What You Can Learn from Lineage Societies… Without Being a Member! by Elizabeth Swanay O’Neal, CG

Fox Valley Genealogical Society presents What You Can Learn from Lineage Societies… Without Being a Member! by Elizabeth Swanay O’Neal, CG Visit ilfvgs.org/education/programs/2026-programs/ to register for this virtual event.  

Lineage societies have been collecting and preserving family histories for more than 125 years. Did you know that some of these resources are available online for free? And you don’t even need to be a member to take advantage of them! From the databases and documents of the DAR to simple lists of pioneers and soldiers, this presentation will show you the gems that are available online and how to find them.

Elizabeth Swanay O’Neal, Certified Genealogist®, is a professional researcher, writer, educator, and national genealogical speaker. Her specialties include methodology, technology, and online research resources.

Elizabeth has studied at the National Institute for Genealogical Research (NIGR, now known as GenFed) in Washington, DC; the Forensic Genealogy Institute (FGI) in Dallas, Texas; and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is the President of the Second Life Virtual Genealogical Society, Director of the NGSQ Study Groups program, and a Genealogy Consultant for the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).

As a family history lecturer, Elizabeth has given presentations for Legacy Family Tree Webinars, RootsTech, the Federation of Genealogical Societies, the Utah Genealogical Association, and many others. Her professional memberships include the Board for Certification of Genealogists, the Association of Professional Genealogists, the Genealogical Speakers Guild, and she is an active member of the public speaking club Toastmasters International.

Since 1987, Elizabeth has made it her goal to research, share, and preserve her family stories. She is a co-host of the Branching Out Genealogy Podcast (https://branchingout.show) and the author of the family history lifestyle website Heart of the Family™ (https://www.thefamilyheart.com). Her mission is to help others make the past part of their present.

FVGS meetings are free and open to the public.