Presented program on difficulties of researching families on the Trail of Tears. Southern Illinois Genealogical Society at
Harrisburg library. October 18, 2014.
Presented talk on Common Core Standards at Marion Women's Club on March 22, 2014.
Participated as an Illinois Trail
of Tears Association board member in week-long training sponsored by Southern Illinois University Carbondale in Summer 2011
for regional teachers who will be teaching with Library of Congress grant during school year 2011-12.
Taught third through six graders about the Trail of Tears during Stewardship Week 2010 and 2011 at the Illinois Forest
Resource Center.
Presented on "Trail of Tears" for Marion Woman's Club. February 5, 2010
Presented on "Priscilla on the Trail of Tears" at Lake Sallateeska for Nine Mile Baptist Church women at their retreat.
Saturday, November 7, 2009.
Presented on "Priscilla on the Trail of Tears" for Mascoutah Historical Society on November 1, 2009. This
is in conjunction with the Smithsonian exhibit "Journeys."
Served as docent for WSIU sponsored Trail of Tears bus tour through Union County and on over to the Trail of Tears State
Park in Missouri on October 18, 2009.
Participated at Showcase sponsored by Illinois Humanities Council and Carbondale Arts on September 30, 2009.
Carbondale Civic Center.
Presented to the Andrew Bunch at United Methodist Church in Crab Orchard on Thursday, September 17, 2009.
Spoke on "Priscilla on the Trail of Tears" to the Recycled Youth group at Herrin Christian Church. July 2009.
Presented on "Priscilla on the Trail of Tears" to Perry County Historical Society. July 2009.
Spoke on blogging to Heartland Writers Guild at Sikeston, Missoui. July 2009.
Served as Union County guide for River to River bus tour of the Illinois Chapter of the National Trail of Tears Association.
June 2009.
Joined Joe Crabb and Van Burgess presenting on the Trail of Tears at St. Johns School in West Frankfort. For kindergarten
through eighth grade. April 2009.
Acted as step-on guide in April 2009 for Rend Lake College van tour of the Trail of Tears in Southern Illinois.
The group went from the Ohio River to the Mississippi River, and the tour ended at the Silkwood Inn in Mulkeytown,
where Priscilla went to live after Mr. Silkwood arranged her freedom from slavery as she traveled with the Cherokee on the
Trail of Tears.
Presented on Priscilla on the Trail of Tears at the DuQuoin DAR on March 3, 2009,
Presented on Priscilla on the Trail of Tears at at the Jefferson County Historical Society on March 7,
2009.
Presented on Priscilla on the Trail of Tears at at the Centralia Historical Museum on March 16, 2009.
Presented on Priscilla on the Trail of Tears at Marilyn Schild's Trail of Tears class for John A. Logan College
on March 19, 2009.
Presented on Priscilla on the Trail of Tears at Murphysboro's John A. Logan Museum
on March 21, 2009.
Read January selections from Down on the Farm: One American Family's Dream at poetry and prose reading
sponsored by Southern Illinois Writers Guild on January 8 at Marion, IL, Hardee's.
Presented poems of James Whitcomb Riley at church Thanksgiving banquet, 2008.
Presented on the Trail of Tears at St. Anne's Church at the Union County Colorfest on Sunday afternoon, October
12, 2008.
Served as step-on bus guide at Golconda for the Presley Tours Trail of Tears group returning from sites
throughout the eastern part of the United States, 2008.
Participated in reading original poetry at first Poetry Reading sponsored by Southern Illinois Writers Guild at
Latta Java in Marion, II, 2008.
Presented with Illinois Chapter Trail of Tears board members on the Trail through Southern
Illinois at Decatur on March 15, 2008, at the Illinois State Historical Society Symposium. I spoke on
the Union County trail.
Presented two original poems at Center Baptist Church Talent Night in September 2007.
Participated in panel at Southern Illinois Writers Guild on August 16, 2007: "Getting Published:
Guild Members Tell You How."
Traveling from River to River on Route 146 retracing the Cherokee Trail of Tears on July 26, 2007.
Moderator of Morning Symposium by Illinois Chapter Board of Trail of Tears Association at the Spring Genealogical
Society of Southern Illinois on June 9th, 2007.
Served on panel with Dixie Terry and Dr. Herb Russell as student groups came every thirty minutes to learn
about writing careers at Career Day at Golconda High School, March 2007.
Presented two sessions on "Priscilla on the
Trail of Tears" at John A. Logan College Life Long Learning Conference, March 2007.
Read from Down on the Farm at the Illinois Centre Book Fair, February 2007.
Participated in Union County Writers
Group gathering by reading Christmas selections from Down at the Farm at the Country Cupboard at Anna, IL, 2006.
Presented readings from my book Down on the Farm as featured speaker for the
opening night of the new season of Humanities Night at Harrisburg District Library, 2006.
