BLANKENBECKLER / GERMANNA COLONIES REUNION RECAP; To be held in WILLOW SPRINGS, MISSOURI HOWELL COUNTY At the PAVILION in the CITY PARK, located on the corner of 10th St & N. Walnut St. DATE; MAY , 26th & 27th, Year 2001 SATURDAY & SUNDAY 8:am - 6:pm PLEASE MARK THIS ON YOUR CALENDAR PROGRAM FOR SATURDAY.................... You will be greeted by the well known Gospel Singers , Brothers; DEAN LAWSON & GENE LAWSON Dean & Gene are grandsons of George Washington Blankenbeckler & Margaret Jenny Flemming, {Geo.W.'s second wife}. Dean Lawson resides in Sparta, Mo. & Gene Lawson resides in Holts Summit, Mo. Later in the day we will be honored with the appearance of Gene Lawson singing with the Southern Gospel Quartet called the........ " SOUNDS OF HIS COMING " You will also be greeted by the humorous BETTY SELSOR who will start our day off with a smile. Betty is the granddaughter of George Washington Blankenbeckler & Nancy Jane Jessee, {Geo.W.'s first wife}. Betty Selsor resides in Springfield, Mo. GUEST SPEAKERS & LEADING GENEALOGISTS 11:am; George Shyrock Sr......... George has been writing family histories for a number of years & is in the process of gathering information on George Washington Blankenbeckler & his descendents in preparation of his next book. George has been actively researching his family line for the past 20 years & has written & published more than 30 stories of various families in his lines. Several of his books have been placed in genealogical libraries in four states. George is planning on giving us a presentation & possibly illustrations on writing family stories. George feels this topic is very worthwhile because so many of us would like to write about our family history but hesitate because we aren't sure how to proceed. George is the greatgrandson of George Washington Blankenbeckler & Nancy Jane Jessee. George Shyrock resides in Englewood, Fl. 1:pm; Hallie Garner..........Hallie is an author & genealogist & is preparing & busy gathering information for her book on the Blankenbeckler family. Hallie will be presenting a program primarily about Zachariahs Jr.& his descendents, the kind of life style he probably had & the points of migration of his descendents in the first 2 or 3 generations. Hallie will also speak on name changes because there are several. Hallie is from the Aaron Blankenbeckler line, Aaron being the son of Zachariah Jr. Hallie resides in Dallas, Tex. 2:pm; John & Eleanor Blankenbaker..........John & Eleanor are well known authors & travelers. Last year they traveled to Germany & Austria to visit our Germanna Colonies Immigrants homes, churches & much more. John may discuss this trip They will have pictures of there trip to show us. John is well known for his "Germanna Short Notes" , "Beyond Germanna Magazine" John presents his Notes on the GERMANNA COLONIES DISCUSSION LIST. John will give us a presentation on the Early Years in Virginia. This will cover from about 1717 to 1750 which is about the birth date of Zachariahs,Jr. Topics to be covered include 1)where they came from in Germany, 2)their intentions, 3)what happened to them, 4)their first {temporary} homes, 5)the move to the Robinson River Valley, 6)the establishment of the German Lutheran Church. John is descended from thirteen different families in the Germanna Colonies & counts Matthias, Balthasar, & Anna Maria Blankenbuhler as three ancestors. All three of these are siblings of John Nicholas Blankenbuhler from whom the Blankenbecklers descend Eleanor has her own German origins in Martin Zerby who came to New York in 1710. John & Eleanor Blankenbaker reside in Chadds Ford, Pa. For more information please contact; Helen Cast 310 Park Row Snow Hill, Md. 21863 hcast@dmv.com