On May 5. 1981, 37 people interested in forming a Seneca County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society met at the Tiffin-Seneca Public Library.  This was the beginning of the Seneca County Genealogical Society.  The First officers were Cher Bibler, Becky Hill, Ruth Brill, Annaliese Rochester, Carol Hammer, and Helen Bloom.  With Guidance from the Ohio Genealogical Society and their trustee, Willis Wyant, the Society began their existence setting up by-laws, a newsletter, and monthly programs.  Through the years, it has grown form 33 members to almost 400 members.  We outgrew the library location the first year, moved our meetings  to the Seneca County Museum, then to the First Presbyterian Church, and finally, our current home, the Kalnow room in the Tiffin-Seneca Public Library.

     Major Accomplishments Throughout the years include:
     Publication of:

• Seneca County Bible Records, volume I & II
• Seneca Searchers Newsletter - Editors have been Ken Foy, Ruth Brill, Don Rogier and Joan Dysinger(co-editor from 1984 to present.)
• Seneca County Ancestral Charts, volume I & II
• Original Land Records of Seneca County
• Index to Wills and Estates to 1850
• Chancery Court Records Index
• Index to the History of Seneca County (Warner, Beers, 1881)
• Seneca County Marriages, 1844-1899
• Seneca County History & Families

Participation in the annual Seneca County Heritage Festival - booth, parade, display windows.

Selling of genealogical supplies at regular meetings.

Copying and Publication of the entire county's cemetery inscriptions in 1987.

Providing volunteers for the Tiffin-Seneca Public Library, especially with the newspaper obituary index which is a wonderful asset for researchers.

Establishment of First Families of Seneca County - a program honoring pioneers who settled in the county prior to 1840 (gold) or 1860 (silver).

Donations to Ohio Genealogical Society's various fund raising drives.

Planting of two red oak trees at the Seneca County Museum to honor early settlers of the county and the Bicentennial of the Constitution and the Northwest Ordinance.

Sponsorship of many genealogical workshops, e.g., Everton, Heritage Quest, and our own.

Winning First place in the OGS Newsletter competition in 1994.  Also sponsored  the first place winner of the OGS junior essay contest, Michelle Wheatley, in 1990.

Participation in various OGS projects and functions: 1880 census. OGS Report, church survey, chapter workshops, annual conferences.

Purchase of a lap-top computer for on-site indexing projects.

Providing assistance to the county when preparing birth and death certificates for microfilming.

     Members who have held offices from 1981 to 2000 : Cher Bibler, Becky Hill, Ruth Brill, Annaliese Rochester, Helen Bloom, Dan Griffin, Carol Hammer, Ada Guttridge, Burton Goetz, Ana Zeis, Mary Jo Nay, Jean Berlekamp, Sue Swartzmiller, Donna Overholt, Arlene Dunkelberger, Paul Buskirk, Don Rogier, Shirley Rogier, Ralph Sackett, Carol Holscher, Janis Marks, Ken Foy, Lois Feasel, arta Ritzenthaler, Jerry Wheatley, Jean Seigley, Doris Bohrer, Beverly Wheatley, Richard Collins, Kim Mohr, Thomas E. Moffet, Richard Steinmetz, Tom Steyer, Cynthia Painter, Bonnie Boyer, Bill Brashares, and Jane Wickham.

     The Society has come a long way from its beginnings.  It has been blessed with dedicated workers, good leaders, support from the community, and especially the Tiffin-Seneca Public Library.  People all over the United States belong to  the Society and enjoy its award-winning newsletter and appreciate its consistent high quality.  Members have donated thousands of hours of time to produce many projects which have facilitated genealogical research in Seneca County, not only for local people, but for hundreds that cannot come "home" to to their research.