Past BAGHS Meetings 

January 10, 2006	Dianne Lynch - Brandon Stake Family History Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
February 14, 2006	Martha Jean Lorenzo -subject: Adoption-Unlocking the Secrets
March 14, 2006	Drew Smith - "Online Surname Search Strategies." Drew is Vice President of the Florida Genealogical Society of Tampa and Instructor of several genealogical classes at the University of South Florida. A nationally recognized speaker, he is a member of the Genealogical Speakers Guild and member of the Federation of Genealogical Societies, the National Genealogical Society and the American Library Association. He also Co-host's the weekly 60-minute "Genealogy Guys Podcast".
April 11, 2006	George G. Morgan - "Organizing a Very Effective Genealogical Trip"  George, a nationally recognized Genealogical expert is president of ahaseminars.com, and the International Society of Family History Writers and Educators, a director of the Genealogical Speakers Guild, and the Florida Genealogical Society Inc. George is also a member of the Florida State Genealogical Society's Speakers Bureau, the Association of Professional Genealogist, the National Genealogical Society and the Society of Genealogists (U.K.), and twenty other genealogical societies in the U.S. and U.K. George is Co-host of the weelkly 60-minute "Genealogy Guys Podcast".
May 9, 2006	Dr. Angelo P. Spoto Jr., will talk about his family's journey "From Sicily to Ybor City". With his family's long history in Ybor City and Valrico, this will be a great follow-up to our Italian Club trip. Dr. Spoto, an Allergist, is the longest-serving member of the current Watson Clinic Staff. He joined the clinic in 1966, and has served on the Clinic's Executive Committee. The Watson Clinic LLP is one of the largest medical clinics in the Southeast, with eight regional offices and a state-of-the art cancer clinic, with more than 180 physicians on staff. Dr. Spoto, has served as past President of the Watson Clinic Foundation and the American Medical Group Association, with a membership of more than 300 major clinics.
June 13, 2006	Roundtable
July 11, 2006	Indoor Picnic - bring a dish to share.  BAGHS will provide fried chicken and drinks.
August 8, 2006	Marilyn Martin will give a program on using video to record family history and other genealogical information for future generations.  The Brandon News ran a story about her business on July 19, 2006.  Page 1  Page 2
September 12, 2006	Toni Carrier of the University of South Florida will talk about the USF Africana Heritage Project.  The project is sponsored by the Africana Studies department at USF.  It is dedicated to rediscovering records that document the names and lives of slaves, freedpersons and their descendants, and sharing those records on a free Internet site at http://www.africanaheritage.com/ USF Africana Heritage Project. Rediscovering Records of African American Genealogy and History The project website has been live for two years. Our searchable database contains more than 4,000 transcriptions and images of primary documents. The project's large database makes it a valuable resource for anyone researching their family history. Readers are encouraged to share will, deed and other records that name slaves, from their own family research. We treat every submission as the precious historical document that it is, and we cherish our volunteers. Toni also provided us with lists of general genealogical resources that can be found at USF:      USF Serials Catalog      USF Historic Newspapers
October 10, 2006	Nancy Evers will present a program about wills. She is a long-time member of FGS.
November 14, 2006	Dr. Monique Groulx, who is a member of BAGHS, will present a program about research in French Canada.
December 12, 2006	Our Annual Holiday Celebration.  BAGHS will supply the Christmas ham, our members will bring the extras.  Please try to arrive by 6:30, as we will eat before the meeting.
January 9, 2007	Sara Jo Reynolds will present a program entitled "Vertical files and other hits and misses."
February 13, 2007	Our speaker will be Clyde Chamberlin and he will present a slide show of "Unusual Gravestones."
March 13, 2007	Our speaker, Melissa Riley will present a program “Finding your Female Ancestors.”
April 10, 2007	Gay Harlowe will speak on "Women during the Revolutionary War" She will bring 13 dolls in colonial costume and DAR bottles showing women doing various activities.
May 8, 2007	Bob Rook will speak on genealogy software and the process of gathering, organizing, and sharing genealogical data.
June 12, 2007	Melissa Riley and Noreta Wells will discuss what is available at the library and online for genealogy research.
July 10, 2007	This is our annual summer "picnic" meeting July 10th and we are asking everyone to bring a covered dish, a guest and a big appetite. The Society will furnish the chicken, paper goods and drinks. A request for veggies has been made, so if you have a good casserole dish, please bring it. No program, just fun and games. A chance to talk Genealogy and meet and mingle with our members and guest.
August 14, 2007	Our member Linda Soloski will present a program on "Espionage in the Revolutionary War, was your Patriot one of these?" Sounds like another research road to travel.
September 11, 2007	Melissa Riley will present a program on Researching Land Records.s
October 9, 2007	Sally Miller will present a program on Revolutionary Diaries
November 13, 2007	Nancy Evers will present a program on Scandinavian Research.
December 11, 2007	This month it is time for our annual Christmas party.  Scott is checking on the ham and that leaves the veggies and desserts to us.  Noreta has the paper goods. The meeting is at 6:30. The invitation is extended to spouses and friends to join us and enjoy the beginning of our Holiday Season.
January 8, 2008 6:45 pm	Rodney Kite - Powell Tampa Bay History Center
February 12, 2008 6:45 pm	Meeting was cancelled due to severe weather.
March 11, 2008 6:45 pm	Andy Anderson - DNA
April 8, 2008 6:45 pm	Pam Treme' & Pattie Schultz Pasco Genealogy Society - "Connecting through Family Newsletters" This is a two part program on how to compile your Newsletter, than mail merging it to send to several people. You will learn things about your Microsoft Word you didn't know was there!
May 13, 2008 6:45 pm	Sally Miller - Tombstone Inscriptions
June 10, 2008 6:45 pm	George Morgan to speak on Researching Ancestry.com
July 8, 2008 6:45 pm	4th of July Party
August 12, 2008 6:45 pm	CANCELLED!  Our meeting room was used as a polling site by the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections.
September 9, 2008 6:45 pm	David Boyett - Genetic Genealogy - Understanding Your DNA
October 14, 2008 6:45 pm	Drew Smith will speak on "Understanding Copyright and Plagiarism."
