Amelia Island Genealogical Society

Ancestors Road Show and 2021 Annual Meeting
2021-11-16 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | 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 16, 2021 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 short introduction to the new AIGS website. After that it 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, please let us know well in advance by writing to programs@aigensoc.org

Public welcome.

Annual Meeting Information:

Proxy statement2022 slate of candidatesAIGS budget for 2022

Due to the active spread of Covid in our community we encourage everyone to wear a mask, as we will not be able to socially distance ourselves!

December 2021 Business Meeting
2021-12-09 17:00 - 18:30 | Online
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society board and officers meet monthly to handle the society business. AIGS membership is welcome to attend.

Google Meet joining infoVideo call link: https://meet.google.com/guf-hdmj-vpmOr dial: (US) +1 747-231-0349 PIN: ?241 101 347#More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/guf-hdmj-vpm?pin=4851630674544

January 2022 Membership Committee Meeting
2022-01-04 13:30 - 15:00 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Membership Committee will meet in person at the FBL to create the membership packets for the Beginner’s Class.

Introduction to Family History and Census Research
2022-01-08 09:00 - 12:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Sold Out!The Beginning classes are sold out for 2022!

Introduction to Family History

Marcia will start this session out with an introduction to the Amelia Island Genealogical Society membership benefits as well as providing a brief look at the AIGS website. Once this has been done she will introduce the class to getting started with genealogy in the right way.

Building Your Family Tree Using Census Records

Whether you are a seasoned genealogy researcher or a brand new researcher, understanding the basics of census research is essential to finding your ancestors. While the examples in this post are from U. S. census records, the tips and strategies apply to your census research for any country.

Class Instructor: Marcia Pertuz

Marcia Fleming Pertuz is a retired elementary school teacher and principal. She serves as the chair of the AIGS Library Committee, is currently the registrar for the Princess Amelia Chapter of Colonial Dames XVII Century and is an application reviewer for the Florida Pioneer program of the Florida State Genealogical Society. Marcia has been doing genealogy for over 40 years. She holds a Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University and participated in the 18 month Professional Genealogy Online Study Group (ProGen).

Her personal research areas of interest include Pennsylvania, Colonial New England, Columbia, Spain, France, Poland and Slovakia.

Marcia is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Amelia Island Genealogical Society and is currently chairman of the Library Committee.

January 2022 Business Meeting
2022-01-12 16:30 - 18:00 | Online
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society board and officers meet monthly to handle the society business. AIGS membership is welcome to attend

Google Meet Joining Information

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

Evidence and Analysis, Timelines, Vital Records Research, and Fundamentals of Land and Probate Records for Genealogists
2022-01-15 09:30 - 12:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Sold Out!The Beginning classes are sold out for 2022!

Evidence and Analysis, Timelines, and Vital Records Research

Jim will provide a brief overview of Evidence and Analysis of genealogical records, how to create and utilize timelines in your ancestral research, and finish off this session with a look at Vital Records research.

Fundamentals of Land and Probate Records for Genealogists

The purpose of this program is to provide an overview of the land and probate record keeping systems used in the United States of America. Land and probate record systems were created for economic and legal purposes, so understanding why and how those systems work aids the genealogist’s search to determine who our ancestors were, what they did, where, and when.

Class Instructor: Jim Shroads

James L. Shroads is a retired attorney. A graduate of the University of Florida, Jim served in the U.S. Air Force as a Missile Combat Crew Commander in the Titan II ICBM systems. After leaving the military, he enrolled in the University of Miami School of Law, and upon graduation was employed by The Deltona Corporation as corporate counsel. A few years later he joined ITT Community Development Corporation, the developers of Palm Coast. In 1983, he was transferred to ITT Rayonier in Fernandina Beach, and remained with Rayonier after it was divested by ITT and became an independent company. From 2000 until his retirement, he maintained a private law practice focused primarily upon real estate matters.

Jim is currently serving as Vice President of the Amelia Island Genealogical Society.

