Graphic by Scott McGraw
Thursday, December 31, 2020
Wednesday, December 30, 2020
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.
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
Friday, October 16, 2020
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
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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
Monday, July 13, 2020
Obituary for Paul B. McGraw Jr.
Paul B. McGraw, Jr.
1926-2020
We're sorry to share the sad news that Paul McGraw passed away quietly on Thursday morning, July 9, 2020. In addition to being a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, veteran, businessman, and community leader, he was a long time member of the US McCraw Family Association. He regularly attended reunions and hosted the reunion in 2012 in Spartanburg, SC.
Paul was featured in an article in Fall 2017 Newsletter that you can read by clicking here.
SPARTANBURG, SC- Paul B. McGraw, Jr., 94, passed into the hands of the Lord on Thursday, July 9, 2020. He was born on May 23, 1926 in Ellet, Ohio to the late Paul Brown McGraw, Sr. and Vera Lantzer McGraw.
After serving his country in World War II, where he was stationed in China, Paul returned to Akron to simultaneously marry his high school sweetheart Jean, continue his education, start a business with his father and start his family. Paul secured his degree in Industrial Management at the University of Akron, after which he started his long and successful career with B. F. Goodrich where he held positions in Akron, Brecksville and Marietta, Ohio and Oneida, Tennessee, until he moved into the position of Vice President of Production for Hartco in Oneida, Tennessee. After retirement, Paul and Jean moved to Spartanburg, South Carolina, where they resided at the time of his death.
Paul devoted his life to God, Jean, his family and his community. Paul and Jean were well known for their community service in Oneida, Tennessee and Spartanburg, South Carolina. Paul brought his considerable management skills to the Scott County Regional Development Board, served on the Board of the First National Bank of Oneida and served two terms on the Summit Hills Resident Advisory Counsel. He was also an active member of Kiwanis where he served as President and Lieutenant Governor for Eastern Tennessee and Kentucky.
Paul brought to everything he did his wit, his sense of humor and his moral compass. If you worked for Paul or served him in any way, he knew your name and made sure to express his appreciation for a job well done or provide any advice if you were struggling. If you met Paul, you remembered him. He will be deeply missed by his surviving family and friends.
Paul is survived by his wife of more than 72 years, Jean Marjorie McGraw; his children, Paul Richard McGraw (Janet), Marjorie McGraw O'Connell (Patrick), Jennifer McGraw Visintine (Richard), Lee McGraw Brewer (Thomas) and Laurie McGraw; his 10 grandchildren; 3 step-grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; and, 3 step-great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his cousins, Fred McCraw and Roy McCraw. He is now reunited with his beloved parents and his brother, Robert Allen McGraw.
Services will be held at the Saint Paul United Methodist Church, where Paul was a member, on Monday, July 13, 2020. Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, attendance will be limited to immediate family members; however, those who wish to attend virtually contact the family.
The family respectfully asks that rather than send flowers, those who desire to do so contribute to a charity of their choosing.
An online guest register is available at www.floydmortuary.com
Friday, June 26, 2020
USMFA Members and Friends
Hello United States McCraw Family Members and Friends!
I hope this weekend finds you and your family healthy and finding joy where you can. We were supposed to be enjoying the 2020 USMFA Reunion in Fairhope, Alabama this weekend. The Coronavirus intervened and made that impossible, so instead, we will look forward to meeting for the 2022 Reunion. That reunion will hopefully take place in Fairhope and confirmation of that will be made in the coming weeks.
My husband and I accidentally discovered Fairhope a number of years ago. We had driven to Gulf Shores to spend a few days on the beach. Our first day there, we carried our beach chairs, books, as well as a cooler, and set up on the beach. There was a consistent cloud cover above, but the breeze was delightful and the sound and view of the waves hitting the shore made for a very relaxing setting. Before we knew it, we had spent hours enjoying our books under the clouds. When we returned to our hotel room, we discovered that we were lobster red with sunburn. We were both a little embarrassed that we had been caught in this way because we were well past old enough to know better. The next morning neither of us wanted anything to do with more sun exposure so we loaded in the car and set out to explore the Alabama countryside. The road eventually led us to Fairhope where we found a charming southern town. We discovered art galleries, restaurants, boutiques, gift and specialty stores, tree lined streets and beautiful views of the Mobile Bay. We visited a pecan farm just outside of Fairhope and made purchases to take with us. I was taken with Fairhope from that visit and have always wanted to return for a longer stay. Hopefully, we will meet there for our 2022 Reunion because I'm sure you will enjoy Fairhope as much as I did on that trip.
