Amelia Island Genealogical Society

LABINS Resource for Maps
2024-10-15 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society will hold its regular monthly meeting at 7pm on the 3rd Tuesday, 15 October 2024, in the community room at the Fernandina Branch Library. Jim Shroads will be the guest speaker. Details to follow.

The Hendricks/Demonbreun Family Tree
2024-09-17 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society will hold its regular monthly meeting at 7pm on the 3rd Tuesday, 17 September 2024, in the community room at the Fernandina Branch Library. Speaker for the evening will be John H. Hendricks of Callahan, Nassau, Florida.

John was born in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1959, the youngest of five children. His family lived outside of Callahan, Florida, in a small house located within yards of the Atlantic Coast Line’s main double-tracked line. Those many trains constantly racing by his home day and night would forever cement in his psyche his love for trains and railroads. While growing up, John loved to draw and study railroad maps, road atlases, and old buildings. He would pursue these interests at the University of Florida, where in 1988 he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in construction and design. Upon his return to Callahan in the 1990s, John ‘s new appreciation of historic structures and buildings eventually led him in 2005 to join the West Nassau Historical Society. He is currently president of the all-volunteer 501c3 nonprofit, which is based inside the quaint, yet historic 1881 Callahan Train Depot. John uses his position with the Historical Society to further foster and promote Nassau County’s rich and diverse history and culture. One of the highlights of his many years of historical research is the 2012 publication of his book on Daniel Callahan, a prolific Irish American railroad contractor and his hometown’s namesake.

John still resides in Callahan and can be reached through the Historical Society’s Facebook page or via email: jhendricks459@aol.com

Greek Genealogy and Fernandina Settlers
2024-08-20 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society will hold its regular monthly meeting at 7pm on the 3rd Tuesday, 20 August 2024, in the community room at the Fernandina Branch Library. Speaker details to follow. Nick Deonas will be the guest speaker.

July General Meeting
2024-07-16 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society will hold its regular monthly meeting at 7pm on the 3rd Tuesday, 16 July 2024, in the community room at the Fernandina Branch Library. Speaker details to follow.

Brushes with History
2024-06-29 10:00 - 14:00 | Peck Center, 516 South 10th Street, Fernandina Beach, Florida, 32034, United States
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED!

R. L. Lewis, renowned Florida Highwaymen

Live Painting and History from a Florida Highwayman

A Renowned Florida Highwaymen Artist Comes to Fernandina Beach!

Fernandina Beach, FL During the FREE event, the artist will be painting a picture as he talks about the Highwaymen and will donate a picture to the Amelia Island Genealogical Society for auction!

About the Artist

R.L. Lewis is one of the quietly creative and versatile figures of a Florida Landscape Artist tradition that has become known as THE HIGHWAYMEN. He is also a retired Art Teacher of 32 years in the Brevard County School System.

Fernandina Beach Florida Bicentennial

This event, organized by the Amelia Island Genealogical Society, is part of the larger Bicentennial celebrations occurring throughout the year in Fernandina Beach, Florida.

Gus Gerbing and Gerbing Gardens
2024-06-18 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society will hold its regular monthly meeting at 7pm on the 3rd Tuesday, 18 June 2024, in the community room at the Fernandina Branch Library. Jane Collins, President of Colonial Dames, will speak on Gus Gerbing, who was a well-known local entrepreneur and gardener. She will also speak about her father’s efforts to stop the paper companies from polluting the river.

Tips and Tricks for Solving Your Brick Walls
2024-05-21 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society will hold its regular monthly meeting at 7pm on the 3rd Tuesday, 21 May 2024, in the community room at the Fernandina Branch Library. Speaker details to follow.

We will not be having a formal presentation at this meeting but will instead have experienced genealogists answer member submitted questions about issues with their own family tree research. Members should submit their questions for consideration by May 10th @ 5:00 p.m. They should be submitted via email to freyancestry@gmail.com. Include your name and a contact phone number so the genealogist can contact you.

We look forward to having you join us for a very informative meeting.

