Agnes Ferruso of Elkins has announced the publication of a landmark reference work in local genealogy. "Naturalization Records of Tucker County, West Virginia 1856 to 1954" is available now from the author who has indexed valuable information available from naturalization records is often the date and ship of arrival which enables the researcher to follow up and often learn previously unknown information about an ancestor such as his village of birth or the names of relatives in America he planned to join. The book is $12.00 plus $2.50 shipping and handling and can be ordered from Agnes Ferruso, 202 White Oak Lane, Elkins, West Virginia, 26241.
"The Parsons Family", a newsletter from descendants of the Parsons families of the South Branch and Cheat Rivers, is published by Katherine Parsons Ray, 1703 36th Street., Parkersburg, West Virginia, 26104. The price of a subscription is $10.00 yearly. The newsletter should be a valuable tool for persons interested in the Parsons family.
Martin L Yokum, 53, of Arlington, Virginia, passed away June 30, 1995 in Arlington. Mr. Yokum was for years an avid researcher of Randolph County area families and genealogies and had published server articles relating to the history and genealogy of the region. He had been editor of The Stalnaker Family, a one name newsletter, and he was the co-author of "The Stalnaker Family Chronicles", a major work of local history. Mr. Yokum's by-line had also appeared in the local history in the 1970s. Mr. Yokum had been ill for a number of years and had been less active in local history over the past decade. He was buried July 3rd in the Mill Creek Cemetery, Randolph County.
ARFHS member Dorthea Sutton Morris has announced the she is available to convert GEDCOM compatible genealogy files to manuscript form, and offers this service to others for a fee. Prices range from $75.00 for 2500 words to $175.00 for 10,000 words. Mrs. Morris will donate 10% of proceeds to the ARFHS for any conversion she performs for an ARFHS member. Interested persons should contact Dorthea Sutton Morris, 3421 Hobson Drive, Johns Island, SC, 29455 for more details.
Ron Wemigwase, of the US Forest Service office in Elkins, presented a most interesting program to the June meeting of the ARFHS. Mr. Wemigwase, an Ottawa Indian from Michigan, provided the membership with much information from his experiences in native American Genealogy which should be helpful to those with Native American roots who wish to find out more about their families.
Mr. Wemigwase spoke to the membership about pitfalls in researching Native American roots, which he says are often the same as those faced by others interested in genealogy. Mr. Wemigwase's ancestors, for instance, named "Assinaway", had their name changed to "Andrews" at the time of the census, a fate which is familiar to descendants of many European immigrants. In addition to such pitfalls as this, Mr. Wemigwase points out that the Native American is the only ethnic group in America faced with the burden of "proving" that they belong to an ethnic group.
The name of the Ottawa nation is often mis-pronounced and should sound like "o-DAW-a". Mr. Wemigwase and his ancestors belong to the "Great Traverse Bay Bands" and the "Little Traverse Bay Bands", which are divisions made by Caucasian administrators rather than by the tribe themselves.
Mr. Wemigwase has traced his own family back to the mid 1700's, but spoke of a friend who used records in Europe generated by Catholic Missionaries to trace his own Native American heritage back to the 1300's. Ron mentioned School records kept by Jesuits, and a 9000 name Indian Census as among the sources he used to document the identities of his ancestors. His ancestor Catherine Wemigwase was proven by the census to be a Native American even though some had thought that she was not. Mr. Wemigwase presented the following pedigree as part of the program: Thanks to Ron Wemigwase for an interesting program!
The pedigree below was submitted by the only (80 far as is known) black member of the ARFHS. It concerns a number of families on Pocahontas, Pendleton, and other counties. Billy Lindsay tells the editor that the Lindsays, Jordans, Stewarts, Shackefords, Harrises, and Moores are African Americans, that the Emanuels are African American and American Indian, and that the Coatneys are Caucasian. Few pedigrees better represent the ethnic diversity of Americans than does the one below. It is hoped that persons interested in the families will read Billy's queries in this issue and that anyone who can offer further information will write to Billy at the address indicated. It is also hoped that the pedigree below will serve as a reminder to other African Americans that they too have a history and that all are welcome as members to participate in the Allegheny Regional Family History Society.
Is your journal late? Did your book order get lost? Has your name been left off of the membership list? Your query been forgotten? Are you just generally peaved off? Remember, these types of problems must be handled directly at the group PO Box. Please do not send checks or complaints destined for the group to members at their home addresses. Don't call individual members about group problems, and especially do not involve their family members who answer the phone.
Remember, it's YOUR group and it is important to us on the executive committee that it run right. But all group business HAS to be handled within the group structure and for this reason there cannot be too many reminders to direct ALL society business to the group as a whole at PO Box 1804, Elkins, WV, 26241. The secretary will see that the letter is redirected to the responsible party.
From the Editor
At the September 5th meeting of Allegheny Regional Family History Society the group decided to adopt new library hours. The current library hours are Wednesdays from 1 to 4 P.M.. and on Saturdays from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. The New Hours will be on Wednesdays from 6 to 9 P.M.. The library is located in the Museum in downtown Beverly, WV, and is open to the public. Librarians are on hand to assist researchers at any time the library is open.
In the process of improving the library the group has purchased several new books:
J. R. Cole's History of Greenbrier Co. WV, Marsha L. Fuller's The Harper Family History 1713-1995
and a book of Upshur County WV Births.
ARFHS has a number of publications published and ready for sell:
WV residents should add 6% sales tax. To order send to the address below.
At this meeting the library also received an anonymous donation of a new 90 Megahertz Pentium computer with a 730 megabyte harddrive and a CD-Rom. This unit will be up and running in the near future and will be available for researchers use. Anyone having GEDCOM files that they would like to share with the group are welcome to pass those along as well. If you would like to share files you may send them to:
ARFHS, P. O. Box 1804, Elkins, WV 26241.
The Allegheny Regional Family History Society, Post Office Box 1804, Elkins, West Virginia, 26241.
Comments regarding this page to: Deborah Johnson.