The National Genealogical Society (NGS) has announced our Wake Cemetery Project as one of only four winners for the 2023 SLAM! Idea Showcase.  Our project received an Honorable Mention! The Showcase honors the best ideas for creative and innovative projects, programs, resources, and practices. The competition also looks to share the processes so that they can be replicated by other societies, libraries, archives and museums (i.e. SLAM) to strengthen the genealogy and family history community.

 

The multi-year Wake Cemetery Project was envisioned, designed, and orchestrated by Cyndi Deal, who wears many communication “hats” in our society (see below).  Our gratitude goes to her and her dedicated assistants, Lori Winklestein and Lynne Deese; along with other contributors including Cynthia Gage, Carla Stancil, Linda Fogle, Anna Holland, and Jim Johnson.  CONGRATULATIONS for this well-deserved honor!

 

If, like me, you LOVE the three-time award-winning Wake Genealogy Watch newsletter, then thank Cyndi Deal.  If you prefer to get WCGS info from Facebook, this again is Cyndi Deal.  If our Blog has ever inspired you, then – you guessed it – we have Cyndi to thank. Besides gathering and generating content for all these products, Cyndi will return to our Board as Vice-President of Communications starting in June.  And this year, one of her other works was recognized on a national level when the Wake Cemetery Project won an honorable mention in the NGS 2023 SLAM! Idea Showcase competition.

 

The Wake Cemetery Project was the result of a consuming inspiration Cyndi felt when she saw the original 1978 survey records languishing in non-descript binders in an easily-missed corner of a library.  The rich information in the 966 cemeteries, which also included supplemental family-history details recorded by the surveyors, was to her – and I quote - Genealogy Gold!  It took four years and many volunteers working under Cyndi to gather, scan, organize, and post the files on our website.  To increase the usefulness of the work, her project scope included gathering GPS coordinates for the cemeteries.  Then on-line searches were performed to provide links to other on-line cemetery sites which contained records for the cemeteries. This second step demonstrated that for about half of the surveyed cemeteries, the Wake Cemetery Project represents the only on-line report of their names, locations, and content making them accessible for the first time to researchers from all over!

 

Cyndi truly believes in communication outreach when it comes to all-things genealogy!  WCGS is lucky to have such a dedicted and skilled genealogy volunteer in our group!

 

What is a SIG (Special Interest Group), you ask?  Well, it’s NOT a class nor a series of lectures nor instructor-led training.  Instead, it is a collaborative format focused on a specific theme where members can share tips and tricks to help each other improve their skills in performing research or using genealogical tools.  SIG participation is one of the many benefits of being a WCGS member! 

 

Other SIGs? - If you have a different genealogy-related special interest, then other WCGS members are probably interested too!  Since SIGS are collaborative, considering forming a new one by sending your suggestion to the WCGS President.  

 

For more information on how to join, check out SIG and Other Benefits in the Members Only area of our website.
 

---