The First Picture of Life

Muster In

2011-12-21T09:07:00.000-06:00

150 years ago today, the name of my great-great-grandfather, Andrew Holden, first appeared in the muster roll for Company F, 73rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He mustered in at Camp Logan, Chillichothe, Ohio.

And so it begins

2011-10-11T21:59:00.000-05:00

150 years ago today, 11 October 1861, my great-great-grandfather, Andrew Holden enlisted in Company F, of the 73rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Andrew was 22 years, 4 months and 10 days old when he enlisted. It had been 8 years and 5 months since Andrew immigrated to the United States from Ireland and 1 year and 3 days since he had become an American citizen. Andrew enlisted for a term of 3 years. After re-enlisting on 01 January 1864, Andrew's service finally ended on 20 July 1865 in Louisville, KY.

My Ancestors & the Civil War

2011-01-01T13:56:00.023-06:00

I have been marking privately the recent 150th anniversaries of events leading up to the U.S. Civil War (e.g., 06 November 2010 was the 150th anniversary of the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States and 20 December 2010 was the 150th anniversary of the secession of South Carolina). I have been thinking for some time of starting a project of tracking my various ancestors through the years of the Civil War. I thought a good way to start was to introduce my various ancestors using the 1860 United States Federal Census. Any notes added in "[]" are mine and not in the actual census records. In the census listing I have made bold the names of my ancestors.

Schoen
Jacob and Margarethe (Jost) Schön lived in the small town of Kübelberg in the Rhineland-Palatinate in Southwestern Germany. They had 2 daughters and 4 sons. All four of their sons immigrated to the United States. Peter, Nicholas, and Joseph Schoen all settled in New York City. Their second son, Johannes, followed many of their relatives and neighbors from the Kohlbach valley and settled in Washington County, Ohio. I'll have more to say about the New York Schoen's later in the project but I haven't yet been able to find them in the 1860 census.

Johannes and Margaretha (Bender) Schoen immigrated with their two living sons, Frederick (age 7) and Karl (age 7 months) in July 1856. Originally, the lived in the "immigrant quarter" on South Hart Street in Marietta, Ohio, which is where we find them in 1860. Listed on Page No. 78 of the "Free Inhabitants of the 2nd Ward Marietta City in the County of Washington State of Ohio enumerated by me, on the 13th day of June 1860. L. L. Laflin, Ass't. Marshal. Post Office Marietta."

Dwelling No. 554, Family No. 554:
John Shane, 41, male, Occupation: Turner, value of personal estate: $100, Place of birth: Rhinebyern
[In later census records the surname is correctly spelled Schoen.]
Margaret, 29 [should be 39], female, Place of birth: Rhinebyern
Frederick, 12, male, Place of birth: Rhinebyern, Did attend school within
Charles, 4, male, Please of birth: Rhinebyern

Kress
Anton and Eva (Wehner) Kress were born in Hesse, Germany in 1811 and immigrated to Southeastern Ohio before 1842 when their eldest child was born in Fulda, Monroe County (later Noble County), Ohio. Their fifth daughter, Margaret, would, in 1876, marry Frederick Schoen. By 1860, we find them on Page No. 87 of the "Free Inhabitants of Enoch Township in the County of Noble State of Ohio enumerated by me, on the 19th day of June 1860. J. Belford, Ass't. Marshal. Post Office Enoch O."

Dwelling No. 634, Family No. 612:
Anthony Grass, 40 [should be 49], male, Occupation: Farmer, Value of real estate: $4500, Value of personal estate: $500, Place of birth: Hesse
[In later census records the surname was correctly spelled Kress.]
Eva, 49, female, Occupation: Domestic, Place of birth: Hesse
Casper, 18, male, Occupation: Farmer, Place of birth: Ohio
Elizabeth, 19, female, Occupation: Domestic, Place of birth: Ohio
Bowny [Her given name was Anna Barbara], age 13, female, Place of birth: Ohio, Did attend school
Mary, 10, female, Place of birth: Ohio, Did attend school
Matilda [or Ottilia], 8, female, Place of birth: Ohio, Did attend school
Margaret, 6, female, Place of birth: Ohio, Did attend school
Joseph, 4, male, Place of birth: Ohio, Did attend school

Ruppel
Peter and Margaret (Clay) Ruppel were born in Hesse, Germany in the early 1820's and immigrated with their families. Both families settled in Fulda, Monroe County (later Noble County), Ohio area where Peter and Margaret met and married in the mid-1840s. A daughter of their eldest son, John, would, in 1904, marry the son of Frederick and Margaret Anna (Kress) Schoen. By 1860, we find them on Page No. 84 of the "Free Inhabitants of Enoch Township in the County of Noble State of Ohio enumerated by me, on the 18th day of June 1860. J. Belford, Ass't. Marshal. Post Office Enoch O."

Dwelling No. 609, Family No. 587:
Peter Rupell, 36, male, Occupation: Farmer, Value of real estate: $2800, Value of personal estate: $260, Place of birth: Hesse Cassel
Margaret, 38, female, Occupation: Domestic, Place of birth: Hesse Cassel
John, 13, male, Place of birth: Ohio, Did attend school
Mary, 12, female, Place of birth: Ohio, Did attend school
Lewis, 10, male, Place of birth: Ohio, Did attend school
Catherine, 8, female, Place of birth: Ohio, Did attend school
Charles, 7, male, Place of birth: Ohio, Did attend school
Ernest, 5, male, Place of birth: Ohio, Did attend school
Lena, 3, female, Place of birth: Ohio
Anthony, 2, male, Place of birth: Ohio

Herbst
Andrew and Beata Ada Herbst were born in Hesse, Germany and immigrated sometime before the late 1830's. They settled in Fulda, Monroe County (later Noble County), Ohio area. Their youngest daughter Carolina would, in 1870, married John Ruppel. In 1860, we find them on Page No. 87 of the "Free Inhabitants of Enoch Township in the County of Noble State of Ohio enumerated by me, on the 19th day of June 1860. J. Belford, Ass't. Marshal. Post Office Enoch O."

Dwelling No. 632, Family No. 610:
Andrew Harper, 66, male, Occupation: Farmer, Value of real estate: $12,000, value of personal estate: $500, Place of birth: Hesse
Ada, 60, female, Occupation: Domestic, Place of birth: Hesse
John, 19, male, Occupation: Farmer, Place of birth: Ohio, Did attend school
Carolina, 11, female, Place of birth: Ohio, Did attend school

Needs & King
The next two families, Needs and King, are my most persistent brick walls. Thomas E. Needs was born in Pennsylvania in 1832 to unknown parents. Margaret L. King was born in 1834 in Monroe County, Ohio to unknown parents. They would marry in Monroe County in about 1853 and, eventually, have 10 children. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find them in the 1860 census. Based on other census records, in 1860 their family should have consisted of the following people:

Thomas E. Needs, 28, male, Occupation: Farmer, Place of birth: Pennsylvania
Margaret L., 26, female, Place of birth: Ohio
Charles W., 6, male, Place of birth: Ohio
George W., 5, male, Place of birth: Ohio

My great-grandfather, James E. Needs, would not be born until 1874.

Fleming
William Fleming was born in 1808 in New Jersey. His wife Maria Medley was born in about 1825 in Washington County, Ohio. They married in 1840 in Washington County. Their eldest son, Andrew, using the name Leander Fleming would enlist in the Army in 1864. In 1860 we them on Page No. 5 of the "Free Inhabitants of Independence Township in the County of Washington State of Ohio enumerated by me, on the 27th day of July 1860. James S. Cady, Ass't. Marshal. Post Office Ostend."

Dwelling No. 34, Family No. 34:
Wm Fleming, 50, male, Occupation: Farmer, Value of real estate: $900, value of personal estate: $347, Place of birth: New Jersey
Maria, 36, female, Place of birth: Ohio
Andrew, 17, male, Place of birth: Ohio, Did attend school
Lucy J., 14, female, Place of birth: Ohio, Did attend school
Albert, 12, male, Place of birth: Ohio
John, 10, male, Place of birth: Ohio, Did attend school
James, 6, male, Place of birth: Ohio, Did attend school
Joseph E., 1, male, Place of birth: Ohio

Walker
Jonathan Walker, the grandson of James Walker, a Revolutionary War veteran, was born in Monongalia County, Virginia (now West Virginia) in 1816. Hi wife, Elisabeth S. Lowe, was born near Duck Creek in Monroe County, Ohio (now Noble County). They were married in Washington County, Ohio in 1837. Their eldest daughter, Sarah Jane, would, in 1874, marry Andrew "Leander" Fleming. Although I have found Jonathan and Elisabeth in Liberty Township, Washington County, Ohio in both the 1850 and 1870 census records, they are not listed in that township nor any other in Washington County in 1860. Based on the 1850 and 1870 census records, in 1860, their family consisted of the following people:

Jonathan Walker, 44, male, Occupation: Farmer, Place of birth: Virginia
Elisabeth S., 40, female, Place of birth: Ohio
Sarah Jane, 22, female, Place of birth: Virginia
[Sarah Jane's twin brother, John, died before 1850.]
Elizabeth A., 20, female, Place of birth: Ohio
James A., 16, male, Place of birth: Ohio
George Mattison, 15, male, Place of birth: Ohio
John Milton, 15, male, Place of birth: Ohio
Mary E., 11, female, Place of birth: Ohio
David, 10, male, Place of birth: Ohio
Susan Ann, 9, female, Place of birth: Ohio
Delila J., 8, female, Place of birth: Ohio
William M., 6, male, Place of birth: Ohio
Rachel, 4, female, Place of birth: Ohio
Ann Eliza, 3, female, Place of birth: Ohio

Roddy
John and Hannah (Kelly) Roddy were born in Ireland; John in 1818 and Hannah in 1830. They immigrated in the fateful year of 1847. The spent some time in Pennsylvania where their two eldest children were born in 1848 and 1849 and in Virginia where two more children were born in 1851 and 1853. In 1860 we find them on Page No. 6 in the "Free Inhabitants of Fairfield Township in the County of Washington State of Ohio enumerated by me, on the 25th day of July 1860. L. Laflin, Ass't. Marshal. Post Office Layman."

Dwelling No. 49, Family No. 46:
John Roddy, 46, male, Occupation: Farmer, Value of real estate: $800, Value of personal estate: $390, Place of birth: Ireland
Honora [Hannah], 30, female, Place of birth: Ireland
[Their eldesdt son, Patrick, was born in 1848 and died in the early 1850s.]
Sarah [Cecilia], 11, female, Place of birth: Pennsylvania, Did attend school
James, 9, male, Place of birth: Virginia, Did attend school
John, 7, male, Place of birth: Virginia, Did attend school
Patrick, 5, male, Place of birth: Ohio, Did attend school
Ann, 3, female, Place of birth: Ohio
Peter, 1, male, Place of birth: Ohio
Catharine, 1 month, female, Place of birth: Ohio

My great-grandfather, Owen Francis Roddy, would not be born until 1867.

Holden
John Edwin and Julia (Dooley) Holden were born in King's County, Ireland (now County Offaly) and immigrated in 1852. They gradually brought their children to America over a period of about 5 years. In 1860, we find them on Page No. 248 in the "Free Inhabitants of Warren Township in the County of Washington State of Ohio enumerated by me, on the 11th day of August 1860. L. L. Laflin, Ass't. Marshal. Post Office Tunnel."

Dwelling No. 1783, Family No. 1751:
John Holden, 50, male, Occupation: Farmer, Value of real estate: $750, value of personal estate: $200, Place of birth: Ireland
Julia, 41, female, Place of birth: Ireland
Patrick, 14, male, Place of birth: Ireland, Did attend school
Mary, 7, female, Place of birth: New York
Ann C., 1, female, Place of birth: Ohio

[Mary Holden is Mary Julia Greene Holden known as Aunt Mame. She was raised by John and Julia although she was not their daughter. There is much disagreement amongst various records on her date and place of birth. Some say she was born in 1857 in New York. This census give 1853 in New York. I was told that when she came to the Holden family in 1857 she was 7 years old. She was born in Ireland and was immigrating to the US with her grandmother who died on the trip. She was given to the Holden's by the Sisters of Charity (who handled immigrant orphans) since now one else had come to claim her.]

The eldest son, Andrew, we find in the "Free Inhabitants of Dunham Township in the County of Washington State of Ohio enumerated by me, on the 2nd day of August 1860. Wm. S. Judd, Ass't. Marshal. Post Office Dunham."

Dwelling No. 152, Family No. 127:
Fredrick Lewis, 67, male, Occupation: Farmer, Value of real estate: $10000, Value of personal estate: $4150, Place of birth: Rhode Island
Loring, 55, male, Occupation: Farmer, Value of personal estate: $400, Place of birth: Massachusetts
Caroline, 49, female, Place of birth: Ohio
Andrew Holden, 21, male, Occupation: Day Laborer, Place of birth: Ireland

Andrew will be heavily featured throughout this project due to his service in the Army between 1861-1865. One significant milestone already reached by the Holden family was that on 08 October 1860 they became naturalized citizens of the United States.

