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CCGS Community Activites - 2016

While Choctaw County Genealogical Society members are often busy at their computers diligently working to help with research requests and to provide Choctaw County records to the masses, we do like to occasionally get out and join in community events. This includes working on our own projects as well as participating in the community events of other groups to see where we may be of service.

January 2016

Restland Cemetery Workday (Boswell) - 10 Jan 2016

September 2016

Friends of the Fort Meeting (Ft. Towson) - 15 Sep 2016

CSI Lock-In (3rd Annual) - (McAlester, OK) - 24 Sep 2016

Fort Towson Cemetery Association Meeting (Fort Towson) - 27 Sep 2016

Newspaper Clippings - Sep 2016

28 Sep 2016 - CCGS Continues Cemetery Project (Valliant Leader)
30 Sep 2016 - Genealogical Society to continue identifying Choctaw County Veterans (Hugo News)

October 2016

Cemetery Workday (Boswell & Unger Areas) - 9 Oct 2016

CCGS members finished up enumerating & photographing the last three section of Restland cemetery. Since the day was still young, we decided to make a day visiting and looking for some of the nearby cemeteries. We went to Homer's Chapel, Pigeon Roost, Wade, Big Cedar, &, Bill Crowder. And looked for Durant-Jones and Jasper. At Pigeon Roost, Pigeon Roost Minister, Virginia Espinoza, and her husband, Pat were kind enough to point out unmarked graves and told about the history of the church and the Choctaw cultural significance of the graves topped with "houses". Virginia also shared some stories about her mother's childhood. While at Bill Crowder cemetery, Zack Belvin told us about a lone grave he'd found coon hunting. He was nice enough to lead us to it. Turns out this was one of our "reported" cemeteries that was unknown. We are happy to say, Mrs. N. E. Crowder (1873-1900), wife of B. J. Crowder has been found! Thank you to Zack Belvin, Virginia & Pat Espinoza and all the other locals that we kind enough to visit with us throughout the day.

Doaksville Candlelight Tour - 15 Oct 2016

CCGS member, April Makerney, attended the Doaksville Candlelight Tour for the first time. I apologize there is only one photograph, I was so engrossed I forgot to take pictures! CCGS member, Billie Heath, who is also a member of Friends of the Fort, was there working at the ticket booth. If you haven't been before, I highly recommend it.

November 2016

CCGS Monthly Program - Show & Tell - 7 Nov 2016

CCGS Director of Aquisitions, Cindy Burkhalter, led a Show & Tell program featuring several interesting items she was able to procure for the Choctaw County Genealogical Society's Research library located in the Heritage Room of the Choctaw County Public Library. Some of the items include four Hugo High School yearbooks (1956, 1957, 1958 and 1959), tucked inside the 1958 yearbook was a 1958 graduation program, two framed Hugo High School class photos (Class of 1920 & Class of 1921), several postcards, a WWII letter written by Choctaw County Veteran, SGT Orville Fry, dated 3 Aug 1944 from Italy, and a 1909 Choctaw County map! What nice additions to our collection! Thank you, Cindy.

RRVVM Veterans Day Ceremony - 11 Nov 2016

Several members of CCGS attended the Red River Valley Veterans Memorial ceremony in honor of Veterans Day. We were able to view the new Choctaw County Veteran additons that were recently engraved on the Ring of Honor plaques. There were sky divers, the Roxton High School band, the Chisum High School band, the Paris High School Choir, Posting & Retiring of the Colors by the Paris Police Honor Guard, a Quilts of Valor presentation, and keynote speaker, Retired Air Force Colonel, Jimmie Mills.

Maxey Funeral Home & Alberta Funeral Home Visits - 11 Nov 2016

On our way home from the RRVVM Veteran ceremony, we stopped by Maxey Funeral Home in Paris and spoke with owner, Leon Williams, about the Alberta Funeral Home in Hugo. He provided CCGS with information about it's founder, Milton Alberta, as well as Milton's wife, Thressia Alberta, who took over after Milton passed away. Mr. Williams is a nephew of the Albertas and current owner. He have us permission to stop by Alberta when we got home and take some photographs of Milton's portrait and the certificates hanging in the lobby.