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Bucks County
Genealogical Society
May 2016 Newsletter
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President's Message
To all BCGS members and friends:
Your Board has had a very challenging month. As you will see in the article below, Marguerite Mogila, our treasurer of 4+ years has moved on to new challenges. We wish her well. Because your Board takes its stewardship of BCGS seriously, a smooth transition has been made; bills are being paid and finances tracked. A board member has taken on this second job temporarily. I personally want to thank the entire board for their support and ideas, especially now.
This organization is strong because of the persons dedicated to making it work. Surely, after 4+ years, we can expect more board members to move on and need replacement. I want you all now to STOP and ask yourselves a very important question. WHAT IS THIS ORGANIZATION WORTH TO ME? If we look at how we spend our time, it tells us which things are important to us. If you value BCGS and want to see it continue then you should also ask yourself "Do I want to be part of making it happen?"
So if we are important to you, attend a Board meeting and see how we function. Shadow a board member whose position interests you and work as an assistant. See if you can find a fit for your talents. I can tell you that, personally, I have learned so much from our board members. They are fun to be with too! You not only give, you get. Stop any of us and ask questions. Then be a bigger part of us. ARE WE WORTH YOUR TIME?
Mary C. Butash, President
Bucks County Genealogical Society
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Join us for our next meeting on
Saturday, June 4, 2016
10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon
at the David Library of the American Revolution
1201 River Road, Washington Crossing, PA
(Park behind the building and use the Conference Center entrance)
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WHEN DESCENDANTS BECOME ANCESTORS
Presented by
David H. Kendall, Ph.D.
As we research our own ancestors and mourn the lack of information available to us, we forget that we are the future ancestors of our descendants. And if we don't leave to them the kinds of information about our lives that we crave to know about our own forefathers, then we are merely perpetuating the problem.
Dr. Kendall is the author of the recently published When Descendants Become Ancestors: The Flip Side of Genealogy. Raised in a small tourist village in northern New York, where he has returned in retirement, Dr. Kendall spent thirty years educating professional counselors. His life experiences amid studies in history, genealogy, and gerontology, coupled with his belief in the innate wisdom of every individual, have inspired this writing.
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The meeting is open to the public and reservations are not needed. Cost is $5 for members and $10 for non-members.
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REFRESHMENTS ARE NEEDED!
If you are willing to get coffee at the Dunkin' Donuts in Washington Crossing, you will be reimbursed at the meeting. Please contact Marilyn Cook (so that we don't have too many folks bringing coffee) and to get directions. Marilyn is reached at 215-348-8956 or at [email protected]
If you bring munchkins, cookies, small muffins etc, your meeting fee will be discounted.
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When Bucks County Genealogical Society was just a sprout, Chris Roberts asked Marguerite Mogila to be our treasurer. So began 4+ years of service to BCGS. In April, Marguerite notified us of her resignation as treasurer because of changing demands in her life. Sadly, we acknowledged her message.
The BCGS board and membership want to thank Marguerite for her years of service and wish her the best for her future. The Board will personally miss her smile and sense of humor as well as her input into many areas of the Society.
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ON THE ROAD!
Our Director of Publicity, Cathy Ivins, is always finding ways to advertise our Society and to get people interested in genealogy.
In March, she arranged for us to have a table at the Family History Days event held at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA.
Last Saturday, we had a table at the NJ State History Fair in Manalapan, NJ. It was a lovely day and several board members took turns staffing our table. Next month we will have a table at the Juneteenth Celebration Event on June 18th in Langhorne, PA. If you would like to help us staff the table on that date for an hour or two, please contact Cathy Ivins at
[email protected].
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Scout Reclaims Cemetery
by Mary Butash
In January, Eric J. Senior, a Boy Scout from Troop 27 in Ottsville, PA approached me about a proposal to reclaim Stewart Burial Grounds in Tinicum Township. Eric felt that as an organization which cares about family history our organization would be an appropriate beneficiary. Eric completed the requisite forms for the project and presented the specifics to me for signature. In April 2016, he and a group of scouts accomplished that project. Planning this endeavor required that Eric present his ideas and find his own funding. Eric's goal was to preserve the history of this burial ground for posterity.
Stewart Burial Ground, also known as Bunker Hill Cemetery, was in operation from 1744 to 1859. There were no known burials from 1831 to 1859. It is believed that it was the burial site for the First Tinicum Presbyterian Church which was located near the cemetery. The Red Hill Church is believed to have replaced First Tinicum at another site after the original burned. It is believed that at least four revolutionary war veterans were buried at Stewart. Over the years many head stones were stolen or destroyed and deteriorated due to exposure to the weather and the porous materials from which they were made.
Eric's original plan was to clear the site of debris, right stones if possible, repair a stone fence and erect a gate and post a sign acknowledging those buried there especially the veterans. I gave him an article on cleaning/preserving headstones in order that none would be damaged in their enthusiasm. In April the project was underway. Eric has told me that the stonewall has been repaired and the debris removed. Because the cemetery is on private land, the owner decided against having a gate, as it would draw attention to his property. Many stones were found broken or fallen. There was one stone that had a tree growing around it. Finally the sign was erected.
On May 7, 2016 Eric, accompanied by his father Tom, spoke to our general meeting describing the project and supplied us with a transcription of persons known buried in the plot. This will be added to our database. We were happy to thank him for his service. Eric makes us proud there are young people who still wish to be of service to others.
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COMPREHENSIVE CALENDAR OF EVENTS
The calendar is frequently updated and includes events from all over the country. Be sure to check it every month to see what is happening.
Here is the link:
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SEARCH THE BCGS DATABASE
This month our free, searchable database has grown by over 7,500 names. We have added:
- Baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and burials from the records of the St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, Perkasie;
- Burial records from Trinity Cemetery of Telford; and
- Gravestone transcriptions from Christ Union Cemetery, Trumbauersville.
Volunteers are still working on records to put them in a format that can be posted on our database. We have 332,830 records online now!
Check the site on a regular basis to see what is new; here is the link.
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10th Annual Bucks County Ancestry Fair
Saturday, November 12, 2016
The Ancestry Fair Committee will meet on Saturday, June 11, 2016 at McCaffrey's Supermarket, 635 Heacock Rd., Yardley - in the second floor community room.
We need lots of help on the day of the event and it's not too early to volunteer. If you think you can spare an hour or two to help at the November event, come to the meeting on June 11th and please contact Peg Felter at
[email protected]
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BEGINNERS CORNER
Confused and overwhelmed by the number of places to look when you are doing research? Maybe the One-Step Webpages will help. Here is the link:
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RESEARCH TIP
Are you looking for records and journals from the original Bucks County Genealogical Society which was active from 1981 to 2011? The Richland Library Company in Quakertown, PA has genealogies and publications from that organization.
Here is the website link:
http://www.richlandlibrary1788.org/
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Membership Fees for One Year Membership
Individual: $20 Dual/Household: $35
Organization: $75
Our membership fees help to pay for speakers, facility rental, website costs, insurance and more. Membership in BCGS is on a rolling basis and lasts one year from the month you join.
You don't have to have Bucks County ancestors to enjoy the benefits of membership! Won't you join and help us continue to grow?
See a list of BCGS Member Benefits on our website:
Join or renew by mail using our membership application/renewal form , on line on the Society's website via PayPal or by paying with cash or check at our next meeting. And, we now have the ability to accept credit card payments at our monthly meetings!
If you have questions and to get access to the above discounts, contact Pat Gessner, VP-Membership at
[email protected]
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Bucks County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 826, Washington Crossing, PA 18977
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