Western Plains Weatherford Genealogy Society will have its annual workshop from 10:00 A. M. through 4:00 P. M. on Saturday, January 25 in the Wilkerson Room of the Weatherford City Hall, 522 West Rainey. The topic this year will be on “Cemeteries.” Two experts will make presentations during the workshop.
Dr. Shelley Martin-Young will make a power point presentation on “Oklahoma: The Stories Beneath Our Feet” at 10:00 a. m. She is a Teaching Assistant Professor in Elementary Education at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. This will be followed by a presentation at 11:15 by Debbie Holland, a Cordell, Oklahoma, genealogist, on “Cleaning and Restoring Tombstones for Future Generations.” Lunch will be provided around 12:30.
After lunch, Dr. Martin- Young will present a workshop on “Where History Rests: Cemeteries as Sources of Knowledge.” Other topics will include information on how to “read” a cemetery, the cemetery as a public space, and the future of burials. The workshop will conclude with a panel discussion on the topics raised by the presentations.
The meeting is open to the public. Registration fees are $10.00 for members and $20.00 for non-members. Non-member registration will include a membership for the remainder of the year. Lunch will be provided as part of registration. One can pre-register by calling 580-772-3615 or simply register between 9:30 and 10:00 A. M. on the 25th.
After thirty years of teaching at the elementary level, Dr. Martin-Young returned to OSU to earn a Ph. D. She specializes in hidden history, censorship, children’s and young-adult literature, teachers, and current legislation. She is working on a book with the same title as her presentation and recently presented a workshop in Florida.
Ms. Holland has been an avid genealogist for 50 years. A local businesswoman in Cordell, her love for genealogy started in the 8th grade and then connected with her paternal grandmother. She has taken many college courses, done many hours of research, and traveled across the United States and Europe to trace her “roots.” For years she found cemeteries of her ancestors, and seeing the neglectful upkeep of many tombstones, she started researching and attending classes on how to clean and improve the tombstones in respect of her loved ones.
WPWGS President Ed Rolison said, “I have heard Dr. Martin-Young speak in the past, and I can vouch that she is both entertaining and informative. Ms. Holland comes highly recommended, and I am thrilled that our organization has been able to bring both of these experts to our community. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.”