida Genealogical Society (Tampa) is pleased to announce its program for Saturday, March 6th, 2010, at 10:30 AM in the auditorium of the John F. Germany Library at 900 N. Ashley Drive, Tampa, Florida.

Paul L. Enchelmayer will present a program titled, "Deceptive Ancestor."

Paul is well-traveled in Florida, speaking at nearly two dozen societies and clubs, presenting programs to help others learn how technology can aid in family history projects. Besides being a member of the Genealogical Speakers Guild, Paul is Chairman of the Genealogy Group of the University Club of Winter Park, Past-President (and current webmaster) of the Central Florida Genealogical Society in Orange County, a member (and webmaster) of the Florida State Genealogical Society, a member of the National Genealogical Society, and a member of the Hamilton County Genealogical Society in Cincinnati, Ohio.

His key research areas have included Stuttgart, Germany; Chicago, and Cincinnati. Several trips to Germany have yielded many new-found cousins, family stories, and reams of data. Through the Internet he has found even more relatives and resources from Austria to Australia.

Paul recently retired as Manager of Information Systems Development for the City of Orlando's Information Technology Department. He is also retired from the U. S. Navy Reserve. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from University of Miami and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Broadcast Media from Southern Illinois University. He has two sons and two grandchildren.

News from Other Societies - South Bay Genealogical Society

2010-02-23T14:00:00.001-05:00

South Bay Genealogical Society will hold its March meeting on March 16, 2010, at the SouthShore Regional Library at 15816 Beth Shields Way, Sun City Center, Florida. The speaker will be George G. Morgan, internationally recognized genealogy expert and prolific author, presenting a program titled "Bring 'Em Back to Life: Developing an Ancestor Profile."

The program will be preceded with a luncheon. For information call (941) 722-5156 or visit their website at http://www.rootsweb.com/~flmgs.

News from Other Societies - Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay

2010-02-23T01:26:00.001-05:00

“The JGSTB 2010 Guide to Jewish Genealogical Research:

A Foundation for Beginners and an Update for Experienced Researchers”

Part two of the two-part Seminar
presented by
The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay (JGSTB)
2:00 PM - Sunday March 14, 2010

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay concludes the two-session seminar entitled: “The JGSTB 2010 Guide to Jewish Genealogy Research: A Foundation for Beginners and an Update for Experienced Researchers” on March 14, 2010 at 2:00 PM at Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida. Registration will be at 1:30 PM. A seminar booklet summarizing all the material to be presented will be provided.

This seminar focuses on developing the proper approaches and applying the necessary tools, techniques and short cuts to most effectively connect you with your ancestors in the old country. Recently developed Internet resources as well as local non-internet resources will be emphasized to enable the beginner to discover his or her family history as well as facilitate the experienced researcher in resolving “brick wall” problems.

Dr. Emil H. Isaacson is the seminar leader. Dr. Isaacson has 25 years experience in genealogy and has researched his ancestral roots back seven generations to the late 1700’s in Europe. He will share his successful and sometimes unsuccessful techniques.

The course is free to current paid-up members of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay. A one-year family membership will be included in the $25 course fee for non-members. An additional $10.00 fee will be charged for seminar materials to defray printing costs, but only one booklet will be needed per couple or family. Annual membership in the Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay is $25 per individual or family.

Anyone interested in learning how to do Jewish genealogical research is invited to attend. Early registration is recommended so that sufficient copies of the printed booklet and handouts will be available.

To pre-register for the class, for further information on the organization, or for directions to the meeting, call Sally Israel at 727-343-1652.

2010 Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference Registration is Open

2010-02-22T14:47:00.001-05:00

The 2010 Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference will be held on August 18-21, 2010, in Knoxville, Tennessee. Registration is now open at the FGS website, and you will find full details about speakers, presentation topics, luncheons and banquets, exhibits, and other special events there. Visit the registration site at http://fgs.org/2010conference. The conference is for everyone, from beginners to professionals, and there is literally something for everyone!

See you in Knoxville!

News from Other Societies - Manasota Genealogical Society

2010-02-22T13:15:00.000-05:00

The next meeting of the Manasota Genealogical Society will be held on Tuesday, March 2, 2010 from 9:30 am-12:00 noon at the Central Public Library. Our guest speaker will be Thomas J. Kemp, M.L.S., Director of Genealogy Products at NewsBank.com. His talk is entitled: 21st Century Online Resources for Genealogists.

Following the guest speaker, our Computer Special Interest Group will meet and is open to all who are interested in learning what's new in genealogy on the Internet.

For more information, please call Jean Morris at (941) 722-5156 or visit us on the web at: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~flmgs.

News from Other Societies - Lee County Genealogical Society

2010-02-22T13:00:00.002-05:00

You are invited to register for our Spring Half-Day Seminar featuring Pamela J. Cooper, Supervisor of the Archive Center and Genealogy Department of the Indian River County Public Library in Vero Beach, on Saturday, April 10, 2010.

The seminar’s theme of “CENSUS – CENSUS – CENSUS” will focus on the sometimes unlooked at information in the U.S. Federal Census. Pam’s two programs are:

1790-1840 Censuses – The Surveys of Chickens, Ducks, and Geese

and

The United States Population Schedules 1850-1930

The Seminar Fee is $5.00 which includes all topic related materials and refreshments. Attendees must pre-register no later than Wednesday, March 31, 2010. No walk-ins will be permitted.

Download the registration form at http://lcgsfl.org/mbr_ul/events/PamCooperregistrationform02212010.pdf mail it to my attention. Email confirmation will be returned upon receipt of your registration fee.

Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Carol

Carol Rooksby Weidlich

President, Membership Chair and Webmaster

Lee County Genealogical Society, Inc.

www.LCGSFL.org

FGS Meeting - Saturday, 6 February 2010

2010-01-23T13:41:00.001-05:00

The Florida Genealogical Society will hold its February monthly meeting at 10:30 AM on Saturday, February 6th, 2010, in the auditorium of the John F. Germany Public Library, 900 North Ashley Drive in Downtown Tampa. Our speaker will be Donna M. Moughty, professional genealogist and lecturer.

Donna's presentation is titled "Sources for Irish Records." Learn to use U.S. resources to focus on finding the right place and time in Ireland to pursue your Irish ancestors.

Join us for another of our great educational and then spend some time in the library's excellent genealogy department on the second floor west.

UPDATE: Donna's complete handout can be found here.

News from Other Societies - South Bay Genealogical Society

2010-01-23T13:33:00.002-05:00

South Bay Genealogical Society will hold its February meeting on February 16, 2010, at the SouthShore Regional at 15816 Beth Shields Way, Sun City Center, Florida. The speaker will be Donna M. Moughty and she will present "Faster than Light: Effective Genealogical Research on the Internet."

Please visit http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~flsbgs for more information.

News from Other Societies - Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay

2010-01-23T10:15:00.000-05:00

The JGSTB 2010 Guide to Jewish Genealogical Research:
A Foundation for Beginners and an Update for Experienced Researchers”

A two-part Jewish Genealogy Seminar will be presented by
The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay (JGSTB)

Part 1 - February 14, 2010
Part 2 - March 14, 2010

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay will offer a two-session seminar entitled: “The JGSTB 2010 Guide to Jewish Genealogy Research: A Foundation for Beginners and an Update for Experienced Researchers” on February 14 (Part 1) and March 14, 2010 (Part 2) at 2:00 PM at Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida. Registration will be held at 1:30 PM on both dates. A seminar booklet summarizing all the material to be presented will be provided and will be essential for those able to attend only one of the two sessions.

This seminar will focus on developing the proper approaches and applying the necessary tools, techniques and short cuts to most effectively connect you with your ancestors in the old country. Recently developed Internet resources as well as local non-internet resources will be emphasized to enable the beginner to discover his or her family history as well as facilitate the experienced researcher in resolving “brick wall” problems.

Dr. Emil H. Isaacson will lead the seminar. Dr. Isaacson has 25 years experience in genealogy and has researched his ancestral roots back seven generations to the late 1700’s in Europe. He will share his successful and sometimes unsuccessful techniques.

The course is free to current paid-up members of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay. A one-year family membership will be included in the $25 course fee for non-members. An additional $10.00 fee will be charged for seminar materials to defray printing costs, but only one booklet will be needed per couple or family. Annual membership in the Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay is $25 per individual or family.

Anyone interested in learning how to do Jewish genealogical research is invited to attend. Early registration is recommended so that sufficient copies of the printed booklet and handouts will be available.

To pre-register for the class, for further information on the organization, or for directions to the meeting, call Sally Israel at 727-343-1652.

News from Other Societies - Manasota Genealogical Society

2010-01-21T04:24:00.001-05:00

The Manasota Genealogical Society is sponsoring a seminar entitled, "The RootsMagic Genealogical Software" on Saturday, February 13^th, 2010. Bruce Buzbee, the software developer and founder of RootsMagic will be the principal speaker. Also, we will have a number of other speakers discussing topics of genealogical interest. It will be a great day that should not missed!! A great mixer with very knowledgeable speakers/researchers. The seminar will begin with registration at 8 AM, start at 9 AM, and end at 3 PM. Lunch will be provided for all individuals that preregister. The seminar location will be the Bethel Baptist Church facilities (on 30^th Ave West in Bradenton). Up-to-date information can be found at the MGS website: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~flmgs/ .

News from Other Societies - Englewood Genealogical Society

2010-01-21T04:15:00.002-05:00

The Englewood Genealogical Society will present a seminar on Wednesday, January 27, 2010, from 1:30 to 3:30 PM, featuring Drew Smith, MLS. Registration begins at 12:30 PM.

Mr. Smith will present a program, "Social Networking for Genealogists," based on his landmark book of the same title.

The program will be held at the Sports Complex, 1300 S. River Road, in Englewood, Florida. The cost is $5.00. For more information, contact Sally Thomas at S252thomas@comcast.net.

News from Other Societies - Southwest Florida German Genealogical Society

2010-01-21T04:07:00.002-05:00

The Southwest Florida German Genealogical Society will hold a seminar on Saturday, February 27, 2010, from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM, at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 2565 Tamiami Trail, in Port Charlotte, Florida. The speaker is Larry Jensen, AG, BS, and he will present a program titled "The ABCs of Basic German Research."

Registration for SWFLGGS Members is $30.00 and for non-members is $35.00. Pre-registration by February 19, 2010, includes lunch. Full details and a registration form can be found at http://swflgg.org.

News from Other Societies - Pinellas Genealogy Society

2010-01-21T04:02:00.002-05:00

The Pinellas Genealogy Society and the Largo Public Library present an annual genealogy society featuring Dick Eastman on Saturday, February 13, 2010. The seminar will take place at the Largo Library between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM.

Registration form is at www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~flpgs or you may register at the door.

