D-OGS Newsletter – August 2008

News & Articles of interest to Durham-Orange genealogists

D-OGS MEETINGS FOR AUGUST 2008

The next D-OGS Meeting will be held on Wednesday evening, 6 August 2008 at 7 p.m. at the Duke Homestead Visitor’s Center, 2828 Duke Homestead Road, Durham, NC 27705. Phone: (919) 477-5498 – One-half mile from I-85 and Guess Rd (Exit 175), Follow the brown historic site road signs.

Our program for August will be our Annual Show and Tell. This is your chance to shine! Come prepared to tell us what you have been doing, genealogically speaking, this past year. Please try to limit your presentation to about 5 minutes so we will have plenty of time for everyone to speak. Feel free to bring objects or items of interest to display

We also plan to have refreshments during the meeting. Please bring your favorite snack (homemade cookies made with your grandma’s famous recipe would be great!). D-OGS will furnish drinks.

The Computer SIG will NOT meet this month. Please plan to re-join us on 9 September.

D-OGS MEETING MINUTES FROM JULY 2, 2008

The meeting was called to order at 7:11 PM. There were 5 visitors present. They introduced themselves and were asked about the families they were researching. They were welcomed to this evening’s meeting.

Elizabeth Hamilton introduced Margo as a professional genealogist, instructor, lecturer and consultant with several years’ experience. Margo is a member of D-OGS. Margo has been documenting her own family history for over 20 years, from Virginia to California and many of the states in between. Margo also offers Full and Limited Assistance Research Trips to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City in the Fall and Spring. For more information, please visit her Research Trip website: http://www.ann-martrips.com/

The title of tonight’s program was “The Professional Genealogist”.

Margo structured her presentation in two parts:

How to become a Professional Genealogist. Things a professional must do: education, continuing education, elevating your research to professional standards, payment, contracts, etc.

Hiring a Professional Genealogist. How to hire. What to expect if you need to hire a professional genealogist. What you should know beforehand.

Margo said that if you do your research to professional standards you’ll be much happier. Black’s Law Dictionary defines a professional as one who makes their living from an art. There are regular dictionary definitions: of, engaged in, or worthy of the high standards of a profession; earning one’s living from an activity, such as a sport, not normally thought of as an occupation or engaged in a specified occupation for pay or as a means of livelihood.

What does this mean for a genealogist?

Mastery of the Body of Genealogical Knowledge Consisting of:

 Ethics

 Forms

 Numbering system

 Terminology

 Research logs

 Research planning

 Proof standards

 Report writing standards

Regional Knowledge

 Development and history

 Records locations—LDS has guides for research outlines that are very helpful

 Terminology—varies by locale

 Laws—tax laws, inheritance, etc.

Communication Skills

 Basic grammar

 Avoid jargon/colloquialisms

 Learn report formats

Commitment to Educational Growth

 Academic—classes are available through many sources in your community, as well as online

 Attend conferences

 Take workshops

Acceptance of the Conventions of the Profession

 Source citation—see Elizabeth Mill’s book Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace

 Date and calendar notation

 Arrangement of data

 Genealogical numbering system

 Forms

Margo said these last three pertain mainly to someone desiring to become a professional but there are still features that pertain to anyone doing genealogical research.

Experience

 There is never enough

 It takes time—The average years spent doing research before becoming a professional genealogist is 12 years. Then the average years a professional works is 3-4 before getting certified.

Business Acumen

 Bookkeeping skills–as a professional needs to

 Maintain financial records

 Pay taxes

 Compute their pricing structure for a research job

 Prepare and understand contracts

 Management of self and an office

Memberships

 National

 Regional

 State

 Local

 Professional—http://www.apgen.org (Association of Professional Genealogists) and www.begcertification.org (Board for Certification of Genealogists)

 Internet—mail lists such as the Association of Professional Genealogists at http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/other/Genealogical_Societies/APG.html

Make and Maintain Contacts

 Genealogical

 Networking

 Volunteering

 Business

Establish a Reference Library

If you are going to hire a professional genealogist there are things you can expect from them such as a

Letter of agreement or contract which spells out:

 Work to be performed

 Hours committed to

 Fees

 Requirements to begin work—receipt of a retainer and information to be supplied

 Who holds the copyright to the product

 How final payment will be made

Report which contains

 Analysis of documents found and a plan for further research

 Research log

 Copies with full source citation

What not to expect from a professional genealogist:

 A guarantee that what you want will be found

 That the results of the research will provide the solution you want

 That it will take a specific amount of time

After some questions and answers Margo was invited to give us details about her upcoming trip to Salt Lake City. After an enthusiastic round of applause for Margo’s presentation, Paul called for a motion that the June minutes be approved as read in the newsletter. It was so moved and seconded and the motion was accepted.

