The County LineBay County Genealogical Society Newsletter

Bay County, Florida

Volume 30, Number 3 July 2011

16 New Pioneers Recognized During Festival

This summer’s fourth annual celebration and rec-ognition of very special descendants of 16 Bay County pioneers was hosted again this year by the Historical Society of Bay County during the 70th

annual Pioneer Picnic event. Those receiving certifi-cates have met the highest standards of genealogical documentation required by the BCGS.

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One group of individuals who received pioneer certificates from First Families of Bay County Committee chair Rebecca Saunders; Bill Zehner, Lillian Landgraf Cooper, Lucie Gail Cooper, Lily Robin Cooper, Mi-chael Townsend Cooper, Jr., Lorena Landgraf Kelly and Michael Townsend Cooper, Sr., who is responsible for the research enabling this subset of a group of ten individuals to receive certificates for their ances-tor’s contributions to Bay County.

This year we certified 16 new Bay County pio-neers, 11 researchers, and a total of 51 Descendant Certificates.

Rebecca Saunders was responsible for the certifi-cate awarded to 98-year old Certificate holder Ellis Fowhand. He is the celebrated descendant of hon-ored pioneer Wesley Dowling Fowhand, who died in 1958. He has recently cut his store hours back to about half of the normal amount, and is enjoying all the honors that he and his father have earned.

Frank McGill Nelson, another well known and well remembered banking pioneer of the area was recognized by his descendants Angela Nelson Lewis, Gary Nelson Lewis, Louis Michael Nelson and Louis Michael Nelson, Jr., Roy McGill Nelson, and Hope Nelson.

The Smith clan, including Charlie Caper Smith and wife Nora Lee Walker Smith, and their daughter Kittie Maria Smith, were celebrated by their descen-

2 The County Line Volume 30, Number 3, July 2011

Ellis E. Fowhand, Lisa Fowhand Johnson, Dr. Wesley Johnson and James Johnson, Jr.

Beatrice Findley Moates and Annette Moates Sasser appear to represent the Moates clan.

Oscar Scott is represented by James Franklin Harris and his wife Andra S. Harris.

dants Betty Wills Reames, Lucy Rebecca Reames Lewis, Corrine Lewis Patton, William Thomas Pat-ton, and Courtney Rebecca Merrill. All were cele-brated and recognized.

Oscar Scott was recognized by James Franklin Harris and Andra Harris. Oscar was known as “Un-cle Oscar” and Andra as “Sister Scott.” Andra re-ceived a pioneer certificate for her efforts in the af-fair.

Valentine Landgraf came over from Germany and homesteaded near Cromanton in 1889. He was cele-brated by a large collection of descendants, and most of them were at the affair. His descendants include Lillian Marie Landgraf Cooper, Lisa Maria Cooper Barr, Laura Brynne Barr, Cynthia Layne Barr, Lyla Marie Barr, Lucie Gail Cooper Lily Robin Cooper, Lorena Sue Landgraf Kelly, and Frederick Frances Landgraf III.

Beatrice Findley Moates and Annette Moates Sas-ser presented an interesting piece on Mr. Arthur Erich Hood, who spent a lot of time in Enterprise, Alabama, before finally coming to what is now Bay County in 1902. He died in 1921.

The biggest collection of ancestors was provided

by Jan Summerford Williams for Byron Bennett Wil-liams III and Morgan Arran Williams. She cited the following ancestors in her submission; James Manon

and Clara Rebecca Sealey Mashburn, Joseph Martin and Elizabeth Jane Mashburn Porter, Frances M. and Mary Peel Moates, and Annie C. Moates and Charles Turner Porter.

This brings the total number of certified Bay County pioneers to 56 and the total number of certi-fied descendants to exactly 100.

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In This Issue...........................................................President’s Message 4

............................................BCGS 2010 Financial Report 5....................................................Welcome New Members 5

..................................................Surnames Being Searched 5...................................................................Coming Events 6

..............................................................Summer Programs 6.........................................................................New Books 8

Volume 30, Number 3, July 2011 The County Line 3

Seminar head Rebecca Saunders recognizes outstanding researcher Jan Summerford Wil-liams and her husband, Byron Bennett Williams III. She skillfully brought their clan into promi-nence on her application.

Sketch of most of the Bay County residents who were recognized this year and last by the Histori-cal Society of Bay County.

