Cheryl Jean Clark was born June 16, 1947 and passed away February 29, 2004 and we will miss that bright smile and cheery personality.  The House of Gordon mourns.

On Tuesday, April 6th, Staff Sergeant Allan K. Walker went to Glory as he wanted while defending freedom in the Al Anbar province in Iraq. 

A message from Iraq
At night, incoming mortar rounds often land outside the factory, shaking the warehouse and shattering glass.  But in the early morning, softer sounds have awakened the troops napping on the floor between sleepless stints on the front lines.

First Sergeant Dwayne Farr, from Detroit, hefts his bagpipes over his flak jacket and wanders through the compound tooting Amazing Grace and Scottish airs while rooftop snipers close their eyes to listen.  An Army officer sitting in a broken chair outside the warehouse strums flamenco melodies on his guitar.
“It is nice to hear something besides the rockets’ red glare and the bombs bursting in the air,” said Staff Sargeant Roland Salinas, nodding appreciatively to Farr’s piping Thursday.  “Out here, we all need something to soothe the mind.”

Thanks to several folks who sent us an article from  The Washington Post, April 16, 2004.  We’ve just used a few words from the complete article...

Coming in 2005, Genealogy by the Bay in Ruskin, Florida
Make your plans now to enjoy a seminar hosted by the South Bay Genealogical Society on Tuesday, February 15, 2005.  The event will be held at The Mariner’s Club at The Bahia Beach Resort in Ruskin, Florida.  Registration begins at 8:45 AM, with the program scheduled for 9:20 AM to 4:00 PM.  The event will be $25.00 per person, which includes a sit-down luncheon. The program will include the following topics:
Has Your Ship Landed Yet?, a talk about researching U.S. Immigration records, and Bring ‘Em Back to Life, about developing an ancestor profile, by George G. Morgan.  My Family Were Methodists, or Where They?, which concerns researching religious records, and   Calico and Cornbread, about finding your female ancestor, by Ann Mohr Osisek.
For further information or reservations, call 813-642-8155 or email <sbgs@earthlink.net>.

Place these online resources in your file
Manifest Markings  <www.jewishgen.org/infofiles/manifests/>
Manifest Markings - A Guide to Interpreting Passenger List Annotations is a very helpful website for those genealogists that have ancestors arriving after 1892.  Marian L. Smith, historian, U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service provides this information.  These lists tend to have many markings and annotations along with the common information.  This site has a comprehensive list of the markings and their meanings.
The USF Africana Heritage Project  <www.africanaheritage.com/>
The USF Africana Heritage Project is a joint project of the Africana Studies and Anthropology departments of the University of South Florida.  Their mission is to rediscover precious records documenting slaves, freed persons and their descendants, and make those records available on our free, public access Internet site.
People researching their own ancestry have actually discovered the majority of the records that mention slaves.  This site would like to publish shared information and be a central home on the Internet for any and all records that document slaves and/or their families.
This information is from Florida Lines, March 2004, Florida State Genealogical Society, Inc., PO Box 10249, Tallahassee, FL 32302-2249.

Looking for a picture of Grandmother?
An unusual place that many of us probably have never considered.  High school and college yearbooks!  Some people are thoughtfully donating old family copies to libraries and archives (you can do this, too!) and some schools keep old copies in their libraries.  And, if you do visit an old school or college in search of a yearbook, you might also want to check their old records.  No telling what treasure trove of information you may accidently discover.
Source:  Kishwaukee Genealogists, May/June 2004, PO Box  5503, Rockford, IL 61125-0503.

