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Monday, March 17
Best Practices SIG Meeting (Best Practices SIG)
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm Online Zoom Meeting
Coordinators: Annette Burke-Lyttle & Pat Adams
Topic: Probate Records
The SIG accepts new members throughout the year, but those who join after January 2023 should be prepared to catch up on the chapters that have already been studied. Visit our SIG webpage for more details.
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Tuesday, March 18
Let's Talk Genealogy: Members Only Event (VGS Special Events)
10:00 am ZOOM MEETING
We are looking for all levels of VGS members. Come and share with us about your latest research successes or about a research challenge you're facing. Perhaps you have general genealogy questions including places to research or how others organize their information. Share your knowledge and ideas to help keep us all moving forward.
Register to attend this Zoom session – Click HERE.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
** If you are not a VGS member but would like to be, click HERE.
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Tuesday, March 18
Irish Genealogy SIG Meeting – SPECIAL EVENT (Irish SIG)
10:00 am to 12:00 pm Ezell Recreation Center
SPECIAL EVENT MEETING
This one-time meeting will introduce residents in the Southern part of The Villages to this Specail Interest Group and will also feature a live demonstration of how to research using the Irish Database.
Group Leaders: Tom Voyles & Kendra Marasco
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Thursday, March 20
Northeastern Genealogy SIG Meeting (Northeastern Genealogy SIG)
12:00 pm to 1:30 pm SeaBreeze Recreation Center, New Smyrna Room
Topic: TBA
Coordinator: Joanne Schmidt
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Friday, March 21
Scandinavian Genealogy SIG Meeting (Scandinavian SIG)
11:00 am to 12:50 pm SeaBreeze Recreation Center, New Smyrna Beach Room
Topic: Clothes and Textiles
We will bring a typical female folk dress and discuss material and design. We'll also discuss how clothes were made and cared for. If you have pictures and/or descriptions of clothers and textiles in Scandinavia in the 1800s or earlier, please bring them.
Coordinators: Per Andersson & Kris Petersen-Gauthier
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Monday, March 24
Technology SIG Meeting (Technology SIG)
10:00 am to 11:50 am SeaBreeze Recreation Center
Coordinators: Pamela Selinski & Vicci Turner
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Monday, March 24
FTM SIG Meeting (Family Tree Maker SIG)
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm ZOOM MEETING
REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING
SIG Coordinators: Karen Feeney & Bob Boerst
(Meeting link will be emailed to SIG members approximately 3-5 days prior to meeting date.)
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Tuesday, March 25
Midwest SIG Meeting (Midwest SIG)
2:00 pm to 3:50 pm SeaBreeze Recreation Center, Clearwater Room
Topic: Midwestern Women
Members will share stories about a woman from their own family tree.
Coordinators: Lynn Hall & Karen Pickelsimer
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Wednesday, March 26
Brick Wall Solutions SIG Meeting (Brick Wall SIG)
8:30 am to 9:30 am In-person @ Savannah Rec Center
Topic: TBD
Coordinators: Nancy Oster Heydt, Mark Mullinax, & Beverly Hulett
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Wednesday, March 26
VGS General Monthly Meeting (VGS Monthly Meeting)
10:00 am Savannah Recreation Center or Online via Zoom
Guest Speaker: Karen Fortin
Topic Info: American Ancestors.org – Searching the Online Databases
American Ancestors, the website for the New England Historic Genealogical Society, provides more than 1 billion records in over 470 databases online. Although much of the collection focuses on New England, records from around the U.S. and even some from other countries are available. This presentation will provide a brief overview of the website and will go through the basics of searching these valuable databases..
Speaker's Bio: Karen A. Fortin has degrees in History and Library and Information Science, and a passion for research. She worked in a public library in Florida for 30 years before switching to genealogical lecturing in 2016. She is a member of various genealogical societies and loves to help people explore their family history so that they can better understand their ancestors and the world in which they lived.
