What God Says to His Soldiers

This showed up in my parents things. Dad had apparently received it in 1973 and this was part of an open letter to service personnel from the Wesleyan church written by David L. Keith, Director of Servicemen's Ministries. I don't know if he wrote this or not, but the scan is what was written. I thought this was well done. It speaks to me at this time, knowing that both parents have joined the Last Post and are waiting for the Grand Review.

Obituary for Bernadine Tangen Weber

Bernadine Adell Tangen Weber passed away a month ago on June 11, 2010 at her home in Happy Valley, Oregon. She was the eldest of six children born to Ole O and Kathryn M (Vandervort) Tangen. Ole had a farming homestead in North Dakota and Kathryn was the local school marm. They married and began their life in the Dakotas, but returned to Hanlontown, Iowa to help the paternal grandparents on their farm where Bernadine was born on January 18, 1923. Her parents worked on the family farm and after Ole’s father passed away later rented farms in several communities in Wisconsin. Ole’s mother lived with them for many years and Bernadine loved her very much.

Bernadine met her husband, Robert “Bob” Sherwood Weber, at church in the little town of Kendall, Wisconsin and they became interested in each other after Kathryn Tangen, asked her daughter to give that “nice Weber boy” a piece of cake that she had brought down for the kids at camp. While Bernadine and Bob were both born the same year, Bernadine had started school at four years of age while Bob started school at six. They were two years apart in school and when she graduated from high school and although he still had two years to go, they became secretly engaged. They were formally engaged when he graduated from high school two years later in May of 1942 and then World War II interfered with their marriage plans. Bob joined the Army Air Corps training to be a pilot. Cadets at that time could not be married but two years later, however, when married men were being allowed to join, single men were allowed to get married and Bernadine took a train from Portland, Oregon to Monroe, Louisiana where there were married on June 17, 1944. A couple of months later, and when Bob was to deploy to England, he became very ill with sleeping sickness. By the time he was well enough to head overseas, the war was coming to an end. They left the military and moved to a small town outside Portland, Oregon. They remained there until Jan 1953 when during the Korean Conflict, Bob again joined the Air Force. The family moved frequently and lived in California, South Dakota, Texas, Mississippi, Washington, & Oregon. They were stationed in Wiesbaden, Germany for three years. Through all the transfers and upheaval, Bernadine maintained a secure and loving home for the family. She loved to spend time drinking coffee and chatting with friends and was known for her great hospitality and ability to bake and decorate cakes. She gladly and always welcomed her children’s friends into her home whether high school, college or as adults.

When Bob retired from the military and after he built their home in Portland, Oregon, he began working as a State Farm Insurance Agent and Bernadine again carried her share of the load by being the bookkeeper/accountant for the business. Bernadine had an avid interest in family history and took great pains to compile a significant family tree for her Tangen relatives and was very active in the family Tangen reunions held every three years.

Mom was a terrific mom, always loving and caring. We miss you very much and no one can ever take your place. We look forward to seeing you again when our turn comes to cross the river Jordan. Thanks for being such a great person and thanks for living your faith in God so that we could see first hand how loving the Creator of all is and why we are so blessed that God the Son came and died for our sins. We can never repay you for the love and care we experience and for your faithfulness to God and to our family.

HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY, DADDY

I MISS YOU DADDY!
ROBERT SHERWOOD WEBER
1923-2000

Wonewoc, Wisconsin

It is so fun to come across postcards of familiar places though not from a familiar time. This post card was written from George Sherwood to his parents in 1916. This was before he enlisted in the army during WWI and I believe at this time he was attending college in Appleton, Wisconsin but this card was written in mid-August so he must have been making money to continue in school. It sounds like he was working at a camp and had someting to do with boats. He was apparently having a good time. I'm not sure why he sent the card that had a photo of Wonewoc, but this was his choice!

I love the buggy and the pedestrians frozen in time -- almost 94 years ago.

Wonewoc today for comparison - if this link works :-)

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&q=wonewoc+wi&fb=1&gl=us&ei=41vzS9bBMo6mswOPouGlDA&ved=0CBUQ8gEwAA&view=map&geocode=FZAWmgIdm0yf-g&split=0&sll=43.653539,-90.223619&sspn=0.023681,0.015800&iwloc=A

Baraboo, WI Street Scene

I know I read on line that Baraboo has a circus museum, but seriously, was this really a street scene in Baraboo, Wisconsin in 1915??????? That is when it is postmarked - April 16, '15

"Spring Fever" poem by Dora Lindsay

Perfect description of how I feel today. Good dose of Spring Fever! Oh, to just sit in the sun and relax all day or read a book. Took my hour of fun (finding and scanning this poem) and now it's back to work. Enjoy ~ Dora wrote this in May of 1924 while living in Price, Utah.

Lines by Nathaniel Healy

I found this poem apparently copied by my great-great Aunt, Evalina (Nellie) Richardson Thompson. In her early years she had very tiny and distinctive handwriting. The poem is entitled Lines by Nathaniel Healy and is either written by her grandfather Nathaniel Healy or her uncle, Nathaniel Church Healy. If the former, it was written before he passed away in 1841; if the latter, before 1874 when he passed away while in London, England. Both Nathaniel Sr. & Jr. were Universalist in their Christian beliefs while other family members were strong Congregationalists including their son and brother Joseph Warren Healy who was a Congregational Minister as well as a physician and an educator. They must have had some very interesting dinner conversations!