The Last Spanish Land Grant in Florida
2022-01-18 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Join us at the Fernandina Beach Branch library on Tuesday, January 18, 2022 at 7 pm to hear the fascinating story of the family of Domingo and Mary Fernandez who owned large plantations on Amelia Island, donated land for the Fernandina Lighthouse, but whose descendants retain ownership of probably the Last Spanish land grant in Florida, which constitutes one acre between St. Michael’s Church and St. Michael’s School between North 4th and 5th Streets. Descendants were plantation owners, not only in Florida, but also in Kenya; they were attorneys, scholars, ordinary people whose influence has been felt around the world.

Speaker: Jean Mann

Speaker Jean Dixon Mann was born only a few miles from where her Dixon ancestors came to (Nassau County) Florida by 1805. She grew up in Fernandina Beach and graduated from Florida State University where she received her B.S. in Elementary Education. Jean and her husband returned to Fernandina Beach in 1992. She was a member of the Historic District Council in Fernandina Beach for 11 years, serving as chairman for two years. She served as treasurer and member of the Board of Trustees of the Amelia Island Museum of History from 1993 to 2000. She was a founding member of the Amelia Island Genealogical Society and served as president (2015-2016) and editor of The Nassau Genealogist, the quarterly publication of that organization for 25 years. Jean has published six family histories and was the editor for two publications for AIGS, all of which are available in the Fernandina Beach Branch library.

Organization, Documentation and Researching at Repositories, Citing Your Sources, and Researching at Depositories
2022-01-22 09:30 - 12:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Sold Out!The Beginning classes are sold out for 2022!

Document Organization

The two most important tasks in genealogical research is organizing your findings and documenting the sources of your findings. Be kind to yourself and start these tasks immediately. The key for you is to find or create a system that works with your style of thinking! Marcia will review the variety of methods researchers have developed to record their family trees. We will also use this time to take a brief look at our own genealogy book collection.

Citing Sources

Documentation Will Make Your Research Easier and FasterDocumentation Helps Prevent Duplication of ResearchDocumentation Gives Others Confidence in Your ResearchDocumentation Doesn’t Have to Be Hard

Researching at Repositories

A repository in genealogy terms is a physical location where genealogical material is held. Marcia will provide instruction on how to develop a research plan before you head off to a repository and also review the different types of genealogical evidence you can find.

Genealogy Websites Comparisons

Marcia will review the big 4 genealogy research sites and show how they stack up to one another.

Class Instructor: Marcia Pertuz

Marcia Fleming Pertuz is a retired elementary school teacher and principal. She serves as the chair of the AIGS Library Committee, is currently the registrar for the Princess Amelia Chapter of Colonial Dames XVII Century and is an application reviewer for the Florida Pioneer program of the Florida State Genealogical Society. Marcia has been doing genealogy for over 40 years. She holds a Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University and participated in the 18 month Professional Genealogy Online Study Group (ProGen).

Her personal research areas of interest include Pennsylvania, Colonial New England, Columbia, Spain, France, Poland and Slovakia.

Marcia is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Amelia Island Genealogical Society and is currently chairman of the Library Committee.

Books, Periodical/Newspapers, and Special Collections and Immigration and Emigration Records
2022-01-29 09:30 - 12:00 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Sold Out!The Beginning classes are sold out for 2022!

Books, Periodical/Newspapers, and Special Collections

Dennis will review and demonstrate how to access the various free online book repositories for your genealogical research. He will share the benefits of PERSI and periodical research, as well as Newspaper research through free and paid repositories. Finally, he’ll discuss Special Collections that can be found online and offline that can assist you with your research.

Immigration and Emigration Records

Dennis will review the push and pull reasons your ancestors may have had for leaving their old country and moving to the United States. He will review the variety of ports they may have arrived at, and then review searching the Ellis Island Passenger List website as well as Castle Gardens. He will finish the class with a look at naturalization records, where they can be found, and what type of evidence you can find in them.

Class Instructor: Dennis Partridge

My introduction to genealogy was back in high school while sitting in my freshman English class. The teacher invited a parent, Mrs. Baker, to the class to share with us her family tree. She descended from the Alden family of Mayflower fame, and at the time, I thought how cool it was to be descended from a Mayflower passenger. The class assignment was to compile a small family tree, and my tree was one of the most pitiful presented in class. But I had caught the bug!

