Discover the USF Library's Special Collections (Tampa)

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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!

News from Other Societies - South Bay Genealogical Society

The South Bay Genealogical Society will hold its December 16th meeting at noon at the SouthShore Regional Library. Chip Churchill will protray his great-great-great-grandfather. General Freegift Patchin, a Revolutionary War soldier, captured by Tories and Indians in 1780 nd forced to march more than 300 miles. He was imprisoned for the duration of the war.

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

FGS (Tampa) Is Highly Honored at FSGS 2008!

The Florida Genealogical Society (Tampa) was highly honored by the Florida State Genealogical Society (FSGS) at its 32nd annual conference, held at the elegant Sheraton Orlando North Hotel in Maitland, Florida, on 14 & 15 November 2008. This year's conference was outstanding in many ways.

The hotel was perfectly organized, with the lecture rooms and vendor hall very close to the elevators and the restaurant. It was easy to get around!

FGS (Tampa) was honored on many levels for its 50th anniversary celebration. It all began with the traditional banner parade of societies' banners. George G. Morgan carried ours, while Drew Smith carried that of FSGS.

On Friday night, FSGS held its gala Florida Pioneer Descendants Certification Awards Banquet. At that time, awards for pioneer descendants at the state level (descendants of persons who resided in Florida prior to statehood on 3 March 1845), county level (descendants of persons who resided in an area of Florida prior to the establishment of the county), and researchers (persons who successfully researched on behalf of one of the descendants in one or more of the categories before) were presented. This year's earliest pioneer descendants took their documentary research back to the amazing date of 1630 with Spanish colonial records! This just proved, again, that records exist and that the research can be done!

Also at the banquet, there were awards given in several categories. However, our own George G. Morgan won the prestigious "Distinguished Service Award" for service to genealogy.

In addition, FGS (Tampa) had 15 attendees at this conference, and won the attendance award this year. We are extremely pleased with our society members' enthusiasm to attend the conference.

Finally, FSGS awarded FGS (Tampa) with both a certificate honoring its fifty golden years and a special gold pin will be sent to us, and that will be attached to our society's banner.

We have a great deal to celebrate this year. We are the oldest genealogical society in Florida and we have a great pride and enthusiasm on the part of our members. We wish all of you could have been part of the FSGS Conference this year. However, next year isn't that far away, and we can all be there then!

Our society's banner will be placed on permanent display in the Ceta R. Armitage Room in the History and Genealogy Department (2-W) of the John F. Germany Public Library in downtown Tampa, Florida. The gold pin will be attached to the banner when it is received. In addition, the certificate will be framed and placed on permanent display in the Armitage Room, which already displays the proclamations from Governor Charlie Crist and Mayor Pam Iorio commemorating our society's landmark 50th anniversary.

Southwest Florida Germanic Genealogy Research Group Conference

The Southwest Florida Germanic Genealogy Research Group is pleased to present Baerbal Johnson, presenting a program, Putting Flesh on the Genealogical Skeleton, on Saturday, 28 February 2009, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the St. James Episcopal Church, 1375 Viscaya Drive, Port Charlotte, Florida.

More information is available at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~flggrg/.

Brandon Area Historical and Genealogical Society November Meeting

The Brandon Area Historical and Genealogical Society will meet on Tuesday, 18 November 2008, at the Bloomingdale Library. Bob Rouke will be the speaker and will present a program on using your computer for research,etc. Bring your questions for Bob to answer. Refreshments will be served.

News from Other Societies - Mansota Genealogical Society

The Manasota Genealogical Society in Bradenton, Florida, will hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday, 2 December 2008, at the Manasota Central Library at 9:30 A.M. at 1301 Barcarrota Boulevard in Bradenton. Alex Morris will present a program, “The Most Important Moment in American History: George Washington’s Resignation from the Army.”

News from Other Societies - Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay meets at Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida on Sunday November 9, 2008. A social with refreshments and library access begins at 1:30 PM, and the featured program starts at 2:00 PM.