Lines by Nathaniel Healy


When people to their end are brought
And hope of life forsakes them
If reason hold they’ll stretch a thought
Where death will likely take them..
As hope or fear preponderate
So they drew their conclusion
And hence from reason form their faith
Or else from strong delusion.

The curious world do eager wait
To catch their last expression
And argue thence their final state
On their death bed profession.
But if this dogma prove correct
Which common sense would distance
Infallible ‘Twould prove each set
That ever had existence.

For any age where was the sect
But died with [faith] unshaken
And were their systems all correct
Or else were all mistaken.
They each have persecution caught
Or of it have partaken
From worshipper of Juggernaut
Down to the humble Quaker.

They have been tortured, burned or maimed
And hanged and whipped and banished
Yet of their faith were not ashamed
And every fear had vanished
With facts like these before my eyes
I’ve come to this decision
That all we know beyond this state
We’ve learned from tradition


If any should my faith inquire
When I in death shall falter
I think if reason doth remain
My faith will never alter.
I have a hope of future life
And think all will enjoy it
But know not when or how or where
Or how we shall employ it.

I think that Pain, Disease and Death
By which we are amazed
Were all created here in time
Of course must be destroyed.
When we immortal shall be raised
And changed to incorruption
Our happiness will be complete
And know no interruption.

Poem for Golden Anniversary of David and Rosina Jane Stevens

Fifty years have come and vanished
Gliding down life’s turbid stream
With their changeful lights and shadows
Seeming almost like a dream.

Fifty years when looking forward
At the time how long it seems
Fifty years when looking backwards
Vanished like a dream of dreams.

Very beautiful the mornings
When the suns first ray of light
Wakens all the earth to gladness
With a radiance pure and bright.

But the time that speaketh ever
To our hearts with matchless power
Is when gazing on the splendor
Of the golden sunset hour.

Spring with tender leaves and blossoms
Is an ever welcome guest
And we sometimes almost fancy
That we love her coming best

But we know the year’s best treasures
Come to us in after days
When we garner up the harvest
In the Autumn’s golden days

And we thank our Heavenly Father
With a grateful heart today
That so much of joy and blessing
Has been yours along the way.

Fifty years of life together
In the sunshine and the rain
May the chain so long unbroken
Many added links obtain.

Mrs. Julia (Whitcher)Richardson

(Sister-in-law of Rosina Jane Stevens & wife of her brother Nathaniel Healy Richardson)

Interestingly, on the back of this two page poem with faded velvet ribbon, is another little section which says "last verse". Apparently the idea was not to add any sense of the inevitable end to this marriage and so cast a pall on the festivities of the day. The final section reads and is in a different handwriting ~

And the faithful strong affection
That hath made your life so bright.
Shall go with you to that country
Where there iso pain nor night.

Letter from Grandma and Grandpa

What a treat to find this draft of a letter sent to me so many decades ago. The original seems to be long gone, but my grandmother's rough draft was found among other letters. Grandmother was always a bit eccentric, but I find that as I get older I am getting more that way myself. Can't you just imagine this old man finding clovers in the pasture and telling his wife about them? And then they both wander down to the old pasture and dig it up and discuss where best to plant it. Such insight into the lives of my old people when I was but an infant and they were 71 and 57. They wrote

__________________________________________________

"And He took them up in His arms, put His hands upn them and blessed them." Mark 10:16

Dear Precious little Grand-daughter,

Grandfather found this lovely five -leaf clover and two others in the pasture north of the cow barn on the old Wisconsin Farm on your Great Grandfather Sherwood's ninety-third birthday anniversary (Aug 28th) and then we both went down in the pasture and dug up the plant and found that it had another five lobed leaf and four four-lobed leaves. I planned to plant it the next day on your little brother's birthday anniversary (Aug 29th) but was not quite sure just where would be the best place and also did not have time. Thought surely I would get it planted on your birthday anniversary but unexpected things came up to delay even getting this written, though my thoughts and prayers were with you all the day and I kept singing and humming "That Little Girl (Boy) of Mine."

All the dear, cute interesting things which Ronald does make me ache realizing how much we are missing of the dear, cute, interesting things which you are doing at your age, and how much we are missing of you as an individual, our own precious little Grand-daughter.

We so long to see you and hold you in our arms and be with you and have you here on the Old Wisconsin Farm and we hope and pray that it shall be possible next summer for all of you out there to come and see us all here and you and Ronald play together and all of you get acquainted with Ronald's little sister or brother.

And perhaps sometime we can visit you in your own home.

God bless and keep you always.
Lovingly and prayerfully, Special Birthday Hugs and Kisses

Grandpa and Grandma

_______________________________________________

Front page) Pink Stationary

Large five-lobed clover fastened with stem through slits

To Our Precious Little Grand-Daughter

On Her First Birthday Anniversary

The Best of Lovingly, Prayerful Wishes

For All the Years To Come

From Her Loving

Grandfather and Grandmother

The Rains Came Down and the Floods Came Up

On January 17th we headed south to visit and help out (donate our time) at a mission in Vicente Guerrero, Baja, Mexico. We got ourselves on the plane first thing in the morning, had a routine flight and bingo, were shortly on our way south of the border. We reached the border in about 20 minutes, and then spent the next nearly three hours figuring out how to get our visa's since we were going south of Encinada and staying longer than two days. It was one of those "so close and yet so far" experiences (finding parking and looking for the office) but at last we had the highly sought after little pieces of paper (that actually said we could stay for 180 days!) and off we went. No side trips now as the afternoon was waning and it was nearly dark when we reached out destination five hours south of the border. This was my husband's third trip and my second and it was fun to be back there again.

