Be Sure to Visit my new 1900 Galveston Storm Website at: http://freepages.genealogy.rootseb.com/~barnette 

LIVING HISTORY MUSEUM OPEN IN LITTLE ROCK

 Operated as an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage Historic Arkansas Museum in Little Rock is now open as a living interpretive history park.

 Museum visitors entering the grounds will meet characters in first-person busily doing their daily chores, living a typical day in 1833. The characters talk among themselves, acknowledge and greet the visitors, and even ask their help in stirring a pot of beans, mixing clay for the bricks they are making, beating a quilt hung out to sun-dry, or scrubbing and wringing the laundry.

 Each person in costume is a well-trained actor playing the role of a documented character associated with the house. The characters know about the Little Rock of their day – the people and gossip, the cultural opportunities, the commerce and recent disasters – as well as vital state and national political news. They have their own life history to talk about and know the particulars about the other folks at their household. Their potential for improvisational conversations is rich.

 Historic Arkansas Museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Guided tours depart on the hour except noon. Admission fees are $2 for adults, $1 for senior citizens and 50 cents for children. Tours are free the first Sunday of each month.

GENEALOGICAL CLASS AT MDPC

 Paula Perkins Parke will teach a Beginning Genealogy Class at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, 11612 Memorial Drive. The three part class will be held on Tuesday and Thursday June 5 and 7 from 1:30 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. The third class session, a week later,  will consist of a tour and hands-on census work at Clayton Library.

 To enroll or to learn more about this class, contact the MDPC Adult Education office at 713-953-255- Extension 194 or 301.

FAMILY TREE MAKER SOFTWARE CLASS

 Paula Perkins Parke will teach an Organizing Your Family Research With Family Tree Maker Software class from 6:30 to 9:30 P.M. Wednesday June 6.  This one-time class will be held at Leisure Learning's 2990 Richmond Avenue campus.

 Through demonstrations, students will learn step by step instructions to organize and document family information and sources. For more information and to register, contact Leisure Learning at 713-529-4414.

CENSUS RECORDS CLASS

 While census records were not created for genealogical purposes they are perhaps the most widely used record for locating genealogical information. In addition, while census records seem easy to use many researchers are surprised to learn how much more information is insinuated and buried between the lines.

 Mic Barnette will conduct a class on the use and interpretation of the United States censuses, 1790-1920. Census Records for Historians and Genealogists will examine each of the various types of census schedules including: the Free; Slave; Agricultural; Manufacturing; Mortality: Industrial; DDD's; Soundex and others.

 The class will be offered at Leisure Learning's 2990 Richmond campus on Wednesday, June 6 from 7 P.M. to 10 P.M. For more information and to register, contact Leisure Learning at 713-529-4414

NEWS FROM THE BOOKSHELF

 Researching one's family roots has become one of the biggest hobbies in the United States. A by-product of looking for one's dead relatives is getting together socially in small family groups or in larger gatherings with living descendants of a common ancestor.

 Even for small family gatherings reunions have become more complex and complicated to organize and be considered successful. Reunions Magazine editor, Edith Wagner, has compiled a helpful book called The Family Reunion Sourcebook. In her book Wagner offers advice from experienced reunion organizers and  professional planners that will inspire new ideas, encourage creativity and make the next reunion one no one will want to miss.

 Some of the topics covered in the book are timetables for planning events, planing and preparing meals, budgeting, fund raising activities, getting in touch and staying in touch with distant family members and ideas about the type and location of reunion facilities.

  The Family Reunion Sourcebook is available for $16.95, plus postage from the NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group, 4255 West Touchy Avenue, Lincolnwood, IL 60646-1975.