Usually, we remind our members to join USMFA or renew their memberships as we build toward our reunion. Current memberships expire on June 30, so be sure and renew yours today if you haven't already. We now have two ways to join/renew. You may print the membership form that is attached below and mail it along with a check to Tim McCraw at the address on the form. Alternatively, thanks to our Webmaster, Scott McGraw, you may join/renew at our website. Click JOIN US to join/renew online.
Also, be sure to check out the store on the website. New McCraw Family items have been added (you can even find a USMFA face mask) and it would be great to see many attendees wearing McCraw Family t-shirts at our next reunion. Click STORE to see the new items.
Enjoy the rest of the summer and stay safe!
Janet Harvey
Secretary, USMFA
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Story by Steve McGraw
"Mike"
Mike knew how to solve my problem. "Here, Stevey; wipe your nose with this!" he encouraged me as I cried and cried, first out of fear of the huge, boisterous horses moving all around me, and then because my nose was leaking so badly . . . making things even worse.
"Noooo . . . I n-n-need something c-c-cleeeean . . . like a hankuchif or a
tishew . . . " I whimpered . . . which I guess shouldn't have been entirely
unexpected for such a little boy who had been on this big planet for
only about four or five years.
"It IS clean," Mike assured me with the authority, confidence and
wisdom of one who was all of nine years old, and with that
trademark, typical big grin adorning his face.
"But it's ROUGH," I responded through my tears and dripping nose.
"Sure it's rough; it's supposed to be - it's burlap, but it's clean," Mike
continued to assure and console me as he leaned over and helped me wipe my face and eyes and blow my nose on the old feed sack. "See?!" he said enthusiastically as he guided me through my latest crisis. "The horses won't bother you; they're nice," Mike explained as he led me over to the nearest beast, boosted me up and let me run my hand down the horse's mane. "See - there's no reason to cry."
He was right, of course, and I stopped crying, but I never forgot how
gentle and kind he was that day. It is one of my earliest memories of my
first cousin Mike from so many years ago when I was such a small,
frightened "city kid" who had just been introduced to the "country" in a
big, scary way.
************************************************************************
On a recent unseasonably warm and dry weekend winter day, I went on one of my occasional motorcycle/nostalgia rides and ended up at Sherwood Memorial Park. There I visited Mike's grave amongst the rest of them, situated on a windy hilltop in Salem, Virginia with a commanding view of much of the beautiful surrounding Roanoke Valley. My cousin Mike's remains are buried there in the same part of the cemetery where my parents and maternal grandparents and other family members are located.
The grave markers never tell enough of the story. They can't. On a
1' X 2' concrete, brass and marble monument there's not enough room
to explain the lives of the deceased; their special personalities, their
ongoing contributions to our lives, their importance to those of us
who can still remember them so vividly. Mike's marker reads:
MICHAEL L STIGLICH
VIRGINIA
SSGT US AIR FORCE
VIETNAM
MARCH 5 1946 OCT 8 1969
On this visit I was again surprised at Mike's age when he died - only 23,
many years younger than our two sons are today.
As well it should be, this cemetery is a peaceful, quiet, solemn place, and
I sometimes journey there when I need to slow down the world around
me and spend some uninterrupted time thinking, and remembering...
*********************************************************************
"You guys want to walk up Tinker Mountain?" Mike asked my brother Tony and me and several of our cousins.
"Sure!" I said. "Where is it, and what does it look like?"
"It's right over there," Mike laughed, pointing off in the distance toward the
rugged old mountain, several miles away.
"Oh, that's 'Dead Man's Mountain'," I corrected him. "Mom told us all about it! It looks like a dead man lying under a sheet; this end's the head and that end's the feet - see?!"
Mike laughed again and nodded his head, "Yeah, a lot of people call it that, too. Y'all want to take a hike up to the top of it?"
"Yeah, let's go!" said a chorus of younger male and female voices, a
cohesive, fun-loving group of first cousins and others who were always
willing to go along with Mike's ideas and plans for us.
Of all the grandchildren of Hazel and Byron Poff, Mike was the oldest and the
biggest and, along with his sister, Linda and his brother, Jimmy, he
enjoyed taking us on adventures and doing things with us, and we
were always happy to be included.
After getting permission from the various powers-that-be and making promises to return by a certain time long before dark, we followed Mike over hill and dell, across creeks and gullies, through meadows and pastures and forests and finally up the side of Tinker Mountain to its craggy cliffs and rough rock faces.