News from Other Societies - Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay

2010-01-05T07:56:00.001-05:00

“The JGSTB 2010 Guide to Jewish Genealogical Research:
A Foundation for Beginners and an Update for Experienced Researchers”

A two-part Jewish Genealogy Seminar will be presented by
The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay (JGSTB)
Part 1 - February 14, 2010
Part 2 - March 14,2010

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay will offer a two-session seminar entitled: “The JGSTB 2010 Guide to Jewish Genealogy Research: A Foundation for Beginners and an Update for Experienced Researchers” on February 14 (Part 1) and March 14, 2010 (Part 2) at 2:00 PM at Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida. Registration will be held at 1:30 PM on both dates. A seminar booklet summarizing all the material to be presented will be provided and will be essential for those able to attend only one of the two sessions.

This seminar will focus on developing the proper approaches and applying the necessary tools, techniques and short cuts to most effectively connect you with your ancestors in the old country. Recently developed Internet resources as well as local non-internet resources will be emphasized to enable the beginner to discover his or her family history as well as facilitate the experienced researcher in resolving “brick wall” problems.

Dr. Emil H. Isaacson will lead the seminar. Dr. Isaacson has 25 years experience in genealogy and has researched his ancestral roots back seven generations to the late 1700’s in Europe. He will share his successful and sometimes unsuccessful techniques.

The course is free to current paid-up members of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay. A one-year family membership will be included in the $25 course fee for non-members. An additional $10.00 fee will be charged for seminar materials to defray printing costs, but only one booklet will be needed per couple or family. Annual membership in the Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay is $25 per individual or family.

Anyone interested in learning how to do Jewish genealogical research is invited to attend. Early registration is recommended so that sufficient copies of the printed booklet and handouts will be available.

News from Other Societies - Genealogical Society of Sarasota

2010-01-01T10:37:00.002-05:00

The Genealogical Society of Sarasota announces its January meeting will feature George G. Morgan on Saturday, January 16th.

Topic: Bring 'Em Back To Life: Developing an Ancestor Profile
Speaker: George G. Morgan, Author, writer, and trainer

Time: 10:00 a.m. Networking, !0:30 a.m. Program
Date: Saturday, January 16
Place: Selby Library, Geldbart Auditorium

Visit www.rootsweb.com/~flgss/ for more information.

Morgan will talk about how to flesh out the data we all collect so we see our ancestors as people who lived real lives in their historical eras. This process will help us recognize character traits, organize our research and form the basis for writing projects.

Morgan is the author of eight books including "How to Do Everything with Your Genealogy" and "The Official Guide to Ancestry.com."

HEADS UP

Saturday, February 20
10:00 a.m.
Selby Library, Geldbart Auditorium

How to Self-Publish Your Book (for $10 or less)
Catherine Dente

Catherine has been a teacher and curriculum coordinator. She has belonged to the GSS German SIG for ten years.

2010 Membership Dues are Due!

2009-12-27T08:59:00.004-05:00

Membership dues for the Florida Genealogical Society are due. The membership year runs from January 1st through December 31st, and dues must be received by February 15th. The dues are very reasonable: $20 for individuals and $25 for a family.

Please print a copy of the FGS Membership Application at http://www.rootsweb.com/~flfgs/FGS_Member_Appl%20-%20010109.pdf or at http://tinyurl.com/FGS-Membership and complete it so that we have your most current information. Please make your check payable to the Florida Genealogical Society and mail it and the application form to:

The Florida Genealogical Society, Inc.
P.O. Box 18624
Tampa, FL 33679-8624

Otherwise, you can bring these your check and application form to the January or February meeting.

Your dues pay for the extraordinary speakers and programs that FGS presents each month, including the Fall Seminar. We have some great new things planned for the society in 2010 and you don't want to miss out!

In addition, FGS also has a membership incentive program! If you bring in two new members during 2010, your 2011 membership will be free! Make sure the new member specifies on the membership application form that he or she was referred by you.

News from Other Societies - South Bay Genealogical Society

2009-12-27T00:06:00.000-05:00

The South Bay Genealogical Society is holding a "Seminar by the Bay" on Thursday, January 28, 2010, from 8:30 AM to 3:45 PM at the Sun City Community Hall in Sun City, Florida. The speaker will be Hank Z (Hank) Jones, FASG. FGS Tampa members will remember Hank from our own 2005 Fall Seminar, and know what a great speaker he is. He will present four lectures:

"When the Sources are Wrong!"
"Tracing the Origins of 18th Century Palatines and Other Emigrants"
"The Great Genealogists & What Made Them Great"
"How 'Psychic Roots' Became an Unsolved Mystery!"

Registration is $45.00 ($40 for SBGS members) and includes morning coffee and muffins and a hot buffet luncheon. More details can be found at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry/~flsbgs and questions can be emailed to South-bay@juno.com.

FGS Meeting - Saturday, January 2, 2010

2009-12-21T09:30:00.000-05:00

Start your New Year with the first of a great series of genealogy speakers and programs for 2010!

The Florida Genealogical Society will hold its January monthly meeting at 10:30 AM on Saturday, January 2nd, in the auditorium of the John F. Germany Public Library, 900 North Ashley Drive in Downtown Tampa. Our speaker will be Sharon Tate Moody, CG, certified genealogist, columnist for the Tampa Tribune, and former president of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG).

Sharon will present a program titled "Finding Missing Links in Land Records." Land records are among the most plentiful but least used records that contain genealogical information and clues. This presentation will help you learn how to locate them and glean new information for your research.

Join us for a great presentation to start the New Year 2010!

CG is a registered service mark of the Board for Certification of Genealogists.

News from Other Societies - Pasco County Genealogical Society

2009-12-21T09:21:00.004-05:00

The Pasco County Genealogical Society will meet on Saturday, January 9, 2010. The speaker will be Ann Bergelt and she will present a program titled “German Research Suggestions”. If you are in need of pinning down where and how to find your ancestors before they came to America please attend this informative session by Ann Bergelt. It will be an opportunity for descendants of German immigrants to find new ways to determine the geographic location of the original ancestors and to gather hints on obtaining record copies and the possibility of meeting more distant generations. An added bonus is that many of her tips can help in other foreign research. Ann is an accomplished speaker and winner of multiple awards from the Florida State Genealogical Society.

For more information, you may send an email to Pcgslibrary@yahoo.com or visit their website at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~flpcg.

News from Other Societies - Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay

2009-12-11T08:20:00.000-05:00

Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay Meeting
"SHOW AND TELL"
Members' Genealogical Research Success Stories
Sunday, December 13, 2009

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay will meet at Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida on Sunday, December 13, 2009. Library access and a social with refreshments begin at 1:30 PM, and the program starts at 2:00 PM.

The program will include a celebration of the 10th year of the Society's existence and will include lighting of the candles to celebrate the third night of Hanukkah. Refreshments will be served appropriate to the Hanukkah holiday and will be followed by a "SHOW and TELL" segment by members Lynn Arroya, Carol Jaffe, Deborah Radstrom, Barbara Smith and Linda Zolinsky, all of whom have experienced a breakthrough or an amusing incident in their personal research. Each will relate the circumstances of their experience and the success or failure of their effort. These "show and tells" will provide insight and give encouragement to others on how they too can achieve success in their family research. Bring a success or interesting research story with you, and tell us about it.

The Jewish Genealogical Society’s library and research resources including printed materials and Internet access, along with guided assistance and information exchange from experienced researchers will be available to participants at the meeting. Members may check out library materials to take home.

The purpose of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay is to assist interested individuals in learning about Jewish genealogy and how to research and document 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, arranging genealogical research tours and presenting monthly programs of interest to Jewish genealogical researchers.

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

News from Other Societies - Manasota Genealogical Society

2009-12-11T08:14:00.002-05:00

The next meeting of the Manasota Genealogical Society will be held on Tuesday, January 5, 2010 from 9:30 am-12:00 noon at the Central Public Library. Our guest speaker will be Donna Moughty, whose talk is entitled: “Putting Your Family Tree On-Line”.

Following the guest speaker, our Computer Special Interest Group will meet and is open to all who are interested in learning what's new in genealogy on the Internet.

For more information, please call Jean Morris at (941) 722-5156 or visit us on the web at: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~flmgs/.

FGS Donates to the Malcolm H. Stern-NARA Gift Fund

2009-12-06T13:29:00.004-05:00

Our society has renewed its annual membership in the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) for 2010. That organization is involved in many activities that help societies grow and prosper. One of those is their annual conference, which will be held in Knoxville, Tennessee, on August 18-21, 2010.

FGS is actively involved with a number of projects that focus on records preservation. One of the things that FGS's promotes and publicizes is support for the Malcolm H. Stern-NARA Gift Fund. Established in 1983, the Stern-NARA Gift Fund is a nationally supported program to finance the creation of finding aids and the microfilming of valuable research materials now preserved in the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C. FGS is the administrator of this philanthropic organization.

The Stern-NARA Fund makes possible the creation of finding aids and the microfilming of valuable research materials now preserved in the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Washington, D.C. It helps to finance the creation of finding aids and the microfilming of materials now preserved at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Washington, D.C. These microfilm copies, produced without government funding, are then distributed to the 13 National Archives Regional Archives branches for use by researchers. They can also be accessed through any LDS Family History Center in the world. You can view a partial list of microfilmed materials that the fund has facilitated at http://fgs.org/projects/sternnara.php.

Our Board has just authorized a donation of $125 to the Stern-NARA Fund for 2010. This equates to about $1 per member of our society. This is an extremely important way for our society to contribute to the worldwide genealogical community. Private donations are also accepted, and you can learn more about that at http://fgs.org/projects/sternnara.php.

News from Other Societies - Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay

2009-12-03T08:00:00.001-05:00

Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay Meeting
"THE HISTORY OF JEWISH SURNAMES"
Sunday, January 17, 2010

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay will meet at Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida on Sunday, January 17, 2010. The group generally meets the 2nd Sunday of the month but because of a scheduling conflict is meeting the 3rd Sunday for January only. The program topic will be “The History Of Jewish Surnames”. A social with refreshments begins at 1:30 PM, and the program starts at 2:00 PM.

This program will be an exact replication (audio recording & PowerPoint) of the Jewish surname program that was presented by Warren Blatt at the 29th International Conference on Jewish Genealogy in Philadelphia in August 2009. While Warren Blatt will not be with us in person, you will hear his recorded voice and see his complete PowerPoint presentation on “Jewish Surnames.” Warren Blatt is an internationally known Jewish genealogist who is the managing director of JewishGen, an affiliate of the Museum of Jewish Heritage. He is the author of Resources for Jewish Genealogy in the Boston area and co-author of “Getting Started in Jewish Genealogy.”

The history of Jewish surnames is complex. This presentation explains their origins, types and etymologies. You will learn how they were developed and their transformation upon immigration. Discover which Jewish surnames are the most common in the U.S., Eastern Europe and Israel. Myths about Jewish names will be dispelled, and sources for learning more about your surname will be presented.