November 18, 2008 6:45 pm	(Rescheduled because of Veterans Day.) Bob Rooke will speak on using a PC for genealogy
December 9, 2008 6:45 pm	Christmas Party
January 13, 2009 6:45 pm	Harold Youmans - War of 1812 in Florida
February 10, 2009 6:45 pm	Pattie Schultz & Pam Treme` - Researching on the Internet
March 10, 2009 6:45 pm	Kent Akselsen - Photo Restoration
April 14, 2009 6:45 pm	The April program "Italian Genealogy" will be presented by Vince J. Pardo, Vienna LoCicero Santisteban, and Kenneth Ferlita.
May 12, 2009 6:45 pm	Round Table discussion-bring your research problems and roadblocks to share.
June 9, 2009 6:45 pm	Jack Bolen - "The Lee and Jackson Families of Virginia"
July 14, 2009 6:45 pm	4th of July Party
August 11, 2009 6:45 pm	David Boyett - "World Archives Project, a Federation of Genealogical Societies and Ancestry.com initiative"
September 8, 2009 6:45 pm	Pam Treme and Pattie Schultz will present a new program, "Lightning Round".
October 13, 2009 6:45 pm	The Census Bureau canceled stating they did not have anyone available to present a program. Mary & Merton Gates have stepped up and volunteered to present a slide show program on their last trip to England. Mary and I belong to the United Daughters of the War of 1812 and out Society certificate is beautiful. It is a reproduction of the Memorial Window of St. Michaels Church in Dartmoor England unveiled June 4, 1910. It is dedicated to the American prisoners of war for the War of 1812 and the prison is next door to the church. I'm looking forward to this program. A big "Thank You" to Mary and Merton for stepping up for us.
November 10, 2009 6:45 pm	Monique Groulx will speak about Canadian Research. Monique is retired from teaching french at UT. She is a member of several Canadian research groups and will share her expertise with us.
December 8, 2009 6:30 pm	It is time for our annual Christmas celebration, Tuesday 8th, 6.30. Come join the fun and bring a guest. No regular business meeting or program, just time to chat and eat. I look forward to the great food & recipes. We do have one announcement from Scott: I just received a call from Christopher Miller with the Census and he wants to come to our society and speak for just a few minutes with the purpose of recruiting our members to work in the taking of the census. There are many different kinds of jobs available. I told him he could come on the 8th about 6:45 pm and he can make his announcement while we are eating.
January 12, 2010 6:30 PM	We are beginning our new year with a great program by Toni Carrier from USF on African American Genealogy. Toni welcomes all donations of materials you may have gathered on the subject. This is the website for additional info: http://www.africanaheritage.com
February 9, 2010 6:30 PM	Emanuel "Manny" Leto's subject will be: "Tampa's Immigrant Experience:West Tampa and Ybor City." Manny is the Program Outreach Coordinator for Tampa Bay History Center.
March 9, 2010 6:30 PM	Mike Woodfin's subject will be: "Ghost Towns, Secrets to our Past"
April 13, 2010 6:30 PM	Adrienne Condon, Ph.D. will discuss "Coming to America; Indentured Servants" Adrienne is a retired professor from USF/ English specialty 18th century American and British Transatlantic Literature
May 11, 2010 6:30 PM	Debra S. Fleming will speak on "The Three D’s: Deeds Death and Divorce." She is the principal of The Ancestry Detective, LLC a genealogical research firm founded in Pasco County, Florida. She has been a practicing genealogist for nine years, trading her research time between her many New England immigrant ancestors and her husband’s southern colonials. Debra is the Genealogy Instructor for the University of South Florida OSHER Lifelong Learning Center where she has been teaching Genealogy Courses since early 2007. She is a graduate of Florida State University, where she majored in Creative Writing and minored in her passion, Religion and is a graduate of the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR). She is currently a member of the Genealogical Speakers Guild (GSG), The Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) and the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors (ISFHWE). You can learn more about Debra S. Fleming at www.theancestrydetective.com and you may contact her at [email protected].
June 8, 2010 6:30 PM	Bob Rooke will be presenting the June 8th program: "Latest version of Roots Magic."
July 13, 2010 6:30 PM	4th of July Party
August 2, 2010 6:30 PM	We are unable to use the library for our usual date in August due to elections, so the meeting will be on August 2. Kass Evans from the Collections Dept. at John F Germany Library will present a Powerpoint on what resources are available for researching downtown. Now is the time to ask questions. Kass will have your answer.
September 14, 2010 6:30 PM	Mike Woodfin, "Ghost Towns of the Old West" http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikewoodfin/
October 5, 2010 6:30 PM	We are unable to use the library for our usual date in October due to elections, so the meeting will be on October 5. Scott L. Peeler, Jr. will discuss the Cherokee removal from the southeastern United States. This is commonly known as the "Trail of Tears." He will show a twenty minute DVD produced by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, and Trail of Tears National Historic Trail organizations. The DVD is a very recent production and is extremely well done. Those participating in the film are native Cherokee people, dressed in authentic Cherokee clothing of the removal period (1838-1839) and parts of the film are spoken in the Cherokee language. There are subtitles when necessary. Scott will also have authentic Cherokee articles to show and some publications written in the Cherokee writing system. There will be a presentation of how the removal was carried out and lists of names of some of the Cherokee who lived in the traditional area before removal will be available for you to check for your ancestors. This is a program you will not want to miss. Please pass the word on to any friends who may be interested in Cherokee history and genealogy.
November 9, 2010 6:30 PM	Dan Stutzman, Early Land Records
December 14, 2010 6:30 PM	Our annual Christmas party.
January 11, 2011 6:30 PM	Michelle Frazier from the library will present a program on what we can access from home with our library card.
February 8, 2011 6:30 PM	Eloise Hurst, Principle Librarian and Site Supervisor/Bloomingdale Library.---African-American genealogy. Learn tips & techniques of meeting the challenges in searching for Pre-Civil War era records.
