New Book Posted

We have just posted an excellent book by Bill Remus about the Sheldons in England including their migration the America.   Although the title refers to Burslem England (Staffordshire), the book contains information about the Sheldons in other areas of Staffordshire as well as Derbyshire.  The geography and history of these areas are also weaved in providing a  vivid picture beyond the typical names, dates and places we so often see in genealogy these days.   Click on the link to see the overview of the book and a link to the book itself:  https://sheldonfamily.org/the-sheldon-story/ 

 

2023 Reunion Planned for August 2-5, in Fort Wayne, IN.

Reunion plans are underway for 2023.  We hope you will join us in Fort Wayne, August 2-6, for our Annual Reunion and Meeting!

For those who attended the Board/Annual Meeting in 2021, some things will feel familiar.  For instance, we have a block of rooms at the Hampton Inn and Suites, just two blocks from the Allen County Public Library.  This is the same location as in 2021. The group rate includes a large buffet breakfast and free garage parking.

Something totally new and never done before Sheldon activity is that we are planning a group outing (ideally in a private suite with A/C, food and beverages) to see the Fort Wayne TinCaps take on the Great Lake Loons at Parkview Field, directly behind our hotel. This is a minor league team and the High-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres.  More information on that to follow.  We hope you’ll join us for a fun night at the ballgame. 

Other plans include tours to the neighboring town of Grabill, and Amish community with shops and horse drawn vehicles, The DeBrand Chocolate factory tour, a stroll through the Botanical Conservatory, a downtown walk to see 11 amazing murals, or how about trying an escape room? 

Of course, we haven’t forgotten that the main reason why we have an annual reunion:

  • First, we look forward to sharing Sheldon discoveries. We have scheduled time to again visit and peruse the Sheldon Files housed in the Allen County Public Library.  We hope you will feel the exhilaration of touching and feeling true Sheldon history.  As is always the case, the second time around is a better set of eyes.
  • The second is to connect with our Sheldon cousins
  • Third is participating in the discussions on how to take this wonderful data and put it out to the world of Sheldons.
  • Fourth is our Annual Meeting when the election results and new leaders will be announced along with a review of the year’s activities.

There will also be time for you to work on your own family genealogy projects as well.  The ACPL has an amazing genealogy department and staff to help you.  The last time I was there I found a photo of my Grandfather in a 1930 yearbook!  The ACPL is a FamilySearch affiliate library, providing access to digitized records from all over the world.  For more information on the genealogy department and how to make the most of your visit, please see https://www.acpl.lib.in.us 

As you can see, there are a lot of activities and discussions planned!

The Hampton Inn & Suites is ready to take your room reservations using the online link below.  Please remember to make your reservation by the cut off date of July 2, 2023, to get the group rate of $149 + tax per night.  

Hampton Inn and Suites, Downtown Fort Wayne

223 West Jefferson Blvd

Fort Wayne, IN  46802

Sheldon Family Association group booking link –

https://group.hamptoninn.com/cj86bd   

 

We look forward to seeing you in Fort Wayne!

 

Respectfully,

Libby Wilson, Reunion Committee

Reunion@SheldonFamily.org

Introducing Our New Social Media Chairperson

To the SFA members and friends,
I want everyone to welcome and congratulate Lauren Sheldon.  She is our newly appointed Social Media Administrator.  She will be taking over the responsibilities from Wende Warren, who has been our acting admin. Lauren will be responsible for our Facebook pages, Twitter account, and lnstagram account.  She will be collaborating with Kevin, our Webmaster, James, our SFAQ editor, and Wende, our Membership Chair.
Lauren is a person with experience using these medias as forms of communication.  She is bustling with ideas and creativity.  SFA looks forward to her contributions!
Sincerely, Michael B Sheldon
President
Sheldon Family Association

Reunion 2023-SAVE THE DATE!

This year’s annual reunion will be held in Fort Wayne, IN on August 2-5 and all members and prospective members are welcome.  Details will be provided as they are finalized.

The Sprit of Volunteering

The Sprit of Volunteering

You may have heard the phrase, “The spirits moved me.” Often this is in reply to a call to action. This is a call to all members with the hope that the spirits will move you and summon you to volunteer for the Sheldon Family Association.

The SFA has been in existence since 1939, with an additional history that goes back even further in time. Its mission is much the same now as it was when it was started. In a few phrases:

  • To learn about and teach all things Sheldon, to anyone who is interested.
  • Documenting and sharing a number of Sheldon trees, and places where Sheldons lived and came from.
  • Gathering and sharing knowledge about how Sheldons impacted their surroundings and fellow man.

It has always been about pursuing the knowledge of who, what, when, where, why and how. It is amazing how much has been accumulated and learned through the years. The effort of previous leaders and the huge participation of volunteers over these 83 years is phenomenal and awe-inspiring. All of this takes selfless people to research, organize, write, and distribute the growing wealth of knowledge and to do so in keeping with the times.

Volunteering is not that onerous, and it is not tedious, either. Yes, it will require that you devote three to four hours
during a week if you are President, or it might be as little as a couple of hours a month if you serve on some of the
committees. The amount of time depends on what it is you seek to do and the level of engagement you wish to make. You have to remember that any amount of contribution moves all of us Sheldons forward. It is rewarding, educational, and very worthwhile. It can even become a passion.

The upcoming year will be one that requires help from new blood. Bottomline: We need some members to step up and be or become the next wave of SFA leaders. The election in July 2023 will be for a new President and a new Secretary. We also need to fill some Director at Large seats. There is a lot to do and a lot to sustain. You can take it in small steps if you wish by first becoming a Director at Large and learning the ropes and responsibilities. Can you heed a call to leadership and help?

Currently, we have a need to fill the Vice President role since the term ended in August 2022. Our VP is still filling in for her role as well as remaining as our leader of the Annual Reunions, but she has new responsibilities to help her immediate family, so we need a VP ASAP. The VP role is obviously active. The VP is a Board Member on the Executive Committee, and the backup should something happen to the President. Being in the loop is critical to this role. My real hope is that this person becomes our Policy and Procedures Manager.

We need to fill a void by having someone take up the mantle of our Social Media accounts and oversight. You do not need to be on the board to fill this role. The SFA has several social media sites. This person is there to keep them current and monitor the activity. This July will be the end of my fourth year as President. While I will remain on the Board and shift my focus to other things SFA, such as the Finance Chair, the Nominations Chair, and a member of the ACPL review team, I am also active in my community and have a growing responsibility as a caretaker, so a step back is required.

Finally, we always need volunteers on our committees for DNA research, Reunions, By Laws, the 501(3) exploration, research, and ACPL data review are at the top of the list. You do not need to be on the board to fill any of these roles. If you want more information or if you want to throw your hat in the ring, please let me know by emailing me at
president@sheldonfamily.org.

Sincerely,

Michael B Sheldon
President