The purpose of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay is to assist interested individuals in learning about Jewish genealogy and how to research and document 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, arranging genealogical research tours and presenting monthly programs of interest to Jewish genealogical researchers.

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

News from Other Societies - Genealogical Society of Sarasota

2009-12-03T07:53:00.001-05:00

The Genealogical Society of Sarasota will hold its January meeting on Saturday, January 16, 2010.

10:00 a.m. Networking
10:30 a.m. Program

George G. Morgan, Speaker (Author of "How to Do Everything: Genealogy” and “The Official Guide to Ancestry.com”)
Topic: Bring 'Em Back to Life: Creating an Ancestor Profile

Selby Library, Geldbart Auditorium

For more information, please visit their website at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~flgss/.

News from Other Societies - Genealogical Society of Sarasota

2009-12-03T07:48:00.002-05:00

The Genealogical Society of Sarasota will hold its December meeting on Saturday, December 12, 2009.

10:00 a.m. Networking
10:30 a.m. Program

Larry Berry, Speaker
Topic: Genealogy Research in England and Wales

Selby Library, Geldbart Auditorium

For more information, please visit their website at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~flgss/.

News from Other Societies - South Bay Genealogical Society

2009-11-30T16:14:00.000-05:00

The South Bay Genealogical Society will hold its december meeting on November 15th at noon at the SouthShore Regional Library. Ann Bergelt will present a program titled "Your Research Plan."

For more information, visit http://www.rootsweb.com/~flsbgs.

FGS Holiday Party

2009-11-10T11:41:00.003-05:00

FGS is having its annual Holiday Party on Saturday, December 19th, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM, in the Heritage Room, North Pebble Beach, at Sun City Center. As always, this is an opportunity to enjoy the camaraderie of the society and get to know one another better. Please bring a dish to share with others.

Please RSVP to Noreta Wells at (813) 684-0843 by December 10th.

DIRECTIONS:
Take I-75 south until you see the exit for Sun City Center (Exit 240) and turn east at the bottom of the ramp. You will be on Rt. 674 East. Stay in the left lane as you approach the 5th traffic light.. (Walgreens will be your landmark.) Turn left on N. Pebble Beach and then make a right on Cherry Hill Rd. You will come upon some buildings on your left with Enter and Exit signs. Enter here, and you will come to the back parking lot. Park here, and on your left will be a sign that reads "Heritage Room." (This sign will be under an awning.) Various rooms have different names.

If you get lost, please call Linda Anderson's cell phone at (813) 285-3181, and she will help guide you.

Please join us for this festive get-together!

News from Other Societies - Charlotte County Genealogical Society

2009-11-10T11:23:00.000-05:00

The Charlotte County Genealogical Society will be holding its 2010 Spring Seminar “Updating Your Genealogy Toolbox” with Dick Eastman on Friday, February 12, 2010, at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 2565 Tamiami Trail, in Port Charlotte.

The seminar topics include: Genealogy Searches on Google; The Organized Genealogist; The Latest Technology for Genealogists; and Where is Genealogy Software Headed. Full information is available at the Charlotte County Genealogical Society website at www.ccgsi.org.

News from Other Societies - Manasota Genealogical Society

2009-11-10T11:21:00.000-05:00

The next meeting of the Manasota Genealogical Society will be held on Tuesday, December 1, 2009 from 9:30 am-12:00 noon at the Central Public Library. Our guest speaker will be Sharon Tate Moody, C.G., whose talk is entitled: “Child of No One: The Law and Your Illegitimate Ancestor".

Following the guest speaker, our Computer Special Interest Group will meet and is open to all who are interested in learning what's new in genealogy on the Internet.

News from Other Societies - Pinellas Genealogy Society

2009-11-10T11:20:00.000-05:00

The Pinellas Genealogy Society on 21 Nov 2009 beginning at 11:00 am at the Largo Library, 120 Central Park Drive in Largo, FL. All are welcome to this free program.

The speakers will be Jim and Terry Willard, Professional Genealogists and writer. The program is entitled, "Attacking Your Dead-ends." The program is preceded by an informal Q&A session on "Computers in Genealogy" beginning at 9:45 am.

Light refreshments will be served after the presentation and there will be opportunity to talk with the speakers and PGS members.

News from Other Societies - Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay

2009-11-10T11:14:00.000-05:00

Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay Meeting
"SHOW AND TELL"
Members' Genealogical Research Success Stories
Sunday, December 13, 2009

News from Other Societies - South Bay Genealogical Society

2009-10-24T15:46:00.000-05:00

The South Bay Genealogical Society will hold its November meeting on November 17th at noon at the SouthShore Regional Library. Pattie Schultz and Pam Treme will present a program titled "Internet Research."

For more information, visit http://www.rootsweb.com/~flsbgs.

FGS Meeting, Saturday, November 7, 2009

2009-10-14T13:08:00.000-05:00

The Florida Genealogical Society will hold its monthly meeting at 10:30 AM on Saturday, November 7th, in the auditorium of the John F. Germany Public Library, 900 North Ashley Drive in Downtown Tampa. The program is titled “Ancestor Show and Tell,” and attendees are encouraged to bring documents and artifacts to display and describe to the group. This popular annual program provides education and discussion of things that can expand your family history research.

News from Other Societies - Manasota Genealogical Society

2009-10-14T13:07:00.000-05:00

The next meeting of the Manasota Genealogical Society will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 from 9:30 am-12:00 noon at the Central Public Library. Our guest speaker will be Jim McHugh (President of the MGS), whose talk is entitled: “The Mysteries and Jewels of City Directories"

Following the guest speaker, our Computer Special Interest Group will meet and is open to all who are interested in learning what's new in genealogy on the Internet.

For more information, please call Jean Morris at (941) 722-5156 or visit us on the web at: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~flmgs/

Candidates for FGS Tampa Board Election

2009-10-14T12:49:00.002-05:00

The slate of candidates for of officers and board members for the Florida Genealogical Society were presented, in accordance with the Bylaws, at the October meeting on October 3rd. The election will be held at the November meeting on November 7th. The candidates are:

Andrew Martin "Drew" Smith - President
Tammy Patascher - Vice President
Trevetta Hartline Wunderlin - Recording Secretary
Loraine Jacobs Rose - Corresponding Secretary
Mary Lyons Rivers - Treasurer
Shirley J. Evans Besch - Director (3 year term)

Nominations will be accepted from the floor on the day of the election.

News from Other Societies - Brandon Area Genealogical and Historical Society

2009-10-05T22:54:00.002-05:00

The Brandon Area Genealogical and Historical Society announces a change in its program for next week on October 13, 2009.

The Census Bureau canceled the originally announced program, stating they did not have anyone available to present a program. Mary and Merton Gates have stepped up and volunteered to present a slide show program on their last trip to England. A big "Thank You" to Mary and Merton for stepping up for us.

If you are planning to take the day trip November 14th to Ybor City with our society, have lunch, and tour the Centro Asturiano building, and then continue to the cemetery, please let Scott Peeler know at the October meeting. This is an exciting event, and it provides a tremendous historical perspective into Tampa and the wonderful historical in which we live.

We encourage everyone in this geographical area to join us for the exceptionally important and informative cultural event!

News from Other Societies - Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay

2009-10-04T19:17:00.001-05:00

Drew Smith To Speak On
GENEALOGY AND DNA
Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay Meeting
Sunday, October 11, 2009

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay will meet at Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida on Sunday October 11, 2009 with Drew Smith speaking on DNA and Genealogy. A social with refreshments and library access begins at 1:30 PM, and the featured program starts at 2:00 PM.

Are you afraid to try DNA as a research tool because the science seems too intimidating? This overview will explain how DNA relates to genealogy, what kinds of DNA tests are available, and how researchers can share test results with each other as a basis for determining a relationship.

Drew Smith, a nationally known genealogist, is an instructor for the School of Library and Information Science at USF. He has more than 30 years experience in the field of computing, and he has extensive experience as a genealogist. His genealogical credentials include: co-host of the weekly "Genealogy Guys Podcast," columnist for 2 computer magazines, and leadership roles in many local, national and international genealogy organizations too numerous to list. Drew is an expert in digital genealogy, and his latest book “Social Networking for Genealogists” was recently published.

The mission of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay is to assist interested individuals in learning about Jewish genealogy and learning 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 - Pasco County Genealogical Society

2009-09-30T23:10:00.002-05:00

All of us have heard the family story about one ancestor or another that fought the Indians or saved the village from disaster. The trick is finding the proof behind the family folklore. The October speaker for the Pasco County Genealogical Society is Paul L. Enchelmayer, and he will walk attendees through a case study of how much proof is enough.

Paul is well-traveled in Florida, speaking at nearly two dozen societies and clubs, presenting programs to help others learn how technology can aid in family history projects. He is Chairman of the Genealogy Group of the University Club of Winter Park, Past-President (and current webmaster) of the Central Florida Genealogical Society in Orange County, a member (and webmaster) of the Florida State Genealogical Society's Speakers Bureau, a member of the National Genealogical Society, and a member of the the Hamilton County Genealogical Society in Cincinnati.

For more information, please visit the Pasco County Genealogical Society's website at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~flpcgs.

Florida Genealogial Society - October's SPECIAL Meeting - Research-a Rama

2009-09-30T15:41:00.000-05:00

The Florida Genealogical Society (Tampa) will host a special monthly meeting on Saturday, October 3, 2009, at the John F. Germany Library in downtown Tampa. The event is called Research-a-Rama and its intent is to provide members of the society and the public with a day of high quality presentations and insights into using the excellent Genealogy and Local History collection of the library.

Research-a-Rama will take place between 10:30 AM and 4:30 PM in both the auditorium and the Genealogy and Local History collection located on 2-W with concurrent activities in both areas.

The event will begin with a very short FGS business meeting at which the slate of candidates for the FGS 2010 Board will be announced. Nominations will be accepted from the floor from FGS members. (Voting will take place at the November meeting on Saturday, 7 November 2009.)

There will be four presentations given in the auditorium during the day, given by Drew Smith and George G. Morgan. The presentations will include:

§ “Finding the Books You Want” – An introduction to using the online library catalog and WorldCat (Drew Smith)

§ “Using Ancestry Library Edition (Part 1)” – An overview of the content of the Ancestry.com site and its organization (George G. Morgan)

§ “Using Ancestry Library Edition (Part 2)” – Search strategies for searching databases (George G. Morgan)

§ “Online Newspaper Research” – An introduction to the newspaper databases at the THPLC and how to search them, with a mention of TRAILS and the obituary database content and microfilm search process. (Drew Smith)

The library auditorium will be set up classroom style with tables and chairs, and the John F. Germany Library will provide the use of laptop computers from its computer labs for use during the sessions. In addition, you can bring your own laptop. The auditorium will have plenty of electrical cords for you and there is Wi-Fi connectivity for you.

