MONTHLY DESCENDANTS GATHERINGS • 4PM PST / 7PM EST
2025: November 22, December 20
2026: January 17, February 21, March 21, April 18, May 16, June 20, July 18, August 15, September 19
GoElizabethNJ250 presents a special online conversation with descendants of families tied to Elizabeth’s Old First Cemetery. This monthly gathering brings together historians, community leaders, and multigenerational descendants to share stories of lineage, healing, and living history as we prepare for the 250th Anniversary.
Each session features presentations, historical insights, and shared research from families connected to Elizabethtown’s earliest eras. Participants help preserve family legacies, deepen lineage documentation, and build a modern community around the city’s founding stories.
Featured Descendant Panelists
- Joanne Rajoppi – Union County Clerk, President, Union County Historical Society, Daughters of the American Revolution
- Dr. Linda Caldwell-Epps – Historian, President/CEO 1804 Consultants
- Nancy Benz – Descendant of the Crane Family, Daughters of the American Revolution
- Danny & Patty Woodruff – Descendants of the Woodruff Family
- Jocelyn Francis-White – Descendant of the VanDeVere Family, Trustee, 1719 William Trent House Museum
- Pamela Thoms – Descendant of the Ogden Family, The National Society Colonial Dames 17th Century
- Bob Gula – Descendant of the Harriman and Whitehead Families, Sons of the American Revolution
Presented By
GoElizabethNJ250 Planning Committee
Mayor J. Christian Bollwage (Co-Chair)
Rev. Dr. Wanda M. Lundy (Co-Chair)
Aimee Fernandez-Puente (Co-Chair)
What We Explore Each Month
- Lineage connections and family research from historic Elizabeth families
- Guest presentations and discussion with subject-matter experts
- Preservation of multigenerational stories and original family lines
- Contextual exploration of Elizabeth’s role in early American history
- Preparation for the 2026 in-person Descendants Reunion
Who Should Attend
This gathering welcomes all known descendants of individuals interred at Old First Cemetery—especially members of the Ogden, Woodruff, Crane, VanDeVere, Harriman, and Whitehead Families—as well as researchers, historians, students, and community partners interested in early Elizabethtown history.
Zoom Access
Meeting Time: 4 PM PST / 7 PM EST
Zoom Meeting ID: 838 8723 7991
Join us each month to help preserve and uplift the legacy of Elizabeth’s earliest families and to contribute to a collective story that continues to shape the American experience.
