Wet but successful Heritage Day

Margaret Nelson of Missouri brought a poster about her
branch of the Runion family.

In spite of heavy rain, flooding, and tornado watches, we had a successful Brocks Gap Heritage Day on April 16, 2011.  There were 270 visitors, from 17 different states plus South Africa.  The attendance was down from 425 last year, but 17 states almost ties the record of 18 states.  

 People came from Va., Maryland, West Va., Penn., South Carolina, Ohio, California, Conn., Florida, Kentucky, Washington state, Georgia, Colorado, Illinois, North Carolina, Missouri, & Wisconsin. 

 

Ha, the South Africa person and her companion from Connecticut didn't initially know they were attending Heritage Day, but we're counting them anyway!  About 9:15 a.m. I was alone at the school when I heard the front door close.  "Who's there?" I called out, expecting some relatives.  It was a young stranger, looking a bit sheepish and saying they had just stopped to use the bathroom; they were in the middle of nowhere & there was no other place to stop, he said.  I laughed & agreed with him.



When the lady came out of the restroom, we chatted a bit.  Turned out they live in northern Va. and were on their way to Mathias, WV to visit a former co-worker who had retired to Mathias.  I took them to the gym to show them the Mathias poster, and they spent about 1/2 hour looking at the other posters, and talking about the area with Shirley & Bud Miller and Tressie Souder.  So we're counting them!

In the Caplinger family, one sister came from OH, one from CA, and another sibling from another part of OH.  In the Mountain George Fulk family, one cousin came from Wash. state, one from GA & one from Grottoes. They were excited to meet 2 other Mountain George cousins from Fulks Run, Thelma Showalter & Cammie Fulk.  Cammie & Thelma also learned they were cousins - they didn't know they were both in the Mountain George line.



For a couple photos, see my Facebook photo album.  My husband Dan is our usual photographer and takes great candid shots, but unfortunately he was sick this year and couldn't attend.



Thank you to all who attended, and a big thanks to my family members and friends who helped with set-up and clean-up.  Hope to see all of you next year.

Pat