Mary Rodd Furbee of Morgantown, WV, author of a series of books on the ³outrageous women² of American history will be the speaker at the annual Pioneer Family Reunion. The speech is scheduled Sunday Aug. 31 of 2003 at the reunion¹s park on the east side of WV Rt. 15 ‹ 15 miles from Webster Springs, WV, on the road to Valley Head, WV. This was announced by Konnie Conrad of Kernersville, NC, the chairperson of the 2003 reunion Furbee¹s latest book, published by John Wiley and Sons of New York, is entitled ³Outrageous Women of Civil War Times.² Furbee teaches journalism at West Virginia University; conducts workshops around the country on publishing newsletters and books and still manages to turn out an array of historical books. Other books include ³Outrageous Women of Colonial Times,² ³Women of the American Frontier,² ³Shawnee Captive: The Story of Mary Draper Ingles,² Anne Bailey, frontier scout. There is a vast array of characters and life stories portrayed in her books ranging from the outrageous to the simply courageous. Many helped turn the tide of American history. They include the stories of Deborah Samson, a servant girl who disguised herself as a man to become the first female soldier to fight in battle; Anne Bailey, the 32-year-old widow who put on her husband¹s buckskin jacket and took his place scouting in the wilderness; Elizabeth ³Mumbet² Freeman, a slave who won her freedom in a landmark court case in the 1780s, ditched the slave name her master had given her and inspired others to follow in his footsteps. Also, there are stories of Peggy Arnold; Phillis Wheatley; Esther Reed; Deborah Sampson and Abigail Adams, ³the mother of our country as surely as her husband, John, was one of its forefathers. The reunion will take place over a two-day period with a genealogy fair in Webster Springs on Saturday, Aug. 30. The fair will feature displays of genealogy material, photos and memorabilia and give visitors a chance to learn more about their ancestors and their lines through the exhibits put on by researchers specializing in families with West Virginia roots. The reunion has been held over a time span dating back to 1926 and once was the largest in the state in the 1930s and 1940s when it attracted 5,000 to 10,000 people. Its attendance has declined in recent years. But its organizers believe the change to Labor Day weekend may help attract more younger, working families who have not had a chance to attend in the past because of the problem of getting back home to work early Monday morning. This will give them Monday to travel. Konnie Conrad expressed a desire that other allied families now conducting Labor Day weekend reunions will consider having their reunions on the Saturday preceding the Sunday reunion gathering. There are several on the Labor Day weekend. Mrs. Conrad said she wanted to make clear that the reunion grounds would be made available Saturday for the more nuclear family reunions. The public is invited to attend the reunion, as nearly everyone is related by blood or friendship to everyone else in the area. For additional information: Contact: Dan Hamrick 402 23rd Street NW Canton Oh 44709-3818 Telephone: 330-454-2376 Email: [email protected]