There are two ways to attend: in-person at the Savannah Recreation Center or online via Zoom. If you want to attend in person, simply come to the Savannah Recreation Center at 10:00 a.m. on March 26th. If you want to attend online via Zoom, you will need to register in advance by clicking this LINK.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
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Wednesday, April 2
French Canadian Genealogy SIG Meeting (French-Canadian SIG)
9:00 am to 10:50 am La Hacienda Recreation Center
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Thursday, April 3
Eastern European Genealogy SIG Meeting (Eastern European SIG)
1:00 pm to 2:50 pm Daytona Beach Room @ SeaBreeze Recreation Center
Coordinators: Carol Myers & Marie Musialek
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Friday, April 4
British SIG Monthly Meeting (British SIG)
9:30 am to 11:20 am Lake Miona Recreation Center, 1526 Buena Vista Blvd.
Topic: TBD
Coordinators: Pat Adams & Ruth Mason
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Monday, April 7
Jewish Genealogy SIG Meeting (Jewish Genealogy SIG)
10:00 am to 12:00 pm Eisenhower Recreation Center, 3560 Buena Vista Blvd.
Prior to the meeting date, SIG members will receive an email about the upcoming meeting.
Coordinators: Phil Goldsmith & Jerry Schwartz
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Monday, April 7
RootsMagic Special Interest Group Meeting (Roots Magic SIG)
2:30 pm to 4:20 pm SeaBreeze Recreation Center – Daytona Room, and on Zoom
Reminder: Bring your laptops
Coordinator: George Zitterell
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Tuesday, April 8
Preserving Family History SIG Meeting (Preserving Family History SIG)
2:30 pm to 4:00 pm Destin Room @ SeaBreeze Recreation Center
Topic: We welcome you to share ideas, plans, and issues, PLUS we are adding AI ideas along the way!
Coordinators: Sharol Lewin & Nancy Schultz
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Wednesday, April 9
Irish Genealogy SIG Meeting (Irish SIG)
10:00 am to 11:50 am Osceola Room @ Chula Vista Recreation Center
Topic: TBA
Coordinators: Tom Voyles & Kendra Marasco
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Wednesday, April 9
ABCs of Genealogy SIG Meeting (ABCs of Genealogy SIG)
2:30 pm to 4:20 pm Neptune Beach Room @ SeaBreeze Recreation Center
The ABCs of Genealogy SIG is for VGS members with any level of experience in genealogical research. Sessions are geared to be easy to understand to get you started and keep you going as you discover more about your ancestors.
Topic: TBA
Coordinators: Carol LaSalle & Cheryl Richardson
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Thursday, April 10
German Genealogy SIG Meeting (German SIG)
In-person @ Lake Miona Rec Center & via Zoom
THIS SESSION HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
Coordinators: Dianne Fedderson & Steven Buhrow
An email containing the Zoom link & info will be emailed to SIG members prior to the meeting date.
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Friday, April 11
Genetic Discoveries SIG Meeting (Genetic Discoveries SIG)
10:00 am to 11:50 am Rohan Recreation Center, Colony Cottage Room and via ZOOM
Coordinators: Sherry Bean, Bill Canavan & Marcella Zorn
Speaker & Topic: Betsy Ko will cover how to track your DNA on WikiTree
An email containing the Zoom link & info will be emailed to SIG members prior to the meeting date.
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Monday, April 14
Italian Special Interest Group Meeting (Italian SIG)
1:00 pm to 2:20 pm Atlanta Room @ Savannah Recreation Center
Coordinators: Laura Wright & Paul Coia
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Tuesday, April 15
Let's Talk Genealogy: Members Only Event (VGS Special Events)
10:00 am ZOOM MEETING
We are looking for all levels of VGS members. Come and share with us about your latest research successes or about a research challenge you're facing. Perhaps you have general genealogy questions including places to research or how others organize their information. Share your knowledge and ideas to help keep us all moving forward.
Register to attend this Zoom session – Click HERE
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
** If you are not a VGS member but would like to be, click HERE.
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Thursday, April 17
Northeastern Genealogy SIG Meeting (Northeastern Genealogy SIG)
12:00 pm to 1:30 pm SeaBreeze Recreation Center, New Smyrna Room
Topic: TBA
Coordinator: Joanne Schmidt
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Friday, April 18
Scandinavian Genealogy SIG Meeting (Scandinavian SIG)
SeaBreeze Recreation Center, New Smyrna Beach Room
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Monday, April 21
Best Practices SIG Meeting (Best Practices SIG)
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm Online Zoom Meeting
Coordinators: Annette Burke-Lyttle & Pat Adams
Topic: Directories and Local Histories
The SIG accepts new members throughout the year, but those who join after January 2023 should be prepared to catch up on the chapters that have already been studied. Visit our SIG webpage for more details.
