The Whitewater Valley Genealogical Association met at the Trinity Episcopal Parish House on May 21, 2013.  President Pat Cudworth conducted the meeting.

The nominating committee presented the following names for officers for the coming year:  President Pat Cudworth, Vice President John Johnson, Secretary Pat Summan and Treasurer Sue Frank.  Doug Brown installed the officers.

The minutes of the last meeting were approved.   Sue Frank reported $201.75 in the checking account and the saving remains the same $1,679.42.  DUES ARE DUE JUNE 1.

Jim Wicker and Pat Cudworth reported on the booklets.  “Letters From the Past” would be $1.64 each for 20 or $1.20 each for 50.  This price will change as there are additional pictures to add to this booklet.  “J. E. Huston, Things I Remember” will be $2.07 each for 20 and $1.40 each for 50 booklets.  “1813-1913 History of Connersville, Connersville High School Reflector” will be $1.57 each for 20 and 97cents each for 50 booklets.  Doug Brown made the motion to proceed with the printing of 50 booklets of each one.  Motion seconded by John Johnson and carried.  There is still some work to be done on the Elmhurst book.  Jim hopes to get the rest of it typed this week.  It was suggested these be advertised on our website.  Before doing that we need to get a price for postage.  Also some wondered if they could be sold at the museum or library.  Pat Summan wasn’t sure the library is allowed to sell things.

The pedigree chart book was tabled to June meeting as Pat hasn’t heard back from Karen Creamer as to how many charts she has and if she has enough to do a book or booklet.  Karen will be back in June.

Pat C. had newsletters from Wayne and Wabash Counties.  Pat Summan had information about the FGS  Conference which will be in Fort Wayne this year August 21-24.

No one has had time to copy obits at the library.

Pat C. has reserved a booth at the bicentennial in order to sell the booklets.  One suggestion had been to do it the last day at Reunion Day.  The $25 fee would allow us to set up any day, however, we are shorthanded due to some of our members being involved in bicentennial activities. 

Ron Wood announced that the bicentennial could use a lot more volunteers.  Sandy Brown reported that she took the information to Melissa at the library about the Kentucky Historical Society looking for documents about the Civil War governors from Kentucky.  Melissa didn’t think they had anything but was going to look.

John Johnson reported on some of the items that were in the latest edition of IGS News.  Julie Schlesselman of Brookville is the new southeast director for IGS.  There was vandalism to a cemetery in Decatur County and a Civil War ring was found.

Also he found the following queries on our website.  A descendent of Samuel Riggs is coming to Connersville May 29 & 30 and would like to meet with any Riggs relative plus research at the library and court house.  John said he might be able to help her as he has done some research on Samuel Riggs.  Other queries were for family of William H. Powell that was born 1891 and died after 1940.  His children were Donald, William, Wayne, Francis, and Kenneth.  William Henry Powell was married 1910-1913 to Grace.  Nelson Welch was researching Charles Enoch Wright and wife Helen.  He left Helen in 1932. 

The next meeting will be June 18.  We will meet at City Cemetery at 6:00 p.m.  John will hand out a list of common symbols found on tombstones and the group will see how many they can find.  The regular meeting will follow at 7:00 p.m. at the parish house.

Pat C. and Linda Mahan attended the Rush County Genealogy meeting.  Their speaker was Joan Hostetler from Indianapolis and she talked about the different kinds of photos. 

Some of the things presented were:  First photos were probably around 1839.  Pat C. showed an example of case photography .  In early pictures the picture is reversed.  Tin type pictures were actually iron and not tin.  Post card pictures started 1864 to 1866.  Cabinet cards were bigger pictures.  The first cameras came with film in them.  They were then sent back to company that developed the pictures, they loaded new film in the camera, and sent them back.  When doing an album, keep everything in order.  Unscented dental floss can be used to remove a picture from an album.  No picture should be against the glass; they should be matted.  When trying to determine who is in the picture, look at the ears and shape of the face as they don’t change.  Boys usually parted their hair on the side while girls parted theirs in the middle.

To write on the back of a picture, use pencil only.  Be sure and write date, names, and location on back of photos.  Photos should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place, not along wall.  Colored pictures should be stored in cold storage.  Photos should be handled by the back only and the original should never be displayed.  Black and white photos are much better as colored photos fade.

Refreshments were served by Sue Frank.

Those present were:  Doug and Sandy Brown, Jim Wicker, Linda Mahan, Pam and Ron Wood, Sue Frank, Pat Cudworth, John Johnson and Pat Summan.

Pat Summan, Secretary