Highland
John and Catherine (Welch) Highland were born in County Mayo, Ireland around the turn of the 19th century. They immigrated in 1853 with their four children and settled in Washington County, Ohio. Their daughter, Catherine, would after the Civil War marry Andrew Holden. Unfortunately, they are another family that I have been unable to find in the 1860 census, but based on other census records, the family would have consisted of:

John Highland, 60, male, Place of birth: Ireland
Catherine, 60, female, Place of birth: Ireland
Thomas, 27, male, Place of birth: Ireland
John, 26, male, Place of birth: Ireland
Patrick, 24, male, Place of birth: Ireland
Catherine Anne, 22, female, Place of birth: Ireland

Hayes, Part I
Thomas Hayes, Sr. was born in County Cork, Ireland about 1800. He immigrated to Canada and married Mary Purcell. They had six children and in 1860 were still living in Lac Sainte-Marie, Quebec, Canada. Thomas and Mary would remain in Canada the rest of their lives, but their son, Thomas, Jr., who was born in 1848 and would immigrate to the US with his wife and son in 1878. There was a census of Canada in 1861 but I've not had much luck finding my ancestors in it.

Skehan
Patrick Skehan was born in 1832. He married Anne Ryan, who was born in 1831. In 1860 they were living in or near Lac Sainte-Marie, Quebec, Canada. Among their seven children was a daughter, Mary Ann, born in 1855 who, in 1875, would marry Thomas Hayes, Jr. and in 1878 immigrate with him to the U.S.

Hayes, Part II
David P. Hayes was born in Columbiana County, Ohio in 1824. His Quaker ancestors had lived in the U.S. since before the Revolutionary War. In 1847, he married Nancy Agnes Haddow who was born in Scotland in 1825 and immigrated with her family when she was 9 years old. In 1860, we find the family on Page No. 25 in the "Free Inhabitants of Barlow Township in the County of Washington State of Ohio enumerated by me, on the 14th day of June 1860. Amos Layman, Ass't. Marshal. Post Office Barlow."

Dwelling No. 222, Family No. 175:
David Hay[e]s, 36, male, Occupation: Farmer, Value of real estate: $3000, Value of personal estate: $846, Place of birth: Ohio
Nancy, 35, female, Place of birth: Scotland
Lewis, 12, male, Place of birth: Ohio, Did attend school
William, 8, male, Place of birth: Ohio, Did attend school
Robert, 6, male, Place of birth: Ohio, Did attend school
Edmund, 3, male, Place of birth: Ohio
Elizabeth, 1, female, Place of birth: Ohio

It is through Nancy's family, specifically her mother Jannette Ormiston Haddow, that I can trace my earliest known ancestor. Nancy is the 34th great-granddaughter of Kenneth MacAlpin, King of the Picts, who died in 858.

Seely
Joseph Seely was born in 1823 in New York. By the mid 1840s, he had migrated to Washington County, Ohio along with other family members. In 1846 he married Caroline S. Richards who was born in Ohio in 1827. Sadly Caroline died 1858 after giving birth to 6 children. Early in 1860, Joseph married Mary M. Laughlin who was born in Ohio in 1837. Joseph's family, the Seely's, were the earliest of my ancestors to arrive in North America. Joseph's 4th great-grandfather, Obadiah Seely, arrived in Connecticut in 1640s. In 1860, we find Joseph's family on Page No. 7 in the "Free Inhabitants of Barlow Township in the County of Washington State of Ohio enumerated by me, on the 7th day of June 1860. Amos Layman, Ass't. Marshal. Post Office Vincent."

Dwelling No. 60, Family No. 50:
Joseph Seely, 35, male, Occupation: Farmer, Value of real estate: $1200, Value of personal estate: $500, Place of birth: New York, Married within the year
Mary, 22, female, Place of birth: Ohio, Married within the year
Ellen E., 12, female, Place of birth: Ohio, Did attend school
Hulda J., 9, female, Place of birth: Ohio, Did attend school
Ada R., 8, female, Place of birth: Ohio, Did attend school
William W., 7, male, Place of birth: Ohio, Did attend school
George W., 5, male, Place of birth: Ohio, Did attend school
Rufus F., 4, male, Place of birth: Ohio

Medical Odyssey

2010-05-14T12:23:00.001-05:00

My latest medical odyssey began about 8:00 AM Monday, May 10. I was at home sitting at my computer when all of a sudden, I couldn't see out of my left eye. Over the next 15-20 minutes it resolved itself and my vision returned to normal. I knew I needed to have this checked out so Chuck drove me to the Urgent Care Center at the Hammond Clinic.

I got to see a doctor fairly quickly at the clinic. After I described my symptoms and history to him he immediately told me that he would need to send me to the hospital. In the meantime he ordered some blood work and a CT of my head. While this was going on Chuck ran some errands. After the CT I was waiting in the urgent care waiting room when Chuck arrived. A little more waiting and we were called back to an exam room.

The doctor said that blood tests and CT were both clean but that I needed to go to the hospital since I had either had a stroke or a TIA (transient ischemic attack; a warning sign of a stroke). So off we went to the Community Hospital ER. I was brought into an exam room right away and repeated the story for the first of many times. They started an IV and then we waited for the ER doctor and for a room to open up.

After being in the exam room for about 1.5 to 2 hours, I sent Chuck home since there was no sense for him to sit there with me while nothing happened. About 10 minutes after Chuck left, they moved me into the hall, since the ER had gotten fairly busy. I was parked in the ER hall way for the next 6 hours with one trip for an MRI. Finally about 10:15, they moved me upstairs to a room. There was a preliminary diagnosis based on the MRI but noone had spoken about it to me.

The next morning, I started a getting a stream of visitors. Since I had originally come to the ER as a possible stroke patient, I was getting the stroke protocol. The nurses were checking that my speech and vision were okay and that I had no loss of muscle control or strength. I was also visited by various therapists: speech therapist, occupational therapist, physical therapist. I finally saw a doctor about 11:00 AM and was told exactly what the MRI had shown. There was a blockage in my left internal carotid artery with a possible dissection (meaning the blood might be flowing through the wall of the artery to get passed the blockage) of the artery. Now the important thing they need to find out was whether the blockage was 100% or less than that.

More tests were the order of the day: ultrasounds of my heart and the arteries on both sides of my neck as well as a transcranial doppler imaging of parts of my head (both temples, both eyes, and the back of my head.

I did also see a neurologist who explained some more about what the tests were showing so far and what more would be done. I also got a visit from my cardiologist (I've been seeing him on regular basis since my double bypass in 2007). He discussed with me what had had happened so far and what he felt should be the next step. The cardiologist went to discuss my case with the neurologist. When he came back, he told me that they disagreed on what the next step should be. The cardiologist thought I should have an regular angiogram to determine if the blockage was 100%. The neurologist thought I should a CT-angiogram to determine the same. The CT had been scheduled for 6:00 PM Tuesday but the cardiologist canceled it and scheduled a regular angiogram for 2:00 PM yesterday. The neurologist would be coming by to talk to me Wednesday morning and then I would have to decide which of their recommendations to follow.

The most important aspect of both recommendations was that if the blockage was 100% then neither doctor would recommend surgery to clear the blockage, but if the blockage was less than 100% then they would recommend surgery to clear the blockage.

During all of this time, I was experiencing no other symptoms. I felt fine in fact. But because I was admitted as possible stroke patient, I was on strict bed rest until Tuesday afternoon when I was told I get out of bed to go to the bathroom.

So Wednesday morning about 11:00, the neurologist come by and we talked about the procedure she recommended and why she didn't recommend what the cardiologist did. She also told me that regardless of the outcome of the CT, she would recommend a followup at the UIC (University of Illinois-Chicago) hospital which has a very good stroke care program. I was more uncertain than ever what I should do. So I called Chuck and we discussed the options and decided that since the regular angiogram was scheduled for 2:00 that day and that I had been under the care of the cardiologist for 3 years, we would go with his recommendations despite the very small risk.

Chuck arrived at the hospital at about 12:15 since I would be taken to be prepped for the angiogram at about 12:30. The nurse from the cath lab arrived right on time and we headed downstairs but instead of heading to one of the prep rooms, they took me right into the cath lab and started prepping me there. In no time the cardiologist arrived and the procedure started. During my previous angiogram in 2007, I was completely unconscious but not so this time. It was an odd sensation feeling the doctor insert the instrument into my leg. I could watch any of that but I did watch the monitors to see what was happening, especially when they were taking the pictures. The procedure was over as quickly as it had started and the cardiologist said it was 100% blocked. Woohoo, no surgery. By 1:30, I in a recovery room and at 2:00 they gave me something to eat. At 3:00 I sent back up to my room. A short while later, my primary care physician came by to check on me. I told her that I'd had the angiogram and that the cardiologist said the blockage was 100%. She went out to call him and discuss what should happen next. In a few minutes, the nurse came in with discharge papers and two new prescriptions. By 5:00 PM I was out of the hospital and heading home.

3,000-year-old butter found in Kildare bog

2009-08-19T12:51:00.002-05:00

AN OAK barrel, full of butter, estimated to be roughly 3,000 years old has been found in Gilltown bog, between Timahoe and Staplestown.

The amazing discovery of the barrel, which is being described by archaeology experts in the National Museum as a "really fine example" was found by two Bord na Mona workers.

The pair, John Fitzharris and Martin Lane, were harrowing the bog one day in late May when they noticed a distinctive white streak in the peat.

"We got down to have a look. We knelt down and felt something hard and started to dig it out with out bare hands," John explained.

Read more here.

'Neolithic cathedral built to amaze’ unearthed in Orkney dig

2009-08-15T10:42:00.002-05:00

A huge Neolithic cathedral, unlike anything else which can be seen in Britain, has been found in Orkney.

Archaeologists said that the building would have dwarfed the island’s landmarks from the Stone Age — the Ring of Brodgar and the Standing Stones of Stenness. Nick Card, who is leading the dig at the Ness of Brodgar, said that the cathedral, which would have served the whole of the north of Scotland, would have been constructed to “amaze” and “create a sense of awe” among those who saw it.

It is about 65ft in length and width and would have dominated the Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Stenness which stand on either side. These important sites, dating back about 5,000 years, might have actually been peripheral features of Orkney’s Stone Age landscape. Mr Card said: “In effect it is a Neolithic cathedral for the whole of the north of Scotland.”

Read more here.

Study: Fire used to make tools 75,000 years ago

2009-08-15T10:15:00.005-05:00

Early humans crossed a threshold around 75,000 years ago, when they started painting symbols, carving patterns and making jewelry. A new study found they also began to use fire to make tools around that time.

Until now, this complex, multistep process for tool making was only known to occur as recently as 25,000 years ago in Europe. But the new findings show this breakthrough occurred much earlier, and in Africa, not Europe.

By heating up stones in a fire before chipping away at them to make blades, early humans could make tools sharper and produce them more efficiently.

Read more here here, here, and here.

Early Human Hunters Had Fewer Meat-Sharing Rituals

2009-08-13T18:56:00.004-05:00

UA anthropologist Mary Stiner has discovered that early stone-age hunters at Qesem Cave were skilled big game predators but shared their meat informally.

A University of Arizona anthropologist has discovered that humans living at a Paleolithic cave site in central Israel between 400,000 and 250,000 years ago were as successful at big-game hunting as were later stone-age hunters at the site, but that the earlier humans shared meat differently.

"The Lower Paleolithic (earlier) hunters were skilled hunters of large game animals, as were Upper Paleolithic (later) humans at this site," UA anthropology professor Mary C. Stiner said.

Read more here.

Archaeologists find cache of tablets in 2,700-year old Turkish temple

2009-08-11T12:57:00.003-05:00

Excavations led by a University of Toronto archaeologist at the site of a recently discovered temple in southeastern Turkey have uncovered a cache of cuneiform tablets dating back to the Iron Age period between 1200 and 600 BCE. Found in the temple's cella, or 'holy of holies', the tablets are part of a possible archive that may provide insights into Assyrian imperial aspirations.

Read more here.

Social Networking for Genealogists

2009-07-11T11:17:00.004-05:00

Go to: http://www.genealogywise.com/.

Lod Journal: Polishing a Lost Gem to Dazzle Tourists

2009-07-09T14:31:00.002-05:00

The beauty of the exquisitely preserved ancient mosaic only seemed to underline the incongruity of its surroundings.

The late-Roman-era mosaic floor, one of the largest and finest in Israel, was unveiled by the authorities last week for just the second time since it was discovered 13 years ago in the dilapidated eastern section of this poor town near the international airport, south of Tel Aviv.

Some 1,700 years old, the magnificent tiled floor spreads over almost 2,000 square feet, shaded from the harsh summer sun by a thin awning and surrounded by a canvas fence. A panoply of colorful depictions of birds, fish, exotic animals and merchant ships, the mosaic conjures up an intriguing reminder of Lod’s more glorious past.

The archaeologists of the Israel Antiquities Authority believe the mosaic, which lacks any inscriptions, was commissioned by a wealthy individual who owned a grand villa here. Lod, which is mentioned in the Bible, was an important center in ancient times, and this part of it is known to have been a neighborhood of the rich.

Read more here.

Israeli Archeologists Unearth Herod’s Quarry

2009-07-09T14:12:00.003-05:00

On Monday the Israel Antiquity Authority said that they believed archeologists may have unearthed a stone quarry used by King Herod—known throughout most of the western world as the Roman king of the Holy Land during Christ’s birth—to build a number of famous structures, including the Jewish Temple and the Western Wall.