The week started off just as usual. Last year one of our daughters had stayed down there for nearly six months and had spent a great deal of time helping out in the prayer garden. I took some photos for her so she could see how nice it was looking. When I had free time I looked for unusual birds in the garden as well.

The area had had a drought for several years and while the mission has it's own wells and treated water supply, everyone was hoping and praying for rain. On Tuesday our second day there we had a nice rain and everyone was greatful. Wednesday was another beautiful day and we heard that we were to have more rain on Thursday. Thursday dawn overcast and chilly and a small group of us headed off to the kitchen to do breakfast set up duty. We were fortunate, because after set up began and before breakfast started, the rain started coming down. Really coming down. Sort of like standing in a shower kind of coming down! Wow! I'm used to rain, being a northwesterner, but this was RAIN. Fortunately it didn't last too long at that rate, but tapered off to a normal shower. All those people who got to sleep in an extra 30 minutes got wet (but not we who were so diligent! -- well at least not yet).

After breakfast and Sala we headed off to our respective activities of the morning. At break-time we noticed that there was a lot more water than usual running down the road, but didn't think too much about it. But as we arrived at break the news was spreading "Go, Pack!" "We are evacuating." We were throwing stuff into suitcases, rolling up sleeping bags and grabbing pillows and toiletries and then even bigger news came. "Never mind, we can't leave, the bridge is out." This was an interesting idea since there is only one bridge. How badly was it out? What did that mean exactly??? But then we realized that there was even more excitement coming and there was no time now to worry about the bridge. Our worrying was closer at hand! Not only had it rained hard where we were, it had rained hard in the hills. (We found out later there were three feet of snow in the moutains to the east.) And now we were dealing with flash flooding. All of a sudden we were getting organized to put some real effort out to keep the Casa's (orphanage homes) from getting flooded. The office was already flooded a bit and part of the elementary school. So we all started trying to help out. At first it was a bit comical as there was not a central leader stating what everyone should be doing, but slowly those who could lead did and got us fairly organized. For the next few hours we were racing the water. The mission staff took their responsibilities seriously and important things like making sure fresh water was sealed off from the run off was taken care of. They also found us supplies or sent us off to locate them in the warehouse.

There is an old SundaySchool song where "The rains came down and the floods came up" and that was what we were experiencing first hand. We got to fill and haul sandbags (I moved two and then realized a third would likely leave me never moving again!) and helped out in a variety of ways moving perishables up out of the way of the incoming water, etc.

By evening the water had started to recede and the worst news was that we could not take showers. In the grande scheme of things that's not really the worst thing that could happen, but since I had been planning an afternoon shower on Thursday, which would have been my second one since Sunday morning, that was a bit of a blow. And we were a mess, all of us. We had been walking around in nearly knee high water with who knows what all floating around in it for hours. When I pealed those socks off, they went straight into the trash. There was not even any point in attempting to get them clean.

That night a lot of the guys and a few hardy woman walked around the grounds to check out barriers and to be ready to notify everyone if the rain started up again. Fortunately, while it continued to rain the next few days, it was in moderation.

But the damage was long done. The bridge was out and the question was now long it would be before "someone" organized a repair or a replacement. We walked down to see what was going on and got to look across to where we wanted to go! Jeremy from our group had welded a "basket" and John from our group (a fireman by trade) and Jeremy helped the local officials to get two pregnant women with complicated deliveries across the river to the hospital. The next day it was used to bring blankets and supplies back and forth wherever the need was. Personally, I would really NEED to get to a hospital before I could be convinced to travel across in a basket like that (not that I don't trust Jeremy's welding). But this was being done with an aluminum cable rather than steel, so a little more risky (or exciting I suppose).

The local government (or maybe higher up, who knows) decided to "fix" the problem by diverting the river all to the side where the bridge remained up and to pile dirt and rocks up until the could drive off the end of the bridge onto the dirt and down to the river bed and across. It was an interesting idea and I'm not exactly sure how they plan to really replace the bridge if they have a temporary "fix" at the end when it would connect. But I guess I don't have to worry about it -- and next year we'll see if they've made any progress :-)!

Fortunately for us as well Discoll Strawberries was on the same side of the downed bridge as we were and they were EAGER to get their produce north (Yeah, you see them at Costco!). Saturday, our day to leave, came and went and we were still there. And Monday and Tuesday. But fortunately we we able to have a (one, only one) shower over the weekend so I got mine on Sunday afternoon.

Tuesday we went on an outreach to a worker camp playing with the kids and providing them with a few essentials. On the way back we could see semi trucks lined up two deep on both sides of the main road in town. This was a good sign!

And at 8 PM the trucks started rolling across the dirt ramp and when we got up at 6 and left at 7 AM there was hardly a vehicle to be seen anywhere. The road to Encinada was practically empty and we made it back to the border in record time. We even only had a 20 minute wait at the border.

Here we are heading for the end of the bridge ! A few days ago a drop off into empty space.

And here we are sloping down toward what would have been the river bed a few days before. We waved out the windows and called "Gracias!" as we finally started for home.

