Brocks Gap Heritage Day:  Sat., April 25, 2015
10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Fulks Run Elementary School, Fulks Run, VA
Also see http://brocksgapvirginia.blogspot.com/

Join us at Fulks Run Elementary School, Fulks Run, Virginia on April 25.  The event is free and open to the public.  Even if you're not related to Brocks Gap families, if you like old photos, come on out.  We'll make you an honorary cousin for the day.  Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society will be present with local history books for sale.  Turner ham sandwiches and other food will be available for sale.  


Four special programs will be featured this year.  

11:00    Brock's Gap DNA Project: Paternal Lineages (Origins of Your Daddy)
        by Dr. David F. Ritchie, Durham, NC.  

12:00    Philip Baker, Brocks Gap Cabinet Maker
by Kurt Russ, Lexington, VA.

  1:00    The Brocks Gap Rifles
by Stephen Lee Ritchie, Anderson, IN.

  2:00    Paul D. Andes, KIA, World War II
by Joe T. May, Leesburg, VA.

New Books:
Descendants of Valentine and Anna Maria Mangolt/Mangold/Mongold by Guy E. Mongold, Jr.
753 pages, indexed, 150 photos.  Order from Guy E. Mongold Jr., 2925 Summit Circle, Ellicott City, MD  20143-3335.  mongold.gem2@comcast.net.

The Family of Noah Sylvester Ketterman and Mary Mongold by Shirley Cullers Miller.  

Almost new books:
The James Turner III and Margaret Fulk Turner book is now available for $40 from Lois Rhodes, Broadway, VA, at Fulks Run Grocery, Fulks Run, or Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society.  The book is 900 pages, hundreds of photographs.  The appendix has an outline of all the Turner families of Brocks Gap, brief history of the Frankforter family, brief history of the Christian Fulk family, photograph with identification of the 1939 Turner reunion, and hunting stories of Adam M. Turner.  

Ongoing Projects:
I'm now compiling a history of the "Hessian John" Baker family, Dry River area, Fulks Run, VA.  Research by another Baker researcher has proved that Hessian John was married to Maria Dorothea Neice/Nease, and she was the mother of most of his children.  His second wife was Elizabeth ____ but research by a paid professional researcher was not able to prove that her maiden name was Turner.  This information changes some of our Brocks Gap traditions.  If you are connected with the Hessian John Baker family, I'd like to hear from you soon to add your information to the book.

Hessian John's great-grandson Philip F. "Phil" Baker was a furniture maker and house carpenter who made many pie safes for people in the community.  An exhibit on Safes in Virginia will start in May at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, VA, curated by Jeff Evans.  Some of Phil's work will be on display.  You'll want to be sure to see this special exhibit.

In 2015,  Jeff Evans and Kurt Russ will publish a book with even more information about pie safes.  It will be a valuable addition to your personal library.

For more information about Brocks Gap Heritage Day, contact me at  patritchie@verizon.netor 540 662-1475.  

Pat Turner Ritchie

Here are some photos from Brocks Gap Heritage Day in 2013.  Do you see anyone you know?

Only 3 more weeks until Heritage Day!

Here are some pictures from last year's Heritage Day.  Historians Howard & Paul Fawley have come to nearly all 24 Heritage Days, and we look forward to seeing them again on April 12.  

Garland and Ora Hoover visited from Pennsylvania.  They erected the large stone at the Hoover Cemetery a few years ago.

Artist and historian Joan Shaver created a lovely Brocks Gap watercolor which she has available for sale.

More info on the pie safe exhibit and book:
Kurt Russ is co-curator and co-author of the book. Kurt is president at MVPA Mountain Valley Preservation Alliance, Senior Real Estate Associate at Mays Real Estate, Inc. and Principal at Virginia Heritage Resources Group.  
 
I didn't introduce Jeff Evans in my first Heritage Day announcement because he is well-known to many of you.  Jeff Evans is the former president and senior auctioneer of Green Valley Auctions, Inc. (1979-2008) and the head of Green Valley's catalogued auction division (1995-2008). Effective January 1, 2009, after thirty years of ownership, Jeff and wife/business partner Beverley Evans withdrew their catalogued auction division from Green Valley Auctions and launched their new company, Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates, Inc.
 
I had the privilege of touring Fulks Run and vicinity with Kurt and Jeff last spring, and it was a fabulous day.  They photographed 4-5 Phil Baker pie safes and toured Whitmer cemetery where Baker is buried.  They calmly rode with me over some pot-hole-filled, muddy lanes where they could have been in danger of having to push my van out of a ditch. (we drove through with no trouble, though).

I certainly have the May museum exhibit opening day on my calendar, and I hope you do, too.

Brocks Gap Heritage Day will be Sat., April 12, 2014. 

This year we'll start at 10 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. 

Photographs, books to use for research, chat with other researchers.
Several programs will be featured this year. 

• A professional conservator from the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, Fran Ritchie, will discuss how to take care of your family's treasures, like old photos, papers, and artifacts.
• Joe T. May will have details about the service and last days of an area man who died during World War II.

Other programs will be confirmed soon.

Join us at Fulks Run Elementary School, Fulks Run, Virginia on April 12.  The event is free an open to the public.  Even if you're not related to Brocks Gap families, if you like old photos, come on out.  We'll make you an honorary cousin for the day.  Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society will be present with local history books for sale.  Turner ham sandwiches and other food will be available for sale. 

New Books:
The James Turner III and Margaret Fulk Turner book is now available for $40 from Lois Rhodes, Broadway, VA, at Fulks Run Grocery, Fulks Run, or Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society.  The book is 900 pages, hundreds of photographs.  The appendix has an outline of all the Turner families of Brocks Gap, brief history of the Frankforter family, brief history of the Christian Fulk family, photograph with identification of the 1939 Turner reunion, and hunting stories of Adam M. Turner. 

New Projects:
I'm now compiling a history of the "Hessian John" Baker family, Dry River area, Fulks Run, VA.  Research by another Baker researcher has proved that Hessian John was married to Maria Dorothea Neice/Nease, and she was the mother of most of his children.  His second wife was Elizabeth ____ but research by a paid professional researcher was not able to prove that her maiden name was Turner.  This information changes some of our Brocks Gap traditions.  If you are connected with the Hessian John Baker family, I'd like to hear from you soon to add your information to the book.

Hessian John's great-grandson Philip F. "Phil" Baker was a furniture maker and house carpenter who made many pie safes for people in the community.  An exhibit on Safes in Virginia will start in May at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, VA, curated by Jeff Evans.  Some of Phil's work will be on display.  You'll want to be sure to see this special exhibit.

In July 2014, Jeff Evans will publish a book with even more information about pie safes.  It will be a valuable addition to your personal library.

For more information about Brocks Gap Heritage Day, contact me at  patritchie@verizon.net or 540 662-1475. 

Pat Turner Ritchie