Letters 3/6/2020 – A visitor from the Netherlands

Personal message from cousin Janice about the next gathering of Dutch cousins.

SENT BY:  Janice Cozine, DC Treasurer and Registration Chair                            FOR THE LETTERS EMAIL: Hello Cousins ! Hope everyone is well. 
I just wanted to send out a little info to let you all know what is going on behind the scenes.Just because we’re in between gatherings, we are still hard at work getting things done. 

Tamara Fulkerson is our new DC President and she’s already working hard on the 2021 gathering.If anyone has any ideas or suggestions on what you would like to hear, see or do, please pass them along for consideration. Thank you. 

I’m working on getting out our DC donations, the group decided on last year. They are as follows;

The DC donated $1,000.00 to The Harold R. Benson Research Farm where the 2019 DC Gathering was held. This facility is part of Ky State University in Frankfort, Ky.This research farm is funded by the state and donations only. They were excited about our donation and we’re happy it’s for a good cause, as well.I heard a lot of good comments saying they really like this space and we’re hoping to use it again in 2021. I have put in our request so keep your fingers crossed. 

The Dutch Cousins also donated $1,500.00 to our special place, The Old Mud Meeting House, in Harrodsburg, Ky.The Dutch Cousins have played a big part of Old Mud’s restoration. Since 2005,  when the Dutch Cousins first met,  have donated $140,386.00 (including matching funds from Vince Akers)   WOW!! We can all be proud, putting Old Mud back in service, along with the extra hard work the contractors are doing. Amalie Preston is making sure our money is being used wisely and she has done a wonderful job. Thank you so much Amalie and for all your hard work, as well  !! 

We are also donating $200.00 to the Low Dutch Cemetery,  “Conewago Colony” near Gettysburg, PA. (maybe more in the future)
This money will help maintain and preserve the cemetery grounds.
Thanks goes out to Alan Weaner and Donald Lott. Thank you,  for your help in preserving our ancestors place of rest,  providing a place for research and a place for future generations to visit !  

The Cousins also donated money to help place two Bronze Markers. One placed in Louisville, Kentucky the other placed in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. This was a big task/challenge for this group, headed up by Charlie Westerfield, along with Vince Akers, Steve Henry, Lynn Rogers & Eddie Cozine. What a great job guys !

 If anyone would like to ‘personally’ donate to any of these projects listed above, please look on the website for more info OR just ask, we can get the info to you.(FYI – If you contributed to the Markers directly to ‘The Parklands of Floyds Fork” your donation will be tax deductible but if you donated money to the Dutch Cousins, it will not be.)  

Remember…please keep spreading the word for our next Dutch Cousins Gathering in the Fall of 2021.
We want this to be one of our largest gatherings ever.
Looking forward to seeing “YOU” there !! 

Blessings to all, Janice CozineDC Treasurer &Registration Chair  

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HERE ARE THE PHOTOS FROM THE 2019 Dutch Cousins Gathering in Kentucky!
 SENT BY:  Pam Ellingson I did upload Charlie’s photos to the DC google account. The following link should allow access and people can download the file of 429 photos. Thank you Charlie Westerfield, immediate past president! https://bit.ly/2Pm0DVX ———————————————————————

SENT BY: HENK VAN DONGEN, A COUSIN WHO STILL LIVES IN THE NETHERLANDS! 
My name is Henk van Dongen from the Netherlands. This summer my family and I will be visiting the USA (God willing). On our intended itinerary from Ohio to Tennessee we will pass through Kentucky. We would like to stay there for a few days and get to know some people ( I read about the Low Dutch cousins) there, but what would be the best place to meet and greet some of our fellow countrymen? It would be nice to converse on age old Dutch traditions and possible ties with the old motherland. Or perhaps the ties do not stretch any further than the times of New Amsterdam in the 1600’s.

Perhaps you know the perfect location where my wife and I and three of my children could settle for a day or three before moving on to Tennessee.  (May be you do not feel any ties with the old Dutch fatherland anymore. In that case you can ignore my writing to you.)

I look forward to hearing from you,

Kind regards,

Henk van Dongen FROM CAROLYN herself:  I hope all our Dutch Cousins will have some welcome words for the van DONGENs coming to America from our mother country – the Netherlands——————————————————————

SENT BY:  

SENT BY:  Greg Barnard in re the abandoned Banta/DeMotte/Verbryke graveyard south of Harrodsburg

Have met with the property owner 5 times. He has agreed to mow it with the rest of his yard when cleared. Kentucky Heritage Council would visit site and ground -scan for remains in unmarked places. They would then designate it a Kentucky Pioneer Cemetary since Lawrence is buried there in 1800. The marker would be available for a fee. A fence is suggested but they will not pay for that.
Am still waiting on estimates.
Greg——————————————————————

SENT BY:  Greg Barnard (This letter might give us some ideas on welcoming the van Dongens to America!)

 Thought you would enjoy this note to Kathy. Looking forward to meeting her. Will be asking for your help with the Banta Demott Cem later this year. The 501 c looks complicated to me.Do we have a Lawyer Cousin? My wife says this is expensive and complicated. I do no do well with this type of thing.  Fortunately, the property owner says “I will clean it up”. I did promise anything and hopefully he may not want anything.  Just might need your guidance down the road. Thanks for you help.Greg
 Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:
From: Greg Barnard
Date: February 26, 2020 at 3:33:31 PM EST
Subject:Grave
 Kathy,
Did little “grave digging” for you today. 40 yr. residency here gives me privileges. Mayor my best friend. Jane S Head (V. married name also) is buried in our beautiful Bellview Cemetery in the old section. A lot of stones unreadable due to algae, etc. City Hall cannot tell her internment place. Walked it today. Could not find. If your group wants to visit the cem.  its only 15 minutes south of Harrodsburg. No problem for me to give you a tour.
No help from here with John Verbryke. His burial place is an enigma. Relatives buried in Indiana, Kentucky, New York, etc.
I would probably hire a professional genealogist  to find it. But you are probably a lot younger than me.
Looking forward to meeting you. Bring your warm clothes. It looks a little cooler than Texas.
Are you guys in area the following week?  Would love to show you around the Bourbon Distilleries and Horse Farms but don’t want to interfere.
One last thought. You probably already know this. The National Sons of the Revolution Headquarters is in downtown Louisville on Main Street….right by the Slugger Museum…if anyone likes baseball. As a descendant of a Rev. War Patriot, you might enjoy if. They are so friendly and might even help you with your “wonderful searches” for ancestors. Their library was helpful to me. They might have a V category.
Greg  ——————————————————————