A place to find your roots since 1980
Serving the needs of genealogists in the Cuyahoga Valley and beyond
“Every man is a quotation from all his ancestors.”
–Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Cuyahoga Valley Genealogical Society (CVGS) is a chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society (OGS) serving Independence, Brecksville, and adjoining communities in the Cuyahoga Valley area. Incorporated in the State of Ohio in 1989, we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit genealogical society.
Genealogy in Cuyahoga Valley and the Western Reserve
Our Story
In early 1979, a group of Brecksville area residents interested in tracing and preserving their family records as well as local and state records organized the Brecksville Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society (OGS). Initially, the Chapter held meetings in the home of Fred and Dorothy Sutton. Bylaws were written and speakers planned. On Sept 13, 1979, the Chapter held its first meeting, with Dr. Judith Cetina of the Cuyahoga County Archives as speaker.
In May 1980, the Chapter received its charter from the Ohio Genealogical Society. The Chapter grew and increased to a membership of 29 in 1982 under the dedication of the following officers:
Dorothy Sutton - President
Gertrude McGown - Vice President
Patricia Butler - Treasurer
Patricia Waley - Recording Secretary
Lorraine Scott - Corresponding Secretary
In order to show the wider, more varied area and membership that the society came to represent, the group changed its name in 1988 to the Cuyahoga Valley Genealogical Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society.
Today, the membership includes people from nine localities in the Cuyahoga Valley, including Brecksville, Broadview Heights, Independence, North Royalton, and Valley View, as well as the northern Summit County areas of Northfield, Sagamore Hills, and Richfield Township. There are members from other states, who have ancestors associated with the area.