All in all it was a great trip. It was more of an adventure than we had anticipated. We were stretched in our faith to trust God for the outcome and we were all pleased that we got to help out our friends in Baja. It was actually perfect. We were there a total of 11 days instead of seven, we got to experience a dramatic event and help make a different and, yet, the whole time we had warm beds, clean water and even our usual morning coffee. A good time as had by all! Three of the group had to go home earlier for various important reasons and they got to experience flying on little private planes from Vicente Guerrero to Encinada and then taking a taxi to the border and a second from the border to the airport (or some variation on that). And we got to be on the news, American's stranded in Mexico.

Oh, and the prayer garden survived! A little muddy but not too much the worse for wear. The plants looked greener (probably because the dust was washed off) and they all got a long-awaited extra large drink!

We do praise God for His care and faithfulness and that we could help bring comfort to others in real need!

For more info on the mission/orphanage and all it's fabulous services and ministries to the community, see http://www.ffhm.org/. For our news report see http://www.king5.com/news/local/Local-Group-Stranded-in-Mexico-82571922.html

Healy & Steel; Resting Together in Peace

Before we traveled off to Washington, New Hampshire, I had discovered, or been discovered by another descendant of the Steel family through Ancestry.com. Between information the two of us had, we were able to verify that Church Tabor's wife, Elizabeth Steel, was the daughter of John and Jane Steel. There are a few sources that have Jane as the wife of James Steel, but we think that Patricia, James' actual wife, would have some complaints about this idea. Jane is buried next to Church Tabor, her son in law (see previous post about them) in South Hero, Vermont. I found records that John had died and been buried in Massachusetts. That information had him dying about a month after his wife. That seemed odd to me but the discovery that Jane and John had four other children besides Elizabeth and their youngest (married) daughter lived in Massachusetts cast some light on this situation. It is likely that after Jane passed away, John, who was likely living there in South Hero as well and in fact might have been the first of the group to move to South Hero, probably decided to go to either live with his daughter Sarah or to visit her before the harshest part of winter set in. He was apparently taken ill and died there a month after Jane had passed away in South Hero. He was buried in Massachusetts either for convenience of those in Massachusetts, or because winter was setting in and it would have been difficult to transport him to South Hero to rest by his wife. Of course, there could be other skeleton's in the closet and maybe husband and wife had separated years before. Maybe we will find out some day -- or not.

But back to Washington, New Hampshire. Church Tabor and Elizabeth Steel were married in September of 1782 in Washington, New Hampshire. Perhaps they knew each other previously since the Tabor family came from Rhode Island and before helping to build the Meeting House at Washington, Church had helped with the original Meeting House (now gone) in Nelson, New Hampshire. Or perhaps all the families moved there for one or another reasons and they met there. Regardless of how they met, John Steel, Jane's husband and Elizabeth's father, was the brother of William Steel who was well known in Washington, NH. William had a major dispute with John Healy (husband of Mary Wight formerly of Dedham, Massachusetts). John & Mary Healy and family had moved from Newton, Massachusettes to Washington, New Hampshire in 1778. John lived in the south of the town, right on the border of Stoddard, New Hampshire. William Steel lived closer to the center of the town and both men had strong opinions about where the Meeting House should be built. William apparently stirred things up quite a bit and finally John and other members of the community decided to try to annex the south part of Washington and create another town. This got William's wind up and he invoked the state legislature and once they got involved they determined the meeting house would be built where it now stands (neither John nor William's first choice) and everyone could just live with it -- and no new town -- and so they did.

So Church Tabor and colleagues got to work on the Meeting House and one could say they all lived happily ever after. Perhaps after that big brouhaha things settled down and John Healy (my great X 5 grandfather) and William got along for the rest of their lives. John lived until August 19, 1810. William died on October 26, 1810, apparently falling off his horse and drowning in a stream. Some descendents have wondered if he was helped along to drown, but since John had passed away previously, we know he did not help him along. Why is it important that these men lay down their differences? Well, John Healy's son, Nathaniel, married Church Tabor and Elizabeth Steel's daughter Jane Tabor (my great X 5 grandmother). So William is stuck with the Healy family because Nathaniel, John's son, married William's niece.

Whether or not they could get along well in life -- which they probably did except for having strong and differing opinions on various topics -- they now lie near each other in the Old Washington Cemetery. In the photo above, the large Healy monument marks the final resting place of 13 Healy's of three generations; next to that monument is a row of Steel slate headstone (not the closest two, but the further back line of 6), including William, Hannah his wife, Sarah Putnam Steel, William and John's mother, and a few others. All together they lie silently as the seasons cycle through year after year. In 2010 the two strong pioneer men who helped build New Hampshire, the Washington Meeting House and whose children and grandchildren helped to settle Vermont and later Wisconsin and Minnesota and beyond, will have rested only feet apart for 200 years. It looks like the children and great grandchildren have had the last laugh. And a good reminder why we need to treat all people well -- you never know who will end up on the branch next to you on your family tree.

The Other Washington

Over the past couple years I have gotten heavily into family history, as anyone who reads this blog would be aware. The past two fall's we've taken a trip back to visit places in Vermont where ancestors had lived and died. This year we continued the tradition, but moved back a generation. We discovered the town where so many of my family trees met, merged and moved on. In Washington, New Hampshire (named in late fall 1776 for George Washington who was then quite busy! -- the first town named for him) several of my family lines moved a decade or so before the turn of the century. Church Tabor, who had served in the Revolutionary War and who had a family history of carpentry work, moved with his father and brother, maybe two. He ended up being one of the main builders of the Washington Meeting House. It is one of the few Meeting Houses of it's time that has survived and has the even more narrow distinction of STILL being the Town Hall of Washington after all these years.