I can now claim that I directly descend from Mayflower Passengers: Isaac and Mary (Norris) Allerton, their daughter Mary Allerton, Degory Priest, John Tilley and Joan (Hurst) Tilley, & John and Elizabeth (Tilley) Howland. I also descend from many of the original founders of Quebec and Montreal, as well as one Algonquin man and Huron woman. My research strength covers the New England area including Quebec.

I have been conducting personal research into my family since 1980. In 1996, in the infancy of the Internet, I morphed into a web developer bringing with me my passion for genealogy. Today, I own and operate AccessGenealogy (https://www.accessgenealogy.com/), one of the largest, privately owned genealogical websites online – well-known and frequented by Native American family researchers. I also serve as President and webmaster for the Amelia Island Genealogical Society.

United States Military Records from the Revolutionary War to Vietnam and Handwriting and Spelling Variations
2022-02-05 09:30 - 12:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Sold Out!The Beginning classes are sold out for 2022!

United States Military Records from the Revolutionary War to Vietnam

Military Records are an excellent source of genealogy records. They cover a wide range of record data, ranging from enlistment, muster, pay, pension, medical, mission, and combat. Record quality and quantity increase and improve over time, with few records being available in the pre-colonial era outside of specialized libraries and histories, to the significant volume of records available for the modern wars (Civil War, WWI, WWII through Recent Wars).

Class Instructor: Gus Reinwald

I was born in Lock Haven, a small, rural Pennsylvania town. I was named Royce Augustus Reinwald, after an uncle and great-grandfather. My childhood years and school days, including high school and college, were in this town, ending with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts from Lock Haven State College.

My college days were interrupted by a four-year stint in the U.S. Army Security Agency, a part of the National Security Agency. This stint included one year in language school at the Presidio of Monterey, California learning Vietnamese. Then, one year in Vietnam working as a translator in support of the 3rd

Marine Division in Phu Bai near the imperial city of Hue in central Vietnam. After Vietnam, I worked at the National Security Agency, located at Ft. Meade, Maryland near Washington, DC.

The Army behind me, I married my childhood sweetheart, finished college and started a family. I worked 32 years in the general aviation industry for Piper Aircraft and Lycoming Engines, mostly in Customer Service and Sales. During this career, I worked in Lock Haven, PA, Vero Beach, FL, and Williamsport, PA, retiring in 2004. My wife and I “found” Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach through our youngest daughter who was living in Jacksonville. Since we always wanted to move back to Florida, we decided to retire here. We did so in July of 2006, buying a home in North Hampton. We have two lovely daughters and four precious grandchildren.

I became interested in genealogy in 1991 when I was unemployed for a year. My father had inherited a trunk full of letters, photos, and family documents, including a diary written by a great-grandfather who emigrated from Scotland to Montreat at age 18. I read this diary on airplane flights while job hunting, and was hooked on finding out more about all my ancestors. With the help of Dad’s trunk and much research, my database (RootsMagic) includes over 3,000 individual and 900 families. Some family lines go back 17 generations, with two ancestors arriving on the Mayflower. I am currently focused on documenting family stories and less on finding individuals.

I am also very happy that I have found and joined the Amelia Island Genealogical Society and served a term as Treasurer and President.

Handwriting and Spelling Variations

Jean will instruct the class on the various ways our ancestors names can be found within records, with a look at various handwriting examples. In the world of genealogical records you will need to remember how to read cursive again!

