Lee County Genealogical Society

FMRL ~ Overcoming Brickwalls, Research Challenges, and Dead Ends presented by Bryan Mulcahy
2024-10-01 10:00 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | Fort Myers Regional Library – Virtual Webinar
Tuesday, October 1st – Bryan L. Mulcahy – Virtual – Topic: Overcoming Brickwalls, Research Challenges, and Dead Ends – Dead-ends, also known as brick walls, are occupational hazards for genealogists. These challenges are an inevitable part of the genealogical research process. The good news is that many dead ends can be overcome with patience and good detective work. Most genealogists usually find methods or strategies to overcome these roadblocks. Our seminar will discuss the most successful techniques to overcome these challenges.
For more information and to register: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1874561112462847836

PGS ~ The Unique Challenges of African-American Genealogy with Taneya Y. Koonce
2024-09-21 11:00 - 13:00 | Zoom via PGS
Genealogy is the same the world around, yet there are some unique challenges when researching African American family history. For example, specific strategies are required to identify and work with records before 1860 and locating identifiable names among government records can raise the difficulty level. Even though it can be challenging, it can also be rewarding. Especially if you plan to volunteer for community projects like our Clearwater Colored Cemeteries program. We’ll provide research strategies to take you around the obstacles to help you find the records you seek. Presented by Taneya Y. Koonce.
This will be a hybrid meeting held in-person in the Meeting Room/Jenkins B and online via Zoom. Registration is only required for Zoom attendees.
Register in advance for this meeting, if attending via Zoom, at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEqcOuvrzkiHtbHl9fjiJlf1G3ttzDAEd9N

Making the (ACPL) Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne, IN Your Research Assistant presented by Curt Witcher
2024-09-14 13:00 - 14:30 | Cypress Lake Presbyterian Church – Fellowship Hall, 8260 Cypress Lake Drive, Fort Myers, FL, United States
Join us along with our speaker, Curt Witcher when he presents his program “Making the Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne, IN Your Research Assistant.” The presentation will cover how to explore the holdings and datafiles of the Genealogy Center both to plan a research trip to Fort Wayne and, especially, to use the Genealogy Center remotely.
Speaker will be remote. Meeting will be a hybrid meeting.
To attend this meeting virtually, use the following link to register: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYufuqtrDstGtaKNYHJMSGdlILyBnW8d6ct

MGS ~ Getting Started in Family History Education with Dustin Axe
2024-09-10 10:00 - 12:00 | Manatee Genealogical Society ~ Hybrid Meeting, 1301 Barcarrota Blvd West, Bradenton, FL, 34205, United States
Our program speaker, Dustin Axe, will present virtually “Getting Started in Family History Education.”

It can be extremely rewarding for young students to learn about themselves and their family history, yet genealogy is a challenging subject to teach and learn. Hear Youth Genealogy Curriculum Coordinator Dustin Axe discuss the unique challenges and opportunities that genealogy presents educators of all kinds. Discover key teaching strategies from American Ancestor’s family history curriculum, and walk away with tools and resources to inspire the next generation of family historians.

Dustin Axe is the Youth Genealogy Curriculum Coordinator at American Ancestors in Boston, Massachusetts. He is a seasoned educator with over twenty years of experience teaching multiple subjects and developing curricula for students across numerous educational settings. He is a licensed teacher and holds a bachelor’s degree in social studies education from Purdue University, with endorsements in U.S. history, world history, and government. His previous work experience includes the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois.

Members of the public are welcome to attend and must register at least one day in advance by emailing: info@mgsfl.org. The Zoom meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m. EST.

