Our January meeting includes the annual business meeting, election of officers, raffle drawing for several great prizes, and a special presentation by Richard Boston.
The “Thread of Life” is a true story about a typical mid-west family that helped fight to save the Union and about 318 other Union Civil War Soldiers. My Great Great Grandfather, James Boston, enlisted in the Union Army and was severely wounded during the Battle of Big Hatchie, October 5th 1862. My Great Great Grandmother Caroline Boston left four small children with relatives in Illinois, went to St Louis and became a Civil War Army Nurse. After the war, they homesteaded in Nebraska and later moved to Kansas.
Caroline was an avid quilter and she left behind a magnificent Spools Pattern, Civil War Signature Quilt, with 320 names embroidered in the quilt. One of the quilt pattern squares is shown above. This evolving story describes how this quilt has connected generations. The research is ongoing and some of the presentation will discuss some of the challenges deciphering names and military units that were hand stitched using cursive script.
Richard Boston is an Anthropologist and Archaeologist. Richard graduated from Northern Arizona University with a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Anthropology. He has over 35 years of experience and owns his own consulting firm, Boston Archaeological Consulting LLC in Berthoud, CO.
Richard was a Project Manager in the private sector for the Forest Service’s first Archaeological Fee Demonstration sites and on National Park Service National Environmental Policy Act & National Historic Preservation Act transportation compliance projects. He has worked with volunteers, community groups, tribal elders, lineal descendants, and with a predominately Hawaiian Advisory Group at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park. Richard has training and education in Cultural Anthropology and Archaeology.
If members can’t attend this program, our society records the program for viewing during the following three weeks. This is a great benefit for our members who can’t attend, are located elsewhere or want to see the program again. Members receive an email with the instructions to access the video.
Please bring a relative or friend interested in genealogy or family history. Open to the public, but consider joining our society to learn more about researching your ancestors!