Sussex County Genealogical Society - Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
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SCGS is a member of the Friends of the Delaware Archives
SCGS is a member of the National Genealogical Society
SCGS is an official Society in the 1940 Census Indexing Project

SCGS is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
The best part about genealogy
is searching for ancestors
and finding friends.
                                                                   Lawrence Dillard
Come to a place where we do both!

  Genealogy
  Tip of the Day .. By Michael John Neill

  Lisa Louise Cooke's Genealogy Gems
Features the Free Genealogy Podcast, Genealogy Gems YouTube videos, and blog articles
 

SCGS Celebrates 20 Years!

This celebration took place at the Lewes Public Library in Lewes, Delaware Saturday January 18th.  Refreshments and cake were served afterwards.
 
                                 
 
Mags Gaulden gave a presentation of YDNA, mtDNA and MitoDNA virtually by Zoom.
 
 
 

Happy New Year from SCGS!

We’re kicking off the year with an exciting first issue of our newsletter, packed with fascinating stories and resources for genealogists of all levels. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s inside:
  • Starting Fresh: A thoughtful piece on New Year’s Resolutions tailored to genealogists—perfect for setting your research goals for 2024.
  • An Edible Family Record: Bob Breen shares a heartwarming story about his family’s tradition of baking Ukrainian Paska Bread, a recipe passed down through generations.
  • Spotlight on Catherine Ryan Carpenter: Maureen Miller's article brings her remarkable maternal grandmother’s incredible life to light.
  • Exploring Genetic Genealogy Blogs: A curated list of must-read blogs from the International Society of Genetic Genealogists to inspire your DNA research.
  • December Meeting Highlights: Relive the moments as our members shared their own family history stories at our last gathering.
  • Finding Family Heirlooms on eBay: Lia Louise Cook’s insightful presentation month’s ago has been useful to me so I prepared an refresher that offers practical tips for uncovering treasures tied to your ancestors.
  • Member Spotlight: Get to know Mildred Wiedmann, whose story adds a unique thread to the tapestry of our society.
  • A Long-Awaited Discovery: Editor’s Corner—After years of searching, I’ve finally pinpointed the homeland of my paternal 4th set of great-great-grandparents, and I’m thrilled to share the journey with you.
  • Society Updates: Welcome new members, check out our upcoming meeting schedule, and read Virginia Catley’s inspiring Message from the President.
For our Membership .. I hope you enjoy this issue as much as I enjoyed putting it together. Here’s to another year of discovery, connection, and celebrating the stories that shape us all!
 
Mike Maher        

Program Announcement

Here's the list of programs that are currently planned:
 
Mar 15 2025 - Michael John McNeill Manual Searches Recommended
Apr 26 2025 - Michael Cassara 21st Century Italian Genealogy
May 17 2025  - Chris Slavens "1742 The True Story of the Nanticoke Indians Plot to Unite the Tribes, Massacre the English and Take back the Eastern Shore"
 
JUNE-JULY-AUGUST - no meetings
 
Sep 20 2025 - Cynthia Steinhoff Tracing Ancestors Through Needlework Samplers
Oct 18 2025 - TBA
Nov 15 2025 - Sara Cochran No OFMP? No Problem!!

Sussex County Genealogical Society

Wants to Know
 
What would you like to be included at our Special Interest or Discussion Groups and Monthly Meetings?
 
We have several great speakers lined up for our meetings and are looking for future suggestions!
 
 
Let us know .. OK?   Send your suggestions to Webmaster@SCGSDelaware.org
 
Featured
President's Message
2024 - 2025
Calendar of Events
From the Upper Eastern Shore of Maryland Genealogy Facebook Page
The Legal Genealogist
A Genealogist With A Law Degree
April 2
Q & A: Let's Talk Genealogy!
SCGS members and non-members gather monthly via zoom for an open discussion group. In March the group discussed their favored and "must have" genealogy references that they keep in their personal libraries. Lists were shared within the group. In ...
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April 26
Twnty First Century Italian Genealogy
OUR SPEAKER : Michael Cassara is a professional genealogist and speaker, based in New York City. He has conducted extensive research on his Italian/Sicilian/Irish/German ancestors and frequently speaks at genealogy conferences, including 5 years of presentations at RootsTech in Salt Lake ...
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April 28
Family Tree Maker Special Interest Group
Join a discussion about using the Family Tree Maker genealogy database software. Meetings include feature discussions, and open question & answer discussions.  These meetings are held via Zoom every other month on the 4th Monday of the month at 2:00p. The ...
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May 17
"1742 The True Story of th Nanticoke Indians Plot to Unite the Tribes ..."
Our Speaker and Author of "1742 The True Story of the Nanticoke Indians Plot to Unite the Tribes, Massacre the English and Take Back the Eastern Shore": Chris Slavens lives in Laurel, Delaware. He is the author of The Roofed ...
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September 20
Finding Forgotten Family Through Vintage Samplers
Cynthia Steihoff , will take us through the steps she uses to find family and history through collecting and researching vintage samplers.    Have you ever wondered about the people who created the detailed samplers in your back closet or ...
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October 18
"How Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help you with your Genealogy"
Jon Smith, a member of our organization, as well as a member of many DNA organizations, will discuss and demonstrate some of the ways to begin and use AI for the research of DNA questions in our family.   Jon ...
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November 15
WW1 and WW2 REcords. when you have No OFMP? No Problem!!
Sara Cochran The Skeleton Whisperer Sara is a full-time professional genealogist with thirty years of research experience. Her research has taken her to nearly every state in the USA and Ireland. She especially enjoys breaking down brick walls, discovering ...
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December 13
End of Year Holiday Celebration
Our  Yearly Holiday Celebration to Share our Family Findings and Knocked Down or Chipped Away Brick Walls!   Bring your treasures and family  heirlooms to show and share with our group.  Bring any of the information you have found through ...
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January 17
The Erie Canal, It's History, Creation and Implortance to America
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February 21
Early California Population Proect
 Steven Hackel, PHD in American History fro Cornell, and a PBA from Stanford   "The Early California Population Project"
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