Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 153, No. 2, Ed. 1 Wednesday, March 6, 2002 Page: 3 of 16
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CHEROKEEAN/HERALD of Rusk, Texas - Wednesday, March 6, 2002 - Page 3
COMMENTARY
Embrace your family's history-black sheep and all
By Amy Halbert
Cherokeean/Herald Writer
Tpe stranger stepped out
into the dusty, nearly
deserted street, squint-
ing his wary eyes against the
sizzling noon sun. A bead of
sweat ran down his forehead,
the only physical indication of
his nervousness.
His finger was poised over
his gun Í trigger, ready for any
sign of trouble. He watched and
nailed...Suddenly, from the
distance, his opponent drew.
Then with six guns blazing,
they both fired. But only one
was left standing.
If this is what you think of
when you ponder your ancestry
you've probably been watch-
ing too many Clint Eastwood
movies. Chances are: you're
probably more likely to be
related to Bob the stable boy
than Jesses James, but that
shouldn't make the journey
into your past any less excit-
ing.
The fact is, many of us are
losing touch with our roots.
We're not overly concerned
about where we come from,
just intently focused on where
we're going.
But finding out where our
ancestors came from and how
they lived can give us better
appreciation of who we are
and how much we love indoor
plumbing.
So, for the history seekers, or
the just plain curious, the path
to enlightenment is within
reach. It can be a long, arduous
task, but one that will be well
worth your time.
The first step, once you
resolve you can handle your
13 a st—black sheep and all—is to
talk to family members. Living
relatives are the best resources
for genealogical information,
says Gordon Bennett of the
Cherokee County Genealogical
Society.
This means you'll need to
|) u I the remote control down
and grab a pen and paper, or
preferably, a tape recorder.
Who better to tell you about
the past than those who lived
it firsthand? So you've never
walked out back to attend to
business or had to walk to
school 40 miles uphill in the
snow...but your grandparents
and great-grandparents prob-
ably have (that's their story
and they're sticking to it).
Bennett suggests that when
talking to your relatives, a
tape recorder will help you
more accurately document
what they say. Remember to
be courteous and call ahead
to let them know what you're:
doing, so they can be better
prepared when you conduct
your interview.
And be prepared to listen.
Really listen to what they're
telling you. This means more
than knowing the names of
relatives. Try to absorb the:
descriptions of the way things
were, or what their family was
like and what they did for a
hving.
Although you will be speak-
ing to family, you are still
conducting research, so get
your subject's written permis-
sion to record the conversa-
tion, then fire away Further
down the road, you can review
the tape if you run across
any inconsistencies with your
secondary research. And you
don't have to worry about trying
to read your own handwriting.
That's always a plus.
This first step is a very
important one, but unfortu-
nately. many of us have already
lost members of our older
generation without taking full
advantage of their wealth of
knowledge. So if speaking to
your relatives is not an option,
fear not, It's just time to move
on to the paper trail.
To begin this process, it's help -
ful if you have some informa-
tion on your familyfirst: names
of relatives, birth dates, dates
of death or marriage, etc. If
you live in the county where
your descendents hved, try the
county clerk's office to locate
information.
But if you hve out of town
and this is not an option,
head to your local hbrary or
surf the Net. Or call the local
genealogical society. All can
give you information to aid you
on your search and point you
in the right direction.
History revelers are wired
into the 21st century like the
rest of the world. In fact, the
Internet is chock full of web
sites and resources for family
history seekers, thanks to sites
like the U.S. Genweb project,
which publishes information
uncovered by volunteers.
The COGS even has a web
sité, loaded with helpful
resources for the research
novice and the expert.
But when you decide to ven-
ture out, the local Jacksonville
library is a great resource,
and is the only family history
library in Cherokee County.
"Every week we have people
come in to work on their family
history. Some stay a few hours,
some come back for several
days,"' saidBarbara Grossman,
library director.
The library is equipped with a
"genealogy computer, donated
by the GCGS, which features
software to help you build a
family tree, and lots of other
cool stuff. There's also plenty
of other tools to guide you in
your search.
One such tool is the U.S.
Census, Though it may seem
a bit daunting at first, census
information can tell you a lot
about your family including
where they lived, how many
lived in a household and what
the head of the family did for
a living.
Acopyofthe 1880 U.S. census
on CD-ROM has been donated
to the hbrary by the CCGS; the:
55-disk set will be ready for
use later this spring.
I know this isa lot of informa -
tion to digest, but if you get
stuck, help is a phone call a
way If you get bogged down at
the hbrary, the staff can put
you in touch with knowledge-
able patrons who know their
history.
And those knowledgeable
patrons are probably Cherokee
County Genealogical Society
members.