Richard Ellington gave a report on the newsletter and he acquainted the members that he had bride and groom indexes copied for marriages of 1752-2004 in time for the Olde Orange Day and these could be made available to members who would send him an email at richard_ellington@unc.edu

Rob Elias said The Trading Path was in the works—in fact, the proofreaders had received their copies before the meeting—and should be corrected and back from the printers in time for the next meeting. If you have articles or suggestions, contact Rob and Cathy Elias at tradingpath@aol.com

There was no new information on the Orange County Library.

The August meeting will be Show and Tell. Please limit your presentation to 5 minutes. There will be a swap also. Please bring a snack to share; D-OGS will furnish drinks.

The Treasurer reports that the bank statement of June 30, 2008, shows a balance of $4848.26

The meeting was dismissed at 9:10.

Respectfully submitted,

Tonya Fouse Krout

Secretary

Again this month Paul included a form on the reverse side of the Meeting Agenda. This form was entitled Generation Chart and can be found at http://thelibrary.springfield.missouri.org/lochist/genforms.cfm. This page also has some other interesting charts. Take a look!

AUGUST MEETING IS ALSO A “SWAP MEET”

If you have some items of genealogical research interest that you no longer need (books, pamphlets, data CDs, computer supplies, etc.), bring them to the August meeting to put on a swap table. Maybe another D-OGS member will find them useful. Remember, one man’s (or woman’s) trash is another’s treasure!

THE MYSTERY OF LIZZIE CHEEK

Lonely marker sits by side of highway for all to see

(This article was printed on the front page of the 23 July, 2008 edition of the Chapel Hill News. It is reprinted here with the permission of the author, Rebekah L. Cowell, Staff Writer for the Chapel Hill News)

She lies by the side of the road as cars rush by her resting place, perhaps all this while silently waiting for her story to be told.

Miss Lizzie Cheek watches over U.S. 15-501 from her grave just before the entrance to the Briar Chapel development at Herndon Road.

For decades, Lizzie slumbered quietly, until construction workers and utility crews cleared away trees, vines and brush to reveal her black granite gravestone marker, overturning her stone with their equipment. The disturbance did no lasting damage, but it brought Lizzie into the public eye briefly.

She died at age 26, on Jan. 23, 1919. Her death was recorded in Durham, her body laid to rest in north Chatham.

Fred J. Vatter, historian and Chatham County Historical Association member, has been searching for answers to why “Lonely Lizzie” as he calls her, sits alone alongside the highway.

“You open up the Chatham County phone book, and you will find pages of Cheeks,” he said. “I’ve yet to have any family members step forward and identify Lizzie or claim her.”

Recently Vatter wrote a piece for the Chatham County Line newspaper asking for leads, but there have been none so far.

Lizzie’s father, Robert David Cheek, married Fannie Brewer. The land where Lizzie is buried came to the Cheek family through her mother’s people, the Brewers.

An early death

Twenty-six was a young age for a single woman to die in the beginning of the 20th century. Her death certificate, which can be found at the Durham County Register of Deeds, lists “Influenza & Pneumonia” as the cause of death. Local historians say the Spanish Influenza Epidemic of 1919 took many lives in Chatham County.

Lizzie’s parents had seven children. A sister, Lola Cheek, married a local man, Walter E. Riggsbee, and both were buried at Lystra Baptist Church, instead of the family’s homestead less than a mile away. Vatter wonders where the other family members that were once in the private cemetery may be.

“If the graves were moved, we don’t know where,” he said. “And why would they leave Lizzie alone by the side of the road?”

For now he’s puzzled.

But this wouldn’t be the first time graves had been relocated.

“When the government built Jordan Lake they had to move thousands of graves before flooding the area,” Vatter said. “Those bodies were laid to rest in local church or private cemeteries and essentially scattered all over the county.”