Quilting in America - Family Tree Style
2024-04-16 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society will hold its regular monthly meeting at 7pm on the 3rd Tuesday, 16 April 2024, in the community room at the Fernandina Branch Library. Our speaker will be Lauree Hemkee. Lauree will speak on the history of quilting in America and will show examples of quilts that are family trees.

More details to follow

Jacksonville Public Library's Memory Lab
2024-03-19 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society will hold its regular monthly meeting at 7pm on the 3rd Tuesday, 19 March 2024, in the community room at the Fernandina Branch Library. Our speaker for the evening will be Kristi Dorney, Customer Experience Librarian Special Collections and Genealogy at the Jacksonville Public Library. She will speak about the Jacksonville Public Library’s Memory Lab.

The Memory Lab is available to library card holders to help get those boxes of old photographs, home movies on VHS or film, mixed tapes on cassette or favorite records into digital format. We look forward to having you join us for a very informative meeting.

We will also try to organize a future tour of the Lab for folks interested in driving to Jacksonville.

FamilyTreeMaker - Special Interest Group
2024-03-16 14:00 - 15:00 | Florida
We will hold the next meeting of the FamilyTreeMaker special interest group on Saturday, March 16, 2024. This meeting is a virtual meeting, and the information to log in can be found below. I do ask that you register for the group at the following web page if you haven’t already.

Register Here

All participants have some basic tasks that should be completed before this meeting.

Purchase FamilyTreeMaker 2019 if you haven’t already. Anyone who is newly purchased should receive an opportunity for a free 2024 upgrade when it debuts later this year. For a discount on your purchase, please use read the following: Handout with discount link.

Once you have purchased your copy of FTM 2019, please install it on the computer of your choice.

Video List to watch:

Getting Started with FamilyTreeMaker

Customizing Family Tree Maker? Having it your way!

If you are updating from a previous version: FTM2019 Before Installation. Always remember to BACKUP your tree first in your old version of FTM !!!

Google Meet joining info:

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/fxy-zoxq-hza

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 475-441-4687‬ PIN: ‪203 451 978‬#More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/fxy-zoxq-hza?pin=9781738250016

Writing Your Ancestors Life Story - Special Interest Group
2024-02-25 19:00 - 21:00 | Florida
We will hold the first meeting of the Writing Your Ancestors Life Story special interest group on Sunday, February 25, 2024, from 7pm-9pm. This meeting is a virtual meeting, and the information to log in can be found below. I do ask that you register for the group at the following web page if you haven’t already.

Register Here!

Google Meet joining info

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/sgm-weum-fgb

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 502-482-5847‬ PIN: ‪860 342 572‬#More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/sgm-weum-fgb?pin=9892049417407

FamilyTreeMaker - Special Interest Group
2024-02-24 13:00 - 15:00 | Florida
We will hold the first meeting of the FamilyTreeMaker special interest group on Saturday, February 24, 2024. This meeting is a virtual meeting, and the information to log in can be found below. I do ask that you register for the group at the following web page if you haven’t already.

Register Here

This initial meeting will provide a great opportunity for you to get a better look at the software if you haven’t already purchased it. We will also discuss the new 2024 version of the software to be released soon. Additional checklist items will be future meeting frequency, dates, and times.

Handout with discount link

Google Meet joining info:

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/fxy-zoxq-hza

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 475-441-4687‬ PIN: ‪203 451 978‬#More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/fxy-zoxq-hza?pin=9781738250016

Culloden to the Carolinas: Scottish Immigration
2024-02-20 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Terry Talbert

The Amelia Island Genealogical Society will hold its regular monthly meeting at 7pm on the 3rd Tuesday, 20 February 2024, in the community room at the Fernandina Branch Library. The public is invited to join us!

The brutal Battle of Culloden on April 16, 1746, was the conclusion of the Jacobite Rebellion that sought to replace George II with his Scottish (and Catholic) kin of the Stuart line. The subsequent proclamation by the Duke of Cumberland, aiming at the devastation of the Jacobites, led to a wave of exiled Highland Scots looking for a new life in the Americas, in particular in the Carolinas. This program covers the events before, during and after the battle, as well as the assimilation and migratory paths of the Scots in the United States. It will conclude with a look at their situation today, and at the prospects for Scotland’s freedom and independence from England.

