Hi Don and everyone. Thanks for sharing. What a landmark that tree must have been!!! Congrats on your finished book. No doubt, my sister from over your way will tell me more. She's coming tomorrow for the Fort Valley Ham and Oyster supper. Hoping for a reunion, also, with our two brothers. Haven't seen my baby brother, Joe, since he's gotten a new job at JMU. He's director of something or other in presenting and promoting the university. Will check the SC website soon. Thanks for all the time and work you put into it. I love hearing the "Shenandoah" music. Love going through the cemeteries online, too, and all the other info. Just about the greatest site on the web!!! Fall continues to be beautiful here in Shenandoah County. Cold weather is here. Brrrrrr..... Colorful leaves are taking their time in falling. Deer hunting season is in for black powder. Regular rifle season starts this Sat, I think. My hubby is spending prime time with his two brothers this week hunting and cutting wood. In the evenings they play bid dominoes with our sons and other relatives. They have a club house of sorts in the barn at his homeplace, and stay at the mountain shanty, too. Older son, John, presented a gun and hunter safety class at the Antioch Church of the Brethren a couple of weeks ago with 30 attending. Can you imagine guns at church? The church also had a recognition program and lunch for the Veterans last Sunday. I feel so blessed to attend the weekly Bible Study there with Pastor George Bowers teaching. We've spent almost two years on the Revelation and about halfway through now. George grew up with our sons in the Valley Pike Church, and is a special person. What a gifted teacher and preacher!!! Daughter-in-law, Robin, and I were over to Berkley County, WV last Sat for a bridal shower for my great niece Amy Custer. I think you went to school with her parents at Musselman HS. Amy will be getting married to Jay Blue in the Lutheran Church at Shepherdstown in Dec. What a good time with my sister and her family, all my nieces and great nieces, and inlaws and friends from over that way. During October I attended the Family Tree Workshop at the Shen Co Library with archivist Jean Martin as teacher. I highly recommend this workshop. Only $15 through parks and rec for four classes. She plans to do it again in March. Took some digital photography classes thru the parks and rec dept, too, at the old Edinburg School. All kinds of neat classes offered. Went to the Woodstock Library in October to hear Dr Eloise Haun lecture about Family Living during the Revolutionary War era. She will speak on the Civil War era on November 29. Hoping she will continue lecturing there forever. One of the ladies brought the book, The Tree of Liberty, and recommended reading it. I've bought a copy since and also watched the movie, The Howards of VA, which was taken from the first part of the book. This past Tuesday I went to the old Edinburg School to hear Carole Nash lecture about Indians in our Valley. She is an archeologist and Asst. Professor at JMU. She does a lot of field work at Big Meadows for JMU and the NPS and is currently a member of the VA Council on Indians. The Shenandoah County Historical Society hosted the event........another time for history, fellowship and refreshments!!! I rode out to the Lantz Mill area during early October and took some pics. Lots of history in that community and glad it will be the focus for SC Heritage Day in April. Some of my Clem relatives lived there. Also, rode to the Spring Oak Farm on Narrow Passage Creek one day and took a couple of pics. The land was owned by pioneer George Grandstaff, my gggg grandfather. Historian Robert Mowery called me recently inquiring about Grandstaff's. He plans to have his book done on the Calvary area soon. Said he was working on the index. Earlier at the library he showed me a photo he's including in his book of the house on Narrow Passage where Phillip Grandstaff lived. He was the son of pioneer George. Can't determine yet whether my gg grandfather, Sam, was born out on Narrow Passage or in Edinburg at "Fairfax Hall" across the Old Valley Pike from the Edinburg Mill. Phillip built the new house about 1805. I have several different dates for Sam's birth. <sighing> Local historian, Phyllis Seal Wright, came to visit me following my gallbladder surgery this fall and brought a copy of A PICTORIAL HISTORY OF SHENANDOAH COUNTY (Fifty Years throught the Lens of Hugh Morrison, Jr.) by John H. Adamson. Phyllis was one of the photo editors. The book was published by the SC Historical Society. What a great gift!!! It includes a short biography of Mr. Morrison, the wedding photo of my parents, some of the fashion parade, around the county, at school, working people, recreation, life events and others, etc. Well, I feel as though I've written a book now, and will close. Life is good here in Shenandoah County. GOD BLESS YOU ALL and have a wonderful Thanksgiving. That's alll!!!! Love and prayers, Nancy Grandstaff Shrum "Shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life......." Phil 2:15, 16 NIV ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, November 16, 2007 3:03 AM Subject: VASHENAN Digest, Vol 2, Issue 206 > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. The old oak tree on River Road, Woodstock (Don Silvius) > 2. Re: The old oak tree on River Road, Woodstock ([email protected]) > 3. Re: The old oak tree on River Road, Woodstock (Pat Shelton) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2007 20:39:46 -0500 > From: "Don Silvius" <[email protected]> > Subject: [VASHENAN] The old oak tree on River Road, Woodstock > Hello all, > > Reading through "Pages from newspapers past" from one of Shenandoah > County's > newspapers I found the following from Feb. 15, 1906... > > > "The old oak tree on the river road, which has been standing for centuries > and has been one of the corners of the town since Jacob Miller, nearly a > hundred and fifty years ago divided two farms into town lots, has fallen a > victim to the axemen's touch. On last Tuesday, Messrs. Edward McInturff, > John Cooley and Jos. Smoots cut down this grand old relic. The tree was > hollow and there was danger of its being blown down. During the war, when > Woodstock was in the possession of the enemy, it was used as a Post > Office. > There fair maidens deposited letters intended for their gallant beaux in > the > Confederate army, and in turn received tender missives placed in the inner > recesses of this faithful sentinel." > > > Thought this was interesting and amusing - NOT a story you hear every day, > to be sure. > > If you are watching the website, I have been updating some pictures and > adding bits of data that has been sent to me. My book project is now > complete. > > Don Silvius > coordinator > Shenandoah County GenWeb Project