By Dickie Dixon

Belated Birthdays May birthdays:  28^th:  Michel Font 29^th:  Judy Strait Edger, George Freeman, Stefani Willmon

For Posterity’s Eyes June birthdays: 1st: Rhonda Holland 2^nd Pat Price Gandy, Philip Goodwin, Deadra Stringer, Freddie l. Smith 3^rd: Becky A. Stowers, Carol Rosson Barnett, Barbara Corbett, Jared Pigg, Jack Gorden 7^th;  Robert Finley 9^th:  Barbara Ann de Ath 10^th:  Lynn Cavin

The End of My French Trip  About four months after my wife died, I left on May 9^th on a plane for Paris, France.  I would stay there until the 26^th, when I would fly out from Charles DeGaulle Airport outside of Paris.  I had arrived at the hotel near there two days before and had cance-lled the tour I was supposed to take on the 25^th.  I realized I had not sent any postcards home, so I spent some time writing and addressing forty-two so the home folks would not feel neglected.

It had been a whirlwind tour: Paris, Orleans, Varennes-sur-Loire, Saumur, Angiers, Chartres, and Paris again.  I met some really nice people, found out how rusty my French was (I had taught French and Spanish in a high school), ate some great escargots, baguettes, and cheese, and witnessed how beautiful some of the French women really are.  In Orleans, my car was stolen four hours on the street. But on the 26^th on the plane home, I was glad I was going to Texas, at the end of my French trip.

Save the Date! (1) MEETING REMINDER ALL, 1. The VH&GS will hold their monthly meeting on Saturday, June 2, 2018 in the meeting room of the Vernon Parish Library located at 1401 Nolan Trace, Leesville, LA. The guest speaker will be Mr. Jim Jones from Shreveport, LA. Mr. Jones is a Genetic Genealogist. He and his wife have manage several blogs on DNA/genealogy. Mr. Jones has spoken to the Society several times on DNA and it’s many uses in genealogy. 2. Mr. Jones subject matters for the meeting will be:

(a) The Blaine Bettinger Shared cM Project

(b) A short explanation of Visual Phasing

(c) Mapping your chromosomes with DNA Painter

(d) Where is DNA testing going

3. If any of you want to get a “jump start” on the subjects to be discussed, here are some blogs by Roberta Estes that do a good job of telling how to get started:https://dna-explained.com/2018/03/28/dna-painter-chromosome-sudoku-for-genetic-genealogy-addicts/and https://dna-explained.com/2018/04/04/dnapainter-mining-vendor-matches-to-paint-your-chromosomes/

She also has two more blogs coming that will explain how to analyze and use your chromosome map in genealogy research. 4. Blaine Bettinger has recorded a you tube video discussing how to use DNA Painter to paint your chromosomes to identify and attribute particular segments to specific ancestors. The video is only 40 minutes long and includes a mini-lesson on chromosome matching, which would be good to watch before my presentation.

5. Also if you are bringing a refreshment, please let me know.

Thanks,

Cheryl Perkins

Corresponding Secretary

For more information, call the Vernon Parish Library.

Save the Date (2) Dickie Dixon will discuss “The Excavation of Sheffield’s Ferry” when he speaks to the Deep East Texas Archeological Society at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, June 4, 2018 at the Iris and Anne Howard Civic Center on 213 East Court Street in Newton Texas (75966). For more information please call Pam Wright at (409) 379-2109 Klaus Gehr at (337) 329-3829 or Dickie Dixon at (936) 240-8378. The public can email Pam at pamwright46@yahoo.com Klaus at klaus@onlinearmory.com or Dickie at dickie.dixon@hotmail.com

A request from the author: I am working on “Where the Houses Went” for the Camden Sawmill Reunion in Camden, Texas at Pine Grove Baptist Church. If you or your family rented one of the sawmill houses or know someone who did, or you or your family bought one of the sawmill houses or know someone who did, please contact me at (936) 240-8378 or dickie.dixon@hotmail.com I understand some of the houses may have been torn down.

For book reviews/notices please send a complimentary copy to Kissin’ Kuzzins P. O. Box 151001 Lufkin TX 75915-1001

Send your queries to dickie.dixon@hotmail.com by mail to Kissin’ Kuzzins P. O. Box 15-1001 Lufkin TX 75915-1001 or by phone to (936) 240-8378