Solivagant USA

I admit that I forget to eat. One of the benefits of traveling solo is that I’m not obliged to consider the needs of anyone other than myself. The downside, of course, is that when the bananas and cashews run out, I’m in trouble. I’m pleased to announce, therefore, that church feeds and gossip-gatherings are still alive and well in North Carolina. Over the last few days I’ve created quite the buzz in the historic towns of Lexington, Salisbury, Statesville, and Millbridge. I’m found sharing a glass of sweet tea with men whose wives are nowhere in sight. They are the librarians and church historians phoned by the Ministers and female volunteers to “come talk to this lady from ALASKA she wants to know about people in the cemetery.” They are too polite to ask why I didn’t call ahead.

I’m lucky that Pilgrim Reformed Church, Bethany United Church of Christ (former Reformed Lutheran), and Thyatira Presbyterian Church and their historic cemeteries are still thriving. Each appear to host several meetings a week, abundant food, and weekday staff eager to show me their stuff. And insist that I “come back for chicken and dumplings.” I did, two days later, to Pilgrim church, located a few miles outside of Lexington in what is now Davidson County. I joined at least 150 other people who didn’t want to cook dinner at home. Word had spread of my connection to Valentine Leonard, who (with others) established Pilgrim Reformed Church on Leonardt’s Creek, which runs below the small cemetery. Learning that I’m a direct descendant through his daughter Elizabeth who married another Patriot George Glattfelder earned me a seat at the table where people are serious about their dumplings and descendants. Valentine Leonard was a tax collector in 1778, and it is known that he fought at the Battle of Gilford Courthouse on March 15, 1781. Since he was one of those “Americans who fought like demons,” according to Cornwallis, Tories murdered him in his home eight months later. As #nointinerary would have it, I was standing in line for pie next to a man who also descends from George Glattfelder. He reminded me to “go see his folks’ graves over at Bethany cemetery—the headstone carvings are unique!” He also encouraged me to go the 112^thGlattfelder reunion in Pennsylvania the end of July. He promised that he’d save a seat for me. Inspired by my Swiss and German immigrant super-great grandfathers, I drove to Thyatira Church, between Mooresville and Salisbury. The Presbyterian’s chose the heart of rolling hills and open lands to establish Thyatira for Scot-Irish immigrants such as my super great grandfather David Foster. I know he did his civic duty as an overseer of building the roads, and served in Capt. Baker’s militia. I headed to the oldest section of the cemetery to look for the recent marker placed by someone like me, among all the Cowan headstones. His land, as is my super great grandfathers James Stevenson and George Fleming is in this area, now known as Iredell County.

I encourage anyone curious about their ancestors who settled this area that was all originally Rowan County to stop by the public libraries in these towns. Folks are proud of their heritage here, and volumes of history and maps are housed in their own annex building, in Lexington, or a special room of their own in the other libraries. I was at the Statesville library when the Iredell Genealogy folks were on site, and was immediately led to the basement where the stacks of goodies are overseen by a 92-year-old man. When I mentioned I was looking for information on my Revolutionary War Patriot Grandfather David Foster, he said, “I dated a woman named Foster when I was 15. She had the best legs in town.” Offering me a cookie, he invited me to “sit a spell.” I did, and forgot about my own history to learn about his.

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