Monday, October 26, 2009

THEY'RE MARRIED!


Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Brinton and Ashley Cary of Bend, Oregon. 

Decades ago one of my weekly tasks as a news editor for a small community newspaper was to write the wedding stories.  I had so little patience with the mothers of the bride and bridegroom who wanted every little detail included...from the everlasting description of the bride's dress to the "delicious refreshments," the "gorgeous flowers" and the impressive honeymoon destination. I was certain the women had never had another exciting moment in their lives.  WELL....

It's a good thing that newspaper aren't publishing those kinds of articles anymore because I spent last night writing about my grandson's wedding (thinking it, not actually putting it on paper!) and I am sure that it would have been a 50 page manuscript when completed!  I am now walking in the shoes of those women I found so irritating...and I'm only one of several grandmothers.  :-)

So I will refrain from publishing my version of the wonderful day and simply say that this was a beautiful wedding and my grandson chose well.  All of you in our extended family now have another cousin or niece.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

SATURDAY IS THE BIG DAY!

I have an excuse for non-posting for so many days:  I am just too excited that my grandson, Brinton Cary, is marrying Ashley Henderson on Saturday, October 24!! 

It will be a wonderful day with so many friends and family planning to attend that I will never figure out who they all are.

Another lady to add to our huge extended family!  Check back here after the weekend for photos and details!

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Are We Related?

The following chart was published in Twigs and Branches in March 1991. It is a great way to explain the reason there are so many "cousins" in our Elting line!

 2 parents
 4 grandparents
 8 great grandparents
 16 great-great grandparents
 32 great-great-great grandparents
 64 great-great-great-great grandparents
 128 great-great-great-great-great grandparents
 256 great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents
 512 great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents
 1024 great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents

Thursday, October 1, 2009

That Pesky Final "E"

"...One never knows what will be found in military records. The affidavits filed on behalf of Civil War veterans' widows are especially interesting and usually filled with all sorts of information in their attempts to prove not only that they are the actual widow, but that they are destitute and have not remarried.

The following information appeared in an August 18, 1886 affidavit signed by Mary (Brodhead) Eltinge as explanation for why her last name differed from that of her late husband, Daniel D. Elting. Who would suspect that a comment on the age old 'to E or not to E' dilemma of our family would be found there?

              '...that for a number of years prior to the year 1860 nearly every branch of the Elting family wrote and spelled the family name with the final 'E' and which was the original way of writing and spelling the name in English. That Daniel D. Elting the husband of the claimant always wrote and spelled the name without the final 'E' and the only reason why claimant wrote and spelled the name with the final 'E' on Eltinge was that she considered it the correct way and liked it better and the name when written looked more finished and appeared better.'

One would think that the actual descendant of the Elting(e) family would have the final say, but he died first, so I guess she won. To further complicate the issue for the government, Dr. Edgar Eltinge sent an affidavit re Daniel's death, but listed the name as Capt. Daniel D. Eltinge! That caused the paper to be returned with the the question 'Is Dr. Eltinge clmts brother?' scrawled across the bottom of the page. Poor Mary. Adding that final 'E' to her name just increased her problems. "

                 Originally published in "The Historian" official newsletter of the Bevier-Elting Family Association of New Paltz, NY.  June 2003. Page 2.  By Grace Elting Castle