This is the Meeting House in Washington. When it was originally built (between 1787 to 1789) it did not have the bell tower that can be seen on the left side facing it. It would have looked the same on both sides with the little porch on the end. The pulpit -- since the meeting house was both the town hall and the church meeting place -- would have been opposite the front entrance. When the building was built it also had a main floor and a gallery above for additional seating but would have been open to the ceiling in the center. It has been remodeled a bit over the years and now it is two stories on the inside with the upstairs now a stage for local plays and productions. The Meeting house remains little altered on the outside; but is completely different now on the inside. Gone are the box pews that families paid for and had priority to use. I used to think that was odd, but having read about this now, I have discovered that the pews were "sold" as a means of purchasing them since the town didn't have the money left over for that when the building was done.

In the photo here you can see the original meeting house (on the right), next to it and in the center is a school that was later built, and the closest building is the "newer" Congregational church which was built when the governmental and religious functions of the town were a little
more separated than they had been initally. They say that this is now one of the most widely photographed town greens in New England because of its picturesque trio of buildings.

Our trip was so much fun. We were able to talk to Gwen, a town historian, who shared all kinds of information on various family members. We were able to meet with Grace, the town archivist and were able to see the actual birth and marriage records of various family members and to take flashless digital photos. Another historical society member, Tom, was able to point out the farms of family members on the south end of town. Fortunately we visited that area on Sunday after we had talked my brother and sister-in-law and some of the nieces into visiting Washington as well. Without his four-wheel-drive we NEVER would have made it and the rental car company would have had a stroke had we tried!

Church Tabor (named Church because that was his mother's maiden name) was one of the prime carpenters on this meeting house as noted above. He helped with the general construction, specifically built the roof, constructed the window frames and transom above the door and also built the original six pillars (three of which are left) that supported the structure on the inside. I'll try to add a few more photos soon of the interior. And photos of our walk through the cemetery where we surprising found adversaries resting in peace together.

We are looking forward to another trip to the Other Washington again next fall if we can manage it!

The "Lady Washington"

Truly youth is wasted on the young! Whoever said that must have had many opportunities to observe kids in action ~

Due to her illness (including salmonella) in Mexico, I had to make a quick round trip to San Diego to pick her up. I spent my birthday flying full fare and paying massive extra baggage fees and got her home in one piece! Five days later she's not only up and about, but off signing on to be a volunteer and get trained to sail a tall ship. So you can see why I have more gray hair at the end of the month than I had at the begining!!

But fortunately she kept them appraised of her past health issues; they had an emt on board and so off she went with our (hesitant) blessing. What an opportunity! She said it was fabulous being on deck looking at the giant sails snapping in the wind. She got to be steering the ship when they went by our old Lighthouse home away from home -- New Dungeness where we had stayed seven or eight times while the girls were growing up. She told her shipmates all about the lighthouse and the fun staying there for a week at a time. When visitors are on board, the crew all wear costumes. Sometimes they fight battles at sea with their sister ship the Hawaiian Chieftan. While no balls actually blast off the sides of the ships, there is great noise and smoke as the cannons are fired.

I can assure you that I had an emergency evacuation out of Mexico at the beginning of a week, I would not have been off to sail in the ocean five or six days later. If only I had her energy and my experience!! But we do applaud her sense of adventure and hope that she has other wonderful and amazing experiences throughout her life.

For more information on the Lady Washington, check out their website at:

http://www.historicalseaport.org/web/index.html

The Incredible Traveling Bible

What an amazing week! Last Tuesday August 4th, I received an email through Ancestry.com from a woman who wanted to know what my relationship was to James R Vandervort. I wrote her back and explained that I was James' great-great-great granddaughter (mom, grandma, g-grandpa Charles Lorenzo, GG James Baker, GGG James R - fyi). She informed me that she had acquired a Vandervort family Bible which she had bought on Ebay. She also said that she belonged to a geneology group that had a project of acquiring "orphaned" family Bible and returning them to their families. Once I had assured her of my connection, she said that she would send the Bible to me. To my surprise as well, I had already planned a trip to California because I needed to get my daughter to LA by the 9th. So we arranged to meet on Sunday the 9th. In the meantime, I notified a group of other Vandervort descendents. We all email each other with information! Then Jackie, our internet angel, sent nine photos taken of the Bible and its content. I forwarded them on to the group and Arlyn began working on making those photos even more legible and sent them back around. No one could believe our fortune! It was simply amazing.

So Thursday evening we began our road trip to California. We had fun driving down and visitingfriends. On Sunday we (my other daughter and I) said goodbye to Ash and she and her group left for Mexico. Beth and I then headed down to meet our orphaned Bible contact.

What a fun afternoon! We followed the directions to Scott and Jackie's house and "met" the Vandervort family Bible. There are pages of information, most of which centers on cousins. The entries in the Bible began with the marriage of William E Vandervort and his bride Katie Katura Medd and includes births, deaths and marriages that occured during their lifetime and after. There is also other geneology information on the family and even a photo of the lovely Nina Vandervort Murphy taken in 1904. What a treasure trove!