The quarry appears to be just one portion of a large system of quarries located inside the ancient city.

Archeologists have indicated that the size of the stones extracted have offered clues as to what kind of construction they were used for. Some of the largest stones chiseled out of the 1,000-square-foot quarry have dimensions of roughly 9 foot by 6 foot by 6 foot—almost identical to the measurements of the massive blocks used to construct the Temple and the Western Wall.

According to Ofer Sion, director of the excavation project, “[t]he dimensions of the stones that were produced in the quarry that was revealed are suitable for the Temple walls.”

Read more here.

A deeper look at Peking Man site

2009-06-25T13:19:00.002-05:00

RESEARCHERS yesterday began excavation work in the Zhoukoudian Caves in a suburb of Beijing, where the skulls of Peking Man, or Homo erectus, were found in the 1920s and 1930s.

The work will help scientists gain a better understanding of the lives of early humans.

Researchers will excavate 20 square meters along the western wall of the site, called Locality 1, Gao Xing, deputy director and research fellow of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Palaeoanthropology, said yesterday.

Locality 1, where the first complete skull of Peking Man was found, used to be a 20-meter-wide, 140-meter-deep cave, but the ceiling collapsed. The four-month project aims to protect the western wall from further collapse, he said.

Read more here.

A life dedicated to antiquity

2009-06-25T13:15:00.005-05:00

It’s never a good idea to keep Zahi Hawass waiting.

“You’re three minutes late,” the celebrated Egyptian archaeologist told a group of San Francisco visitors one very warm April morning at Saqqara, an ancient burial city site dominated by the world’s oldest pyramid (circa 2700 B.C.).

Hawass was standing in full Egyptian sunlight, shielded only by one of the battered, sweat-stained leather hats that have become his trademark costume pieces in public and on numerous History Channel, Discovery Channel and National Geographic TV special appearances. Hawass didn’t smile as he led his guests to the opening of a nearby cave. He rarely does.

Inside the cave, Hawass pointed out a touchingly beautiful wall carving that he believes represents a young Tutankhamun with his wet nurse, Maya, their faces close together and arms intertwined.

Read more here.

'Oldest musical instrument' found

2009-06-25T09:33:00.006-05:00

The flutes are the oldest musical instruments found to date.

The researchers say in the Journal Nature that music was widespread in pre-historic times.

Music, they suggest, may have been one of a suite of behaviours displayed by our own species which helped give them an edge over the Neanderthals.

The team from Tubingen University have published details of three flutes found in the Hohle Fels cavern in southwest Germany.

The cavern is already well known as a site for signs of early human efforts; in May, members of the same team unveiled a Hohle Fels find that could be the world's oldest Venus figure.

Read more here and here.

Forensic artists put different faces on 2,800-year-old mummy

2009-06-24T13:00:00.003-05:00

When the 2,800-year-old mummy of an Egyptian court singer went on display at the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute in February, Emily Teeter, the curator, wished she had a way for visitors to see the young woman's face so they could better understand her.

It didn't take long for that face to reappear after nearly three millennia. Two artists stepped forward, offering to do portraits of the performer using separate police forensic methods normally employed to recreate the faces of unidentified, cold-case homicide victims.

The artists, Joshua Harker of Chicago and Mike Brassell of Baltimore, worked independently and unaware of the other's efforts, each using highly detailed CT-scan images of the skull of Meresamun, a singer who died roughly 800 years before the birth of Christ.

Read more here and here.

Carvings From Cherokee Script’s Dawn

2009-06-23T18:55:00.002-05:00

The illiterate Cherokee known as Sequoyah watched in awe as white settlers made marks on paper, convinced that these “talking leaves” were the source of white power and success. This inspired the consuming ambition of his life: to create a Cherokee written language.

Born around 1770 near present-day Knoxville, Tenn., he was given the name George Gist (or Guess) by his father, an English fur trader, and his mother, a daughter of a prominent Cherokee family. But it was as Sequoyah that around 1809 he started devising a writing system for the spoken Cherokee language.

Ten years later, despite the ridicule of friends who thought him crazed, he completed the script, in which each of the 85 characters represented a distinct sound in the spoken tongue, and combinations of these syllables spelled words. Within a few years, most Cherokees had adopted this syllabary, and Sequoyah became a folk hero as the inventor of the first Native American script in North America.

Read more here.

Bulgarian Archaeologists Uncover Intact Thracian Settlement

2009-06-23T18:50:00.003-05:00

A team of Bulgarian archaeologists has uncovered a Thracian settlement close to the southeast town of Nova Zagora.

The team of Konstantin Gospodinov and Veselin Ignatov from the city of Burgas hope that their finding would be the first Thracian settlement to be uncovered in its entirety.

The settlement is located along the Blatnitsa River. It had a moat around it, and include large buildings rising above the ground, news.dir.bg [in Bulgarian] reported.

Read more here (in English).

Study: Food storage began well before farming

2009-06-23T18:46:00.003-05:00

People were storing grain long before they learned to domesticate crops, a new study indicates. A structure used as a food granary discovered in recent excavations in Jordan dates to about 11,300 years ago, according to a report in Tuesday's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

That's as much as a thousand years before people in the Middle East domesticated grain, the research team led by anthropologist Ian Kuijt of the University of Notre Dame said.

Remains of wild barley were found in the structure, indicating that the grain was collected and saved even though formal cultivation had not yet developed.

Read more here and read the original research article at PNAS.

Neanderthals Made Mammoth Jerky

2009-06-23T18:44:00.002-05:00

Necessity compelled Neanderthals to dry hunks of big game meat for easy transport, according to a new study on the survival needs of Neanderthals.

Neanderthals also likely wore tailored clothing, according to the new study, which has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Archaeology.

The findings help to explain how Neanderthals could transport meat over long distances without it rotting, as well as how they survived the often chilly conditions of Northern Europe.

See more here.

Intact ancient tomb uncovered in Bethlehem

2009-06-23T13:54:00.002-05:00

Workers renovating a house in the traditional town of Jesus' birth accidentally discovered an untouched ancient tomb containing clay pots, plates, beads and the bones of two humans, a Palestinian antiquities official said Tuesday.

The 4,000-year-old tomb provides a glimpse of the burial customs of the area's inhabitants during the Canaanite period, said Mohammed Ghayyada, director of the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

Workers in a house near the Church of the Nativity uncovered a hole leading to the grave, which was about one meter (yard) below ground, he said. They contacted antiquities officials, who photographed the grave intact before removing its contents.

They dated the grave to the Early Bronze Age, between 1,900 B.C. and 2,200 B.C.

Read more here.

Lod Mosaic

2009-06-22T14:38:00.004-05:00

Thirteen years after one of the most beautiful mosaics ever to be seen in the country was covered over, the Israel Antiquities Authority, in cooperation with the municipality of Lod and its residents, is beginning an archaeological excavation that will re-expose the mosaic, once and for all. Some 30,000 people from all over the country visited the site during one weekend when the mosaic was on display to the public.

The 1,700 year old mosaic floor, which is one of the most magnificent and largest mosaics ever revealed in Israel, was first uncovered in the city of Lod in 1996. The mosaic is a real archaeological gem and extraordinarily well-preserved. It covers an area of approximately 180 square meters and is composed of colored carpets that depict in detail mammals, birds, fish, a variety of flora and the sailing and merchant ships that were used at the time. The purpose of the building in which the mosaic floor was placed is not known.

Read more here.

Ancient Holy Land quarry uncovered, team says

2009-06-22T14:33:00.003-05:00

Israeli archaeologists said on Sunday they had discovered the largest underground quarry in the Holy Land, dating back to the time of Jesus and containing Christian symbols etched into the walls.

The 4,000-square-meter (yard) cavern, buried 10 meters beneath the desert near the ancient West Bank city of Jericho, was dug about 2,000 years ago and was in use for about half a millennium, archaeologist Adam Zertal said.

Read more here.

Update:

Read more here.

Archaeologists unearth kiln site of pioneer master potter

2009-06-22T14:30:00.001-05:00

In 1852, Thomas Davenport fired up a kiln in southern Utah's first pioneer settlement and started making pottery and crockery that slowly spread through the West along with his reputation as a craftsman.

The old site in Parowan, where Davenpoprt manufactured the clay pieces, is being excavated now by a team from Michigan Technological University led by a associate professor who has been studying Davenport and his work for the past 10 years.

Timothy Scarlett said the site is significant in understanding the artisans and industry of the West and culture of pioneers with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who settled in the area.

Read more here.

Ancient artifacts sacred, not trivial

2009-06-22T14:25:00.002-05:00

George Hawkins ("Let ordinary people collect artifacts," June 16) is pretty sure he can make an Anasazi pot, one that he doubts even an expert could tell from an old one.

Hawkins is likely a very skilled artist and I commend the hard work it must have taken to reach that level of skill.

But what he is making is a replica, not an Anasazi pot, because he's not an Anasazi. They disappeared from the region a long time ago.

Hawkins also thinks ordinary people ought to be able to collect ancient artifacts from public land. His thinking reveals that he is missing a large part of the picture of what ancient artifacts are and why we want to protect them.

Read more here.

The New Acropolis Museum

2009-06-20T08:10:00.006-05:00

The new Acropolis Museum opened today in Athens. You can explore it online at http://www.theacropolismuseum.gr (in Greek) or http://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/?pname=Home&la=2 (in English).

Llanrwst builders discover 17th century bridge remains

2009-06-20T08:03:00.002-05:00

CONTRACTORS working on flood defences in Llanrwst have unearthed the original 17th century footings of the town’s historic bridge.

Contractor May Gurney had to down tools last Thursday when original footings from the approach to the Pont Fawr bridge, dating back to 1636 and designed by Inigo Jones, where uncovered.

Project manager Gareth Evans made the historic discovery.

Read more here.

Jornada Mogollon artifacts found at White Sands

2009-06-20T07:59:00.002-05:00

Artifacts have been found near White Sands Missile Range of the Jornada Mogollon, who lived mostly in the Tularosa Basin more than 650 years ago.

The archeological find was discovered last year during preliminary site preparation for construction of facilities for the 2nd Engineer Battalion, which was activated at White Sands in October. Archaeologists consider the artifacts "a significant discovery" because they suggest that the Jornada Mogollon temporarily occupied the site two separate times, first around A.D. 1150 and the second from about A.D. 1250 to 1350.

Read more here.

Major Archaeological Find in Kent County, Delaware

2009-06-20T07:52:00.001-05:00

A rare find in Delaware is giving archaeologists a look at how Native Americans used to live in that state. After months of digging at a site near Frederica, dozens of tools and artifacts used by Native Americans have been found.

Archaeologists hope to learn a lot from what they found. Some of the artifacts are rare. Already at the Frederica site old spear heads have been found.

Read more here.

Meriwether Lewis: suicide or murder?

2009-06-18T12:36:00.003-05:00

The small band of travelers rode north on the Natchez Trace, winding through the Tennessee wilderness en route to Washington, D.C.

Leading them was Meriwether Lewis, who just three years earlier had helped blaze a trail to the Pacific Ocean, cementing his fame and power in a young America.

On this journey in October 1809, Lewis' heart was heavy with problems. He was sick and in financial straits. The task of completing his Lewis and Clark Expedition journals weighed on the 35-year-old explorer, as did the politics of the day.

Read more here.

New Tombs Found on Luxor's West Bank

2009-06-18T12:31:00.006-05:00

Minister of Culture, Farouk Hosni, announced today that an Egyptian archaeological mission led by Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), has discovered an 18th Dynasty tomb (1570-1315 BC) in the necropolis of Dra Abu el-Naga, on Luxor's west bank.

Dr. Hawass stated that the newly discovered tomb belongs to the Supervisor of Hunters, Amun-em-Opet, and that it dates to shortly before the reign of King Akhenaten (1372-1355 BC).

Read more here.

Dig reveals colonial school artifacts

2009-06-17T12:54:00.002-05:00

Two hundred-plus years ago a school on the corner of Bridge and St. George streets and financed by the Spanish government allowed boys -- both black and white -- a free education.

On Tuesday, City of St. Augustine Archaeologist Carl Halbirt was excavating the corner and musing on the similarities between then and now.

"You have the ideal version, and then you have reality," Halbirt said.

Read more here.

Digging into Maryland's Colonial past

2009-06-17T12:52:00.001-05:00

Parts of Charles County's Zekiah Swamp are every bit as inhospitable as the name suggests, choked with tick-infested woods and boot-sucking wetlands.

But as archaeologists are discovering to their delight, in the late 17th and early 18th centuries Zekiah was a growth center for the young Maryland colony.

The site of a 1674 courthouse was found last summer. Excavations this month have uncovered what might be traces of the "summer house" that Gov. Charles Calvert built to dodge his political enemies. And diggers are searching for traces of Zekiah Fort, built in 1680 to resettle several hundred "friendly" Piscataway Indians.

Read more here.

Maya Intensively Cultivated Manioc 1,400 Years Ago

2009-06-17T12:47:00.001-05:00

A University of Colorado at Boulder team has uncovered an ancient and previously unknown Maya agricultural system -- a large manioc field intensively cultivated as a staple crop that was buried and exquisitely preserved under a blanket of ash by a volcanic eruption in present-day El Salvador 1,400 years ago.

