FGS Program for July 21st, 2007

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

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

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

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

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

Admission to the meeting is free.

Jill Noblit MacGregor Presents Fascinating Program

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

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

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

Free Genealogy Classes at John F. Germany Library

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

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

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

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

Jill Noblit MacGregor

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

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

Have the FGS News Appear on YOUR Copy of Google

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

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

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

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

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

Mrs. Jean Evelyn Jones, Former FGS President, Dies

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

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

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

FGS's Fall Seminar Registration Form Is Online!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We hope to see you there!

A Thank You to Our Telephone Committee!

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

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

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

Thank you all again!

All about Our June Speaker: Jill Noblit MacGregor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

News from Other Societies

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

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

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

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

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

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

News from Other Societies

The Brandon Area Historic and Genealogical Society will meet on Tuesday, 8 May 2007, at the Bloomingdale Library. BAHGS member Boob Rooke will present a program about using computer software in genealogical research. Time permitting, he will also share a number of Internet Web sites. Refreshments will be served.

Monthly Genealogy Workshops at St. Petersburg College

The Friends of the West Community Library at St. Petersburg College, St. Petersburg Gibbs campus will sponsor a Genealogy Workshop every second Saturday in the Community Room of the library. The event is free and open to all, and lasts one hour beginning at 10 A.M.. Presenters Susan Hickok and Charlie Grandmaison will discus many topics to help you discover your roots. For further information, please call 341-7174, 341-7172 or 341-4486, or visit the library at 6700 8^th Avenue North.

News from Other Societies

The South Bay Genealogical Society will hold its May meeting on the 15th of May. Society President Don Churchill will present a program about his recent experiences as part of an Elderhostel/St. Kitts Historical Society project of recording gravesites in St. Kitts. For more information, visit the SBGS web site at http://www.rootsweb.com/~flsbgs/ and click on the link for Meetings. You'll also find a link to a map to the meeting location there.

All About Our May Speaker: Melody K. Porter

FGS looks forward to welcoming "home" our friend, Melody K. Porter, who will present our program on Saturday, 19 May 2007.

Melody Porter’s background is as a computer software business analyst, but she has been researching her genealogy for over 15 years. Recently, she chose to pursue genealogy full time. Melody is proud to be a Native American (both Cherokee and Choctaw) and a member of the Western Cherokee Tribe in Oklahoma. She is the Secretary of the Florida State Genealogical Society (FSGS) and former Records Administrator for the FSGS Pioneer Certification Committee although still actively involved as a Pioneer Reviewer. Melody is the Southeast Director for the International Society for Family History Writers and Editors, a member of the Association for Professional Genealogists, the South Georgia Genealogical Society and the Seminar Chair for the Tallahassee Genealogical Society. She is a former Director of the Florida Genealogical Society of Tampa and now lives in Thomasville, GA. Melody specializes in Florida and South Georgia research.

Melody's program is titled, "Georgia Research Locations: Not Just for Georgia Researchers." She describes it in her workshop abstract as follows:

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

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

We're looking forward to Melody's program and to getting caught up with her!

Volunteers Wanted!

FGS performs a valuable volunteer service to new and struggling genealogists through its "Ask a Genealogist" program at the John F. Germany Library on two Saturdays each month. We typically have a society volunteer on-site on the first Saturday of the month from 9:00 AM to Noon and on the third Saturday of the month from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. The service allows people to ask questions that most of us can answer, sometimes with the help of the genealogy librarians on duty at the time.

We need additional volunteers to help share the responsibility with other members. It is a very rewarding opportunity to help others and to learn about different types of research.

If you are willing to help with this important service, please contact Drew Smith at drewsmithtpa@gmail.com.

Mark Your Calendars! The FGS Fall Seminar is Set!

Mark your calendars now for our all-day Fall Seminar, which will be held on Saturday, 8 September 2007, at Hillsborough Community College’s Dale Mabry Campus!

Our special speaker is Amy Johnson Crow, CG, who will present the following topics:

• Researching Your Civil War Ancestors Online;
  

• Ten Years is a Long Time: Census Substitutes for the In-Between Years;
  

• Finding Ancestors before 1850; and
  

• Finding Female Ancestors. Watch for more details at our Web site and in future announcements.

