Wendell Bark (above left) of Arkansas contacted the Eastland Disaster Historical Society (EDHS) back in 2000 regarding his granduncle George Schmidt.  (George Schmidt, a victim of the Eastland Disaster, is featured in the Jan/Feb 2003 newsletter, the "Eastland Corner.")  Three years later, Bill Gillespie (above right) of Ontario, Canada also contacted EDHS regarding his granduncle George Schmidt.  Much to their delight, we immediately put Wendell and Bill in touch with each other.  (We later connected them with another family historian, Karen Gustafson.)  Not only did Wendell and Bill obtain information about their granduncle, they were able to meet each other over the Internet.

Wendell said, "Thank you for being instrumental in getting (Bill and me) in contact with each other.  We are second cousins who have never met.  We probably would never have gotten together otherwise."

Bill said, "You cannot begin to know how happy I am...THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU."

Whereas the Eastland Disaster separated families at the turn of the century, the Eastland Disaster Historical Society is bringing families together nearly ninety years later.

Please direct questions and comments to the Eastland Disaster Historical Society at info@eastlanddisaster.org.

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