Evidence shows the manioc field -- at least one-third the size of a football field -- was harvested just days before the eruption of the Loma Caldera volcano near San Salvador in roughly A.D. 600, said CU-Boulder anthropology Professor Payson Sheets, who is directing excavations at the ancient village of Ceren. The cultivated field of manioc was discovered adjacent to Ceren, which was buried under 17 feet of ash and is considered the best preserved ancient farming village in all of Latin America.

Read more here.

Excavation reveals ancient aqueduct in Jerusalem

2009-06-17T12:44:00.001-05:00

The Israel Antiquities Authority uncovered the main aqueduct that conveyed water to the Sultan's Pool during an excavation prior to the construction of the Montefiore Museum in Mishkenot Sha'ananim by the Jerusalem Foundation. The ancient aqueduct supplied pilgrims and residents with water for drinking and purification.

Most Jerusalemites identify the Sultan's Pool as a venue where large cultural events are held; however, for hundreds of years it was one of the city’s most important water reservoirs.

In an archaeological excavation the Israel Antiquities Authority recently conducted prior to the construction of the Montefiore Museum, which the Jerusalem Foundation plans to build in Mishkenot Sha'ananim, an aqueduct was uncovered that conveyed water to the Temple Mount and also served as the principal water supply to the Sultan's Pool. The excavation, directed by Gideon Solimany and Dr. Ron Beeri of the Israel Antiquities Authority, focused on a section along the course of the low-level aqueduct, on the western side of Ben Hinnoam Valley above the Derekh Hebron bridge.

Read more here.

An Interesting Idea

2009-06-17T12:21:00.001-05:00

Dan Savage has an interesting idea for some civil disobedience . . .

Longtime gay activist Cleve Jones is leading the charge for the "National Equality March," a gay march on Washington called for October 11 of this year. Many folks are opposed—there's not enough time to organize a march, Congress isn't in session that week, marches don't accomplish much, a march eats up resources and energy—and Queerty has a good point/counterpoint interview/argument with Cleve. I'm officially agnostic: if people want to march, they can march.

But I have suggestion for an ongoing, smaller-scale action that would have a larger impact than a one-off "march" through an empty city. My idea would need fewer than a 1000 people to succeed—730 to be exact—and it wouldn't be over in a day. It would go on, day-in, day-out, every day, for a year. Hell, it could go on indefinitely. It involves civil disobedience and the 730 volunteers would have to be willing to get arrested. People who are unable to participate could make donations to help cover the expenses—legal expenses and travel expenses—of those who can.

Read more at The Stranger.

Huge Pre-Stonehenge Complex Found via "Crop Circles"

2009-06-16T16:09:00.002-05:00

Given away by strange, crop circle-like formations seen from the air, a huge prehistoric ceremonial complex discovered in southern England has taken archaeologists by surprise.

A thousand years older than nearby Stonehenge, the site includes the remains of wooden temples and two massive, 6,000-year-old tombs that are among "Britain's first architecture," according to archaeologist Helen Wickstead, leader of the Damerham Archaeology Project.

Read more here.

A Peek into 18th-century Life

2009-06-16T16:01:00.004-05:00

Rich Remer mined his family's Kensington past for a quarter-century.

He found deeds, wills, letters, newspaper clippings, maps, diaries. The material took him to the first Remer in the colonies, a German butcher who lived on Shackamaxon Street by the Delaware River in the mid-1700s.

A decade ago, he thought he had exhausted all leads.

Then came unexpected news two weeks ago: Archaeologists for the state had unearthed 25,000 artifacts from a Fishtown property once owned by his great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, the butcher Godfrey Remer.

Read more here.

Lost Aztec tomb lies under Mexico City

2009-06-16T15:55:00.005-05:00

"Archeologists digging in the dirt and black ooze under Mexico City's most important public square have been tantalized for decades by the possibility of a great treasure and likely burial place of one of the last Aztec rulers."

See more here.

Save Ohio Museums: This Place Matters

2009-06-02T11:15:00.003-05:00

Save Ohio Museums

On Friday, May 29, the Ohio Senate made big budget cuts that once again targeted the Ohio Historical Society. The Senate changes slashed funding for the Society from $13.56 million two years ago to $10 million for Fiscal Year 2010─a 26-percent decrease. This represents the lowest allocation of state funding for the Society since FY 1994.The Senate changes reduced the Society's Outreach Services (line 509 in the Society's state budget) from $703,638 to $0 and removed $750,000 in funding for Sites. See more here.

A Proclamation

2009-06-02T08:41:00.003-05:00

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

___________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release, June 1, 2009

LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH, 2009
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

Forty years ago, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City resisted police harassment that had become all too common for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Out of this resistance, the LGBT rights movement in America was born. During LGBT Pride Month, we commemorate the events of June 1969 and commit to achieving equal justice under law for LGBT Americans.

See the rest here.

Ancient handle with Hebrew text found in Jerusalem

2009-05-20T13:13:00.001-05:00

Archaeologists digging on Jerusalem's Mount of Olives have discovered a nearly 3,000-year-old jar handle bearing ancient Hebrew script, a find significantly older than most inscribed artifacts unearthed in the ancient city, an archaeologist said.

The Iron Age handle is inscribed with the Hebrew name Menachem, which was the name of an Israelite king and is still common among Jews. Read more here.

5760

2009-05-07T05:49:00.010-05:00

Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad!

Dad and Mom, 07 May 1960

Dad, Mom, and Mom's parents, Mary Eileen and Benedict Roddy, 07 May 1960

Dad, Mom, and Dad's parents, Freda and Harry Schoen, 07 May 1960

Front: Harry and Freda Schoen and Mary Eileen and Benedict Roddy
Back: Neil Schoen (Dad's brother and Best Man), Dad, Mom, Carol Mulivihill (Maid of Honor)

Palestinians busted trying to sell 2,000 year-old Hebrew scroll

2009-05-06T13:45:00.003-05:00

Two Palestinians were arrested Tuesday for allegedly stealing a rare antique Hebrew scroll and attempting to sell it for millions of dollars.

Police apprehended the two suspects in Jerusalem after an intelligence tip allowed police forces to trace their tracks and intercept the document's sale. See more here.

"Dark Age" Temple Found in Turkey

2009-04-30T13:04:00.005-05:00

The director of this excavation, Timothy Harrison of the University of Toronto, is a friend of mine from graduate school.

An ancient temple in Turkey has been found filled with broken metal, ivory carvings, and stone slabs engraved with a dead language.

The find is casting new light on the "dark age" that was thought to have engulfed the region from 1200 to 900 B.C. See more here.

Fragment Of Hebrew Inscription From Period Of Kings Of Judah Found

2009-04-30T09:07:00.006-05:00

ScienceDaily (2009-04-25) -- A fragment of a limestone plaque bearing several letters of ancient Hebrew script was discovered while sifting soil that was excavated in the vicinity of the Gihon Spring, within the precincts of the "Walls around Jerusalem National Park". See more here.

Gay Marriage = Religious Freedom

2009-04-14T12:54:00.002-05:00

Long Time No Blog

2009-03-11T11:48:00.012-05:00

It's been almost two months since I last posted. I'm not sure why I've been so lazy. I guess I needed time to think about what kinds of posts I'd been making. I was focusing too much on just genealogy and I'd like to branch out some.

Last week was my mother's birthday. More that 30 years ago, Mom told us (her children) that we didn't have to celebrate her birthday as long as we remembered Mother's Day and my parent's anniversary. I have dutifully followed her instructions ever since. However, I've been thinking about some of the pictures I have of my mother from her childhood and I thought I would share them. I love seeing pictures of my parents when they were young. It somehow makes them even more human in my eyes.

Mom (1940)

Aunt Shirley, Mom, and Aunt Mary Ann (1940)

Mom (about 1944)

Mom (1946)

Uncle Ben and Mom (about 1945)

Mom (about 1950)

Mom (about 1955)

Mom (1958)

Mom and Dad (about 1958)

Dad and Mom (1960)

20 Years

2009-01-28T12:20:00.000-06:00

Twenty years ago today Chuck and I met for the first time. We were introduced through a now-defunct computer dating service called, Comquest. We exchanged letters and phone calls before setting up a lunch date on the next Saturday, 28 January. I did meet one other person through Comquest but didn't pursue a relationship because the first date with Chuck went well enough. I ordered tuna salad for lunch, being that I was a somewhat poor graduate student. Chuck's reply was "How original!" I completely missed the sarcasm in his reply.

Chuck has said that he knew on our first date that I was the one. It took me a bit longer to get there, but after a month, I had a pretty good idea. Perhaps I should have known when, for our third date, he bought us tickets to Gone With the Wind at the Music Box theatre.

The first summer we were together was a bit of a nightmare.I had commited to going to Israel for two months to work on an archaeological excavation. Those were the longest and hardest two months of my life, or so I thought at the time. It is certainly not something I would recommend to anyone in a new relationship. When I came back to Chicago in August, we moved in together.

Because he came "Just in Time."

MFH: 25 January

2009-01-25T14:13:00.003-06:00

Today is the 249th anniversary of the birth of my 5th great-grandmother, Maria Elisabetha Wagner. Maria Elisabetha was born 25 January 1760 in Frohnhofen, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

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Maria Elisabetha was the daughter of Theobald and Sophia Magdalena (Berg) Wagner. On 26 September 1786, she married Johann Theobald Bender in Altenkirchen, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. Maria Elisabetha and Johann Theobald had three children, two daughters and one son. Maria Elisabetha died on 04 March 1813 in Altenkirchen.

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My descent from Maria Elisabetha is:
Maria Elisabetha Wagner + Johann Theobald Bender
|
Johann Theobald Bender + Catharina Barbara Becker
|
Margaretha Bender + Johannes Schoen
|
Frederick August Schoen + Margaret Anna "Marianne" Kress
|
John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
|
Harry Fredrick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 23 January

2009-01-23T19:00:00.002-06:00

Today is the 175th anniversary of the birth of my great-great-grandmother, Margaret L. King. Margaret was born 23 January 1834 in Monroe County, Ohio. Margaret is one of the most persistent brick walls in my genealogical research. I do not know who her parents were. I've had no luck, except finding her birth date, tracing her before her marriage. She was married in about 1853 in Monroe County, Ohio, to Thomas E. Needs, whose origins are equally mysterious.

Thomas E. Needs and Margaret L. King, my great-great-grandparents.

Margaret and Thomas had ten children, three daughters and seven sons. Margaret died 02 March 1888 at Cow Run, Lawrence Township, Washington County, Ohio and is buried there in Mt. Zion Cemetery.

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My descent from Margaret is:
Margaret L. King + Thomas E. Needs
|
James Eldridge Needs + Rena Belle Fleming
|
Freda Irene Needs + Harry Frederick Schoen
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 22 January

2009-01-22T18:39:00.003-06:00

Today is the 291st anniversary of the marriage of my 7th great-grandparents, Mercy Dean and Ebenezer Seely. Mercy and Ebenezer were married 22 January 1718 in Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA.

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Mercy was born in about 1700 in Stamford. Ebenezer was born 18 January 1697, also in Stamford, the second son (of four) and fourth child (of six) of Jonas and Mary (Wicks) Seely. Mercy and Ebenezer had thirteen children, three daughters and ten sons. Mercy died about 1744 in New Canaan, Connecticut. Ebenezer died 07 March 1767 in Goshen, Orange, New York, USA.

My descent from Mercy and Ebenezer is:
Mercy Dean + Ebenezer Seely
|
Jonas Seely + Sarah Bartlett
|
Joseph Seely + Elizabeth Haines
|
William Gedney Seely + Hannah Ferris
|
Joseph Seely + Caroline S. Richards
|
Adda R. Seely + Lewis C. Hayes
|
Harriett Hayes + Thomas Francis Hayes
|
Mary Eileen Hayes + Benedict Aloysius Roddy
|
My Mother + My Father
|
Me

Today is also the 213th anniversary of the marriage of my 5th great-grandparents, Rosanna Hanbach and James Lowe. Rosanna and James were married 22 January 1796 in Fauquier County, Virginia.

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Rosanna was born in 1776 in Pennsylvania, the second daughter (of three) and third child (of six), of John and Mary (Huffman) Hanback. James was born 05 January 1755 in Kirk, Scotland, UK, a son of John Lowe. Rosanna and James had eleven children, six daughters and five sons. James died in about 1814 in Monroe County, Ohio. Rosanna died in about 1850 in Morgan County, Ohio.

My descent from Rosanna and James is:
Rosanna Hanbach + James Lowe
|
Jonathan Lowe + Hannah Ayles
|
Elizabeth S. Lowe + Jonathan Walker
|
Sarah Jane Walker + Andrew D. Fleming
|
Rena Belle Fleming + James Eldridge Needs
|
Freda Irene Needs + Harry Frederick Schoen
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 18 January

2009-01-18T12:56:00.003-06:00

Today is 312th anniversary of the birth of my 7th great-grandfather, Ebenezer Seely. Ebenezer was born 18 January 1697 in Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA.

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Ebenezer was the second son (of four) and fourth child (of six) of Jonas and Mary (Wicks) Seely. On 22 January 1718 Ebenezer married Mercy Dean in Stamford. Ebenezer and Mercy had thirteen children, three daughters and ten sons. Ebenezer died 07 March 1767 in Goshen, Orange, New York, USA. He is buried in the Old Seeley Cemetery, Cromline Kill, Orange County, New York.

