INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Indian River Genealogical Society is pleased to announce that Ms. Debra S. Fleming will speak at its regular monthly meeting on April 14, 2015.
The meeting is to be held in the first floor meeting room at the Indian River County Main Library, 1600 21st Street, Vero Beach. The business meeting convenes at 9:30 a.m. followed by refreshments and the lecture, which begins at 10:30 a.m. This meeting is free and open to the public.
Fleming is the principal of the Ancestry Detective, LLC a genealogical research firm founded in Pasco County, Fla. She has been a practicing genealogist for 15 years, trading her research time between her New England immigrant ancestors and her husband’s southern colonials.
She is the genealogy instructor for the University of South Florida OSHER Lifelong Learning Center where she earned her Roll of Honor Faculty Member status in 2010. She is a graduate of Florida State University, where she majored in Creative Writing and minored in her passion, Religion. More information about Debra S. Fleming can be found at www.theancestry.detective.com.
When conducting genealogy research, it quickly becomes apparent that the beliefs of a person’s ancestors influenced their life choices in a myriad of ways. Therefore, it must play the same role in research. Understanding the beliefs of one’s ancestors may shed light on what they believed and how they practiced their beliefs in historical context, reveal possible migration patterns, activities of daily life and even their associations and business choices. Each religion has its own history, its own battles for legitimacy, and its own fight for the freedom to worship as believers pleased. It is through these lenses that genealogy students must view their ancestors or the true picture of their lives is missing valuable context. This lecture illustrates the age-old question, “Why is religion relevant to my research?”
For questions about this meeting, please call (772) 444-7470 or e-mail [email protected]. Please access the society’s website at www.irgs.org to learn more about membership and upcoming events.
