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Saddleback
Valley Trails
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South
Orange County California Genealogical Society
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Vol.
16 No. 12
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P.O.
Box 4513, Mission Viejo, CA. 92690
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December
2009
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Editor:
Mary Jo McQueen
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Monthly
meetings are held on the third Saturday of each month from 10:00
a.m. to Noon at the Mission Viejo Family History Center Institute
Building, 27978 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo, between Medical
Center Drive and Hillcrest Drive. Membership is open to anyone interested
in genealogy. Individual membership fees are $20 per calendar year,
$25 for joint membership.
SOCCGS is not affiliated with the LDS Family History Center.
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Please check
your newsletter label.
If it reads 2010, your dues are payable in January.
Merry Christmas
& Happy New Year
Holiday Party - 19 December
2009
“You Are Cordially Invited To SOCCGS’ Annual Holiday Party.”
December 19, 2009
10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Lunch will be served.
(Regular meeting location.)
SOCCGS will celebrate
Christmases past at the last meeting of 2009. This will be the perfect
occasion to share a favorite Christmas memory, picture or ornament,
etc. Take time from your busy holiday schedule to relax and enjoy
great food, holiday cheer and “talk” genealogy.
The luncheon will be catered, except for dessert. So, if you would
like to share a small amount of a favorite holiday dessert, it will
be most welcome. |
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Christmas Night,
1776
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~Newt Gingrich
On Christmas Day, 1776, nearly all thought the Revolution was
lost,
Except for a valiant few who still believed in “The Cause.”
We owe our liberty today to those valiant few.
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| Led by George Washington, most
of his Army, dressed in rags and barefoot, faced a winter gale of
rain, sleet, ice and snow. This band of patriots braved a midnight
river crossing and a nine-mile march over frozen roads to win a
spectacular victory at Trenton, New Jersey, the following morning.
Those were indeed times, as Thomas Paine would write, that “try
men’s souls.” |
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Merry Christmas,
1776
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| Trenton, New Jersey, 26 December
1776. General Washington here matched surprise and endurance against
the superior numbers and training of the British, and the Continental
Army won its first victory in long months of painful striving. Trenton
eliminated 1,000 Hessians and drove the British from their salient
in New Jersey. It saved the flagging American cause and put new
heart into Washington's men. Alexander Hamilton's Company of New
York Artillery opened the fight at dawn, blasting the bewildered
Hessians as they tried to form ranks in the streets.
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"On Christmas
day in Seventy-six,
Our gallant troops with bayonets fixed,
To Trenton marched away."
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~Anne Hollingsworth
Wharton
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President's Message
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~Sandy Crowley
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We are lucky to have so many involved
members in SOCCGS. This month I’d like to especially thank Bill
Bluett for his talk on Digital Genealogy (I’ll be at the computer
a long time using his extensive source lists), and David Flint for
bringing us along with the Ralph’s fund-raiser project as well as
the Ancestry records project. Thanks also to our Hospitality Chairmen
as well as all the hosts and hostesses who have donated refreshments.
As we near the end of 2009, please help by signing up on the clipboard
for a month in which you can help in 2010 by bringing treats or
lemonade and water. The sign-up clipboard will be out during our
December meeting/party.
I hope you all had an enjoyable Thanksgiving!
The following history from my maternal side, that of Robert Renick
and his wife Elizabeth (Archer), make me especially thankful to
be living in today’s world. Robert and Elizabeth had each come from
Northern Ireland with various family members in the early 1700s.
The families first settled in and near Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
after arriving from Ireland. Then about 1740, the Renick brothers
located to Augusta County, Virginia (which is now along the WV/VA
border near Lewisburg, WV.) Robert and Elizabeth Archer Renick married
about 1741.
On July 25, 1757, Elizabeth Renick and their seven children were
captured by a band of about 60 Shawnee Indians, and Robert Renick
was murdered. Elizabeth was pregnant at the time. After Elizabeth
was captured, the Indians went on to a neighboring home where Robert
and another man were visiting. They killed and scalped the two men
in front of the children.