March 8, 2011 6:30 PM	Melva Adams Kittrell, who lives in Sun City Center, will recount the processes through which she has gone to research her multi-ethnic and racial family.  Mrs. Kittrell traces her family's roots to the Spanish/Cuban colony in Ybor City, the African-American community of Bealsville in eastern Hillsborough County, and Ireland.  Her ancestors have been in the Tampa Bay area for five generations.  Through DNA testing she has been able to trace a part of her family to a specific tribe in Africa.  Although her roots go deep into Hillsborough County's past, Mrs. Kittrell was born in New York and earned a BS degree in Nursing from Hunter College and a MS degree from Iona College, both in New York.  After retirement, she and her husband moved to Sun City Center.  She has traveled extensively researching her family and is in the process of writing her autobiography.  You will not want to miss the program covering the fascinating background and research of Mrs. Kittrell.  The St. Petersburg Times carried a feature of Mrs. Kittrell in the February 11, 2011 issue of the newspaper.
April 12, 2011 6:30 PM	Emanuel "Manny" Leto-- Community Relations & Outreach Manager, Tampa Bay History Center speaking on the special programs for May by TBHC and the John F Germany Library, Tampa
May 10, 2011 6:30 PM	Dr. Celeste Ray will be our speaker on May 10, featuring her continuing research on Irish 'holy wells.' Dr. Ray graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a Professor at The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee where she teaches Anthropology and Archaeology. She has been on sabbatical for this past year and has just returned from three months of research in Ireland for which she was awarded a National Geographic grant. This research will be the topic for her sixth book, to be published next year. Celeste is the daughter of Anna Jean Springer.
June 14, 2011 6:30 PM	Bob Brookover-The Genealogy of Family Lore—discussing the importance of the "story" & "family lore" associated with one's family lines
July 12, 2011 6:30 PM	4th of July Party We would like to invite you and your guests to attend our "4th of July" picnic which is not held on the 4th of July nor is it quite a picnic in the traditional sense. We have a covered dish dinner on our regular meeting date (this year 12 July, 6:30 pm) at the Bloomingdale library. We also have no flies, ants, rain or heat to deal with as the traditional outdoors picnics do. BAGHS furnishes the fried chicken and those attending are asked to bring a covered dish to share. Utensils, drinks, etc., are provided by our society. We do not have a formal program at this event, but this year we are asking anyone who wants to do so to share an oral family tradition that has been passed through the generations. You may have found the story to be true, partially true, or false. Our June guest speaker is the inspiration for this topic. We really would like to have you join with us even if you are not able to be a member of our society. You are still our friend.
August 9, 2011 6:30 PM	Toni Carrier will present a program on "New Projects at the USF Africana Studies Project." She is the director of that program and has been with us several times in the past. If you are attending the program, please bring copies of any documents pertaining to African Americans for addition to the records at USF.
September 13, 2011 6:30 PM	Spence Autry, an avid traveler and photographer, will share how he produces photo books from his images and journals. He will also show how this same process can be used to produce family history and genealogy books.
October 11, 2011 6:30 PM	Alan and Melanie Feldman, owners of Feldman's Photography, have been copying and restoring damaged photographs for over 35 years. Alan has taught photography to thousands of professional photography throughout the U.S. and in many foreign countries. Melanie was selected as the best photo restoration artist in the state of Florida. Their studio also specializes in converting home movies to DVD and to computer hard drives for editing purposes and coping photos and slides to CD or DVD. The Feldmans will explain the techniques and process they use to restore photographs and convert your home movies to playable DVDs. Don't miss this informative program!
November 8, 2011 6:30 PM	Our speaker will be BAGHS member Bob Rooke. Bob will do a follow-up on a recent program on Blurb.com and how to share data with genealogy software.
December 13, 2011 6:30 PM	Our annual Christmas party, bring a guest. We will provide ham and members are asked to bring a complementary dish. We especially need vegetables and casseroles as we tend to have plenty of desserts. Eloise Hurst (librarian) is making the small microwave the library owns available for our use if anyone needs to heat a dish after arrival at the library. As usual, plates, cups and utensils will be provided. Remember, this is the time when you are encouraged to bring your spouse, adult children or anyone else as your guest. We look forward to having you spend this time with us. If anyone has a poem, song or any other seasonally appropriate item to share, please don't hesitate to let us know.
January 10, 2012 6:30 PM	Speaker: Jack Bolen, Past President of the Tampa Chapter, Son's of the American Revolution (SAR) Mr. Bolen will also be our guest speaker on Tuesday June 12, 2012 to talk about the Mt. Vernon Plantations of VA Bio: A native of Atlanta, he and his wife, June have lived in Brandon since 1979. After 34 years of service, he retired 6-1/2 years ago as Vice President and General Manager of the Cameron & Barkley Company's Tampa office. They have one child, Dr. Robert Bolen; four granddaughters and one grandson. They are members of First Baptist Church of Brandon. He served on the Board of Directors of Buckhorn Springs Golf & Country Club in Valrico as Treasurer. His hobbies are golf and history. Several of his ancestors fought for independence from Great Britain. One was on "the other side". Both his father's and mother's families pioneered in Georgia after serving in the American Revolution in the Carolinas. He is a member of the Orangeburg German-Swiss Genealogical Society of South Carolina. Three of his great grandfathers served in the Confederate Army. Two of them received the Southern Cross of Honor. There is a family cemetery outside Atlanta where some 25 Confederate veterans are buried and are all just one side of his mother's family. He is past president of the Tampa Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution and currently serves as Chaplain and on the Board of Management. He is also a member of their Hillsborough River Camp of The Sons of Liberty, a Revolutionary War Militia Color Guard which is part of the SAR. He is a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and past Commander of the Tampa Chapter of the Military Order of Stars & Bars, a group of descendants of Confederate officers. He is the Senior Recruiting Officer of the General's Barton & Stovall Brigade a national group of descendants of the "Georgia 7000". He is also an honorary member of the Tampa Chapter 113 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy as well as a "HODAR" (husband of the DAR) Alafia River Chapter. Currently he is attempting to establish a Civil War Round table for the Tampa area. He sees the Round Table as a way to reach out to young people in our area and encourage their interest in American history. The first meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 25th. At the Tampa Bay History Center.
February 14, 2012 6:30 PM	Speaker: Various Members, open to all. Topic: This is a show and tell meeting. Bring your information with you.