Vatter worries that family members buried in the Cheek cemetery may not have been moved.

“We have to hope that when the new 15-501 Highway was re-routed, Lizzie’s family members didn’t end up underneath that pavement!”

Lizzie’s death certificate states her place of burial was Lystra Church, which further complicates matters — was she buried there with her sister Lola and moved back to the Herndon Road family cemetery?

Family farther back

The Cheek family house sits on a knoll to the right of the Briar Chapel entrance, which is also the entrance to Herndon Road. The current owner, who does not want her name published, says the family is still buried on the property, much farther back from the road.

She says hearsay has it that the house was built at the turn of the century by one of the Cheek sisters — Luna or Lizzie, no one knows — by a fiancée who was sent away when the house was complete. The home is in excellent condition, though it will not be staying in its location much longer, since Newland Communities bought the property and the resident will either move the home or have it dismantled.

The story goes that the grave markers and stones were vandalized sometime around World War II, the resident says. All the gravestones were taken but Lizzie’s, which was too heavy for the vandals — a possible explanation for the marker being at the edge of the property.

County legend has it that the gravestones were tossed over the bridge at Morgan Creek, then recovered by a man who used them to pave his backyard.

According to the resident, the family remains are still on her former plot of land, yet to be developed by Newland Communities. She says where Lizzie’s stone now sits is just where it was moved by the vandals and that she believes Lizzie is still with her family where the cemetery sits sans markers well back from 15-501. The lack of markers in the woods makes it hard to know exactly where.

There are unmarked graveyards up and down 15-501, said Vatter, the historian.

“Right where Harris Teeter (Chatham Downs) was built, to the side, there is a gentle slope with some trees and rows of field stones; those are gravestones entirely left unmarked,” he said. Whether or not Lizzie actually lies at the site of her marker, no one can say. What her monument does is remind us of stories long past, the history of people and a place that can be lost as progress rushes in to claim and restructure the landscape.

(Allen Dew’s CemeteryCensus.com website contains the following about this gravesite:

Location: Baldwin Township. 50 feet west of paving of US 15-501, north of lane at 9668 US 15-501

Coordinates: 35d 49m 15.0s N; 79d 05m 15.0s W Click here for Google maps

In 1999, Will M. Heiser recorded one grave marker.

Topo Quadrant: Farrington.

Family owned: Yes.

Abandoned: Yes.

Number of graves: 1.

Cemetery size: 10′ x 10′.

White: Yes.

Unrestricted access: Yes.

Poorly maintained: Yes.

Enclosed: No.

Markers: Yes.

Markers with inscriptions: Yes.

Number of readable markers: 1.

Last burial: 1919.

Last canvassed by: Will M. Heiser. Date: 1999.

1. Cheek, Lizzie W. (b. 23 Dec 1892 – d. 23 Jan 1919)

Daughter of R. D. and F. D. Cheek. “Asleep in Jesus”. 1′ sq obelisk 3′ high.)

DO YOU HAVE RELATIVES IN ANCIENT ISRAEL?

Most of us don’t have our genealogy back that far, I’m sure, but I thought this would be of interest to our members who live close to Raleigh. The NC Museum of Natural Sciences is holding a special exhibition of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Dead Sea Scrolls is an exhibition that tells a story that is beyond words, beyond time and beyond our imaginations. Experience the most remarkable archaeological discovery of the 20th century – the oldest surviving manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible, known to Christians as the Old Testament. The exhibit is at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, 11 W. Jones Street in downtown Raleigh from June 28 – December 28, 2008.

Tickets are $22 for adults or $16 for students or senior citizens. Reservations are recommended. Purchase your tickets now by phone through the Museum Box Office at 919.733.7450 ext. 212, or in person at the Museum Box Office, 11 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC. The Museum is open 9am-5pm on Monday-Saturday and noon-5pm on Sunday. The Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit is open Sunday & Monday, noon-4 pm, Tuesday-Thursday, 10 am-4 pm and Friday & Saturday, 10 am-7 pm

For additional information, go to http://www.naturalsciences.org/scrolls/about.shtml for details.

GENEALOGY PROGRAM BEING SET UP BY HOMELAND SECURITY

This story recently appeared in an Eastman Genealogy Newsletter about this new program being developed to assist individuals who are seeking government records for use in genealogical research. The new “program” is described in an online document found at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-10651.htm.