FMRL ~ Using U.S. Census Records presented by Bryan Mulcahy ~ Virtual only
2024-09-07 10:00 - 11:30 | Fort Myers Regional Library – Virtual Webinar
Saturday, September 7th – Bryan Mulcahy – Virtual Only – Topic: Using U.S. Census Records – US Census records are a valuable tool in tracking your family history. Each census collected different information that is so helpful. Learn what types of information were collected, when, and how to best use this information to extend or expand your family history.
For more information or to register: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7839336926181921623

PGS ~ Meet the Pilgrims with Lori Coffey
2024-08-21 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom via PGS
You know them as monuments and myths, but in this session, we will get to know the Pilgrims as people! Understand their family ties, their jobs, their hopes, and their failures. Learn how our Pilgrim ancestors made gut-wrenching decisions while fleeing from England to Holland and finally to the New World where they survived to help found a new nation! Presented by Lori Coffey.
Zoom registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEtcuGsqD8qGtTuHl5-nfYB1wDn1Lou3MU2#/registration

PGS ~ Summer Workshop: Writing Family Histories with Lori Coffey
2024-08-17 10:00 - 12:00 | Zoom via PGS
Summer Workshop: Writing Family Histories. Have fun while learning to write engaging biographies in a clear and concise style! Bring your favorite pen and some research on one or more ancestors to visualize what your successful end results will be. Then, turn dry facts into a compelling story and learn how the best writers do it! Finally, incorporate style techniques to make it more professional. Training includes a useful notebook. Presented by Lori Coffey.
This will be a hybrid meeting held in-person in the Meeting Room/Jenkins B and online via Zoom. Registration is only required for Zoom attendees.
Register in advance for this meeting, if attending via Zoom, at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEqcOuvrzkiHtbHl9fjiJlf1G3ttzDAEd9N

Jurisdiction Explained: Finding New Avenues of Research for Your Family presented by Diana Elder
2024-08-15 10:00 - 12:00 | Zoom via LCGS
Join us along with our speaker, Diana Elder who will be presenting her program “Jurisdiction Explained: Finding New Avenues of Research for Your Family.” Exploring each level of record keeping for a locality can reveal additional records for a research subject. Learn about records on the town, city, county, state, regional, and federal levels and how to locate them.
THIS MEETING WILL BE VIRTUAL ONLY
To attend this meeting, use this link to register: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJErcu6orjstGN3HC4igJxh9bgf-n8CD6KdX

FMRL ~ Using German Language American Newspapers with Ken Weaver
2024-08-14 10:00 - 12:00 | Fort Myers Regional Library – Meeting Rm A & B – In Person, 1651 Lee Street, Room A & B, Fort Myers, FL, 33901, United States
Saturday, February 8th – Ken Weaver – Using German Language American Newspapers – South Building Meeting Rooms – 10-12

FMRL ~ Building and Understanding Family Trees presented by Eric Migdal
2024-08-13 10:00 - 11:30 | Fort Myers Regional Library – Virtual Webinar
Tuesday, August 13th – Eric Migdal – Virtual – Topic: Building and Understanding Family Trees – This workshop will discuss building and understanding family trees, including the differences of pedigree and family group trees, gathering accurate information, understanding, and analyzing relationships.

FMRL ~ Locating and Using Online Italian Civil and Church Records presented by John Bifano
2024-07-27 10:00 - 11:30 | Fort Myers Regional Library – Meeting Rm A & B – In Person, 1651 Lee Street, Room A & B, Fort Myers, FL, 33901, United States
Saturday, July 27th – John Bifano – Live Presentation Meeting Rooms AB – Topic: Locating and Using Online Italian Civil and Church Records – Once an ancestor’s town has been definitively identified, there are three major sources for locating records in that town: FamilySearch, Italian Parish Records, and Antenati. Italian Parish Records and Antenati are free as is FamilySearch, but you must register to view records. Ancestry’s Worldwide Edition is not as good a source, but it has some Italian records. Please note that the overwhelming majority of the records on these sites are either in Italian for civil records or Latin for church records and they are NOT indexed. This program will be an introduction on how to navigate these sites to locate individual town records. Due to time constraints, the program will only cover civil records for the period 1809 to roughly 1910. Very few records are available after 1910.
For more information or to register for the program: https://leelibrary.librarymarket.com/event/locating-and-using-online-italian-civil-and-church-records-81526

