Born in the USA---Waldport Story

My article on the old Waldport (OR) hospital and Dr. Edwards was published in the June issue of Oregon Coast magazine.  You can read it online at:

http://www.northwestmagazines.com/Epubs/Oregon-Coast-magazine-June-2011/#?page=34

This article will be of particular interest to descendants of Lester and Pearl (Carlisle) Smith, late of Oregon City, Waldport and Siletz/Logsden, Oregon.

While researching for this article, I read John Tayman's book "The Colony--The Harrowing True Story of the Exiles of Molokai." (Published by Scribner in 2006).  If you're interested in the history of this Hawaiian Island or the subject of leprosy, don't miss this book. 

SMITH-CARLISLE FAMILY REUNION COMING SOON!

WHEN: Saturday, July 16 8 a.m. or so until you want to leave, or the park closes, whichever comes first!


WHERE: Clackamette Park, Clackamette Dr., Oregon City, OR.

WHO: All descendants of Lester and Pearl Smith, their Carlisle cousins---and any other friends and relatives who want to visit with us.

• Bring your own lunch or purchase it at the nearby fast food place.
• Bring musical instruments
• Bring lawn chairs, awnings--whatever you need to be comfortable. The park is beautiful, but there are no benches or chairs.
• If you have children, please bring games that can be enjoyed by all the children.
• Be prepared to share your family milestones that have occurred since July 2009. (Weddings, graduations, awards, hobbies, births, deaths, travel---whatever was important in your lives)

WHY: We gather together every two years to continue our family ties, visit and enjoy one another. We meet in Oregon City because it is where Lester and Pearl grew up and were married, plus it is a central location that allows most of the "Smith Cousins" to travel within two-three hours of their homes.

Gen. Patton Featured in Huguenot Street Newsletter

My article on our Elting "cousin", General George Patton, is featured in the Spring edition of Historic Huguenot Street's newsletter.  See:  http://www.huguenotstreet.org/ and click on the mini newsletter at the top of the page. I have another article in that issue on "The Gathering" held on the Street last August. This issue has lots of information about HHS events!

"The Gathering" Featured in Magazine Article

My article on "The Gathering" on Historic Huguenot Street has been published in the March-April issue of Reunions Magazine! 

If you've been to New Paltz, NY, or are a descendant of the original families: Elting, DuBois, Hasbrouck, DuBois, Crispell, Bevier, Freer, Deyo, Terwilliger and others, you know that every bit of publicity that we can obtain for the stone house museums, the archives and the collections is important to saving these important treasures of our nation's history. So I'm very thankful that the story of our "family reunion" last August was published.


The issue is now available on the magazine's website:

 http://www.reunionsmag.com/

Our name was Hell!

I haven't spent much time on my maternal family history, but recently I was re-reading a genealogy book on one line of my grandfather's family. The book, written by Alvera Brookman Dunn in 2005, is entitled, "Jacob Hell/Clear and Margaret Davis Clear and their Descendants."

Oh, did I mention that our family name was HELL?  Not a great name for children to defend, so I'm glad it was changed a few generations before I was born. According to Mrs. Dunn, the Hells were a German family who arrived in Pennsylvania about 1740 and settled among other German families. But, as descendants moved out from the German community, "they found that their family name, Hell, was not as acceptable in America as it had been in Germany. Gradually, they adopted the name 'Clear', one of the literal meanings of the German 'Hell.' By 1850 no one used the name 'Hell' unless it appeared in a land sale transacted earlier. The former name 'Hell' became 'hush-hush' and within two generations was forgotten..."

Mrs. Dunn was able to verify this information in Preble County, Ohio in the 1980s.  But no legal name change from 'Hell' to 'Clear' has been found.

For those who are descended from Lester and Pearl (Carlisle) Smith, this is the family line of Lester's mother, Margaret Clear.  (Jacob Hell/Clear and Margaret (Davis) Clear, John H. Clear and Ludicia "Louisa" (Graham) Clear, Margaret Clear and Luther Smith; Lester Lee Smith). 

This book is filled with family history information that I'll explore in future entries.

Fun Times with "Who Do You Think You Are?"

I missed the broadcast of the TIM McGRAW segment on the TV show "Who Do You Think You Are?", but listening to my husband talk about it, I began to hear familiar information. I could not believe my ears when I turned on the computer video and heard Tim McGraw discover his 8th great-grandfather was JOST HITE!  For those who have read my book, Answering the Call! you know that there are several Hites featured. A quick review of the McGraw information compared to our Elting information showed that Tim's ancestor grandmother, Jost Hite's daughter Mary Magdalena, was the sister of John and Isaac Hite who married two of Cornelius Elting's daughters, Alida Eleanor and Sarah.

So, all you Elting descendants who love country music and appreciate Tim McGraw and his wife, Faith Hill...we have newly-discovered "cousins" to welcome into the family. Aren't family "connections" fun?