The Indians then embarked on a long journey to the Miami Indian
town in Ohio. Along the way, the incessant crying of the infant,
Robert, resulted in an Indian killing the infant by striking him
against a tree. The child Elizabeth had been carrying was born in
captivity. The children and Mrs. Renick were separated and divided
up among their captors. They were in captivity until October 1764,
when Col. Henry Bouquet led an expedition, which crippled the tribes
and demanded a hostage release. Elizabeth and the female children
were released with a total of 88 captives, though it was 1765 before
she and her daughters reached Staunton, VA (near their homestead).
Her sons followed home within a year. Elizabeth had to contend with
children whom did not know her, had adopted Indian ways and who
feared leaving the tribes.
The book “The Renicks of Greenbrier” by B.F. Harlow, Jr. gives extensive
history and source materials. The website “Notable Women Ancestors”
has an article on Elizabeth Archer Renick by William Kincaid which
is also interesting. |
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November Meeting
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Parliamentarian, Chuck Nostrome,
announced the nominated officers for 1010. They are: President,
Sandy Crowley; Vice President, Bill Bluett; Recording Secretary,
Cindy Reilly; Corresponding Secretary, Pat Weeks and Treasurer,
Mary Jo McQueen. They will be installed at the December 19 event.
Members donated 90 toys, 45 stuffed animals and an assortment of
gift cards to be delivered to the 1/11 Marines at Camp Pendleton.
We welcomed guest Lucie Stella Reschke. Guests Don & Rose Kollmorgen,
Sondra Koegler & Eric Savage are now new members. November hostesses
were Jessie Ellison, Karyn Schumaker (w/ Grayce) and Bea Norred.
Several members shared their brick walls and research suggestions
at the meeting. Mary Jo McQueen suggested calling a regional NARA
office to locate Federal prison records. She contacted the Kansas
City NARA and the clerk looked up her uncle’s record on the spot.
She was told the cost, gave credit card information, and the documents
were sent out the next day. Myrna Hamick told us that the New York
Public Library would send copies and books re: any U.S. military
record. They also provide research service for a fee. Janet Shannon
asked that anyone who was familiar with using PAF see her at the
break. Brian Poff told us that we can ask for a “long form” birth
certificate, which will offer more information than the short documents
we are used to receiving. He was asked for the long form when seeking
a passport. The state of New York was able to supply this. Give
it a try in other states. Rosanna Gahran suggested obtaining a copy
of a death certificate for the ancestor you are researching. The
information on it can often help you prove or disprove family data.
Try to obtain mortuary records, too. There could be lots of valuable
data there. |
There are no
Genealogy Safaris during November & December.
Join us on January 27 for the annual trip to the LA Public Library.
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Membership
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| Recent new members are Jean
Johnson jeanjca@aol.com
and Jean Pettigrew who both live in Rancho Santa Margarita.
November meeting guests who have joined are: Don and Rose Kollmorgen,
Irvine rose@kollmorgen.org
and Sondra Koegler and Eric Savage, Mission Viejo,
koesau@dslextreme.com.
They are searching for Trudeau, Toft and Savage. Another recent
new member, Barbara Ganter,
BAG421@aol.com, is searching
Towne, McConnell, Cunningham, Bliven, Sisson, Munday, Hubbs, and
Ganter. |
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New At The Library
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Adventures of Purse and Persons,
Virginia, 1607-1624/5, Vol 1 & Vol 3, by John Frederick Dorman
- These volumes document the 'adventurers' who were the approximately
900 stockholders mentioned in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Charters of the
Virginia Colony. The 'adventurers of purse' were individuals "who
either came to Virginia in the period 1607-1625 and had descendants,
or who did not come to Virginia within that period but whose grandchildren
were residents there." The 'adventurers of person' were individuals
who were immigrants to Virginia and left descendants there.