PLASTIC BINS CAN HELP SAVE PRECIOUS DOCUMENTS

Writing in the Tampa Bay Online web site and the Tampa Tribune newspaper, Sharon Tate Moody offers some sound advice about disaster planning for genealogists. She writes:

I have a zillion paper files and notebooks full of old correspondence (from pre-e-mail days) and copies of so many deeds and wills that I’ll be 90 before I find time to scan all of them.

She continues with her solution:

So here is the plan I devised: After doing some house (I mean drawer) cleaning, I moved all the files from the metal file cabinets into plastic filing boxes. These are inexpensive, readily available at office supply stores, and easy to grab and toss into the car trunk.

The full article has a lot of common sense advice, complete with links to web sites that sell archival quality storage bins. You might like to read the full article at: http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/jul/20/tr-plastic-bins-can-help-save-precious-documents.

IOWA’S LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS ASSESS FLOOD DAMAGE

Now that it’s been a couple weeks since rivers flooded parts of Iowa, we’re beginning to get a clearer picture of how devastating damages are in some libraries, and how other libraries escaped the worst.

In hard-hit Cedar Rapids, where the Cedar River crested at about 31 feet—nearly 20 feet over flood stage, beating the former high set in June 1851—nearly 5 feet of water submerged the ground floor of the Cedar Rapids Public Library. According to a State Library of Iowa report, floodwaters rose three bookshelves high and humid conditions have contributed to the loss of the library’s entire adult book collection. The Cedar Rapids Gazette also reports magazines, journals and reference books, which were housed on the ground floor, are likely ruined, and the library may remain closed for a year.

The Czech and Slovak Museum and Library in Cedar Rapids also suffered. Ten feet of water surrounded the building and rose to the ceiling inside. According to the state library, about 20 percent of the museum’s artifacts were removed before the flood, but little of the remaining collection will be salvageable. Museum staff continues to update the Web site with recover news.

Inside Iowa’s New Hartford Public Library (near Waterloo), 18 inches of water covered the floor; it’s expected the building will need to be gutted. The library lost 82 percent of its collection.

In Iowa City, the University of Iowa’s Main Library managed to keep its collection dry, despite basement flooding. Cedar Rapids’ African-American Museum also was affected, but more than 90 percent of its collection is expected to survive. The museum’s online flood timeline tells about the museum’s collection preservation efforts.

(This article appeared in the FamilyTree newsletter)

WEBSITES OF POSSIBLE INTEREST

(This article is from Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter and is copyright by Richard W. Eastman. It is re-published here with the permission of the author. Information about the newsletter is available at http://www.eogn.com.)

GENEALOGY RESOURCES, BY STATE – Genealogists constant pore over old records. Of course, the biggest provider of old records in the U.S. is the U.S. government. The government even maintains a listing of significant record collections available for genealogists. The list also mentions many state and local archives.

You can view the listing at: http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/History_Family/State_Genealogy.shtml.

While the listing is online, most of the records listed are not yet online. You will normally have to visit the repository listed in order to view the record(s) in person. Some have been microfilmed and some of these records are now appearing on the various online sites: footnote.com, WorldVitalRecords.com, Ancestry.com, etc.

(I tried out some of the links on the .gov website and found that some of the links were broken. For instance, if I clicked on “Florida” I got “Delaware”. I tried to report this through their “Contact Us” link but that was a typically cumbersome Federal attempt to make something hard out of something that should have been easy. Editor)

BOOKS OF POSSIBLE INTEREST

VOLUME XVI OF NORTH CAROLINA TROOPS, 1861-1865 – A Roster is now available!!!

Thomas’s Legion is the subject of this new volume of the award-winning North Carolina Troops Roster series. Created by William Holland Thomas in 1862, the unit is unusual because it included several companies of Cherokee Indians. Thomas’s Legion fought in the mountains of western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and southwestern Virginia and in the Shenandoah Valley.

The volume begins with an authoritative 246-page history of Thomas’s Legion. The history is followed by a complete roster and service records of all who served in the legion. A thorough index completes the volume.

