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| George Sutcliffe |
Lita Sutcliffe |
Herman Ferguson |
At the Olde Meck Holiday Party on December 2, President Jeff Houser made an official presentation to dedicate our research center to three former members who contributed greatly to the advancement of the Mecklenburg Genealogical Society.
The name of our research center is now the Sutcliffe-Ferguson Family Research Center.
Dr. George Helme Sutcliffe and Alita ‘Lita’ Sue White Sutcliffe were key members of the Mecklenburg Genealogical Society for many years. George served on the board of directors and publications committee and as both society treasurer and president. Lita also served as a society director and on the publications committee, adding her expertise as a published genealogy author to guide Olde Meck as it embarked on its first publishing efforts.
After Lita passed away on November 18, 2014, George donated her extensive genealogy collection to Olde Meck, including copies of books she wrote, genealogy resource books, maps, and a file cabinet full of her work.
When George passed away on November 7, 2018, his will included a bequest to Olde Meck, the largest ever received by the society. The gift allows Olde Meck to keep this facility open and to continue many other projects into the future.
Herman White Ferguson is a name that speaks of excellence in the genealogical community. In retirement his interest in genealogy led him to abstract microfilm copies of Mecklenburg County court minutes, deed books, wills, tax lists, and loose estate records. These efforts resulted in the publication of 18 books that make the information more readily available to genealogical researchers. The Herman Ferguson Collection is usually the first source for Mecklenburg County researchers.
For his efforts Herman received awards from the North Carolina Society of Historians, the North Carolina Genealogical Society, and Olde Meck, which awarded him the Order of 1775. In 2021, he received the Old North State Award, presented by the state’s governor to recognize “dedication and service beyond expectation and excellence to the Great State of North Carolina.”
In 2019 Olde Meck purchased the remaining inventory of Herman’s books as well as the rights to any future publication, allowing this treasure to remain available to the public for many years to come. Mr. Ferguson passed away on January 13, 2023 at age 106. He was a great friend to Olde Meck and to family historians everywhere.
This dedication demonstrates our gratitude to these individuals and allows Olde Meck to permanently honor their contribution.
Dedication handout: Sutcliffe-Ferguson FRC Dedication.
