Bicentennial committee seeks volunteers

The Russellville Bicentennial Committee is putting together a cemetery tour that will take place later this year in the fall as part of the city’s celebration of its bicentennial. Currently committee members are searching for volunteers to portray their ancestors who are buried at the different cemeteries that will be on the tour.

“We hope to have descendants portray their own ancestors and tell interesting family stories that have been passed down through the generations,” committee member Doris Hutcheson explained.

Hutcheson said it is her hope that people on the tour will not only learn about those buried in the cemeteries but also learn about how they lived, what their hardships and joys were and how they contributed to the city that exists today.

“If no family member is willing to portray his or her ancestor, I hope a family member or friend will be able to give us personal information that someone else could use to portray that person,” Hutcheson added.

She will be portraying her great-great-grandmother, Elizabeth Jane Nelson Dickson, who is buried along with her husband Joseph Dickson in the Sadler Cemetery. Elizabeth was the daughter of John Lemuel Nelson, former sheriff of Franklin County, and Rebecca Sparks Nelson. Joseph Dickson was the son of Michael Dickson and Sene Williams Dickson, the first white settlers in Tuscumbia.

All participants will dress in period clothing and can bring as many props and furnishings as they wish. Volunteers are also needed to direct people around the cemeteries.

For more information or to volunteer, contact Hutcheson at dorishutcheson@msn.com.