Have you ever wanted to produce a holiday newsletter to send to family and friends?

Holidays bring cards stuffed with family newsletters...some are good and some are not so good. If you would like to learn how to produce an outstanding family newsletter, this presentation will help you. Pamela starts this presentation by explaining how you gather the information for your newsletter. She offers advice on planning and budgeting as well as the production of a family newsletter. Get suggestions on how to organize your material and decide if your newsletter will be distributed by email or snail mail. Pam shows how to locate and use preformatted templates that make pulling all of the elements together into a newsletter a snap!

Pamela Tremé is a Tampa-area hobby genealogist who also happens to work in the software industry. She uses her knowledge of software to present her own family research in various formats and forms.

---

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay will meet at Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida on Sunday December 14, 2008 presenting Maxine Kronick's "A Passport to Life - Destination Shanghai". A social with refreshments and library access begins at 1:30 PM, and the featured program starts at 2:00 PM.

Maxine Kronick will provide a rare insight into life in the Shanghai Ghetto – a veritable walking tour through the designated area for stateless refugees – with the composer's original musical score and memories of a young boy's life in the Ghetto. Ms. Kronick is able to give us a rare insight into the lives of European Jews fortunate enough to have received, in whatever way possible, a passport to life that meant escape from the Holocaust and survival in Shanghai during the period of 1938-1945. This program consists of a 15-minute introductory narrative by Maxine Kronick, followed by a 28 minute documentary presentation, and a 15-minute question and answer period. The program material and format will appeal to audiences of all ages.

Maxine Kronick, producer, is no stranger to the communication arts. She has performed extensively on stage and film served as the Director of Special Events for the City of Flint, Michigan, and created the popular documentary presentation "From the Shtetl with Love" Ms. Kronick has been on a national speaking tour to 80 Jewish Communities and schools and is presently the President and Cofounder of Theateriffic, a nonprofit Performing Art Company for children in Central Florida. Maxine has been the recipient of the Bnai Brith Humanitarian of the Year Award as well as numerous accolades from UJA, Hadassah, and the YWCA.

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.

FGS to be Honored at FSGS Conference

Hello Everyone!

FGS Tampa President Drew Smith and Director George G. Morgan also are board members of the Florida State Genealogical Society, Inc. Drew is the Parliamentarian, and George is the Director of Publicity.

This year's 37th Annual Florida State Genealogical Society Conference will be held at the Sheraton North Hotel in Maitland, Florida. Details and registration information are available athttp://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~flsgs/pub_conf_reg_2008.pdf. (Early bird discounts are available through Thursday, 23 October 2008.)

FGS (Tampa) will be publicly recognized at the FSGS Conference for its 50 years of genealogical society excellence. We would love to have every FGS (Tampa) member present at the conference. However, please know that we will be represented there.

Hope to see you in Maitland to share our society's thunder!

FGS Tampa Meeting - Moved to Saturday, 8 November 2008

The Florida Genealogical Society (Tampa) meeting for November has been moved up to Saturday, 8 November 2008. The reason for the change in date is that the Florida State Genealogical Society's 37th Annual Conference will be held the following weekend, 14-15 November 2008, and a number of our members will be participating at that event.

Our FGS (Tampa) meeting on 8 November will be held, as usual, in the Auditorium of the John F. Germany Public Library at 900 S. Ashley Boulevard in downtown Tampa. The Poe Parking Garage is adjacent to the library and charges a parking fee.

The November program is the popular annual society "show and tell" presentation. If you have an interesting family item that showcases your family, provides evidence of some event or occupation, proves a specific fact, OR is of other interest that you would like to share with our society members, please bring it along. Remember that your "show and tell" item(s) may inspire other members who have never considered searching for similar items and evidence to follow your lead!

No advance pre-registration is necessary. We welcome every item that you want to bring!

We'll see you there in November!