Most of us know how valuable the Mormon Church’s genealogical records are. FamilySearch is the portal into billions of searchable records collected by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). However, you may have run into icons indicating that access for particular records is blocked from the computer connection you are using. The average user only has access to a small percentage of the total LDS online sources.
Olde Meck is thrilled to announce that we have just received LDS Affiliate Library Status at our Sutcliffe-Ferguson Family Research Center (FRC). This means that users in our facility have access to genealogical collections that are otherwise accessible only through a FamilySearch center or other affiliate location.
All you have to do is come in to the FRC and either use one of our machines or sign in to our network on your own laptop. If you’re unfamiliar with Family Search, we can help you get started.
Thousands of FamilySearch affiliate libraries are helping extend FamilySearch’s services to millions of patrons worldwide. If you are not local to Charlotte, you may find the locations of all Affiliate Libraries in the country in a directory at https://locations.familysearch.org/en/search.
The FRC is open on Tuesdays from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm or by appointment. Contact us at info@oldemeck.org or 704-568-1774, Ext.109 to set up time for YOUR enhanced research session!
We are pleased with the success of our Used Book Sale as more people become aware of the great opportunity to find valuable genealogy-related books at rock bottom prices! We also continue to add more volumes to our offerings thanks to generous donations from individuals who have books they are no longer using. Click on the link above to discover nearly 200 books from a variety of categories.
If you would like to purchase any books, you may: come by the FRC; mail us at PO Box 32453, Charlotte, NC, 28232-2453; phone 704-568-1774, Ext.109; or email info@oldemeck.org.
Please list item numbers and titles in all requests. We can ship within the United States. Shipping charges will apply, but these are still wonderful deals!
This is First Come, First Served ... so contact us soon!
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Steele Creek History is Back in Print!
Those of you who were disappointed to have missed your own copy of Linda Blackwelder's outstanding history of the Steele Creek community will be excited to learn the book is being reprinted!
Steele Creek, an Early History of the Steele Creek Community, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina will be available for purchase beginning on December 9
A prolific and meticulous researcher, Linda compiled this volume after years of doing research for hire in the Steele Creek community of Mecklenburg County. It covers the people and places of this region from the days of the earliest settlers and contains extensive photos and images throughout.
Purchase Linda's book beginning December 9 at the following site:
And don't forget, if you're researching the Steele Creek area, Linda has entrusted Olde Meck with her research files. Volunteers have organized this impressive collection of genealogical materials by topic and family. We are grateful that Linda has shared her work, so that even more people can benefit from her efforts.
Click here for a list of the folder headings from her files. If you find something you'd like to explore further, either come by the Family Research Center or contact us at info@oldemeck.org.
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2024 Olde Meck Awards
At the 2024 Holiday Meeting on December 11th, President Jeff Houser announced three special Olde Meck awards for 2024.
1. GREENLEE LILLY AWARD
The Greenlee Lilly Award for exceptional service to Olde Meck throughout the year was presented to incoming President, Katie Grafer. Jeff cited her work as Program Chair, her incorporation of PayPal capability onto our website, the membership module update, participation in the Historic Affiliate Council, and much more.
2. ORDER of 1775
The Order of 1775, honoring someone who has given outstanding support to Olde Meck and the general practice of genealogy for an extended period, was presented to Jane Johnson. Many know Jane from her years as a key member of the staff at the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Library, where she assisted researchers and served as the manager for the last few years. Jane is also very active in the Mecklenburg Historical Association and teaches genealogy courses in the community. She is a key member of Olde Meck, handling the mailing of all orders and providing valuable assistance in the Family Research Center.
3. SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD
Lois Stickell was presented with a Special Recognition Award for her faithful work as Membership Chair, for taking charge of a new editorial staff for our Quarterly, and for her willingness to take on special assignments.
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2025 Olde Meck Board of Directors
The members present at the November Olde Meck meeting voted to accept the following nominations for the 2025 Board of Directors:
President......................... Katie Grafer
Vice President................. Lynn Bancroft
Program Chair................. Open
Treasurer......................... Debby Arnold
Membership Secretary.... Lois Stickell
Recording Secretary........ Ann Martin
Past President................. Jeff Houser
Director 2024–2025........ Jane Benton
Director 2025–2026........ David McCorkle
Director 2025–2026........ Marilyn Jones
We thank all of these individuals for their willingness to serve the society. They will be installed at the Holiday Meeting on December 11th.
Our special thanks to Jeff Houser who has served as our President for 8 years. We appreciate all of Jeff’s efforts to lead us through many important changes in our society.
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Help Support the Family Research Center
We have added an Olde Meck Wish List on Amazon if you would like to help the FRC in an easy way. Updates will be posted in the newsletter, and your donations are tax deductible. Thank you for supporting Olde Meck!
Sutcliffe-Ferguson
Family Research Center
Dedication
December 2, 2023
George Sutcliffe
Lita Sutcliffe
Herman Ferguson
At the Olde Meck Holiday Party on December 2, President Jeff Houser made an official presentation to dedicate our research room to three former members who contributed greatly to the advancement of our society. The name of our facility is now the Sutcliffe-Ferguson Family Research Center. See more at Sutcliffe-Ferguson FRC Dedication.
