My wife and I have taken on the responsibility of hosting the 2006 Coffey Cousins' Convention. Normally, this is not a big responsibility: reserve a block of rooms in a local hotel, arrange for a meeting room and dinner, prepare information packets for the guests, and make sure everything runs smoothly for a couple of days.
We have done this twice in the past; once in Baton Rouge, LA, and again in Vicksburgs, MS. We lived in Baton Rouge at the time, and the convention was held at the Holiday Inn just a couple of miles from our home. The one in Vicksburg was handled with one in-person visit to the hotel, and the remainder was handled via telephone and e-mail.
The 2006 will be held in Chadron, a small town located in the NW corner of the Nebraska panhandle. I'm hoping to be able to handle most things through the tourist bureau there, including getting hotel recommendations.
I realize that the trip will be long for those living in the southeast and eastern parts of the US, but may draw in Coffee/y researchers from western areas that we haven't been able to visit in the 23 years that Coffey Cousins' has held a convention.
That part of Nebraska was home to several sons of John Trousdale Coffee, a descendant of Peter Coffee. There are a number of historical homes there which were built by these Coffee families. I don't know yet if any of their descendants still live in Chadron, but perhaps there are and they will attend with information to share with othere Peter Coffee researchers.
The above link will take the reader to a preliminary webpage describing some of the attractions in the area. Personally, my wife and I will make a long vacation out of the trip and use the opportunity to see some of America's most treasured landmarks.
Nebraska weather promises to be unpredictable in late April-early May, the traditional time of our convention. That may require moving the convention to a later date in May. We won't make that decision for a few weeks yet, as we get more input from members, and locals in Chadron.
In the meantime, I would like for readers to visit the website, and perhaps pass along the information to other Coffee/y researchers. Comments and suggestions are requested.
