Selected speakers will read paragraphs in Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, German, French, and Spanish with an ASL interpreter to highlight the Declaration's relevance that all men are created equal. Members of the Sophie de Marsac Campau Chapter will read the names of the Declaration’s signers from the same colonies they descended from.   

The reading will take place on the steps of the Main Branch of the Grand Rapids Public Library, located at 111 Library Street NE. Members of the public are invited to attend. 

No seating will be provided at the event. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chair or blanket. 

Chapter Regent Leah Sherman says, “'The Sophie de Marsac Campau Chapter of the DAR is excited to join the nationwide Sharing the Spirit of America initiative. We are commemorating the first ever public reading of the Declaration of Independence that occurred on July 8th 1776. This event, exactly 250 years later, embodies the patriotism of our members who descend from the original American revolutionists! Hearing the words of this founding document read from the steps of one of Grand Rapids most iconic buildings will be such a meaningful experience. We will hear several passages repeated in the native languages of some of our country's more recent immigrants because this founding document is relevant to ALL Americans.

The event will end with D.A.R. members reading the names of the signers of the Declaration that were at the Continental Congress on July 4th 1776 representing the home states of our member's ancestors when the Declaration was adopted.

It's going to be a great event!' 

Visit america250mi.org/sharing-the-spirit-of-america for more information. 

Geneteka is the largest free, volunteer-driven database for Polish genealogy, containing over 30 million indexed vital records (births, marriages, deaths). It is an essential starting point for finding ancestors in Poland, as well as in historical Polish borderlands like Ukraine, Belarus, and Lithuania.

Contact Jill Pearson Reider at JillReider1@gmail.com or 307-699-0812 if you have any questions.  For the Zoom link, and more information, check the WMGS website: https://www.wmgs.org/ writers_group.htm  

This month's topic: Court records reveal another side to your ancestors’ lives. What civil, criminal, or estate records have you found that gave you new insight into your family story?  

The following one will be Tuesday, October 20, in The Vander Veen Room. If you have any questions, please contact Jill Pearson Reider at JillReider1@gmail.com or 307-699-0812.