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My descent from Ebenezer is:
Ebenezer Seely + Mercy Dean
|
Jonas Seely + Sarah Bartlett
|
Joseph Seely + Elizabeth Haines
|
William Gedney Seely + Hannah Ferris
|
Joseph Seely + Caroline S. Richards
|
Adda R. Seely + Lewis C. Hayes
|
Harriett Hayes + Thomas Francis Hayes
|
Mary Eileen Hayes + Benedict Aloysius Roddy
|
My Mother + My Father
|
Me

MFH: 13 January

2009-01-13T16:45:00.003-06:00

Today is the 283rd anniversary of the birth of my 7th great-grandfather, Johann Jacob Heimbach. Johann was born 13 January 1726 in Seelbach, Germany. There are six towns named Seelbach in modern Germany. I'm not entirely certain which one Johann lived in, but I think it was Seelbach, Siegen, Germany:

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Johann was the youngest son (of seven) and youngest child (of fourteen) of Johannes and Elsa Katharina (Schneider) Heimbach. At some point he immigrated to the USA and in the 1740s married Mary Gertrude Young. Johann and Mary had seven children, four daughters and three sons. Johann died in Culpeper County, Virginia in November 1785.

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My descent from Johann is:
Johann Jacob Heimbach + Mary Gertrude Young
|
John Hanback + Mary Huffman
|
Rosanna Hanbach + James Lowe
|
Jonathan Lowe + Hannah Ayles
|
Elizabeth S. Lowe + Jonathan Walker
|
Sarah Jane Walker + Andrew D. Fleming
|
Rena Belle Fleming + James Eldridge Needs
|
Freda Irene Needs + Harry Frederick Schoen
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

Today is also the 272nd anniversary of the birth of my 6th great-grandmother, Anna Elisabetha Catharina Hoffmann. Anna Elisabetha was born 13 January 1737 in Altenkirchen, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

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Anna Elisabetha was the elder daughter and second child (of four) of Hanß Michael and Elisabetha Catharina (Schütz) Hofmann. On 24 November 1755 in Altenkirchen, she married Johann Peter Bender. Anna Elisabetha and Johann Peter had eight children, two daughters and six sons. Anna Elisabetha died in Altenkirchen on 27 November 1799.

My descent from Anna Elisabetha is:
Anna Elisabetha Catharina Hoffmann + Johann Peter Bender
|
Johann Theobald Bender + Maria Elisabetha Wagner
|
Johann Theobald Bender + Catharina Barbara Becker
|
Margaretha Bender + Johannes Schoen
|
Frederick August Schoen + Margaret Anna "Marianne" Kress
|
John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 11 January

2009-01-11T13:16:00.004-06:00

Today is the 224th anniversary of the marriage of my 5th great-grandparents, Maria Catharina Mehl and Johann Jacob Becker. Maria Catharina and Johann Jacob were married 11 January 1785 in Altenkirchen, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

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Maria Catharina was born 11 April 1763 in nearby Herschweiler, the daughter of Peter and Anna Margaretha (Müller) Mehl. Johann Jacob was born 10 April 1759 in Altenkirchen, the third son (of six) and third child (of nine) of Johann Adam and Elisabetha Barbara (Molter) Becker. Maria Catharina and Johann Jacob had four children, three daughters and one son. Johann Jacob died 13 January 1805 in Altenkirchen. Maria Catharina died there also but at an unknown date.

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My descent from Maria Catharina and Johann Jacob is:
Maria Catharina Mehl + Johann Jacob Becker
|
Catharina Barbara Becker + Johann Theobald Bender
|
Margaretha Bender + Johannes Schoen
|
Frederick August Schoen + Margaret Anna "Marianne" Kress
|
John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 07 January

2009-01-07T18:42:00.004-06:00

Today is the 247th anniversary of the marriage of my 6th great-grandparents, Barbara Junckin and Johannes Jost. Barbara and Johannes were married 07 January 1762 in Obermoschel, Donnersbergkreis, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

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Barbara was born 28 March 1738 in Obermoschel, the eldest daughter (of four) and eldest child (of five) of Bernard and Maria Magdalena (Sues) Junck. I don't have any information about the parents or family of Johannes. Barbara and Johannes had six children, two daughters and four sons.

My descent from Barbara and Johannes is:
Barbara Junckin + Johannes Jost
|
Peter Jost + Katharina Hütter
|
Margarethe Jost + Jacob Schön
|
Johannes Schoen + Margaretha Bender
|
Frederick August Schoen + Margaret Anna "Marianne" Kress
|
John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

Today is also the 198th anniversary of the birth of my great-great-great-grandfather, Anton Kress. Anton was born 11 January 1811 in Hessen, Germany. By 1842 he was marriedto Eva Wehner (Warner) and living near Fulda, Monroe County, Ohio. [In 1851, when Noble County was formed Fulda was in the new county.] Anton and Eva had seven children, five daughters and two sons. Anton died 20 June 1883 at Fulda, Noble County, Ohio.

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My descent from Anton is:
Anton Kress + Eva Wehner
|
Margaret Anna "Marianne" Kress + Frederick August Schoen
|
John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 05 January

2009-01-05T18:26:00.002-06:00

Today is the 254th anniversary of the birth of my 5th great-grandfather, James Lowe. James was born 05 January 1755 in Kirk, Scotland.

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James was the son of John Lowe. James Lowe enlisted as a private in the First Maryland Regiment under Col. John H. Stone in 1778 for three years service (The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Volume 43, page 206). On 22 January 1796 in Fauquier County, Virginia he married Rosanna Hanbach. James and Rosanna had eleven children, six daughters and five sons.

My descent from James is:
James Lowe + Rosanna Hanbach
|
Jonathan Lowe + Hannah Ayles
|
Elizabeth S. Lowe + Jonathan Walker
|
Sarah Jane Walker + Andrew D. Fleming
|
Rena Belle Fleming + James Eldridge Needs
|
Freda Irene Needs + Harry Frederick Schoen
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 02 January

2009-01-02T11:55:00.002-06:00

Today is the 358th anniversary of the marriage of my 9th great-grandparents, Margaretha Nied and Hanß Cloß. Margaretha and Hanß were married 02 January 1651 in Altenkirchen, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

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I don't have many details about Margaretha and Hanß. I know that Margaretha was born in nearby Dittweiler and that Hanß died before 1669. Margaretha and Hanß had two children, one daughter and one son.

Today is also the 190th anniversary of the birth of my great-great-great-grandfather, Johannes Schoen. Johannes was born 02 January 1819 in Kübelberg, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

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On 23 August 1843, in Altenkirchen, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, Johannes was married to Margaretha Bender, the 4th great-granddaughter of Margaretha Nied and Hanß Cloß. Margaretha and Johannes had four children, one daughter and three sons. One daughter and one son died in Germany. on 26 July 1856, Margaretha, Johannes and their two surviving sons arrived at the port of New York on board the ship Havre. By 1860, they had settled in Marietta, Washington County, Ohio, living on Hart Street.

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By 1870, their younger son, Karl had died and my the mid-1870's they had purchased 150 acres of land at Hohman in Ludlow Township, northeast of Marietta.

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Johannes died on the Schoen farm at Hohman on 20 May 1901 and is buried nearby in St. Patrick's Cemetery.

The obituary of Johannes Schoen.

My descent from Margaretha and Hanß and Johannes is:
Margaretha Nied + Hanß Cloß
|
Hanß Theobald Cloß + Anna Maria [Unknown]
|
Anna Elisabetha Cloß + Johann Georg Bender
|
Johann Peter Bender + Anna Elisabetha Catharina Hoffmann
|
Johann Theobald Bender + Maria Elisabetha Wagner
|
Johann Theobald Bender + Catharina Barbara Becker
|
Margaretha Bender + Johannes Schoen
|
Frederick August Schoen + Margaret Anna "Marianne" Kress
|
John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 29 December

2008-12-29T18:19:00.003-06:00

Today is the 257th anniversary of the marriage of my 6th great-grandparents, Sarah Clowes and Thomas Gore. Sarah and Thomas were married 29 December 1751 in Loudoun County, Virginia.

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Sarah was born in about 1730 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, the eldest daughter (of five) and eldest child (of six) of Thomas and Christiana (Palmer) Clowes. Thomas was born in about 1725 in Loudoun County, Virginia, the son of John Gore. Sarah and Thomas had ten children, two daughters and eight sons.

My descent from Sarah and Thomas is:
Sarah Clowes + Thomas Gore
|
Phebe Gore + Caleb Whitacre [They were second cousins, both are great-grandchildren of John and Christiana (Joses) Palmer.]
|
Sarah Whitacre + Edmund Hayes
|
David P. Hayes + Nancy Agnes Haddow
|
Lewis C. Hayes + Adda R. Seely
|
Harriett Hayes + Thomas Francis Hayes
|
Mary Eileen Hayes + Benedict Aloysius Roddy
|
My Mother + My Father
|
Me

And a very special happy 2nd birthday to Emerson and Ozzie! The bestest boys in the whole wide world!

MFH: 27 December

2008-12-27T12:44:00.002-06:00

Today is the 211th anniversary of the birth of my 4th great-grandmother, Jannette Ormiston. Jannette was born 27 December 1797 in Lanarkshire, Scotland.

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Jannette was the eldest daughter (of three) and eldest child (of nine) of James and Christiana (Lamb) Ormiston, Sr. In about 1820, she married Robert Haddow in Scotland. On 06 June 1834, they arrived at the port of New York on board the ship Portaferry along with a daughter and three sons. By 1836, the family had settled in Barlow Township, Washington County, Ohio where two more daughters were born. Jannette died in Barlow Township 29 November 1866 and is buried in the Fleming Cemetery there.

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My descent from Jannette is:
Jannette Ormiston + Robert Haddow
|
Nancy Agnes Haddow + David P. Hayes
|
Lewis C. Hayes + Adda R. Seely
|
Harriett Hayes + Thomas Francis Hayes
|
Mary Eileen Hayes + Benedict Aloysius Roddy
|
My Mother + My Father
|
Me

Also, a very happy 50th anniversary to my Uncle Max and Aunt Mary Ann!

MFH: 23 December

2008-12-23T12:35:00.002-06:00

Today is the 187th anniversary of the birth of my great-great-great-grandmother, Margaret Clay. Margaret was born 23 December 1821 in Darmstadt, Hessen, Germany.

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By 1846, Margaret had immigrated to the USA and settled at Fulda, Noble, Ohio and married Peter Ruppel. Margaret and Peter had twelve children, five daughters and seven sons. Margaret died 19 September 1900 at Fulda and is buried at St. Mary's Church Cemetery there.

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My descent from Margaret is:
Margaret Clay + Peter Ruppel
|
John Konrad Ruppel + Carolina Herbst
|
Helena Loretta Ruppel + John Charles Schoen
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 21 December

2008-12-21T12:21:00.002-06:00

Today is the 184th anniversary of the birth of my great-great-great-grandfather, Peter Ruppel. Peter was born 21 December 1824 in Darmstadt, Hessen, Germany.

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Peter was the son of Anton and Elisabetha (Spangenberg) Ruppel. Sometime before 1846, Peter immigrated to the USA and settled at Fulda, Noble, Ohio and married Margaret Clay. Peter and Margaret had twelve children, five daughters and seven sons. Peter died 31 October 1891 at Fulda and is buried at St. Mary's Church Cemetery there.

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My descent from Peter is:
Peter Ruppel + Margaret Clay
|
John Konrad Ruppel + Carolina Herbst
|
Helena Loretta Ruppel + John Charles Schoen
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 15 December

2008-12-15T06:52:00.005-06:00

Today there are three anniversaries in my family. Today is the 241st anniversary of the birth of my 5th great-grandfather, Peter Spangenberg. It is also the 162nd anniversary of the birth of Peter's great-grandson, my great-great-grandfather, John Konrad Ruppel. And, it is the 103rd anniversary of the birth of John Konrad's grandson, my paternal grandfather, Harry Frederick Schoen.

Peter Spangenberg was born 15 December 1767 in Germany. John Konrad Ruppel, was born 15 December 1846 at Fulda, Noble, Ohio, USA. Harry Frederick Schoen, was born 15 December 1905 at Hohman, Washington, Ohio, USA.

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John Konrad was the eldest son (of seven) and eldest child (of twelve) of Peter and Margaret (Clay) Ruppel. On 22 November 1870, John Konrad married Carolina Herbst at Fulda, Noble, Ohio, USA. John Konrad and Carolina had nine children, six daughters and three sons. John Konrad died 27 February 1912 at Hohman, Washington, Ohio, USA and is buried there in St. Patrick's Cemetery.

Harry was the only son and eldest child (of three) of John Charles and Helena Loretta (Ruppel) Schoen. On 20 April 1940, he married Freda Irene Needs in Marietta, Washington, Ohio, USA. Harry and Freda had two sons. Harry died 24 June 1967 in Marietta, Washington, Ohio, USA and is buried there in St. Mary's (Old) Cemetery.

John Konrad and Carolina (Herbst) Ruppel and family. John Konrad is man seated, second from the left, in the front row. I think this picture was taken in 1892 or 1893.

John Konrad Ruppel with his three youngest daughters. This picture was taken in about 1904 in front of the Ruppel Farm at Hohman, Washington, Ohio, USA.

