Contributed
A Mother County Genealogical Society meeting will be at 12:30, Saturday, April 12 in the Bladenboro Historical Society Building, 818 South Main Street, Bladenboro, NC. There will be plenty of time to mingle with other researchers and the Museum upstairs will be open from 2-4 pm. All with an interest in history and genealogy are welcome.
Terry Smith will be our speaker.
Terry’s preview of her talk:
If you’ve ever seen the PBS show, “Finding Your Roots,” which does deep dives into the genealogy of famous celebrities and presents the findings to them on the show, Japan has a similar version, known as “Family History: (celebrity name).
One widely viewed, acclaimed show recently was 72-year-old Masao Kusakari, a nationally loved, model, film star and only child whose single mother told him his American G. I. father died during the Korean War. Masao knew nothing of his father’s family until the show’s research led to a man born in Tar Heel, North Carolina whose family ties included Robeson, Cumberland and Sampson Counties.
The celebrity was so overcome by the findings that he promptly flew to North Carolina to meet his (then) 97-year-old aunt and other relatives, all of which were filmed.
On April 12th, the Mother County Genealogy Society will present, “Tar Heel Roots: The Journey of Masao Kusakari” which will feature documentary clips with translations from the show, and an emotional meeting with relatives.
Presented by MCGS member Terry Smith who is related to the star through both of her parents, the touching story will have broad appeal to a general audience but local families with surnames Allen, Tolar, Grimes, Meares, Johnson, Crumpler, Autry, and McMillan may find added interest.
Author: staff report
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