March 13, 2012 6:30 PM	Speaker: Rodney Kite-Powell, Tampa Bay History Center Topic: Passing on genealogical and historical information, when the time comes. Rodney Kite-Powell is the Saunders Foundation curator of history at the Tampa Bay History Center. Kite-Powell, who started working at the museum in 1994, is also editor of Tampa Bay History, a regional history journal published through a partnership between the center and the University of South Florida. He also teaches a course on the history of Florida at the University of Tampa.
April 10, 2012 6:30 PM	Speaker: Frank Crawford, Civil War Historian and Author Topic: A Marine at Harpers Ferry Frank Crawford is a retired high school Special Education teacher from Belvidere, Illinois that has had a life long interest in America's Civil War since his older brother named his horse Traveller. Now retired for almost twenty years, Frank now pursues his history interests almost full time while still living in Illinois but enjoying his winters in the far more pleasant southern climate of Florida. He and his wife belong to five Civil War Round Tables in Illinois and two here in Florida. That number will rise to three as the Tampa Bay Civil War Round Table is just beginning this year. He has written several articles for several Civil War magazines as well as two full length books - My Dear Wife - Letters from Private Samuel Pepper - 95th Illinois Infantry and Proud to Say I am a Union Soldier - The Last letters home from Federal Soldiers Written during the Civil War - 1861 - 1865.
May 8, 2012 6:30 PM	Mike Woodfin - Ghost Town Proctor, NC http://www.ghosttowns.com/ [email protected] Mike is a retired band director who has taught over 3000+ students in his 32 years. He is married to Debbie Woodfin, retired chorus director Burns Middle School. He has a married daughter who is a homemaker and a son who also is a band director in Lecanto Florida. His passion has been photography, baseball, & ghost towns for quite some time. The ghost town interest began in South Dakota and has been the subject of at least 3 newspaper articles in the past few years. He has had an ongoing affiliation and major contributor to the website, ghosttowns.com. He now owns a vending machine business in the Tampa area.
June 12, 2012 6:30 PM	Speaker: Jack Bolin, Past President of the Tampa Chapter, Son's of the American Revolution (SAR) Topic: Mt. Vernon Plantations of VA Bio: A native of Atlanta, he and his wife, June have lived in Brandon since 1979. After 34 years of service, he retired 6-1/2 years ago as Vice President and General Manager of the Cameron & Barkley Company's Tampa office. They have one child, Dr. Robert Bolen; four granddaughters and one grandson. They are members of First Baptist Church of Brandon. He served on the Board of Directors of Buckhorn Springs Golf & Country Club in Valrico as Treasurer. His hobbies are golf and history. Several of his ancestors fought for independence from Great Britain. One was on "the other side". Both his father's and mother's families pioneered in Georgia after serving in the American Revolution in the Carolinas. He is a member of the Orangeburg German-Swiss Genealogical Society of South Carolina. Three of his great grandfathers served in the Confederate Army. Two of them received the Southern Cross of Honor. There is a family cemetery outside Atlanta where some 25 Confederate veterans are buried and are all just one side of his mother's family. He is past president of the Tampa Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution and currently serves as Chaplain and on the Board of Management. He is also a member of their Hillsborough River Camp of The Sons of Liberty, a Revolutionary War Militia Color Guard which is part of the SAR. He is a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and past Commander of the Tampa Chapter of the Military Order of Stars & Bars, a group of descendants of Confederate officers. He is the Senior Recruiting Officer of the General's Barton & Stovall Brigade a national group of descendants of the "Georgia 7000". He is also an honorary member of the Tampa Chapter 113 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy as well as a "HODAR" (husband of the DAR) Alafia River Chapter.
July 10, 2012 6:30 PM	4th of July Party -- We would like to invite you and your guests to attend our "4th of July" picnic which is not held on the 4th of July nor is it quite a picnic in the traditional sense. We have a covered dish dinner on our regular meeting date (this year 10 July, 6:30 pm) at the Bloomingdale library. We also have no flies, ants, rain or heat to deal with as the traditional outdoors picnics do. BAGHS furnishes the fried chicken and those attending are asked to bring a covered dish to share. Utensils, drinks, etc., are provided by our society. We do not have a formal program at this event, but as in years past we encourage members and guest to share any family research or any topics that may be of interest to the society. You do not need to RSVP, but if you have any questions you may certainly get in contact with me and I will try to answer any questions you might have. We really would like to have you join with us even if you are not able to be a member of our society. Hope to see you on the 10th.
August 14, 2012 6:30 PM	Speaker: Dan Stutzman Topic: Ybor City, Cigar History (Lithography and Label Art) Speaker Bio and Program Description: Dan and his wife, Janet, moved to the Brandon area in 1983 and are originally from Pennsylvania. They have two married sons and three grandchildren. Dan is currently an Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Saint Leo University in San Antonio, Florida. He has BA in History from Mansfield University in Pennsylvania, a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies from the University of South Florida, and a Masters Degree in Library and Information Science, also from South Florida. He and his wife are members of Nativity Catholic Church. His hobbies include traveling, history, and genealogy. The program, Lithography and Cigar Label Art, presents the printing process used to create cigar labels. Ybor City was a major producer of cigars in the 19th and 20th Centuries and the cigar labels were the primary way cigar makers advertised their product. The program will provide a brief background on the cigar industry of Ybor City and center on the procedure for making cigar labels, describing the progression process used to create and print cigar labels; a process that required skill, experience, and patience.
September 11, 2012 6:30 PM	Speaker: Lee Hutchinson Topic: Historic Cemeteries, History Beneath Our Feet Speaker Bio: Lee moved from West Virginia to Florida in 1987 and currently lives in Seffner with her 19 year old son and 16 year old daughter, plus seven cats. She received her BA in Anthropology from Marshall University in 1985 and her MA in Public Archaeology/Cultural Resource Management in 1990 from the University of South Florida. Lee has been employed by Archaeological Consultants, Inc. (ACI) since 1991 where she is the Sr. Archaeologist. She is on the Board of Directors for the Florida Public Archaeology Network, the Florida Archaeological Council, and the Hillsborough County Historic Resources Review Board, as well as AMVETS Post 44. Lee has always had an interest in Genealogy and researches her family when time permits. The program, Historic Cemeteries, History Beneath Our Feet, will discuss marked and unmarked burial sites Lee has investigated over the last 20 years and why, and what information they may have to offer us in relation to genealogical research. Burial sites include the physical remains both above and below ground of marked and unmarked burials and include burial mounds, individual interments, family burial plots, church yards, town or city cemeteries, formal cemeteries, and Native American burials. Although burial sites give us missing information about our ancestors, there are those that do not but interest us nonetheless. In addition, if time permits, Lee will talk about preserving historic cemeteries and a cemetery program she is working on in Hillsborough County.
