WILLIAMSBURG — Debbie Misiag was inspired to create the Williamsburg Area Genealogical Society in the spring of 2019 after attending a class on genealogy through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at William & Mary.
“At the end of the class, I was just so excited and asked the class if there were people who would still like to meet,” Misiag explained.
There were, and the group started meeting around Misiag’s dining room table and started taking little field trips together.
“We went to the Family History Center in Toano. We went to the Tidewater Genealogical Society to see what their resources were. We had planned a trip to go to the Library of Virginia in Richmond to see what resources they had, and that’s when COVID hit,” Misiag said.
After moving meetings to a virtual setting, the society continued to grow. When in-person meetings opened up again, the original 12 members had grown to 25.
It has since outgrown the Osher classroom with 53 members, and it has transitioned its meetings to its current home at the James City County branch of Williamsburg Regional Library.
Misiag, who recently served as historian for the Williamsburg Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, has been happy to see the community come together.
“This is my baby. I love this group. It’s fun and it’s engaging and people are spreading it by word of mouth. We’ve got people that are new to Williamsburg, we’ve got people who have grown up here or went to college here, we have people that have ancestors that are researching people up in New England as well as in Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia. Everybody in the group shares, helps and suggests,” Misaig shared.
The Williamsburg Area Genealogical Society meets on the second Wednesday of every month from September to May. Each meeting includes a speaker who is an expert in some aspect of family research, as well as a member who shares a significant research tip.
Topics of recent meetings included how to look at and analyze census records, using Excel spreadsheets to keep organized, navigating Ancestry and Family Search websites, and tips for planning research trips, among others.
Membership is $30 annually and the society is open to everyone.
In 2024, the group became an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
As the group grows, Misiag is hoping to become a resource for others in the United States who may be researching ancestors in the Williamsburg area.
“One thing Williamsburg does not have is a historical society or a genealogical society. All these other surrounding counties in this state do. So many people visit here that maybe want to know where to find certain records. A lot of these other genealogical societies have a place on their website where you can make an inquiry and someone can actually go to the courthouse and can get that record for you. We want to have people send us inquiries to see if we can help match them with their ancestors here,” Misiag said.
On Sept. 20, the group will hold a one-day genealogical conference in Williamsburg. The event will feature speakers and workshops on tracing lineage. A full lineup of the event will be available soon.
To learn more, visit wagsva.org.