PGS Members and FriendsClick below to access the recordings from our recent online meetings. The most recent video is at the top of the list. Presentation videos are also on the Members Only pages indefinitely. Handouts for repeating classes are also available in the Members Only pages of this website. [Please be respectful of the copyrighted materials and do not download or copy the videos.]
10 June 2026 Class Video – Royal Blood You don’t have to be an aristocrat to have royal ancestry. Learning that you descend from royalty can be an exciting find in your genealogy journey. If you are, it may not be too difficult to make the connection. Abundant source material is available on royal families and the records are often meticulously maintained. This class will explore some of the techniques and research avenues that may lead you to discover the kings and queens in your family tree. Presented by Pinellas Genealogy Society Volunteer Jean Roberson. This video will be available for approximately one month in this area. It will also appear on the Members pages of the website indefinitely.
9 June 2026 Class Video – PowerPoint for Genealogy If you have used PowerPoint for presentations, you know how easy it is to use! But did you know it’s also a valuable companion for genealogists? You will want to keep it open all the time after we show you the three biggest genealogy uses for this powerful app: clipping and storing research, manipulating photos, and turning family tree reports into beautiful books or videos! We’ll give you tips to take your PowerPoint skills to the next level whether you’re using your own computer or the library’s. Presented by Pinellas Genealogy Society volunteer and computer trainer Lori Coffey. This video will be available for approximately one month in this area. It will also appear on the Members pages of the website indefinitely.
4 June 2026 Class Video – The Basics of WikiTree 1 Join us for the initial meeting of the PGS WikiTree Users Group where we will explain how WikiTree will meet its mission of growing a single family tree that connects us all and is freely accessible to us all, forever. On the first Wednesday of the month, learn how to ensure our families are accurately represented in this free public database. You will see how to best navigate the website; how to join a project; how to collaborate with other genealogists to help break down those brick walls. Presented by WikiTree Project Leader and Consultant, Denise Jarrett. Register in advance for the next WikiTree Users Group meeting HERE. This video will be available for approximately one month in this area. It will also appear on the Members pages of the website indefinitely.
29 May 2026 Class Video – Passing the Genealogy Baton What will happen to your genealogy research and family treasures when you’re gone? This class explores practical steps genealogists can take now to preserve their work. Learn how to organize research, select a genealogy heir, manage digital accounts, and use tools like wills and personal property memoranda to ensure your family history continues into the future. Presented by Pinellas Genealogy Society Volunteer Sue Styx. This video will be available for approximately one month in this area. It will also appear on the Members pages of the website indefinitely.
28 May 2026 Class Video – How to Create the Perfect Family History Book After creating a dozen different family history books, I have learned what to do and what NOT to do! If you are investing your time and money to create a lasting legacy, why not do it right? Family tree reports, plus images, narrative, and local history all go into the PERFECT family history book that people will want to read. Presented by Pinellas Genealogy Society volunteer and computer trainer Lori Coffey. This video will be available for approximately one month in this area. It will also appear on the Members pages of the website indefinitely.
20 May 2026 Class Video – Documenting Your Sources An introduction on the content of proper source citations. Using modern genealogy programs to enter citations will also be covered (Roots Magic, and Family Tree Maker will be addressed). Presented by Pinellas Genealogy Society Volunteer Jean Roberson. This video will be available for approximately one month in this area. It will also appear on the Members pages of the website indefinitely.
16 May 2026 Program Video – American Military Records Military records can help bring your ancestor to life with firsthand details documenting service, post-war life, family, and those all-important FAN club members. We will examine records that reveal military life: battles, promotions, illness and injury, prisoner-of-war, and courts-martial. Pension records which identify events that resulted in death or a life-altering disability, impacting the soldier’s ability to earn a living and support his family. In this presentation, we will explore the treasure trove of military records of the 18th and 19th centuries that reveal rich details of your ancestor’s service. Presented by Sandy Rumble. This video will be available for approximately one month in this area. It will also appear on the Members pages of the website for 90 days.
5 May 2026 Class Video – Processes in Genealogy You know processes can save you time. But which specific processes can you use in genealogy to help you work smarter not harder? You will of course learn genealogy processes such as the Kinship and Social Organization Process, but also business processes such as the ABCs of Prioritizing, and even relationship processes such as Ben Franklin’s Five Secrets to Success. Throughout, you will also learn tips from IT development processes and even Japanese Management to save your valuable time. Presented by Pinellas Genealogy Society volunteer and computer trainer Lori Coffey. This video will be available for approximately one month in this area. It will also appear on the Members pages of the website indefinitely.
