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​Remembering Freedom is not Free

5/30/2021

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​Remembering Freedom is not Free

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, was a day set aside to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country. Decoration Day began after the Civil War to honor those who gave their lives during our country’s bloodiest conflict, and was proclaimed, not by the president, but by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic.

“The 30th of May 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land.”

Many Americans have forgotten what the true meaning of the day is for. Most will celebrate the three-day “holiday” weekend by starting their summer – days at the beach or camping out, BBQs and enjoying family and friends. Not many will stop to reflect on the very reason they have the weekend to celebrate at all.

It seems as if Franklin D. Roosevelt’s prediction in 1941 has come to pass, “Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy, forget in time that men died to win them.”

All weekend I’ve been the recipient of gratitude and well-wishes – and although I am very grateful and honored people have been thinking of me and my service to our nation – today’s not about me.

It’s not my day. I’m not dead.

Nor is it about any other living military person or veteran…. our day is in November and it’s called Veterans Day.
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PictureSP4 Ronald Gordon Smith is buried in R.H. Munford Cemetery in Covington, TN
Tonight, I walked around my local cemetery looking at the numerous headstones, which had been decorated with American flags for the weekend. Many of the flags had been knocked down due to the wind and rain we had the night before, so I spent time righting flags, saluting fallen comrades and thanking them for their service and sacrifice. It also made me wonder, why we decorate the final resting places of our military heroes only for the weekend? Why we don’t ensure that the American flag, the very one they pledged to support and defend and the one, many died defending, is not permanently flown over their headstones?

As I walked between the rows of stones, drawn to those marked with flags, I stopped at each one I came across for a moment of quiet reflection. Not all had died in service for their country, but all had served.

​Tipton County has lost many young men who died while fighting for their county, just as many communities throughout West Tennessee have. Young men, like SP4 Ronald Gordon Smith, USARV, who was killed in Vietnam. He was 19 when he arrived in country on May 14, 1967, as a soldier with Co. A, 2nd BN, 1st Inf., 196th Infantry Brigade and celebrated his birthday a short 18 days later on the fields of the Republic of Vietnam. He drew his last breath at age 20 on Nov. 21, 1967 in a battle in the Quang Tin Province, six short months after arriving. He is remembered on panel 30E, line 60 on the Vietnam Wall and I came across this memory shared online on Memorial Day 1999 from one of his friends which shows he was very much loved and is missed.


“Dearest Smitty, in three days you could have been 52 years old-as I am. You could have had a wife, children, and a dog – a whole and complete life. Instead, you will always be 20 years old in my mind, driving a red Corvair, smiling and laughing. I still love you as my best high school friend. I think of you so often still and pray God’s blessings on you in heaven and on your family and friends left on earth. I love you, Judy.”

SP4 Odell Craig of Covington, Tenn.SP4 Odell Craig, eldest son of Andrew and Gertrude WIlliamson Craig, Jr. of Covington, Tenn.
Another of Tipton County’s lost sons of the Vietnam War was 20-year-old Odell Craig, who was just 15 days shy of his 21st birthday when he lost his life while on patrol with his unit in the jungles of the Bing Duong Province in Vietnam. His last letter home, written days before his death, spoke of being in the field for the first time since he’d arrived in Vietnam and that he’s out in the “boondocks for two weeks trying to fight the VC but I’m not scared though.” He wrote of the hardships of sleeping in the rain on the ground and of the mosquitos. He wrote that he was happy his brother, Lawrence, was thinking about going into the Navy if he got drafted, and that his prayers had been answered because he didn’t want him in Vietnam, going through what he was having to do. His family received that last letter on May 8, 1969, three days after he was killed on May 5, and just five months after he landed in Vietnam.
 
Since the dawn of our country, more than 42 million men and women have served to protect this great land of ours, and more than 1.3 million have died doing so. It seems the least we can do this weekend, is spend a few moments reflecting on those who have given their lives in combat so that we can live ours in freedom.

As the years pass, it becomes easier to forget the person behind the name, and so it falls on our shoulders – the legacy holders – the parents, spouses, children, siblings, and friends – to tell the story our soldiers can no longer tell.

​Today is the day to honor our war dead. Those brave men and women, who while answering the call of their nation, made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. They are who Memorial Day is for.

So, this Memorial Day, before you fire up the BBQ, take a moment to reflect on all of our fallen countrymen of all wars and the sacrifice they have made on our behalf and to remember that our freedom has never been free.
​
​Honor them.

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Are You Ready for the Summer?

5/24/2021

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Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah
The summer months are upon us and with them are (hopefully) planned vacations. Why not let this summer’s vacation include a trip to one of the fabulous genealogy libraries and archives that are addressed in this blog post?

Recently, Lisa Junkins, Director of Public Relations for TNGS, gave a fantastic presentation entitled “Start Your Library Bucket List.” This blog post gives a bit of information on all of the institutions she covered, and we hope that you can use this as a “cheat sheet” to prepare for your trip.

