The 40th meeting of the Descendants of the French Creek Pioneers was just held back home in West Virginia. I wish very much I could have been there and hope to make it in 2015. Next year will be the centennial year, which sounds weird until you understand that meeting weren’t held in war years while some meetings were called homecomings plus other oddities that add up to make the 41st meeting the centennial. I kind of like that.
I have copies of the reports from the 12th and 20th year meetings. They are TREASURES. I shared an excerpt from one of the booklets–an outstanding dog story that you can find here. But there’s also information about some of my ancestors. These are the people who inspire my stories, so I’m delighted to have information like this at my fingertips.
Here’s a bit about my great-great grandfather:
“David Phillips was also a son of Horace and Susan Cutright Phillips. He married Serena Howes and their children were Helen, Marcellus, Elem, Daniel, Amy, Alonzo, and Jane (my great-grandmother). He was a farmer, a very friendly and hospitable man, and honest and upright in all his dealings. Mr. Phillips was born March 25, 1847, on Laurel Fork and died February 5, 1921. David Phillips served in the Tenth West Virginia Regiment of Infantry, Company B.”
A treasure trove, I tell you! Come back next week and I’ll share some stories about Marcellus–generally known as Celly. To call him a character doesn’t do him justice.