Certified Bay County Pioneers

Name Birth-DeathAnderson, John Duncan 1858-1927Boyer, Della Florence (Holmes) 1880-1922Boyer, Enos F. 1849-1928Boyer, Mary Frances 1910-2003Bullock, Ferdinand 1866-1935Carden, Richard I. 1887-1951Carden, Thomas B. 1861-1939Daffin, James Horace 1867-1930Fowhand, Wesley Dowling c1873-1958Harmon, Turner Hunt 1838-1910Holley, Ella Sophronia 1880-1960Holley, John Calvin 1850-1916Holley, Sophronia (McDuffie) 1859-1940Holmes, Della Florence 1880-1922Holmes, Louisa Virginia (Weeks) 1840-1930Holmes, William Leonard 1856-1936Holmes, William Wesley 1830-1884Hood, Arthur Erich 1862-1921Laird, Ada Victoria (Zorn) 1875-1912Laird, John Henry 1873-1956Laird, Ruby Kade 1909-1991Landgraf, Valentine 1831-1912Loftin, Eliza c1811-<1870Loftin, William Marion c1785-c1838Mashburn, Elizabeth Jane 1849-1916Mashburn, James Manon 1821-1856McDuffie, Sophronia 1859-1940Moates, Francis M. 1837-1897Moates, Mary Peel 1842-1928Nelson, Frank McGill 1877-1937Parker, Retha Vann 1881-1975Porter, Ann M. c1838-c1894Porter, Annie C. Moates 1866-1961Porter, Charles T. c1804-<1860Porter, Charles Turner 1877-1933Porter, Eliza (Loftin) c1811-<1870Porter, Joseph Martin 1842-1907Ross, David Monroe 1876-1965Ross, Lee Monroe 1910-1990Ross, Mary Frances (Boyer) 1910-2003Ross, Retha Vann (Parker) 1881-1975Scott, Oscar 1851-1922Smith, Charlie Caper 1876-1932

Smith, Kittie Maria 1910-1993Smith Nora Lee Walker 1881-1945Sealey, Clara Rebecca 1823-1900Sowell, George Leslie 1890-1973Vickery, Ann M. (Porter) c1838-c1894Vickery, Ella Sophronia (Holley) 1880-1960Vickery, Lelon Ephriam (elder) c1826-1892Vickery, Lelon Ephriam (younger) 1869-1954Wallace, William Craig 1848-1930Weeks, Louisa Virginia 1840-1930Welch, Ruby Kade (Laird) 1909-1991Weller, Alfred Daniel 1872-1964Zorn, Ada Victoria 1875-1912

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President’s MessageI was surprised and gratified by the large crowd

who attended our summer County Awards Cere-mony. Many thanks to Rebecca and her hard-working crew who made it happen. I think all were pleased with the presentation, and it went well. Re-becca was well prepared and the event went off well, with a record number of new pioneers certified and a near record number of research certificates awarded.

I want to especially thank our volunteers who as-sisted with the registration table, arrangement of the dining area and cleanup of the Pioneer Picnic again this year: Janice Cronan, Mary K. McGraw, Sara Sapp, Becky and Robert Saunders, Suzanne Shay, Linda and James Sowell, and Marlene Womack. And special thanks to our specialist behind the Nikon, Brenda Hawes.

Bill Zehner, President✣

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BCGS 2010 Financial Report

by Walter ShermanTreasurer

Income Membership Dues 1,695 Seminar 1,520 Donations Received 45 Library Donation 200 First Families Applications 310 Total Income 3770

Expenses Society Memberships 322 Library Donations 1112 Seminars 904 Newsletters 444 P.O. Box + Stamps 62 Gift 0 Refunds 137 Speaker 156 Bank Fees 8 To Savings 100 First Families 156 Total Expenses 3401

Net Income +369

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Welcome New MembersBy Judy Bennett

Welcome, 2011 new members and long-time ago renewals to the genealogy society. We hope that our programs and seminars will aid you, along with the quarterly Thursday evenings at the library. Please let us know if you have any suggestions to let the soci-ety serve you. Old-timers please welcome:

Alice LockeAnn Murray

Barbara BlumBen & Jan WilliamsCarolyn HerreraCarrie SheffieldDavid LloydEdyth BrownErin PickardGuy JencksHelen L. SaulsJames BielerJanet BarnhardtJim BarkulooJodi MooreJoe OglesbyKathleen O'BrienKathleen OveLynn RebelloMartha S. DosterMary Ann BuswellMary Nell HouseMichael & Sara CrossNadine StandlandRay & Claudia SteindlRay WidrigRuth Ann MacFarlandRuth Glenn

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Surnames Being Searched

By Judy Bennett

Three members have turned in their surname lists. Hopefully, someone who is reading this can connect with them.

