Society Meetings

This discussion is designed to give genealogical societies and groups in Delaware an opportunity to post information on their upcoming meetings and events.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sally Nelson on September 2, 2009 at 8:22am

Sussex County Genealogical Society (www.scgsdelaware.org) : Ed Wright, founder and President of the genealogical publishing company Colonial Roots, will discuss finding and using church records in family research. Ed will include early church records of the mid-Atlantic area, the location of the records and their interpretation, including those records in publication. He will focus on the predominant denominations prior to 1800.

Mr. Wright has previously served as President of the Prince George’s Genealogical Society and the Upper Shore Genealogical Society and editor of the Maryland Genealogical Society’s magazine. More information on Colonial Roots can be found at http://www.colonialroots.com.

The Society meets at the Rehoboth Beach Public Library, 226 Rehoboth Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE, at 10:30 a.m. the 3rd Saturday of each month between September and May.

Permalink Reply by Sally Nelson on September 17, 2009 at 7:59pm

The Sussex County Genealogical Society will meet on Saturday, September 19 at 10:30 a.m. This is a follow up the previous message:) Thought I should give you the actual date!

Permalink Reply by Sally Nelson on September 2, 2009 at 8:48am

South Coastal Genealogy Group - South Coastal Public Library, 43 Kent Ave., Bethany Beach, DE - 302-539-5231)
September 15 - 10:00 a.m., Room B

Topic: Writing Your Family History
Speaker: Shirley M. Sandage

Since 1998 Shirley Sandage has been offering a course at Frederick Community College in MD called Tales to Tell Your Grandchildren. She is a published author of "Child of Hope" and numerous other publications and articles. She authored her own unpublished autobiography which is held in the Archives at the University of Iowa and is the author of "Senior Voices of Frederick County, Maryland."

Permalink Reply by Sally Nelson on September 9, 2009 at 9:51am

Sussex County Genealogical Society and the Laurel Public Library will host the 3rd reunion of the Sussex County Cousins on Friday, October 2, 2009. This is an opportunity for people with Sussex County, DE roots to gather and share research notes, find new cousins, and further their research. A short demonstration of the Laurel Historical Society's Field of Stones Project will be given by Doug Breen and Chuck Swift in the afternoon. They will also make their database of cemeteries in the Laurel zip code area available to attendees. The morning is primarily dedicated to talking and sharing among family surname groups. The afternoon will consist of taking advantage of the many resources of the Laurel Library's extensive Genealogy, Family History and Delaware History collections.

The meeting begins at 10:00 a.m. at the Laurel Public Library, 101 E. Fourth Street, Laurel, Delaware, and continues throughout the day until 3:00. Bring a brown bag lunch if you'd like.

Permalink Reply by Sally Nelson on October 4, 2009 at 9:44am

October 17, 2009--Sussex County Genealogical Society meets at 10:30 a.m. at the Rehoboth Beach Public Library. Susan Rowland, owner of First State Photo, will talk and demonstrate techniques on preserving documents and photos through scanning. Members are asked to bring photos or over-sized negatives. These items may be used as part of the demonstration.

Permalink Reply by Sally Nelson on October 4, 2009 at 9:48am

SCGS' Fall Discussion Group. Beginning October 6 and running through November 17, the group will discuss the Research Process. This is an opportunity for new genealogists to learn from the more experienced researchers. While putting the program together, we found that our members did not always follow the same practices and it led to a lively discussion of what works for us and what does not. Come join the disucssion:) Meetings are on Tuesdays at 2:00 at the Rehoboth Beach Public Library. www.scgsdelaware.org

Permalink Reply by Sally Nelson on November 4, 2009 at 11:01am

Funeral Home Records—A Hidden Genealogical Resource

Funeral Home records are a hidden source of genealogical information. The Sussex County Genealogical Society will feature a program by Denny Rayne, Administrator and Corporate Secretary for the Watson Funeral Home in Millsboro, DE, who will talk on the types of information available, tell some humorous stories about South-eastern Sussex County, and ways to provide information to survivors for future generations. Mr. Rayne is a native of Sussex County and a well-known businessman and historian. Watson Funeral Home has been in existence since 1830 years and is still family owned.

The meeting will be held on Saturday, November 21, at 10:30 a.m. in the upstairs meeting room of the Rehoboth Beach Public Library. The meeting is open to anyone interested in learning about finding their ancestors.

Permalink Reply by Sally Nelson on February 3, 2010 at 7:38am

February 20 promises to be a full day of education for Sussex County genealogists and historians. At 10:30 a.m. the Sussex County Genealogical Society will present a program by Dr. Ray Thompson, Director of Salisbury University’s Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture. Dr. Thompson’s topic, "Visualizing the Settlement of Lower Delmarva: 1609-1800," will cover the settlement of lower Delmarva, from the lower Eastern Shore upward into what becomes Sussex County. He will provide a visual overview with maps of the migration, and images from the Nabb Center’s collections of how that settlement took place. Dr. Thompson is a well-known educator throughout the local area for his expertise in historical and family history.

Following the SCGS program, at 1:00, the Rehoboth Beach Public Library and the Sussex County Genealogical Society will host the Rehoboth Beach Historical Society as they present a workshop on the preservation of heirlooms and family papers by historian Michael Dixon. Mr. Dixon’s presentation is part of the Delaware Humanities Forum’s Speakers Bureau. Mr. Dixon focuses on making the past accessible to a broad range of audiences in order to encourage the preservation of our heritage and to connect communities and families to their roots.

Both Dr. Thompson and Mr. Dixon are much sought after speakers on genealogical and historical subjects featuring the Delmarva area. This is an excellent opportunity to learn from these experts at no charge.

Anyone interested in learning more about researching their family history and how to safely preserve their heritage is welcome to attend the meetings. They will be held in the upstairs meeting room of the Rehoboth Beach Public Library, 226 Rehoboth Avenue. There are plenty of free parking spaces available. Participants are encouraged to bring a brown bag lunch; coffee and desert will be provided. For more information, go to www.scgsdelaware.org.

Permalink Reply by Victor G Carre on February 15, 2010 at 9:18pm

Delaware Genealogy Society Meeting
DAY: Tuesday, February 16, 2010
PLACE: Brandywine Hundred Library, Foulk Road, Wilmington DE in lunchroom
TIME: 7-8:50pm (The library closes at 9pm).
SPEAKER: Majorie McNinch on the Hagley Library Collection

Permalink Reply by Sally Nelson on February 15, 2010 at 9:35pm

I would love to attend this meeting, but weather will not permit. The Hagley is a great research facility.

Permalink Reply by Victor G Carre on February 17, 2010 at 9:22am

Lucky you. The meeting was canceled due to the weather and will be re-scheduled sometime in the future.

Permalink Reply by Sally Nelson on February 17, 2010 at 9:42am

Thanks for letting me know--so glad we did not try to make the trip up from Sussex County! Please keep us informed when the meeting will be rescheduled. Hagley is a hidden source for genealogical records!