30 Apr 2026 Class Video – Skeletons in the Family Closet We all find scandals, scalawags, and other surprises in the course of our genealogical research. This presentation some of the unexpected, and sometimes unsavory, facts that may arise and ethical considerations to keep in mind when deciding how to share them. Presented by Pinellas Genealogy Society Volunteer Karen Fortin. This video will be available for approximately one month in this area. It will also appear on the Members pages of the website indefinitely.
VIDEOS FOR NEW GENEALOGISTS
Getting Started on Your Family Tree. This video leads you through a hands-on tutorial on getting started on your family tree. When you follow the link to the video, you will be offered additional links to handouts which you can download for a more beneficial experience.
The following videos are listed in order of complexity. As you become familiar with various genealogy research skills, choose from the listed topics to tailor your skills development.
A consolidated handout is available by clicking here: CONSOLIDATED HANDOUT.
The following three presentations are from the “Essentials Collection”. They cover topics aimed at researchers new to the study of their family’s genealogy and history:
Video 1: Getting Started in Genealogy
Video 2: Key Records in Genealogy
Video 3: Internet Genealogy
The following four presentations are from the “Skill Builder Collection.” They delve more deeply into some of the research topics introduced in the Essentials Track:
Video 1: Newspapers in Genealogy Research
Video 2: Military Records in Genealogy
Video 3: Evaluating Genealogical Evidence
Video 4: Documenting Your Sources
The following two presentations are from the “DNA in Genealogy Research Collection”:
Video 1: FUNdamentals of DNA
Video 2: The Whys of Y-DNA
5 Mar 2026 DNA Basics: The following videos are aimed at introducing the essential concepts of DNA in genealogy research. There is a consolidated handout for the videos in the member pages of the website.
VIDEO: DNA Basic Series Overview
VIDEO: DNA Basics I – Types of Tests and Ethnicity
VIDEO: DNA Basics II – Centimorgans and Shared Matches
VIDEO: DNA Basics III – Ancestry DNA
VIDEO: DNA Basics IV – X, Y, MtDNA
21 Sep 2024 Monthly Program: Unique Challenges of African American Genealogy. Genealogy is the same the world around, yet there are some unique challenges when researching African American family history. For example, specific strategies are required to identify and work with records before 1860 and locating identifiable names among government records can raise the difficulty level. Even though it can be challenging, it can also be rewarding. Especially if you plan to volunteer for community projects like our Clearwater Colored Cemeteries program. We’ll provide research strategies to take you around the obstacles to help you find the records you seek. Presented by Taneya Y. Koonce. There is no handout for this presentation.
PGS HISTORY VIDEOS:
Five program meetings during 2022 were dedicated to celebrating the 50th anniversary of PGS. The videos collected here are recordings of each of those five meetings They will be available on the public as well as member pages of our website for the foreseeable future. Use these videos to gain an appreciation of the breadth and depth of the Society’s activities over the past fifty years. (You can purchase a 50th Year Commemoration book by clicking on the “Publications Tab” at the top of the website homepage.)
There are no handouts associated with these videos.
15 January 2022 – VIDEO – FIRST DECADE: Debbie Schuler, PGS President shares the history of the start of the Pinellas Genealogy Society for our 50th Anniversary First Decade Event. This is also the first PGS hybrid meeting held both in-person in the Largo Library and online via Zoom.
19 March 2022 – VIDEO – SECOND DECADE: Maridell Hahn, PGS Seminar Director shares the history of the second decade of the Pinellas Genealogy Society for our 50th Anniversary Second Decade Event. This is also the first PGS hybrid meeting with both in-person and virtual speakers.
18 Jun 2022 – VIDEO – THIRD DECADE: Damon Hostetler, PGS Anniversary Committee member shares the history of the third decade of the Pinellas Genealogy Society for our 50th Anniversary Third Decade Event.
2 Dec 2022 – VIDEO – FOURTH DECADE: Damon Hostetler, PGS Anniversary Committee member shares the history of the fourth decade of the Pinellas Genealogy Society for our 50th Anniversary Fourth Decade Event.
17 Dec 2022 – VIDEO – FIFTH DECADE: Karen Fortin, PGS Anniversary Committee member shares the history of the fifth decade of the Pinellas Genealogy Society for our 50th Anniversary Fifth Decade Event.
Follow this link to join the Society: JOIN HERE
