Some exciting news

Some years ago I was contacted by a lady who lived in Washington, DC, Betty South. From what I could gather about her, she had spent many years researching the Souths descended from Thomas South of New Jersey. I mentioned her before as someone who had cast doubt on the idea that George South and Ann Sanford were Thomas' parents and as someone whose research skills seemed impeccable. She was also quite interested in my great uncle Charles Lacy South, and I sent her some of the same materials I later distributed around to our family members about his speeches in Congress and things written about him in his district newspapers compiled by his staff. Sylvia South Johnson was of course a partner in all that research and was the holder of the scrapbooks with the newspaper compilations. Sylvia donated those scrapbooks and some other items about Lacy to the University of Texas so that future generations can research what it was like to be a Congressman back in the New Deal era. 

Betty moved to Utah and changed her email address. I moved and my phone number changed. We lost touch in the way that people sometimes do, getting busy with other endeavors and, without meaning to lose touch, do. I worked on some booklets about my side of the family and David's side as well. Betty, however, had a more wonderful project taking up her time. I sent a letter last week to an address I found online that just might be hers. It was almost the equivalent of a message in a bottle, and definitely my only chance of reconnecting. Sure enough, it was not her correct address, but fresh enough that the letter was forwarded. Just as I began to give up, I received a letter today from Betty. She explained that the project she had been working on was putting together all the years of research on the South family. I quote:

"...I have prepared six volumes to provide the information that I gathered on the Souths. They are: Volume One, Mayflower Connection & Early Settlement; Volumes Two and Three, Thomas South, Sr., Family Genealogy; Volume Four, U.S. Representative Charles Lacy South (D-Tex.); Volume Five, Special Genealogical Research; and Volume Six, Genealogy Travel Photographs. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did in gathering the material."

Quite a wonderful distraction! She is currently not sure exactly how she will distribute the work. I personally can't wait until her work is available to share! I will certainly keep you posted through this blog when I hear something.