RELEASE DATE: JUNE 23, 2013
KINSEARCHING
by
Marleta Childs
P. O. Box 6825
LUBBOCK, TX 79493-6825
[email protected]
On 12-13 July 2013, the Texas Czech Genealogical Society (TCGS) will sponsor a “Generation to Generation” research conference at the Caldwell Civic/Visitor Center in Caldwell, Texas. Sessions will pertain to such topics as genealogy software; preservation and restoration of vintage photographs; Google and genealogy; the Portal to Texas History digital collections; how to share your research online using blogs, journals, and forums; Czech holdings in the LDS library in Salt Lake City; how to obtain additional details from family photographs and maps; and storage of your data in “clouds.” Featured speakers will be Dreanna Belden, Carroll Brincefield, Cecilia Pingenot Forrest, Monica Havelka, James Hollas, Doug Kubicek, Karen J. Matheson, Duwain Pingenot, and Randy W. Whited.
Additional activities at the conference will include the usage of materials in the Wendt Research Book Collection, the opportunity to have pictures (limit two per person) of your Texas Czech pioneers scanned, a silent raffle, musical entertainment by Henry and Susan Machicek; a parade of individuals wearing kroje (ancestral Czech clothing), a “fun” magic act by Allan Lueck, and the enjoyment of delicious meals.
Registration fees postmarked on or before 1 July 2013 will be less than those postmarked after that date or at the door. For further details about costs and programs, get in touch with Bennie Stasny, 8402 Shenandoah, Austin, TX 78753; e-mail [email protected], or call 512-497-6007. You may also go to the society’s website at www.txczg.org.
Dena Mathias, c/o Richard Spight, 1298 Sanderling Island, Pt. Richmond, CA 94801 ([email protected]) would appreciate information about the SPEIGHT/SPIGHT family from Craven, Jones, and other counties in North Carolina and Virginia. She is especially interested in data about Simon SPIGHT, born about 1741 in Craven Co., NC, and died between 1813-1816, who married Mary Lightfoot REYNOLDS, who was born in 1742 in Craven Co., NC, and died in 1822 in Jones County, NC. Simon SPIGHT, his siblings, and children owned a tremendous amount of property in both Craven and Jones counties.
One of Simon’s sisters, Phrusane/Fruzan SPEIGHT, married (1) Frederick BECTON, and (2) William WHITFIELD. Another sister, Mary SPEIGHT, married Solomon EDWARDS.
After Simon’s father Thomas SPEIGHT (born about 1706 and died about 1741) passed away, his mother, Ann (EVERETT) SPEIGHT, married Captain John PAINE/PAYNE/PAYN. Issues concerning the estate of Thomas SPEIGHT between his orphans and John PAINE led to court action in 1742. Lewis BRYAN and David LEWIS were securities for the guardian of the SPEIGHT orphans.
The SPEIGHT/SPIGHT family of Craven and Jones counties, NC, may or may not be connected to Francis SPEIGHT, who immigrated in 1635 and settled in Virginia.
Mathias would also appreciate information about Simon SPEIGHT’s parents. Although many believe his father was Thomas, there is much speculation that his father was John SPEIGHT or perhaps another SPEIGHT/SPIGHT.
Are you searching for kinfolks in Howard County, Texas? If the answer is “yes,” you will be pleased to learn that issues of the Big Spring Enterprise (1908-1911) and the Big Spring Herald can now be accessed online. To view the newspapers, go to Texas Tech University’s Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library (SWC/SCL) website at http://collections.swco.ttu.edu. When you visit the site, you may want to see what other West Texas newspapers are available in the digital collections.