October 9, 2012 6:30 PM	Speaker: David Boyett Topic: Genetic Genealogy - Understanding your DNA Covers how different types of DNA testing that can assist in connecting family lineage and finding common ancestors. 1. Male line Y-DNA 2. Female line mt-DNA 3. Autosomal male/female DNA Born in Texas and raised in Oklahoma, Mr. Boyett is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and a retired career law enforcement officer with 36 years and having served as a police chief in Oklahoma and Florida. He graduated from the F.B.I. National Academy in Quantico, VA and has served as Parliamentarian for the Florida Chiefs Association and Board Member for the International Association of Police Chiefs in Washington, D.C. where he was the chairman of the Community Policing Committee. He is past-president of the Broward County Police Chief's Association. He is also a past recipient of the S.A.R. (Sons of the American Revolution) Law Enforcement Officer of the Year award in Norman, OK. Mr. Boyett is lives in Lithia with his wife Karen. In 2004 he was the first Boyett to be DNA tested for genetic genealogy research and today he coordinates DNA projects for the Boyett, Langston, Hooks, Ballard and Howell families. All of these families arrived in the Virginia Colony in the 1600's from England. He is a speaker for the International Society of Genetic Genealogy. A former Rotarian and past-president and charter member of the Norman Sooner Rotary Club in Norman, OK and past member of the Plantation Rotary Club in Plantatin, FL.
November 13, 2012 6:30 PM	BAGHS President, Scott Peeler, will present a program about the Cherokee Tribe. Program Description From Scott: The program will cover the Cherokee Nation during the War Between the States with emphasis on Brigidier General Stand Watie who was the highest ranking American Indian during the War. There is a brief film dealing with the Cherokee removal which focuses on Stand Watie. The film was produced by the Cherokee Nation and a little of the dialog is in the Cherokee language with subtitles. The involvement of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Cherokee, NC will also be included. The Thomas Legion was the Cherokee brigade formed from that area. I will also tell a little about my Cherokee great, great grandfather and his son who were both in the War from Monroe County, TN.
December 11, 2012 6:30 PM	It is time once again for our annual Holiday Party. We will provide ham along with the plates/utensils for our dinner. We ask that each one bring a covered dish to share. If you possibly can, it would be nice to have a casserole or vegetable dish to go along with our meal. Sometimes we get overloaded with desserts, but please do not worry if your schedule does not allow time to do any cooking. Also, if you have a poem or story you would like to share we would welcome it to our program. As you know, we do not have a formal program that evening but enjoy a time of fellowship with each other and our families. Please invite your spouse or any other friend or relative you would like to have share our event. This is a time when those who are not involved in our genealogical research can find out how we spend our Tuesday evening once a month. I do hope you will make a special effort to attend and bring someone with you to share the evening. We always have a very good time.
January 8, 2013 6:30 PM	Speaker: BAGHS Member and Secretary, Dorothy (Candy) Cothron Topic: Family Research, Baltic Cruise and Points of Interest Genealogy Researcher Since 2005, Candy and her husband Steve are retired, live in Brandon and have 3 sons, 4 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. Candy has family roots in Sweden, Denmark and England. Join the BAGHS group next Tuesday and listen to Candy share her experiences and family research as she highlights this recent trip to the Baltics. Arrived Harwich England on June 8th 2012 Boarded the Ship on the 9th Arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark (Spent the day) Cruised on the 11th Arrived in Stockholm, Sweden on the 12th Arrived in Helsinki, Finland on the 13th Arrived in St. Petersburg, Russia on the 14th and spent 2 days there Arrived in Tallinn, Estonia on the 16th Cruised on the 17th Arrived in Gothenburg, Sweden on the 18th Cruised on the 19th Arrived in Harwich, England on the 20th for flight home
February 12, 2013 6:30 PM	Speaker: Frank Crawford, Civil War Historian and Author Topic: Early Years of Abraham Lincoln Program: How Abraham Lincoln Got His Outhouse! Before he was President of the United States and before he was given credit for freeing the slaves, Abraham Lincoln was a lawyer. As a lawyer, in 1847, he was traveling the circuit and taking cases as they were presented to him. During that year, Lincoln was presented with a case that has, in modern times, been referred to as one of his most important cases. It ranks in the top ten of all cases heard within the state of Illinois, even today. Abraham Lincoln defended a slave owner in the free state of Illinois. As a result of this case, Abraham Lincoln "got an outhouse." Speaker Bio: Frank Crawford is a retired high school Special Education teacher from Belvidere, Illinois that has had a life long interest in America's Civil War since his older brother named his horse Traveller. Now retired for almost twenty years, Frank now pursues his history interests almost full time while still living in Illinois but enjoying his winters in the far more pleasant southern climate of Florida. He and his wife belong to five Civil War Round Tables in Illinois and two here in Florida. That number will rise to three as the Tampa Bay Civil War Round Table is just beginning this year. He has written several articles for several Civil War magazines as well as two full length books - My Dear Wife - Letters from Private Samuel Pepper - 95th Illinois Infantry and Proud to Say I am a Union Soldier - The Last letters home from Federal Soldiers Written during the Civil War - 1861 - 1865.
