COUSINS VOL. 1, NO 38 To/For Descendants of Silas Kyle Sims 07/1/2017 SIMS REUNION IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!!!! SIMS REUNION UPDATE Annual Sims Reunion is Sunday, August 13, 2017 in the Brick Pavilion at Fox Ridge State Park on Route 130, south of Charleston, IL. Pack your picnic basket cause we look forward to seeing you all again, also you cousins that have been unable to attend for awhile!! Reunion President Bill Harrison, Charleston IL will be assisted by Vice-President Silas Hal Sims, Charleston IL, and Secretary/Treasurer Lisa Sims, Springfield IL. The delicious Pitch-in meal is at 12:30. You won t believe all of the home-cooked food that shows up!!! SKS FOUNDATION ANNUAL MEETING The Annual Meeting of the Silas Kyle Sims Foundation will be at Fox Ridge State Park on August 13, 2017. The meeting will begin at 11:30 a.m., which is immediately preceding the annual Sims Reunion. The Annual Meeting is attended by members of the SKS Board of Directors and members of the SKS Board of Trustees. CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE SKS BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Jack Sweeney, Ashmore IL, Vice President Kyle Wilson, Westfield IL; Secretary Michael Sweeney, Charleston IL; Assistant Secretary Kevin Hickman, Charleston IL; Treasurer Judy Kemp, Charleston IL; Assistant Treasurer Chris Sims, Charleston IL; Rosalee Myers, Mattoon IL; Kevin Myers, Mattoon IL. CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE SKS BOARD OF TRUSTEES Chairperson Lisa Sims, Springfield IL; Vice Chairperson Joy Castle, Charleston IL; Delbert Rexrode, Jr., Doe Hill VA; Kenneth Sims, Charleston IL ; David Rohr, Janesville WI; Michael Sims, Geneva IL; Jessie Hasken, Seattle WA; Carol Rohr, Janesville WI; Jacqie Sims, Westfield IL; Jerry Sims, Wildersville TN; Sarah McKinney, Watson, IL; Myra Beachy, Arcola IL; Rob Kemp, Charleston IL; Lorelei Sims, Charleston IL; Barbara Sims, Polo IL; Teri Matthews, Ava MO; Frank Sims, Mobile AL; Karen Blade, Greenup IL; John Sims, Decatur IL; Michael Ryder, Greenup IL; William Harrison, Charleston IL; Kayla Rohr, Janesville WI; Kirk Brackenhoff, Springfield IL. ANNUAL SILAS KYLE SIMS FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP All of you parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts, please share this information with your upcoming high school seniors. The Silas Kyle Sims Foundation awards annually scholarships to high school graduating seniors or one who has graduated within the last two years of the date of application. The SKS Scholarships are academic based, not need based.. Age limit guideline is 17-21 for estimating eligibility field. For questions regarding the SKS Scholarship, contact Judy Kemp via email jkmichael@eiu.edu or by telephone 217-549-5398. (Also text messaging) The completed application form and required attachments are due April 1 of each year. Two $750.00 scholarships have been awarded for the 2017-2018 academic year.
