Thank You Rockford Descendants

A heartfelt "thank you" from the Rockford Preservation Society Board of Directors to over 100

Rockford descendants who attended our Remember Rockford Families Reunion on Labor Day

weekend. Your decision to participate and represent your Rockford family demonstrates your

love of Rockford, its history and its heritage.

Your appreciation of the restoration work that has been done encourages us to continue moving

forward in this worthwhile work. Your expressed support of preserving this heritage for our future

generation tells us we are not alone in our desire to save this village. Now, more than ever,

with a shared vision of what the restoration of Rockford means to each of us and our children,

we have the confidence to finish the job. Together we can do it.

What About This Year?

Turn the page for the answer..............

The 2nd Annual Remember Rockford Families Reunion

Returns Saturday, September 10th This Year

Saturday, September 10, 2011 has

been set as the date of the 2nd Annual

Remember Rockford Families Reunion

by The Rockford Preservation Society.

It follows the success of last years descendants

reunion which was attended

by over 100 sons and daughters of the

Rockford village.

The same emphasis on Rockford heritage

will be the theme throughout this

year’s one-day event. Once again the

Surry County Genealogical Society will

host an exhibit offering those attending

resources for researching their Rockford

ancestry.

We would like to identify someone from each

Rockford family name or group to represent

the family as a contact person. This person

will just need to be willing to communicate with

the extended family to keep them informed of

Rockford happenings. We don't yet have the

addresses of all Rockford descendants and it

would be awesome to have key people to send

out the information through your own email, or

facebook connections, utilize the internet and

help us keep all the "family" informed. We were

thrilled to have 13 family groups from 9 states

attend last year's Reunion and want to find

more descendants from more areas.

If you would be willing to be a Family Captain,

email Hannah at:

It is not too early to begin making plans to

attend the Remember Rockford Reunion

this year.

Unlike last year’s gathering which occurred

over the 3-day Labor Day weekend,

this year’s reunion will be a one-day

event. Plans for the day will include:

$10/person

history/letters

Bring a lawn chair and your family histories

and family trees and let’s have a

wonderful time together as one big Rockford

family!

Registration information will go out very

soon so we will know how many to plan

for.

Hampton Inn – Dobson, NC

Fairfield Inn – Elkin, NC

Hampton Inn – Jonesville, NC

Pilot Knob Cabins

Pilot Mountain, NC

Hobson Guest House

Boonville, NC

Rosey Joe’s Guest House

Boonville, NC

Preserving Our History - Celebrating Our Traditions

The Rockford annual Memorial Day

Service was held May 28, 2011, 3:00

PM at the Rockford Methodist Church in

the Historic Village of Rockford. Our featured

speaker was Nora Brooks who

portrayed Anna Morrison Jackson, the

widow of Stonewall Jackson. She previously

portrayed Robert E. Lee’s

youngest daughter Mildred Childe Lee

for our 2009 Memorial Day service.

Nora Brooks teaches honors and advanced placement history of the U.S. War for Southern

Independence and the American Revolution at Sun Valley

High School in Union County, North Carolina. She is an alumnus

of the Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College and a recipient

of the Jefferson Davis Medal for Promotion and Preservation

of Southern History by

the North Carolina Division of the

United Daughters of the Confederacy.

The program concluded in the

Rockford cemetery where flags

were be placed on soldiers graves. Local civil war re-enactors

at the cemetery.

Great News For York Tavern!

RPS has been approved for another $5,000 grant for the Mark York Tavern from the Marion Stedman

Covington Foundation! We have some matching funds for this project, and would appreciate

any contributions so we can get started on the next phase. This will include priming and painting

the tin roof, repairing and replacing the window sills and panes, and basic electrical wiring.

A gourmet dinner, good conversation, and Surry

County History trivia benefited

preservation efforts of

the Rockford Preservation

Society in the Village of

Rockford. Chef Jamey

Comer and Sous Chef

Curtis Kline created a delightful

culinary experience

at the 1840 Hamlin-Burrus-

Holyfield house, also

known as the Rockford Inn

Bed and Breakfast. The

menu included: Appetizer

- Spice rubbed grilled

shrimp nicoise – Jumbo grilled shrimp with a nicoise

salad, French green beans, cherry tomatoes,

fingerling potatoes and shaved red onion. Salad -

Spring mix greens, shaved carrots, hothouse cucumbers,

tossed in a

honey balsamic vinaigrette

with parmesan

croutons. Entrée -

Chicken Roulade -

Rolled chicken with

spinach, pancetta and

caramelized onions

served with Yukon gold

potatoes and grilled

asparagus. The meal concluded with a superbly

presented Saffron poached pear with Chantilly

cream, toasted

pecans and

fresh berries.

Attendees tested

their local history

knowledge as

events, places

and persons important in Surry County were highlighted.

“This was a wonderful dining experience and

a very successful fundraiser for Rockford,” said Hannah

Holyfield.

A Candlelight Christmas in Rockford was held on December

Christmas tradition led by Dr.

Gena Poovey, Professor of Music

at Limestone College in

Gaffney, SC and sponsored by

The Rockford Preservation Society,

Inc. In addition to Dr. Poovey, performers on Thursday

were Gene Anderson, Betty McGurk and friends, and

the North Surry Greyhound Sound diected by Sylvia Lowery.

On Friday, performers were the Men’s Ensemble from

Limestone College, Miranda Owens, Flutist, and the Surry

Community College Chorus directed by Angie Smith. Accompanist

for both evenings was Norma Johnson. Refreshments

were served following both programs. Each

evening was well attended and the music was wonderful.

to us. We will get it compiled this year and the plan

is to have it ready for 2012, next year’s Reunion. If you

can find any recipes that were handed down to you

through the years from your ancestors, that would make

this cookbook really special. We thought this would be

fun and another way to share our family heritage.

Please send us your favorite recipes now:

Phone: 336-374-3825 -

Email recipes to;

Mail to:

Hannah Holyfield

Rockford Inn Bed & Breakfast

4872 Rockford Road

Dobson, NC 27017

Remember

Rockford

Cookbook

2011

Thank You For Every Kind Of Contribution

donate for fundraising activities, attend our events, volunteer your time, or donate monetarily,

restoration, maintain and mow the properties, pay the utilities and insurance, and provide historical

you for helping us make it possible for future generations to enjoy and appreciate their heritage as