Speaker: Terry Talbert

Terry Talbert holds undergraduate degrees in Architecture, French and English with a Masters in English and a MBA. She is currently tracing her Scottish and French ancestors. As a novice genealogist, she is learning with every discovery.

History of Agriculture in Nassau County
2024-01-16 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Join us for a fascinating presentation on how the region’s agricultural sector persisted, despite serious challenges, and continued to contribute significantly to the county’s economy by the late 20th century.

Commercial agriculture in Nassau County dates back to the 18th century when a highway was constructed from the northern colonies to St. Augustine, leading to the establishment of plantation systems. After the Revolutionary War, Nassau County was transferred back to the Spanish, who re-established plantations, initiating the first land boom. In the 19th century, the area saw battles between Americans and Seminoles, leading to the relocation of the Town Seat of Government from Fernandina to Sand Hill. The 20th century witnessed the boom of the timber and Long Leaf Pine industry, with significant developments in agriculture, marked by the introduction of County Agricultural Agents in 1915 and the growth of the truck farming industry in South Florida in the 1920s. The Great Depression and subsequent decades brought challenges, but the region’s agriculture persisted, contributing significantly to the county’s economy by the late 20th century.

David Hebert

Speaker David Hebert is an Extension Agent I in Nassau County, FL. This presentation is based on his research of a collection of historical documents.

2024 Beginning Genealogy Classes
2024-01-06 09:30 - 12:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Amelia Island Genealogical Society (AIGS) will conduct its annual Beginning Genealogy Course on six consecutive Saturdays, beginning 6 January 2024. All classes are held at 9:30am and end before 12:30pm in the Community Room at the Fernandina Beach Branch Library. The cost of $50 for 1 person or $85 per couple which includes a one-year Annual membership to the society and a manual. The cost to existing members is $25. Class size is limited, so please register early. To register, contact Patti Millage at 503-819-4561 or membership@aigensoc.org.

December 2023 Business Meeting
2023-12-11 16:30 - 18:00 | Florida
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society board and officers meet monthly to handle the society business. AIGS membership is welcome to attend.

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/pfk-tyhq-zveOr dial: (US) +1 346-908-0731 PIN: 722 543 807#More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/pfk-tyhq-zvepin=6838325626893

Ancestors Road Show and 2023 Annual Meeting
2023-11-21 19:00 - 20:00 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society will hold its annual meeting at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, November 21, 2023 at the Community Room of the Fernandina Beach Public Library, 25 N 4th St.

Following the election of officers and approval of the budget for the next year there will be time for our popular show-and-tell, a.k.a. the “Ancestor Road Show”. Members are invited to bring heirlooms, photographs, scrapbooks or other items for general display, and give a short (3 minutes) verbal presentation on these items.

If you wish to share a story with us, though, please let us know well in advance by writing to programs@aigensoc.org

Public welcome.

Annual Meeting Information:

2023 Bylaws Proposal

2024 Proxy Form (Please vote by proxy for the 2024 slate of candidates and 2024 budget if you cannot be present at the meeting. There is a quorum we must meet.)

2024 slate of candidates

AIGS budget for 2024

November 2023 Business Meeting
2023-11-08 16:30 - 18:00 | Florida

Library Committee Meeting - Nov 2023
2023-11-06 14:00 - 16:00 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Bi-monthly meeting of the library committee which has responsibility over the genealogy collection at the Fernandina Beach Branch library.

Deeds: An Insider's View
2023-10-17 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Join us on October 17 at 7pm in the Community Room at the downtown Fernandina Beach branch library for a virtual presentation by Susan Well from the Genealogical Society of Sarasota. She will reveal what information to expect from a deed, how to extract the relevant facts from the mostly unfamiliar wording and how to interpret the land description. Susan Well has twenty-five years’ experience in real estate sales and appraisal and will share how you can use the nature of the land records’ office to your advantage when approaching the personnel who work there, either in-person or online.