Scottish Radio can be heard through your PC
Internet users will find BBC Radio Scotland Online at <www.bbc.co.uk/radioscotland>.  Near the top of the page there’s a blue dot to click for the Listen Now function - hear programs as they happen!
A free weekly electronic newsletter lists the programs that were recorded for later listening.  To subscribe, click newsletter in the middle of the right side of the opening screen.
Radio Scotland programs are available on demand for seven days following transmission via <www.bbc.co.uk.scotland/radioscotland/listen_again> or link to the program you want right from the electronic newsletter.
BBC Radio Scotland Online has programs in the categories of comedy, sports, music, festivals, gardening, adventure, art, wildlife, health, and community matters.  Click around on the site and you’ll find Scottish weather, Scottish travel, etc.  Let Clan Ross News know if you find something you really enjoy.
The BBC history site for Scotland, <www.bbc.co.uk/history/scottishhistory/index>, is not perfect (even the typing contains some goofs), but it’s fun.  I like to read about ancient Scotland; the first ancient site offered is Skara Brae.  There are a couple of interesting opinions of evidence that the side of the bed you slept on was determined by gender, as areas of the house might also be.  But the author didn’t really provide an overview of what Skara Brae is, how it looks, when it was found - those basics.
I wrote to the people who monitor Contact Us to ask what evidence there is that the base of a wooden pole found at the Stones of Stenness was a totem pole.  It will be interesting to see how that question is answered.  Weeks have passed since I submitted the question though.
BBC History offers a free electronic newsletter, but it’s for all British history, not just Scotland’s.  Subscribe at <www.bbc.co.uk/history/index>.
Back to Scottish radio stations available through the Internet, <www.radio-locator.com> has an International selection.  You’ll find Scottish stations mixed in with the UK grouping.  Included are:
*   <www.3cdigital.com> is from Glasgow (country)
*   <www.beat106.com>  106.1 FM (dance)
*   <clyde1.com>  102.5 FM and <clyde2.com>  1152 AM are from Glasgow
*   Forth 1  97.3 FM and Forth 2 at 1548 AM are from Edinburgh; enter either at <www.forthfm.co.uk>
*   Highlander Radio is from <www.celticradio.net> (accessible only through the Internet) and it plays Celtic music 24 hours a day
*   Moray Firth Radio is broadcast from Inverness at <www.mfr.co.uk>.  A local Scottish music program on Thursday nights, 7 PM to 10 PM time, is hosted by Andy Ross
*<www.northsound1.co.uk>  96.9 FM and 96.1 FM, and <www.northsound2.co.uk>  1035 AM are from Aberdeen
*<radio-oldie.tripod.com> (Internet only) is from St. Andrews
*  <www.radiosix.com> (Internet only) is easy listening from Glasgow
*<www.realradiofm.com/scotland>  100.3/101.1 FM is from Glasgow
*   <www.tayam.co.uk>  1161/1584 AM and <www.tayfm.co.uk>  96.4/102.8 FM are from Dundee
*<www.tweedstream.co.uk> is from the Scottish Borders
*   <www.westfm.co.uk>  96.7/97.5 FM is from Ayr
(hint) Some of these stations use the same contest questions that U.S. stations do - hear the answer hours ahead!
Source:  Clan Ross News, Clan Ross Foundation, Dorothy Gerych, Newsletter Editor, 21278 Flanders, Farmington Hills, MI 48335

Bob Ross elected vice-president of the Coastal Scottish Heritage Society
Bob Ross, Southeast Region Commissioner for the Clan Ross Association, US, was recently elected as the vice president of the Coastal Scottish Heritage Society.  Based in Savannah, Georgia, the Coastal Scottish Heritage Society provides the center of Scottish activities in the coastal region of Georgia and South Carolina.  Prior to election as the vice president of the Society, Bob served as a member of the Board of Directors of  the organization.  In addition to being a member of the Clan Ross Association, US, Bob is a member of Clan Ross Canada and Clan Ross Australia.  Bob is also a member of the Scottish American Military Society, and an active member of Scottish Heritage USA.
Thanks to The Clan Ross News, Clan Ross Foundation, Dorothy Gerych, Newsletter Editor, 21278 Flanders, Farmington Hills, MI 48335.

Clan MacNab history is in revised edition
James Charles Macnab of  Macnab has recently completed work on a revised clan history book entitled An Outline of the History of Clan MacNab and Its Lands.
This book gives a concise history of Clan MacNab, which is one of the oldest clans in Scotland and is one of the seven Royal clans of the Clan Alpin Confederation, descending  from the younger son of Kenneth McAlpin, the first King of the Scots, who united the Scots and the Picts in 843 AD.
The Macnab, who lives near St. Andrews in Fife, put a lot of time and work into this new work and it is beautifully adorned with a high gloss tartan cover and many color and black and white illustrations. 
If you would like to get a copy of this book (being sold for $15) or find out more about Clan MacNab, write to the Clan MacNab Society of North America, 2835 Frisco Peaks Drive, Prescott, Arizona 86301, or call David McNabb at 928-771-1218, or visit website <www.clanmacnab.com>.