Class Instructor: Jean Dixon Mann

Jean is a 6th generation Floridian. Her Dixon ancestors had Spanish Land Grants in 1805 in western Nassau County where she was born. She grew up in Fernandina Beach and was a member of the last class to graduate from the “old” high school which now houses the Nassau Countty School Board. Jean is a graduate of Florida State University in Tallahassee with a teaching degree in Elementary Education. Shortly after graduation, she was married and left Florida while followed her husband through his military and finance careers. They returned to Fernandina Beach in 1992 after 18 other moves! This is the only place she ever wanted to live! Her interest in genealogy began when she was a teenager after finding three family Bibles. Her serious dive into her ancestry began in 1985 when she pursued membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Jean has compiled and published genealogies on four of her famiy lines – Dixon, Phinney, Limbaugh and Anderson. Additionally, she has published the genealogy of the Domingo and Mary Fernandez family whose plantation was located in what is now Fernandina and edited a genealogy of James Bordeaux and his Sioux wife, Huntkalutawin.

Jean is the last charter member of AIGS and has been the only editor of “The Nassau County Genealogist,” the quarterly publication, since its inception in 1994. She has served as president of the Society and is currently a member of the Board of Directors.

February 2022 Business Meeting
2022-02-09 16:30 - 18:00 | Online
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society board and officers meet monthly to handle the society business. AIGS membership is welcome to attend.

We will need to review the audit committee report. It should have been received by February 1.

Google Meet Joining Information

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

Tying It All Together - The PROCESS method of genealogical research
2022-02-12 09:30 - 12:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Sold Out!The Beginning classes are sold out for 2022!

Class Description

PROCESS is a method I use to conduct research on client family trees as well as my own. You will find that a lot of the PROCESS method was discussed earlier in the different classes. This class is meant to tie it all together by sharing research results I have found while researching my 2nd great-grandfather’s parents and family.

Class Instructor: Dennis Partridge

My introduction to genealogy was back in high school while sitting in my freshman English class. The teacher invited a parent, Mrs. Baker, to the class to share with us her family tree. She descended from the Alden family of Mayflower fame, and at the time, I thought how cool it was to be descended from a Mayflower passenger. The class assignment was to compile a small family tree, and my tree was one of the most pitiful presented in class. But I had caught the bug!

I can now claim that I directly descend from Mayflower Passengers: Isaac and Mary (Norris) Allerton, their daughter Mary Allerton, Degory Priest, John Tilley and Joan (Hurst) Tilley, & John and Elizabeth (Tilley) Howland. I also descend from many of the original founders of Quebec and Montreal, as well as one Algonquin man and Huron woman. My research strength covers the New England area including Quebec.

I have been conducting personal research into my family since 1980. In 1996, in the infancy of the Internet, I morphed into a web developer bringing with me my passion for genealogy. Today, I own and operate AccessGenealogy (https://www.accessgenealogy.com/), one of the largest, privately owned genealogical websites online – well-known and frequented by Native American family researchers. I also serve as President and webmaster for the Amelia Island Genealogical Society.

The Genealogy of Genes
2022-02-15 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
For centuries, genealogists have based their studies on ancient records and oral affidavits to establish line of descent. Fifty years after the discovery of DNA, the age of genealogical DNA testing was launched, providing us with scientific methods to prove relationships.

But how were DNA and genes discovered? What are their lines of descent? This entertaining presentation will focus on describing the thrills, intrigue and espionage associated with the amazing race to solve the puzzle of this remarkable molecule by three competing scientific teams.

The speaker will also describe the different types of DNA genetic testing, and will show how his own DNA test results encapsulate the story of human migration.

Speaker: Medardo Monzon

Medardo Monzon

Medardo Monzon started his career as an entrepreneur in his native Colombia, moving to the United States in 1981, where he worked for Dow Chemical, Equistar (now Lyondell) and International Paper. He obtained a chemistry degree from the National University of Colombia and a master degree in chemistry from Central Michigan University. He is a graduate of the “Mahler Advanced Management Skills Program” and is certified in neuro-linguistic programming and several personality diagnostics.

Mr. Monzon is now retired and is a resident of Amelia Island. His hereditary material shows links to points across the globe: Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia and the Americas.

March 2022 Business Meeting
2022-03-09 16:30 - 18:00 | Online

In Their Own Words
2022-03-15 19:00 - 20:15 | Florida
As part of the third system of fortifications built for harbor defense, Fort Clinch was constructed from 1847 to 1867. Serving in three wars, the Civil War, Spanish-American War, and World War II, the fort never saw battle and was never fully completed. Frank Ofeldt III will share with us how life was for the soldiers that were stationed there during these periods, based on their own accounts, letters and diaries.

