Page Last Updated: October 12, 2018
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From: Fredrea Gregath Cook
June 30, 2003
Nice talking to you on the telephone. I will do my best to answer your questions and look forward to see what you have written.
Q. How did Gregath publishing
begin, what is it's purpose and why did you take on the family business?
A. Gregath Co. was established in the early 70s as a
means to publish family history and genealogy books at a fair price and in a
easy manner. My mother and grandmother started the business and I just
naturally took the next step, as an author and research, and went into the
family business. I could do this and remain a 'stay at home'
mother. Since my daughter, Carrie, grew up around research, writing, and
publishing, she was a natural. In fact, her extra spending money often
came from manuscript preparation and computer, while in school. You
can learn a little more about us by checking our website at the URL below.
Q. What personal satisfaction do you get from learning
of your past relatives?
A. Our ancestors give me satisfaction, in that I can relive history
through the records they left behind. The research is most interesting
and challenging to me, since history lives through the family.
Families help bring the statistical facts of history to life, for all of us,
and I really enjoy being able to help others do this with their own families.
Q. Is there someone from the past to whom you feel very
connected although they passed before your birth?
A. There are several. I have a great, great grandmother that kept
her family together through the Civil War, and through years of pioneer
life. She was a wonderful seamstress and was quite capable of shooting
an intruder to protect and provide for her family. We have her silver
scissors which she was never without and she, did indeed, shoot an intruder.
She and her 13 year old son ran for the Cherokee Strip, after her husband
passed.
Q. Why should anyone pursue their family history and how
should they begin?
A. There are many reasons one would pursue their family history.
These can range from just wanting to know who they are, to family medical
difficulties, to sharing the family with generations to come. One
should always begin with themselves and work back in time.
Q. What's the most interesting or provocative story
you've learned while researching your family?
A. There are so many, it is
difficult to say. Perhaps one of the ones I find most interesting to try
to pin down is my husband's great, great, great grandfather, who was a
bound orphan in 1806 in East Tennessee. By the War of 1812, he ran away
and joined Andrew Jackson. Locating his roots has been my "brick wall"
to overcome.
I hope the above is of interest to you and is helpful. We would love to see what you write.
With regard to other items, off the top of my head, I felt you might be interested in a book that we published last year. Brilliant Victory: The Second Civil War Battle of Cabin Creek, Indian Territory was written by Steven L. Warren. He used to be with KOTV in Tulsa and is considered an authority on this most important Civil War battle. He is currently writing a screen play, as well. The second battle of Cabin Creek is one of the jewels in Stand Waitie's service to the south. He was the last Confederate General to surrender (even after Lee) and he and his Cherokees, aided by Texas troops made off with a huge Union wagon train bound for Ft. Gibson. Pretty neat story and many folks in NE OK are quite familiar with both Waitie and Cabin Creek. We can send you more if you are interested. I'm sure I can come up with a list of other items to send along at a later time.
Page Last Updated:
October 12, 2018