Lynn Rebello1514 E. 40th Place, Lynn Haven, FL 32444irebell73@gmail.comBorige - Plymouth, Plymouth, MA, 1874-1942Calzolari - Plymouth, Plymouth, MA 1873-1927Dauch - Germany, 1834-?Destrela - Plymouth, MA 1881-1959Freeman - Germany, 1866-?

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Gutherman - Brooklyn, Kings, NY, 1852-?Howe - Brooklyn, Kings, NY, 1854-?Krusick - Germany, 1832-?Prescott - Brooklyn, Kings, NY, 1858-1880

Carolyn HerreraP. O. Box 10647, Panama City, FL 32404Wagene1@aol.comBednar - Brooklyn, Kings, NY, 1850's onBoyson - New York, New York, NY, 1850's onEngh - Minneapolis,, MN, 1800'sGillen- Darmstadt, Germany, 1700's onHahn - Grunstadt, Germany, 1700's onKraeher - Grunstadt, Germany, 1770 onMetzker - Tacoma, Pierce, Washington, 1900's & Kansas, 1800'sNaeher - Grunstadt, Germany, bef 1828O’Shaughnessy Collingwood, Quebec, Canada, 1883Perron - New York City & Germany, 1800'sScharrmann - Heidelberg, Germany, 1771 onSchmitz - New York City, NY, bef 1901Schmoker - New York City, NY 1820 on & Switzerland, 1800'sSeyffahrt - New York City area, NY 1850's onSoltis - Kobyle, Czechoslovakia, 1870's

Edward Wood645 4th St. North, Chipley, FL 32428ewwood@bellsouth.netBell - Burke & Decatur, GA, 1800-presentHerring - Macon Co., GA 1820-present and Calvary, Decatur, GA, 1830-presentMaxwell - Calvary, Decatur, GA, 1820-presentMcDuffie - NC, 1750-1800McReynolds (MacRannald) - Bedford Co, VA, 1700'sMorton - Bedford Co, TN, 1700-1800'sWhitworth - Deason, Stokes, NC and Bedford Co, TN, 1700-1870Wood - Woodbury, Cannon, TN, 1769-1839 and present.

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Coming EventsGenealogy After Hours!

With Becky Saunders

July 21, 2011: Join Becky and the BCPL staff from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Bay County Public Library, 898 West 11th Street, Panama City, Florida. Hands-on coaching will be available for those researching their ancestors; especially valuable for those pursu-ing First Families of Bay County Certification. Res-ervations required. Please call 850-522-2130.

July 16, 2011: No Meeting

August 20, 2011: No meeting.

September 17, 2011: Judy Bennett will inform the Society about “Location, location, location” be-ing the mantra in real estate, so should it be in gene-alogy! We will go through what is important about your location, how it came about, when it was in ex-istence, what kind of records exist, how to find those records and lots more. Knowing as much as you can about a location will greatly help your research.

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Summer ProgramsWriting Your Memoirs

By Jan Colcord

April 16, 2011: Due to a conflict in scheduling, our monthly meeting was moved to Daffin Club-house in Millville. The different meeting place did not slow the Bay County Genealogy Society down because there was a great turnout to hear Jan Colcord teach us how to “Write Our Memoirs”…..and teach she did!! But why not, she is a 30 year veteran Eng-lish teacher of the Bay County Florida School Sys-tem. She is also a familiar face to Education Encore, at Gulf Coast Community College. Her handout gave us several ways to “personalize” our memoirs.

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First, we need to put a picture of ourselves on the cover of our memoir book with a hand written, dated, inscription to: our child, grandchild, or great-grandchild. Then she said, “Include a character sketch of someone who was important to us, but whom our descendant would not know; this could be a Father, Grandmother, Brother, or Aunt.”

Also, use pictures to tell about the traditions we observed as a child. Over the years, and as families blend, our traditions change. Holidays, birthdays, and religious practices are traditions where pictures will help our descendants see how we observed these events.

