OGS Inducts 118 Members into Three Lineage Societies

18 April 2005

Mansfield, Ohio-The nation's largest state-wide genealogical society inducted 118 members into its three lineage societies at its 2005 Conference in Akron, Ohio, on April 15-16. The three societies are the First Families of Ohio, the Society of Civil War Families of Ohio, and the Settlers and Builders of Ohio.

First Families of Ohio

The First Families of Ohio is the oldest OGS lineage society. This is open to OGS members who can prove direct descent from those who settled in Ohio before 31 December 1820. For 2005, 48 applications were approved, adding a total of 145 new ancestors to the FFO rolls. The new FFO members were inducted during a ceremony following the Saturday banquet.

Society of Civil War Families of Ohio

OGS members who are direct or collateral descendents of any person who served in the Civil War (Union or Confederate) and who lived, served, or died in Ohio are eligible to apply for membership in the Society of Civil War Families of Ohio. For 2005, a total of 26 applications were approved and inducted at the society's Friday luncheon. The society now has a total of 644 members with 878 soldiers and one nurse on its roster.

Settlers and Builders of Ohio

The Settlers and Builders of Ohio Society is open to OGS members who are direct descendents of an individual who settled in the area now encompassed by the state of Ohio between 1 January 1821 and 31 December 1860. To be accepted into membership in the society, the member must submit proof of descendency through each generation back to the original settler. Forty four successful applicants in the class of 2005 received a certificate and medal for proving their lineage from 376 ancestors.

For OGS members who may desire to apply for membership in one of the three societies, application materials are available for downloading from the OGS website at www.ogs.org/about/lineage.php. The deadline for filing an application for 2006 is 31 December 2005.

The Ohio Genealogical Society is the largest state genealogical society in the nation, with over 5000 members in 94 chapters around the state and elsewhere in the U.S. It publishes the OGS Quarterly, OGS Genealogy News, Ohio Records & Pioneer Families, and Ohio Civil War Genealogy Journal.

For more information, contact OGS at (419) 756-7294 or ogs@ogs.org.