Meetings 2025-2026

General Meeting & Luncheon – third Tuesdays as shown below September through May.

Meeting location is:

 South Hillsborough Elks Lodge 2672, 1630 S U.S. Hwy 41, Ruskin, Florida   Map & Location

10:30 am – Optional Regional Round Table  Discussion before the luncheon. Bring your questions and maybe the group can help you find the answers.

12:00 pm – Lunch              1:00 pm – Guest Speaker

 COST: $18.00 includes program & pre-planned lunch. Make check payable to South Bay Genealogical Society. Reservations must be received in our P.O. Box at least nine  (9) days prior to the luncheon meeting.  Send a check for $18.00 each, including names of attendees and food choice to SBGS, PO Box 5202, Sun City Center, FL 33571 

Sep 15 – Drew Smith – Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Genealogy   

AI tools are being used by genealogy companies and have recently become available to genealogists. What are they and how can we use them appropriately?Person?

October 20 – Peggy Jude – Coming to America

This program traces the major waves of immigration to America, focusing on who came, when they arrived, and the key reasons behind each movement. You will gain insight into the push and pull factors that drove groups from all over the world to the US—from early colonial settlers and enslaved Africans to the diverse arrivals of the modern era. If you are seeking to understand or celebrate the evolving American story will find this program rich with context for both family history research and broader historical reflection.

November 17 – Karen Fortin – Meet the Neighbors: Neighborhood Analysis Using Census Records

What type of neighborhood did your ancestors live in? Who were the neighbors and where did they come from? What types of jobs did they have? Was it a blue-collar or white-collar neighborhood and how did your ancestors fit in? These and other questions can be answered as you learn how to identify the residents of a neighborhood and analyze the information found in their census records.

December 15   Carol Weidlich – Virtual Cemeteries: What Are They and How Do I Use Them?

Virtual Cemeteries and online memorials can be found at multiple websites on the Internet. From the most popular Find A Grave to Geneanet, or the oldest virtual cemetery – The World Wide Cemetery, these websites offer burial information and memorials for your loved ones which may contain unknown family connections, family information and photos.