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Tuesday, April 22
Midwest SIG Meeting (Midwest SIG)
2:00 pm to 3:50 pm SeaBreeze Recreation Center, Clearwater Room
Topic: TBA
Speaker: TBA
Coordinators: Lynn Hall & Karen Pickelsimer
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Wednesday, April 23
Brick Wall Solutions SIG Meeting (Brick Wall SIG)
8:30 am to 9:30 am In-person @ Savannah Rec Center
Topic: TBD
Coordinators: Nancy Oster Heydt, Mark Mullinax, & Beverly Hulett
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Wednesday, April 23
A Deep Dive into the U.S. Census Records (VGS Monthly Meeting)
10:00 am Savannah Recreation Center or Online via Zoom
Guest Speaker: Myles Meyer
Topic Info: The U.S. Census has changed greatly since the first one was performed in 1790. This presentation will discuss how the census has changed from 1790 to 1950, provide an explanation of the data that is available in the various census records, and how to develop that into a timeline to discover the details for your family. Prior to 1850, the U.S. Census was a list of names and tick marks. From 1850 to 1950, six basic questions asked in each census remained the same: name, age, gender, race, occupation, and place of birth. Relationships to head of household were asked from 1880 to 1950, and the citizenship status of each foreign-born person was asked from 1890 to 1950. The information from each census alone gives you a snapshot of the family but by combining several census years together, you can begin to see patterns in occupations, residences, and many other characteristics that can help you discover the story of your ancestors.
Presenter Info: Myles is a scientist by training and has been active in genealogy for over 25 years in a variety of ways. His experience revolves around new technologies, internet research and FamilySearch. He is the principal researcher for Our Ancestories Genealogy, a Family History Consultant, and current Director of the Vero Beach Florida FamilySearch Center. He is also the Director of Education for The Family History Guide (www.thefhguide.com). He has presented at a variety of international genealogy conferences, including RootsTech Salt Lake (2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025), RootsTech London (2019), The Genealogy Show UK (Spring, Summer and Winter 2022), The Society of One Place Studies Conference US (2023), and the One World One Family Conference Toronto (2021). Additionally, Myles has been a beta tester for several genealogy companies. And when he has time, Myles also manages several blogs on genealogy related activities.
There are two ways to attend: in-person at the Savannah Recreation Center or online via Zoom. If you want to attend in person, simply come to the Savannah Recreation Center at 10:00 a.m. on April 23rd. If you want to attend online via Zoom, you will need to register in advance by clicking this
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
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Monday, April 28
Technology SIG Meeting (Technology SIG)
10:00 am to 11:50 am SeaBreeze Recreation Center
Coordinators: Pamela Selinski & Vicci Turner
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Monday, April 28
FTM SIG Meeting (Family Tree Maker SIG)
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm ZOOM MEETING
REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING
SIG Coordinators: Karen Feeney & Bob Boerst
(Meeting link will be emailed to SIG members approximately 3-5 days prior to meeting date.)
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Thursday, May 1
Eastern European Genealogy SIG Meeting (Eastern European SIG)
1:00 pm to 2:50 pm Daytona Beach Room @ SeaBreeze Recreation Center
Coordinators: Carol Myers & Marie Musialek
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Friday, May 2
British SIG Monthly Meeting (British SIG)
9:30 am to 11:20 am Lake Miona Recreation Center, 1526 Buena Vista Blvd.
Topic: TBD
Coordinators: Pat Adams & Ruth Mason
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Monday, May 5
Jewish Genealogy SIG Meeting (Jewish Genealogy SIG)
10:00 am to 12:00 pm Eisenhower Recreation Center, 3560 Buena Vista Blvd.
Prior to the meeting date, SIG members will receive an email about the upcoming meeting.