Better yet, if you are a member of TNGS, you can sign in on the website, go to the Members Only page, scroll down to “Recorded Education Sessions,” and then go to “Genealogical Education Sessions.” After clicking on that last link, you will find a list of the recordings of all of the webinars that TNGS has presented.

Find Lisa’s “Start Your Library Bucket List,” sit back and enjoy the trip!
 
Here are a few of the tips that Lisa provided on some of the best places to research: (Always remember to CALL FIRST!)

Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, Indiana (Central Branch)
For current hours and closings https://acpl-cms.wise.oclc.org/genealogy
Planning Your Visit Page https://acpl-cms.wise.oclc.org/plan
 
Birmingham Public Library, Birmingham, Alabama
Genealogy Services: http://www.bplonline.org/resources/genealogy/
Tips on Research: http://www.bplonline.org/resources/genealogy/Genealogy.aspx#general
For reservations to Southern History Department call 205-226-3665
For reservations to Birmingham Public Library Archives call 205-226-3630
 
Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library, Cincinnati Ohio
Request an appointment in the Genealogy Collection:
https://cincinnatilibrary.org/ask-librarian/request-appointment/
Digital Library available at: https://digital.cincinnatilibrary.org/
 
Denver Public Library, Denver, Colorado (Central Branch)
For updates on when the Central Branch will open: https://www.denverlibrary.org/content/central-library
About the Genealogy and Western History Center: https://history.denverlibrary.org
Online classes: https://www.denverlibrary.org/events/upcoming?program_types[7665]=7665&program_types[7228]=7228&branches[7902]=7902
 
Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah
For updates on when they will open: https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Family_History_Library
Lists of Classes & Webinars: https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Family_History_Library_Classes_and_Webinars​
 
The Filson Historical Society, Louisville, Kentucky
Membership Levels (includes an e-member level):
https://filsonhistorical.org/get-involved/
How to Research page: https://filsonhistorical.org/collections/how-to-research/
 
National Society Sons of the American Revolution Genealogical Research Library, Louisville, Kentucky
Visiting the Library: https://www.sar.org/library-contact-information/
 
Germantown Regional History & Genealogical Center, Germantown, Tennessee
Covid Updates: https://www.germantown-tn.gov/play/germantown-regional-history-and-genealogy-center
Germantown Arts and Crafts Festival: https://germantownfest.com/Home
Germantown Charity Horse Show Schedule: https://gchs.org/schedule
 
J Erik Jonsson Central Library, Dallas, Texas
General Information about the 8th Floor/Genealogy & History: http://dallaslibrary2.org/genealogy/collection.php
Planning a visit page: http://dallaslibrary2.org/genealogy/visit.php
 
Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave SE, Washington, DC 20540
For updates on when will open: https://www.loc.gov
Information about Orientations: https://www.loc.gov/rr/main/inforeas/orient.html
Pre-register for free Reader Card: https://reader-registration.loc.gov/readerreg/remote/
Links their librarian suggested: https://guides.loc.gov/genealogy
https://loc.gov/rr/genealogy/
Explore Folklife collection in your state: https://www.loc.gov/folklife/states/index.html
Check here for train (metro) information: https://www.wmata.com
 
Mid Continent Library, Independence, Missouri
For updates on hours: https://www.mymcpl.org/genealogy
Getting Started in Genealogy: https://www.mymcpl.org/genealogy/get-started
Harry S Truman Library & Museum: https://www.trumanlibrary.gov
National Archives Kansas City: https://www.archives.gov/kansas-city
All locations: https://www.archives.gov/locations
 
National DAR Library, 1776 D Street NW, Washington D. C.
Hours when they will be open: https://www.dar.org/national-society/hours-operation
Plan Your Visit Page: https://www.dar.org/library/about-library/planning-your-visit
Check here for train (metro) information: https://www.wmata.com
 
Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, TN
Genealogy Section: https://sos.tn.gov/tsla/history
Email the Reference Desk for latest guidance on visiting: ask@tsla.libanswers.com
or call 615-741-2764
Tennessee General Assembly Schedules and Calendars: https://capitol.tn.gov
Tennessee State Capitol Tours: https://www.capitol.tn.gov/about/capitolvisit.html
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Welcome to Our New Partners Across Tennessee!

5/13/2021

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For many years, the Tennessee Genealogical Society (TNGS) has had the motto, “For All of Tennessee.” It was always the dream of the Society that one day we could reach out across the state and connect with counties through either their genealogical or historical societies, or through their libraries and archives. We planned to share news with them about events, as well as gain ideas from them. In reality, we just wanted to get to know them and to have them get to know about us. We wanted to connect.

We have been working on developing and mapping out this plan in earnest for the last couple of years. Data was collected and stored, but it was slow-going because it was often necessary to actually travel to some of the counties in order to gain insight as to what was available there.

However, when the COVID Pandemic struck in March of 2020, the opportunity actually arose for us to approach things in a different manner. Along with the necessity of having to use technology to continue educational programming for our members, we found the ideal means of reaching out across the state to others. Basically, we learned to make lemonade out of lemons!

