Melungeon Conference Big Sucess

Roberta Estes, Penny Ferguson, Betty and Jack Goins, Cleland Thorpe, and Tari Adams. Photo taken on the Ridge before the Board meeting June 11, 2009.




Katherine Vande Brake



Kathy Lyday-Lee



Kathy James



Kathy James



Jack Goins


Jack Goins

The Melungeon Conference held yesterday, June 12, at the Hawkins County Rescue Squad meeting room in Rogersville, Tennessee was very successful. Near one hundred were in attendance and the presentations by Roberta Estes, founder of DNAExplain, a Michigan company that analyzes and interprets individual DNA tests, Katherine Vande Brake, author of Through the Back Door, Kathy James, Genealogist specializing in the Gibson and Collins families, Wayne Winkler, MHS President, Kathy Lyday-Lee, a professor at Elon University who taught a course on Melungeons and Jack Goins, Hawkins County Archivist and author of Melungeons and Other Pioneer Families were very well received.

President Wayne Winkler stated:

We had an outstanding conference yesterday at Rogersville with about 100 people in attendance, and great presentations by Jack Goins, Roberta Estes, Kathy Lyday-Lee, Katie Vande Brake, and Kathy James.

I truly believe yesterday was a milestone in Melungeon history. It was just a small, one-day event, but it was a significant first step toward establishing an honest historical portrayal of our people. I truly believe it's only going to get better. Yesterday was the realization of what we all hoped MHS would be - we worked together efficiently, presented some valuable information, busted a few myths, and are ready to not only continue the work of preserving the true history of our people, but creating some history of our own.

I couldn't be prouder of MHS. Thanks to everyone who was a part of this important event.

More pictures to come.

Kathy James



















Becky Nelson




























Wayne Winkler,MHS President

















Penny Ferguson

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13th annual Angelina College Genealogy Conference in Lufkin, Texas.

13th annual Angelina College Genealogy Conference in Lufkin, Texas.
July 16-17-18, 2009. http://www.angelina.edu/genealogy.htm



SPECIAL SATURDAY PROGRAMS.

Three special all-day sessions are offered as part of the full 3-day program -

OR you can register for "Saturday only" for either of the following. Note the

registration information; watch those dates .. No door registrations for the following.



1) DNA. If you'd like to know more, and possibly begin a Family DNA Study, this session is for you. The preliminary plan is that the 37-marker Y-DNA test will be reduced from $149 to $119 for the Angelina Conference. You will be able to purchase the DNA Kit at the conference. http://www.angelina.edu/genealogy.htm



2) CEMETERIES. If you have a family cemetery or are working to restore and preserve a church or community cemetery, this session will give you what you need to do it properly. Presented by the Texas Historical Commission, you will also learn how to apply for the official designation of Historic Texas Cemetery.

We'll also discuss genealogical research within & without the cemetery gate.



Note: There is no Saturday only registration for anything other than the two listed above. The two above may also be substituted for the multi-track Sat sessions at no extra cost with your full registration.



3) SEAT OF JUSTICE (courthouse research). John Sellers. This is *not* available as a Saturday only registration but you may substitute for the multi-track Sat sessions at no extra cost with your full registration.



13th annual Angelina College Genealogy Conference in Lufkin, Texas.

July 16-17-18, 2009. http://www.angelina.edu/genealogy.htm

Questions? Contact

Trevia Wooster Beverly
Houston, Texas
713.864-6862
treviawbeverly@comcast.net
http://www.angelina.edu/genealogy.htm
http://baytownhistory.org/

List admin Sue Skay Abruscato sueskay@gmail.com


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Melungeon Conference and Celebration, June 12-13

Tennessee Events

Melungeon Conference and Celebration, June 12-13

The weekend of June 12-13 will feature two events focusing on the Melungeons, the multi-ethnic people that have been a part of Appalachia folklore for over generations, and the subject of scientific research for the last half-century. The Melungeon Historical Society will hold their first annual conference on Friday, June 12, in Rogersville, Tennessee, while the Vardy Community Historical Society holds their Spring Fling at their museum on Vardy Road in Hancock County, Tennessee.

