A Message from USMFA President, Steve McGraw

Greetings, United States McCraw Family Association members and friends!  I am gratified to report that - thanks to hostess Phyllis Pittman - approximately 40 of us enjoyed a very fun and successful biennial reunion in beautiful Fairhope, Alabama this past weekend.

The Holiday Inn Express, program presenters, various local restaurants, shops and attractions, banquet caterer and Irish music trio Gan Ainm were all top notch, and our group interactions and camaraderie were the best ever. 

Our new USMFA "Carol McCraw Award of Merit" for 2020 was bestowed upon Carol McCune McCraw with her book co-author Joy Rushing accepting, and for 2022 upon Dr. Faye McCraw Moore with her daughter, Janet Harvey, accepting.

Our Sunday morning business meeting resulted in the election of officers for the next two years, scheduling our June, 2024 reunion in Beckley, West Virginia to be hosted by Scott McGraw, and the decision to spend up to $1500 to conduct and finance the Y-DNA testing of 5 men on the Isle of Skye, Scotland via Family Tree DNA.  Our Treasurer, Tim McCraw, reported an approximate account balance of $11,500.

Our USMFA officers for the next two years are:  president; Steve McGraw, past president; Dean McCraw, secretary; Janet Harvey, treasurer; CPA Tim McCraw, IT manager and 2024 reunion host; Scott McGraw, DNA coordinator; Tim McCraw, PhD., membership coordinator; Phyllis Pittman, and newsletter editor; Mary Jane Cone.

As in the recent past, my major focus for the next two years will be to concentrate the USMFA's ongoing efforts to learn as much as possible about William Maccraw I and the history and origins of our family.

Finally, thank you for electing me president of this impressive family association; I will do my best to live up to our legacy of decades of active genealogical research and positive results as established by the likes of Carol McCune McCraw,  Faye McCraw Moore, and many others.

Sincerely, Steve McGraw

McCraw Newsletter Spring 2022

We are pleased to send you the latest issue of McCraw Newsletter, attached here. 

If you have any trouble opening this issue, or any of its attachments, please let me know. As always, if you would like a printed copy of this issue, please let me know.

Hoping to see you at the McCraw Reunion, June 24-26, in Fairhope, Alabama!

Mary Jane Cone

2022 USMFA Reunion Fairhope, Alabama

Hello United States McCraw Family Association Family and Friends!

 

We hope that you have had a wonderful holiday season and that 2022 will be a very good year for you.  

 

As the calendar has turned to 2022, so have our thoughts turned to our long delayed USMFA 2022 Reunion.  We are excited to finally be able to visit Fairhope, Alabama with Phyllis Pittman graciously agreeing to host our 2022 reunion.  The official reunion with run from Friday, June 24 through Sunday, June 26, 2022.  During the reunion, we will have plenty of time to visit and share stories with other descendants of William I.  The reunion is a great time to make new friends and learn about our McCraw ancestors.  The event culminates with a banquet and celebration on Saturday night and will feature live music. A devotion and business meeting will round out the reunion on Sunday morning.  Many people enjoy meeting for dinner on Thursday evening, prior to the official reunion events, so make plans to join us for that as well.  The reunion registration form, as well as additional details, will be coming out in the next couple of weeks so be watching for it.  For additional information, see the attached information about the Fairhope 2022 Reunion.   

 

Some have already made reservations for their hotel stay, but if you haven't, now is a good time to do so.  The Holiday Inn Express on Greeno Road (US 98) will be the location of our meetings, and many attendees will want to stay there.  The hotel has reserved a block of rooms for our reunion with a cost of $149 to $169 per night plus tax.  The reservation code for those staying at this hotel is FMA while availability lasts.  It is wise to make your reservations early as there are a limited number of rooms available. Rooms may be canceled up to 24 hours before check-in, but verify price and cancelation details with the hotel.  Your Holiday Inn reservation is entirely separate from the Reunion registration and must be handled directly with the Fairhope Holiday Inn Express.  The hotel phone number is 251-928-9191.

 

There are several other hotel options in Fairhope including the Hampton Inn and Key West Inn.  In addition, there are many hotels in Mobile East, a mere 10 miles from Fairhope.  See the attached information regarding hotel details.

