hi Mary, thank you. i'll check it out. i see your last name ROSS ? have you any ROSS in HARLAN Co.KY? my great grandmother's sister ELIZABETH MAYES married a ROSS sfter her husband BEN PARKER died. ELIZABETH was from CLAIBORNE Co.TN. my home county. Just started researching these names: GRUBBS,POE, GRAY,PENLEY, MOLES & also IDA MAE HAUN of INDIANAPOLIS.. THOMAS JEFFERSON MOORE & family of KNOXVILLE,TN. On Mon, 8 Sep 2003 09:05:49 -0500, "Mary Ross" <mross3@columbus.rr.com> said: > > The following appeared in the Advertiser-Tribune in Seneca County on > August 29, 2003. > This is probably the "National Orphanage" you are referring to. > > > Homekids come home once again > > By Scott Niles, staff Writer > > For one group of people in Tiffin, the term "family affair" takes > on a much larger and more significant meaning. > > The Junior Homekids of Tiffin are reuniting again this weekend > for their annual gathering. > > The Junior Home, which was a national orphanage (1896-1944), was > a haven for children of deceased member of the Junior Order > United American Mechanics, a fraternal lodge. Tiffin was selected > from among 12 sites for the orphanage. By 1931, it had reached > its peak of 1,150 children and employees and had become the > country's largest orphanage. > > It actually was a working village with everything from a bakery, > a bank and dining halls to a post office and a high school of its > own. However, Sept. 28, 1944, the home shut down and has not been > in operation since. > > The campus later was transformed into a developmental center, a > use that continues today. > > Every year, hundreds of families, with over a hundred of the > actual Homekids, come to Tiffin on Labor Day weekend to take part > in events that have been put together by members of the group. > > Some events that are to take place at this Homekids gathering > include a golf tournament at Seneca Hills Golf Course, a > memorial, and a business meeting and reception. > > Edith Kilgore, who was one of the Homekids, looks forward to > getting together again. > > "Its good seeing everyone again each year," Kilgore said. "Each > year the people change and its good to see them." > > The Homekids come from all over the United States to reunite for > this one weekend after Labor Day. > > "We come from all directions," Kilgore said. " North, west, east > and south, we have it all covered." > > The group is so large that people should not even think about > staying at the Quality Inn this weekend, because they are not > going to get a room. The group is big enough that it has booked > the hotel and some members are staying at other places. > > This annual event has been going on since about 1926-1927. The > only time the Homekids have not united for this mammoth group > gathering was during World War II, in the years of 1941, 1942, > 1943 and 1944. Since then, they have not missed a year to see one > another. > > -- > > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, > go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > researching MOOR,MORE,MOORE,MAYS,MAYES, TOWNSLEY,WHITEACRE,WHITEAKER, WHITAKER,REECE,STAMPER.NORTH,PECK, GRUBBS,GRAY.these last 2 are in KNOX Co.TN.note some above names are other researchers. my webpage http://tippytnn.topcities.com/moore/moore.htm -- http://www.fastmail.fm - Email service worth paying for. Try it for free