Presented readings from my book Down on the Farm as featured speaker at the reception
for "Historic Structures and Farm Machinery in Art" at the Little Egypt Art Association at Marion, IL, 2006.
Talked on "Southern Illinois Writers Guild" at the Heartland Rotary Club at Marion, IL, 2006.
Presented keynote address on "Priscilla on the Trail of Tears" at Franklin County Genealogical
Workshop at Benton, IL, 2006.
Presented program for Illinois Trail of Tears Association on "Priscilla on the Trail of Tears" at
Schingothe Center for Native Americans at Aurora University, 2006.
Presented program to Union County Writers Group on "So You Want to be Published?" at Stinson Memorial
Library, Anna, IL, 2006.
Read original poetry for National Poetry Month gathering at Cata's Books, West Frankfort, IL, 2006.
Presented main program at Genealogical Society of Southern Illinois on "Priscilla on the Trail of Tears,"
2006.
Presented readings from my book Down on the Farm at Winter Book Fair at Illinois Centre
Mall, 2006. Also at Writer's Fair at Union County Color Fest and at Wolf Creek Antiques, 2005.
Participated in Cuzin Eddie Radio Show at WMCI, Fall 2005.
Presented readings from my book Down on the Farm as main speaker at Women’s Banquet at Center
Baptist Church, 2005.
Presented readings from Nickle’s Worth of Skim Milk by Robert Hastings at Fountain Nursing Home and
at Parkway Estates, 2005.
Presented parent-child activity of making hollyhock dolls following presentation on “The Legend of Priscilla”
at joint celebration of library’s summer reading program for Crab Orchard and Pittsburg branches, 2001.
Presented parent-child activities following the reading of Jamberry at Crab Orchard Public Library summer
reading program, 2000.
Presented “The Circle of Love” on Brazilla Silkwood family and Priscilla at Crab Orchard Days, 1999.
Presented on “Trail of Tears and Legend of Priscilla” at Barnes and Noble fundraiser for Pittsburg
branch of the Crab Orchard Library, 1999.
Wrote and directed play for children at Christmas at Center Baptist Church, 1998.
Presented on Shawneetown-Kaskaskia Trail and legend of Priscilla for summer GED class, 1998.
Keynote speaker and also led activities at women’s all-day retreat for Nine Mile Baptist Church at Lake
Sallateeska, 1997.
Directed Summer Reading Camp children to act out the legend of Priscilla after they had learned the story and
toured Silkwood Inn and Reid-Kirkpatrick Cemetery, 1997.
Presented on family literacy at PERT meeting at Christopher Elementary School, 1997.
Presented on Shawneetown-Kaskaskia Trail and legend of Priscilla on tour of Silkwood Inn for housing residents,
1996.
Presented on using local learning themes in family and adult education at breakout session of Illinois Adult
and Continuing Education Association in Springfield, 1996.
Presented workshop on family communication for residents of Franklin County Housing, 1995.
Panelist on the collaborative efforts of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale Pre-Kindergarten and Even
Start programs with Rend Lake College at meeting of area school administrators, 1995.
Panelist at Illinois Family Literacy Conference in Springfield, 1995.
Conducted fall and spring parent workshops at Franklin County Human Services and parent workshop for Christopher
Head Start, 1994-95.Presented main program for Women’s Banquet, Center Baptist Church at H & R
Dumplings, 1993.
Conducted parent-child activity days based on the book Jamberry in seven preschool classrooms and talked
on family literacy needs at Franklin County Associational Woman’s Missionary Union summer meeting, 1992-93.
Conducted parent-child activity days based on the book Popcorn in seven preschool classrooms, Spring
1992.
Served on John A. Logan College Women’s History Month Observance committee. Master-of-ceremonies for luncheon
featuring poet Kathryn Kerr, 1991.
Presented as main speaker at Mother-Daughter Banquet at Energy Baptist Church, 1983.
Participated in Marriage Encounter--a weekend retreat teaching interpersonal communication with spouse, St.
Louis, MO, 1983.
Participated in one-week Writer’s Workshop at Baptist Sunday School Board, Nashville, TN, 1983.
Presented as main speaker at Mother-Daughter Banquet at Center Baptist Church, 1973.
Advised student newspaper receiving first-class rating, National Scholastic Press Association, 1967.
Directed junior-senior play, The Diary of Anne Frank, and also one-act play and helped with school
musical, 1966.
Directed junior-senior play, The Thread That Runs So True, and helped with school musical, 1965.
Participated in “The Church in Urban Life” project, Greenwich Village, NY, Summer 1955.
Spoke as main speaker at Clear Creek Associational Young Women’s Association banquet, 1952
Gave devotional at State Training Union Convention, 1952 and 1951.
Gave talks, devotionals, and dramatic readings for local church, 1951-2013.