Coordinators: Phil Goldsmith & Jerry Schwartz
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Monday, May 5
RootsMagic Special Interest Group Meeting (Roots Magic SIG)
2:30 pm to 4:20 pm SeaBreeze Recreation Center – Daytona Room, and on Zoom
Reminder: Bring your laptops
Coordinator: George Zitterell
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Monday, May 5
Bringing Your Ancestors to Life on WikiTree (VGS Live Webinar)
7:00 pm to 8:00 pm LIVE WEBINAR
Guest Speaker: Betsy Ko
Topic Info: Founded in 2008, WikiTree is a free single family tree focused on accuracy and collaboration. Its 1.1 million members have created upwards of 40 million profiles. Chances are that one of your ancestors is already on WikiTree! This presentation will start with an overview of WikiTree, its mission and our Honor Code that guides us. We'll cover the basics of how to create a profile and then go deeper into the many tools and apps that are available to members. Finally, we'll take a look at what makes the WikiTree community special, including projects, free space pages, challenges, and more.
Participants who would like to create a profile during this demonstration should sign-up for a WikiTree account and upgrade at least to the Family Member level (WikiTree is entirely free). Be sure to have the person's name, birth and death dates, birth and death locations, and one source. (For the source, it is recommended that you find the individual in a census on FamilySearch and then copy the citation straight from there.)
Presenter Info: Betsy Ko is a Chicago-based genealogist who has extensive research experience in the mid-Atlantic states, the Midwest, and England. Her ongoing genealogy education has included coursework through Boston University's online Genealogy Studies Program. What began as an engrossing hobby in 2015 has since grown into a professional endeavor with private client projects and a team position with WikiTree (a collaborative global family tree). Upon joining WikiTree's community in 2019, Betsy established herself as a community leader by hosting monthly Q&A sssions for new members, co-leading the Events Committee, co-hosting the Saturday Roundup Livecast, and driving other community engagement initiatives. She joined WikiTree's official team in August of 2024. In her new role, Betsy supports WikiTree project leaders in keeping the tree growing with high levels of accuracy and harmonious collaboration. When not on WikiTree, Betsy plays flute in the Northshore Concert Band and is an active music teacher.
Click HERE to register in advance to attend this webinar:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
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Wednesday, May 7
French Canadian Genealogy SIG Meeting (French-Canadian SIG)
9:00 am to 10:50 am La Hacienda Recreation Center
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Thursday, May 8
German Genealogy SIG Meeting (German SIG)
9:30 am to 11:50 am In-person @ Lake Miona Rec Center & via Zoom
Coordinators: Dianne Fedderson & Steven Buhrow
An email containing the Zoom link & info will be emailed to SIG members prior to the meeting date.
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Friday, May 9
Genetic Discoveries SIG Meeting (Genetic Discoveries SIG)
10:00 am to 11:50 am Rohan Recreation Center, Colony Cottage Room and via ZOOM
Coordinators: Sherry Bean, Bill Canavan & Marcella Zorn
Topic: Using Notes and Emojis to track DNA Testers and the Tester matches in BanyanDNA
An email containing the Zoom link & info will be emailed to SIG members prior to the meeting date.
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Monday, May 12
Italian Special Interest Group Meeting (Italian SIG)
1:00 pm to 2:20 pm Atlanta Room @ Savannah Recreation Center
Coordinators: Laura Wright & Paul Coia
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Tuesday, May 13
Preserving Family History SIG Meeting (Preserving Family History SIG)
2:30 pm to 4:00 pm Destin Room @ SeaBreeze Recreation Center
Topic: TBA
Presenter: TBA
Coordinators: Sharol Lewin & Nancy Schultz
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Wednesday, May 14
Irish Genealogy SIG Meeting (Irish SIG)
10:00 am to 11:50 am Osceola Room @ Chula Vista Recreation Center
Topic: TBA
Coordinators: Tom Voyles & Kendra Marasco
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Wednesday, May 14
ABCs of Genealogy SIG Meeting (ABCs of Genealogy SIG)
2:30 pm to 4:20 pm Neptune Beach Room @ SeaBreeze Recreation Center
The ABCs of Genealogy SIG is for VGS members with any level of experience in genealogical research. Sessions are geared to be easy to understand to get you started and keep you going as you discover more about your ancestors.