Concurrent with the presentations in the auditorium, there will be several activities taking place in the Genealogy and Local History Department on 2-W in the library. The FGS Board members and society volunteers will provide two one-hour periods during the day when they will staff two tables. One session will be held in the morning and another in the afternoon as follows:

§ One table will be for “How to Get Started” with genealogical research. This will be similar to the “Ask a Genealogist” program that the society provides at the library each month. We will provide guidance to get started with research, supplemented by assistance from library staff.

§ One table will be for “Brick Wall Suggestions.” Board members and society members will provide more specific suggestions for seeking alternative records and research methods for overcoming brick wall problems. Again, supplemental assistance from staff members will be helpful.

The other activity will be two iterations of a guided tour of the collection and resources in the excellent Genealogy and Local History Department. Please note that the John F. Germany Public Library's genealogy collection has added millions of dollars worth of genealogical materials over the last four years!

Drew Smith and a member of the library staff will lead these tours. (These tours will be a direct follow-up to the first session in the auditorium in the morning.) The tour will focus on: the organization of the physical print collection and its modified Dewey Decimal Classification numbering; location and organization of the periodicals and city directories; contents of the microfilm and microfiche materials; the maps and gazetteers; vertical surname files; vertical clipping files; circulating collection; microfilm readers and printers, with focus on the ST-200 units; and other little known or used resources in the collection. (If there are any people who missed an earlier collection tour, another make-up tour can be conducted at 3:30 PM.)

This very special event will be advertised by the library, by FGS, and in the media. It is open to the public and is certain to be a very popular event. Make sure that you arrive in the auditorium early for the event. Bring your laptop and research materials!

Yes, this is just one week after the FGS Fall Seminar with Elizabeth Shown Mills, but we'll all be energized by Elizabeth's presentations. In addition, everyone will learn how to hone his or her research better than ever.

In addition, the Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library Cooperative has a very special announcement to make that day about a new online resource for all the county library card holders. You'll be thrilled too!

Make sure you plan to attend this very special education opportunity! The Florida Genealogical Society of Tampa is a leader in genealogical education, and you do not want to miss this unparalleled day of research-honing sessions!

News from Other Societies - South Bay Genealogical Society

2009-09-30T14:33:00.002-05:00

The South Bay Genealogical Society will hold its October meeting on October 20th at noon at the SouthShore Regional Library. Debra Fleming will present a program titled "Census Analysis" and will discuss how to get the most from examination of pre-1850 U.S. federal census records.

For more information, visit http://www.rootsweb.com/~flsbgs.

News from Other Societies - Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay

2009-09-30T14:32:00.001-05:00

Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay
HANDS-ON GENEALOGY WORKSHOP
Sunday, November 8, 2009

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay (JGSTB) will meet at 2:00 PM on Sunday, November 8th at Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida for a hands-on working session for individual research using the Internet and resources of the JGSTB library. Several experienced JGS mentors will be available to provide individual assistance. A social with refreshments and library access begins at 1:30 PM.

The workshop will begin with a brief overview of the genealogical research resources that are available for use at this session. Full access to Ancestry.com will be available on a few computers. While this workshop is intended to be a working session for those who have already begun their research and wish to further it or seek assistance with problems, rank novices will be given an abbreviated “jump start” session on how to get started. The overview will be followed by actual use of available resources for your own individual research under the guiding hands of our experienced mentors. A listing of the JGSTB library holdings of 150 genealogy books, maps and CD-ROMs can be seen at . Attendees should bring their own research materials and information and be prepared to work. Bring your own laptop computer if you have one. Several computers with Internet access will be available if you cannot bring your own.

The purpose of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay is to assist interested individuals in learning about Jewish genealogy and how to research and document 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, arranging genealogical research tours 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 further information on the Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay or directions to the meeting call Sally Israel at 727-343-1652.

The 2009 FGS Fall Seminar with Elizabeth Shown Mills

2009-09-18T15:30:00.000-05:00

The Florida Genealogical Society (Tampa) is very pleased to announce the details of its 2009 Fall Seminar, which will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 26, 2009, at the Dale Mabry Campus of Hillsborough Community College.

This year's speaker is Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, FASG, FNGS, FUGA, distinguished, internationally recognized genealogy expert, speaker, author, and researcher.

Ms. Mills is a historical researcher and writer who has spent her life studying American culture and the relationships between people. A popular lecturer and author who has appeared on radio and television on three continents, Elizabeth has been widely cited as “The person who has had the most impact on family history in the post-Roots era.”

Across a thirty-year career, Elizabeth has been the long-term editor of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly and president of both the American Society of Genealogists and the Board for Certification of Genealogists. Since 1987, she has headed the groundbreaking Advanced Research Methodology track that she created at the Samford University Institute of Genealogy & Historical Research.

Elizabeth is the author, editor, and translator of thirteen books and over 500 journal and magazine articles in genealogy, history, literature and sociology. Aside from her 2004 reality-based historical novel, Isle of Canes—which reviewers have called a “masterpiece” and a cross between Roots and Gone with the Wind—Mills is best known for two works now considered essential references in the field of family history: Professional Genealogy: A Manual for Researchers, Writers, Editors, Lecturers & Librarians and the award-winning Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace (Library Journal “Best Reference Work, 2007).

She will present four excellent lectures:

• The Elusive Ancestor: There’s No Such Thing as “Too Poor to Trace”
• Sources & Citations Simplified: From Memorabilia to Digital Data to DNA
• The Identity Crisis: Right Name, Wrong Man? Wrong Name, Right Man?
• Okay, I Got the Neighbors – Now What Do I Do with Them?

Join us for an exciting day of genealogical presentations, vendors and exhibitors, and great door prizes! In addition, an informal luncheon workshop about getting started with your genealogy will be presented. Box lunches will be available for purchase at HCC on the day of the conference. We will arrange for quantities to be available based on the number of registrations received by 15 September 2009.

Registration for the Fall Seminar is $35 for members and $40 for non-members. If you join FGS in conjunction with registering for the seminar, you will be entitled to the Member registration fee of $35 and your membership will include the last quarter of 2009 and all of 2010!

You will find the 2009 FGS Fall Seminar Registration Form, a Map of Hillsborough Community College, Site of 2009 FGS Fall Seminar showing the location of HCC's parking and the building in which the auditorium is located, and the FGS Membership Application in the right-hand columns of our website at http://fgstampa.org (under IMPORTANT FGS DOCUMENTS). For more information, please email us at fgstampa@hotmail.com.

Join us for an exciting and informative day with the inimitable Elizabeth Shown Mills!

News from Other Societies - Manasota Genealogical Society

2009-09-13T16:15:00.000-05:00

The next meeting of the Manasota Genealogical Society will be held on Tuesday, October 3, 2010 from 9:30 am-12:00 noon at the Central Public Library. Our guest speaker will be Jean Morris, whose talk is entitled: “Tribunes & Gazettes: Newspaper Research in Genealogy”.

Following the guest speaker, our Computer Special Interest Group will meet and is open to all who are interested in learning what's new in genealogy on the Internet.

For more information, please call Jean Morris at (941) 722-5156 or visit us on the web at: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~flmgs/.

Elmer's Genealogy Library Closing

2009-09-13T16:00:00.000-05:00

Elmer's Genealogy Library in Madison, Florida, will be merging with the Huxford Genealogical Society Library located in Homerville, Georgia, in 2010. Members of Elmer’s Genealogy Library will be invited to transfer their membership to the new and larger library. The new library will be named the Folks Huxford and Elmer Spear Genealogical Library and will be managed by the Huxford Genealogical Society. Homerville is located on US 84 between Valdosta and Waycross.

The merger and transfer of the contents of Elmer’s Library to the Huxford Genealogical Society Library in Homerville, Georgia includes over 30,000 books, nearly 4,000 rolls of microfilm and over 10,000 sheets of Microfiche. The actual transfer will begin as soon as the City of Homerville completes the renovation of the building that will house both libraries.

News from Other Societies - Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay

2009-09-13T15:58:00.001-05:00

Drew Smith To Speak On
GENEALOGY AND DNA
Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay Meeting
Sunday, October 11, 2009

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay will meet at Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida on Sunday October 11, 2009 with Drew Smith speaking on DNA and Genealogy. A social with refreshments and library access begins at 1:30 PM, and the featured program starts at 2:00 PM.

Are you afraid to try DNA as a research tool because the science seems too intimidating? This overview will explain how DNA relates to genealogy, what kinds of DNA tests are available, and how researchers can share test results with each other as a basis for determining a relationship.

Drew Smith, a nationally known genealogist, is an instructor for the School of Library and Information Science at USF. He has more than 30 years experience in the field of computing, and he has extensive experience as a genealogist. His genealogical credentials include: co-host of the weekly "Genealogy Guys Podcast," columnist for 2 computer magazines, and leadership roles in many local, national and international genealogy organizations too numerous to list. Drew is an expert in digital genealogy, and his latest book “Social Networking for Genealogists” was recently published.

The mission of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay is to assist interested individuals in learning about Jewish genealogy and learning 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.

Library of Michigan Crisis – Petition Needs Our Support

2009-09-13T15:55:00.001-05:00

Within the genealogical community, the Library of Michigan has long been recognized as one of the premier state libraries in the country.

The cohesive Library of Michigan collection with over 180 years of Michigan history, literature and culture records and reflects the lives of not only those who remained to raise their families within the state but of millions more whose migration to other parts of the country left their footprints in the soil and records generated by their passage. Visitors come from all across the country to research at the Library of Michigan.

In addressing a $2 Billion deficit in the Michigan budget, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm issued an executive order in July, which would abolish the Department of History, Arts and Libraries. As originally proposed, the collections of the Library of Michigan would be scattered and the building built and designed to house the state library would be renovated to house a new function.

In meetings held during the Federation of Genealogical Societies/Arkansas Genealogical Society Annual Conference in Little Rock this past week, the Records Preservation and Access Committee (RPAC) representatives have initiated a petition drive in support of the Library of Michigan. This is the first time it has exercised this option since 2006, something of an indicator of the seriousness with which the genealogical community views this situation.

The RPAC petition became available for signature on Sunday, the 6th of September. The RPAC will close the petition drive on the 1st of October, the date the governor’s order is scheduled to take effect. The earlier one signs, the greater the impact.

Although the prospects for reversing this action are remote, we would not want it to be said that a state library can be closed without its users caring (or for other governors to think it a politically expedient thing to do).

Genealogists from within and without Michigan are encouraged to sign the online petition found at http://www.PetitionOnline.com/RPAC2009/petition.html. The RPAC then ask that you urge the members of every society of which you are a member to do likewise.

Additional background and the latest developments can be found at the web site of the Michigan Genealogical Council at www.mimgc.org/LOM.html. They may also suggest legislators to whom individual letters might be addressed at appropriate points in the legislative process.

