CENTRAL – The public is invited to the Reunion of Upcountry Families March 10-12.

The free event will include cemetery tours, workshops devoted to family history and a large display of photos and other items from local families of the Old Pendleton District, which became present-day Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties.

Families whose heritage goes back to the Old Pendleton District are urged to participate in the March 12 reunion display at Southern Wesleyan University by buying a table and displaying family photos, old family Bibles and other historical memorabilia.

To reserve a table, contact Kenny Blakeney at 864-898-0840 or email kblakeney@live.com. There is a $20 cost to reserve a table, payable to the Central Heritage Society, 416 Church St., Central, SC 29630.

Group tables are also available to organizations that will enhance or contribute to genealogical research or information in the Upcountry. Examples of groups include Pickens County Library, Pickens County Genealogical Society, SAR, DAR, UDC, SCV, etc. For details or to reserve a group table, contact Brenda Meyer at bbmeyer76@charter.net.

The event kicks off at 1:30 p.m. March 10 at Captain Kimberly Hampton Memorial Library in Easley with a computer class on genealogy, an open house at 5 p.m. and a 7 p.m. presentation to be announced.

On March 11, there will be a tour of McKinney Chapel and also the Anderson and Nimmons cemeteries, located in the Eastatoe Valley. Also planned is a tour of Old Pickens Church and cemetery and a tour and dinner at Collins Ole Towne in Central. Cost for the meal is $20.

From 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. March 12, Southern Wesleyan University will host historic displays from area families as well as local genealogical and historical associations in The Founders, located on the lower level of the University Dining Commons building. There will also be a tour of the Faith Clayton Genealogical Collection at Rickman Library, also on Southern Wesleyan’s campus. There will also be presentations about “Procuring Land in South Carolina” with Dr. A.B. Pruitt and “Finding your Revolutionary War Ancestors,” presented by genealogist Sue Dillon of Carmel, Ind.

For details, contact the Birchwood Center at (864) 898-0840 or email claytonroom@swu.edu. Also, more information can be found online at www.100yearreunion.com or on the Reunion’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ReunionOfUpcountryFamilies.

The next Reunion of Upcountry Families is scheduled for March 10-12 and will include family history workshops, cemetery tours and more. Families whose heritage goes back to the Old Pendleton District (Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties) are urged to participate in the March 12 reunion display at Southern Wesleyan University by buying a table and displaying family photos, old family Bibles and other historical memorabilia.
http://pickenssentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_swuupcountryreunion.jpgThe next Reunion of Upcountry Families is scheduled for March 10-12 and will include family history workshops, cemetery tours and more. Families whose heritage goes back to the Old Pendleton District (Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties) are urged to participate in the March 12 reunion display at Southern Wesleyan University by buying a table and displaying family photos, old family Bibles and other historical memorabilia. Photo courtesy of Southern Wesleyan University

The Reunion of Upcountry Families is being sponsored by the Birchwood Center for Arts and Folklife, along with Southern Wesleyan University, the Faith Clayton Genealogy Center, the Old Pendleton District Genealogical Society, the Pickens County Historical Society, the Pickens County Museum of Art and History, Anderson Genealogical Society, the Central Heritage Society, the Pendleton District Commission and Pickens County Accommodation Tax Grant.

This story courtesy of Southern Wesleyan University.