“608 Randolph Street” by Carolyn Cummings - Is a Family History
of the Cummings family of Bedford, Iowa, the small town with a big
heart. Carolyn's story is about her extended family and her parents
who lived at 608 Randolph Street for 69 years.
Bill Tosh donated a signed copy of the “August County, Virginia,
Earliest Will Index 1745” by Post 1900, Elizabeth Jane Sherman,
CG. Fortunately for researchers, the Augusta County Courthouse was
never burned. The records begin in 1745 with wills and deeds. Six
will index books were used to create this published reference. These
indices, along with the Appendix Index created, total 19,679 surname
entries.
Mickie Dempsey donated a signed copy of “Dark Enough to see the
Stars in the Jamestown Sky” by Connie Lapallo. Based on the
true story of the women and children at Jamestown. "Do not forget
us." Haunted by a woman's voice whispering those words from the
dusty records, Connie sought to discover why her ten great grandmother,
Joan Peirce, brought a daughter and joined the few women and children
settling Jamestown. Connie tells their story with compassion and
historical accuracy. |
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New and Free
Online Databases From The DAR
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~Eric G. Grundset,
DAR Library Director
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After nearly a decade of scanning,
indexing, and other work by DAR members and employees, the Daughters
of the American Revolution is pleased to announce the availability
of the DAR Genealogical Research System on our public website. Here
are the direct links:
http://www.dar.org/library/onlineresearch.cfm
or www.dar.org
(and click on the Library button at the top, then the second tab
in the left-hand column). Note from SVT editor: This web address
worked best for me
http://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/Search/.
The GRS is a growing collection of databases that provide access
to many materials collected by the DAR over the past 119 years.
Included in this collection of databases is the GRC National Index,
which has been available to researchers for the past few years.
When you go to the link above, you will find several tabs that will
enable searching in the various databases:
Ancestor – established DAR Revolutionary War Ancestors and basic
information about them with listings of the applications submitted
by descendants who joined the DAR. [Updated daily]
Member – limited access to information on deceased/former DAR members
– not current members.
Descendants – index of generations in applications between the DAR
member and the Revolutionary War ancestor. There is much eighteenth
and nineteenth-century information here. [Ongoing indexing project]
GRC – every name index to 20,000 typescript volumes (some still
being indexed) of genealogical records such as cemeteries, Bibles,
etc. This index is not limited to the period of the American Revolution.
Each of these has interrelated content, and a description of each
is given more fully on the website. |
Ancestry magazine
issues are digitized on Google Books. It's a fun thing.
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“WORKING ON THE
RAILROAD”
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~Diane Hearne
(Continued from November '09 SVT)
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John, you were a conductor on trains between Cincinnati and Chicago
for I believe, The Big Four Railroad. I always thought the conductor
was the person who came around to take tickets, but, again, the
Internet set me straight:
I’m confident, John, that it wasn’t necessary to write “or her”
in your day.
More famous for your survival than something you did, here is the
account from one of your obituaries:
“Railroad men to this day never fail to refer to the escape of
conductor John G. Schrader, on Sunday, May 1, 1893. He was then
conductor of a passenger train. Eastbound on that Sunday, his train
was climbing a hill between Cleves and North Bend when, from the
east and around a curve thundered a fast freight train into head-on
collision with Schrader’s train. Seven persons were killed in that
wreck. Schrader was hurled through a car door and between two couches.
One of the latter lay upon its side, burning, and between the two
Schrader was wedged head downward, and thus he hung for thirty-five
minutes, in danger of cremation, while rescuers worked frantically
to extricate him. His injuries kept him off duty but a short time
and he was back at his job.”
Apparently your love of trains was well known as described in the
same obituary:
“Within earshot of the sound of the locomotive whistles and the
rumble of the trains he loved so well, John W. Schrader, 79, retired
railroad conductor, 6734 Commercial Avenue, Sayler Park, died Wednesday
night.” |
| “The conductor is the railway
employee charged with the management of a freight, passenger, or
various other types of train and is also the direct supervisor of
the train’s ‘Train Crew’ (brakeman, flagman, ticket collector etc.)