RYAN E. SIMS, son of David and Melanie Sims received one of the $750.00 SKS Scholarships for the academic year 2017-18. Ryan graduated from Brownsburg High School, Brownsburg IN. This fall, Ryan plans to attend Ball State University, majoring in Computer Science. Because of his interest in computer systems, he hopes to one day develop devices that will allow data on now obsolete systems (tape drives, punch card readers, floppy drives) to be compatible with the new computer systems. Sims lineage is Ryan > David > Howard Sims > Edward Kyle Sims > William Howard Sims > Silas Kyle Sims. KRESSA M. SWEENEY, daughter of Don and Jana Sweeney received one of the $750.00 SKS Scholarships for the acdemic year 2017-18. Kressa graduated from Charleston High School, Charleston IL. This fall, Kressa plans to attend Lake Land Community College of Mattoon IL. After receiving her Associates Degree, Kressa plans to transfer to a four-year university. Her major will be in the medical/health care field. Sims lineage is Kressa > Don > Jack Sweeney > Mary (Sims) Sweeney > Ham Sims > Silas Kyle Sims. BIRTHS The editor knows we have had some new babies since the last publication, but no information has been forthcoming from you cousins???? DEATHS Again, the editor knows we have had loved ones pass away, but no information has been forthcoming. KUDOS TO ALBERT FRANKLIN FRANK SIMS: Frank (head baseball coach since 1985 at Spring Hill College, Mobile AL), took a breather from Baseball to return to his hometown this summer. Frank was this year s honoree of the 26 th annual Trojan Booster Club golf outing in Charleston IL. (Sims lineage: Frank > Olen Dale Sims > Pinckney Pink Sims. Silas Kyle Sims. KUDOS TO BRET LEE PFEIFFER: Charleston Illinois weightlifter, Bret, signed a 4-year weightlifting scholarship for Northern Michigan University. His Dad said, The possibility of this skinny 55-pound kid might become national champion and travel the country and even the world, including Cuba and Mexico and Guatemala while representing the USA, and then end up with a free education would have been preposterous. It would not have even remotely entered our mind. But here we are. Sims lineage: Bret > Troy Pfeiffer > Charlotte (Ryder) Pfeiffer > Kathryn (Sims) Ryder > Ham Sims > Silas Kyle Sims. KUDOS TO LORI JO BLADE: After guiding Edwardsville IL to a runnerup finish in the IHSA Class 4A Girls Basketball State Finals this winter, Lori, Tigers head coach, was named the National Coach of the Year by the National High School Coaches Association! Sims Lineage: Lori > Karen (Cutts) Blade > Hollys (Rhodes) Cutts > Jestina Anna (Sims) Rhodes > Ham Sims > Silas Kyle Sims. MEMORIAL DONATIONS RECEIVED Thus far, for 2017, $340.00 in donations were received by the Silas Kyle Sims Scholarship Fund from our cousins to honor love ones birthdays, fathers day and Christmas. The idea is, instead of a gift on a special occasion or to honor a loved one, make a donation to the SKS Scholarship in their honor. Also, keep in mind when a loved one passes, memorial donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the Silas Kyle Sims Scholarship Fund. 2 2
Please email me if you are still receiving the COUSINS via U.S. Mail. Postage and reproduction costs continue to increase. It is much more cost effective to email the Newsletter. My email address is jkmichael@eiu.edu I need news items, human interest stories or happenings of your family or anscestors for publishing in the COUSINS NEWSLETTER. These bits of information are sure to be of interest to your cousins and is a way of sharing your heritage. Send to Judy Kemp, 5221 N County Road 2100 E., Charleston IL 61920 or email jkmichael@eiu.edu Please forward notices of births, marriages, deaths and changes of address to: COUSINS c/o Bill Harrison, 916 Seventeenth Street, Charleston, IL 61920 or via e-mail to: mrbil1@juno.com Bill maintains the genealogy records showing our ancestry. His records begin with James Sims, who was Silas Kyle Sims grandfather and include meticulously recorded entries for births, marriages and deaths of Silas Kyle and Virginia Sims descendants. By supplying Bill with new information, you will be helping maintain records of our family history. The image of the card below contains the information that Bill Harrison needs for new happenings so that he can maintain updated genealogy information. You can supply him with the information via e- mail or fill out this form, cut it out and then US mail it to him. Thanks to all! 3
C O U S I N S In this issue of C O U S I N S you will find Information About the August 13 upcoming 80 th Annual Sims Reunion SKS Scholarship Receipents Names of SKS Foundation Board Members Kudos to cousins THE SILAS KYLE SIMS FOUNDATION 5221 N COUNTY ROAD 2100 E CHARLESTON, IL 61920 4 4
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