TSGS Meeting Report

Report on the TSGS Meeting held on Tuesday 12 Jun 2012

We had a small attendance of about 16 for this meeting, with 10 attendance prizes providing most with something to take home!  The weather has been so nice that we should have held the meeting outside!  Click on photos to see a larger image.

 Photo of some of the members just before the meeting was called to order by President Don Counts.  Several people were still researching on the microfilm machines in the back.  Willard Library is a great genealogical research library and is so beautiful inside & out.

 Above is pictured those officers elected for 2012-13 that were in attendance - from L-R: Sue Hebbeler, Corresponding Secretary; Larry Goss, Director; Rena Goss, Director; Becky West, Director; Kim Nightingale, Recording Secretary; John G. West, Vice-President; Don Counts, President.

 Becky West, the out-going Program Chair, after thanking the society for having a non-genealogist for 2 years as the Program Chair, read a brief humorous account of the Vincent Van Gogh Family Tree.  Then she introduced Indiana Bones (pictured below) to present his "Field Trip Health & Safety Tips!"  This was Indiana Bones first public appearance.  Since, John West was tagged as a "Cemetery Geek" by the Evansville Courier, Becky came up with the name of Indiana Bones for the TSGS Cruiser Blog and to give programs as this character.  John is shown with some of his gear: hat, walking stick, cemetery bag.  During the short session on tips, Indiana Bones pointed out some ideas of what to carry on field trips to a cemetery ("cemetery hopping"). A hand-out with suggested items for a first aid kit & a cemetery bag was passed out to all present.

Photos taken by Carol Lantaff, Larry Goss and JGWest.

TSGS Meeting Program

'
Tri-State Genealogical Society
(TSGS) Meeting Notice! 

When: Tuesday 12 June 2012 - 7:00 PM
Where: Willard Library - 2nd. Floor
What: Monthly Meeting

Becky West, TSGS Program Chair, has announced that the program will feature

"A Little Genealogy Humor" and an appearance by Indiana Bones.  This will be Indiana Bones first public appearance.   Indiana Bones (aka: John G. West) is a self-proclaimed "Cemetery Geek" as published in the Evansville Courier & Press recently.  Indiana Bones will briefly show some suggested items that would be good to take on any field trip, especially a genealogical trip or "cemetery hopping!"  He will have some tips on how to maintain good health and be safe.  Indiana Bones will provide everyone with a list of important things to include in a First Aid Kit and a cemetery bag to help you find the graves you are looking for.  Hopefully the program will be entertaining and give you some ideas to use on your next field trip!


During the short meeting, members will elect officers for 2012-2013.


Don Counts, TSGS President

"Cemetery Geek!"

What in the world is a "Cemetery Geek?"


Last Sunday, I attended the Oak Hill Cemetery Walking Tour led by Dennis Au, Shawn Dickerson & Chris Cooke.  A newspaper reporter was asking several people why they came out for this tour.  When she asked me that question... I could not think of a good answer.  My thoughts were in the notion of who wouldn't want to be in this tour!  As a genealogist, most of us love cemeteries, as we do courthouses, libraries, genealogy web sites, family photos and records of any sort.


I told the young reporter that as a genealogist I could not help but be here... I guess I am a "cemetery geek!"  I could not think of anything else to describe why I came out for this tour!!!  Well, that got into the newspaper story, in fact it was the first paragraph about the tour.  I was listed as a "self-proclaimed cemetery geek."    http://www.courierpress.com/news/2012/may/21/oakhill-tour-line-p/?print=1  


Being highly interested in science, math, etc., the term "geek" (to me) is basically a positive adjective of a person's in-depth interest or involvement in a particular subject.  I have always been interested in seeing these little monuments (often called grave markers) to people's lives since I was a kid of about 12-13 years of age.


My mother was an avid fan of Memorial Day, a time to remember our American soldiers and family members.  Mom would make Dad drive her around to all of the cemeteries with family to decorate their graves with flowers.  After a time, it was hard to tell who wanted to do this the most.  Of course, us kids were dragged along, too.  I started to get curious about all of these graves... who were these people to us.  That and a 5th. Grade English assignment to make a 4-generation family chart got me interested in my family history.  Shortly after I got out of service, my father died which made grave visitations a little more important to me.  The next Memorial Day and many years afterwards, my younger brother Don and I took turns taking Mom around to decorate the graves.  Mom's Aunt Maggie Wood decorated graves, too.  Don & I began putting out flowers, too.  Then, suddenly in about 2 years time - Mom, Aunt Maggie & Don were no longer with us and there really was no one else alive to decorate the graves or know where most were buried.  So, this became my primary "duty!"  We decorate my wife Becky's family, too.  Becky has a birth & adopted family to remember.


I have become a volunteer for a web site called "Find-A-Grave" to take grave marker photos to post online for others to be able to see their family's markers.  On this blog I have a feature called "Tombstone Thursday" that I post interesting or unusual grave markers that I find from time to time.  I even have a photo album on FaceBook called "Cemetery Hopping" (going from one cemetery to another & posting photos from each!).  Yesterday, I told my friend Jill Brinkley who works at Alexander Memorial Park Cemetery that we were out cemetery hopping decorating family graves... she said you are always going to cemeteries!  I guess she is right!


I guess cemeteries have become a part of my life... I was once even in charge of Evansville's City owned cemeteries - Oak Hill & Locust Hill.  In the Sons of the American Revolution, I travel around with other members dressed in Revolutionary War uniforms serving in Color Guards to honor the graves of Revolutionary War Soldiers.


OK, it appears that I am a "cemetery geek!" for sure.  I do think of the term as a good thing.  Writing this blog, I thought I should check to see what the definition of a cemetery geek might be.  I went to Google to search for the term.  What came up was that news article about me being a cemetery geek... there was no other use of the term except in describing me!!!  I may have coined a new term.  One related to genealogy, at that!  How many of our readers might be able to proudly call themselves "Cemetery Geeks?"  You would not have to be as extreme as me to qualify.  There are at least 3 qualifiers, however.  One you must know that the word "cemetery" does not have an "a" in it and that (two) you must actually go to a cemetery to see all of its glory from time to time.  Three, you must feel strongly about cemetery vandalism as being one of the lowliest things people can do.  Don't be shy or modest, please let me know if you are or want to be a cemetery geek!!!


- Compiled by JGWest (AKA: Cemetery Geek)