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Tracing Your Family Tree
Check out the link below to see what Lynn Bancroft, Olde Meck Vice President, and others have to share about "Tracing Your Family Tree." This is an article written by Cailyn Domecq for the Our State online magazine.
For our August meeting, Olde Meck member and owner of Visual Story Media, Kimberly Melton, joined us to deliver a presentation entitled, “DIY Photo & Media Organization for Genealogists.”
Most of us probably have boxes of old photos and documents and a phone and computer full of too many photographs to count. It’s time to think about organizing all of that media so you can actually look at it and share it with others! It doesn’t have to be a daunting process if you break it into five easy steps:
Set goals and deadlines.
Select the items for your project.
Sort.
Save and scan your printed photos and slides.
Share your hard work with family and friends.
Refer to the DIY for the Genealogists cheat-sheet to help guide the way. Members may also view a recording of the entire program behind our Member Login tab.
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Ferguson Errata
Mecklenburg County, NC, Will Abstracts, 1791-1868, Books A-J
If you purchased a copy of Herman W. Ferguson's Mecklenburg County, NC, Will Abstracts, 1791-1868, Books A-J, from Olde Meck, and it did not have a loose copy of the “Errata” in the front, you may wish to print this Errata page and insert it. Ferguson made these corrections in 2010, but some copies sold after that time may not have had the page of “Errata.”
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Organizing Your Genealogy Research
Does your genealogy area look anything like the picture here?
If so, you may want to view the recording of Olde Meck member Lynn Bancroft's talk Organizing Your Genealogy Research.
This is an updated program from one she gave to Olde Meck in 2019 and was presented at the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS) Black History Month Conference. Lynn discussed useful hints and presented a sampling of different charts which can also improve our efficiency. Based on ideas from many genealogy experts, she described how the following tips may be helpful:
Keep the big picture in mind.
Designate a workspace.
Take charge of paper files.
Establish an organization routine.
Go digital.
Use Additional Charts.
Create a kit for on-site research.
We are sharing the recording here in the hopes it can provide some tips for all of us to better organize our research.
(1) Click Start Button below to begin. Be sure to view in Full Screen (icon at bottom right of video)
Katie Grafer presented our January program about how to use historic newspapers to assist in genealogical research. In her presentation, "Extra! Extra! Getting Clues and Context From Historic Newspapers," Katie shared many tips about how to look beyond the obituaries and wedding announcements to help guide your newspaper research. She explained the other types of useful information that can be found in old publications, including public notices, social columns, and even advertisements. She gave specific examples from her own research that allowed her to ‘connect the dots’ on elusive ancestors.
The following list of websites may help you find historic newspapers:
Deed records can provide a wealth of information to fill out our ancestors' stories but can oftentimes be difficult to access. We are excited to announce an addition to our website which will make the process of finding valuable Mecklenburg land records easier than in the past.
As part of her internship for a course in her Masters of Library Science program at East Carolina University, Ann Martin, now an Olde Meck member, has recently completed a helpful video tutorial to walk users through the process of accessing the Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds website. If you have Mecklenburg ancestors and have ever wanted to view old deeds and land transactions, this video will facilitate your journey.
Ann describes the basics of deeds, what they consist of, and how they can help with family research. She then provides easy to follow navigation through the Register of Deeds website using a specific example.
(1) Click Start Button below to begin. Be sure to view in Full Screen (icon at bottom right of video)
We hope you will find Ann’s video tutorial useful and search for the deeds of your ancestors. Please feel free to give us feedback on this new feature.
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Picture Formatting Suggestions
Below are links to YouTube videos created by Louise Nottingham, leader of the Olde Meck Writers' Group. They are designed to help you format photos and images of documents that you may want to include in a Microsoft Word family file:
Presented by the Genealogical Society of Rowan County, NCGS President David McCorkle will present Using Artificial Intelligence Tools in Genealogy. David will demonstrate some of the ways this new technology can assist genealogists and share some of his favorite GPTs. This ...
Presented by Wake County Genealogical Society, this a free tour of the NC Archives and genealogy library in downtown Raleigh. Each tour lasts 45-60 minutes, concluding by noon. The Archives tour is optional; participants can choose to visit only the library first. ...
HEARTS' 4th anniversary of Junion features Co-Chair of HEARTS Reunion Project and SAR (Sons of the American Revolution) member Andre’ Kearns who’ll share his journey of discovering his Revolutionary War roots through Henry Johnston of Long Creek. For more information, go ...
Presented by the North Carolina Genealogical Society, this recorded webinar with Craig R. Scott will be freely available for viewing to the public from midnight Thursday night through midnight Sunday night (ET), 4-6 Jul 2025. The handout for this ...
Join us to hear local author Joy Callaway speak about her book The Star of Camp Greene: A Novel of WWI. This book is based on a true story which transpired at the Camp Greene base in Mecklenburg County.
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Lois Stickell was presented with a Special Recognition Award for her faithful work as Membership Chair, for taking charge of a new editorial staff for our Quarterly, and for her willingness to take on special assignments.
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Does your genealogy area look anything like the picture here? 