News from Other Societies - Suncoast Genealogy Society

2009-09-09T23:48:00.001-05:00

Saturday, November 7, 2009, 1:00 to 4:30 PM., the Suncoast Genealogy Society is pleased to announce their 2009 Seminar at the Palm Harbor Library, 2330 Nebraska Ave., Palm Harbor, FL 34683.

Topics to be covered are: "Collateral Relatives" and "Underused Resources and Marriage Records". The Guest Speaker will be Donna Murray, long time genealogist and contributing columnist of the St. Petersburg Times. A Book and Periodical Sale will precede the seminar. For further information Contact John Mangan at (727) 667-0457 or Email: John8530@aol.com.

News from Other Societies - Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay

2009-09-09T23:47:00.001-05:00

Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay Meeting
Hamburg, The Main Embarkation Port For European Jews
And Accessing Its Website On The Internet
Sunday, September 13, 2009

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay will meet at Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida on Sunday September 13, 2009 presenting Deborah Shapiro Radstrom and Rita Kirstein Shapiro speaking on Hamburg as one of the main embarkation ports for European Jews and accessing its website on the Internet. A social with refreshments and library access begins at 1:30 PM, and the featured program starts at 2:00 PM.

Deborah Shapiro Radstrom and Rita Kirstein Shapiro will present the history of the Port of Hamburg. An emigrant city adjoining the Port housed and fed the masses that converged on Hamburg was developed by one Jewish man, Albert Ballin. This emigrant city helped the thousands of emigrants to depart in an orderly and safe manner to various parts of the world, although most opted for the U.S.A. Our presenters will demonstrate how to use the Port of Hamburg website and its database to research outbound ship’s manifests to locate passengers listed on those manifests. You will learn how to use the tools and techniques at the website to research the Port of Hamburg’s ships manifests.

More than five million people left their homes in Europe between 1850 and 1939 via the Port of Hamburg to start a new life in American. From 1891 on, Hamburg became one of the most important ports for emigrants from all across Europe.

The mission of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay is to assist interested individuals in learning about Jewish genealogy and learning 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.

For those who need directions, here is how to find our meeting place:

We meet at Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida. (the red star on the map below) This is just across the bay from Tampa and just off of Ulmerton Road (SR 688) that exits from I-275. Icot Blvd. intersects with the north side of Ulmerton Road (SR 688) between U.S. 19 and 49th Street. From Ulmerton Road, turn north into the Icot Center entranceway (there is a large Autoway Nissan Dealership on the corner). You will find a left-turn lane on Ulmerton at the Icot entrance if you are coming from the West. If you are coming from the East, just make a right turn into Icot Blvd.

There are "Icot Center" gateposts marking the entranceway onto Icot Blvd. from Ulmerton Road. You will see a Holiday Inn Express Hotel on your right and a Nissan Autoway dealership on your left as you enter Icot Blvd. Proceed about a quarter of a mile on Icot Blvd, and your will see the Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services building on your right. It is identified with a large masonry sign at the entranceway into the parking lot.

Imperial Polk Genealogical Society to Host One-Day Seminar with Jana Solan Broglin, CG

2009-08-03T16:07:00.003-05:00

The Imperial Polk Genealogical Society will host a on-day seminar on Saturday, October 17, 2009, at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. Their keynote speaker is nationally-recognized genealogical expert and lecturer, Jana Sloan Broglin, CG, who will present four presentations:

"See Ya in the Funnies"
"Ohio: The Great Land Experience"
"Hookers, Crooks, and Kooks" (or "Aunt Merle Didn't Run a Boarding House")
"The Key to the Courthouse"

The event will be held in the Alumni Room of the Charles Thrift Building at Florida Southern College, 111 Lake Hollingsworth Drive, in Lakeland. Doors open at 8:00 AM for registration, and the seminar will take place between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Pre-registration is $40, and registration at the door on the day of the conference is $45, and a continental breakfast and lunch are included in the price.

A registration form with seminar details is available in PDF format at http://www.ipgs.org/SeminarFlyer.pdf. For additional information, please send email to KAYSTONE@prodigy.net or IPGSKED@aol.com.

CG is a registered service mark of the Board for Certification of Genealogists.

Brandon Area Genealogical & Historical Society To Host Spanish Cultural Day

2009-08-03T15:48:00.002-05:00

The following press release was received from Scott Peeler, President of the Brandon Area Genealogical and Historical Society (BAGHS):

The Brandon Area Genealogical and Historical Society (BAGHS) is holding a Spanish cultural day on Saturday, November 14, 2009, to highlight one of the social clubs and cultures of one of our prominent ethnic groups in the Tampa area. At 10:00 a.m., we will meet at the Centro Asturiano building which is at the corner of Palm Avenue and Nebraska Avenue on the western edge of Ybor City, Tampa. I encourage you to carpool. Enter the gated parking lot from Nebraska. Enter the building from the parking lot and take the elevator to the 2nd level. One of the members of the Centro Asturiano will be giving us a brief overview of the history of the Spanish in Tampa, and specifically the people from Asturias. Asturias is a region in northern Spain from which the majority of the Spanish emigrants came to Tampa, many to work in the cigar industry. We will take a tour of the Centro Asturiano building which has been the recipient of thousands of dollars of grant money in recent years to restore the beautiful building which will soon be celebrating its one hundred year anniversary.

On the lower level of the Centro is Latam Restaurant where we will have a typical Spanish meal. This level of the Centro was formerly the cantina where male members smoked cigars, played cards and dominoes, and had their strong Spanish coffee and drinks after a hard day's work in the cigar factories. Mr. David Morejon, owner of Latam at the Centro Restaurant, has put together a great buffet menu for our group. There is no need to indicate a food choice when making your reservation since we will be served buffet style. We will have exclusive use of the restaurant that day as he does not normally open for lunch and is doing this just to accommodate our organization. Our menu will include baked chicken, roast pork, yellow rice, black beans, choice of coffee, tea or soft drink with flan for dessert. I am sure you will enjoy the delicious food. The total charge per person for the entire day's activities and meal is only $17, which is an excellent price, including tax and gratuities. Normally, there is a room charge which he is going to waive for us. We certainly do appreciate his kindness in being so generous to BAGHS and our friends.

After our meal, we will proceed to the original Centro Asturiano Cemetery where our guide will continue his informative lecture about well-known citizens who are buried in the cemetery. We can travel in convoy to the cemetery which is located on the corner of Indiana and Ola Avenues next to Woodlawn Cemetery. The cemeteries are located between Tampa Street and North Boulevard a few blocks north of Columbus Drive. It is about two miles west of the Centro. If you are not familiar with that area you will want to make sure you follow the others as we travel. Neither the Centro nor the guide for the day is charging us anything for this event so we are going to take up a voluntary collection at the cemetery which will be used for the upkeep of the cemetery. Of course, it is not mandatory that you donate, but I am sure they would appreciate any amount you can give for the upkeep of this historic cemetery since it is privately owned and not maintained by the city.

The 33rd Annual FSGS Conference - “It’s Way More Than Just Florida!”

2009-08-03T15:26:00.002-05:00

The following press release was received from the Florida State Genealogical Society (FSGS):

The 33rd Annual FSGS Conference
“It’s Way More Than Just Florida!”

Join us for the fun and excitement of the 33rd annual Florida State Genealogical Society Conference on Friday and Saturday, November 13-14, 2009, in Melbourne, Florida. The conference will be held at the Hilton Melbourne Rialto Place and promises to be our best event yet!

The Speakers and Topics

If you thought that our state conference only focused on Florida, you would be dead wrong. There are always excellent presentations on a wide variety of topics and geographical areas. This year’s conference is pleased to present Craig Roberts Scott, MA, CG^SM, as our featured speaker. He will present lectures on four topics: “Basic Military Research,” “Treasury Records: Follow the Money” “Publishing Your Genealogical Material; Getting the Ink on Paper,” and “Problem Solving.” Craig is a professional researcher, speaker, and author. He is an expert on military research and in working with U.S. federal records. He is the president and CEO of Heritage Books, Inc., a genealogical publishing firm with over 2,800 titles in print.

In addition, the conference program committee has selected eight world-class speakers to present 15 other lectures for all levels of researchers. They are: Pamela J. Cooper; Paul Enchelmayer; Amy Larner Giroux, CG^SM, CGL^SM; George G. Morgan; Donna M. Moughty; Ann Mohr Osisek; Drew Smith, MLS; and C. Ann Staley, CG^SM, CGL^SM. Their topics include: research in the U.S. and the U.K. and Ireland; using many different record types; using Google and online resources to research your genealogy; family health history research; copyright and plagiarism; using blogs; and more! The speakers and their topics can be seen on the Conference Flyer and Registration Form at the FSGS website at http://www.flsgs.org.

The Hotel

The Hilton Melbourne Rialto Place is the venue for the conference. It has undergone a complete renovation and is a truly beautiful facility. It is the winner of the Hilton Hotel Corporation’s prestigious 2008 “Connie Award” for Best Overall Performance, the highest award given to any Hilton hotel. The hotel is located at 200 Rialto Place in Melbourne, and FSGS has negotiated a great rate of $84.00 per night for up to 4 people per room – our lowest hotel rate since 2004! Parking and high-speed Internet access are complimentary too! You will enjoy the food to be served at luncheons and the gala Friday evening banquet.

The Exhibit Hall

The vendors and exhibitors joining us will provide a diverse and wonderful collection of materials for sale and great displays. They also bring their knowledge and experience to share with the attendees. Feel free to ask questions about your research problems and get their advice. There also will be door prizes and other surprises!

APG Ancestor Road Show

The Florida Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists will once again host their popular “Ancestor Road Show.” Attendees can sign up to spend time with a knowledgeable professional researcher to get suggestions for breaking down those inevitable brick walls. The organization will also host a networking luncheon on Friday.

Florida Pioneer Descendants

We’ll again honor this year’s recipients of the Florida Pioneer Descendants Certificates at our gala awards banquet on Friday evening. We’ll also present a session at which you can learn about this prestigious program and get all your questions answered.

Mark Your Calendar Now!

Further information about the conference, the speakers, and topics and descriptions are available at the FSGS website at http://www.flsgs.org. You can download Conference Registration materials in PDF format and make your reservations. We’ll look forward to seeing you there!

“It’s Way More Than Just Florida!”

CG and CGL are registered Service Marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists.

News from Other Societies - Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay

2009-08-03T15:24:00.001-05:00

FGS Meeting - Saturday, 1 August 2009

2009-07-18T18:33:00.004-05:00

The Florida Genealogical Society will hold its monthly meeting at 10:30 AM on Saturday, August 1st, 2009, in the auditorium of the John F. Germany Library. This month's program is "Not Just a Clockmaker: Exploring Your Ancestor's Occupations," presented by Ann Mohr Osisek. Ann describes the lecture as follows: 

"What was your ancestor’s true occupation and how did it affect his life and that of his family? Organization of family groups is used to closely study occupations through several generations and the importance of creating a census timeline for an ancestor to study listed occupations throughout his or her lifetime. Using the clues of an ancestor’s ethnic background and immigration to determine whether he or she was an indentured servant. Determine if history and migration patterns played a part in their occupation with the use of city directories and other reference works as tools in your research."