Harry Frederick Schoen (1905-1967). I believe this picture was taken about 1907-1908.

Harry Frederick Schoen (1905-1967) with his sisters Glenda Josephine Schoen Thrasher (1915-1951) and Florence Margaret Schoen Livesay (1913-2002). I believe this picture was taken about 1916-1917.

Harry Frederick and Freda Irene (Needs) Schoen on their wedding day, 20 April 1940, Marietta, Washington, Ohio, USA.

Harry Frederick and Freda Irene (Needs) Schoen taken in the early 1960's.

My descent from Peter, John Konrad, and Harry is:
Peter Spangenberg + Unknown
|
Elisabetha Spangenberg + Anton Ruppel
|
Peter Ruppel + Margaret Clay
|
John Konrad Ruppel + Carolina Herbst
|
Helena Loretta Ruppel + John Charles Schoen
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 07 December

2008-12-07T12:29:00.002-06:00

Today is the 246th anniversary of the marriage of my sixth great-grandparents, Mary Creighton and John Haddow. Mary and John were married 07 December 1762 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

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Mary was born about 1741 in Glasgow. John was born there on 03 October 1707, a son of John and Isobel (Wilson) Haddow. Mary and John had nine children, three daughters and six sons.

My descent from Mary and John is:
Mary Creighton + John Haddow
|
John Haddow + Elizabeth Hamilton
|
Robert Haddow + Jannette Ormiston
|
Nancy Agnes Haddow + David P. Hayes
|
Lewis C. Hayes + Adda R. Seely
|
Harriett Hayes + Thomas Francis Hayes
|
Mary Eileen Hayes + Benedict Aloysius Roddy
|
My Mother + My Father
|
Me

Snow, Snow Snow

2008-11-30T17:30:00.006-06:00

As seen from the balcony of our apartment:

MFH: 29 November

2008-11-29T11:29:00.000-06:00

Today is the 290th anniversary of the marriage of my 7th great-grandparents, Anna Elisabetha Cloß and Johann Georg Bender. Anna and Johann were married 29 November 1718 in Altenkirchen, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

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Anna was born in April 1697 in Altenkirchen, the only daughter and youngest child (of seven) of Hanß Theobald and Anna Maria Cloß. Johann was born in July 1694 in nearby Langenbach, the son of Peter and Maria Elisabetha (Drum) Bender.

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Anna and Johann had four children, one daughter and three sons. Anna died in Altenkirchen in January 1727 and Johann died there in March 1753.

My descent from Anna and Johann is:
Anna Elisabetha Cloß + Johann Georg Bender
|
Johann Peter Bender + Anna Elisabetha Catharina Hoffmann
|
Johann Theobald Bender + Maria Elisabetha Wagner
|
Johann Theobald Bender + Catharina Barbara Becker
|
Margaretha Bender + Johannes Schoen
|
Frederick August Schoen + Margaret Anna "Marianne" Kress
|
John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 28 November

2008-11-28T11:05:00.004-06:00

Today is the 171st anniversary of the marriage of my great-great-great-grandparents, Elizabeth S. Lowe and Jonathan Walker. Elizabeth and Jonathan were married 28 November 1837 in Washington County, Ohio.

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Elizabeth was born 17 October 1820 at Duck Creek, Noble County, Ohio, the eldest daughter (of six) and third child (of ten) of Jonathan and Hannah (Ayles) Lowe. Jonathan was born 29 Jun 1816 at Indian Creek, Monongalia County, Virginia (now West Virginia), the youngest son (of three) and youngest child (of eight) of James and Sarah (McMullen) Walker. Elizabeth and Jonathan had fourteen children (including two sets of twins!), seven daughters, and seven sons. Jonathan died 01 April 1897 at Dalzell, Liberty Township, Washington County, Ohio. Elizabeth died 12 December 1906 at Fifteen Mile Creek, Liberty Township, Washington County, Ohio.

My descent from Elizabeth and Jonathan is:
Elizabeth S. Lowe + Jonathan Walker
|
Sarah Jane Walker + Andrew D. Fleming
|
Rena Belle Fleming + James Eldridge Needs
|
Freda Irene Needs + Harry Frederick Schoen
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 24 November

2008-11-24T06:50:00.001-06:00

Today is the 253rd anniversary of the marriage of my 6th great-grandparents, Anna Elisabetha Catharina Hoffmann and Johann Peter Bender. Anna and Johann were married on 24 November 1755 in Altenkirchen, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

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Anna was born 13 January 1737 in Altenkirchen, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, the elder daughter (of two) and second child (of four) of Hanß Michael Elisabetha Catharina (Schütz) Hofmann. Johann was born 09 March 1726 in Altenkirchen, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, the youngest son (of three) and youngest child (of four) of Johann Georg and Anna Elisabetha (Cloß) Bender. Anna and Johann had eight children, two daughters and six sons. Johann died in Altenkirchen in November 1777 and Anna died there on 27 November 1799.

My descent from Anna and Johann is:
Anna Elisabetha Catharina Hoffmann + Johann Peter Bender
|
Johann Theobald Bender + Maria Elisabetha Wagner
|
Johann Theobald Bender + Catharina Barbara Becker
|
Margaretha Bender + Johannes Schoen
|
Frederick August Schoen + Margaret Anna "Marianne" Kress
|
John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 23 November

2008-11-23T11:20:00.013-06:00

Today is the 160th anniversary of the birth of my great-great-grandfather, Frederick August "Fred" Schoen. Today is also the 132nd anniversary of his wedding to Margaret Anna "Marianne" Kress. Fred was born 23 November 1848 in Altenkirchen, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. Fred and Marianne were married on 23 November 1876 at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Hohman, Ludlow Township, Washington County, Ohio, USA.

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On 26 July 1856, Fred arrived in New York with his parents, Johannes and Margaretha (Bender) Schoen, and his younger brother, Karl. By 1860, the family was living in the second ward of Marietta, Washington County, Ohio.

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By the time of his marriage in 1876, the Schoen's had moved to a 150 acre farm at Hohman, Ludlow Township, Washington County, Ohio. Marianne Kress was born 15 March 1853 at Fulda, Enoch Township, Noble County, Ohio, the youngest daughter (of five) and sixth child (of seven) of Anton and Eva (Wehner) Kress. After their marriage Fred and Marianne lived at the Schoen farm with Fred's parents. Fred and Marianne had three children, two daughters (Katherine and Matilda) and one son (John Charles). Fred died on 12 May 1932 in Zanesville, Muskingum County, Ohio, and Marianne died at the Schoen farm at Hohman on 24 May 1935. Both are buried in St. Patrick's Cemetery, Ludlow Township, Washington County, Ohio.

Frederick August Schoen (1848-1932), taken in the late 1860s or early 1870s.

Frederick August Schoen (1848-1932). I think this is about 10 years after the picture above.

Margaret Anna "Marianne" (Kress) Schoen (1853-1935), circa 1900.

The Schoen Farm at Hohman, Ludlow Township, Washington County, Ohio, taken about 1904. Pictured left to right: Frederick August "Fred" Schoen (1848-1932), Margaret Anna "Marianne" (Kress) Schoen (1853-1935), John Charles Schoen (1878-1969), Katherine (Schoen) Burkhart (1877-1975), Charles Perry Sine (1873-1957), Ada Marie (Sine) Morris (1903-1989), Matilda Regine (Schoen) Sine (1880-1967), Dorothea (Beagle) Sine (1836-1921).

Detail of photo above.

Fred and Marianne Schoen at the Schoen farm, circa 1930.

My descent from Fred and Marianne is:
Frederick August Schoen + Margaret Anna Kress
|
John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 22 November

2008-11-22T10:02:00.006-06:00

Today is the 138th anniversary of the marriage of my great-great-grandparents, Carolina Herbst and John Konrad Ruppel. Carolina and John were married 22 November 1870 in Noble County, Ohio (probably at or near Fulda).

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Carolina was born 08 March 1849 in Fulda, Monroe, Ohio, USA, the youngest daughter (0f three) and youngest child (of four) of Andrew and Beata Ada Herbst. John was born 15 December 1846 in Fulda, Monroe, Ohio, USA, the eldest son (of seven) and eldest child (of twelve) of Peter and Margaret (Clay) Ruppel. (Noble County was created in 1851. Before that date Fulda was in Monroe County.) Carolina and John had nine children, six daughters and three sons. Carolina died 01 February 1903 at Hohman, Ludlow Township, Washington County, Ohio, USA. John re-married on 09 May 1905 in Hohman, Ohio to Lousetta (Burkhart) Nau. John and Lousetta had one daughter. John died 27 February 1912 at Hohman, Ludlow Township, Washington County, Ohio, USA. John and Carolina are buried at St. Patrick's Cemetery, Ludlow Township, Washington County, Ohio, USA.

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The family of John Konrad and Carolina (Herbst) Ruppel, taken about 1892.

The Ruppel farm at Hohman, Ludlow Township, Washington County, Ohio, USA, 1904. In 1955, the farm was acquired by the federal government through an eminent domain lawsuit and incorporated into the Wayne National Forest. Pictured left to right are Margaret R. Ruppel (1891-1905), John Konrad Ruppel (1846-1912), Helena Loretta Ruppel (1884-1955), and Minnie L. Ruppel (1887-1975). The framed portrait is of John Konrad and Carolina (Herbst) Ruppel and today hangs in my home.

Detail of photo above.

My descent from Carolina and John is:
Carolina Herbst + John Konrad Ruppel
|
Helena Loretta Ruppel + John Charles Schoen
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 21 November

2008-11-21T06:51:00.004-06:00

Today is the 250th anniversary of the marriage of my 6th great-grandparents, Margaretha Conrad and Heinrich Hütter. Margaretha and Heinrich were married on 21 November 1758 in Großsteinhausen, Sudwestpfalz, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

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Margaretha was born in about 1741 in Großsteinhausen. Heinrich was also born in Großsteinhausen about 1737. They had five children, three daughters and two sons. They were the maternal grandparents of Margarethe Jost whose anniversary was the subject of yesterday's post.

My descent from Margaretha and Heinrich is:
Margaretha Conrad + Heinrich Hütter
|
Katharina Hütter + Peter Jost
|
Margarethe Jost + Jacob Schön
|
Johannes Schoen + Margaretha Bender
|
Frederick August Schoen + Margaret Anna "Marianne" Kress
|
John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 20 November

2008-11-20T06:32:00.002-06:00

Today is the 195th anniversary of the marriage of my 4th great-grandparents, Margarethe Jost and Jacob Schön. Margarethe and Jacob were married 20 November 1813 in Kübelberg, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

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The Church at Schöneberg-Kübelberg (via Panoramio).

Margarethe was born 13 February 1795 in Großsteinhausen, Sudwestpfalz, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. Jacob was born 22 August 1795 in Brücken, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

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Margarethe and Jacob had six children, two daughters and four sons. All four of their sons emigrated to the United States. I don't yet know when or where either Margarethe or Jacob died.

My descent from Margarethe and Jacob is:
Margarethe Jost + Jacob Schön
|
Johannes Schoen + Margaretha Bender
|
Frederick August Schoen + Margaret Anna "Marianne" Kress
|
John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

Once Upon A Wish

2008-11-20T06:02:00.003-06:00

(via Joe.My.God)

Ain't He Just

2008-11-20T05:56:00.006-06:00

(via People)

MFH: 18 November

2008-11-18T07:37:00.003-06:00

Today is the 342nd anniversary of the birth of my 8th great-grandmother, Gertrud Reichmann. Gertrud was born 18 November 1666 in Siegen, Westfalen, Prussia, Germany, to Johann and Elisabeth Reichmann.

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On 27 May 1690, Gertrud married Johannes Hofmann and they had eight children, four daughters and four sons. Gertrud died 21 November 1728 in Eisern, Westfalen, Prussia, Germany.

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My descent from Gertrud is:
Gertrud Reichmann + Johannes Hofmann
|
Johannes Hofmann + Maria Sabina Folg
|
Mary Huffman + John Hanback
|
Rosanna Hanbach + James Lowe
|
Jonathan Lowe + Hannah Ayles
|
Elizabeth S. Lowe + Jonathan Walker
|
Sarah Jane Walker + Andrew D. Fleming
|
Rena Belle Fleming + James Eldridge Needs
|
Freda Irene Needs + Harry Frederick Schoen
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 15 November

2008-11-15T16:44:00.004-06:00

Today is the 251st anniversary of the marriage of my sixth great-grandparents, Anna Margaretha Johann and Peter Schön. Anna and Peter were married on 15 November 1757 in Brücken, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

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Anna was born in about 1740 in nearby Dickenhart; her father was Sebastian Johann. Peter was born in Brücken in 1732, the second son (of six) and fourth child (of eight) of Michael and Anna Elisabetha (Groß) Schön. Anna and Peter had eight children, one daughter and seven sons. Peter died in Brücken on 25 December 1797 and Anna died there on 07 March 1810.

My descent from Peter and Anna is:
Peter Schön + Anna Margaretha Johann
|
Kaspar Schön + Katharina Lensch
|
Jacob Schön + Margarethe Jost
|
Johannes Schoen + Margaretha Bender
|
Frederick August Schoen + Margaret Anna "Marianne" Schoen
|
John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 13 November

2008-11-13T18:19:00.013-06:00

Today is the 99th anniversary of the birth of my maternal grandfather, Benedict Aloysius Roddy. Benedict was born 13 November 1909 in Vincent, Washington, Ohio, USA, the fourth son (of five) and sixth child (of nine) of Owen Francis "Frank" and Catherine Regina (Holden) Roddy.