Frank A. Ofeldt III began as a Fort Clinch volunteer in the fort’s interpretive program in the 1980s. After college, he pursued a career with the Florida Park Service, for which he has served almost 30 years. He can often be found at the Fort portraying a Sergeant of Engineers. Frank is an avid reader, researcher, and collector of American military antiques, and authored a book on Fort Clinch. He often speaks to civic organizations regarding the military history of Amelia Island.

April 2022 Business Meeting
2022-04-13 16:30 - 18:00 | Online

Keeping it in the Family
2022-04-19 19:00 - 20:15 | Florida
Chip Kirkpatrick will speak about his hobby of historical metal detecting, and in particular about an amazing piece he found on the Florida/Georgia border. It is a strange antique silver Scottish medallion, heavily engraved with illustrations, phrases and mottos, with direct links to William Wallace (Braveheart), Robert the Bruce and Chip’s own family. It is believed to be brought here by one of the Highlanders under Oglethorpe when he founded the colony of Georgia, and was likely lost in combat when the militia came to Amelia Island to avenge the murder of two Scots.

Chip Kirkpatrick

Shortly after his retirement from BellSouth/AT&T, Chip Kirkpatrick was introduced to metal detecting. Since then, he gave up fishing and has been spending his time searching for historical relics in NE Florida and SE Georgia, which he offers to schools, museums and libraries. He has received several awards for his finds, and has been published in magazines in the US, UK and Scotland. Kirkpatrick offers a free recovery and return service for anybody who has lost an item of personal value.

May 2022 Business Meeting
2022-05-11 16:30 - 18:00 | Online

Your Ancestor's FAN Club
2022-05-17 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Using Cluster Research to Get Past Brick Walls

Our ancestors were each surrounded by Family, Associates, and Neighbors. By researching them, we discover additional records pointing to our own ancestors. Join us in person for a webinar on this interesting topic by Drew Smith.

Drew Smith

Drew Smith developed an interest in genealogy as a child, and he began to engage in serious family history research in 1992 after the death of his favorite aunt. In 2009, Genealogical Publishing Company published his first genealogy book, Social Networking for Genealogists. His second book, co-authored with George G. Morgan, is Advanced Genealogy Research Techniques, published in 2013 by McGraw-Hill. His most recent book is Organize Your Genealogy: Strategies and Solutions for Every Researcher, published in 2016 by Family Tree Books. He is currently working on a new book.

Drew regularly speaks at conferences and meetings of national, state, and local genealogy societies, especially on topics linking genealogy and technology. Together with George G. Morgan, Drew has been the co-host of The Genealogy Guys Podcast since September 2005. Beginning in 2016, he hosts the Genealogy Connections Podcast.

June 2022 Business Meeting
2022-06-15 16:30 - 18:00 | Online

Parchments to Printouts
2022-06-21 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
A History of the Census 1790-1950

Join us at the Fernandina Branch Library community room on 21 June at 7pm for a webinar by Sharon Tosi Lacey, Chief Historian at the U.S. Census Bureau. The title is Parchments to Printouts: A History of the Census 1790-1950, and the presentation will cover the changes and adaptations of the decennial census from inception through 1950, with a special focus on Amelia Island and surrounding area.

Sharon Tosi Lacey

Sharon Tosi Lacey has served as the Chief Historian for the U.S. Census Bureau since June 2015. Previously, she spent 25 years as an officer in the U.S. Army and U.S. Army Reserves before retiring in 2015 as a Lieutenant Colonel. She holds a B.S. in Engineering Psychology from the United States Military Academy, an M.S. in Education from Long Island University, and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Leeds. She is the author of the book “Pacific Blitzkrieg” and a variety of studies and articles on topics ranging from Cromwell’s Army to the Iraq War.