What a view! We could see all the way back to where we had started and
everything else for miles and miles around. In the late fifty's there was
no Interstate 81, no huge housing developments, no fast food restaurants, very few hotels and almost no pollution. It was a clear autumn day and most of the trees had lost their leaves, so our view was virtually unobstructed. Mike seemed to know where everything was and he took his time to point out all the sights to be seen from such a splendid vantage point. Finally, it was time to head back.
The return trip was even more fun than the one up the mountain since we
followed Mike's example and used gravity and nature to our best possible advantage. The dry, fallen leaves had choked the draws and gullies and valleys with their crinkly carcasses, and we could sit and slide on piles of them down the sides of the mountain and its foothills for long distances before having to jump up and run to the next available natural sliding board.
Before long we were back at the Stiglich's home - sweaty, out of breath and with bits of leaves and dirt and pine needles stuck in our hair and ears and eyes and noses and shirts and pants and socks and shoes - but back on time, and safe once again.
**********************************************************************
In 1964 Mike graduated with honors from high school, turned down an appointment to the Air Force Academy, and then went on to study at the University of Virginia but, after a couple of years, he decided that college wasn't for him. So, following in the footsteps of his parents, Myra and Leon - both of whom had served in the military during World War II - Mike and his sister Linda made the local news by joining the Air Force together in September, 1966.
Mike trained in Texas, soon earned the rank of staff sergeant and was then stationed in the Philippines. He became a cryptologist (code breaker, receiver and transmitter of encrypted messages) with the National Security Agency and volunteered for service in Vietnam.
In October, 1969 his reconnaissance plane caught on fire and crashed in the jungle, killing all six crew members and bringing to an abrupt end their promising young lives.
I'll never forget the awful emptiness that I felt when I learned of Mike's
death. He had always been bigger than life to me, and now his life was
suddenly over. By then I was nineteen years old and attending the local
community college while working a part-time job for the newspaper. As
difficult as it was for me to deal with Mike's death, I could not imagine
the pain and sense of loss which was being experienced by his parents
and siblings. The world was never the same again for any of us.
Within a month after Mike's funeral, my father committed suicide and - in addition to all of Dad's other problems and troubles - I often wondered if Mike's death may have added to his depression enough to result in such a sad, dramatic end.
*************** ******************************************************
"Who's next?!" Mike shouted - maybe a little bit out of breath but never
seeming to grow tired of playing with us - and a dozen voices all
responded in nearly identical fashion . . .
"Me! I am! It's my turn! No; mine!" Mike grabbed the closest volunteer
by her arms and, holding firmly onto her thin wrists with his big hands, he
began to spin her around and around while leaning back against the
centrifugal force which was created. In the mid-sixties it was play time
again in our grandparent's expansive upper yard and, as usual, Mike
was in charge of the entertainment.
Soon this latest adventurer's arms and legs were extended straight out as
she found herself flying several feet off the ground in a twirling circle of
delight and near-fear while quietly screaming, "Stop - stop - stop . . . I -
can't - breathe . . . " Then Mike laughed out loud as he slowed his
spinning and allowed her to return gently to the earth and roll around in
the grass under the chestnut trees while giggling away the exhilaration
and regaining her breath.
"Next!" he'd shout again, and we'd all run toward Mike, who, at 6' 3" tall,
was probably one of the world's largest human thrill rides - for yet another
turn, time after time after time . . .
It seemed as though our lives - our youth - would never end. Mike was
the first and the oldest, but he was also the first to go, so he will
forever be the youngest of us all.
************************************************************************
Mike's name is appropriately inscribed on "The Wall" of the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., and I've sought it out each
time I've visited that impressive, sobering monument since its construction back in 1993.
These links; http://www.ec47.com/thewall.htm and http://www.thewall-usa.com/
will provide you with more information about the type of unarmed aircraft in which Mike and his crewmates flew, the nature of their mission, their ultimate fate, and the precise location of Mike's name on "The Wall". And, at this link; http://www.virtualwall.org/ Mike's name can be entered into the search engine where it will provide additional information about him as well as a brief comment from another radio operator who had served with him in Vietnam.
Mike and others like him have also been honored elsewhere for their
bravery and courage. In 1998, Mike's parents received a letter from the
United States Department of Defense, recognizing that while serving
as cryptologists with the National Security Agency since its formation
in 1952, Mike and 151 others had made the "ultimate sacrifice" as
"they served in silence". Along with those other heroes, Mike's name
is listed on a monument located within the National Cryptologic Museum
at Fort George G. Meade near Baltimore, Maryland. You can read more
about this additional information at; National Security Agency Central Security Service > About Us > Cryptologic Heritage > National Cryptologic Museum
Were those other 58,225 soldiers - whose names are etched on "The Wall" of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial... or those other 151 individuals - whose names are inscribed on the cryptologic monument... as essential and important to their families as Mike was to ours? Are they missed as much as he is today, more than thirty years after his death?