Topic: TBA
Coordinators: Carol LaSalle & Cheryl Richardson
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Thursday, May 15
Northeastern Genealogy SIG Meeting (Northeastern Genealogy SIG)
12:00 pm to 1:30 pm SeaBreeze Recreation Center, New Smyrna Room
Topic: TBA
Coordinator: Joanne Schmidt
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Friday, May 16
Scandinavian Genealogy SIG Meeting (Scandinavian SIG)
11:00 am to 12:30 pm SeaBreeze Recreation Center, New Smyrna Beach Room
Topic: TBA
Coordinators: Per Andersson & Kris Petersen-Gauthier
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Monday, May 19
Best Practices SIG Meeting (Best Practices SIG)
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm Online Zoom Meeting
Coordinators: Annette Burke-Lyttle & Pat Adams
Topic: Vital Records, Census Records, and Substitutes
The SIG accepts new members throughout the year, but those who join after January 2023 should be prepared to catch up on the chapters that have already been studied. Visit our SIG webpage for more details.
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Tuesday, May 20
Let's Talk Genealogy: Members Only Event (VGS Special Events)
10:00 am ZOOM MEETING
We are looking for all levels of VGS members. Come and share with us about your latest research successes or about a research challenge you're facing. Perhaps you have general genealogy questions including places to research or how others organize their information. Share your knowledge and ideas to help keep us all moving forward.
Register to attend this Zoom session – Click HERE
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
** If you are not a VGS member but would like to be, click HERE.
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Tuesday, May 27
FTM SIG Meeting (Family Tree Maker SIG)
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm ZOOM MEETING
REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING
SIG Coordinators: Karen Feeney & Bob Boerst
(Meeting link will be emailed to SIG members approximately 3-5 days prior to meeting date.)
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Tuesday, May 27
Midwest SIG Meeting (Midwest SIG)
2:00 pm to 3:50 pm SeaBreeze Recreation Center, Clearwater Room
Topic: TBA
Speaker: TBA
Coordinators: Lynn Hall & Karen Pickelsimer
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Wednesday, May 28
Brick Wall Solutions SIG Meeting (Brick Wall SIG)
8:30 am to 9:30 am In-person @ Savannah Rec Center
Topic: TBD
Coordinators: Nancy Oster Heydt, Mark Mullinax, & Beverly Hulett
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Wednesday, May 28
VGS General Monthly Meeting (VGS Monthly Meeting)
10:00 am Savannah Recreation Center or Online via Zoom
Guest Speaker: Pat Adams
Topic Info: From Cradle to Grave: Using Newspapers to Enhance Your Ancestor's Story
Genealogists traditionally turn to vital records and censuses when telling their ancestors' stories. However, using newspapers allows us to provide a more complete story of their lives. Newspapers offer a look at historical, social, and economic times that affected our families and enhance vital records by filling in the gaps. Probing the life of Ebba Berglund will show the benefits of using newspapers in genealogical research.
Speaker's Bio: Pat Adams has been a resident of The Villages since 2004 and a member of the VGS since 2007. She served 6 years as president of the VGS and 5 years as vice-president and program chair. She is also co-coordinator of the British Special Interest Group. Pat has attended the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG), the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP), the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) in Georgia and various national and state conferences. In addition to the VGS, Pat is also a member of several local, state and national genealogical societies. Researching her Scottish, Irish, and Swedish heritage has been an ongoing project for over 20 years. Through Ancestry she has discovered cousin connections on both her maternal and paternal lines which have led to breakthroughs as well as new discoveries to pursue. Her greatest breakthrough was discovering the gravesite of her long-lost maternal grandfather in 2016 and an actual photograph of him in 2023. Pat continues to work to seek out connections and uncover more of her ancestral story.
There are two ways to attend: in-person at the Savannah Recreation Center or online via Zoom. If you want to attend in person, simply come to the Savannah Recreation Center at 10:00 a.m. on May 28th. If you want to attend online via Zoom, you will need to register in advance by clicking this LINK.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
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