Not only did Jackie and Scott refuse payment for the Bible -- which they got for a bargain of $26 on Ebay!, but in addition they took us to a terrific and authentic Mexican lunch! We visited Old Temecula and wandered through antique stores and even visited the old town jail which was covered by a cascade of brilliant bouganvilla. What a delightful afternoon. After we went back to their house, we chatted a little longer. Jackie had taken all the additional papers that had been scattered through the Bible and put each item in a protective plastic sheet and put them all in a three-ring binder.

I can't say thanks enough to Jackie and to the Orphaned Bible project! They write "We buy old familiy bibles and then research each family to find living descendants of the original owners of the bible. When we find a home for the bible, we send the bible to the familily. We do not expect anything in return. Knowing that the bibles have returned home to their families is very rewarding to us." For more information they do have a website listed for more information -- http://www.ajmresearch.com/Orphaned_Bibles.html .

Following our time with Jackie and Scott, we visited other friends and then began the long trek homeward on Monday morning, arriving Wed morning at 1:00 AM! Back to work and squeezing in fun projects between responsibilities. I'm now in process of scanning everything so that I can pass the best copies possible on to my VDV (Vandervort) Gang!

I have begun posting my family tree on Ancestry because altho I have a personal family tree computer program, I am hoping that the information, photos and letters posted will be always available to family members in the decades ahead. It is so easy for information to disappear as our older generations pass on and are no longer available to answer our myriad questions. Jackie has contributed much to our family tree by rescuing this old, fragile Bible and returning it to those of us who care. Perhaps we will know someday how it came to migrate from California to Oaklahoma where it was bought at a garage sale and later offered for sale on Ebay. We are so grateful to Doug -- who and wherever he is --that offered it for sale and did not leave it silent and neglected.

The Old Glendale Farm

Today while going through some of my great-grandmother's letters and memorobelia, I came across this poem that she had cut out of a newspaper nearly a century ago. Edith Minter wrote of going home to Glendale. My grandparents also lived on a farm in what now is Kendall, but in years past the farm had been in Glendale, before Kendall gained prominance. In fact, the story goes that the original farm house had been built from the wood of the general store in Glendale that had been dismantled and carried to its new location.

This summer while visiting in Wisconsin, I drove past the old Kendall/Glendale home which now looks new and updated with fresh siding and paint. I thought about all the wonderful summers we cousins had played in the creek, "helped" to milk the cows, had wandered through the fields, and had been recipients of my dad's great skill as a willow whistle maker from the tree by the barn that hung over the road. The old barn in gone, the horse barn, built in 1916 is beginning to slip off it's foundation. The rutted driveway has been updated and the old path is fading. But I still know the way to Spring Brook Farm (later known as Pine Terrace and after that the Old Weber Farm), the home of four generations of Sherwoods since 1868. A cousin still owns the land, but a few acres containing the house were sold off, so the heart and soul is gone from the old place. But I walk there in memory, hearing the lowing of the cows, the meowing of the hungry barn kittens and watching the evening shadows turn to lightening bugs. As I sat in the car along the road, I thought of the old phrase, "You can't go home again" and knew that it was true. I can though, carry home with me in my heart. And I love Edith Minter's words evoking the old days in roughly the same place.

Great-great-Aunt Susie Sherwood Pratt

The flyleaf of this very small Bible (less than 3 X 5 inches) pictured below notes that it was a gift for Susie (Susannah Mary) Sherwood from her father just past her 11th birthday. I have not yet discovered what her health condition was, whether or not she simply had consumption, or if she had had some childhood illness like rheumatic fever that had left her an invalid. I don't know how she, living up in Monroe County, Wisconsin met Arthur Pratt who lived in Johnstown Center, in Rock County Wisconsin, but the connection seems to have been the (previously unknown to me) cousin Ella Wheeler who married a Wilcox.

The little note above the Bible was found inside and provides the connection. I think the note was added by Ella Jane Stevens Sherwood, mother of Susan Rosina Sherwood Weber who is the 2nd recipient of the tiny Bible . I am currently in possession of the Bible which belongs to my mother, but I like the idea that it has visited me, me whose middle name is Susanne (sort of in between the Susan of my grandmother and the Susannah of my great-great-aunt.

I like the letter that Susie wrote below and her description of Arthur makes me appreciate him so many decades later.

