Hi Rod--sorry you couldn't be there. Program 8:30 to 9:00 Registration and Morning Refreshments furnished by the Gadsden Public Library 9:00 Call to Order and Welcom - Carolyn Parrish Tourism Welcome - Peggy Bishop Gadsden Public Library Welcome - Kevin Graves 9:15 Files Open 10:00 - 11:00 Speaker Ms. Elizabeth Wells, Samford University 11 - 12 Lunch 12:00 Files Open 2:00 Speaker - Jeff Sauls, Historian Turkey Town Valley Camp, Sons of Confederate 3:00 Swap Meet Over 3:00 Grand Door Prizes Thank you to Sandra Oliver, Jim Oliver, Gloria D. Johnson, Carolyn Parrish, Julia Young, Leon Young, Gail Brown, Judy Franklin, W. A. "Ed" Lewis, Sherry B. Clayton, RoseMary Hyatt, Gadsden Public Library, Gadsden Area Chamber of Commerce, Gadsden-Etowah Tourism Center, Local Merchans who donated door prizes and everyone else who volunteered to make this such a wonderful event. The following statement from the booklet provided in our packets says it all for me. "The Members of the Northeast Alabama Genealogical Society, thank you for coming today. We hope that you enjoy the Swap Meet, but more than that we hope you find a missing ancestor or two. If not try to meet and make at least one new friend. Not often do you get to talk to others who are as interested in "dead ancestor" as you are, so take advantage of it." I got to visit with people that I have met through my research in Gadsden, all together in one room enjoying what we love to do the most--search for kin. Hi Fred Nicholson, Donna Lemons, Artie Morgan, Angie McBurnett, Carol Valladares and a new friend Joan Mims. I got to meet someone special that I am constantly using in my sourcing, Mr. W. A. Lewis. You will see his name in many wonderful books. I am so grateful that he and others have spent so much of their time putting down the names of my family, when they died and where they are buried. All you have to do is pick up a book and someone has done all the hard work for you. Where would we be in our research without these help tools, especially if you live in another state like I do? I also got to purchase some more books for my "home library" at great prices. (By the way, if anyone has a copy of "Keener, Alabama A History Etowah County" by Robbie Lewis Parker and W. Aaron Lewis that they would like to sell I would love to purchase one.) There were many door prizes given away. There was a table full of wonderful gifts. I won a prize, too, a rabbit figurine from Frame World, Inc. in Gadsden. At each table were "trees" that we hung our surnames lists on so that everyone could go to each table and read off the names in hopes of finding connections to other researchers. These were really great. They made it so easy to connect. A booklet was in our packet which listed all the surnames family files available. You could get a copy of everything they provided in the files. The booklet also contained a list of people attending the Swap Meet and their surname lists, listings of family reunions, class reunions, decoration days at the cemeteries, church homecomings, history of old cemeteries and an article about Howard Gardner Nichols and the Dwight Manufacturing Company. For the price to register I found my experience this year and last year to be "priceless". I'm sorry to say that there may not be another Swap Meet. Anyone who missed out on the Swap Meets in Gadsden may never get to enjoy what those of us who did get to attend experienced. Carolyn, Rosemary, if there is another Swap Meet, I will be there and I will volunteer my time in any way that I can even if it means using my vacation time. Just let me know what I can do to help out. I would hate to see anyone miss out on such a wonderful experience. Thank you all for the visit and the memories. Pam ----Original Message Follows---- From: "Rod Willis" <[email protected]> (by way of Sam Russell <[email protected]>) To: [email protected] Subject: [31] Ancestors Swap Meet Date: Mon, 09 Apr 2001 20:06:56 -0500 Would be nice if someone who attended the swap meet would do a write up on the meeting and provide list members with a highlight of the activities. Did anyone break through their brick wall? I'm sure sorry I couldn't make it. Rod Willis, Tallahassee, FL ==== ALETOWAH Mailing List ==== Contact Sam Russell the listowner at [email protected] rather than the list if you're having problems. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com