Using DNA to Prove an Ancestor and a Hereditary Disorder
2022-07-19 19:00 - 20:30 | Florida
Join us for a presentation by Sharon Clark Driscoll about the use of DNA in genealogical research. Hear about some of most successful commercial DNA testing companies, FamilyTreeDNA, 23andMe, and AncestryDNA, and what they have to offer. Learn how to find matches and recognize possible false positives. In addition, find out about markers and how to use genetic health risk reports.

Sharon Clark Driscoll

Sharon Clark Driscoll has researched her family tree since 2011, when her father passed. She is presently the President of the Princess Amelia Chapter, Colonial Dames XVII Century and the 1st Vice Regent of the Amelia Island Chapter, NSDAR. She was the Amelia Island Chapter, NSDAR Registrar from 2017-2021 completing over 200 applications. In addition, she completed 11 new member applications for the Jacksonville Chapter, FLSSAR. She took DAR’s certified courses GEP1, GEP2, GEP3 and DNA certified courses. Sharon and her relatives have been stumped for over twenty years on her direct Clark lineage, but now with the use of DNA and old-fashioned genealogical research she’s getting closer.

August 2022 Business Meeting
2022-08-10 16:30 - 18:00 | Online
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society board and officers meet monthly to handle the society business. AIGS membership is welcome to attend.

A list of all positions to be filled must be forwarded to the Nominating Committee by 1 September. Positions which must be filled with new people are: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and all officers.

Google Meet Joining Information

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

Stop Battling with Military Records
2022-08-16 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Come join us at 7pm, Tuesday, 16 August 2022, at the Fernandina Branch Library for a free presentation by John Strasburg concerning military records and their usage in your genealogical research. Military records can be a rich source of genealogical information, but many researchers steer clear because they don’t feel confident working with them. Become more comfortable around military records by joining guest presenter John Strasburg as he describes the various records available and how to obtain them. Whether experienced with military records or just getting started, everybody will come away from this program with something new.

Google Meet joining infoVideo call link: https://meet.google.com/wgv-uoog-hpiOr dial: ‪(US) +1 857-529-7434‬ PIN: ‪232 319 062‬#More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/wgv-uoog-hpi?pin=7090056606911

Speaker: John Strasburg

John Strasburg is a genealogist who specializes in military records research and enjoys helping others discover their ancestral past. A retired U.S. Coast Guard commissioned officer, John holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from SUNY Stony Brook, a master’s degree in library & information science from the University of South Florida, and a certificate in genealogical research from Boston University’s Metropolitan School, Center for Professional Education. John recently published his first book titled He Charged Alone: World War I Medal of Honor Recipient Private First Class Frank Gaffney, available on Lulu.com.

He Charged Alone: World War I Medal of Honor Recipient Private First Class Frank Gaffney

Frank Gaffney was a 33-year-old papermaker from Western New York when America entered the Great War in 1917. While his age exempted him from serving in the military, Gaffney ran to the colors anyway. He fought bravely on Belgian and French battlefields as a U.S. Army soldier with the 27th Division’s 108th Infantry Regiment. On September 29, 1918, Gaffney singlehandedly breached a section of Germany’s Hindenburg Line, coming away with 80 prisoners. Six grateful nations recognized his bravery, including his own. In June 1919, the United States awarded him the Medal of Honor. Years later, the 27th Division’s commanding general, Maj. Gen. John F. O’Ryan, wrote of Gaffney, “…no one man had performed more daring exploits and had exercised a bigger influence upon those about him by the gallantry of his conduct.”

In He Charged Alone, John Strasburg chronicles the life of a First World War American soldier whose bravery was once compared to that of the legendary Sergeant Alvin York. To tell the story, the author weaves together Gaffney’s personal correspondence with military/government records, newspaper accounts, and published unit histories. Nearly fifty illustrations—photographs and maps—augment the narrative.

Much of the book focuses on Gaffney’s military service, heroism on the battlefield, and subsequent rehabilitation from a combat injury he received in the war’s closing days, but not overlooked are Gaffney’s upbringing and how he managed the burden that comes with being a Medal of Honor recipient. At its core, this book memorializes a true American hero from New York State who in life was admired by people across the country but in death has been nearly forgotten. In He Charged Alone, Frank Gaffney’s legacy returns to the fore, where it belongs.