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On 16 June 1936, at St. Louis Catholic Church in Cincinnati, Hamilton, Ohio, USA, he married Mary Eileen Hayes. Ben and Eileen had thirteen children, nine daughters and four sons. In late 1961, Ben, Eileen, and nine of the children moved from Vincent, Ohio to the San Fernando Valley in California. Ben and Eileen moved back to Ohio in the spring of 1979 and Eileen died 23 November 1979 in Marietta, Ohio. Ben died there on 17 December 1994.

Benedict Aloysius Roddy (1909-1994), about 1927.

Ben Roddy with his mother, Catherine Regina (Holden) Roddy, circa 1930.

Ben and Eileen Roddy with their eldest five children shortly before Ben went into the Navy during World War II, 1944.

Ben and Eileen Roddy with twelve of their thirteen children, circa 1960.

Ben walking my mother down the aisle on my parents wedding day, 1960.

My maternal grandparents, Mary Eileen (Hayes) and Benedict Aloysius Roddy on my parents wedding day, St. Mary's Catholic Church, Marietta, Ohio, 07 May 1960.

Ben and Eileen Roddy with five of their children, Summer 1979.

My descent from Ben is:
Benedict Aloysius Roddy + Mary Eileen Hayes
|
My Mother + My Father
|
Me

Better

2008-11-12T20:31:00.001-06:00

MFH: 12 November

2008-11-12T20:14:00.008-06:00

Today is the 130th anniversary of the birth of my great-grandfather, John Charles Schoen. Charlie was born 12 November 1878 in Hohman, Washington, Ohio, USA. He was the only son and second child (of three) of Frederick August and Margaret Anna "Marianne" (Kress) Schoen.

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On 04 October 1904, Charlie married Helena Loretta "Lena" Ruppel at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Hohman, Washington, Ohio, USA. Charlie and Lena had three children, two daughters and one son. Charlie died at the age of 90 years, 11 months, and 4 days on 16 October 1969 in McConnelsville, Morgan, Ohio, USA.

Charlis and Fred Schoen, Schoen Farm, Hohman, Ohio, early 1900s

Charlie and Lena Schoen, 1904

Charlie and Lena Schoen, 1954

Dad and his grandfather, Charlie Schoen, late 1950s, Marietta, Ohio

My descent from Charlie is:
John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 10 November

2008-11-10T18:52:00.002-06:00

Today is the 214th anniversary of the marriage of my 5th great-grandparents, Kaspar Schön and Katharina Lensch. Kaspar and Katharina were married 10 November 1794 in Kusel, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

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I don't know when or where Katharina was born or died. Kaspar was born in April 1774 in Brücken, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, the sixth son (of seven) and sixth child (of eight) of Peter and Anna Margaretha (Johann) Schön. Kaspar died in Brücken, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany on 15 March 1804. Kaspar and Katharina had five children, three daughters and two sons.

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My descent from Kaspar and Katharina is:
Kaspar Schön + Katharina Lensch
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Jacob Schön + Margarethe Jost
|
Johannes Schoen and Margaretha Bender
|
Frederick August Schoen + Margaret Anna "Marianne" Kress
|
John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 08 November

2008-11-08T13:56:00.007-06:00

Today is 109th anniversary of the marriage of my great-grandparents, Rena Belle Fleming and James Eldridge Needs.
James Eldridge Needs (1874-1949) and Rena Belle Fleming (1875-1963)

Rena and James were married on 08 November 1899 in Washington County, Ohio. Rena was born on 27 April 1875 in Wingett Run, Washington County, Ohio, the eldest daughter (of three) and child (of three) of Andrew D. and Sarah Jane (Walker) Fleming. James was born on 22 July 1874 at Cow Run, Washington County, Ohio, the youngest son (of seven) and ninth child (of ten) of Thomas E. and Margaret L. (King) Needs. Rena and James had seven children, four sons and three daughters. James died in Marietta, Ohio on 07 October 1949 and Rena died there on 29 December 1963. They are buried in the Valley Cemetery in Marietta.

Rena Belle (Fleming) and James Eldridge Needs, 1940s, Lawrence Township, Washington County, Ohio

My descent from Rena and James is:
Rena Belle Fleming + James Eldridge Needs
|
Freda Irene Needs + Harry Frederick Schoen
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

Yes We Can!

2008-11-05T08:41:00.002-06:00

From the Chicago Tribune. See more photos here.

Commit Democracy!

2008-11-04T06:26:00.005-06:00

Many years ago, when I was in college, a sociology professor, Dr. Carver, used to end class on Friday by telling us to go out and commit sociology over the weekend. So borrowing from him, go out and commit democracy today. VOTE. Vote with you brain and heart. Vote for intelligence. Vote for truth. Vote as if you life depends on it.

VOTE!

MFH: 03 November

2008-11-03T05:58:00.000-06:00

Today is the 315th anniversary of the marriage of my 8th great-grandparents, Anna Margaretha Becker and Hanß Nickel Molter. Anna and Hanß were married on 03 November 1693 in Altenkirchen, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

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Anna was born in about 1677 in Altenkirchen and Hanß was born in about 1667 in nearby Dittweiler. Anna and Hanß had eight children, five daughters and three sons.

My descent from Anna and Hanß is:
Hanß Nickel Molter + Anna Margaretha Becker
|
Johann Theobald Molter + Anna Margaretha Angelica Pfaff
|
Elisabetha Barbara Molter + Johann Adam Becker
|
Johann Jacob Becker + Maria Catharina Mehl
|
Catharina Barbara Becker + Johann Theobald Bender
|
Margaretha Bender + Johannes Schoen
|
Frederick August Schoen + Margaret Anna "Marianne" Kress
|
John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

Today is also 161st anniversary of the marriage of my great-great-great-grandparents, Nancy Agnes Haddow and David P. Hayes. Nancy and David were married on 03 November 1847 in Washington County, Ohio.

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Nancy was born 20 March 1825 in Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, the eldest daughter (of three) and third child (of six) of Robert and Jannette (Ormiston) Haddow. Nancy was nine years old when her family arrived in New York aboard the ship Portaferry on 06 June 1834.

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David was born on 18 April 1824 in Columbiana County, Ohio, the youngest son (of three) and youngest child (of ten) of Edmund and Sarah (Whitacre) Hayes.

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Nancy and David had nine children, three daughters and six sons. Nancy died on 22 December 1901 in Vincent, Washington County, Ohio and David died there on 15 December 1908.

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My descent from Nancy and David is:
Nancy Agnes Haddow + David P. Hayes
|
Lewis C. Hayes + Adda R. Seely
|
Harriett Hayes + Thomas Francis Hayes
|
Mary Eileen Hayes + Benedict Aloysius Roddy
|
My Mother + My Father
|
Me

And finally, a very special Happy 45th Birthday shoutout to my partner, Chuck. You are my life and my soul. Without you I would be nothing. Here's something just for you!

MFH: 31 October

2008-10-31T18:31:00.003-05:00

Today is the 232nd anniversary of the marriage of my 5th great-grandparents Phebe Gore and Caleb Whitacre. Phebe and Caleb were married 31 October 1776 at Goose Creek Meeting House, Loudoun County, Virginia.

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Phebe was born 07 September 1759 in Loudoun County, Virginia, the second daughter (of two) and fourth child (of ten) of Thomas and Sarah (Clowes) Gore. Caleb was born 15 May 1755 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, the son of John and Naomi (Hulme) Whitacre. Phebe and Caleb had eleven children, four daughters and seven sons. Phebe died in Loudoun County, Virginia on 23 February 1804 and Caleb died there on 23 July 1816.

My descent from Phebe and Caleb is:
Phebe Gore + Caleb Whitacre
|
Sarah Whitacre and Edmund Hayes
|
David P. Hayes + Nancy Agnes Haddow
|
Lewis C. Hayes + Adda R. Seely
|
Harriett Hayes + Thomas Francis Hayes
|
Mary Eileen Hayes + Benedict Aloysius Roddy
|
My Mother + My Father
|
Me

MFH: 25 October

2008-10-25T08:25:00.012-05:00

Today is the 100th anniversary of the birth of my grandmother, Freda Irene Needs. Granny was born on 25 October 1908 in Lawrence Township, Washington County, Ohio. She was the youngest (of three) daughter and sixth (of seven) child of James Eldridge and Rena Belle (Fleming) Needs.
Freda Irene Needs, 1909

Granny attended the local schools in Lawrence Township and graduated from Lawrence High School in 1926. By 1928 she had trained to be a teacher secured her first teaching position at a one-room school (with eight grades!) in nearby Ludlow Township.
Lawrence Township school children circa 1915-1920. The smallest girl in the front row (third from the right) is Granny. The girl immediately behind Granny is her sister Gladys and the boy to Gladys' right is their brother Lloyd. The boy in the cap behind Gladys, peaking around her head, is their brother Clarence and the girl to his right is their sister Vesta.

Among Granny's students in the school in Ludlow Township were Florence and Glenda Schoen, my grand-aunts, sisters of my grandfather, Harry Schoen. Granny and Grandpa were married on 20 April 1940 at Marietta, Washington County, Ohio. At that time married women did not teach school, at least not in rural and small-town Ohio, so Granny quit teaching to raise her family.
Granny (Freda Irene Needs) and Grandpa (Harry Frederick Schoen) on their wedding day, 20 April 1940

Granny, Grandpa, and Dad, Marietta, Ohio, about 1941

In the 1960's, Granny went back to teaching again in the Marietta City Schools and continued until she retired. She also became active in the Daughters of Union Veterans, the Business and Professional Women's Association, the Retired Teachers' Association, the Catholic Women's Club, and, of course, in being the very bestest grandmother in the world.
Granny and Grandpa at the wedding of my parents, Marietta, Ohio, 1960

Granny and Grandpa, Marietta, Ohio, circa 1965

Granny with her sisters, Vesta Needs Semon Morris (1900-1995) and Gladys Needs Yost (1904-1987), circa 1975-1980

Granny died on 29 February 1992 at her home in Marietta, Washington County, Ohio at the age of 83 year, 4 months, and 4 days.

Although we did not talk much about genealogy (something I regret to this day), I get my love of the subject and my desire to continue working on my family history from Granny. I love her dearly and miss her every day.

MFH: 20 October

2008-10-20T11:22:00.004-05:00

Today is the 185th anniversary of the birth of my great-great-great-grandfather, Joseph Seely. Joseph was born 20 October 1823 in New York, the second (of three) son and second (of five) child of William Gedney and Hannah (Ferris) Seely. On 16 April 1846, Joseph married Caroline S. Richards in Washington County, Ohio. Joseph and Caroline had six children, three daughters and three sons. Joseph died at Vincent, Washington, Ohio, USA on 17 Jun 1902.

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My descent from Joseph is:
Joseph Seely + Caroline S. Richards
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Adda R. Seely + Lewis C. Hayes
|
Harriett Hayes + Thomas Francis Hayes
|
Mary Eileen Hayes + Benedict Aloysius Roddy
|
My Mother + My Father
|
Me

MFH: 17 October

2008-10-17T11:12:00.011-05:00

Today is a quadruple anniversary for my family; two great-great-great-grandmothers celebrate birthdays today, my great-grandparents celebrate their wedding anniversary and there is a very, special birthday as well.

Today is 188th anniversary of the birth of my great-great-great-grandmother, Elizabeth S. Lowe. Elizabeth was born on 17 October 1820 near Duck Creek, Noble, Ohio, USA. She was the eldest (of six) daughter and third (of ten) child of Jonathan and Hannah (Ayles) Lowe.

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On 28 November 1837, Elizabeth married Jonathan Walker in Washington County, Ohio; they had 14 children, seven sons and seven daughters (inlcuding two sets of twins!). Elizabeth died on 12 December 1906 near Fifteen Mile Creek in Liberty Township, Washington County, Ohio.

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My descent from Elizabeth is:
Elizabeth S. Lowe + Jonathan Walker
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Sarah Jane Walker + Andrew D. Fleming
|
Rena Belle Fleming + James Eldridge Needs
|
Freda Irene Needs + Benedict Aloysius Roddy
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

Today is the 173rd anniversary of the birth of my great-great-great-grnadmother, Mary Purcell. Mary was born 17 October 1835 in Montréal, Quebec, Canada, a daughter of Nicholas and Margaret (Collins) Purcell.

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Mary was married to Thomas Hayes, Sr. and had six children, one daughter and five sons.

My descent from Mary is:
Mary Purcell + Thomas Hayes, Sr.
|
Thomas Hayes, Jr. + Mary Ann Skehan
|
Thomas Francis Hayes + Harriett Hayes
|
Mary Eileen Hayes + Benedict Aloysius Roddy
|
My Mother + My Father
|
Me

Today is the 110th anniversary of the marriage of my great-grandparents, Owen Francis "Frank" Roddy and Catherine Regina Holden. Frank was born 14 Apr 1867 in Fairfield Township, Washington County, Ohio. Catherine was born 26 March 1873 at Tunnel, Warren Township, Washington County, Ohio. Frank and Catherine were married 17 October 1898 in Washington County, Ohio; they had nine children, four daughters and five sons. Catherine died 29 January 1949 at the family farm in Fairfield Township, Washington County, Ohio. Frank died exactly 10 years later, 29 January 1959, at the farm. Frank and Catherine are buried in (New) St. Mary's Cemetery on St. Mary's Avenue in Marietta, Ohio.

