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All Material Seen Here Copyright © 2005 - 2009 Eastern Kentucky Genealogy Conference
Want to learn more about the WONDERFUL speakers we plan to have this year.? Then you are in the right place.
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Butch Runyon was born and raised in the poverty stricken hollows of West Virginia migrating to Michigan in the late sixties for the job market. He tells the stories of the hard times of his ancestry and true tales of his inheritance. He also serves up some very popular country, folk, and light rock songs that are real crowd pleasers. A real veteran of the acoustic experience, Butch has played publicly for over 40 years.
For a sample of some of Butch’s originals, feel free to visit:
www.myspace.com/butchrunyon
Big Sandy Valley Historical Society (scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Saturday)
      The Big Sandy Valley Historical Society (founded 1970) is an organization that is dedicated to the preservation of history in the Tri-State Area of Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia.  Meetings are held quarterly, one in Virginia, two in Kentucky and one in West Virginia.  The Society publishes a quarterly journal (The Sandy Valley Heritage) that contains family genealogies, histories, stories, articles, queries, pictures etc. that are contributed by the members.
      This year Big Sandy Valley Historical Society’s September meeting and the Eastern Kentucky Genealogy Conference fell on the same weekend and location.  They agreed to combine their meeting with the conference for the mutual benefit of all.
      Membership in the Society which includes a subscription to the “Sandy Valley Heritage” is $15.00 per calendar year for adults and $10.00 for students.  For membership or further information contact.
Big Sandy Valley Historical Society
P.O. Box 1361
Catlettsburg, KY 41129
Mr. Edward R. Hazelett (scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Saturday)
      Ed is a native of Paintsville KY and received his education in the rural schools of Johnson County; graduated from Paintsville High School, Morehead State University and the University of Kentucky.
     Mr. Hazelett spent 42 years as a teacher with a Rank I Education Morehead State University.  He spent 30 years teaching History and 15 years teaching Genealogy.  He made nine trips thorough the Shenandoah Valley doing research.
     Ed was the President of the Johnson County Historical Society for 17 years, and the former President of the Big Sandy Valley Historical Society.
Robert Baker (scheduled for 1:30pm Saturday)
       Mr. Baker is a Florida native and a Kentucky transplant, the grandson of a Buchanan County, VA native.  He attended Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale earning his BA and MA degrees in Liberal Arts.  He has taught English and Literature for several colleges and universities in Florida and Kentucky and for the Pulaski, Lincoln, and Clay County school systems.  He has also worked as a dispatcher for the Kentucky State Police. After moving to Kentucky  in 1997, Robert began researching his ancestry in the region and discovered that he had a direct ancestor who had served in both the Union and Confederate armies.
       He began collecting material related to the 39th Kentucky Infantry Regiment and the veterans and has amassed enough to publish a book.  His research on the 39th Kentucky Infantry has branched out into other closely-related topics, including the prevalence of Union sympathy in the region, the various Union companies and larger organizations raised in the Big Sandy and Tug River regions, and the Hatfield-McCoy feud or rather, the events which preceded it. Robert has published numerous essays and made several presentations about these topics and others over the past ten years.  He continues to research and write when time permits.
       He lives in London, KY, is married to a native of the Hatfield-McCoy feud area, and has a five-year old daughter.  He also enjoys spending time in his yard and  outbuilding where he has a small forge for amateur knife-making and smelting.  He can be contacted at hiramwyliejustus@cs.com with any questions or comments related to the war in the region and the 39th Kentucky.
Jim Powers (scheduled for 10:30pm Sunday)
       Mr. Powers is the retired director of the Boyd County Public Library where he worked for 40 years.  He is Secretary/Treasurer of the Eastern Kentucky Genealogical Society and
       President of the Friends of KY Public Archives.  He collects memorabilia of Ashland, KY including Postcards and usually takes a cruise once a year.  He returned to work at the library part time in May  of 2004.
Jonathan Shaw (scheduled for 9:00 a.m. Saturday)
       Mr. Shaw is an associate with the law firm of Porter, Schmitt, Banks & Baldwin in Paintsville, Ky.  He graduated from Morehead State University with a B.B.A. in 1992; an M.B.A. in 1994 and received his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Louisville, Louis D. Brandeis School of Law in 1999.  Prior to entering law school Jonathan was an adjunct faculty member at Morehead State University.  He was admitted to the bar in 1999 and practices throughout the eastern half of the state.
       Jonathan is licensed to practice law in all state and federal courts in Kentucky  as well as the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati, OH; the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, VA; and Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia at Washington, DC; and the United States Supreme Court.  Jonathan currently serves as president of the Paintsville Main Street Association and as president of the Johnson County Bar Association.  His hobbies include genealogy and local history.
Below is information on our 2008 Speakers....Please watch for 2009 updates
Chuck "Butch" Runyon (scheduled to be on hand 6:00pm Friday)
Mr. Rick Walters (scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Saturday)
      Rick was born in Dayton Ohio to natives of Johnson County, but moved back to Eastern Kentucky when he was five years old.  He grew up in Johnson County and attended Johnson County schools, including Johnson Central High School, where he studied History and Genealogy  under Mr. Edward R Hazelett. 
His research has taken him to several states including North & South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.  
     Today, he is a local business owner, President of the Johnson County Historical & Genealogical Society, Secretary of the Civil War Roundtable of Big Sandy organized this year, and serves on the Eastern Kentucky Genealogy Conference Planning Committee.   He is a husband, father and grandfather.  Rick is very passionate about, not only genealogy, but local history as well.