It has come as a shock and a great loss to hear of the death of Mrs. William "Katherine" Bushman of Staunton, Virginia on December 9, 1997, of lung cancer. Mrs. Bushman, originally from Missouri, had been involved in genealogy for over 35 years. She was the author of several books including marriage bonds, naturalizations, and free blacks of Augusta County. She authored several papers and articles, including the publication of certain records of the Tygart Valley and West Augusta area, which records we would not have today without her. She was one of the founders of the Augusta County Historical Society, past president, and past regent of the local DAR. She taught genealogy at the Augusta Library. Her husband tells us that her papers are now housed in the Virginia State Library at Richmond. The passing of Mrs. Bushman is a monumental loss and she will be sadly missed!

Akron, Ohio author and ARFHS member Warren Skidmore announces the publication of new (updated) editions of all of his Skidmore family books on CD-ROM. For a full description of the contents of the CD (which includes several thousand pages) interested persons can visit the website on the net at http://edge.net/-skid, a visit which will take about 45 minutes to read all of the Skidmore/Scudamore material there. It can also be downloaded. Mr. Skidmore says that his new CD includes the ability to zero in on specific persons through the index feature, such as if one wants to read about all of the Skidmores who were shoemakers. Or maybe you would like to zero in on all of the Skidmores born in 1747, or the ones named Aphrodite, or living in Boone County, Missouri. Key in the appropriate words and the computer will stop at every appropriate place on the CD. Also included on the disk are sever long documents that were too extensive to publish in printed form. In addition to books over 40 articles are included.

Warren Skidmore has been an active writer not only of books, but of articles for the ALLEGHENY REGIONAL ANCESTORS. He has been interested in genealogy since 1941 when he used his grandfather's extensive collection of original family materials at Geneva, Ohio. Educated at St. Johns in Annapolis, Md., Mr. Skidmore spent a good deal of time in the Maryland Hall of records. He returned to the Akron area and attended graduate school, and went to work at the library there where he was head of a large division of language, literature, and history, including genealogy. He has traveled in England and accomplished a good deal of work on medieval genealogy there. His SCUDAMORES OF UPTON SCUDAMORE publication is a milestone in that it connects the ancestors of the West Virginia Skidmores back to a knight named Ralph of the Domesday Book. Warren Skidmore, now 71, is still active in genealogy at Akron and plans several pieces for publication in the near future.

His new CD-ROM publication was prepared in cooperation with a cousin, Col. William F. Skidmore, who Warren says is the computer expert of the team. The CD may be ordered for $75.00 from William F. Skidmore, 267 Golf Course Lane, Winchester, TN, 37398. Specific questions can be directed to Warren Skidmore at his e-mail address: wskidmor@neo.lrun.com

COVER PHOTO: The photo on the cover is of a young Carl Brown, of Cassity, WV, circa 1912. He was a son of Albert E. and Bessie (Flesher) Brown and was killed at the age of 17 when the roof of a small coal mine of Moore Keppel & Co. caved in on him and his brother in law Mike Perchan. The accident happened a short distance downriver from Cassity, West Virginia 16 December, 1915.

"THE BURIAL PLACE OF THE MOUNTAINEERS"

It is with the livliest satisfaction that we inform our readers, that the Common Council of Norfolk, at their meeting yesterday afternoon contracted for building a brick wall around the burial place of the brave and patriotic yeomanry of the upper country, who marched to the defence of our town during the late war, and who fell victims to the terrible plague which ravaged the country in the memorable winter of 1814-15. Too long has this duty been delayed, while every citizen of Norfolk has felt it as a reproach, that no public tribute of respect and gratitude had been paid to the memory of their gallant defenders, but for twenty years their graves had been left unenclosed and without any mark to distinguish them from the sod of the field. It is contemplated to have their remains disinterred and deposited in one common grave, to mark the spot by a monument to their memory, inscribed with their names as far as they can be ascertained.

It is with much sadness that we hear of the death of Charles H. "Chuck / Charlie" Gilchrist, president of Hackers Creek Pioneer Descendants, a resident of Lewis County who passed away February 2, 1998 at Weston, W. Va. Death was attributed to cancer. Mr. Gilchrist, originally from Akron, Ohio, was 59 years old and was the husband of Joy Gilchrist, executive director of Hacker Creek Pioneer

Descendants historical society. He is survived by four sons, one daughter and 15 grandchildren.

Charles Gilchrist was a giant in the field of local history and genealogy, having volunteered thousands of hours with Hackers Creek Pioneer descendants as a printer, publisher, library assistant, and in any other capacity that was needed. Charlie was one of the original forces that got the group off the ground. He was a fixture at the Central West Virginia Genealogy and History Library in Lewis County, having even worked a regular shift some days after returning from a treatment with chemotherapy. He was also a volunteer at the Jackson's Mill Historic Area. His list of lodges, civic organizations, and volunteer efforts unrelated to genealogy is a long one.

At the time of Mr. Gilchrist's death he was active in the Central West Virginia Library's planned move to new, Interstate-side quarters at Horner, West Virginia. The family has asked that expressions of sympathy be made in the form of donations to the building fund at: HCPD Building Fund, Route one, Box 238, Jane Lew, WV 26378.

"They Rest Quietly", the book of Randolph County cemetery and death records by the late Mr. & Mrs. Charles Chapman is available once again for purchase. The book is hardbound and contains thousands of records of Randolph County cemeteries and these have been subsidized by the addition of some information from other sources. The book is $88.00 plus $4.00 postage and for West Virginia residents 6% tax is needed. Order from: Elizabeth Wininger, Rt 3 Box 192, Grafton, WV, 26354.

Have you ever been out fishing or hunting WAY, WAY back in the boondocks and stumbled into an old forgotten cemetery? You know, one that is so overgrown in brush that it looks as if nothing bigger than a groundhog has been in it for 200 years? Well, ARFHS would like to hear about these old burial grounds for future inclusion in our cemetery records. If you know of a likely cemetery please write to the cemetary chairman of ARFHS at the group PO Box!

from ARFHS. Local history and genealogy books make great birthday gifts. Lots of publications in various media are now availble. See inside for a complete list.

We can always use new members. Please talk us up! Tell a friend.