Local & County History Books presented by Karen Fortin
2024-07-18 10:00 - 12:00 | Zoom via LCGS
Join us along with our speaker, Karen Fortin as she presents her program “Local & County History Books.” Local and county histories are often overlooked resources that can contain a wealth of resources on your ancestors and the places that they lived. This presentation explores the background of local and county history books; what information can be found in them; and, where to find them, both in print and online.
Visit Karen on her website: https://karenfortin.com/index.html
THIS MEETING WILL BE VIRTUAL ONLY
To attend this meeting, use this link to register: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUpfuutqjIuGNeLAVLXOr9N9-Yk7A7BXm6r

FMRL ~ Determining an Italian Ancestors Town of Birth presented by John Bifano
2024-07-13 10:00 - 11:30 | Fort Myers Regional Library – Meeting Rm A & B – In Person, 1651 Lee Street, Room A & B, Fort Myers, FL, 33901, United States
Saturday, July 13th – John Bifano – Live Presentation Meetings Rooms AB – Topic: Determining an Italian Ancestors Town of Birth – In Italian genealogy, it is critical to determine an ancestor’s town of birth since civil and church births, marriages and deaths were recorded at the town and parish level. Sources for this information include using online resources on Ancestry, FamilySearch, and Ellis Island. Other sources are family documents or family oral histories. It is not enough to know the region your ancestor came from. For example, Calabria until 1992 contained three provinces–Catanzaro, Cosenza and Reggio Calabria; and there were many towns in each province. Using the aforementioned online resources, the program will locate ship manifests, WWI and WWII draft registration cards, and naturalization records to locate the Italian town of birth. Knowing the town of birth, it is then possible to head back to the old country to locate civil and church records which will be covered in Part 2.
For more information or to register: https://leelibrary.librarymarket.com/event/determining-italian-ancestors-town-birth-81525

Updates for Researching Online presented by Peg Kaputsiak
2024-06-20 10:00 - 12:00 | Zoom via LCGS
Join us along with our speaker Margaret “Peg” Kaputsiak when she presents her program on “Updates for Researching Online.” For both those new to Genealogy and those long involved in Family Research: 50 websites & examples; new sources; how to verify family lore and stories; how to determine if online family trees are dependable; why something may not be on the internet but how to work that to your advantage and more. Note that the Handout & PowerPoint are updated just before each presentation to provide the latest information to you.
THIS MEETING WILL BE VIRTUAL ONLY
To attend, register using this link: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEpde6qrjwjHNxww2tHJFw5LFkMzc5_PwYs

DNA SIG with Arthur Sissman
2024-06-17 14:00 - 15:30
DNA Mon JUNE 17 MEETING 2-3:30 PM ET US ZOOM NO RSVP

I will be online at 1pm to set up, if you wanna chat, recording starts at 2pm.

IF YOU THINK OTHERS WOULD BENEFIT FROM THE TOPICS BELOW, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DISTRIBUTE THIS EMAIL TO YOUR SOCIETY MEMBERS, FRIENDS, AND FRENEMIES!! ALL ARE WELCOME TO JOIN THE FUN.
If you are new to the group, please send the following info: name, email, location, phone number to genresearch13@yahoo. Without this info you will not be admitted to the meeting or will be removed.
Hi,
Topic: “Strategies for Getting DNA Matches/Potential Relatives on Ancestry to Help in Your Research”
1. It takes a village…
2. Review of what elements you need in communication with others.
3. How to exhaust the possibilities of your “target” getting the message.
4. How to find live people and the info you need to contact them or not. Try the free website familytreenow.com on yourself (don’t ever build a tree here!)
5. If you have a successful technique that you use, please send it along or be prepared to share. Please include an example and links to any websites you use.
No RSVP necessary just come
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87947622549?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 879 4762 2549
Passcode: [REDACTED]
If you are new to the group, please send the following info: name, email, location, phone number to genresearch13@yahoo. Without this info you will not be admitted to the meeting or will be removed.
Regards,
Arthur
Naples, FL
DNA SIG of Collier/Lee Co FL
Jewish Genealogy SIG of Collier/Lee Co FL
genresearch13@yahoo.com
954-328-3559 cell USA, WhatsApp, FaceTime