March 12, 2013 6:30 PM	Speaker: Jack Bolen, Rev. War and Civil War Historian Program: "The Battles of King's Mountain and the Cow Pens; turning points of the Revolution". The Battle of Kings Mountain was a decisive battle between the Patriot and Loyalist militias in the Southern campaign of the American Revolutionary War. The actual battle took place on October 7, 1780, nine miles south of the present-day town of Kings Mountain, North Carolina in rural York County, South Carolina, where the Patriot militia defeated the Loyalist militia commanded by British Major Patrick Ferguson of the 71st Foot. The Battle of Cowpens (January 17, 1781) was a decisive victory by Continental army forces under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan, in the Southern campaign of the American Revolutionary War. It was a turning point in the reconquest of South Carolina from the British. Speaker Bio: Bio: A native of Atlanta, he and his wife, June have lived in Brandon since 1979. After 34 years of service, he retired 6-1/2 years ago as Vice President and General Manager of the Cameron & Barkley Company's Tampa office. They have one child, Dr. Robert Bolen; four granddaughters and one grandson. They are members of First Baptist Church of Brandon. He served on the Board of Directors of Buckhorn Springs Golf & Country Club in Valrico as Treasurer. His hobbies are golf and history. Several of his ancestors fought for independence from Great Britain. One was on "the other side". Both his father's and mother's families pioneered in Georgia after serving in the American Revolution in the Carolinas. He is a member of the Orangeburg German-Swiss Genealogical Society of South Carolina. Three of his great grandfathers served in the Confederate Army. Two of them received the Southern Cross of Honor. There is a family cemetery outside Atlanta where some 25 Confederate veterans are buried and are all just one side of his mother's family. He is past president of the Tampa Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution and currently serves as Chaplain and on the Board of Management. He is also a member of their Hillsborough River Camp of The Sons of Liberty, a Revolutionary War Militia Color Guard which is part of the SAR. He is a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and past Commander of the Tampa Chapter of the Military Order of Stars & Bars, a group of descendants of Confederate officers. He is the Senior Recruiting Officer of the General's Barton & Stovall Brigade a national group of descendants of the "Georgia 7000". He is also an honorary member of the Tampa Chapter 113 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy as well as a "HODAR" (husband of the DAR) Alafia River Chapter. He is also a founding member of the Civil War Round table for the Tampa area. He sees the Round Table as a way to reach out to young people in our area and encourage their interest in American history.
April 9, 2013 6:30 PM	Speaker: Rev. Bob Brookover Topic: The Genealogy of Family Lore Topic: The Genealogy of Family Lore Discussing the importance of the "story" & "family lore" associated with one's family lines. Speaker Bio: http://www.robertbrookover.com/index.html After a thirty-five year career, Robert Brookover retired in 2005 to pursue his love of writing. Along with his wife, Marion, they moved from Manassas, Virginia to Tampa, Florida. He enjoys grandchildren, poetry, bridge, tennis, golf and a vigorous exercise routine. He is a graduate of Randolph-Macon College and Boston University. His lifelong interest in the American Civil War began at the age of seven during a trip with his grandparents to Gettysburg. In 1960, as the war's centennial commemorations began he sought every opportunity to listen to and witness historical presentations that depicted the soldier's life. During his career, he worked in Elkton, Woodstock, Winchester, and Manassas, Virginia. Not only did the libraries and museums in those communities contain journals and letters written by Civil War soldiers and their families, but also descendants of Virginians who fought in the war shared their family lore. As a result, Mr. Brookover incorporated this material into a four-part series of historical fiction, entitled, Wish is My Master. NOTE FROM BAGHS PRESIDENT: Our BAGHS meeting on April 9th is one you do not want to miss. Our program will be brought by the Rev. Dr. Robert (Bob) Brookover who spoke to us about a year ago. He has written a four-part series of books that cover the War Between the States period. The overall title is WISH IS MY MASTER with each having a subtitle. When he was with us the last time the only one available was the first book in the series. He had copies available for sale and many of you were able to obtain an autographed copy for your own library. The other three are now available and he will have them for sale at the meeting. I encourage you to bring your check book so you can purchase copies. The books are extremely interesting and filled with action. I have read all four of the series and I felt as though the characters were people I actually knew, they seem so real. It is difficult to find a stopping place since the action is so vibrant and one certainly wants to know what happens next at the close of each chapter. Please encourage your friends and any others who may be interested in this period of our history to attend. Best regards, Scott L. Peeler, Jr., President
May 14, 2013 6:30 PM	Mike Woodfin - History of the original Sun City, FL http://www.ghosttowns.com/ [email protected] http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikewoodfin/ Mike is a retired band director who has taught over 3000+ students in his 32 years. He is married to Debbie Woodfin, retired chorus director Burns Middle School. He has a married daughter who is a homemaker and a son who also is a band director in Lecanto Florida. His passion has been photography, baseball, & ghost towns for quite some time. The ghost town interest began in South Dakota and has been the subject of at least 3 newspaper articles in the past few years. He has had an ongoing affiliation and major contributor to the website, ghosttowns.com. He now owns a vending machine business in the Tampa area.
June 11, 2013 6:30 PM	Speaker: Various Members or Guest Topic: Show and Tell about your Family Research For the past several years we have set aside one meeting during the year to allow for the sharing of family research projects, including methods, experience and results, that may be of interest to other members and guest. Your experience may be a family story, research or an item of interest that goes along with the story or research. Depending on the number of members or guest who want to speak, we generally give about 10 minutes per member. Please email [email protected] if you would like to speak, or sign up at the meeting. The speakers will be called in order of received email and meeting sign up. Email [email protected] ASAP to make sure you get to speak.
July 9, 2013 6:30 PM	Dear Members of the Brandon Area Genealogical Society, We would like to invite you and your guests to attend our "4th of July" picnic which is not held on the 4th of July nor is it quite a picnic in the traditional sense. We have a covered dish dinner on our regular meeting date at the Bloomingdale library. We also have no flies, ants, rain or heat to deal with as the traditional outdoors picnics do. BAGHS furnishes the fried chicken and those attending are asked to bring a covered dish to share. Utensils, drinks, etc., are provided by our society. We do not have a formal program at this event, but as in years past we encourage members and guest to share any family research or any topics that may be of interest to the society. You do not need to RSVP, but if you have any questions you may certainly get in contact with me and I will try to answer any questions you might have. We really would like to have you join with us even if you are not able to be a member of our society. Hope to see you on the 9th. Sincerely, Scott L. Peeler, Jr., President by DB Brandon Area Genealogical & Historical Society (BAGHS)
August 13, 2013 6:30 PM	Speaker: Roberta Jordan Topic: Documentation for Membership in Organizations Roberta Jordan is a native of Pennsylvania. She has researched her ancestry and joined several lineage societies honoring their contributions. She is currently serving as First Vice President of the Florida State Society, Daughters of the American Colonists and as an Honorary Florida State President, National Society United States Daughters of 1812. She also holds several offices in societies at the local level. Roberta facilitates a Family History Writing Group here at the Bloomingdale Library. The group documents their stories about their ancestors beginning as early as their parents' generation. The presentation, Documentation for Membership in Organizations, focuses on the categories of documentation required and the methods to document the sources of the data.
