Genealogy workshops, family exhibits, an old photo display of 19th century Salzburger and other German families of Effingham County (provided by

Historic Effingham Society), wagon rides for the kids, the Marktplatz (an old-style working market place), the traditional lemonade barrel, craft demonstrations, the GSS Museum, the Old Salzburger House, and Euchees from Oklahoma —all this and more promise a different and exciting GSS Heritage Day celebration at Ebenezer on Sept. 6.  

 

The traditional 11 a.m. meeting and thanksgiving will be in Jerusalem Lutheran Church, and the exhibits will be ongoing from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.  

 

Family history and genealogy will be featured in this year’s festival with a number of exhibits and displays about various families whose immigrant ancestors settled in colonial Ebenezer from 1734-60. Two prominent genealogists will provide workshops — each scheduled twice during the day — at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Kenneth Thomas, Jr., well-known genealogist, popular speaker and writer of the genealogy column in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for over 30 years, will present an introduction to genealogical research using primary sources, especially important when researching ancestors in the colonial period.  Terry Barton, co-founder of WorldFamilies.net (www.worldfamilies.net), and a leading authority on genetic genealogy — a subject that generates much interest in genealogy circles today — will do an introductory program on DNA genealogy.  

 

Confirmation has been received that a delegation of five Euchees from Oklahoma will attend this year’s festival. This Native American tribe had a village at Mt. Pleasant when the Salzburgers arrived in Georgia and settled at Ebenezer in 1734. Until 1750 Ebenezer Creek was the boundary between Euchee land and Salzburger land.  

 

Because of interest in the Euchees, the theme of this year’s Hinely Poster Contest will be “The Euchees and their Relations with the Salzburgers at Ebenezer.”  

 

Some family exhibits and displays will be for Dasher (Dascher, Christian), Exley (Oechslin, Oechsle), Griner (Greiner), Gnann, Rahn, Reiser, Rottenberger, Seckinger, and Wisenbaker (Weissenbacher), as well as others.  

 

“We are closing in on Labor Day,” said GSS President Noble Boykin, and “much work and planning is going into this year’s festival, and it promises to be not only an enjoyable event, but also interesting and educational as well.”