Lt Doris McCraw Takes Europe!

Last night we shared that we had lost one of our own. Back in the Fall of 2016 our newsletter editor Mary Cone shared with us the story of Doris McCraw Cobb and her experiences in the military where she retired from the Army as a Colonel in 1974.

You can read the full article by clicking this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aHVU_102a4T3woyq0gWyeCecy_EP5NV8/view?usp=sharing

Doric McCraw Cobb has passed away.

We are sad to report that we just learned we've lost one of our long term members. Doris McCraw Cobb passed away on Christmas Day, 2019, at the age of 97. In addition to being a veteran of WWII, Korea & Vietnam, she had been very active in the USMFA. She will sorely be missed.

You can click the link to read her obituary: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/universal-city-tx/doris-cobb-8974639

USMFA 2020 Reunion

Hello United States McCraw Family Association Family and Friends!

 

We hope that you have had a wonderful holiday season and that 2020 is a very good year for you.  

 

As the calendar has turned to 2020, so do our thoughts turn to our USMFA 2020 Reunion.  The reunion is being hosted by Phyllis Pittman and will be held in Fairhope, Alabama from Friday, June 26 through Sunday, June 28, 2020.  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 with a business meeting 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 will be coming out in the next couple of weeks so be watching for it.   

 

In the meantime, you can go ahead and 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.  Make your reservations early.  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.  A fillable registration 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!

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.  Once the reunion registration forms are available, you will be able to register and pay for reunion attendance at our website as well.  Stay tuned for that information, I will let you know when the reunion registration form is available.

 

I hope to see you all in Fairhope for our 2020 USMFA Reunion!

 

Janet Harvey

Secretary, USMFA

 

 

 

 

Hotel Information:

 

HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS FAIRHOPE

19751 Greeno Road, Fairhope, AL, 36532, US

 

Reunion Code:  RFC

 

Room Reservation

(888) 217-5507

 

Union (Oregon) home wins prize for best holiday display

Union home wins prize for best holiday display

By Dick Mason - The Observer Dec 27, 2019 Updated Dec 29, 2019

LA GRANDE — Christmas lights of the past are helping a Union home sparkle in the present.

The lights on display at Joel and Jill McCraw's home at 780 Serenity Lane in Union won the Union County Chamber of Commerce's honor as best decorated home in the county for 2019.

To read the full article, Click Here: https://www.lagrandeobserver.com/news/local/union-home-wins-prize-for-best-holiday-display/article_c1035d00-285b-11ea-8aa7-dbb33b556eb5.html

The Chief of the McGrath Clan of Thomond has died.

A note from Scott McGraw - Webmaster

"Let's sit on the ground and tell sad stories of the death of kings..."
Shakespeare - Richard II, Act 3, Scene 2

It is with great sadness that I relay the news that Dan McGrath, the Chief of the McGrath Clan from who we are descended, passed away on Sunday, December 22, 2019, at his home in Ireland. Visitation will be December 24th and he will be laid to rest on December 26, 2019. Our sincere condolences go out to his wife Lijana, daughter Olivia and the rest of his family. Dan is the center of the below picture with Steve and Scott McGraw at the 2019 McGrath Clan Gathering in Dungarvan, Ireland.

Here's a link to Dan's Obituary. I have passed along our condolences on behalf of the USMFA.

https://rip.ie/death-notice/daniel-danny-mcgrath-dungarvan-waterford/408051

Family threads: Denton master quilter wins World Quilt Competition

Denton master quilter Barbara McCraw didn't travel to Springfield, Massachusetts, for the World Quilt Competition XXIII.

"I wasn't expecting to win anything," McCraw said at her home studio in Denton.

The quilt she'd submitted to the international competition, Family Reunion, ended up winning the Best of Show title and a cash prize of $2,000.

To read the full article: https://dentonrc.com/entertainment/visual_arts/family-threads-denton-master-quilter-wins-world-quilt-competition/article_d6d533f7-a702-595f-a517-c5fb1b03b5a7.html

Save the date for the USMFA 2020 Reunion

Hello USMFA Members and Friends!

I hope you have had a wonderful summer!

Our host for the 2020 USMFA Reunion is Phyllis Pittman and she has been working on arrangements for our reunion.  The dates for the reunion have been set.  We will meet in Fairhope, Alabama from Friday, June 26 through Sunday, June 28, 2020.  Many people enjoy meeting for dinner on Thursday evening, so make plans to join us for that as well.  More information will be coming out in the next couple of months regarding specific plans. 

"There are lots of good reasons to visit Fairhope, Alabama," according to Sid Evans of Southern Living.  He goes on to say, "If you love the Gulf Coast, there are few places more scenic, with antebellum homes, streets lined with live oaks, and a charming, walkable downtown. With a population of about 17,000, Fairhope sits on bluffs that overlook Mobile Bay, so you're never far from a view of the water. It…has a laid-back vibe that lowers your blood pressure—and that may be the only reason you need to go." 

Why not make a vacation of attending the 2020 reunion and visit some local attractions before or after the reunion?  In addition to the attractions of Fairhope, Spanish Fort is about a 30-minute drive to the north where there are two state parks and 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center.   Just across the bridge from Spanish Fort is Mobile where you can tour the USS Alabama Battleship and Aircraft Pavilion.  To the south, lies Gulf Shores and the beautiful beaches of the Gulf. 

Be sure to save these dates for another fabulous USMFA reunion and stay tuned for details as plans are finalized.

Also, USMFA members can look for a newsletter to be published this fall.  In it, you will find more information about the reunion, an update from our DNA coordinator, articles about ongoing genealogy research and an article about a USMFA member who received the Medal of Etchtighern Award in Ireland this summer.  Be watching your inboxes for that later this fall.

Until next time, enjoy the rest of the summer!

 

Sincerely,

Janet Harvey

Secretary, USMFA