FMRL ~ Mining the Genealogical Gems in Libraries and Archives presented by Connie Lizak
2024-06-04 10:00 - 11:30 | Fort Myers Regional Library – Virtual Webinar
Mining the Genealogical Gems in Libraries and Archives presented by Connie Lizak. As genealogists, we are always looking for evidence to prove identity, relationships, and events. This presentation will offer new ideas for locating resources in libraries and archives, both brick, mortar and digital.
For more information and to register: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8687795958873992278

GSCC ~ Canadian eSIG ~ Who's Who? YouTube and other online videos for genealogy—Linda Ryan
2024-05-28 14:00 - 15:30
CANADIAN eSIG
Date: Meets on 4th Tuesday of the month
September through May (No meeting in December)
Time: 2 pm to 3:30 pm EDT online via ZOOM
Website: https://alsqda.wordpress.com
Email: thegscccanadianesig@gmail.com
We are pleased to announce that our programs will now include a live presentation at the start of each Zoom meeting; a brief presenter question and answer period will follow each presentation. Except for a live event in April 2024, arrangements will be virtual via Zoom on the 4th Tuesday of the month at 2:00 PM (Eastern).
We have always included our customary round-table discussion, where we will explore your choice of Canadian and general genealogical subjects.
Remember, our group is dedicated to the spirit of mutual aid among our fellow genealogists.

Lineage Treasures at the DAR Library presented by Connie Lizak
2024-05-16 10:00 - 12:00 | Cypress Lake Presbyterian Church – Fellowship Hall, 8260 Cypress Lake Drive, Fort Myers, FL, United States
Join us as our speaker Connie Lizak presents her program on “Lineage Treasures at the DAR Library.” The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) operates a major genealogical library at its headquarters building at 1776 D Street NW, Washington, DC. Since its founding in 1896, the DAR Library has grown into a specialized collection of American genealogical and historical manuscripts and publications, as well as powerful on-site databases.
The DAR Library collection contains over 225,000 books, 10,000 research files, thousands of manuscript items, and special collections of African American, Native American, and women’s history, genealogy and culture. Nearly 40,000 family histories and genealogies comprise a major portion of the book collection, many of which are unique or available in only a few libraries in the country. The DAR Library is free and open to the public.
Connie will describe the resources available for researchers, especially the Genealogical Research System, which includes proven lineage research, collections of Bible records and previously unpublished genealogical records. Its resources are not just for Revolutionary War patriots!
Speaker will be virtual, meeting is hybrid.
To attend the meeting, register using this link: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwvd-yqrzgpE9VaOcIHLXRKuZwvzJOg2GTg

NGS 2024 Virtual Family History Conference ~ Expanding Possibilities
2024-05-16 - 2024-05-18
The National Genealogical Society Family History Conference is a premier annual event for family historians, professional genealogists, hobbyists, and history buffs. There are also special events planned for organizations: societies, libraries, archives, and museums.
The NGS 2024 Family History Conference, Expanding Possibilities, will be online. Attendees can choose from dozens of new lectures for family history researchers at all levels by the nation’s premier genealogical speakers.
For more information, keep an eye for updates to the conference website.
Do You Want An Incredible Way to Kick-Start Your Genealogy Research? Reap the Rewards of Attending the NGS Family History Conference:

Choose from dozens of educational lectures from the basics to advanced.
Select subject areas you want to learn more about that include:

how to build a family tree and organize your findings;
understanding the use of DNA and genetic genealogy;
immigration, naturalization, and passenger records;
how to accurately identify your ancestors;
census, religious, civil, court, and land records;
how to find family among the thousands of results in online databases;
building your skills for certification;
how to apply the Genealogical Proof Standard;
documentation and writing proof arguments;
military and ethnic research; and much more.

Share your experience with fellow genealogists.
Explore the Family History Expo with a host of genealogy vendors of family history products and services.
Learn from leading speakers in their field.
Get inspired with new ways to approach your research.

