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, October 24, 2026 - 10:00AM EDT
Please note this meeting will be held on the fourth Saturday of October.
Hybrid Meeting with live presenter.
"Buried in Falmouth: Exploring Our Cemeteries" with Linda Heald, FGS Board Member
We like local. Local produce, local gardens, and local birds. How about our local cemeteries? Come and learn about the history and importance of our Falmouth cemeteries.
Do you know that you may be able to find the graves of your great-grandparents? Or you might discover the graves your parents used to visit. This talk is full of photos, information, and audience participation. We’ll take a look at the work that has been accomplished in our cemeteries, as well as current and future projects. We’ll explore cemetery trends that may spur conversations within your household. A useful handout about Falmouth cemeteries will be provided.
Linda Heald pursued two career paths — first working with nonprofit organizations and later working in sales. She served as Manager of Donations at Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries in Boston for five years. While working at Goodwill in the early 1990s, Linda had a bold idea — she envisioned a large celebration in Boston to celebrate Earth Day’s 25th Anniversary. By 1992, Linda was working full time to bring the idea to fruition — collaborating with other volunteers on a series of events, festivals, and clean-up projects throughout 1995. The celebration culminated with a special event on the Boston Esplanade in April 1995 where Linda spoke.
Linda later worked for Viva International, a large eye frame company based in Somerville, New Jersey. Linda was recognized for her honest approach and her above and beyond customer service.
Linda graduated from Babson College with a B.S. in Business Administration where she received leadership awards and was the first woman to receive a varsity letter. She also studied at the University of Madrid.
Linda joined the FGS Board in August 2025, proposing an ambitious project to add GPS coordinates to all headstones in Falmouth cemeteries. With an exceptional team of volunteers, this was accomplished in one year. Linda is now focused on working with the Department of Public Works, cemetery managers, and others to identify the upkeep needs — and plans to accomplish them — in Falmouth cemeteries.
Linda is descended from seven proven Mayflower lines and 25 proven DAR Patriots. She and her daughter made West Falmouth their permanent home in 2021. She is a committed environmentalist and lives in a 100-percent electric house supported by solar panels.
Non-Members can request Zoom login credentials by sending an email to
- Please give your full name and reason for the request.
.
.
.
Saturday, December 12, 2026 - 10:00AM EDT
Please note this meeting will be held on the second Saturday of December.
Hybrid Meeting with live presenters.
"FGS Story Slam" : FGS Members Present Tales and Treasures
FGS members share ancestors’ buried stories and fascinating artifacts. Expect great stories, mysterious photos, and heirlooms with tales to tell as members bring their ancestors to life. Volunteer to share your story. You pick the story. We’ll help with the slides. Bring your ancestors to life in a 10-minute presentation.
To contribute contact Tim Martin at
NEXT MEETING:
Saturday, November 14, 2026 - 10:00AM EDT
Please note this meeting will be held on the second Saturday of November.
Hybrid Meeting with live presenter.
"The Particular Powers of Y-DNA Testing" with Tim Martin, FGS President
Unlike the more commonly tested autosomal DNA, Y-DNA is duplicated exactly from father to son, except roughly every few generations a single “SNP” mutation occurs which is passed on to all subsequent male descendants, thereby defining distinguishable male lineage branches through all time. This purely father to son lineage is referred to as the patrilineal line. This talk will focus on the particular power of Y-DNA testing to reach back in time and positively reveal patrilineal ancestors and their patrilineal descendants. Any two males taking a Big-Y test can determine an estimate of time to a common patrilineal ancestor.
We examine the case of Laurens Andriessen, a Danish immigrant, who arrived in New Amsterdam (present day Manhattan, New York) about 1654. Upon arrival, he took on the surname “Van Buskirk” and married a Dutch widow who bore him four sons. Y-DNA testing among 28 participating males and conventional genealogy for some of those tested has allowed us to determine who is and who is not a descendent of Laurens, as well as from which of the four sons many of the testers descend. Several paternal surprises are also revealed.
We also discuss the benefits of Y-DNA testers joining surname and haplo-groups to better collaborate with and learn from their Y-DNA matches.
FROM THE PAST:
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.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
P.O. Box 144, Falmouth, MA 02541-0144 - Barnstable County
Copyright Falmouth Genealogical Society, Inc. 2026. All rights reserved.