Amelia Island Genealogical Society

June 2022 Business Meeting
2022-06-15 16:30 - 18:00 (America/New_York) | 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

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
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

December 2022 Business Meeting
2022-12-14 16:30 - 18:00 | Online

2023 Beginners Classes
2023-01-07 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 Beginner Genealogical Course on six consecutive Saturdays, beginning 7 January 2023. All classes are held at 9:30am until noon 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 treasurer@aigensoc.org.

January 2023 Business Meeting
2023-01-11 16:30 - 18:00
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

What's new in Family Tree Maker?
2023-01-17 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Mark Olsen

Please join us on 17 January 2023 at 7pm in the Community room at the Fernandina Beach Branch Library, when we kick off the new year with a virtual presentation by Marl Olsen. Mark will introduce the latest update of the Family Tree Maker software, explaining how to get the update, what to do prior to running it, and highlighting its main features. This presentation will not only be useful to those who are already using the FTM software, but also to those who are considering acquiring it. A door prize will be presented to one person at the meeting.

Mark Olsen is the Family Tree Maker Ambassador to historical and genealogical societies around the world working to support their members as they use Family Tree Maker. Mark is a graduate of Brigham Young University and holds a bachelor’s degree in Family History with a Spanish records emphasis. He has been working in the genealogy industry since 2007 and has been the Family Tree Maker Ambassador since 2016.

February 2023 Business Meeting
2023-02-15 16:30 - 18:00

Use of Death and Funeral Home Records for Genealogical Research
2023-02-21 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Kyle Adkins

Funeral home records and state death records are an important genealogical resource. Not only can they provide major subject information, but often we may find tidbits of data that will help “fill in the blanks”. While documents such as state death certificates may have changed over the years, records kept by a funeral home or cemetery have remained much the same. This presentation will show how to access those records, and how they can benefit your genealogical research.

Speaker: Kyle Adkins

Kyle Adkins, licensed as a funeral director in Florida, is a native and resident of Folkston, Georgia. Kyle is a 1980 graduate of Georgia Southern College and a 1991 graduate of Gupton-Jones College of Mortuary Science and as a third generation funeral director, he has spent much of his life in funeral service. He has served families at Oxley-Heard since 2015

Library Committee Meeting
2023-03-06 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.

Membership Committee Meeting Mar 2023
2023-03-08 13:00 - 15:00 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
At the Board meeting last week, the distribution of the quarterlies was discussed a bit – how to best handle getting the publication to those folks who really want to receive it without printing a bunch of copies that will never be picked up. There were some suggestions, starting with sending an email to those current members with 3-4 copies sitting in their folders. The more I thought about it, I decided it would be a good opportunity to ask a few other questions around membership benefits, meeting schedule, program topics, etc. (in addition to the quarterly question). I’m thinking we should develop a short survey covering these items – the agenda for our next Membership Committee Meeting!

March 2023 Business Meeting
2023-03-15 16:30 - 18:00

Genealogy or History? Collaborative Research in Action
2023-03-21 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Come join us on 21 March 2023 at 7:00pm in the Fernandina Branch Library community room. Carol Clay, Past-President of the Southern Genealogist Exchange, Inc. will present “Genealogy or History? Collaborative Research in Action” where she will discuss two Jacksonville families research while extolling the benefits of the collection at the Southern Genealogist Exchange office on Sauterne Drive in Jacksonville. She will also share the history of the 58-year-old family research nonprofit, and will talk about their more than 6,000 books, periodicals, and magazines, as well as a collection of maps, family histories, and over 100,000 obituaries from Jacksonville and the surrounding regions.

Carol Clay

Carol Clay retired from the St. Johns County School System after 19 years. In her role as a paraprofessional she held many positions in administration and student instruction. She has been a member of the Southern Genealogist’s Exchange Society since 2014. Carol has served on the Executive Board of SGES since 2015 in various positions including President.

April 2023 Business Meeting
2023-04-12 16:30 - 18:00

How to Convert Old Photographs, Slides, & Videos into Digital Formats
2023-04-18 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Cherished memories deserve special care and preserving them for future generations is essential. We invite you to join us on April 18th, 2023, at 7:00 PM in the Fernandina Branch Library’s community room for an informative session on converting photographs, slides, and videos into digital formats that can be treasured for a lifetime.

Whether you’re looking to undertake the conversion process yourself or seeking reputable companies for assistance, understanding the basics of format and resolution is crucial. Our discussion will cover essential equipment for do-it-yourself enthusiasts, outsourcing options, and anticipated costs.

It is widely recommended to maintain three copies of each digital file as a safeguard against unforeseen events such as fires, floods, thefts, or computer crashes. As such, we will explore the pros and cons of various storage solutions, including personal computers, USB flash drives, external backup devices, and cloud storage services.

Speaker: Jo Lichten

Dr. Jo

Jo loves life! In her professional life, Dr Jo is a PhD nutritionist and wellness expert who speaks at company meetings and national conferences, helping professionals keep their energy and productivity up through small shifts in the way they eat, sleep, move, and think. She spends her spare time traveling with her husband, practicing yoga on the beach, working on quilts, playing with her young grandkids, and preserving all those memories. She’s kept photo albums for 50 years. While originally using peel-and-stick albums, about 15 years ago she converted to stunning digital-to-print albums. When Jo’s dad passed, she and her brother-in-law worked to digitally preserve and organize the 14,000+ photos and slides he left behind – and then shared them with each of her eight siblings.

Library Committee Meeting May 2023
2023-05-01 14:00 - 16:00 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States

May 2023 Business Meeting
2023-05-10 16:30 - 18:00

The Catholic Church Going West
2023-05-16 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Bob Frey

After the Revolutionary War, farmland was becoming scarce for the large Catholic families of Southern Maryland. When they heard the stories of the richness of Kentucky, the first area west of the mountains that opened up to mass migration, many of these families decided to move there.

Join us to listen to this month’s speaker, Bob Frey, who will tell us how he traced his ancestry back to the Catholics who established colonial Maryland, then later migrated to Kentucky and beyond. His ancestors settled the historic, western Kentucky Catholic settlement of Fancy Farm and helped build the St Jerome Church. Frey will discuss his ancestors’ arrival in Maryland from England in the 17th century and subsequent migration to Kentucky in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

June 2023 Business Meeting
2023-06-14 16:30 - 18:00

Researching Your Family Tree? The Library Can Help!
2023-06-22 18:30 - 19:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
This month’s program, facilitated by the AIGS Library Committee, will showcase the Genealogy Room of the Fernandina Beach Branch of the Nassau County Public Library, which has an extensive collection of books of interest to family history researchers. The AIGS library contains over one thousand volumes, including genealogy magazines. The main focus is on local history, colonial history and ‘how-to’ books about genealogy, but it also has a large collection of military books, as well as books covering research in many states and countries.

Join us and learn about the actual collection and how to locate materials in it.

Please note the different day of the week and starting time!

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

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