A native of West Virginia, Ann has been a Central Florida resident for the past thirty-three years and has served as Managing Instructor for the Genealogy Programs at the Disney Institute in Orlando, FL. She has taught genealogy classes for the Orange County, FL, Adult Education Program for the past seventeen years and has been a computer lab genealogy instructor at the Seminole County, FL, Community College. She has been a long-time genealogical instructor in the Elderhostel Program in central Florida and teaches a weeklong genealogy class at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC. Ann is President of the Florida State Genealogical Society, a Past President of the Central Florida Genealogical Society, and their long-standing Education Chair. She is a member of the National Genealogical Society and the Association of Professional Genealogists. Ann has completed courses at Samford University’s Institute of Genealogy & Historical Research in Birmingham, AL, and was a 1997 recipient of The Florida State Genealogical Society’s Outstanding Achievement Award in recognition of her contributions to the field of genealogical education. She has been published in the FGS Forum and numerous genealogical and historical society journals.

 The John F. Germany Library is located at 900 N. Ashley Drive in downtown Tampa. Following the meeting, make sure to visit the History and Genealogy Department on 2-West. Make sure you sign the guest book there, and then enjoy researching in one of the very finest genealogy collections in the Southeast.

Pictures from the Tampa Bay History Center

2009-07-18T17:23:00.001-05:00

We had a wonderful time at the new Tampa Bay History Center on Saturday, August 18th. We had an excellent tour of the Witt Research Center and a behind-the-scenes tour of the library's stacks.

We learned that the Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library System and the Tampa Bay History Center (TBHC) have a terrific partnership. All of the TBHC materials will be cataloged in the coming months and included in the library system's catalog, making it easy to see what is available in all the library branches and the TBHC. We had a great introduction by Jenn Dietz.

Thanks to Del Core for taking these great photos, adding captions, and sending those in for everyone to enjoy!

FGS Meeting – Saturday, July 18, 2009 - Tampa Bay History Center Library

2009-06-19T07:43:00.004-05:00

The Florida Genealogical Society (Tampa) is going on a field trip for our next meeting. Don’t worry! It’s not far! It's still in Tampa!

FGS will meet at 10:30 AM on Saturday, July 18, 2009, for a special private tour of the newly opened Currie B. and Lavinia Sparkman Witt Research Center at the Tampa Bay History Center (http://www.tampabayhistorycenter.org). The Tampa Bay History Center is located at 801 Old Water Street in the Channelside District of Tampa. (See driving directions below.) Parking is available for a flat rate of $5.00 at the lot diagonally across the street from the facility.
FGS has arranged the tour of the library, after which you can dine at eateries within a short walking distance, and then take an optional tour of the History Center exhibitions for an additional price.

10:30 AM to Noon:
Savor a private tour of the Witt Research Center that focuses on Florida history and features a diverse collection of books, maps, periodicals, microfilm, photographs, subject files, and family histories. It provides a comprehensive collection of regional and state subject resources including:

Historical census records, newspapers and periodicals featuring catalogs and indexes, private papers such as personal journals and manuscripts, biographical resources, Hillsborough County church and cemetery records, subject and family files directed towards regional interest and a collection of contemporary and rare books relating to Florida. Genealogical materials and books number at 1,000 contain the southern states and the original 13 colonies.

Manuscript collections include correspondence, diaries, journals, maps, photographs, and the organizational papers of business, fraternal, professional, religious and social organizations.

This Library is the result of a partnership between the Tampa Bay History Center and the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library system. The goal of the partnership is to add the collection of the Witt Research Center to the public library system's online catalog and to encourage visitation to the Center.

1:00 PM:
Enjoy a leisurely tour of the Tampa Bay History Center and its wide array of permanent and special exhibitions. A full list of the exhibitions and their descriptions can be found at http://www.tampabayhistorycenter.org/exhibits.html.

The FGS Board will convene for its monthly meeting after lunch at 1:00 PM onsite. Members are welcome to attend.

The Tampa Bay History Center is a tremendous new asset for this area! The permanent collections encompass hundreds of years of history and living in this area.

You do NOT want to miss this unique opportunity to see the assets of the Tampa Bay History Center and the genealogical and historical materials available there.

See you there!

DRIVING DIRECTIONS:

FROM I-275 NORTH OR SOUTH - Traveling north on I-275, take the Ashley Street/West Tampa Exit #44 to downtown. Traveling south on I-275, take the Downtown East-West Exit #45A to downtown. Turn left on Jackson Street. Turn right on Morgan Street. Turn left on Channelside Drive. Turn right on Old Water Street.

FROM GANDY BLVD. & SOUTH TAMPA - Take Gandy Blvd. to Bayshore Blvd.; turn left. Take Bayshore Blvd. to the Platt Street Bridge. Merge right onto the bridge. (Go underneath the Tampa Convention Center.) Platt Street turns into Channelside Drive. Turn right on Old Water Street.

FROM I-275 & CROSSTOWN EXPRESSWAY - Take the Crosstown Expressway Exit 8 (Downtown East). Turn right on Kennedy Blvd. Turn left on Morgan Street. Turn left on Channelside Drive. Turn right on Old Water Street.

A MAP and these DIRECTIONS are available at http://www.tampabayhistorycenter.org/visit.html.

FGS Meeting - Saturday, 6 June 2009

2009-05-20T17:09:00.005-05:00

We begin our new schedule of meetings on the first Saturday of the month with the June meeting.

FGS will meet on Saturday, June 6th, at 10:30 AM in the Auditorium of the John F. Germany Library in downtown Tampa. This month's presentation will be delivered by Drew Smith and George G. Morgan, and it will be titled "RootsMagic 4: An Introduction to the RootsMagic Genealogy Database Program." Since its release recently, RootsMagic has received enthusiastic kudos from users. Its many enhancements and new features make maintaining your genealogy database easy. There's even a facility called "RootsMagic To-Go" that allows you to take your entire database anywhere on a small flash drive!

Join us for a great overview of this popular software package.

FGS Meeting - Saturday, May 16, 2009

2009-04-29T18:18:00.005-05:00

FGS will meet on Saturday, May 16th, at 10:30 AM in the Auditorium of the John F. Germany Library in downtown Tampa. This month's speaker is Debra S. Fleming who will present a program titled, "Google for Genealogists." Debra describes the program as follows: "Google is one of the biggest tools genealogists can use for finding that ellusive ancestor. Using specific tools within Google and the audience’s search perimeters, we will search the World Wide Web and use “not so secret” skills for filtering results. In this lecture, we will cover the main uses for Google by genealogists: Book, Blog, Image, Maps, Scholar and Patent Searching. This presentation encourages and, in fact, requires in depth audience participation!

Join us for a great skill-building session, and then visit the library's excellent genealogy collection.

News from Other Societies

2009-04-29T14:57:00.003-05:00

The Manasota Genealogical Society will meet on May 5th at the Manatee Central Library, 1301 Barcarrota Blvd., West Bradenton, Florida, from 9:30 AM to noon. The speaker will be Anne Young whose program is titled "Photographs and Souvenirs."

The South Bay Genealogical Society will hold its meeting at noon on May 19th, 2009, at the SouthShore Library. Fran Carter Walker will present a program called "Searcing for Land and Deed Records.

News from Other Societies - Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay

2009-04-08T19:22:00.001-05:00

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay will meet at 2:00 PM Sunday May 17, 2009 at Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida for a genealogy problem solving session –"ASK THE MAVENS”. 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 Emil Isaacson, Clint Elbow, and Bill Israel - our resident experts. Dr. Isaacson has 26 years experience in Jewish genealogy and has researched his ancestral roots back seven generations to the late 1700’s in Europe. He has conducted several educational seminars in Jewish Genealogy for the JGSTB. Clint Elbow is a Business Systems Analyst working in information technology in the healthcare field. He has been researching his family roots for seven years focusing on his patronymic roots back to Germany. Bill Israel, a Director of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS), has spent more than 28 years researching his Jewish roots. He has traced nine generations of his family lines going back more than 200 years, and he has documented more than 1,600 related individuals.

Those who present problems to "ASK THE MAVENS” by E-mail to prior to the meeting will be given priority by the panel.

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 or Rita Shapiro at 446-9311.

FGS Meeting - Saturday, 18 April 2009

2009-04-05T18:39:00.006-05:00

The Florida Genealogical Society will hold its monthly meeting at 10:30 A.M. on Saturday, April 18, 2009, at the John F. Germany Public Library at 900 N. Ashley Drive in downtown Tampa. The speaker will be David W. Dellinger, Ph.D., author of the book, The Peasant Kings. His presentation is titled, "Weaving Fiction from Fact: What a Novel Idea!" The talk will focus on researching and writing a family history. Join us for a fascinating look at the background of one novelist's adventures in writing his family's history.

News from Other Societies - Pinellas Genealogy Society

2009-04-05T18:38:00.000-05:00

The Pinellas Genealogy Society will meet on 18 April, 2009, beginning at 11:00 am at the Largo Library, 120 Central Park Drive in Largo, FL. All are welcome to attend this free program.

The speaker will be Drew Smith, a well-known writer, genealogist and librarian from the University of South Florida. He is co-host of The Genealogy Guys Podcast and had been a featured speaker at many statewide and national conferences. He is a specialist in digital technology in genealogy.

The program topic is "Options for Family Websites" where Drew will demonstrate how to create a family website using a blog, a wiki and a genealogy software package (Roots Magic). This will be an interesting program even if you don't know a blog from a wiki.

The program is preceded by an informal Q&A session on "Computers in Genealogy" beginning at 9:45 am.

Light refreshments will be served after the presentation and there will be opportunity to talk with the speaker and PGS members.

News from Other Societies - Brandon Area Genealogical and Historical Society

2009-04-05T18:37:00.001-05:00

I wanted to let you know about our special program this month which will cover "Italian Genealogical Research." Vince Pardo, Kenneth Ferlita and Vienna LoCicero Santisteban will present the program. Please make every effort to attend and encourage your friends to attend this program which will cover Italian and Sicilian family research from this distinguished panel of experts. We want to have an excellent attendance to support this presentation by the group coming from Tampa to be with us that evening. Even if you do not have any Italian families in your background, you will find this pesentation exciting and filled with good research tips. We will be meeting at our usual time and place - 6:30 pm at the Bloomingdale library on Tuesday, April 14th. Special Italian refreshments will be served.

