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Georgia Family History Expo Day 2 Recap

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The Georgia Family History Expo, 2012 edition, came to an end yesterday evening. I had a wonderful time throughout it all. More classes were attended and enjoyed, including courses dealing with colonial Georgia records, African-American cemeteries, and possible Cherokee ancestry.

Some of the further reading suggested by Robert S. Davis in the colonial Georgia records class include Georgia Journeys: Being an Account of the Lives of Georgia's Original Settlers and Many Other Early Settlers and Colonial Soldiers of the South, 1732-1774. I was also reminded of the Colonial Wills on Georgia's Virtual Vault.

Dr. D. L. Henderson did not disappoint with her Tale of Two Cemeteries talk. She gave a great overview of the African American burial grounds at Oakland Cemetery as well as those at South View Cemetery. A book she suggested is now on my to-read list: The Afro-American Tradition in Decorative Arts.

Though she made several points to remember, one of the best ones was "cemeteries are cultural repositories." In fact, they are often the earliest physical representation of a particular culture... Definitely something to remember. Dr. Henderson will be part of the panel when a presentation on Oakland Cemetery is given at the National Archives at Atlanta on December 15th. I hope I am able to attend.

I might have been bitten by the family tree DNA bug! The last course I took was given by Billy Edgington regarding the Miller Roll Application, a source for Cherokee and Southern history. There's been a tradition of Native American ancestry in one of my lines, but I have not found any evidence of this. I, to be honest, have not really looked very hard. I think I'd like to take a DNA test to confirm my racial composition and see if this ancestry is a possibility.

I think the things I learned have re-ignited and further fueled my passions of cemetery research, Georgia history, and personal genealogy. What more can you ask from a Family History Expo? If one comes your way, don't you dare miss it!
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Linda McCauley said…
It was great to finally meet you, Stephanie. Sorry we missed you on Saturday.
November 11, 2012 at 9:17 PM
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SouthernGraves.blogspot.com

The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"

So I answered, "O Lord God, You know."

Again He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!' Thus says the Lord God to these bones: 'Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live...'" (Ezekiel 37:1-5, NKJV)