All this and more takes place at the National Genealogical Society’s annual Family History Conference. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or experienced researcher, you will find attending the conference is an excellent way to improve your research skills and build a network of colleagues within the genealogy field.
Learn more about the next NGS Family History Conference at conference.ngsgenealogy.org.

FMRL ~ What is a Homesteader? U.S. and Canadian Records presented by Diana Crisman Smith
2024-05-07 10:00 - 11:30 | Fort Myers Regional Library – Virtual Webinar
What is a Homesteader? US and Canadian Records presented by Diana Crisman Smith. Homestead laws were enacted in both United States and Canada. The goal was to encourage settlement in the sparsely populated western lands. The application process was detailed. Researchers can discover a significant amount genealogical and family history information in these materials. This seminar will discuss the research benefits of this process in both the United States and Canada.
For more information and to register: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/5368828850966400859

Genealogy and Historical Handwriting with Bryan Mulcahy
2024-05-04 13:00 - 14:30 | Zoom via LCGS
Genealogy and Historical Handwriting with Bryan Mulcahy. Old-fashioned handwriting, inconsistent spelling, fading ink and unfamiliar words can conspire to make genealogy records frustratingly difficult to decipher. Reading old handwriting is an essential skill for genealogists but sometimes it can be challenging. Genealogists study and practice reading old handwriting in order to read and interpret the documents essential to family history research such as probate files, wills, land records, deeds, and court files. Many documents require the genealogist to read old handwriting to transcribe, abstract, or extract the pertinent data and use it in their family history. This seminar will provide an overview of strategies to overcome these issues. The study guide which will be provided will include links to online and You Tube tutorials presented by experts in this topic.
This is a workshop and will be virtual only.
To register, click here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0pc-6sqDkpE9QrlNxlPKIn9fczNNLQHoNg

FamilySearch, Ancestry Library Edition, Heritage Quest, and Fold3 - Database Demo and Overview presented by Bryan L. Mulcahy
2024-04-23 14:00 - 15:30 | South County Regional Library, 21100 Three Oaks Parkway, Estero, FL, 33928, United States
FamilySearch, Ancestry Library Edition, Heritage Quest, and Fold3 – Database Demo and Overview presented by Bryan L. Mulcahy. This seminar will provide a very brief overview of the FamilySearch, Ancestry Library Edition, Heritage Quest, and Fold3 databases available through the Lee County Library System homepage.
2 pm – 3:30pm South County Regional Library
No need to register. There is plenty of seats, just come as you are.

GSCC ~ Canadian eSIG ~ “Lunch with Linda”- Live from a local Naples restaurant with Linda Ryan
2024-04-23 14:00 - 15:30
CANADIAN eSIG
Date: Meets on 4th Tuesday of the month
September through November and January through May
Time: 2 pm to 3:30 pm EDT online via ZOOM
Website: https://alsqda.wordpress.com
Email: thegscccanadianesig@gmail.com
We are pleased to announce that our programs will now include a live presentation at the start of each Zoom meeting; a brief presenter question and answer period will follow each presentation. Except for a live event in April 2024, arrangements will be virtual via Zoom on the 4th Tuesday of the month at 2:00 PM (Eastern).
We have always included our customary round-table discussion, where we will explore your choice of Canadian and general genealogical subjects.
Remember, our group is dedicated to the spirit of mutual aid among our fellow genealogists.
May 28, 2024— Who’s Who? YouTube and other online videos for genealogy—Linda Ryan

City Directories presented by Bryan Mulcahy
2024-04-18 10:00 - 12:00 | Cypress Lake Presbyterian Church – Fellowship Hall, 8260 Cypress Lake Drive, Fort Myers, FL, United States
Join us for our monthly meeting with speaker Bryan Mulcahy when he presents his program on City Directories. City directories can be very useful for genealogical research, but often are overlooked by genealogists. In one form or another, city directories have been published in various parts of the United States since the 1700s. They have been published annually by commercial publishers who sell the directories as well as advertising space in the directories. The publishers compile statistical information about a city, town, county, rural community, or region, and present it along with a list of local businesses and residents’ names, addresses and occupations. This program will provide a brief overview of the research benefits available.
Speaker will be in person. Meeting will be a hybrid meeting.
To attend this meeting virtually, use the following link to register:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMud-ysqjotHdE0WehkW42fbRC6UxYpC_RN