All train crew members on board the train work under his or her
direction.” |
I remember visiting the house
where you lived and died many years later. My brother, Garry, and
I always asked if we could cross the road to wave to the engineers
when we heard that lonely whistle. By the time our great aunts or
parents got organized enough to shepherd us across the road, the
train had usually passed.
You too were known for your devotion to an organization, the Huff
Post of the G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic):
“his passing leaves behind 6 comrades out of the 150 who first
joined this Post. He will be especially missed on Memorial Day as
he was always on hand to accompany the members of Huff Post to the
graves of departed comrades.”
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| After the Civil War “groups of
men began joining together – first for camaraderie and then for
political power. Emerging most powerful among the various organizations
was the Grand Army of the Republic Page 4 (GAR), which by 1890 would
number 409,489 veterans of the “War of the Rebellion.” Founded in
1866, membership was limited to honorably discharged veterans of
the Union Army, Navy, Marine Corps or the Revenue Cutter Service
who had served between 1861 and 1865. The community level organization
was called a ‘Post.” Each member was voted in using the Masonic
system of casting black or white balls (except that more than one
black ball was required to reject a candidate for membership.) The
GAR founded soldiers’ homes, was active in relief work and in pension
legislation. Five members were elected President of the United States
and, for a time, it was impossible to be nominated on the Republican
ticket without the endorsement of the GAR voting block. With membership
limited strictly to ‘veterans of the late unpleasantness,’ the GAR
encouraged the formation of Allied Orders to aid them in its various
works. Numerous male organizations jousted for the backing of the
GAR and the political battles became quite severe until the GAR
finally endorsed the Sons of Veterans of the United States of America
(later to become the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War) as
its heir.” Of course, a similar organization for women followed
‘a bit later.’ |
I feel your genes seeping down
as I count the number of organizations to which I belong. Mine are
all small, local groups, however: three book clubs, one writing
group, one genealogy group and a small women’s club. You’d be shocked
to hear that three are coeducational, something I doubt you experienced
in the early 1900s.
Rosey, your obituary says:
"He was as popular locally as he was among his railroad acquaintances
and was active in civil, religious and political affairs, but not
as a politician. He was a member of the Rotary Club of Lehigh University,
and although his education was gained largely in the hard school
of railroad experience, he seemed to be entirely at home among the
professors of the university.”
John, your write up says:
“Schrader was a staunch Republican all of his life and a member
of the Masonic and Odd Fellows’ orders.” |
According to the Internet, “The
world’s first service club, The Rotary Club of Chicago, was formed
on 23 February 1905 by Paul P. Harris, an attorney who wished to
capture in a professional club the same friendly spirit he had felt
in the small towns of his youth. By 1921, rotary clubs had been
formed on six continents. Its motto is Service Above Self.”
(Ancient Free and Accepted Masons) aim to promote brotherhood and
to foster morality among its members. The Masons spend millions
of dollars annually for hospitals, homes for widows, orphans, the
aged, etc.” They don’t sponsor any particular religion and base
most of their symbols and rituals on the tools and practices of
the building professions ancients, basic Masonic initiation progresses
on three earned levels or ‘degrees’ of allegorical lessons imparted
in theatrical productions complete with props such as the stonemason’s
trowel and the architect’s compass.”
“The Order of Odd Fellows is a benevolent and social society, sometimes
classified a friendly benefit society having initiatory rites and
ceremonies, gradation or degrees in membership and mystic signs
of recognition and communication. While Odd Fellowship is not a
religious institution many of its principles are based upon the
teachings of the Bible. It is believed that it got its name in England
because they were men engaged in various or odd trades for which
there existed no larger organization.” |
I am bemused and pleased as I
read the tributes in your obituaries and memorials. The language
seems quaint compared to what we read in newspapers today. Rosey,
your friends certainly seemed devastated by your loss as demonstrated
by the following quotes from the Proceedings of the Stated Meeting
held at the Auditorium Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, March 18, 1918.