John K. “Jack” McMasters died Saturday, May 1, 2004, of heart failure, following complications from a head injury he suffered in a fall at his home last week. He was 69. 
He had been a volunteer in the gastroenterology laboratory at Forbes Regional Hospital in Monroeville, Pennsylvania.  He began volunteering at the hospital after retiring from Bell Telephone nine years ago.
 After a year at the University of Pittsburgh, Mr. McMasters joined the Air Force in 1953 during the Korean War and was stationed at bases in Texas, Colorado and Ohio. 
An airman 2nd class, he was a crew chief on F-86 Sabre jets.  
He spent several years with the Air Force Reserves after his discharge in 1957.  He served another five years in the Naval Reserves as a Seabee during the Vietnam War.  Of Scottish, Irish and Swedish descent, Mr. McMasters was active for 15 years in the Scottish Clan Society, serving as a regent for Western Pennsylvania. 
The McMasters family is a member of Clan Buchanan.  He also served on the election board in Pitcairn the past four years and for six years on the Gateway School Board in the early 1970s.
 Along with his son, Mr. McMasters is survived by his wife, Elaine; daughters Linda McMasters Rothey of Elizabeth, PA, and Sharon McMasters of Pitcairn; sister Claire Jackson of Monroeville; and six grandchildren.

Join The Jewish Historical Society of Southern Arizona
Our nonprofit organization is pleased to be able to maintain its low membership fees, which have been in force for over a decade!  One benefit of membership is a subscription to the publication Chronicle.  It gives members advance notice of our public programs (4-5 each year), so you can plan your weekends before they become overcrowded.  In addition, it carries historical features and regional news. 
Also keep in mind that membership in our society makes an enriching and ongoing gift on Jewish holidays and family occasions.
Individual membership is $15, Family $25, Sustaining Member $50, Patron $100, Sponsor $500, and Benefactor $1,000.
For more information, contact The Jewish Historical Society of Southern Arizona, PO Box 57482, Tucson, AZ 85732-7482 or phone the editor of the Chronicle at 520-577-9445.

Here are the best Scandinavian websites for genealogy
Denmark: <www.ddd.dda.dk>   Danish search engine: <www.eniro.dk>
Finland: <www.genealogia.fi>   (note “a” at the end)
Norway: <www.digitalarkivet.no>   Norwegian search engine: <www.kvasir.no>
Sweden: <www.genealogi.se>   Swedish search engine: <www.eniro.se>
Do your ancestors come from Norway?  There are 32 Norwegian-American societies called bygdelags in America.  Each of them covers a particular region of Norway and has annual meetings where its members can gather, get acquainted with new-found cousins, celebrate their heritage, and work together on genealogy research.  Some of these bygdelags are affiliated with others from the same region to form a larger group called a stevne.  The national council for all thirty-two affiliated bygdelags is Bygdelagenes Fellesraad.  Many of the bygdelag websites have excellent resources for their localities.  Be sure to check the Scandi-Roots newsletter at the Linn Genealogical Society Library for further information.
Source:  The Heritage Newsletter, Linn Genealogical Society, PO Box 1222, Albany, OR 97321-0537.