History, genealogy, and the latest DNA technology will come together at the first annual Melungeon Historical Society conference o June 12. "For nearly two hundred years, writers and researchers have speculated about the origins of the Melungeons," says Wayne Winkler, president of MHS. "For the most part, the story of the Melungeons has been told through myths and legends. The Melungeon Historical Society believes that answers will be found through scholarly research."

The public is invited to this event, which will be held at the Hawkins County Rescue Squad meeting room, 955 East McKinney Avenue, Rogersville, Tennessee. Registration begins at 9:30 am, and the conference will run until about 8:30 pm, with lunch and dinner breaks.

Presentations at the MHS conference will begin at 10 a.m. and will cover topics such as the origin and historical uses of the term "Melungeon," DNA research on Melungeon families, and other topics related to the multi-ethnic people first documented in the Clinch River region in the early 19th century. The use of DNA technology in genealogy will be covered by Roberta Estes, founder of DNAExplain, a Michigan company that analyzes and interprets individual DNA tests.

Other presenters include Jack Goins, Hawkins County Archivist and author of Melungeons and Other Pioneer Families; Kathy Lyday-Lee, a professor at Elon University who taught a course on Melungeons; and Kathy James, who will present DNA information on the Gibson and Collins families.

"This conference is of special interest to those who want to learn more about the Melungeons," said Winkler, "but it is also designed to benefit anyone interested in genealogy and especially in the use of DNA technology to trace family lines." The conference is free, but donations are suggested to help promote the work of the Melungeon Historical Society.

On Saturday, June 13, the Vardy Historical Society will hold its Spring Fling from 10 am until 2 pm. The location is the Vardy Church Museum, which features displays from the Presbyterian mission which provide education opportunities for Melungeon children from 1899 to the early 1970s.

The Spring Fling features Appalachian crafts such as basket and chair weaving, apple butter making, corn grinding, shuck dolls, hominy making, a tractor show, and plenty of music.

For more information on the MHS conference, contact Winkler at 423.439.6441 or winklerw@etsu.edu. For information on the VCHS Spring Fling, contact Claude Collins at claudefreeda@aol.com or 423.733.2305.

Cont. here:
http://genevents.genwebsite.org/documents/3F5232DE471AF9D91304D1CE63F5CA9C74AC83FF.html

© History Chasers

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MHS Conference in June

History, genealogy, and the latest DNA technology will come together at the first annual Melungeon Historical Society conference. The public is invited to this event, which will be held on June 12 at the Hawkins County Rescue Squad meeting room, 955 East McKinney Avenue, Rogersville, Tennessee.

"For nearly two hundred years, writers and researchers have speculated about the origins of the Melungeons," says Wayne Winkler, president of MHS. "For the most part, the story of the Melungeons has been told through myths and legends. The Melungeon Historical Society believes that answers will be found through scholarly research."

Presentations at the MHS conference will begin at 10 a.m. and will cover topics such as the origin and historical uses of the term "Melungeon," DNA research on Melungeon families, and other topics related to the multi-ethnic people first documented in the Clinch River region in the early 19th century. The use of DNA technology in genealogy will be covered by Roberta Estes, founder of DNAExplain, a Michigan company that analyzes and interprets individual DNA tests.

Other presenters include Jack Goins, Hawkins County Archivist and author of Melungeons and Other Pioneer Families; Kathy Lyday-Lee, a professor at Elon College who taught a course on Melungeons; and Kathy James, who will present DNA information on the Gibson and Collins families.

"This conference is of special interest to those who want to learn more about the Melungeons," said Winkler, "but it is also designed to benefit anyone interested in genealogy and especially in the use of DNA technology to trace family lines."

The conference is free, but donations are suggested to help promote the work of the Melungeon Historical Society. For more information, contact Winkler at 423.439.6441 or

winklerw@etsu.edu.

© History Chasers

Click here to view all recent Historical Melungeons Blog posts