
Crusoe native and historian Archie Cumbee will be the next speaker Saturday at the Southeastern Genealogical Society.
Cumbee was born in Columbus County and lived in Crusoe Island until his family moved near the town of Brunswick in the mid-1950s. He attended school at Old Dock and in Whiteville, graduating from Whiteville High School in 1966. A graduate of N.C. State University, he is also an Air Force veteran and retired from the Air National Guard after 23 total years of service. For many years, he also worked in crop insurance and was a residential real estate appraiser.
Growing up next door to his grandparents and step-great-grandmother, he recalls listening to them, as well as his parents, talk about life in their earlier years. These memories likely sparked his interest in genealogy and learning more about his ancestors.
In 1976, Archie contributed a chapter on the origins of Crusoe Island in Recollections and Records, a project of the Columbus County Bicentennial Commission. In 2015, he published A Genealogy of Crusoe Island.
After spending their adult lives in the Raleigh area, Archie and his wife Brenda retired to the Wilmington area a few years ago. They have two grown children and two grown grandchildren.
Saturday’s meeting will be held at Whiteville Missionary Alliance Church at 2 p.m. Some members arrive early to share family stories. The public is welcome.
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