FGS – Hybrid Event – with Michael J. Proctor

The Falmouth Genealogical Society Presents Talk with

Michael J. Proctor, FHS Graduate and

Historian of the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants

The Search for Thomas O’Connor:

Brick Wall Solved with Oral History, Research and DNA
Saturday, March 8, 2025, 10:00 am–12:00 pm

FALMOUTH — The Falmouth Genealogical Society (FGS) will hold its monthly meeting on
Saturday, March 8, 2025, from 10:00 am-12:00 pm in the Hermann Foundation Room of the
Falmouth Public Library, 300 Main Street.

Michael J. Proctor, Historian of the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants and a
Falmouth High School graduate, will be the live guest speaker. Michael will discuss his “brick
wall”—the identity of his grandfather’s biological father. The answer had eluded family
genealogists for decades. Learn how he combined oral family history, dogged research, and
finally DNA analysis to solve the mystery. Through this work, Michael has created a new oral
history that identifies Thomas O’Connor as his grandfather’s biological father—more than 110
years after O’Connor’s death.

Michael became the Historian at the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants in
January 2024. Prior to this position, he served the organization as an application verifier while
building a small genealogy consulting business with a focus on the Canadian Maritimes. His
career in genealogy followed nearly 40 years working in retail management. Michael is a 1989
graduate of Falmouth High School where he credits English teacher Paul Cali with sparking his
interest in storytelling.

This talk is free and open to the public. It is also available via Zoom. For the Zoom
credentials, please contact [email protected] by March 7, 2025.