I always thought that one of the most unusual “used-to-be” names for a town belonged to Turner, the Androscoggin County town once known as Sylvester Canada.
Many of us with Maine roots have ancestry from that area, which includes Greene, Livermore and Auburn. My Revolutionary War ancestor, Daniel Briggs of Taunton, Mass., is buried in Turner.
Before snow flies, wouldn’t it be nice to get down that way and check out the cemeteries?
It just so happens that the Maine Old Cemetery Association will hold its fall meeting Saturday, Oct. 19, at First Universalist Church on Route 117 East in Turner. Registration begins at 9 a.m., with welcome at 10 a.m. from Cheryl Patten, MOCA president.
“Gravestones in Maine” is the topic of the keynote talk at 10:15 a.m. by Barbara Rotundo, past president of the Association of Gravestone Studies. Lunch at noon is available for $5, supplied by the Women’s Circle at the church. At 1 p.m., there will be tours of cemeteries in Turner.
Membership in the Maine Old Cemetery Association is $5 a year, $20 for five years, or $100 for life, c/o to MOCA, P.O. Box 641, Augusta, ME 04332.
Recently I tried twice to offer you the informative Web site that goes with Ira Wolfman’s “Climbing Your Family Tree: Online and Off-line Genealogy for Kids.”
In both the Sept. 23 and Sept. 30 issues of Family Ties, I had the Web site wrong, though wrong in different ways. Let’s try it one more time: www.workman.com/familytree. It’s a nice site for all ages, whether you have seen the book or not.
At the Bradford Town Office, historical records will be unavailable from Oct. 23 to Nov. 12 while they are out of the area for microfilming. The cooperative preservation project was made possible by a Historical Collections Grant awarded to Bradford Heritage: Museum and Historical Society, by the New Century Community Grant Program and the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Due to renovations at the John B. Curtis Free Public Library in Bradford, the archives of the Bradford Heritage Historical Society will not be available until Oct. 26.
The Washington County Genealogical Society will meet at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Charlotte Town Hall. Bring an item for “show and tell,” whether a recent research project, an interesting historical fact, or a family item.
Share research problems or new findings, and suggest programs and activities for the coming year. Membership is $10 a year, including a quarterly newsletter, Weirs and Woods. For info, contact Frances Raye, president, at 853-6630, or Valdine Atwood, 255-4432.
The Hancock County Genealogical Society will meet at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 19 in the Riverview Room of the Ellsworth Public Library. Paul Richardson will speak on “Granite Bridges on Mount Desert Island.
Do you or a family member have Italian ancestry? The Italian Heritage Club is looking for people to attend activities such as its monthly meeting and dinner, scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21, at the Parks and Recreation Department, Main Street, Bangor. For information, call 394-4903 or www.italianheritageclub.org.
I sent for my “Vote in Honor of a Veteran” button last year to honor the World War II service of my dad, Gayland A. Moore Jr. Maybe your veteran of choice served in the Revolution, the Civil War, World War I, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Afghanistan or any number of military efforts, during wartime or peace.
Send for your button free, listing the name of the veteran, by Oct. 18 so that you will receive it by Election Day. The address is Office of the Secretary of State, 148 State House Station, Augusta ME 04333.
Or, call 626-8406, or order at www.state.me.us/sos. If you mail or e-mail your request, include the branch of the military and wars served for the office’s records.
3201. LANGLEY-BUBAR. Seeking information on James Langley, married to Lydia Bubar, June 16, 1828, in Sunbury, New Brunswick. I have her parents and grandparents, but need them for James. He was living in Eaton Grant, now Caribou, during 1850 census. One census list him as born in Nova Scotia, another in New Brunswick. Thanks for any help. Ruth Walker, 7 Henry St., Pittsfield, ME 04967; or e-mail walker05@panax.com.
Send genealogy queries to Family Ties, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402; or send e-mail to familyti@bangordailynews.net.
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