September 10, 2013 6:30 PM	Speaker: David Croxton, Video Conversions of Florida, www.vidconFL.com Topic: Preserving Family Memories(Home Movies, Slides and Photos) by converting them to DVD. Speaker Bio: Originally from Kissimmee(5th generation Floridian). David and his wife, Linda, live in Plant City. Linda is a diabetes nurse educator with Watson Clinic in Lakeland. Their son teaches science at Ruskin Christian School and their daughter and her family live in Vero Beach. David started his bi-vocational music ministry career while in the Air Force. In 1964, following his discharge from the USAF, he began a career with IBM that spanned 26 years. Following his early retirement in 1991, he transitioned into church music ministry, and later senior adult ministry and church administration. When he retired in 2009, at the suggestion of his wife, he turned his focus to helping families preserve precious photographic memories that were beginning to fade and deteriorate. Video Conversions of Florida was established shortly thereafter, and since that time he has been actively involved locally in the West Central Florida area. In addition to serving this community, he receives requests from individuals from other states, and has done conversions for a family as far away as Spain. Conversions are done in his studio in Plant City.
October 8, 2013 6:30 PM	Speaker: David Boyett Topic: Genetic Genealogy - Understanding your DNA Born in Texas and raised in Oklahoma, Mr. Boyett is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and a retired career law enforcement officer with 36 years and having served as a police chief in Oklahoma and Florida. He graduated from the F.B.I. National Academy in Quantico, VA and has served as Parliamentarian for the Florida Chiefs Association and Board Member for the International Association of Police Chiefs in Washington, D.C. where he was the chairman of the Community Policing Committee. He is past-president of the Broward County Police Chief's Association. He is also a past recipient of the S.A.R. (Sons of the American Revolution) Law Enforcement Officer of the Year award in Norman, OK. Mr. Boyett is lives in Lithia with his wife Karen. In 2004 he was the first Boyett to be DNA tested for genetic genealogy research and today he coordinates DNA projects for the Boyett, Langston, Hooks, Ballard and Howell families. All of these families arrived in the Virginia Colony in the 1600's from England. He is a speaker for the International Society of Genetic Genealogy. A former Rotarian and past-president and charter member of the Norman Sooner Rotary Club in Norman, OK and past member of the Plantation Rotary Club in Plantation, FL. Mr. Boyett is Vice-President of the Brandon Area Historical and Genealogical Society. He currently works as a part-time investigator at the Hillsborough County Medical Examiners Office. Program Description: Genetic Genealogy - Understanding your DNA Covers how different types of DNA testing can assist in connecting family lineage and finding common ancestors. 1. Male line Y-DNA 2. Female line mt-DNA 3. Autosomal male/female DNA
November 12, 2013 6:30 PM	Speaker: Carolyn Joy Stafford Topic: Writing Your Family History Speaker Bio: Carolyn Joy Stafford [Rockhold] Scruggs Stafford, B.A. & M.S. in L.S DAR Essay Contest Winner, Phi Alpha Theta Honorary History Fraternity Joy and her husband Doug are 50-year residents of Brandon. Doug is a fifth generation Floridian, and Joy has just researched, written, edited and illustrated and published a book about his mother and her ancestors, some dating back into the 1600's. Joy has worked as a Pre-School teacher at her church and in the Hillsborough County Jr. and Sr. high schools as a Media Specialist. After 32 years as an educator, she retired and began devoting her talents and energies to her hobbies and avocations: genealogy, scrapbooking, cooking, volunteering in school libraries, and working with American Cancer Society Relays for Life. She also has enjoyed traveling with her husband, Doug, throughout America and Europe, doing research for her books. Program Description: Using her experience in publishing six family history books the presenter will discuss different writing styles, how to identify your intended audience, different formats to use and how to publish or self-publish your family history book.
December 10, 2013 6:30 PM	We will provide ham along with the plates/utensils for our dinner. We ask that each one bring a covered dish to share. If you possibly can, it would be nice to have a casserole or vegetable dish to go along with our meal. Sometimes we get overloaded with desserts, but please do not worry if your schedule does not allow time to do any cooking. Also, if you have a poem or story you would like to share we would welcome it to our program. As you know, we do not have a formal program that evening but enjoy a time of fellowship with each other and our families. Please invite your spouse or any other friend or relative you would like to have share our event. This is a time when those who are not involved in our genealogical research can find out how we spend our Tuesday evening once a month. I do hope you will make a special effort to attend and bring someone with you to share the evening. We always have a very good time.
January 14, 2014 6:30 PM	Speaker: Dan Stutzman Topic: History of St Leo University Dan Stutzman is a former member of our organization. Dan works on the Tampa campus of St. Leo University and will be giving us a program on the history of this institution of higher education.
February 11, 2014 6:30 PM	Roberta Jordan - Tracking a Family Legend
March 11, 2014 6:30 PM	Toni Carrier - Africana Heritage Program, USF - African American research Toni Carrier is working with the Smithsonian Institute and plans on reporting on that project which involves a slave cabin from Edisto Island, SC. Her programs are always wonderful.
April 8, 2014 6:30 PM	Pam Treme' - Dipping Your Fingers in Paint (free graphics program)
May 13, 2014 6:30 PM	Martha Jean Lorenzo will present a program on adoption.
June 10, 2014 6:30 PM	Julio Granda - John Germany Library Genealogical Department head. Resources in the John Germany Library.
July 8, 2014 6:30 PM	4th of July picnic (July 8th) - covered dish dinner.