Click this link -- FGS 2007 Conference Registration Form -- for a PDF file of the registration form! Cut-off is August 31st but don't wait!

FGS Program for 19 May2007

The Florida Genealogical Society will hold its monthly meeting on Saturday, 19 May 2007 at 10:00 AM n in the Auditorium at the John F. Germany Library at 900 North Ashley Drive in downtown Tampa. Our special guest speaker is Melody Porter, whom many of our members remember fondly as an active member of our society. Melody is traveling to us from her current home in Thomasville, Georgia, and will present a program titled "Genealogical Research in Georgia." A Southern Research Special Interest Group (SIG) will also meet at 1:00 PM in the History and Genealogy Department. Admission is free.

FGS Program for 21 April 2007

The Florida Genealogical Society will hold its monthly meeting on Saturday, 21 April 2007 , at 10:00 AM in the Auditorium of the John F. Germany Library at 900 North Ashley Drive in Downtown Tampa.

The guest speaker is Kelly Falconer-Miller of Cherish Bound. She will present a program titled, “How to Make Your Own Books,” that deals with preserving your family stories and photographs in book form. A Southern Research Special Interest Group (SIG) will also meet at 1:00 PM in the Genealogy & Local History Department. Admission is free.

News from Other Societies

We are pleased to announce events at our fellow societies in the surrounding area.

• 17 April 2007 - South Bay Genealogical Society will present a program presented by Damon Hostetter titled "Data Organization," a subject important to all genealogists. Contact the society at South-Bay@juno.com for additional information.
  
• 12 May 2007 - Pasco County Genealogical Society will present a program titled "Cold Mailings: Producing a Family Survey," presented by Pattie Schultz and Pam Treme. The program will be presented at 10:00 AM at the LDS Church at 9016 Fort King Road in Dade City, FL.
  
• 20 May 2007 - The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay will present a program titled "Researching in Your Local Family History Library and Preparing to Research in Salt Lake City from Your Home Computer," presented by Debbe Hagner, AG. The program begins a 2:00 PM at 14041 Icot Boulevard in Clearwater. preceded by a one-hour problem-solving discussion at 1:00 PM and refreshments at 1:30 PM.
  

Other societies in Hillsborough, Pasco, Citrus, Manatee, Sarasote, Polk, and other surounding areas wishing to share their events with us for posting in this blog may send them to George G. morgan at rabidgenealogist@hotmail.com.

Mel Brown Resigns as Treasurer of FGS

It is with deep regret that the FGS Board accepted the resignation on 7 April 2007 of Melvin O. "Mel" Brown as Treasurer of FGS. Mel has been a member of FGS for a number of years since he and his wife, Shirley, relocated from the Chicago area. Mel is the immediate past president of FGS. Since the passing of his wife in early December, Mel has had to make many changes in his life. He has decided that he cannot continue in the position of Treasurer at this time. The Board is discussing a replacement and will address the issue at the general meeting on 21 April 2007.

Welcome to the Florida Genealogical Society (Tampa) Blog!

Welcome to the Florida Genealogical Society (Tampa) Blog! The blog replaces the printed bi-monthly newsletter formerly published by the society. The FGS Board made the decision that a blog provides much more timely information about the society and its activities than the newsletter. Further, the cost of production, supplies, and postage has increased substantially over the last several years, making the newsletter a much less practical communication tool than using electronic communications.

We hold our monthly meetings at 10:00 AM on the third Saturday of each month in the Auditorium of the John F. Germany Library, located at 900 North Ashley Drive, in downtown Tampa, Florida. A Southern Special Interest Group (SIG) is held at 1:00 PM the same day in the Ceta Rodgers Armitage Room just in the history and genealogy collection, located on the Second Floor West. The library's collection is one of the largest and most impressive genealogical collections in the Southeastern U.S.

We hope you will join us for our meetings!

News from Other Societies-South Bay Genealogical Society

The South Bay Genealogical Society will hold its monthly meeting on March 18th at the SouthShore Regional Library. The speakers will be Terry and Jim Willard, who served as hosts of the popular PBS series, Ancestors, some years ago. Their presentation is titled The Uncivilized Internet. Visit their Web site at http://www.rootsweb.com/~flsbgs/ for contact information and reservations for lunch that day.