Our meetings are held on the third Monday of each month
In person at the Fairview Park Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library
Zoom meetings are open to members only
(No meetings July, August and December)
16 June 2025 (Monday) 7:00pm in person only
Lineage Societies: What's in Your Application?
Speaker: Jean Hoffman
Jean has done genealogical research for over 20 years and has held the credential of Certified Genealogist® since 2005. She is very involved with the Computer Assisted Genealogy Group (CAGG) where she leads a user group for RootsMagic and The Master Genealogist. She has successfully applied to a variety of lineage groups, local, state and national, and likes helping others do the same. Learn about lineage societies, what they are, where they are and the value of joining. This session will go over the application process with focus on Cuyahoga County Lineage Groups.
24 July 2025 (Thursday) 6:30pm to 8:30pm in person
Memory Lab and Innovation Center Field Trip
Join us for a personalized tour of the Memory Lab and Innovation Center at the Fairview Park branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library! You’ll get an orientation and demonstration of the equipment and software available, with a special focus on tools that can help with family history projects. We'll also share inspiring examples to spark your creativity.
10 September 2025 (Wednesday) 7:00pm to 9:00pm via Zoom
Clan Diggers: Genealogy Help Session
Bring your genealogy questions and have members help you get started on breaking down those brick walls!
15 September 2025 (Monday) 7:00pm via Zoom
Catholic Diocese of Cleveland
Speaker: Emily Ahlin, MLIS Director of Archives Catholic Diocese of Cleveland
Emily is a problem solver with a track record of innovative ideas, attention to detail and an ability to make connections between researchers and services, resources and collections. Specific area of interest include digital preservation methods, metadata and reference/user services.
11 October 2025 ( Saturday)10:00am to 12:00pm in person
Clan Diggers: Genealogy Help Session
Bring your genealogy questions and have members help you get started on breaking down those brick walls!
20 October 2025 (Monday) 7:00pm via Zoom
The Record Keeper: The Unfolding of a Family Secret in the Age of Genetic Genealogy
Speaker: Allison Lawrentz Barnhart
When Allison gave her father a DNA test in 2015, she had no idea it would upend everything she thought she new about her family. The Surprising results launched her into a years-long journey uncovering hidden relatives, a mysterious biolocial grandfather, and long-buried family secrets.
Her memoir, "The Record Keeper" (Legacy Book Press,2024), traces the emotional and historical path of discovery through conversations with relatives, decades old keepsakes, and the power of modern genetic research. It's a story of identity, connection and the truths that shape who we are.
Allison is a graphic designer and lifelong genealogy enthusiast from Ashland, Ohio.
17 November 2025 (Monday) 7:00pm via Zoom
Who Lived Here? House Genealogy
Speaker: Amanda Epperson
No Meetings in December!
2026 Calendar
19 January 2026 (Monday) 7:00pm via Zoom
General Meeting
16 February 2026 (Monday) 7:00pm via Zoom
Scottish Immigration to America
More than 8 million Americans claim Scottish heritage, and the true number may be even higher. This presentation explores major waves of Scottish immigration—from 17th-century exiles to 18th-century Scots-Irish settlers and 19th- and 20th-century urban migrants. Learn why they left Scotland, where they settled in the U.S., and how their culture shaped American society. We’ll also spotlight notable Scottish Americans and share top resources for tracing your Scottish ancestry.
Speaker: Scott Norrick
Scott has over 30 years of experience researching his family history, and through his company, Ancestral Past, he assists others with their family history research. His areas of expertise include researching the immigration to America from Britain, Ireland, and Germanic countries. He also has significant experience researching both the American Revolutionary
16 March 2026 (Monday) 7:00pm via Zoom
Genealogical Research Using Railroad Records Overview of the different types of records or sources that were created by the railroad or the people who worked on them. A quick look at the value of these records tells us about our railroad ancestors.
Speaker: Kim S. Harrison
Kim has been doing genealogy since 1974, and in 1998 was fortunate to turn her passion into her vocation. I have had the privilege of working in the library community by representing some of the big online providers of information (Gale, Otherdays.com, ProQuest, NewsBank and Ancestry) before relocating to AZ for 7 years and now back home in MI (May 2023).
Her genealogy membership since 1970’s has been NGS and Ohio Genealogical Society, as well as being past President of the Michigan Genealogical Council and Arizona Genealogical Advisory Board and founding member of the Grand River Trails Chapter of the DAR (MI). During the 1980’s she lobbied the National Archives to stop the destruction of the Railroad Pension Application files. Later I had written a grant for the preservation of the investigation into The Sultana Disaster, which is now available (free) on Fold3. Hermost interesting ancestor was Lot Little and being able to join the DAR under his service. Lot was a freed slave from NH.
20 April 2026 (Monday) 7:00pm via Zoom
General Meeting
Speaker: TBA
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