My answer to those questions is quite simple: Yes, probably so. I have
no doubt that they were all special and unique to their families and friends and other loved ones.
Of two things I am absolutely certain - I will always miss him, and
there was only one Mike.
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Steve McGraw
Monday, May 25, 2020
Memorial Day Greeting from USMFA
Hello Members and Friends of the United States McCraw Family Association!
We hope that this Memorial Day finds you well. While our celebrations will likely look much different this year, we can still take a moment to remember the sacrifices made by others on our behalf. In that spirit, Steve McGraw has shared a story and tribute to his cousin, Mike. On this day we honor those who fought so that we would not have to and the story is a reminder that each name had a story with hopes and dreams and a family who loved and still misses them.
Happy Memorial Day and stay safe,
Janet Harvey
Secretary, USMFA
Sunday, April 26, 2020
USMFA Reunion Update
Dear United States McCraw Family Members and Friends,
Every two years we look forward to welcoming our family and friends to our biennial reunion. As you know, our event was scheduled for this summer and preparations were being finalized for a great time in Fairhope, Alabama. But these are unprecedented times and although it was unthinkable only a short time ago, we have been forced to consider canceling our signature event. We delayed making a decision and had hoped the pandemic would abate and allow us to hold our reunion as scheduled. Current guidance from the CDC recommends we stay home as much as possible and avoid close contact. They warn that staying in temporary accommodations (hotels, motels, and rental properties) may expose you to the virus through person-to-person contact and possibly through contact with contaminated surfaces and objects. They also state that traveling to visit friends and family increases your chances of getting and spreading COVID-19 and recommends that people avoid all non-essential travel, especially if you are at higher risk of severe illness.
Considering the advisement from the CDC and with our utmost concern being the health and safety of our family members the board has voted to cancel the 2020 reunion. While this news is unfortunate, we hope it also provides a level of certainty in otherwise uncertain times. As of now, our plan is to reschedule this year's Fairhope Reunion for the same venue in 2022.
While we won't be able to be together this summer, you can always find updates and additional information on our website.
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You can also find us on Facebook at McCraw Genealogy.
In the future, will meet at a reunion with Covid-19 in the rear-view mirror. Until then, take care of yourselves and stay safe.
Janet Harvey
Secretary, USMFA
Monday, March 9, 2020
2020 USMFA Reunion Update!
Hello Members and Friends of The United States McCraw Family Association!
I hope you are all beginning to see signs of Spring where you live. I don't know about you, but to me it is such a relief to see more sun and milder temperatures!
We have a lot of news to share about the activities of USMFA and our reunion that is less than four months away. Time will fly by and it will be here before we know it.
Our 2020 Reunion will be held in Fairhope, Alabama from Friday, June 26 through Sunday, June 28, 2020. Our host, Phyllis Pittman Ledine has put together a terrific reunion. Our reunion is a great time to visit with family members from around the country, make new friends and connections with family members interested in our family genealogy, and share stories of your family with other descendants of William I. We will get updates on ongoing research to find the land that William settled on as well as our DNA project. Our Saturday night banquet will include a delicious menu and live music. Many people enjoy wearing their kilt or tartan to the Saturday night banquet. So, if you own one, be sure to bring it and wear it to the banquet.
To register for the reunion, click here 2020 Reunion to complete the registration process online at our website. If you prefer, I have attached the reunion registration form to this email. You may also register by completing the form and mailing it with your check to Tim McCraw at the address on the form.
Phyllis has made arrangements for those who are interested to meet for dinner on Thursday and Friday nights. If you are interested in one or both of these optional events, please let Phyllis know (phyllisledine@gmail.com) so that you will be added to the reservation. You will find more information about these locations at their websites and on the registration form.
Thursday night we will meet for dinner at McSharry's Irish Pub.
Friday's optional dinner will be at the Pier Bar and Grill.
Now is a good time to make reservations for your hotel stay. The Holiday Inn Express on Greeno Road (US 98) will be the location of our meetings. A block of 10 rooms is being held for June 25, 26, and 27, 2020. The rooms are $109 for Thursday night and $139 each for Friday and Saturday nights. The room block code is RFC. 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.
I have attached information from our Fall newsletter about the reunion, Fairhope and the surrounding area. There is plenty to do in the area so that you can extend your stay and make a vacation of it if you are able. Mobile, as well as the beautiful beaches of the Gulf are not far away.