We must include special remembrances and life impacting experiences, also. Tell about friends, pets, cars, hobbies, sports, dating, first job or war experiences….and again, include pictures. Enter-tainment which was available when we were chil-dren is very different today or non-existent. Giving detailed descriptions of the songs we sang, radio and TV shows, movies we watched, books we read, and the games we played tells a lot about the type of young person we were and the values we hold. Tell them about our ambitions, personality, relationships with parents and siblings, responsibilities and expe-riences that shaped our lives. Personalize and sup-plement the memoir book with a page from the Bi-ble, Ancestry.com, or some other ancestral or genea-logical document.

Using Genetic Genealogy When Traditional Research Fails

By Janice Moore Cronan

May 21, 2011: This enthusiastic and educational Power Point presentation taught us that new ways are being explored in an effort to get over our “brick walls”. When our genealogical paper trail runs out, the DNA we inherit from our parents may provide a unique record of our ancestors. Several DNA tests are available, but one of the most useful traces the

paternal line through a male cheek swab or Y-DNA test. One of the most popular companies that provide genetic genealogy tests is Family Tree DNA. They offer the largest data base for matching Y-DNA par-ticipant results. Also, they encourage everyone to post their Y-DNA results to the free YSearch data-base.

Genetic DNA testing can show biological rela-tionships, but we need to use the results in conjunc-tion with our traditional research records to identify common ancestors. These tests can also help us find others who are researching our ancestors, and they may have documents we do not have. On the other hand, Y-DNA testing can prove “old wives tales” in-correct and set the record straight. So was the case of a Revolutionary War ancestor who was “thought to be” the brother of a notorious Tory because they

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A large crowd gathers for our May Meeting.

Janice Cronan interests everyone in the magic of DNA analysis for investigating additional family information.

shared the same surname and lived in the same area. When descendants of both ancestral male lines Y-DNA were tested, their results proved this was a “myth” because they were from two different Hap-logroups. Below is a list of sites to continue our education in this relatively new field of genealogy.

Website links for continuing education:ISOGG: www.isogg.org/wiki/List_of_DNA_testing_companies.Genetic Genealogist: www.thegeneticgenealogist.com/.Family Tree DNA: www.familytreedna.com/glossary.aspx.23andMe: www.23andme.com/ancestry/relfinder/.Elise Friedman Webinar: www.relativeroots.net.DNA Explain: www.dnaexplain.com/Publications/Publications.asp

Using My Canvas on Ancestry.comWith Carol Atkinson

Carol will show us how to make a lasting impres-sion at this year’s family reunion with a descendant family tree poster or descendant-based family history book. Descendant books and posters also make great birthday and anniversary gifts.

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A Note from the DirectorDiana Cochran

I was recently informed by the News Herald that they would no longer accept our meeting announce-ment in their What’s Happening section. It is re-served for one-time events only. I don’t know what we can do about this other than nicely advise the News Herald that we read their newspaper to know what is going on in our community on a daily basis.

If you follow the Tracing Pasts column in the News Herald, the next month’s meeting will be in-cluded in that article. I also post information in the genealogy room and history room at the Bay County

Public Library on 11th Street.

We are listed on several websites for those of you that have access to a computer and of course, Judy Bennett always sends us a reminder of the meeting including speaker and topic.

Websites: www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~flbcgs/, www.wjhg.com, www.wmbb.com, www.wfsu.org, w w w. w k g s . o r g , w w w. n e w s h e r a l d . c o m , w w w . p a n a m a c i t y . o r g , w w w. r o o t s w e b . a n c e s t r y . c o m / ~ f l s g s / , www.facebook.com

We need your help to pass the word about the So-ciety and our meetings. Invite people to the meetings since the meetings are free and open to the public. We welcome your suggestions of other places we could post our meeting announcements. You may contact me at dbcochran@bellsouth.net.

New Release from Marlene Womack

My latest book is out and will soon be available in book stores. It's entitled “The Magic of Cape San Blas and the Surrounding Area.” The book gives a detailed history of the lost town of St. Joseph, four of the lighthouses along the coast, shipwrecks, stories about Apalachicola, East Point, Mexico Beach, and the like.