The Board decided to appoint three Area Advisors to the Board of Advisors. These Advisors would each live in the three grand divisions of Tennessee. They would need to be members of TNGS and would need to be willing to contact the various organizations in the counties located in their area and to serve as the main contact person for TNGS for that specified area.

We managed to find three wonderful people for those positions. The first one named was Cynthia Guffey, who lives in Signal Mountain, Tennessee. She very happily agreed to serve as our East Tennessee Advisor and would soon become Chair of our Partnership Committee. Next came our Middle Tennessee Advisor. We realized that we already had the perfect person. Former TNGS Board Member, Donna Garrett, had moved to Nashville a couple of years ago and was delighted to be able to serve us again in an advisory position. Finally, we looked for a West Tennessee representative. We wanted someone who didn’t live in Shelby County (where TNGS is located), and we were extremely lucky to find Connie Lewis from Hardin County, Tennessee. Connie was eager to become our West Tennessee Advisor.

After the initial planning period, contacts started being made and the responses started coming in! Within just a couple of months of hard work, we have (as of this date) 35 new partner organizations from across the state of Tennessee!

In the initial letter sent to the various groups, we spelled out the following benefits of being a Partner with TNGS:

  • Complimentary registration at the TNGS Spring and Fall Seminar for one of the partner's officers.
  • Publication of any news items from your organization in the TNGS Newsletter, our Blog, and numerous other of our online platforms whenever possible.
  • Links provided to your organization on the TNGS website (if available).
  • Assistance with identification and evaluation of speakers if needed.
  • Assistance and advice on planning your own events.
  • Distribution of flyers and brochures (when available) at all TNGS in-person events and online when appropriate.
  • Help with publishing and selling your local genealogical information/books.
 
Within the next couple of weeks, we plan to have specific places on our website that will feature these Partners. One place will be under the “About Us” tab. A list of each Partner with a link to their website (if they have one) will be found there. Partners will be added as their applications are sent to us.

Another spotlight will be in a separate space on the main page of the website itself. In this area, any events that are sent to us by a Partner will be featured, with the next three upcoming Partner events appearing there. These events will rotate on and off according to the closest dates and as they are sent in to us.

In addition, more information about the actual locations and contacts for these organizations, along with links to their websites, etc. will become part of the “Tennessee Research” tab under the wonderful new “Tennessee County Database” section. This is an exciting new resource for researching Tennessee that will serve as a “where to find who and what” area for every county in Tennessee.

I would personally like to thank everyone on the Partnership Committee for their hard work in seeing this effort successfully begin. Along with the Area Advisors, the committee includes John Ware and PZ Horton. Nationally-known genealogist, Taneya Koonce (who is an expert on Tennessee genealogy research) is a new member of the committee and has given us some outstanding advice. As our Webmaster, Nancy Walczyk, has become an “ad hoc” member and has played a vital role.

And now I would like to name those first 35 Partners! If you don’t see your county or area represented, contact us so that we can reach out to those organizations. You can email me at president@tngs.org or the society at tngs@tngs.org. You can also find the direct email for your area’s advisor by opening the “About Us” tab and then clicking on “Organization.” Let’s give a big welcome to the following:

  1. Archives of Appalachia, East Tennessee State University
  2. Bledsoe County Historical and Genealogical Society
  3. Bledsoe County Public Library
  4. Blount County Genealogical and Historical Society
  5. Blount County Public Library
  6. Campbell County Historical Society
  7. Chattanooga Public Library (Local History and Genealogy Department)
  8. Claiborne County Public Library
  9. East Tennessee Historical Society
  10. E.G. Fisher Public Library (Athens, McMinn County)
  11. Granger County Archives
  12. Hamblen County Genealogical Society
  13. Hardin County Public Library
  14. Johnson County Historical Society
  15. Jonesborough Genealogical Society
  16. Kingsport Public Library and Archives
  17. Loudon Public Library
  18. Luttrell Public Library
  19. Madisonville Public Library
  20. McMinn County Historical Society
  21. Meigs County Historical Society
  22. Morgan County Genealogical and Historical Society
  23. Oak Ridge Public Library
  24. Obion County Public Library
  25. Orena Humphreys Public Library (Whitwell, TN)
  26. Polk County – West Polk County Public Library (Benton, TN)
  27. Polk County – East Polk County Public Library (Ducktown, TN)
  28. Sevier County Public Library System: King Family Library
  29. Scott County Historical Society
  30. Signal Mountain Genealogical Society
  31. T. Elmer Cox Genealogical and Historical Library (Greeneville, TN)
  32. Tellico Plains Public Library
  33. Tennessee Technological University Archives and Special Collections
  34. Washington County Archives
  35. West Tennessee Historical Society

Welcome to each of these great organizations. We look forward to a productive working relationship and hope that many more societies, libraries and archives will join us soon!

Carla Love Maitland, President

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