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You can trace Revolution roots at workshop Tom Mooney Out on a Limb

Sunday April 11, 2010 | 01:00 AM

If you think you might have a Revolutionary War ancestor in your background, Kathleen Smith and Homer Butler would like to talk with you. They are looking for people qualified to join the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Sons of the American Revolution.

They will offer a free genealogy workshop from 1 to 3 p.m. on May 8 at the Perkins Restaurant, Route 315, Pittston. Reservations may be made by calling (570) 704-9809.

What’s necessary to join one of the groups, Butler said, is a proven connection to a “patriot.” But, contrary to popular belief, that patriot does not have to have been a soldier in the 1775-1783 war. “If someone financed or supplied goods or clothing or if they took allegiance to the Continental Congress, they would be eligible.”

The workshop will focus on the “how-to” elements of gathering material to make an application to join the Daughters or Sons. “We’ll touch on what documentation they can use, where they can find it and how to record it,” he said.

Butler, from Mount Cobb, is president of the Northeastern Pennsylvania chapter of the Sons group, which covers an enormous territory from Williamsport east to the Delaware River and from Interstate 80 north to the New York state line. Smith, from Ashley, is state lineage research chairman for the Pennsylvania DAR.

It’s her job to “help people research their lines and help them fill out the papers and make sure they do it properly,” she said. Smith recently helped organize the Shawnee Fort Chapter of the DAR, based in Plymouth, just the latest of four area DAR chapters.

If you’ve heard family stories about patriot ancestors but have never done the research, Smith suggests you attend the workshop and learn how to trace them. Not sure if an early ancestor qualifies you to join? Sometimes entire towns swore allegiance to the American cause. “It takes in a lot of people,” said Butler. “There’s a lot of documentation out there.”

Butler and Smith urge attendees to bring to the workshop copies of any documents they believe relevant to proving they are connected with supporters of the Revolution. Even such a simple paper as a church or cemetery record could be enough.

News Notes: Bill Hastie will speak on “The Knox Disaster – Men Against the River” at the next meeting of the Northeast Pennsylvania Genealogical Society. The meeting will be at 7 p.m. on April 27 in Room 104 of the McGowan Building, King’s College, 133 N. River St. in Wilkes-Barre. The public is invited. Twelve men died when the Susquehanna River broke through into the River Slope Mine at Jenkins Township on Jan. 22, 1959. Hastie was a witness to the rescue effort and the response to the disaster. He was quoted in Robert Wolensky’s 1999 book “The Knox Mine Disaster” and is widely regarded as an expert on Knox.

• More than 20 people attended my recent “Getting Started in Genealogy” class at the Osterhout Free Library in Wilkes-Barre. As always, I was kept hopping with questions from our local genealogy fans. If you missed it, don’t worry. I’ll look into offering another class later this year. Watch the column for information.

• Don’t miss the new exhibit “Woman’s Work is Never Done” at the Luzerne County Historical Society Museum. It’s a fascinating look into the daily lives of our female ancestors. The museum, 69 S. Franklin St. in Wilkes-Barre, is open afternoons Tuesday-Friday and all day Saturday. The exhibit concludes May 1.