If you haven't visited our website lately, you haven't visited at all. It has undergone a complete overhaul in the time since our last reunion, and our Webmaster, Scott McGraw, has redesigned the site and added many new features. Not only can you register for the reunion online, you may now join USMFA online at the website and/or renew your membership. Click here Join The USMFA! to join USMFA or renew your membership. I am also attaching the paper membership form to this email so that if you prefer, you may complete it and mail it to Tim McCraw with your check to the address on the form.
New for this reunion is The Carol McCraw Award of Merit. This award is designed to "honor family members who have made significant contributions to our association or to society." The first award will be presented to Carol McCraw posthumously at this summer's reunion. Scott has created a page on the website further describing the award and Carol's amazing contributions to our organization. As the primary researcher and author of It is McCraw not McGraw we owe her our gratitude for compiling a massive amount of information about our progenitor William 1 and his descendants in such a usable book. We will be presenting this award to other deserving family members every two years at our future reunions. Nominations for the 2022 award are open and you will find information about the award as well as the nominating form here Carol McCraw Award of Merit Be thinking of someone that you would like to honor in this way. It is never too soon to complete the nomination form.
By popular demand, we now have a USMFA store! Many people at the 2018 reunion said that they would like to purchase USMFA items. Your wish is our command! You may now purchase shirts, cups, travel mugs, can coolers, magnets, buttons, pillows and much more with the USMFA logo and the 2020 Reunion logo. Be sure to visit the website and our new store here USMFA Store
The 2020 Reunion in Fairhope, Alabama promises to be a fabulous time in a beautiful setting. Make plans to join us today!
See you in Fairhope!
Janet Harvey
USMFA Secretary
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Re: 2020 USMFA Reunion
On Tuesday, February 4, 2020, 01:46:43 PM CST, janet harvey <jkh1256@yahoo.com> wrote:
Hello Members and Friends of the United States McCraw Family Association!
We are excited to provide updated information for the USMFA 2020 Reunion which will be held in Fairhope, Alabama from Friday, June 26 through Sunday, June 28, 2020. Our host, Phyllis Pittman Ledine has been working hard to put together a terrific reunion. During the reunion, we will have time to visit and share stories with other descendants of William I. We will get updates on ongoing research to find the land that William settled on as well as our DNA project. Our Saturday night banquet will include a delicious menu and live music. The fillable registration form is attached for your convenience. You may complete the form, print and send it with a check to Tim McCraw at the address on the form.
As an added convenience, you may now choose to complete the reunion registration form and pay the registration fee at our website. Click this link to complete the registration online 2020 Reunion
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Phyllis has made arrangements for those who are interested to meet for dinner on Thursday and Friday nights. If you are interested in one or both of these optional events, please let Phyllis know (phyllisledine@gmail.com) so that you will be added to the reservation. You will find more information about these locations at their websites and on the registration form.
Thursday night we will meet for dinner at McSharry's Irish Pub.
Friday's optional dinner will be at the Pier Bar and Grill.
The Fairhope Pier Bar & Grill Restaurant
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Now is a good time to make reservations for your hotel stay. The Holiday Inn Express on Greeno Road (US 98) will be the location of our meetings, and many attendees will want to stay there. A block of 10 rooms is being held for June 25, 26, and 27, 2020. The rooms are $109 for Thursday night and $139 each for Friday and Saturday nights. The room block code is RFC. 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.
While you are on the Gulf Coast, why not make a vacation of attending the 2020 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.
Also, now is a good time to renew your USMFA Membership. Many members like to renew their memberships at the same time that they register for the reunion. A fillable membership form for the 2020-2022 period is attached for your convenience. You may complete the form and mail it with your check to Tim McCraw at the address on the form.
As a convenient alternative, it is now possible to complete the membership form and pay online at our website. Click this link Join The USMFA! to visit the membership page and join or renew your membership for 2020 - 2022.
Thanks to the efforts of our Webmaster, Scott McGraw, the website is a wealth of information. You will find information about our family history, past reunions, and about our plans for the 2020 reunion.
One final note: We will be presenting the first USMFA Carol McCraw Award of Merit this summer at the reunion banquet. This award was created to recognize and celebrate contributions to our knowledge and understanding of William I and his descendants. Carol McCraw (the main author of It Is McCraw Not McGraw, our treasure trove of information) was an obvious choice for the title of the award as well as for the first recipient. Members may nominate a candidate for the 2022 award from now until December 31, 2021, so be thinking of someone that you would like to recognize in this way.
I hope to see you all in Fairhope for our 2020 USMFA Reunion!
Janet Harvey
Secretary, USMFA
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