“.. our esteemed and beloved Secretary-Treasurer, Charles C.
Rosenberg. We use the word “beloved” advisedly for he, “our Rosie,”
held the love and affection of all to an extent few of us have had
the good fortune to possess.”
“…a friend and companion who was dear to us all, a citizen whose
upright and noble life was a standard of emulation to those about
him.”
“… our loss is his gain and that the Great Master knew better
than we when he had done enough, and has taken him to that sweet
rest which we all desire for those we have loved so much here.”
“Mr. Rosenberg was a great-hearted, white-souled man, good enough
to live and fit to die.”
“He was never so happy, it seemed to me as when he was extending
a courtesy to someone or doing someone a personal favor.”
Great Grandfather, I had to look up this reference:
I assume that the Great Master lives in harmony with the gods on
the Isles, but I hope you don’t go near the beaches, Rosey.
You both had three daughters and one son. Rosey, your daughter,
Elsie May (1886-1956) became my beloved grandmother and John, your
only son; George (1879-1962) became my grandfather. Rosey, sadly,
you died at age 62 and John right before your 79th birthday
Greats, fraternal organizations still exist today, but I personally
don’t know any males who belong. You will be surprised to know that
for a period of time after the two of you passed away, air travel
greatly surpassed rail. The majority of Americans consider traveling
by train to be old fashioned and expensive. However, we have so
increased the number of automobiles on our huge network of highways
that governments are looking seriously at reviving the use of trains.
We still mourn the passing of our loved ones in similar ways and
many of us look at the pictures, journals and tributes to our ancestors
and think about them with fondness. I plan to ride a train from
Swarthmore to Philadelphia soon and, as I gaze out the window, I
will think of the two of you working on the railroads.
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| “I was grieved to learn that Mr.
Rosenberg had fallen asleep to awake in the Fortunate Isles.” According
to Wikipedia, the Fortunate Isles were where heroes and other favored
mortals in Greek and Celtic mythology were received by the gods
into a blissful sea.” |
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Ralph's Update
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~David Flint - Ways
& Means Chairman
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This is a reminder to everyone
to re-designate SOCCGS as the organization to receive your donation
from Ralphs when you shop at your local Ralphs market. We all need
to go online at Ralphs and re-designate for the new program year
since September 1. Please see the detailed instructions on our SOCCGS
website at
www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~casoccgs/.
There is also now a new and easier method to re-designate for those
who already have a Ralphs rewards Card but do not have access to
do it online. Ralphs has provided us a special “scanbar” letter
for the cashier to use when you go through the checkstand at your
Ralphs market. Simply show this “scanbar” letter to the cashier
who will scan the bar at the bottom of the letter and it will register
SOCCGS as your designated organization to receive the Ralphs donations
for your purchases. Instructions for you and the cashier are provided
in the letter. If you would like to receive one of these new convenient
“scanbar” letters, please contact David Flint at 949-551-6300 (davidlfint@cox.net).
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Ancestry World
Archives Project
David Flint – Ways & Means Chairman
davidflint@cox.net
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Please visit our website at
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~casoccgs/
(or type SOCCGS into Google) to learn about our society’s co-sponsorship
and participation in the World Archives Project with Ancestry.com.
There are links on our website to connect you with information about
the program and how to get started.
The project SOCCGS is sponsoring is "California, U.S. Naturalization
Records - Original Documents, 1795-1972". If you decide to participate
in the World Archives Project, please be sure to work on that project.
Also, when registering, you will be asked, “What made you decide
to participate in the World Archives Project?” When you reply, please
select, “I learned about it from a genealogical society” and in
the free text area type “South Orange County California Genealogical
Society” or “SOCCGS” so that Ancestry knows you are associated with
our group on this project. Please consider helping with this service
project. It’s a great way to give something back to the larger genealogy
community. |
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“Could We Be
Related, Dear?”
