OLD’N NEWS From Around the County
MURAL PROJECT CEREMONY
Norma Crafton’s art class is coming to a close this Friday. A formal presentation of the mural to the City of Moberly, Main Street Moberly and the Randolph County Historical Society will be made at a ceremony to be held at 5:30 PM, Friday, 27 June at the History Center. The artist in charge, David Loewenstein, and his assistant, Bobby Thorpe will be doing the finishing touches all of next week.
ICE CREAM SOCIAL WRAPUP
Over 300 people bought tickets to the ice cream social this year. The weather was more bearable than last year and it was fun to watch the painters working on the mural. Several people, including me, tried their hand painting that day. I told the kids that I wanted to initial my little part for posterity, but I got a resounding no to that suggestion. Thanks to the many folks that worked to make the social a success and thanks to all of you who bought a ticket.
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE HISTORY CENTER
The Campfire Girls exhibit is drawing quite a lot of attention. Several people have come to look and many people in the pictures have been identified. Ingrid Jones has done quite a good job putting this display together.
Our 4th Street Theater website is now up and running. Project coordinator, Carolee Hazlet, asked Melanie Holtzclaw of MLH graphics to design the site. One of the sections highlights the history of the theater. Another section contains interior and exterior pictures of the theater and another explains the funding of the project. There are also links to national groups that have an interest in restoring old theaters. You get on at www.4thstreettheater.org. Try it.
FAMILY HISTORY
A great local resource for family historians is the Randolph County rootsweb.com website. You may subscribe for free by going to MORANDOL-L-request@rootsweb.com. Then type subscribe as your message. Nothing else, just the word subscribe. You will then get all of the letters sent in asking for information or letters answering genealogy questions concerning family history in Randolph County. One of the best sources on this site is the archives of the Higbee News provided by Kathy Bowlin. The paper covered items all over the county and in Howard and Boone county as well. A part of the paper that I especially like is a column of the recollections of W T Dameron called “Our Huntsville Letter.” For an example of W T Dameron’s column, last week Kathy sent the Higbee News of 13 January 1927. In it W T Dameron reports on the 65th wedding anniversary of Mr and Mrs Hayden L Rutherford of Huntsville. Mr Dameron states in the column that he was eight years old when he attended their wedding with his family in 1862. He mentions others that attended and that were still living such as Mrs. Anna Wisdom, San Fernando, Cal., aged 86; Mrs.Rebecca Thompson, Caney, Kan., 82; Mrs. Addie Watts, Rolla, Mo., 80; Mrs. Anna Denny, Armstrong, Mo., 85; Mrs. Mary Stark, Clifton Hill., Mo., 87; Mrs. Lizzie Finnell, Clifton Hill, 89; Porter Mayo, Clifton Hill, 89; John A. Mayo, Clifton Hill, 85, and W. T. Dameron.
Another example of what happens on the site is illustrated by the following question by a Marge someone and answer by Wilma Patterson-Santos.
Marge – “Am looking for information of a Joesph William Edwards Married to Ann Sims in 1846. Also Joel and John William Edwards. John married a Sarah Fannon…any help”
Wilma – “Checking Harlan’s Transcription of Marriages/Deaths from 1854-1914…..there were no obits for John, Joseph, or Joel Edwards. I did find the following, which could be part of your line:
Ann Edwards died Jan. 5, 1889. Her obit was in the Jan. 17, 1889, Huntsville Herald.
Mrs. John Edwards died Aug. 14, 1896. Obit was in the Aug. 14, 1896, Moberly Daily Monitor.
Sarah D. Edwards died Mar. 12, 1895. Obit was in the Mar. 20, 1895, Huntsville Herald.
Sarah Frances Edwards died Sep. 7, 1910. Obit was in the Sep. 8, 1910, Moberly Daily Monitor."
Can you help Marge? Anyway, try the rootweb website if you have a computer or use one at your library.
CORRECTION SECTION
If you were not successful in finding the David Loewenstein site, you probably didn’t put the ‘e’ after the o in his name. Try it again at – www.davidloewenstein.com.