To learn more about this important, new contribution to Civil War scholarship (and to order a copy), please visit:

http://nc-historical-publications.stores.yahoo.net/3369.html

(Thanks to Paul Hollinghurst for passing this info along)

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS

DIGGIN’ HISTORY – Archaeology in Hillsborough, an exhibit at the Orange County Historical Museum. Learn what archaeology is, see the tools of the trades, view finds unearthed locally, and how to practice good archaeology at home. Interactive “dig” for junior archaeologists! Free. Until August 30th.

SATAN IN A BOTTLE: A HISTORY OF THE PRODUCTION AND CONTROL OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES IN NORTH CAROLINA – this exhibit is now on display in Wilson Library on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus until 30 August. It is free and open to the public. Go find out about moonshinin’.

30TH CLAPP FAMILY REUNION – AUGUST 8-10, 2008 – Activities will include:

August 8, 2008

• 6:00 PM–Grilled Chicken Dinner at 3452 Harris Road_ RSVP Donna Bonds at 336/993-5782 or jodobonds@aol.com by August 1st. The meal is $8.00 per person. Mail a check to Linda Patterson at 703 Heather Rd., Burlington, NC 27215.

• 7:00-Program: Karen Powell-The importance of knowing your family health history – The Project Coordinator of the Guilford Genomic Medicine Initiative at UNCG, Karen will discuss the causes of complex disease; the difference between hereditary disease (involving a single gene), familial disease, and sporadic disease; why some families are offered genetic testing and why it is not appropriate for others; how to take a family health history; and how you can use that health history to talk with your family and physician to promote good health.

August 9, 2008

• 9:30 AM-Noon-Genealogy Exchange

• Join in the genealogy exchange and research in the Clapp Family Library Research at 3452 Harris Road. Groups will offer books/maps for sale. Plan for afternoon tours. Snacks/beverages provided.

• 2:00 PM-Afternoon Tours according to interst – Clapp’s Mill Memorial, the Alamance Battleground, the site of Pyle’s Hacking Match, and Lindley Mill.

• 6:00 PM-Saturday Dinner Gather at Brick Church for a home-cooked buffet. $10 each. For reservations mail a check to Linda Patterson at the above address. RSVP Bruce Clapp at 336/449-7633 or wgc54@earthlink.net .

• 7:15 PM-Program: Ken Bloom – Music of Our Ancestors – Bloom has given solo concerts all over North America since 1974. These have included appearances at many major Folk Festivals and clubs in the U.S. and Canada. In the past he has been a regular performer at the Vancouver, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Owen Sound, Philadelphia, and Mariposa Festivals as well as appearing in major venues across the country and appearances on A Prairie Home Companion.

August 10, 2008

• 11:00 AM –Worship at Brick Church – Worship with the Clapp Family at “Der Klappe Kirche”.

• 12:20 PM-Lunch at a local restaurant

SECOND SATURDAY WALKING TOUR IN HILLSBOROUGH – August 9 – 10 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. 90 minute walking tour of the Hillsborough Historic District. Meet at150 E. King St. No reservations needed.

BRITISH ISLES FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY–USA PRESENTS MICHAEL GANDY – All the way from Great Britain!

On August 9, 2008 from noon to 5:00 pm, renowned British genealogist Michael Gandy will present three lectures on a fascinating mix of topics that cover various time periods and geographic areas in the British Isles.

1. Ancestors in the King’s Service (researching English, Irish, Scots and Welsh ancestors who were in government service in the 18th and 19th centuries). Families with soldiers, sailors and other “government” workers will find this lecture useful.

2. Name Lists of the 16th to 18th Centuries (various “census substitutes” compiled by the government for reasons of religion or tax).

3. Finding Your Immigrant Ancestor (including realistic possibilities of tracing medieval ancestry). Michael will show you how to start from scratch and get it right.

This is a unique opportunity for family historians to learn from one of the best. For this special event, we will meet in the Santa Monica Public Library, second floor, multi-purpose room, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, CA

For more information, directions and RSVP form, see our website at www.bifhsusa.org or contact Lydia Jeffrey at 626-359-1729 or boallan@dslextreme.com.

“AFRICAN ROOTS IN CANADA” WORKSHOP IN TORONTO, ONTARIO – Saturday 9 August 2008 – The Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society, the Ontario Black History Society and the North York Central Library have joined together to sponsor a day-long summer workshop on techniques and resources for researching ancestors of African descent. With expert speakers from the United States and the West Indies as well as Ontario, this event will offer both new and seasoned family historians an opportunity to gain fresh insights, share stories and meet others with similar research interests. Early registration rates are available until July 15th.

