Press release
Rootseekers Genealogical Society members met at the Tri-County Library in Mabank recently for their yearly “Bragging Rights.” Bragging Rights is when some member has an ancestor they would like to brag about. A dollar will gain you two minutes to brag. Many members go over and have to pay more. Money goes to buy books for the genealogy room.
Carol Dwinnell led off with her husband’s family who joined the ” First Families of Oklahoma.” His ancestor was Martin Luther Gorman. She had two certificates that they accepted her information as proof that the Gormans were one of the first families in Oklahoma.
Grace Donovan came next with a photo album of tintypes. She had to repair some of the pages when she first received it because it was in such bad shape. Most she does not know who they are, just that they are family. Some are of the Ponder family.
Larry Bowling has joined the Bowling family association. It is the largest family association that exists. His Great-Great-Grandfather came to Texas after the civil war in 1874 with the Manning family. He raised 15 children. He has pension papers, wills and other papers that go back to the 1700s. He has even done DNA. His Great-Great-Grandmother is buried in Kemp.
Sharon Hill only had a family Bible to go on when she started her research on the Hill family. In the Crawford County Genealogy Society she met John and Jane Hill from Ft. Smith Arkansas who helped her with her Hill family.
Marty Tanner showed us a scrape book her mother started.
Claire Stout’s claim to fame was that Davy Crockett spent his first night in Texas on her Simms family farm.
Margaret Ann Trail was wonderfully surprised to find that her father had written stories about his life. His father had died when he was 12 years old. When he entered A&M College the cost was $500 and he worked for 25 cents an hour. He won a contest for a trip to Europe and Egypt in 1935. Margaret spoke of how her parents met President Roosevelt.
Patsy Cooley’s Grandfather Lasiter was in the civil war fighting in Georgia. While there he contacted some disease and went blind. His wife was contacted to come and get him. She walked from Mississippi to Georgia. At one point she was captured as a spy. When they finally released her she continued her journey. She led her blind husband back to Tippah County, Mississippi.
Our meetings are open to the public on the third Monday of each month except December. At 7 p.m. we meet in the next building to the main library, Volunteers are ready to help anyone with genealogy on Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to noon.