Public welcome!

Graveyard Chronicles: Stories of Life, Love, and Legacy
2023-10-14 09:00 - 17:00 | Bosque Bello Cemetery, 1321 N. 14th St., Fernandina Beach, Florida, 32034, United States
Have you always wanted to know who resides at Bosque Bello Cemetery?

The guided tour at Bosque Bello Cemetery, presented by the Amelia Island Genealogical Society and the Amelia Island Museum of History, offers a unique chance to learn about the lives and stories of notable past residents of Fernandina.

You will be escorted to 8 different gravesites where Costumed Interpreters will share the tales of these individuals (including one or two who are actual relatives).

Here are some key details about the event:

● The tour is on Saturday, October 14, 2023, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.● Tickets are $25 per person● The tour is expected to take approximately 1 ½ hours.● Please be aware that due to the terrain at Bosque Bello, the tour might not be wheelchair accessible or suitable for those using walkers.

Tours presented in partnership with the Amelia Island Museum of History.

Purchase Tickets

October 2023 Business Meeting
2023-10-11 16:30 - 18:00 | Florida

Florida Pioneers, Settlers and Builders
2023-09-19 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
The Florida State Genealogical Society’s Florida Pioneer Descendant Certification Program honors descendants of Florida pioneers who settled in Florida prior to statehood on 3 March 1845, and settlers & builders of Florida who settled in Florida between 3 March 1845 and 31 Dec 1900.

Speaker Judy Frey will be discussing the different types of certificates available through this program and will provide instructions to guide descendants through the steps to prepare their application and the related documents. She will also highlight the various resources of records available on Florida counties.

Judy Frey

Judy Whitter Frey is retired from the State of Florida, Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services and broke ground as the first civilian woman selected as a Special Agent for the Naval Investigative Service. She earned a B. A. in History from Jacksonville University and an M. B. A. in JU’s First Executive Master of Business Administration class.

Judy currently serves as Vice-President of the Amelia Island Genealogical Society. She started researching her family ancestry in the 1970’s. On 31 January 2016 she received Florida Pioneer Descendant Certificates from the Florida Genealogical Society.

Download a PDF of Judy’s Presentation

September 2023 Business Meeting
2023-09-13 16:30 - 18:00 | Florida

Library Committee Meeting - Sep 2023
2023-09-11 14:00 - 16:00 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States

The "Rosin" Fall of Turpentine in Nassau County
2023-08-15 19:00 - 20:30 | Florida
Turpentine was a ubiquitous ingredient in American household products including paints, medicines, soaps, lamp oil, ink, lubricants, hair spray, and cosmetics, just to name a few. Pine trees would be tapped for sap and resin which was used in the production of making turpentine.

Join us to listen to John Hendricks, Director of the West Nassau Historical Society, who will explore the economic and social impact the turpentine industry had on the development of Nassau County. He will take you on a remarkable hundred-year-long journey from the first turpentine still founded in the late 1850s through its heyday at the turn of the 19th century to its waning years in the 1940s and 1950s.

August 2023 Business Meeting
2023-08-09 16:30 - 18:00 | Florida

Looking for Your Ancestors? Try the Free Ancestry Library Edition
2023-07-22 10:30 | Florida
This month’s program will be a unique opportunity to learn about the use of the online subscription to the Ancestry Library Edition (ALE). Participants will be given the opportunity to use this free resource during an online workshop in the Library’s Computer Lab. If you bring your own device, you may use the library’s free Wi-Fi to access ALE. ALE contains resources like censuses, vital records, family histories, military records, court and legal documents, immigration records, directories, photos, maps and more.

This is the second program in a series to showcase the resources of the AIGS and the Nassau County Public Library System. The AIGS provides partial funding for the subscription to ALE.

Attendance is free and open to the public.

July 2023 Business Meeting
2023-07-12 16:30 - 18:00 | Florida

Library Committee Meeting Jul 2023
2023-07-10 14:00 - 16:00 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
