On the way to Moorhead MN and the American Quilt Genealogy Conference at Minnesota State University, Kathryn Bassett and I drove through some of the most beautiful areas in the United States:\u00a0 Dillon, the Jefferson River Valley to Twin Bridges (where Patrick Duffy’s parents lived and died), through Bozeman and Billings MT, past Three Forks and the headwaters of the Missouri River–where my friend Nan was married, and where the American Fur Company had a large fur cache…<\/p>\n
…to Home on the Range, North Dakota.\u00a0 A lovely spot in the road with their name worked in rocks on the hillsides.<\/p>\n
And we actually saw the deer and the antelope play!<\/p>\n
We passed a small, new building on the side of the road with the title across the top:\u00a0 Montana Conference.\u00a0 For several miles we discussed and speculated what the building was–Was it Baptist?\u00a0 Or Methodist? Or Lutheran? What churches have administrative meetings called “conferences?”<\/p>\n
Since I am going to speak on American Church Records\u00a0 in Moorhead, I said, “I have notes that would include the answers.\u00a0 I just don’t have these notes committed to memory. I have to look at the notes.”\u00a0 She thought I should remember what I had prepared.<\/p>\n
Actually, she is right.\u00a0 An administrative conference is a Protestant church function.<\/p>\n
So here are the questions of the day:\u00a0 What is the Montana Conference?\u00a0 What Protestant churches have conferences?<\/p>\n
What I do recall about my presentation is this:\u00a0 The records churches keep on their members is determined by their theology.\u00a0 And I will demonstrate in my session what I mean.\u00a0 I also have two special handouts, not included in the syllabus, for those attending.\u00a0 Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists, Baptists, Roman Catholics, Mennonites, Reformed–we’ll look at what they believe and what records they keep.<\/p>\n
For example, Did you know that the Baptists keep the best obituaries and death records on their members?\u00a0 Your favorite genealogist from North Dakota where the deer and the antelope play at Home on the Range!\u00a0 Arlene Eakle http:\/\/arleneeakle.com<\/p>\n
PS\u00a0 Stay tuned–Bad Route Road<\/strong> and Important Intersection Ahead<\/strong> are still to come.<\/p>\n PPS\u00a0 Want to follow us?\u00a0 Click on this link (it is on Kathryn’s website) to follow the Tiny Track\u00a0 http:\/\/www.bassett.net\/trips\/2008fall.html<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On the way to Moorhead MN and the American Quilt Genealogy Conference at Minnesota State University, Kathryn Bassett and I drove through some of the most beautiful areas in the United States:\u00a0 Dillon, the Jefferson River Valley to Twin Bridges … Continue reading