Pastfinders Presents: A DNA Story with Allison Ryall
2024-04-11 17:00 - 18:30
Pastfinders Presents: Allison Ryall as she tells us how she used DNA to discover her great-grandfather of record was not the biological father of her grandfather. Allison Ryall will be at Cooper Memorial Library in Person for this presentation starting at 5PM. There will be a Meet and Greet in room 108B starting at 4PM. If you can not make it to the library, you can join this presentation on Zoom: https://tinyurl.com/April11DNADiscovery5PMEST

FMRL ~ Time Saving Apps for Busy Genealogists presented by Lisa Alzo
2024-04-09 10:00 - 11:30 | Fort Myers Regional Library – Virtual Webinar
Time Saving Apps for Busy Genealogists presented by Lisa Alzo. “So many ancestors; so little time.” If you find yourself repeating this mantra, come learn about the best timesaving apps and tools to help you get a handle on those backed-up research or photo-scanning projects, society meetings and conferences, and never ending “to-do” lists! Session will include a broad review of online tools, as well as apps for Android and iPhone/iPad platforms.
To register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1606400116168777568

Libraries and Genealogical Research presented by Bryan L. Mulcahy
2024-04-04 14:00 - 15:30 | Northwest Regional Library, 519 Chiquita Blvd N, Cape Coral, FL, 33993, United States
Libraries and Genealogical Research – Bryan L. Mulcahy.

German Roots ~ SIG
2024-04-04 10:00 - 12:00
German Roots Special Interest Group
For LCGS members researching ancestors from Germany and other German-speaking countries. This group usually meets on the first Thursday of each month from September through April from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. If you are interested in joining this group, contact Ken Weaver at kenneth.n.weaver@gmail.com or 239-243-9414.

GSCC ~ Canadian eSIG ~ Should I hire a professional genealogist? with Bryan Mulcahy
2024-03-26 14:00 - 15:30
CANADIAN eSIG
Date: Meets on 4th Tuesday of the month
September through November and January through May
Time: 2 pm to 3:30 pm EDT online via ZOOM
Website: https://alsqda.wordpress.com
Email: thegscccanadianesig@gmail.com
We are pleased to announce that our programs will now include a live presentation at the start of each Zoom meeting; a brief presenter question and answer period will follow each presentation. Except for a live event in April 2024, arrangements will be virtual via Zoom on the 4th Tuesday of the month at 2:00 PM (Eastern).
We have always included our customary round-table discussion, where we will explore your choice of Canadian and general genealogical subjects.
Remember, our group is dedicated to the spirit of mutual aid among our fellow genealogists.
April TBD, 2024—“Lunch with Linda”- Live from a local Naples restaurant with Linda Ryan
May 28, 2024— Who’s Who? YouTube and other online videos for genealogy—Linda Ryan

Archival Research for Genealogists presented by Steve Colburn
2024-03-23 13:00 - 15:00 | Cypress Lake Presbyterian Church – Fellowship Hall, 8260 Cypress Lake Drive, Fort Myers, FL, United States
Join us for a Saturday Membership Meeting with Steve Colburn when he presents his program “Archival Research for Genealogists.”
This class is designed to help genealogists supplement their family research by going beyond the commonly-used sources with archival materials. These materials are often not found when using typical, general-purpose databases and online search engines. We will look at a wide variety of archival sources for lesser-known primary and secondary materials, and learn about three powerful tools to access this archived material, including one that the instructor developed for this course. We will bring those elements together (the sources and the tools) in a case study, demonstrating how access to archival materials will enhance and facilitate the work that genealogists do. Handouts will be provided to help researchers access archival sources in more detail, and practice the skills demonstrated in the class.
Speaker will be in person. Meeting will be a hybrid meeting.
To join the meeting virtually, register with the following link: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJErdu2grjopGNWdJAjiDXGY4i5k2tKBnYbR
