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2008 Society Officers Juanita Oliver, President Christine Ambrose, Vice President Arnette Parker, Secretary Zelda Pledger, Treasurer Arnette Parker, Newsletter Editor About The Society The Genealogical and Historical Society was founded in August of 1995 to encourage the preservation and historical recording of Tyrrell County and its families. The Society is a non-profit organization. How To Contact Us If you would like to contact the Society for any other reason, you may reach us at: Tyrrell County Genealogical and Historical Society Post Office Box 686 Columbia, NC 27925-0686 Send items for the newsletter to: arnettecparker@hotmail.com OCTOBER MEETING The October meeting will be held Sunday, October 26, at 2:30 p.m. at the Senior Citizens Center in Columbia. Speaker for the meeting will be Sharon Gable, a Certified Genealogist and President of the Family Research Society of Northeastern North Carolina. Election of officers for the 2009 year will be elected.
Tyrrell County Genealogical and Historical Society In the absence of an officer, Jacob Parker called the meeting to order. Minutes of the September minutes were approved with the change of the word inserted to insertion with a motion by Sarah Languell, seconded by Betsy Sethmen, and carried. Treasurer Zelda Pledger reported $6817.59 in checking account. Andi Barco moved to accept the financial report, Betty Pledger seconded the motion, and it carried. Zelda Pledger reported that the cost to preserve the 1932 Frank Meekins article would be $85 plus postage. Jacob Parker noted that one of our members, Erma Meekins, had died within the last month. She loved Tyrrell County, but for health reasons, but living with her children at the time of her death. There was much discussion about publishing names, addresses, and surnames researching of members in the newsletter. The 1900 Census is completed. Sarah Languell moved to sell the census for $35; Andi Barco seconded the motion; and it carried. Index to the wills will be sold for $20; and the obituary books will sell for $20 each or the six volume set for $100. Correspondence to the organization was reviewed. We will renew our membership to the State Genealogical and Historical Societies and The Tyrrell County Chamber of Commerce. President of the North Carolina Genealogical Society President, Ann Basnight, announced the state meeting in November, the eastern regional meeting in New Bern, and that the national Genealogical Society meeting would be in Raleigh in 2009, and encouraged members to attend and participate in these events. Dennis Crane mentioned that Bobby Mitchell had a lot of old newspapers that should be preserved. Dennis also asked if our society had been contacted regarding the proposed mural on the Ben Franklin building. Dennis Crane moved to have the President write a letter to the proper officials requesting that our society have input into any decisions that would change the historical nature of buildings in an attempt to preserve the historical integrity of the town and county. J. A. Owens seconded the motion, and it carried. Christine Ambrose has contacted the Museum of the Albemarle about selling our publication The Heritage of Tyrrell County. Arnette Parker moved to offer the book to the Museum at a cost of $50 with a suggested retail price of $60. The need for a speaker’s stand was discussed. Christine Ambrose was asked to investigate the cost of a table top speaker’s stand and report back at the next meeting. Jacob Parker named Betsy Sethman, Zelda Pledger, and Loretta Simmons to the nominating committee. Sarah Languell mentioned that in order to attract new members, we might want to offer basic “how to” genealogy classes. Sarah Languell, Zelda Pledger, and Christine Ambrose were named to pursue this idea. Guests John and Fay Reid from Portsmouth, VA, were welcomed by the group. They are researching the Barnes family. Ann Basnight, presented information to the group on the “Anatomy of A Deed”, She pointed out that several points of information that can be obtained from researching and studying deeds. Refreshments were provided by Andi Barco and Alecia Guillette. Members present: Betty Pledger, Arnette Parker, Jacob Parker, Loretta Simmons, Alecia Guillette, Carrie Liverman, Betsy Sethman, Sarah Languell, Zelda Pledger, Andi Barco, Dennis Crane, and Andi Barco.
OBITUARIES
ROY ODELL SMITH, 85, died September 19, 2008, in Chowan Hospital, Edenton. Born in Tyrrell County to the late Joseph Cephus and Mary Frances Godwin Smith, he spent most of his working life as a farmer, but also worked as a log scaler in the sawmill industry, teaching shop in the public school system, and briefly as a deputy sheriff. He was a member of Wesley Memorial Methodist Church, American Legion #182, served 40 years as a supervisor with the Tyrrell County Soil and Water Conservation Board, served 35 years as a member of the Albemarle Resource, Conservation, and Development Council. He enjoyed work as a wood craftsman and obtained his private pilot’s license. A Private First Class with the HQ CO 9th Army during World War II, he saw action in Northern France, Rhineland, and Central Europe, and served as a driver for General Nichols. He was preceded in death by twin siblings who died at birth, Delmer and Delton Smith, and another brother, Ralph Smith. How People Construct Their Some of us have a greater sense of ethnicity than others. We feel firm boundaries between "us" and "them." Others have assimilated so extensively into the mainstream culture that they are only vaguely aware of their ethnic origins. With interethnic marrying common, some do not even know the countries from which their families originated – nor do they care. If asked to identify themselves ethnically, they respond with something like "l'm Heinz 57 – German and Irish, with a little Italian and French thrown in; and I think someone said something about being one-sixteenth Indian, too." Why do some people feel an intense sense of ethnic identity, while others feel hardly any? Four factors, identified by sociologist Ashley Doane, heighten or reduce our sense of ethnic identity. They are relative size, power, appearance, and discrimination. If your group is relatively small, has little power, looks different from most people in society, and is an object of discrimination, you will have a heightened sense of ethnic identity. In contrast, if you belong to the dominant group that holds most of the power, look like most people in the society, feel no discrimination, you are likely to experience a sense of "belonging" – and to wonder why ethnic identity is such a big deal. We can use the term ethnic work to refer to the way people construct
their ethnicity. For people who have a strong ethnic identity, this term refers to how they enhance and maintain their group’s distinctions
from clothing, food, and language to religion. and holidays. For people whose ethnic identity is not as firm, it refers to attempts to recover their ethnic heritage, such as trying to trace family lines. Millions of Americans are engaged in ethnic work, which has confounded the experts who thought that the United States would be a melting pot, with most of
its groups quietly blending into a sort of ethnic stew. In recent years, however, Americans have become fascinated with their "roots" and increasingly proud of their ethnic backgrounds. Consequently, some analysts think that "tossed salad" is more appropriate than "melting pot." END
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