Purchase Book

September 2022 Business Meeting
2022-09-14 16:30 - 18:00 | Online
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society board and officers meet monthly to handle the society business. AIGS membership is welcome to attend.

Candidates from the Nominating committee for the 2023 Board should be received by the 2022 Board on September 1.

Google Meet Joining Information

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

Family History - Fun and Foibles
2022-09-20 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Come join us on 20 September 2022 at 7pm in the Community room at the Fernandina Beach Branch Library where Joel Warner will present his discussion topic of “Family History – Fun and Foibles.” This presentation by Joel Warner goes back to England and tackles some research problems from four different families. During a review of each of these cases, we identify interesting flukes, errors and assumptions which took us down some wrong paths. We will also look at the corrective actions which solved some problems. Some of the problems were quite difficult, some were much easier. Some had stayed “on the books” for many years and some were recent. We are able to see that one of our best tools as family history researchers is a healthy skepticism. Our goals as family historians is not to put together what probably happened or what might have happened. Our goal is to find, through reasonable exhaustive research, what did happen. We cannot know everything, but by linking documents together we can can be reasonably certain of many things.

Warner’s goal in this presentation is to use real cases he has worked on to demonstrate how perseverance and luck will often help research solve problems. Some may take patience as more and more records become available. But there is great satisfaction with connecting yourself to the real lives of the real family members who contributed to what and who you are.

Joel Warner

Joel Warner

Joel Warner has had interest in Family History since he was a boy. This was due to his mother and grandparents working in the area and sharing stories of how his ancestors came to America, the problems they faced and what they left behind. He finds working with others to help them progress is enriching and fulfilling. He has lived in Jacksonville for about 30 years, finally landing there after living in California, Utah, Ohio, Indiana, Oklahoma, Maryland and Australia. He is a member of the Jacksonville Genealogy Society and the Southern Genealogy Exchange Society. He has served on the planning committee of the North Florida Genealogy Conference for many years.

October 2022 Business Meeting
2022-10-12 16:30 - 18:00 | Online
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society board and officers meet monthly to handle the society business. AIGS membership is welcome to attend.

Google Meet Joining Information

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

Finding Women in County, State, and Federal Records: What You Really Need to Know
2022-10-18 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
How can you find your female ancestors in most of the records they may have been reported in? We will discuss which local, county, state, and federal records are most likely to include female ancestors, what information they may contain, ways to get better results, and how to obtain a copy of your female ancestor’s records.

Margo Fariss Brewer

Margo Fariss Brewer

Margo Fariss Brewer is a lecturer, consultant, and instructor. She has co-led genealogy research trips to libraries in Salt Lake City, UT and Ft Wayne, IN. Margo has been a lecturer and instructor for 23 years. Her genealogy courses include beginning through advanced methodology, finding and acquiring military records, locating and understanding land records, and writing your family history narrative so it will be read.

Google Meet joining infoVideo call link: https://meet.google.com/rrt-tvvb-dzmOr dial: ‪(US) +1 914-893-5608‬ PIN: ‪959 377 309‬#More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/rrt-tvvb-dzm?pin=5250882427898

November 2022 Business Meeting
2022-11-09 16:30 - 18:00 | Online
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society board and officers meet monthly to handle the society business. AIGS membership is welcome to attend.

Establish a 3 person audit committee to review 2022 financial records in January 2023.

Google Meet Joining Information

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 2022 Annual Meeting
2022-11-15 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Items from 2021 Ancestor Road Show

The Amelia Island Genealogical Society will hold its annual meeting at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, November 15, 2021 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, please let us know well in advance by writing to programs@aigensoc.org

Public welcome.

Annual Meeting Information:

2022 Proxy Form (Please vote by proxy for the 2023 slate of candidates and 2023 budget if you can not be present at the meeting. There is a quorum we must meet.)2023 slate of candidatesAIGS budget for 2023
