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Awards

The Old Buncombe County Genealogical Society (OBCGS) proudly offers several annual awards for authors, members and community leaders. We want to recognize excellence in publishing and a commitment to genealogical research standards that equal those at the national level. These awards are presented at the Annual Membership Meeting in November each year. The recipients receive a plaque or a certificate to honor their achievement.

ROB NEUFELD AWARD:

The award is given in honor of Rob Neufeld (1954-2019), journalist and historian who lived and worked in the Asheville area. In an August 2019 interview, several months before he passed away after a long battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease, he said “The thing I’m most proud of is being able to tell people’s stories and making the connection to that time, and putting their lives in historical context,” Neufeld said then. “Mostly I did that by focusing on people’s lives, so that people know what it’s like living another person’s reality.” The recipient is recognized because of their active collection and documentation of local Western North Carolina history and the families whose stories illustrate that history.

Rob Neufeld Service Award Submission Form

The Rob Neufeld Award – Click here for more information on past recipients: Neufeld Recipients List

ROLL OF HONOR:

An award presented to up to five persons each year for their life time achievement in genealogy and recognizing the significant contributions they have made to genealogical research in Western North Carolina. If you would like to nominate someone for this award, use the:

Roll of Honor Submission Form

The OBCGS Roll of Honor – Click here for more information on past recipients: Roll of Honor Recipients

BOOK AWARDS:

Nominations must be received at the OBCGS office by September 30 each year. Any book submitted for an award must have been published within the last three years of the year of the award nomination.

Book Awards Submission Form

The Foster Alexander Sondley Award – This award is presented for a book on a family genealogy from the local Western North Carolina region.

Click here for more information on past recipients: Sondley Recipients List

The Albert S. McLean Award – This award is presented for a book on Western North Carolina  genealogy records such as transcriptions/abstracts of marriage records, court records,  etc.

Click here for more information on past recipients:  McLean Recipients List

The Bob Terrell Award – This award is presented for a book on local history from the Western North Carolina region.

Click here for more information on past recipients:  Terrell Recipients List

Permanent link to this article: https://www.obcgs.com/society-2/awards/