The Fayette County Genealogical Society will be hosting another cemetery walk in the Washington Cemetery on Monday, June 20.

This year’s program — “Prominent Early Black Citizens” — will be presented by guest speaker Paul LaRue, local historian and retired social studies teacher from the Washington City Schools.

June 20 is the day after “Juneteenth” — the holiday celebrated as the date when all of slavery ended in the United States.

The last slaves in the United States were freed by federal troops in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865. On June 17, 2021, Juneteenth was recognized as a federal holiday. LaRue will share the history and the contributions made by black citizens to our community.

The public is invited to gather with Genealogical Society members near the fountain in the cemetery on the evening of Monday, June 20 at 6:30 p.m. and join in for this special program and learn more about our local history.

LaRue has been the recipient of numerous state and national teaching awards, and is best known for his work of getting his students out into the community for “hands on” teaching of history and making discoveries to document their own discoveries.

He serves as a member on the Ohio World War I Committee and served on the National World War I Centennial Committee as a senior education advisor. He is a member of the Ohio State Board of Education.

For further information concerning this cemetery walk, the Fayette County Genealogical Society, membership in the Society, our Lineage Societies, or research, please contact Cathy Massie White, lineage chair, at [email protected] or 740-333-7227, or Sue Gilmore, president, at [email protected] or 614-864-9609, or Peggy Lester, research chair, at [email protected] or 740-495-5720.