About Us

In January 1989, the following members formed what is now known as the Pastfinders Genealogy Society of South Lake County. They had come together as a group in the Cooper Memorial Library, which, at that time, was located on Desoto Street in downtown Clermont. Originally, the Genealogy Room had one shelf of books. The library later moved to the corner of Montrose and Lake Avenue.

Since 2009, Cooper Memorial Library has been located on the Lake Sumter State College Campus at 2525 Oakley Seaver Drive, Clermont, Florida. We were provided with a room for our Genealogical collection consisting of over 1500 books, several periodicals, and four computers. The computers at the library can be used to access Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, AmericanAncestors.org, and HeritageQuest.com for free. We acquired our non-profit status in 2013.

In 2018 Pastfinders hosted their first two day conference bringing in a record number of new members totaling 99 by the end of that year. Pastfinders held their second two day conference in February, 2019 which brought in a record number of attendees.

Pastfinders of South Lake County Genealogical Society is a group of people who are interested in preserving family history through the science of genealogy. They dedicate their time to preserve family history and to educate others on how to do their own family research. Pastfinders assists local groups from Scouts to senior homes as well as the general public, and people seeking to build their family tree or break through a brick wall they have come upon. Pastfinders has been helping people find their ancestors in countries such as France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States for over 25 years.

 
Pastfinders’ Goals Include:

• Hosting programs on genealogy and history for both members and the wider community
• Promoting the research and preservation of genealogical and historical records
• Teaching best practices for accurate research and documentation
• Supporting the use of computers and the internet in genealogical work
• Contributing genealogical and historical resources to Cooper Memorial Library in Clermont, Florida