Many Scots are proud of their heritage.  Few, however, are doing as much as The St. Andrew’s Foundation of Albany, New York to support the rich traditions and people of Scotland.
The foundation, a nonprofit organization that received 501c3 status late in 2003, has the backing of some of New York’s, North America’s and Scotland’s most influential figures.
“The contributions of Scotland’s sons and daughters are often overlooked,” said Michael Kelley, president of the St. Andrew’s Foundation.  “We’ve formed The St. Andrew’s Foundation to celebrate and preserve those contributions, as well as create an environment in which today’s and tomorrow’s artists, researchers, writers, musicians and entertainers can shape their skills and go on to realize their true potential.  What The St. Andrew’s Foundation is doing is needed, and that’s a sentiment that rings true with everyone we meet.”
Their objective is enormous, their vision unique and their plans ambitious.  Here’s an overview of the St. Andrew’s Foundation’s plans:
The National Scottish Cultural Museum, located in the Town of New Scotland like the Foundation’s other facilities, will feature an electic display of historic and contemporary artifacts, exhibits, educational programs and events.
The National School of Piping and Dance has the sole purpose to provide pipers, dancers and musicians of all levels with the finest instructors, tools and programs available and is directed by some of the United States’ most accomplished and recognized talent.
The Highland Games Fields at New Scotland will be a permanent, purpose-built home for the Northeast’s preeminent Scottish Games.  The facilities 200 acres of terrain are situated on a rolling plateau and will have buildings, fields, entertainment and exhibition space designed specifically to provide the finest, most functional backdrop for one of the country’s most notable games.
According to Jay Nish, cofounder of  The St. Andrew’s Foundation: “Our objectives are clear - we’re doing something that has never been done.  It’s now time to recruit our supporters, to tell them why our vision is so important, and to get them to join our effort.”
To find out more about The St. Andrew’s Foundation and how you can take part in their vision, call 518-533-1075, visit their website at <www.standrewsfoundation.org> or email Jay Nish at <jay@standrewsfoundation.org>.

BLM offers online land records
Bob Larson
The Bureau of Land Management website offers land patent records for homesteaders and military veterans for all states except the original 13 colonies.  The site includes information on who, what, where, when and why on the grantee with even the original document signed by the president in Adobe’s pdf or other popular formats.  Ken Goldsberry related to me that he copied his relative’s document copy onto parchment paper for a more authentic look and framed it.
The BLM website is <www.glorecords.blm.gov/>.  If you feel your relative acquired a United States grant, go to this website, type in your surname or full name and select which state to get the information.  It will tell you which Quadrant, Section, Township, or Range and the acreage received.  Not bad for a government sponsored site.
May Update:  A Federal judge shut down the BLM land patent and other related government websites in early March, but BLM is back online.

Veterans buried in national cemeteries now online
(Thanks to Clay Hooper who posted this information to <TNPOLK-D Digest VO4 #3)
The VA has made available 3.2 million records.  VA has made it easier and faster for the public to get answers about family history, old war buddies or famous war heroes.  The agency put on the Web 3.2 million records for veterans buried at 120 national cemeteries since the Civil War.  The web site is <www.cem.va.gov>.
The VA’s Nationwide Gravesite Locator also has records for some state veterans’ cemeteries and burials in Arlington National Cemetery since 1999.  These records were previously available only on paper and microfilm.
>From the Polk County Historical & Genealogical Society QUARTERLY & Newsletter,  PO Box 636, Benton, TN 37307.

Royce McNeill is ill...
Royce McNeill has been recently in the hospital in Charlotte, NC with an as yet “unknown” liver ailment.  He is now at home recuperating and would love to hear from you.  Write Royce McNeill, 1824 Stoneyridge Drive, Charlotte, NC 28214.

Wonderful wood-carver wants some of his work at Odom Library in Moultrie!
Art McKellips has recently made the decision to have some of his beautiful works of art come “home” to The Odom Library in Moultrie, Georgia.  Those of you who have attended Scottish Weekends might remember the year that Art sent a fabulous sampling of his art for us to enjoy.  The work of Art McKellips has been featured many times in these pages as well.
We’re showing just a few “tastes” of the talent of Art McKellips here. 
Melody Jenkins, library director in Moultrie says that special shelving will be built in the expanded Odom Library to house Art’s work.
We’ll have more news of Art and his kind gift to The Odom Library.
Thank you, dear Art!

At the Celebration of Celts event in Chatham, New York recently, the Clan MacDuff won the Best and Most Creative Clan Tent award sponsored by Alastair McIntyre and <electricscotland.com>.
The MacDuff tent featured many colorful Scottish tea towels along with tartan and thistles and even peacock feathers.  Jane K. Robitaille of Springfield, Massachusetts is shown at the colorful and unique tent!
Second Place at Chatham went to Clan Morrison with Chris and Mike Morrison manning the attractive tent.
The Caledonian Club of New York, Gerald Dixon working the tent at this event, won the third place prize!
Look for the <electricscotland.com> Best & Most Creative Clan Tent Award at many Scottish events the rest of 2004.