Scott L. Peeler, Jr., President
Brandon Area Genealogical and Historical Society

News from Other Societies - Pinellas Genealogy Society

2009-03-11T16:07:00.000-05:00

The Pinellas Genealogy Society will meet on 21 March, 2009 beginning at 11:00 am at the Largo Library, 120 Central Park Drive in Largo, FL. All are welcome to attend this free program.

The speaker will be Brett Rinehart, Senior Adjudications Officer with the Tampa Field Office of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. His topic will be "Immigration--Current Laws and a Historic Overview." This presentation should be very useful in helping you find your immigrant ancestors.

The program is preceded by an informal Q&A session on "Computers in Genealogy" beginning at 9:45 am.

Light refreshments will be served after the presentation and there will be opportunity to talk with the speaker and PGS members.

FGS Meeting - Saturday, March 21, 2009

2009-03-02T23:56:00.001-05:00

The Florida Genealogical Society is pleased to present a very special program on Saturday, 21 March 2009, at the John F. Germany Public Library in downtown Tampa.

This month's program features Dr. Vernard Adams, the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner, and FGS President Drew Smith presenting a program about "Unclaimed Persons." There is an epidemic in the United States of persons who die whose remains are unclaimed. County officials do not have the means or funding to locate family members, but genealogists have stepped up to help. A large group of more than 500 genealogical researchers on Facebook (at www.facebook.com) have stepped up to use their skills to help identify and locate surviving family members, many of whom have lost touch with their relatives, to help identify and find final resting places for their family members.

Tampa/Hillsborough County has benefited from the "Unclaimed Persons" initiative, and Dr. Adams and Drew Smith will talk about the problem, the progress that "Unclaimed Persons" has made, and other topics.

Dr. Vernard Adams, a native of Maine, has been Chief Medical Examiner for Hillsborough County since 1991. He graduated from the University of Maine at Orono with a B.A. in Chemistry and from Tufts University College of Medicine with a M.D. Degree. His post-graduate pathology training was at the New England Medical Center Hospital, the Mayo Clinic, and the Dade County (Florida) Medical Examiner Department. He is board-certified in anatomical, clinical and forensic pathology, and holds a faculty appointment as Associate Professor of Pathology at the University of South Florida College of Medicine.

Dr. Adams has written numerous scientific publications in the field of forensic pathology and has lectured at several medical conferences. In addition, he is an Associate Professor at the University of South Florida since 1991. Current professional associations include: American Academy of Forensic Sciences, American Medical Association, College of American Pathologists, Florida Association of Medical Examiners (President 1997-98), Florida Medical Association, Hillsborough County Medical Association, and National Association of Medical Examiners.

You do NOT want to miss this important and exciting program! The meeting will be held at 10:30 AM in the auditorium of the John F. Germany Public Library. Afterwards, please visit the genealogy collection on 2-West, one of the finest genealogical collections in the Southeastern United States.

News from Other Societies - Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay

2009-03-02T23:36:00.001-05:00

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay will meet at the LDS (Mormon) Family History Center, 9000 106th Ave N., Largo, Florida, on Sunday March 8, 2009, at 1:45 PM.

Ann Peterson, staff member of the Family History Center in Largo, will present "An Introduction to the Family History Center Archives" and will provide guidance on how to do genealogical research using the archives of the LDS (Mormon) Church's Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Branch Family History Centers – more than 3,500 of them around the world – provide access to most of the microfilms and microfiche at the main Library in Salt Lake City to help patrons identify their ancestors. Everyone is welcome to come to the centers and use their resources. The Family History Library in Salt Lake City is the main repository for most of the genealogical information the LDS Church has collected – more than a billion records – the world's largest genealogical collection.

Ann Peterson was the director of the Largo Family History Center for eight years from 1994 to 2002, and for the past seven years has been a staff member providing assistance to genealogical researchers. The Center is located at 9000 106th Ave N., Largo a block west of Starkey, on the south side of 106th Ave. It is just south of Bryan Dairy Road.

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 or Rita Shapiro at 446-9311.

Discover the USF Library's Special Collections (Tampa)

2009-02-22T19:40:00.003-05:00

Did you know ...?

The University of South Florida Library has many important materials of genealogical and historical value in its Special Collections Department. Among them are:

Hillsborough County Marriage Records (1846-1988). These include marriage licenses, record books, and indices on deposit from the Clerk of the Hillsborough County Circuit Court.
Funeral Home Records: F.T. Blount Funeral Home Records: March 1924 - October 1991; A.P. Boza Funeral Home Records: January 1929 - October 1991; Lord & Fernandez Funeral Home Records (May 1947 - May 1951 and January 1959 - March 1976); and Garden of Memories Records: February 1984 - January 1989.
Photographic Records: Aerial Photographs; Burgert Brothers (compliments the huge collection at the John F. Germany library in downtown Tampa); and Robertson and Fresh Photographs.
Ybor City and West Tampa Collections
Many family papers collections
Numerous ethnic social and mutual aid societies' collections
The Spanish Civil War Oral History Project
Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla Records

These are just a few of the wonderful materials held by the USF Library's Special Collections Department. Check the webpage for the Special Collections Department, and then plan a visit to this wonderful collection!

News from Other Societies

2009-02-22T18:14:00.003-05:00

The Manasota Genealogical Society will meet at 9:30 AM on Tuesday, March 3, 2009, at the Manatee Central Library, 1301 Barcarrota Boulevard, in Bradonton. The speaker is Tom Kemp, and he will present a program titled "Core Online Resources: The Ones You Actully Rely On." More information is available at http://www.rootsweb.com/~flmgs.

The Pasco County Genealogical Society has announced their programs for March and April 2009.

March 14 - Debra Sandstrom Fleming will present a program about the pre-1850 U.S. federal censuses and how to effectively use these early records.
April 11 - David Boyette of the Brandon Area Genealogical and Historical Society will be conducting a program entitled "Genetic Genealogy: Understanding Your DNA."

Meetings are held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at 9016 Fort King Road (State Road 41) in Dade City. For more information, visit their website for at
http://www.rootsweb.com/~FLPCGS/.

Florida Conversations Lecture Series‏

2009-02-11T20:13:00.003-05:00

The first of the Spring Series of the Florida Conversations Lecture Series‏ will be held on Sunday, February 15th at the Tampa Bay History Center, 3:00-4:30 p.m. Susan M. Taylor of the University of Tampa will present "The Survival of Tampa's Sicilian Dialect."

Other lectures are on March 15th, April 19th, May 17th, and June 21st.

For additional information on the lectures visit www.lib.usf.edu/index.cfm?pm=upcoming events1.

Future Meetings at FGS (Tampa)

2009-02-08T20:51:00.002-05:00

We have another wonderful schedule of presentations shaping up for 2009! Some of the upcoming presentations include:

March 21st - Dr. Vernard Adams, the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner, will present a program about "Unclaimed Persons" and how next of kin have been located.
April 18th - Author David Dellinger will share information about his book, The Peasant Kings, and the genealogical research involved in developing the story.
Ann Mohr Osisek, whose program in January had to be canceled due family circumstances, is being rescheduled.

In addition, the Board is in negotiations with a truly top-notch speaker for this year's Fall Seminar, to be held on Saturday, 26 September 2009. Look for more information here at at the monthly meetings, in your membership email, and in the press. You definitely want to mark your calendar NOW for this year's exciting event!

FGS Tampa Meeting & Program - February 21, 2009

2009-02-07T10:34:00.002-05:00

The Florida Genealogical Society will hold its monthly meeting at 10:30 AM on Saturday, February 21, 2009, in the auditorium of the John F. Germany Library. This month's program is "Italian Genealogy," and will be presented by Vince J. Pardo, Vienna LoCicero Santisteban, and Kenneth Ferlita. This exciting program was presented last September to the Italian Club of Tampa to rave reviews, and was sponsored by the Ybor City Museum Society, in partnership with the L'Unione Italiana. The speakers will share programs and resources used to document, store, and display genealogical information.

You don't have to be of Italian descent to enjoy and learn techniques for overseas research. Join us for this great program!

The John F. Germany Library is located at 900 N. Ashley Drive in downtown Tampa. Following the meeting, make sure to visit the History and Genealogy Department on 2-West. Make sure you sign the guest book there, and then enjoy researching in one of the very finest genealogy collections in the Southeast.

News from Other Societies

2009-02-03T23:41:00.003-05:00

We love to share announcements from other genealogical societies, and that is because we know that they, too, present great programs from which our members can benefit. Here are several additional programs in which you may be interested.

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay will hold its monthly meeting on Sunday, 8 February 2009, at the Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida. Bill Israel will present a program, "Finding Your Jewish Roots; Bringing Your Past Alive." A social with refreshments and library access begins at 1:30 PM, and the featured program starts at 2:00 PM.

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 or Rita Shapiro at (727) 446-9311.

The Charlotte County Genealogical Society will present a special program on Saturday, 14 February 2009, with speaker Stephen P. Morse, creator of the One-Step Website for which he received a Lifetime Achievement Award and the Outstanding Contribution Award from IAJGS. The conference will be held at the Lutheran Church of the Cross at 2300 Luther Road in Port Charlotte, FL, from 9:00AM to 4:00PM. Doors open at 8:30 AM. Morse has developed streamlined search facilities to search all of the New York immigration lists, and he is an expert instructor for how to get the most from your immigrant research. This is a must-attend presentation in Florida!

The Pinellas Genealogy Society presents its annual signature genealogical presentation on Saturday, 14 February 2009, with nationally recognized genealogical expert Hank Jones. Jones is an expert research and author about Palatine ancestry, and is the author of books concerning genealogical serendipity. He is an informative and entertaining speaker. A registration form is available at www.rootsweb.com/~flpgs.

The Englewood Genealogical Society presents a program on Wednesday, 25 February 2009, with nationally-recognized genealogical expert and speaker Donna M. Moughty. Donna will present a program titled "Jumping the Pond." The program will be held at the Englewood Sports Complex at 1300 Englewood Road, Englewood, FL. Registration begins at 12:30 PM and the program begins at 1:00 PM. Registration is a modest $5.00 per person. For information, details, and directions, please contact Sally Thomas at s252thomas@comcast.net.