Johnstown Center [Wisconsin]
Oct 16, 85

Dear Aunt Grace,
It is some time since I received your last letter. I have been waiting so that I could tell you some news. I am keeping house! I thought maybe I never should, but I am, and have been now four weeks. I was a little fearful that I might not be able to stand the work and thought before writing I would make sure. I think I feel even better than when I was doing nothing. Through the summer I could be out with my flowers and help Arthur and my life was tolerable, but when I thought of passing another such winter as I did last, I could not endure the mere thought of it. If the Lord gives me strength and health for only this year it will pay me. I think I am better in all aspects by having my mind taken up with something. My work is not hard just for us two every thing is real handy for me. We have the west part of the house and I have a nice cupboard and my room has a carpet with oil cloth all around the stove. My flour barrel is just off the head of the stairs in the dark chamber and the cellar is no farther for me than it is for them. Arthur is just splendid about helping me and says I’m a boss cook. I used to often say if I should die Arthur wouldn’t miss me much for I never had any chance to make myself necessary to him. I tell him if it was not for that horrid trouble I should be perfectly happy, but it is not wise for us poor mortals to have no trouble. I only pray that I may have my strength a while longer and maybe then I could oversee and have it easier than I have done. I hope you are all well as usual. I would so much liked to have seen you all this summer but will wait now till next if we are all spared. I shall not go to Milwaukee either. I could have gone very cheap at one time, $2.75 there and return and a Ticket to the Exposition but we did not have the money and the Exposition’s closed now so will not go. I had a letter from Clara last week, she was real well and getting fat, she said. I have not heard from Grace but twice since she went home. I had lots of things to write to her but guess she don’t want to hear them. She has given up coming back of course, or would have been here before this. I saw Mrs. Kent Fair here (that was six weeks ago). She was very anxious then to hear from her as there were so many calling for Grace and she wanted to answer them but I presume Grace has seen to it. I have sent her Delinator to Kendall. I did not know where she was. I wrote and asked her to tell me where to send them, she must have known there was one due long since, but I kept waiting thinking I should hear from her. I have to repost them anyway so took it out for Mother to look at. The PM won’t forward them. I will now tell you why I did not write yesterday as I intended. I went over to see Edith. Al said he had written to Pa so perhaps told you that she had broken her arm about five weeks ago. It is broken right in the elbow and Tilly’s second one broke hers in the same place about ten weeks ago. Edith looks for thin and pale. I wanted to bring her home with me but Al had got to take her to the Dr. again today. I guess Uncle Billy’s folks are well but do not see any thing of them they are out with us. I’m sorry but can’t help it. Mattie has been very poorly awhile ago but is better now, was down to see me this afternoon but I had gone into one of the neighbors and she went back home. Myra is working down on the Prairie now at Mr. Godfrey’s. Give my love to Auntie when you see her and all the Elroy friends, with a large share for you all at home.

Your affectionate niece, Susie

Bird Haven - My Secret Garden

I love the "secret garden" that my husband has been laboring over for the six years that we have been living here. When we moved in there were two small trees, a couple of roses and maybe a half dozen ferns with NOTHING ELSE in the entire back yard. He views the yard as a "canvas" on which he can work his plant magic. We also try to give a variety of birds a welcoming habitat. I've been enjoying all my little bird friends who have been coming around this spring. We feed the birds and have nest boxes hanging in the trees and we have been rewarded with baby birds just finding their way in the world. I've particularly enjoyed all the newly minted little pine siskins taking baths in the bird bath, watching the humming birds bathe in the bubbler of the fountain and poke their beaks through the sides of the unopened irises to get a head start on the nectar. I was thinking that the chicadee I saw two days ago bathing in the top level of the fountain was a baby since it's feathers looked like he had hooked a toe in a live electric socket, but having seen a house finch today that looked about the same, I think they may be adults in process of molting. It's really pretty funny!

Here is a little montage of some fun little bird moments.

This photo is a little fuzzy looking due to having been taking through a screen when the sun was getting lower on the horizon. My little house finch friends.

One of my little hummingbird friends snacking at the golden iris.

You can't really tell because of the motion and the screen, but this is the chickadee that I thought must be a fledgling at first. Feathers were sticking out all directions! Looked more like a cartoon character than a little bird.

Little pine siskin getting a clean-up! Boy can they splash ~


My favorite little friend again, getting ready for a dip! I adore my little hummingbird friends!!!!

Caspian Hard at Work

A few posts ago I demonstrated with Duncan, our gray cat, the occasional trials of working from home. I'm not actually complaining you understand, because I love walking downstairs to go to work. It has a few minor disadvantages and a myriad of spectacular advantages such as padding around in slippers, taking breaks when most convenient and being able to listen to music at whatever volume desired throughout the day. But there are a few minor issues that come up every now and then in addition to the lack of social interaction opportunities, such as standing and chatting around the water cooler with co-workers.
Duncan, one of our two masculine feline's, demonstrated his printer sleeping capabilities a few posts ago, an ability he still excells in at inconvenient times. At the moment I need to print nothing, so the printer lies quiet and empty.

Since our daughter, Caspian's "mom," has been out of town for three months, Caspian, four years older than Duncan and much more tabby looking, has determined that the antidote to his lonliness is watching over me as I work. He does make it difficult at times to get through tasks in a timely manner. But at least this not-so-little, but always-decorative work impediment is soft and generally moveable when necessity arises!

Lines to an Absent Husband

Lines to an Absent Husband

Dearest Husband, Friend, Companion
Solace of my earthly joys
None so near in heart communion
None like this each grief destroy.

Absence us has separated;
Days like weeks they seem to be.
Time I have not overrated
Thought the weeks are only three.

From your presence I’m absented
Though in spirit feel thee near
Cannot from you be contented
Though I mingle with friends dear.

Could your presence be demanded
Swift I’d call you to my arms
But this boon must be suspended
Enjoyment seek in other charms.

Love hath bound us in affection
May this ever be our theme
When we can on retrospection
Glance with pleasure on life’s scenes

Heaven lend thee richest blessing
Scatter flowers in your way
Those immortal worth possessing
Wreathe thy brow in endless day

Heaven keep thee dear companion
In the path of duty go.
May our souls enjoy reunion
If we meet no more below.

Mary W. H. R.

