On Saturday morning, at the Pinetops Community building, we opened the Heritage Quest with our first speaker Williemay Amason Cheek of Albion, Michigan, who is 89 years young! Williemay has researched her Amason family for 40+ years. She spoke about her travels, research finds, revelations etc. during her many years of Amason research. "Thank you's", comments, questions etc. can be sent to Williemay Amason Cheek at 1220 Jackson Street, Albion, MI 49224 or via e-mail to wcheek@triton.net.

Elmar J. Amason with a fife passed down through Amason ancestors.

We also were treated to an impromptu presentation by Elmar J. Amason of Nacogdoches, Texas. Elmar brought a genuine AMASON artifact to the Heritage Quest, a fife, which had been passed down through his Amason family for many generations. Elmar's father told him that the fife was brought to America by Amason ancestors on the Mayflower. According to the family account, the fife was played in every war on American soil from the French and Indian War through the Spanish American War. I know Elmar and Ruby would enjoy hearing from all of our AMASON and AMERSON cousins. Their mailing address is Elmar and Ruby Amason, 2521 Center Hwy, Nacogdoches, TX 75961.

The Heritage Quest portion of our weekend provided some new research clues and much cooperation and sharing of information. Everyone said they were having a wonderful time meeting new cousins and sharing research. This quest was a beginning and we are hoping there will be many more such opportunities!

After lunch, we enjoyed a presentation by local historian, Monk Moore, who provided us with a chronology of historical events in North Carolina which affected the Edgecombe County area and our AMASON * AMERSON ancestors. We were captivated by his presentation and after the presentation, Monk fielded many questions from our group.

We had several assigned photographers capturing the events Friday through Sunday on film and even one video camera in attendance. At the end of the Heritage Quest, we went outside for a group photo. As soon as photos and possibly the videos are available for purchase, the information will be posted here.

Left to right: Gloria Westbrook, Helen and Maurice Amason, and our fearless leader, Monk Moore!

Sunday's Car Caravan tour of Edgecombe County, was led by Monk Moore, who had spent much of his own time locating sites of the oldest North Carolina AMASON land grants. We visited Panther Branch, near its junction with Fort Branch, both tributaries of Toisnot Swamp Creek, site of two large tracts of land granted to Benjamin Amason and William Amason in the late 1700's. Our next stop was Toisnot Swamp Creek at Peele's Bridge on the Kinston toTarboro Road, and the location of 150 acres of land owned in the 1700's by Benjamin Amason. Presentday southern Wilson County was the location of most of the properties owned by Amason's in the 1700's to early 1800's.

Our tour continued to the Rogers-Mercer Cemetery, where many later Amerson's from the late 1800's, early 1900's are buried. Monk then led us to the Black Creek area of the county, stopping briefly on the edge of property owned by Isaac Uriah Amason/Amerson in the latter 1800's, and visiting another cemetery near Black Creek, where many of the Amerson/Amason's of the Black Creek area are buried.

Without Monk Moore, this tour of AMASON * AMERSON sites would not have been possible. You may send "Thank You's", comments, questions etc. to Monk Moore at 5218 Redmon Road, Elm City, NC 27822.