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~Glenn Witte
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My wife Maureen and I have known
each other since we were children. We grew up in Centerville Township,
Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, and were married there in 1952. We
came to California in 1959 and, in 1994, began to research our family
history.
We determined that Centerville Township was a forest wilderness
when the first of our immigrant ancestors arrived, in the mid 1800s.
The population then was barely 200 persons. We discovered that four
of the families, each with many children, were our ancestors. It
seemed appropriate to ask: |
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“Could We Be
Related, Dear?”
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| Our approach to family history
was to identify as many ‘direct-line’ ancestors as far back in time
as possible. We did not spend a lot of time identifying all the
family members and connections within a given surname. (As an aside,
to date we’ve identified 263 ‘direct-line’ ancestors with 107 different
surnames. One surname dates back to the 1400s). By the way, we found
that all our immigrant ancestors were German-speaking. All but 4
of our 17 immigrant ancestor families came directly to Centerville
Township. It seemed appropriate to ask: |
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“Could We Be
Related, Dear?”
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About three years ago Maureen
and I discovered a common cousin. Her name is Irma. She’s now in
her 90s, lives in South Dakota, is computer proficient, and signs
her emails to us, “Your CUZ Irma”. We visited CUZ Irma about two
years ago, during one of our cross-country trips.
Irma and Maureen are 2nd cousins 1x removed and share a DEHNE ancestor.
Irma and I are 3rd cousins 2x removed with a common HERMAN ancestor.
Now the intrigue deepens. Irma and I are both related to an Elisabeth
IMIG. I’m also related to Elisabeth’s sister Margaretha IMIG. They
were both born in the Rhineprovinz in the mid 1700s.
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“Could We Be
Related, Dear?”
Not So Far!
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2009-2010 GENEALOGY
COMING ATTRACTIONS
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February 27 – Whittier
Area Genealogical Society Seminar features Paul Stuart Warren. For
more information: WAGS website,
http://www.cagenweb.com/kr/wags
Call or email: Roger Mount, Seminar Director, at (562) 693-2674,
wags.seminar@gmail.com
March 13 – Genealogy Society of North Orange County California
presents “Family History for Fun and Profit” featuring Arlene H.
Eakle, Ph.D. Brea United Methodist Church. Pre-register by March
6. Information: (714) 777-2379 or
www.gsnocc.org.
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Member Badges
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| Each member is entitled to a name
badge. Lost yours or never had one? Please sign up at a meeting
or contact Herb Abrams. New members may also contact Herb
at hvabrams@cox.net and he
will have one ready at the next meeting. Up to six surnames may
be included on the badge. |
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Surname List
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~casoccgs/
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| Members, please check your information
on the SOCCGS Surname Website. If corrections and/or additions are
necessary notify Herb at hvabrams@cox.net
or (949) 581-6292). New members may add their information by
sending an email to Herb listing surnames, locations and years being
researched. |
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Newsletter Submissions
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| Please send queries,
ancestor stories, web site information, or items of
special interest to the newsletter editor by Wednesday following
the monthly meeting. These may be sent via email or Word attachment
and must be 800 words or less. All submissions are subject
to editorial approval, and may be edited for content or space. Articles
should be of genealogical significance. Send to:
mcqueenmaryjo@aol.com
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South Orange County
California Genealogical Society Membership/Renewal Application
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( ) New
( ) Renewal
( ) Individual, $20/yr.
( ) Joint Members, same address $25/yr.
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Name(s)
________________________________________________________________________________
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Address _________________________________________________________________________________
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City _____________________________
State_____ Zip ____________ Phone _________________________
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Email address:
____________________________________________________________________________
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Make check payable
to: SOCCGS (South Orange County CA Genealogical Society)
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Mail with application
to: SOCCGS, P.O. Box 4513, Mission Viejo, CA 92690-4513
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Top of Page
Soccgs Home Page
cmvgs@netzero.net
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