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New BooksIn the Genealogical Collection Of

The Bay County Public LibraryBy Rebecca Brown Saunders

Genealogy SpecialistBay County Public Library

6 June 2011

Alabama Family maps of Lowndes County, Ala­

8 The County Line Volume 30, Number 3, July 2011

bama —Boyd, Gregory A.—AL Gen R 912 BOY

Family maps of Pike County, Alabama —Boyd, Gregory A.—AL Gen R 912 BOY

Newspaper abstracts from Pike County, Alabama 1860‐1864.—AL Gen R 929 NEW

Alabama newspaper clippings, taken from Georgia newspapers, 1814­1907 —Evans, Tad—AL Gen R 929.3761 EVA

FloridaA one hundred year history of a Methodist congre­

gation (from her beginning to her present), 1886­1986.—Aldridge, Dora Maud—FL Gen R 287.6759 ALD

The heritage of Bay County, Florida.—FL Gen R 975.9 HER

GeorgiaWilcox County, Georgia, newspaper clippings, —

Evans, Tad—GA Gen R 929.3758 EVA

Wilcox County, Georgia, newspaper clippings, —Evans, Tad—GA Gen R 929.3758 EVA

Wilcox County, Georgia, newspaper clippings, —Evans, Tad—GA Gen R 929.3758 EVA

Uniter StatesConfederate research sources : a guide to archive 

collections —Neagles, James C.—Gen R 016.9737 NEA

National Society of the Sons of the American Revo­lution, 2011 membership directory—Gen R 369.13 NAT

AMVETS member directory, 1997—American Vet­erans of World War II, Korea, and Viet­nam—Gen R 929 AME

Across the Atlantic and beyond : the migration of German and Swiss immigrants to America —Haller, Charles R.—Gen R 929 HAL

Revolutionary War pensions : awarded by state governments 1775­1874, the general and fed­eral governments prior to 1814, and by private acts of congress to 1905 —Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt—Gen R 929.1 BOC

Compendium of historical sources : the how and where of American genealogy —Bremer, Ron‐ald A.—Gen R 929.1 BRE

History of the John Hunt family from the beginning —Hunt, John, Sr.—Gen R 929.2 HUN

Pioneers, patriots and planters : a historic narra­tive of a Woolfolk family —Carrow‐Woolfolk, Elizabeth.—Gen R 929.42 CAR

The Richards story —Hamrick, J. R.—Gen R 929.42 HAM

A gazetteer of Virginia and West Virginia —Gan‐nett, Henry, 1846‐1914.—Gen R 975.4 GAN

North CarolinaA Johnny Reb band from Salem : the pride of Tar­

heelia —Hall, Harry H. (Harry Hobart)—NC Gen R 929.3756 HAL

The Heritage of Currituck County, North Carolina, 1985 —NC Gen R 929.3756 HER

OhioColumbiana County, Ohio marriages, 1800­1870 —

Bell, Carol Willsey.—OH Gen R 929.3771 BELSouth CarolinaMarriage and death notices from The Southern 

Presbyterian —Holcomb, Brent H.—SC Gen R 929.3757 HOL

Marriage and death notices from The Southern Presbyterian —Holcomb, Brent H.—SC Gen R 929.3757 HOL

South Carolina's royal grants, —Holcomb, Brent H.—SC Gen R 929.3757 HOL

VirginiaOverwharton Parish register 1720 to 1760 Old 

Stafford County, Virginia index —Boogher, Wil‐liam Fletcher.—VA Gen R 929.3755 BOO

Virginia Overwharton Parish register, 1720 to 1760, Old Stafford County—Boogher, William Fletcher.—VA Gen R 929.3755 BOO

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Volume 30, Number 3, July 2011 The County Line 9

The County Line is a newsletter of the Bay County Genealogical Society (BCGS)The County Line is published quarterly (January, April, July, and October) by the BCGS. Subscription to The County Line is included in the dues of the members of the BCGS. Subscription for nonmembers is $10 annually. Editor: William J. Zehner, CGSM. E-mail: lyzehner@knology.netPostmaster: Send address changes to the Bay County Genealogical Society at the address shown above.

Bay County Genealogy SocietyP. O. Box 662Panama City, FL 32402-0662

THE BAY COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETYP.O. BOX 662 PANAMA CITY, FL 32402-0662

The Bay County Genealogical Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement, education and promotion of personal and general genealogical research and the preservation of historical records relative thereto, for the cultural enrichment of the people of Bay County, Florida, and surround-ing areas.

Membership in this organization, with voting rights and the right to hold office, is open to anyone, without restriction of race, color, creed, or sex, who has a continuing interest in genealogy and whose membership dues are current.

Meetings are held the third Saturday of each month at 1:00 p.m. in the Panama City Library. The Executive Board meets in the Library at 10:00 a.m. also on the third Saturday of the month. Membership dues are $20 per year for individuals, $20 for single-address families, and $10 for full-time students, pay-able in December for the following year. Our Web address is www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~flbcgs