August 12, 2014 6:30 PM	Laura & Edward Ward - Chasing The General And Pursuing The Medal Of Honor Click here to see their bios
September 9, 2014 6:30 PM	Dan Stutzman - Bridging the Gap: New England to the Midwest, 1780-1840 Review of the course presented by the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh
October 14, 2014 CANCELLED 6:30 PM	Melissa Scharp - Family History Center resources and Using FamilySearch effectively
November 18, 2014 New Date 6:30 PM	Shirley Besch - Helpful Hints For Family Research
December 9, 2014 6:30 PM	Annual Christmas dinner (covered dish dinner).
January 13, 2015 6:30 PM	Scott Niblick - Using the Family Search website
February 10, 2015 6:30 PM	John Stewart - Historic and Genealogical Information of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings.
March 10, 2015 6:30 PM	Title: Finding Next of Kin for Unclaimed Persons - Medical Examiners Office Speaker: Forensic Investigator David Boyett (AKA: MEO Genealogist) In addition to determining the cause and manner of death, the medical examiners office is also charged with locating next of kin for all unclaimed persons. Sometimes this is as simple as sending a police car to notify a next of kin, or as complicated as using all known resources to locate family records and establish a hierarchy of legal next of kin. This program will cover the process, databases, and volunteers who are used in some of the most difficult cases in Hillsborough County. Many of the resources used to find next of kin have common applications in genealogy research and can be located in several County databases that are open to the public. About the speaker: David is a past Board member and VP of BAGHS having moved to the Lithia area after retiring with 37 years in Law Enforcement. He is a Graduate of the University of Oklahoma and the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA. Past President of the Broward County Police Chief's Association, Past State Parliamentarian of the Florida Police Chiefs Association in Tallahassee and Past Board Member and Community Policing Committee Chair for the International Association of Chiefs of Police in Washington DC. David is a member of the International Society of Genetic Genealogy and teaches seminars on how to use DNA testing results with family genealogy research. David has been working part-time at the medical examiners office in Tampa for the past three years.
April 14, 2015 6:30 PM	Amy Lay - Florida Pioneer and Hillsborough County Pioneer Certificate Programs.
May 12, 2015 6:30 PM	Edward Santilli - How to Digitize Your Family Photographs. Program will cover using a PowerPoint program the equipment needed to fix color, contrast and brightness of your images and how to scan and save your family photographs, slides and negatives into digital files on your computer.
June 9, 2015 6:30 PM	Jesse Marshall - Seminole Wars and the Veterans Park in Hillsborough County.
July 14, 2015 6:30 PM	4th of July picnic (July 14th) - covered dish dinner.
August 11, 2015 6:30 PM	Christina Perea - EPOCH (Electronically Preserving Obituaries as Cultural Heritage) - Orange County Library System EPOCH (Electronically Preserving Obituaries as Cultural Heritage) has been created in order to fill a community need for collecting local history and knowledge, specifically through the information that is recorded in obituaries. Attend this program in order to learn more about how EPOCH allows family and friends of the deceased to submit a free detailed obituary of their loved one, helping to preserve local history for future genealogical research.
September 8, 2015 6:30 PM	Roberta Jordan - Anabaptist Records Available for Research
October 13, 2015 6:30 PM	Tampa Natives TV Program: Mario and Sally Nunez and Steve Cannella
November 10, 2015 6:30 PM	Stan Heigert - Probate Records
December 8, 2015 6:30 PM	Annual Christmas dinner (covered dish dinner).
January 12, 2016 6:30 PM	Bill Harris - Genealogical Holdings of the John F. Germany Library in downtown Tampa Bill Harris is the new head of the Genealogical and Historical Department at the library. Refreshments by Stan Heigert and Roberta Jordan
February 9, 2016 6:30 PM	Susan Paycer - Mardi Gras in New Orleans Refreshments by Nedra Rich and Susan Paycer
March 8, 2016 6:30 PM	Stan Heigert - Understanding Estate Records II - Dowers Rights, Women's Rights, Orphans and Guardianships This is a follow up to his November presentation on Wills and Probate Records and is designed to help take some of the mystery out of understanding the probate records of your ancestors. Refreshments by Annette Lee and Sandra Troublefield
April 12, 2016 6:30 PM	Andria & Robert Wimberly - Africian-American Mormon Pioneers A brief discussion on the Tampa Florida Chapter of the Afro American Historical and Genealogical Society and the Robert W. Saunders, Sr. Library will follow. Refreshments by Christina Bowles and Candy Cothron
May 10, 2016 6:30 PM	Gigi Best - Locating Native & Africian-American Ancestors -or- 15+ Ways to Topple the 1870 Brick Wall For many families, the 1870 census is the oldest, easily attainable genealogy documentation. Before the Civil War and emancipation, it can be far more difficult to find records. Genealogist Gigi Best will offer her expertise and guidance to surmount this barrier. Refreshments by Pat Leibfried
June 14, 2016 6:30 PM	Scott Niblick - Using Google to add context to your family research. Refreshments by Theresa Graham
July 12, 2016 6:30 PM	4th of July picnic (July 12th) - covered dish dinner.
August 9, 2016 6:30 PM	David Boyett - Genetic Genealogy - Understanding your DNA About the speaker: David is a past Board member and VP of BAGHS having moved to the Lithia area after retiring with 37 years in Law Enforcement. He is a Graduate of the University of Oklahoma and the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA. Past President of the Broward County Police Chief's Association, Past State Parliamentarian of the Florida Police Chiefs Association in Tallahassee and Past Board Member and Community Policing Committee Chair for the International Association of Chiefs of Police in Washington DC. David is a member of the International Society of Genetic Genealogy and teaches seminars on how to use DNA testing results with family genealogy research. David has been working part-time at the medical examiners office in Tampa for the past four years. Refreshments by Susan Paycer and Helena Kocevar
September 13, 2016 6:30 PM	Roberta Jordan - Some Nontraditional American Intentional Communities. Presentation will include the Shakers, Amana, the Harmonists, and Zoar. Refreshments by several members for Nancy and Robert Kittner
October 11, 2016 6:30 PM	Scott Niblick - Working with Autosomal DNA Results Handout Refreshments by Stan Heigert
November 8, 2016 6:30 PM	Speaker and Topic TBD Refreshments by Bill and Judy Johnson
December 13, 2016 6:30 PM	Annual Christmas dinner (covered dish dinner).

Last modified: January 11, 2016