This group is bound together
by a love of preserving the p ast,
and helping others discover
that same feeling. Members
will assist novice sleuths start
their searches, help research
information and generally just
be there if you hit snags.
And there will be snags.
And frustrations. And more
frustrations.
Researching your ancestors
is a long, involved process, but
one that will be worthwhile.
Just be prepared that you may
find out more than you ever
wanted to know about family
scandals.
CCGS member Donna
Shreeve says many people are
afraid of digging up unsavory
information on their family.
She laughs at that notion, and
about some of (lie more color-
ful ancestors she's uncovered
during her research. "Finding
out about the black sheep is
the fun part,' she said.
So if you decide to embark on
this journey, keep your sense
of humor intact and practice
patience, Lots of patience, And
remember that when you get
stuck and can't go any further
than your great-great-great'
grandfather Earl, who may or
may not be the Earl you've
discovered immigrating from
Missouri, you can call out the
big guns: the Cherokee County
Genealogical Society. Don't
worry: they know what they're
doing—even if you don't.
If you want to see the: CCGS
in action, they meet eyery
second Monday of the month.
The next meeting will be at
7 p.m. Mar. 11 at Bonner
Place, located at 421S. Bonner
in Jacksonville, Newbies are
always welcome.
Next CCGS meeting:
,1/ the March 11 meeting,
R.L. McGuire will presen t a
brief description of the Red
River Campaign. The battle
of Mansfield and Pleasant
Hill was the defense activity by
Randall's Company, the only
true Texas Company made up
entirely of Texans. The sité
of these battles was approxi-
mately 35 miles northeast of
Manning, La. The Union's
objective was the invasion of
Texas.
Mi: McGuire will present
a map of the battle and. a
Idler written by a woman
who actually witnessed the
action. His video of the Battle
of Pleasan t Hill re-enactment,
will also be shown.
If you have a news brief you would like to submit, send it a
week in advance to Cherokeean/Herald, P.O. Box 475, Rusk,
Tex. 75785. Our FAX line is 903-683-5104. We also have a new
e-mail address set up for news items: herald@mediactr.com
Be sure to include your name and a daytime telephone number
in case we have a question.
The/'Gold Standard" in Eye Care.
DANIEL M. GOLD, M.D
OPHTHALMOLOGIST
PALESTINE
EYE CLINIC
I and my staff at the Palestine Eye Clinic are ready to meet all
your family's eye care needs. Whether it is regular eyeexmns, cataract reiiioiml,
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over fifteen years of treatment experience. My staff and I aréproud to bring the
highest "Gold Standard" of eye care to this area.
(903) 731-GOLD (4653) or 800-677-7916 • www.danielgoldmd.com
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Paul
lawlinson
Call Home
Pager 528
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Check your tax withholding
It's wise to check your withholding early in 2002, as well as whenever
your circumstances change (marriage, divorce, new baby, etc.), to be sure
you are having the right amount withheld from your wages. You must meet
minimum tax payment requirements, but don't overwithhold, or you give
the IRS interest-free use of money you could be investing yourself. For
assistance, give us a call.
Anita L. Woodlee
CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT
524 N. Henderson • Rusk, Tx. 75785
Phone: 683-1002* Fax: 683-1872
www.anitawoodleecpa.com
Visit our web site often for new tax tips
Anita L. Woodlee, CPA and financial caculators
LETTERS
Country roads are not garbage dumps
I neefl to let off a little steam
about a problem I'm sure is
familiar to others living on
country roads...illegal dump-
ing.
I live on Moon City Rd. and
enjoy walks with my family
Today however, while walking
my usual half mile up the
road from my home. I counted
94 beer and soft chink cans
scattered along the roadside
with other fast food trash,
bottles, old tires and broken
glass.
Worn out furniture, mat-
tresses and dead animls are
also dumped, as well as large
garbage bags filled with God
only knows, It is so sad that
a person can't take the few
minutes it takes to bury a poor
animal. Surely that would be
much easier and more humane
than loading it up and dump-
ing it along the road—this has
happened many times in the
four years I've hved here.
I was brought up to not even
throw a gum wrapper out the
car window. What happened
to our Texas pride? What has
happened to "Don't Mess With
Texas?" Is it so difficult to
keep garbage in the car and
dispose of it properly at home?
How about taking the large
bags of garbage to a real dump
ground if no garbage pick-up
is available?
I seem to have missed t lie-
sign on our road that says
"Dump."
We love to take our walks,
but all this trash makes it
much less desirable. What, if
anything, can be done about
this?
LADONNA BROWN
Rusk
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Whitehead, Marie. Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 153, No. 2, Ed. 1 Wednesday, March 6, 2002, newspaper, March 6, 2002; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth152507/m1/3/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.