RootsTech Bans books

OK, well the book vendors anyway.  This is just ridiculous!  Genealogists.  Books.  The two go hand in hand!  Head over to RootsTech's website and Facebook page and tell them to reconsider and allow the book vendors in!  Write a blog...give a tweet (#rootstech), but let them know this is  just plain stupid!  

There are so many good posts and tweets out there about this.  Is it truly a "ban"? Why is this happening?  What should happen and how should we as a genealogy community react?  I don't have the answers. I only have my feelings on the matter and right now they are a bit grateful that I wasn't planning on going to RootsTech this year.  Maybe I won't be going next year either and will just save my pennies for the annual NGS conferences where I can take a look and all those lovely genealogy books.  Only time will tell.  Right now I need a Tums because this isn't sitting well with me.

Sunday's Obituary - Mary Laurent

Green Bay Press-Gazette

Mary Laurent nee Dart was my husband's great grandmother.  She was the daughter of Eugene and Josephine Dart nee Hermans and was the 8th of 12 known children:  Louisa, Charles, Jean Baptiste, Odile, Adolphe, Jule, Desirea, Mary, August Joseph, William, Eli and Wilbert.

Mary Dart married Victor Laurent on January 10, 1905/06 in Tonet Wisconsin.  Victor died on June 26th 1960.  They are both buried in St. Martin's Cemetery, Tonet, Kewaunee County, Wisconsin.

So the obituary said they were married in 1905 and my tree had 1906.  Looks like a little researching for me when I go to Green Bay next week.  I think I have a Golden Anniversary clipping for them somewhere.  I'll need to look and hope it's one with a date on it.  Either way I should be able to figure out the year by checking the papers and the historical society when I get up north.

So what did I learn from this newspaper article?  Sadly, Mary's parents' names weren't mentioned nor were any of her siblings that died before her.  I've already mentioned above that she had 11 (known) siblings, so I can at least narrow down which ones died before she did...and that's no small thing!

"Mrs. Mary Laurent

Mrs. Mary Laurent [sic], 77, Luxemburg, Rt. 3, died Tuesday forenoon in a Green Bay hospital after a short illness.  Born June 20, 1886, in Tonet, she married Victor Laurent in January 1905 at St. Martin Church, Tonet.  He died June 26, 1960.

Survivors are one son, Norman, Luxemburg, R. 3;  two daughters, Mrs. Patrick (Laura) Cayemberg, Green Bay; Mrs. Goldie (Anna) Malcore, New Franken; 11 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; one sister, Mrs. Odile Vandenhouten, Green Bay; three brothers, William Dart, Green Bay; Eli and Wilbert Dart, both of Luxemburg, Rt. 3.

At McMahon Funeral Home, Luxemburg, after 7 p.m. tonight.  Rosary 8 tonight and Thursday evening.  Funeral 10 a.m. Friday, St. Martin Church, Tonet, the Rev. Claridge officiating.  Burial in the church cemetery."

[Hand-dated Dec 17, 1963.  This was the date of Mary's death, not the publication of the newspaper.  Clipping was most likely taken from the Green Bay Press-Gazette].