*Mary Wight Healy was one of the daughters of the Nathaniel Healy -- of yesterday's post on the death of his brother. Mary Wight Healy was born on 10 Aug 1822. She married Abiel Graham Richardson in 1843 or thereabouts. They apparently had two children, Clarence, who shows up in the census records and Carona H Richardson, born in the 1850's of whom I have so far found out little so don't know how long she lived. Abiel Richardson worked as a carpenter and also as a farmer, but his first love was being a minister. He died in 1892 and Mary lived at least until 1900 when she shows up living with her son Clarence, his wife Eva and their three children in the 1900 US Census. I am always a little surprised by Mary's hairline in this photo, but I've always heard that this is what happens when you wear your hair tightly tied back, and apparently it is true!

Musings by Nathaniel Healy on the Death of his Brother Samuel Healy

At the top of this poem is written, "Copy of a letter from Nathaniel Healy to his friends on the death of his brother Samuel"


Haverhill, NH
Sept 18th 1807*

I to the office came this eve
A letter here I do receive
Whose contents causes me to grieve
Though welcome information
My brother’s dead a solemn sound
What words more painful can be found
He’s dead and buried in the ground
Where he must turn to dust
God’s ways are equal he is just
Though he take our relation

Though he was active brave and smart
Death’s haggard arrow pierced his heart
‘Twas far beyond the Surgeon’s art
To give him respiration
Yet though the grave his body binds
And death his active limbs confine
We trust in glory still he shines
Nor does know grief or woe
Or any pain he felt below
How blest his situation

My reason bids me not to weep
Faith says Death’s not an endless sleep
This glorious hope my soul does keep
From bitter lamentation
By Charity I am inclined
To think that he with all mankind
Will be so happy as to find
That reward which was stored
In Heaven’s archives by the Lord
Before the worlds foundation

Let thoughts like these dry up each tear
Our grief assuage our bosoms cheer
He now in Heaven does appear
How blest his situation
We all believe this is the case
And that the time rolls on apace
When we again shall him embrace
There remain free from pain
Nor shall we ever part again
Or know a separation.

My sister Lydia well I know
This is to you a heavy blow
It fills your soul with grief and woe
And sad solemnization
The frailty of our race we see
Not long ago he seemed to be
As healthy and robust as we
Now grim Death takes his breath
And he a lifeless corpse is left
The grave is now his station

Methinks in tears I hear you say
I’ve lost my comfort and my stay
My Partner dear has turned to clay
How sad a dispensation
Where ‘ere my weeping eyes I place
I there behold his empty space
No more on earth I see his face
None can guess my distress
I bid adieu to happiness
Till I again embrace him

Cease my dear sister to lament
Had you a life of hatred spent
This would your sorrow much augment
And be an aggravation
If you to quarrel were inclined
Or if you treated him unkind
A cause for mourning there you’d find
But you know, ‘twas not so
Your heart was ready to bestow
Relief on each occasion

Why should we murmur or complain
That he has left this world of pain
And has gone home with Christ to reign
To reign throughout duration
Though we with tears bedew his urn
We would not wish him to return
From seraphs which adore and burn
Where his mind is refined
Far more than those who are left behind
Of any sect or nation

My parents dear I you address
My soul does feel for your distress
In pangs too poignant to express
On this most sad occasion
Though you in age are called to mourn
The loss of one whom you have borne
Whom death has lately from you torn
Do not grieve but believe
God has a right him to receive
He lends us our relations

Though of a child you are bereft
Which like a limb was from you cleft
Remember you’ve eleven left
In healthful situation
Though you have lost a hopeful son
Yet he of six is only one
Whose labors o’re whose work is done
He is not dead only fled
To Jesus Christ our living head
There to receive Salvation

When Hannah for a son did sigh
Remind her partner’s kind reply
Far better than two sons am I
The nearest of relations
God does you each to other spare
Your woes in union you can bear
Your mutual joys together share
There we find God is kind
We yet have blessings left behind
Suppressing calculation

His character death chose to place
Beyond the reach of foul disgrace
Where slander daren’t show his face
And vice can never enter
From Virtue he on earth could fall
The sphere he moved in was too small
His maker him vouchsafes to call
To that good where his soul
Did aim as magnet to the pole
Or matter to the center

My brothers and my sisters all
This is to us a solemn call
‘Mongst old and gray, great and small
Death spreadeth devastation
We to the level must be brought
The plumb must try each act and thought
How diligently then we ought
To prepare since we are
To come to that all trying square
Which knows no deviation

May wisdom from the East direct
The West to strengthen and protect
May Beauty cover each defect
By speedy reformation
That when the Angel’s trump shall sound
To call the dead from underground
We may be tried and worthy found
To be blessed with the rest
Which Paul in Beauty has expressed
Unto the Hebrew nation

Nathaniel Healy

*Most geneologies have Samuel listed as having died on September 30th of that year. So I do not know whether the person who copied this (which I believe was Evalina Richardson Thompson from the handwriting) wrote the wrong month or if he died rather the end of August instead of September. I haven't seen documentation for date yet but will attempt to ascertain that in the future. This Nathaniel Healy was born July 10, 1785, married Jane Tabor a few months after this was written, and died on 19 Feb 1841. Samuel was born 11 June 1783 and so was two years older than Nathaniel. Samuel's wife in various family histories is reported as Lydia Barker and this poem confirms that his wife's name was Lydia. It also confirms the number of children of their parents, John Healy and Mary Wight. They actually had a total of 13 children, but one, a girl, Katherine, had died nine years earlier in 1789 at 34 years of age.