Ann Mohr Osisek Must Cancel 17 January Presentation

2009-01-14T23:57:00.002-05:00

Dear Friends,

Ann Mohr Osisek has had to cancel her presentation to FGS this coming Saturday, 17 January 2009. I'm very sorry to have to report that Ann Osisek's mother has died. It was very sudden; she was diagnosed with early onset leukemia. She was admitted to hospital on 7 January 2009 and died on the 11th. The following is the obituary from the Orlando Sentinel website:


MOHR, MARY ELIZABETH of Casselberry, FL passed away Sunday, January 11, 2009 following a brief illness. Mrs. Mohr was born May 10, 1918 in Parkersburg, WV to the late James David and Elizabeth Thompson Bowers. She moved with her late husband Arthur R. Mohr to Casselberry, FL from Pottstown, PA in 1999 where they had resided since 1950. Mary was a graduate of Parkersburg(WV) High School, class of 1936 and had been a member of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Parkersburg. She was a telephone operator with Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone of WV in Parkersburg. While residing in Pottstown she was a member of St. Aloysius Catholic Church, their Senior Citizens organization and the Knights of Columbus Ladies Auxiliary. She served as a volunteer in many organizations in Pottstown including Girl Scouts of America. She had been a member of St. Augustine's Catholic Church in Casselberry, FL since 1999. She was predeceased by her husband Arthur Randolph Mohr in October of 2007. She is survived by her son James Michael Mohr of Orlando; daughter Ann Mohr Osisek and husband; Joseph A of Maitland; and grandchildren Theresa Osisek Bledsoe and husband Mac of Maitland; Joseph M. Osisek, wife Christina and great-granddaughter Chloe J. Osisek of Hermitage, TN. Also surviving is a sister Glenda Bowers McGivern (William) of Parkersburg, WV; brother James D. Bowers of Oak Ridge, TN; sister-in-law Brenda Smith Bowers of Fairborn, OH and sister-in-law Jeanne Mohr Cook of Lansdale, PA. Services will be held at St. Augustine's Catholic Church in Casselberry on Thursday, January 15, 2009 at 10:30AM with burial following at Glen Haven Memorial Park in Winter Park. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Augustine's Catholic Church, Casselberry, FL, or the Leukemia Society. We share our deep sympathy Ann and her family in the loss of her sweet mother. We also look forward to her presentation to us later in the year. As a result, I've volunteered to substitute for her presentation. I'll be presenting a program called, "Bits about Obits: Reading between the Lines." While I realize it isn't the same content as Ann's program, I hope you'll still attend and learn from the methodology presented in the session. Our deepest sympathy goes to Ann, her husband, Joe, her brother, and other family members. Yours, George

George G. Morgan
President Aha! Seminars, Inc.
15611 Jericho Drive Odessa, FL 33556-3016
(813) 205-3032
http://ahaseminars.com

FGS Tampa Meeting - January 17, 2009

2009-01-10T12:43:00.003-05:00

The Florida Genealogical Society (Tampa) will kick off a new year of outstanding monthly programs with George G. Morgan on Saturday, January 17th, at 10:30 AM in the Auditorium of the John F. Germany Library. Ann will present a program titled, "Bits About Obits: Reading between the Lines.” The presentation will analyze the information and clues that can be derived from obituaries, and several examples will be examined.

George is an internationally recognized genealogy expert, and is the president of Aha! Seminars, Inc. He is the prolific author of 8 genealogy books and literally hundreds of articles for magazines, journals, and online venues. He is a frequent presenter to genealogical societies and librarians across the U.S. and internationally, and on genealogy cruises. He is the co-host of The Genealogy Guys Podcast each week at http://genealogyguys.com.

The John F. Germany Library is located at 900 N. Ashley Drive in downtown Tampa. Following the meeting, make sure to visit the History and Genealogy Department on 2-West. Make sure you sign the guest book there, and then enjoy researching in one of the very finest genealogy collections in the Southeast.

News from Other Societies - Manasota Genealogical Society

2009-01-10T12:35:00.002-05:00

The Manasota Genealogical Society will hold its monthly meeting at 9:30 AM on Tuesday, February 3, 2009, at the Manatee Central Library, 1301 Barcarrota Blvd. in Bradenton. The speaker will be well-known genealogist and author George G. Morgan. He will present a program titled, "The Definitive Guide to Ancestry.com."

For additional information, please contact Jean Morris at morrisjean@verizon.net.

News from Other Societies - Suncoast Genealogy Society

2009-01-10T12:27:00.002-05:00

The Suncoast Genealogy Society will hold its 2009 Mini Seminar on January 24, 2009, and the speaker will be Debra Fleming. She will present two topics: The Three D's: Deeds, Death, and Divorce and Google for Genealogists.

The event will be held from 1:00 to 4:00 PM at the Oldsmar Library Community Room at 400 St. Petersburg Drive in Oldsmar. The cost is $15.00 for SGS members and $20.00 for non-members, both if received by January 17th. Cost is $20.00 at the door if space allows.

Contact Ann James at (727) 791-1983 or jamesamsj@aol.com for more information.

News from Other Societies - Tallahassee Genealogical Society

2009-01-10T08:04:00.000-05:00

The Tallahassee Genealogical Society will host it annual Spring Seminar on Saturday, February 21, 2009, at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Tallahassee. The speaker will be Dick Eastman, the internationally known genealogist and publisher of Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter.

For more information and to print a registration form, visit the society's website at http://www.talgen.org/.

News from Other Societies

2008-12-27T02:21:00.002-05:00

The South Bay Genealogy Society will hold its January 20th meeting with a return of popular national speaker, Donna Moughty, presenting a lecture, "Saving a Life: Your family's health history." The session will be held on Tuesday, 20 January 2009, at Noon at the SouthShore Regional Library. More information is available at the website at http://www.rootsweb.com/~flsbgs.

Southwest Florida Germanic Genealogy Society

2008-12-27T01:47:00.003-05:00

The Southwest Florida Germanic Genealogy Society was organized just a couple of years ago. They are, however, already a major, growing organization here in Florida. The organization is hosting an impressive all-day seminar on Saturday, 28 February 2009, in Port Charlotte, Florida, that is already drawing a great deal of attention!

Baerbel Johnson, a professional genealogist and an International Reference Consultant at the Family History Library in Salt lake City, Utah, will present an all-day program, "Putting the Flesh on the Genealogical Skeleton." Ms. Johnson is one of the most respected genealogists at the Family History Library, and this is her first speaking appearance in Florida.

This is an exciting opportunity for anyone with German ancestors! More information and registration details are available at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~flggrg/.

News from Other Societies

2008-12-27T01:45:00.001-05:00

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay will meet at Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida on Sunday January 11, 2009 presenting Howard Margol speaking on The Latest Developments in Lithuanian Research A social with refreshments and library access begins at 1:30 PM, and the featured program starts at 2:00 PM.

Howard Margol is a Past President of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies. He travels regularly to Lithuania for research and humanitarian purposes and has organized and led fifteen annual group trips to Lithuania. He is presently organizing his sixteenth group trip for June 30 to July 10, 2009. Three members of the JGS of Tampa Bay have traveled with him on group trips to Eastern Europe and can personally attest to his thorough knowledge of that area and of his access to archives and archivists in Lithuania and Latvia. He is well known and highly respected by leaders of the Lithuanian Jewish community.

Howard has done extensive personal genealogical research and has traced his family back to 1747. He has a “first name” relationship with the Directors and Chief Archivists in the major Lithuanian Archives. He has also written numerous articles that have been published in the leading journals of Jewish genealogy as well as in various newsletters and newspapers. He is a frequent lecturer on genealogical topics at group meetings and conferences.

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.

Attending Other Societies' Meetings

2008-12-27T01:34:00.003-05:00

Here on the west and southwestern coast of Florida, genealogists have some of the very best genealogy educational opportunities in the United States.

FGS (Tampa) strives to provide its members with announcements from the genealogical societies in the surrounding area, from Pinellas County in the west and Lakeland County in the east, and from Alachua and Marion Counties to our north and to Charlotte and Lee Counties to the South. We also want to highlight the activities of the Florida State Genealogical Society, as well as those of other state and national societies.

You may think that programs presented by other counties' societies are too far away. However, they are usually less than an hour's travel, and carpooling can be a lot of fun.

We announce lots of seminars for other societies, and they announce our seminars. Let's continue to share the wealth. AND, please consider visiting other societies and attending their great programs too!

FGS Annual Membership Dues Are Due

2008-12-14T15:45:00.001-05:00

Membership dues for the Florida Genealogical Society are payable on or before December 31st, and are delinquent after February 15th. Your annual membership is $20.00 for individuals or $25.00 for a family or household. Membership benefits include the opportunity to attend all of the excellent lectures presented at the monthly meetings and the annual holiday party, a discount on the Fall Seminar, our Membership Directory, and voting privileges in the society.

Please complete the membership form found here on our website (in the panel on the right) and return it with your check, payable to the Florida Genealogical Society. You can:

• Mail them to FGS at P. O. Box 18624, Tampa, FL 33679-8624
• Bring them to the FGS Holiday Party on December 20th at the Wunderlins’ home (see the announcement here on the FGS website and in the email sent to you last week)
• Bring them to the FGS monthly meeting on January 17th, when our guest speaker will be Ann Mohr Osisek, president of the Florida State Genealogical Society. (More details are coming soon!)

If you joined FGS at the 2008 Fall Seminar, please disregard this notice. At that time, you received membership for the last quarter of 2008 and all of 2009.

As a reminder, the FGS Membership Referral Program gives you a free annual membership if you bring in three (3) or more new members during a calendar year! The new member must complete the application form (which is also available at our website) and simply list your name as the person who referred them. Our treasurer and membership director keep track of the referrals throughout the year, and will make sure you receive a free one-year membership. What a great way to help the society and to help get your friends interested in high quality genealogy research.

Your society already has interesting presentations booked for the 2009 membership year, and there are a number of special projects in the works. You don’t want to miss any of the benefits of membership in the Florida Genealogical Society!

FGS Holiday Party!

2008-12-09T19:02:00.004-05:00

The Florida Genealogical Society will hold its annual Holiday Party on Saturday, 20 December 2008 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM at the home of Dick and Trev Wunderlin. The Wunderlins' home is located at 2013 Curry Road, Lutz, FL. Directions follow below.

Snacks to be served will include appetizers, desserts, wine, soft drinks, and coffee. You need not bring anything, but any dish will you would like to share is welcome.

Please RSVP to Trev at (813) 977- 6484 or at trevetta@yahoo.com
by Noon on December 16th.

DIRECTIONS:
From South Tampa and Pinellas Co.:
Take I-275 North to Bearss Avenue
Go east on Bearss Ave. to Livingston Ave.
Go north on Livingston Ave. to Curry Road
Turn left on Curry Road
House is first home in second block (2013 Curry Road.)

From Brandon or Temple Terrace:
West on Fowler Ave. or Fletcher Ave. to Bruce B. Downs Blvd.
Go north on Bruce B. Downs to Bearss Avenue
Turn left on Bearss; then right at Livingston Ave.; then left on Curry Road
House is first home in second block (2013 Curry Rd.)

From North:
Take I-275 South or Rte. 41 South to Bearss Avenue
Drive east to Livingston Ave.
Turn left on Livingston Ave and head then north to Curry Road
Turn left on Curry Road
House is first home in second block (2013 Curry Rd.)

From West:
Take Ehrlich Rd./Bearss Avenue east, past I-275, to Livingston Ave.
Turn north and drive to to Curry Road
Turn left on Curry Road
House is first home in second block (2013 Curry Rd.)

See you there!