 

If you are ready to get out of the house for a while this summer, why not make a vacation of attending the 2022 reunion and visit some local attractions before or after the reunion?  I have attached information about the reunion and attractions in the surrounding area for your information.  

 

We are planning to see you all in Fairhope for our 2022 USMFA Reunion and are so excited to finally be together.  However, we can't ignore the elephant in the room – so to speak. If the past two years are any indication, summer will be a calmer time in terms of the prevalence of the coronavirus and its impact on our lives, but we will continue to monitor the situation.  

Looking forward to seeing you in Fairhope!

 

Janet Harvey

Secretary, USMFA

 

 

Fairhope Travel Guide

Fairhope, Alabama Travel Guide - Places To Go, Restaurants and Hotels - Alabama.Travel

Fairhope, Alabama Travel Guide - Places To Go, Restaurants and Hotels - ... A vibrant town that lies on Alabama's Gulf Coast, Fairhope has long...

USMFA

Hello USMFA Family and Friends,

I want to let you know that USMFA Board Member and longtime member, Bill McCraw, and his wife, Marci, were in a serious car accident on Monday.  Marci was airlifted by helicopter to a hospital in Nashville, about an hour from their home. She sustained multiple broken bones, other internal injuries as well as cuts and bruises.  She underwent surgery due to a broken pelvis and while in recovery experienced temporary heart rhythm irregularities.  Her recovery will be lengthy, but currently, she has been stepped down from Trauma 1 to Trauma 2. Bill was taken by ambulance to a local hospital where he was treated and eventually released.  He does not appear to have any broken bones, but has cuts and bruises throughout his body and has several points of pain.  He is recuperating at home with the help of his son.  Bill was able to speak with Marci this morning and her spirits seemed good.   

Please remember to tell your loved ones that you love them and keep Bill, Marcie and their family in your thoughts and prayers.  

Janet Harvey

Secretary USMFA

Happy New Year from USMFA

Graphic by Scott McGraw

Obituary for Beverley McCraw

Hello USMFA Family and Friends,  

I am sad to report that Beverley McCraw, wife of our USMFA President, Dean McCraw, lost her battle with cancer on December 27.  She bravely dealt with the twists and turns of this disease for 6 years and was at home, surrounded by her family at the end.  Her obituary and pictures may be found here.

Beverley Cratty McCraw - View Obituary & Service Information

Beverley Cratty McCraw - View Obituary & Service Information Share Memories and Support the Family.

The funeral arrangements are listed in the obituary and the family has requested contributions to the March of Dimes in lieu of flowers.  Anyone interested in making a contribution to the March of Dimes in Beverley's memory may do so to:  March of Dimes, C/O Trishia Nuttall,4700 Waters Ave, Savannah, GA 31403 (please identify yourself as part of USMFA).

Please continue to keep Dean and the family in your thoughts and prayers.

Janet Harvey

Good News about the 2022 USMFA Reunion

Hello United States McCraw Family Members and Friends!

I am writing a brief note to let you know that our board has approved the dates for our 2022 reunion.  We will meet in Fairhope, Alabama as we had planned for 2020.  Our new reunion dates are June 24 - 26, 2022 in Fairhope and our host will be Phyllis Ledine.

The reunion will begin with an informal gathering for Thursday dinner of those who come into town on Thursday.  The official reunion events begin on Friday and continue through Saturday with a banquet on Saturday night.  The business meeting on Sunday morning concludes the official events.  If you are able to spend additional time in the area, there are plenty of attractions to keep you busy.  We will have much more information about the reunion and the surrounding area as the events get closer.  Having the dates, however, allows all of us to begin to make our plans.  

In the meantime, be sure to visit our website to renew your membership, visit the store, read past newsletters and much more.  

USMFA Home Page

USMFA Home Page We are the United States McCraw Family Association! An organization comprised of the descendants of William Macc...

Also, if you are on Facebook, you can find us at McCraw Genealogy.

Until next time, stay safe and enjoy the fall weather.

Janet Harvey

Secretary, USMFA