Monday, August 11, 2008

Rootbound in the Hills #226:
21 Jan 1992

by Rocky Macy

Rootbound loves those genealogy success stories - especially when they are a result of this column! What follows is one that arrived in today's mail. Please read on...

Vivian BALLARD (4 Brightstone Lane, Bella Vista, AR 72714) has found some of her lost relatives through a query submitted by someone else, and now Vivian is out trying to track down more. She states:
"In November of 1991 the last paragraphs of your newspaper column, Rootbound in the Hills, carried the query regarding the families of BOWERS and HEATH. She (the writer) and I are both descended from the same family. Her grandmother and my grandmother were sisters.

"Since discovering this information she and I have written and exchanged knowledge about the families, and the reward has been truly great. She lives in Utah, but was born and raised in Muskogee, OK.

"In June of this year my sisters and I are planning a giant reunion of all those related (even distantly) to the BOWERS and DAVIS families. The reunion will take place in Osage State Park, off Highway 60, between Bartlesville and Pawhuska, OK. The exact date will be decided soon.

"The BOWERS and DAVIS families lived in the area of Neosho, MO, but scattered during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The DAVIS family settled in Indian Territory. Cynthia DOWERS married George Washington DAVIS.

"We are trying to determine if there are any descendants of Henry DAVIS, who was a son of George and Cynthia Ann DAVIS. Henry had sons named George and Seth, and he had daughters named Jewel and Cynthia. We lost track of this family during and after World war II. At that time the family lived around Fayetteville, AR, perhaps in the Boston Mountains.

"Henry Davis (above) was married to Minnie OSBORN. Anyone who has any information regarding this family is asked to contact me, Vivian Ballard, at 4 Brightstone Lane, Bella Vista, AR 72714."

Vivian closed her letter with the following mini-testimonial:
"You do a marvelous service and I thank you sincerely for the help you gave us in finding the family in Utah. She had a lot of knowledge that I did not know about our family."

What a nice lady! Rootbound spews forth plenty of family information each week, usually never learning whether it has touched anyone's lives or not. It is always a thrill to learn that something we printed helped a family to piece itself back together.

And what about your success stories? We would love to hear about those recently discovered long-lost relatives - whether they were found through Rootbound or not. Just take pen in hand and tell us your tale - and then mail it to Rootbound in the Hills in care of this newspaper. What could be easier!

The TERRELL Society (Rt. 5, Box 211, Reed Creek Drive, Bassett VA 24055) publishes a newsletter dealing with the surname TERRELL along with related spellings, and the group also has a lending library. Anyone interested in this particular surname or its many variations should contact the Society at the above address.

Need an old map of a particular state, country, or even railroad? The Gold Bug (P.O. Box 588, Alamo, CA 94507) is a good place to look. Rootbound has used this company before and always been pleased. For a free brochure, please write to the Gold Bug at the above address.

Winter is definitely here - and what a great time to work on genealogy! Get thee to a library!

Happy hunting!

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