P.O. Box 144, Falmouth, MA 02541-0144 - Barnstable County

Falmouth Genealogical Society

Non-Members can request Zoom login credentials by sending an email to

Please give your full name and reason for the request.

.

fgspresident@gmail.com

Saturday, May 9th, 2026 - 10:00AM EDT - Annette Burke Lyttle (CG) - Hybrid Meeting with Zoom Presenter

Title : "Colonial American Migration Routes and Modes of Travel"
PLEASE NOTE this meeting will be held on the third Saturday in March.

NEXT MEETING:

Saturday, January 17th, 2026 - 10:00AM EST - FGS Member Mary O'Keeffe - Hybrid Meeting with Live Presenter

PLEASE NOTE this meeting is held on the third Saturday in January.
Title : "I Knew I Was Adopted — How I Filled in the Story with Research "

Saturday, March 21st, 2026 - 10:00AM EDT - Jeff Schiebe - Hybrid Meeting with Live Presenter

Title : "Planning a Trip to Your Ancestral Home — A Case Study to a German Town"
PLEASE NOTE this meeting will be held on the third Saturday in March.

Saturday, February 14th, 2026 - 10:00AM EST - Joe Mattingly - Hybrid Meeting with Live Presenter

Falmouth Museums on the Green docent - Joe Mattingly : "Falmouth's Whaling Heritage"
Falmouth was the home port of 13 whaling ships that made 52 whaling voyages, mainly to the
Pacific, between 1820 and 1864. Six whalers were built in Falmouth, most of them at Bar Neck
Wharf in Woods Hole, under the oversight of the patriarch of Falmouth whaling, Elijah Swift. With
a total population of no more than 2,600, Falmouth produced an astounding 65 ship captains,
some of whom took their wives on whaling voyages of three to five years and had children born
at sea. In this presentation, you will compare the Falmouth boys’ dreams of glory and adventure
with the hard, punishing realities of whaling.
Joe is a docent at Falmouth Museums on the Green and a volunteer at the Cape Cod Canal
Visitors Center with a special interest in the history and culture of New England and Falmouth
whaling.

Mary O'Keeffe will share her remarkable journey as an adoptee who used genealogical research and DNA testing to uncover her biological family. Mary explores the tools and strategies that led from traditional records to powerful genetic discoveries, culminating in the emotional experience of meeting relatives and seeing photographs of blood family she had never known. Her story highlights the transformative power of genealogy — not only to solve mysteries, but to restore identity, connection, and a sense of belonging across generations.

Mary’s passion for genealogy started more than 25 years ago. A self-described “detective” by nature, she used these skills to research and solve her genealogical puzzle. Mary worked in the telecommunications field for more than thirty years. In retirement, she has turned her attention to supporting many local non-profit organizations, serving on the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Club of Cape Cod and the Family Table Collaborative and volunteering for Cape Kid Meals.

For the Falmouth Public Library "Joy of Learning Series"

"Let's Do Genealogy!": presented by Tim Martin & Ralph Wadleigh

Four Thursday evenings Oct 2022:

Oct. 6th : "Overview of Genealogy" - for Class #1: handout and slides and video.
Oct. 13th : "Researching Sources" - for Class #2: slides and video.
Oct. 27th : "Building a Family Tree - Applying to Lineage Societies" - Class #3: slides and video.
Nov. 3rd : "Genetic Genealogy" - Class #4: slides and video.

Saturday, April 4th, 2026 - 10:00AM EDT - Robbin Kelley - Hybrid Meeting with Live Presenter

Title : "Fostering Cemetery Care in Your Town"
PLEASE NOTE this meeting will be held on the first Saturday in April.

FROM THE PAST:

Home

Our Monthly Meetings are held at 10:00am at the Falmouth Public LibrarY

300 Main Street, Falmouth MA 02540

Downstairs in the hermann foundation room unless otherwise noted

TUESDAY AFTERNOON GENEALOGY ASSISTANCE EXPERTS - FREE!

Tuesday afternoons from 2:00 pm-4:00 pm at the Falmouth Public Library in the Lemke Reference Room. Falmouth Genealogical Society members assist anyone with their genealogical research. This is a free drop-in session with no appointment needed. FGS video about Library Sessions.