Owen Francis "Frank" Roddy (1867-1595)

Catherine Regina (Holden) Roddy (1873-1949)

My descent from Frank and Catherine is:
Owen Francis Roddy + Catherine Regina Holden
|
Benedict Aloysius Roddy + Mary Eileen Hayes
|
My Mother + My Father
|
Me

And, last but by no means least, today is my father's 68th birthday. Happy Birthday, Dad!

Dad, 1940

Dad, late 1940s

Dad, 1958

Mom and Dad, 1960

Mom and Dad, 2001

Ex Libris: The Dreaming Void

2008-10-17T11:10:00.001-05:00

The Dreaming Void by Peter F. Hamilton is a continuation of his Commonwealth Saga (Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained). Having read the first two books, I was excited to see where he would take the story next. I did like this book. As it is the first book of a trilogy, The Void Trilogy, I expect the author will keep the most exciting action for the final book. There was certainly enough to keep my interest throughout this book. There was a steady progression of events and character development along with the re-introduction of characters from the Commonwealth Saga. I was especially intrigued by Hamilton's ideas about the evolution of humans, physiologically and socio-culturally. I look forward to the next installment of this series.

MFH: 12 October

2008-10-12T17:57:00.003-05:00

Today is the 212th anniversary of the birth of my 4th great-grandfather, Johann Theobald Bender. Johann was born 12 October 1796 in Altenkirchen, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

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Altenkirchen im Winter 2001 (photo by Thomas Erschens)

Johann was the only son and third (of three) child of Johann Theobald and Maria Elisabetha (Wagner) Bender. On 13 June 1816, Johann married Catherina Barbara Becker in Waldmohr, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. Johann and Catherina had ten chidren, six daughters and four sons. Johann died in Altenkirchen on 03 November 1852.

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My descent from Johann is:
Johann Theobald Bender + Catherina Barbara Becker
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Margaretha Bender + Johannes Schoen
|
Frederick August Schoen + Margaret Anna "Marianne" Kress
|
John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 10 October

2008-10-10T18:43:00.000-05:00

Today is the 282nd anniversary of the marriage of my 8th great-grandparents, Johannes Jung and Anna Maria Baümer. Johannes and Anna Maria were married on 10 October 1726 in Trupbach, Siegen-Wittgenstein, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.

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Johannes was the son of Johannes and Anna Katherine (Holzklaw) Jung. Anna Maria was the daughter of Johannes Baümer. Johannes and Anna Maria had six children, three sons and three daughters. Two sons and one daughter were born in Germany before they emigrated to the USA. The other children were born in Culpeper County, Virginia.

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My descent from Johannes and Anna Maria is:
Johannes Jung + Anna Maria Baümer
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Mary Gertrude Young + Johann Jacob Heimbach
|
John Hanback + Mary Huffman
|
Rosanna Hanbach + James Lowe
|
Jonathan Lowe + Hannah Ayles
|
Elizabeth S. Lowe + Jonathan Walker
|
Sarah Jane Walker + Andrew D. Fleming
|
Rena Belle Fleming + James Eldridge Needs
|
Freda Irene Needs + Harry Frederick Schoen
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

Also, a very special anniversary shout out to my sister and brother-in-law, Angie and Ric! Happy Anniversary!

MFH: 09 October

2008-10-09T18:30:00.001-05:00

Today is the 296th anniversary of the birth of my 7th great-grandmother, Anna Elisabetha Groß. Anna was born 09 October 1712 in Ohmbach, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, the second (of three) child and first (of two) daughter of Johannes Heinrich and Anna Margaretha Groß.

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Anna married Michael Schön and they had eight children, six sons and two daughters. Anna died on 26 August 1782 in Brücken, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

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My descent from Anna is:
Anna Elisabetha Groß + Michael Schön
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Peter Schön + Anna Margaretha Johann
|
Kaspar Schön + Katharina Lensch
|
Jacob Schön + Margarethe Jost
|
Johannes Schoen + Margaretha Bender
|
Frederick August Schoen + Margaret Anna "Marianne" Kress
|
John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 05 October

2008-10-05T11:27:00.003-05:00

Today is the 302nd anniversary of the birth of my 7th great-grandmother, Christiana Palmer. Christiana was born on 05 October 1706 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA the youngest daughter (of eight) and child (of fourteen) of John and Christiana (Joses) Palmer.

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On 10 March 1729, Christiana married Thomas Clowes at Falls Meeting House in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Christiana and Thomas had six children, five daughters and one son.

My descent from Christiana is:
Christiana Palmer + Thomas Clowes
|
Sarah Clowes + Thomas Gore
|
Phebe Core + Caleb Whitacre
|
Sarah Whitacre + Edmund Hayes
|
David P. Hayes + Nancy Agnes Haddow
|
Lewis C. Hayes + Adda R. Seely
|
Harriett Hayes + Thomas Francis Hayes
|
Mary Eileen Hayes + Benedict Aloysius Roddy
|
My Mother + My Father
|
Me

Also, a very special Happy Anniversary shout out to my sister- and brother-in-law, Missy and Pat, on their 11 anniversary!

MFH: 04 October

2008-10-04T08:04:00.005-05:00

Today is the 104th anniversary of the marriage of my great-grandparents, John Charles "Charlie" Schoen and Helena Loretta "Lena" Ruppel. Charlie and Lena were married on 04 October 1904 at St. Patrick's Church in Hohman, Washington, Ohio, USA.

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Charlie was born at Hohman on 12 November 1878 the only son and second child (of three) of Frederick August and Margaret Anna "Marianne" (Kress) Schoen. Lena was born at Hohman on 27 September 1884 the fourth daughter (of six) and the seventh child (of nine) of John Konrad and Carolina (Herbst) Ruppel. Charlie and Lena made their home at the Schoen farm at Hohman and had three children, one son and two daughters. Lena died on 16 February 1955 in Marietta, Washington, Ohio. Charlie died on 16 October 1969 in McConnelsville, Morgan, Ohio. Charlie and Lena were buried at (New) St. Mary's Cemetery on Fourth Street in Marietta, Ohio.

This picture was taken on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary in 1954.

My descent from Charlie and Lena is:
John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 03 October

2008-10-03T07:49:00.004-05:00

Today is 301st anniversary of the birth of my 6th great-grandfather, John Haddow, and the 245th anniversary of the birth of his son, my 5th great-grandfather, John Haddow. John the Elder was born 03 October 1707 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

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John the Younger was born on 03 October 1763 in Carluke, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

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John the Elder was married to Mary Creighton on 07 December 1762 in Glasgow. John and Mary had 9 children, six sons and three daughters. John the Younger was married to Elizabeth Hamilton in about 1788. John and Elizabeth had eleven children, 5 sons and six daughters.

My descent from both John Haddows is:
John Haddow + Mary Creighton
|
John Haddow + Elizabeth Hamilton
|
Robert Haddow + Jannette Ormiston
|
Nancy Agnes Haddow + David P. Hayes
|
Lewis C. Hayes + Adda R. Seely
|
Harriett Hayes + Thomas Francis Hayes
|
Mary Eileen Hayes + Benedict Aloysius Roddy
|
My Mother + My Father
|
Me

And a very special Happy Birthday to my sister-in-law, Mari!

MFH: 01 October

2008-10-02T06:28:00.004-05:00

Today is the 200th anniversary of the birth of my great-great-great-grandfather, William W. Fleming. William was born on 01 October 1808 in New Jersey. On 07 August 1840, William was married to Maria Medley in Washington County, Ohio. William and Maria had seven children, five sons and two daughters. William died on 28 April 1873 in Independence Township, Washington County, Ohio.

My descent from William is:
William W. Fleming + Maria Medley
|
Andrew D. Fleming + Sarah Jane Walker
|
Rena Belle Fleming + James Eldridge Needs
|
Freda Irene Needs + Harry Frederick Schoen
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: September

2008-09-30T07:10:00.003-05:00

There are two September events for which I do not know specific dates.

This September was the 278th anniversary of the birth of my 6th great-grandmother, Elisabetha Barbara Molter. Elisabetha was born in September 1730 in Altenkirchen, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. She was the second (of four) daughter and third (of seven) child of Johann Theobald and Anna Margaretha Angelica (Pfaff) Molter.

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On 03 May 1757, Elisabetha married Johann Adam Becker in Altenkirchen. Elisabetha and Johann had nine children, six sons and three daughters. Elisabetha died in Altenkirchen in January 1784.

My descent from Elisabetha is:
Elisabetha Barbara Molter + Johann Adam Becker
|
Johann Jacob Becker + Maria Catharina Mehl
|
Catharina Barbara Becker + Johann Theobald Bender
|
Margaretha Bender + Johannes Schoen
|
Frederick August Schoen + Margaret Anna "Marianne" Kress
|
John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

Also, this September was the 151st anniversary of the birth of my great-great-grandmother, Mary Ann Skehan. Mary Ann was born in September 1857 in Quebec, Canada. On 08 August 1875 in Lac Sainte-Marie, Quebec, Canada, Mary Ann married Thomas Hayes, Jr. Mary Ann and Thomas, along with their eldest son, my great-grandfather, emigrated to the USA in 1878. Mary Ann and Thomas had ten children, six sons and four daughters.

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Mary Ann died on 22 September 1940 in Marietta, Washington, Ohio, USA where she is buried at (New) St. Mary's Cemetery on St. Mary's Avenue.

My descent from Mary Ann is:
Mary Ann Skehan + Thomas Hayes, Jr.
|
Thomas Francis Hayes + Harriett Hayes
|
Mary Eileen Hayes + Benedict Aloysius Roddy
|
My Mother + My Father
|
Me

In Memoriam: Paul Newman (1925-2008)

2008-09-27T16:16:00.005-05:00

Paul Newman, renowned actor and philanthropist, has died at age 83 (CNN, MSNBC).

Here are some tributes:
via StinkyLulu

via Film Experience Blog

via Boy Culture

MFH: 27 September

2008-09-27T15:18:00.008-05:00

Today is the 124th anniversary of the birth of my great-grandmother, Helena Loretta Ruppel. Lena, as she was known in the family, was born 27 September 1884 at Hohman, Washington, Ohio, USA. Lena was the seventh (of nine) child and fourth (of six) daughter of John Konrad and Carolina (Herbst) Ruppel.

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In this picture of the John Konrad and Carolina Ruppel family, I believe that Lena is the girl standing to the right of her father.

Lena was married on 04 October 1904 at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Hohman, Washington County, Ohio to John Charles Schoen. Lena and Charlie had three children, two daughters and one son.

This picture of John Ruppel and three of his daughters was taken in about 1904. Lena is the daughter in the dark dress to the right of the portrait. The portrait is of John Konrad and Carolina (Herbst) Ruppel. That portrait today hangs in my home.

This is the wedding portrait of John Charles and Helena Loretta (Ruppel) Schoen.

This picture of Charlie and Lena Schoen was taken on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary in October 1954.

Lena died 16 February 1955 in Marietta, Washington, Ohio, USA where she is buried in the (Old) St. Mary's Cemetery on Fourth Street.

My descent from Lena is:
Helena Loretta Ruppel + John Charles Schoen
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

MFH: 26 September

2008-09-26T18:55:00.003-05:00

Today is the 222nd anniversary of the marriage of my 5th great-grandparents, Johann Theobald Bender and Maria Elisabetha Wagner. Johann and Maria were married on 26 September 1786 in Altenkirchen, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

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Johann was born 31 March 1759 in Altenkirchen and Maria was born 25 January 1760 in nearby Frohnhofen. Johann and Maria had three children, two daughters and a son. Maria died 04 March 1813 in Altenkirchen and Johann died 24 April 1819 also in Altenkirchen.

My descent from Johann and Maria is:
Johann Theobald Bender + Maria Elisabetha Wagner
|
Johann Theobald Bender + Catharina Barbara Becker
|
Margaretha Bender + Johannes Schoen
|
Frederick August Schoen + Margaret Anna "Marianne" Kress
|
John Charles Schoen + Helena Loretta Ruppel
|
Harry Frederick Schoen + Freda Irene Needs
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me

Today, also, is the 170th anniversary of the birth of great-great-grandmother, Sarah Jane Walker. Sarah Jane was born 26 September 1838 in Indian Creek, Monongalia, (West) Virginia, USA. Sarah Jane and her twin brother, John, were born the eldest of the 14 children of Jonathan and Elizabeth S. (Lowe) Walker.

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Sarah Jane married Andrew D. Fleming on 05 May 1874 in Washington County, Ohio. Sarah Jane and Andrew had three daughters. Sarah Jane died on 20 September 1920 in Lawrence Township, Washington County, Ohio.

My descent from Sarah Jane Walker is:
Sarah Jane Walker + Andrew D. Fleming
|
Rena Belle Fleming + James Eldridge Needs
|
Freda Irene Needs + Harry Frederick Schoen
|
My Father + My Mother
|
Me