RELEASE DATE: MARCH 20, 2016
KINSEARCHING
by
Marleta Childs
P. O. Box 6825
LUBBOCK, TX 79493-6825
[email protected]
If you have an ANSLEY forebear, you will want to make plans to attend the thirty-ninth annual reunion of the Ansley Family Association (AFA). The 2016 meeting will take place on 22-24 April in Thomson, Georgia. Registration fees are $8.00 per person age twelve or older.
The business meeting will be held on the morning of April 23 at the Young Memorial Methodist Church. Activities will be concluded that night at a banquet. Costs for people wishing to attend the festive meal are $16.00 for adults and children over the age of ten and $3.00 for children under the age of ten.
Door prizes will be awarded during the banquet. Individuals are encouraged to being an item to share. For more details about the reunion, get in touch with Celia or Jim Ansley, 359 Rainbow Lake Dr., Brevard, NC 28712-8770 (e-mail [email protected] ; phone 828-862-4303.) Registration and checks, payable to the Ansley Family Association, should be mailed by 18 April 2016 to Roger R. Spafford, 1257 Arlene Court SW, Lilburn, Georgia 30047.
If you have an ANSLEY ancestor in your lineage, you may also be interested in joining the Ansley Family Association (AFA), sponsor of the annual reunion. Membership dues are only $10 annually. Checks, payable to AFA, may be sent to AFA Membership, Attn: James (Jim) Ansley, Jr., 359 Rainbow Lake Drive, Brevard, NC 28712-9770.
Dues include a subscription to the organization’s newsletter, which is published twice a year. Edited by Roger and Marcia Spafford, the periodical usually contains notices about ANSLEY births, marriages, and deaths from all over the country.
Issues may also include a variety of miscellaneous genealogical information and research tips. For example, the Spring 2016 issue carries information about the Ansley surname; newspaper clippings and a map pertaining to the 1875 tornado that ripped through McDuffie County, Georgia; excerpts of some of Kenneth Thomas’s newspaper columns concerning genealogical resources in the southern United States and Ireland; and the minutes of the 2015 AFA business meeting.
The Chapman Family Association (CFA) will hold its sixteenth annual convention at the Overland Park Marriott in Overland Park, Kansas, on 17-18 June 2016. All Chapman families and related lines are invited to attend.
Like those in the past, the conference program will consist of a variety of historical and genealogical presentations of interest to Chapman descendants. At the dinner presentation on that Saturday evening, for example, clothing collector and fashion aficionado, Carolyn Miller, will take attendees on a fascinating journey back into the history of wedding attire for both the bride and the groom.
In fact, the theme for this year’s convention is “Chapman Wedding Portraits through the Years.” Attendees are encouraged to bring and share any historical wedding memorabilia, such as wedding attire and cake toppers.
Building on that theme will be a photograph contest in which individuals can submit wedding pictures of their family. Pictures that span the decades are especially welcomed. All photos received by 1 June 2016 will be displayed at the convention and entered into this year’s contest. They may be sent to Shelley Chapman at [email protected] . Please include a brief summary of your pictures, including names, date, and location.
Other planned events include a silent auction. Attendees are encouraged to bring such things as mugs, food items, or t-shirts from your local area.
In addition to enjoying visiting with relatives and learning about aspects of genealogical research, persons attending the convention may want to take time to do some sightseeing. Examples of some of the well-known local attractions are the National World War I Memorial and Museum, the National Archives Museum, and the Arabia Steamboat & Historic City Market. At Independence, Missouri—just thirty minutes away from the hotel—are the Midwest Genealogy Center, the Harry S. Truman Library & Home, and the National Frontier Trails Center.
For addition details about registration costs and room reservations, go to the association’s website at http://www.chapmanfamilies.org or get in touch with Billie Chapman by phone at 512-423-1783 or e-mail [email protected] .