For program and registration details, visit http://www.torontofamilyhistory.org/africanroots.html.

To check availability, call 416-733-2608 (voice mail) or e-mail info@torontofamilyhistory.org.

MIDWESTERN ROOTS 2008: FAMILY HISTORY AND GENEALOGY CONFERENCE – Learn more about genealogy from some of the nation’s leading experts and get the tools to implement that knowledge at Midwestern Roots 2008: Family History and Genealogy Conference, taking place Aug. 15-16. Sponsored by the Indiana Historical Society, the conference will take place at the Indianapolis Marriott East, located at 7202 East 21st St. in Indianapolis. Many pre-conference activities will take place at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, located at 450 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis.

Midwestern Roots will feature more than 30 presentations, covering topics ranging from DNA and genealogy to technology and methodology. The opening session of the conference will be led by James Madison, the Thomas and Kathryn Miller Professor of History at Indiana University (Bloomington), who will illuminate the importance and use of wartime letters for family history by relating stories from his new book Slinging Doughnuts for the Boys: An American Woman in World War II.

Another featured presenter will be Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak, Chief Family Historian and North American spokesperson for Ancestry.com. Other notable national speakers appearing at Midwestern Roots include Dick Eastman, Roberta Estes, Charles F. Kerchner, David Lifferth, Stephen Morse, Christine Rose, Beau Sharbough and Curt Witcher.

In addition to the sessions, an exhibit hall will showcase vendors selling the latest products and tools for genealogists. The exhibit hall is free and open to the public on Friday and Saturday.

A pre-conference highlight on Thursday, Aug. 14, will be a panel discussion with some of the pioneers in genetic genealogy on its evolution, potential and present-day uses—panelists include Smolenyak, Estes and Kerchner. Other pre-conference activities include: tours of the William Henry Smith Memorial Library (History Center), the Indiana State Library and the Indiana State Archives; writing workshops on preparing family histories for publication; computer labs; and a workshop designed for library staff and volunteers who answer questions posed by genealogy patrons. The Genealogy Division of the Indiana State Library, the State Archives and the William Henry Smith Memorial Library also will be open late for research.

Cost for the basic two-day workshop (including lunches) is $150 ($125 for IHS members, $75 for students), and single-day registration (including lunch) is $90 ($75 for IHS members, $45 for students). Additional pre-conference activities and workshops are available for a fee, and the Indiana Historical Society will offer three scholarships for graduate students to attend the conference.

For conference information, registration forms, exhibitor information, specific pricing or a scholarship application, call (800) 447-1830 or visit www.indianahistory.org/midwesternroots.

Hotel reservations may be made at the Indianapolis Marriott East or La Quinta Inn. For the Indianapolis Marriott East, 7202 East 21st Street, call (317) 352-1231 or (800) 228-9290 to receive the special $99 room rate. For the La Quinta Inn, 7304 East 21st Street, call (317) 359-1021 to receive the special $72 room rate. Please indicate association with Midwestern Roots 2008. Room reservations must be made by July 21, 2008.

BENNETT PLACE EVENT – August 16 – Civil War Cinema. “Red Badge of Courage,” starring Audie Murphy. Donations gratefully accepted. 5:30 pm.

JEWISH GENEALOGY CONFERENCE – 17-22 August 2008 in Chicago IL – The 28th International Conference on Jewish Genealogy at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile This annual conference is the premier event for Jewish Genealogists. Attendees from around the world gather to learn, share expertise, and find others researching the same surnames, towns, and countries. All are welcome, from beginners to experienced genealogists. The IAJGS is proud to co-host this conference with the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois and the Illiana Jewish Genealogical Society. Please visit our website at: www.Chicago2008.org

BENNETT PLACE EVENT – August 23-24 – Soldiers of the Old North State. Living Historians will demonstrate life of the Southern soldiers who served the Old North State during the American Civil War. Visit with Confederate soldiers as they discuss and exhibit the uniforms and equipment of North Carolina soldier. Soldiers will be encamped around the Bennett Farm throughout the weekend. Donations graciously accepted. 5:30 pm.

DUKE HOMESTEAD EVENT – September 6 – Tobacco Harvest and Hornworm Festival. In the morning, come see costumed interpreters demonstrate tobacco harvesting, stringing, and curing. In the afternoon, hear the sounds of the only tobacco auction left in Durham. There will also be hornworm races and a moon pie eating contest. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

ONTARIO GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY FALL PROGRAMS – The Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society is pleased to announce a new lineup of courses, both for beginners and for seasoned family historians.

Here is a quick list of the fall 2008 course titles and dates:

• Computer Programs for Genealogy – (10 September – 8 October)

• Genealogical Holdings at the Archives of Ontario – (26 September)

• Basic Genealogy and Family History – (30 September – 18 November)

• Research in Colonial America – (2 October – 9 October)

• Beyond the Basics – (15 October – 5 November)

• Multimedia Scrapbooking and Digital Imaging – (23 October – 13 November)

• Hands-on Early Ontario Land Records – (15 November – 29 November)

For full course details and registration information, visit the Toronto Branch website at www.torontofamilyhistory.org/courses.html.

THE FLORIDA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY IN TAMPA IS CELEBRATING ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY! Founded in 1958, the society is the oldest genealogical society in the State of Florida.

FGS is formally celebrating its Golden Anniversary in conjunction with its annual Fall Seminar. The seminar will be held on Saturday, 13 September 2008, at Hillsborough Community College¹s Dale Mabry campus. The special guest speaker will be Paula Stuart-Warren, CGSM. Paula is an internationally recognized genealogical expert, a certified genealogical researcher, a prolific columnist, and a celebrated genealogical author. She will present an engaging program consisting of four excellent lectures.

During its long history, FGS has conducted a number of important projects. In 1986, an eight-volume set of transcriptions of all of the Hillsborough County cemeteries was published. This work is currently being entered by society volunteers into the Find-a-Grave website at www.findagrave.com. When complete, society members will re-canvass cemeteries for interments made since publication of the original books, and data will be added to Find-a-Grave, making the information available to researchers around the globe. FGS has also established a large vertical file collection at the John F. Germany Public Library in downtown Tampa and is working on electronically indexing the contents.

On Friday evening, 12 September 2008, the evening before the Fall Seminar, FGS will host a Gala Anniversary Banquet at Valencia Garden Spanish Restaurant in Tampa. FGS will honor all the living past presidents who have served the society since its founding. Locating some of these people has been a genealogical research experience but all have been found and are being invited. Each past president will be treated to a lavish dinner and will receive a commemorative gift. Paula Stuart-Warren will deliver a special, entertaining dinner speech.

More information about the Florida Genealogical Society, its monthly programs, and its projects can be found at its web site at fgstampa.org <http://fgstampa.org/> .

MURRAY REUNION – SEPT 27, 2008. Mr. William Haley (son of Alex Haley) has agreed to be one of our speakers that day. We will meet at Mebane at the A&M Grill at 11:00am for lunch and a time of fellowship around the food. After that we will go to Crossroads Church. We will begin there at 1:00pm. Please feel free to bring your research of the Murray family that you could share with others.

Those who are interested in attending Sunday services at Crossroads are welcomed to do so. If you have questions or comments please send those to:

James L Florence

4414 Shanklins Dead End Rd

Efland, NC 27243

Phone: 919-563-6790

kathy27243@peoplepc.com

Cell Phone 336-212-1917

HUMOR

If Heaven doesn’t allow dogs, then I don’t want to go there.

- Will Rogers

PARTING THOUGHT

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three strands of hair on her head.

‘Well,’ she said, ‘I think I’ll braid my hair today?’ So she did and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two strands of hair on her head.

‘H-M-M,’ she said, ‘I think I’ll part my hair down the middle today?’ So she did and she had a grand day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one strand of hair on her head.

‘Well,’ she said, ‘today I’m going to wear my hair in a pony tail.’ So she did and she had a fun, fun day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn’t a single strand of hair on her head.

‘YEAH!’ she exclaimed, ‘I don’t have to fix my hair today!’

Attitude is everything.

Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle. Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass… It’s about learning to dance in the rain!

– Author Unknown

If you have any items of interest that you would like to submit for future publication, please contact Richard Ellington at richard_ellington@unc.edu or 919.967.4168

D-OGS, P.O. Box 4703, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-4703
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