Letters 7/17/2020
How do the Dutch people handle a Pandemic?
Little short on letters this time! Send me a note letting me know how you are keeping sane and avoiding the Covid-19 flu. Are you quarantined where you live? Do you personally know anyone who has been infected? What about your job? Are you or some member of your family working from home? How has that changed your life?
As for us, we are getting older and lazier every day. Jon is still volunteering at the Food bank, but the school has closed where he enjoyed mentoring science and math students in an impoverished area. They may or may not attend school this fall, or it may all be virtual attendance, that has not been definitely decided, but they don’t plan to use mentors under the circumstances. He is very disappointed about that. Our positive counts are definitely spiking since the quarantine lifted and that may happen again any minute.
I am trying to finish another book, but find myself wanting to spend my time on Facebook instead, since that is my only inter-action with people other than my engineer Jon. Our big family who used to be in and out at our house a lot, all live in other towns and so it’s been very quiet around here. AND, I picked this time to have an abscessed jaw tooth to entertain myself. Broke quarantine in April to see an Endodontist and got emergency treatment since Dentist’s offices were closed. With four abscesses on the two long roots, the doc knew he didn’t get it all. The fever and throbbing came back this week, so spent today seeing him again, and surgery is scheduled for the end of this month after the infection clears up. Hope that doesn’t happen to any of my Dutch Cousins.
Blessings to you all, Carolyn in OK
Feel free to share these items, just credit DUTCH LETTERS (date), free genealogy round robin published by Carolyn Leonard. Anyone who wishes to be added to the mailing list, send an email to me at Buffalo234@cox.net and say they would like to be on the list – and let us know their Dutch connection and contact info. Please send any pertinent info to be included in the next Letter. If you no longer wish to receive our emails, I’ll be lost, confused and probably lose sleep at night. I mean, really. I will feel like I have failed somehow. But if you really feel that way, please email Buffalo234@cox.net and say, “remove me” — and I will do so immediately! (You can click the return link to MailChimp, but if they remove you I can’t put you back on – even if you beg, They won’t allow it unless you have a different email address.) I promise we do not share our mailing list with anyone, and do not publish email addresses on the list because of possible scammers.
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SENT BY: Charlotte Legg Olson
Calling all Terhune cousins:
For several years, I have been trying to determine, to whom belongs the copyright of West of the Salt
by Paul and Barbara Terhune. I have copies of Vol 1 and 3, but Vol 2 contains large scale maps showing/
documenting land ownership.
If you know who holds the copyright, please let me know. I owe them money! Any leads are appreciated.
Volumes 1 and 3, as well as Vol 2/Maps, are at Harrodsburg Historical Society Dutch Collection. During the HHS/Dutch Cousins Research Day 2017, I made copies
of several of the maps, on the HHS copying machine. It took 6 sheets to capture a single map.
My quarantine project has been to re-construct these maps. I recently completed Map 4, 1795 – 1814. Using a blueprint copying machine, at Office Max,
the cost for a print of this re-constructed map was only $3! BUT…. it was copied without permission. (Can’t image what the fine could be; here in IL it’s a $1000 if you are unmasked
in public (nothing to do with current Gen. Flynn stuff!) )
I did send a copy to Greg Barnard. He is working with the current land owner, on restoration/preservation of the Cave Springs/Demott/ Banta Cemetery .
The Cemetery is not only marked on Map 4, but the date is noted, along with the adjoining land owners ( of course).
Thanks, Charlotte Olson (Terhune/Stagg and several other Dutch families!)
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SENT BY: Jim Cozine of Las Vegas
Hi Carolyn & Dutch Cousins
FYI – I’ve only had one inquiry about the Cozines recently.
Here is some of the phone/email exchange I had with Professor John Sweet about John Balm Cozine – I directed him to Bob Cozine Strang who is the owner of the original painting – The Professor is doing some research on one of the cases of those early NYC days
John – Thanks for sharing the other paintings…
* I hope you will contact Bob Strang about use of the image of John Balm Cozine since he is the owner of the original. He is likely to know more about the judge being on that direct line..
* Now I can understand your comment about who was the portly gentleman between the two lawyers.
* as info- I’m a member of the Holland Society of New York – having proved the family tree all the way back to our progenitor – Cosyn Gerritsen who came to New Amsterdam in 1633 from Gelderland providence in the Netherlands.
Jim Coz
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SENT BY: Ed Westerfield
It would be interesting to know of any stories of how our Dutch ancestors coped with pandemics in the past. I know the grave yards in Laurel County KY have a slew of deaths from the Spanish Flu pandemic. You can track the severity of the pandemic by following the dates of death.
Doc Eddie
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SENT BY: Nancy Hansen
I enjoy the newsletter and information therein. My Dutch ancestors migrated from New Jersey to the Conewago settlement , then North to NYS–Owasco, Cayuga County , near Auburn. My ancestors who settled at Conewago were DeGroff, Nevius, Vantine, Swart. William DeGroff migrated to Owasco, NY where he died in 1824.
Can someone give me the name and address where a contribution to the Low Dutch Cemetery Improvement can be sent?
NOTE: Donations to the Conewago cemetery fund should be mailed to:
Low Dutch Cemeteries Improvement Fund
c/o Alan Weaner
145 Weaner Road
Gettysburg, PA 17325
email: arwcbw@gmail.com
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SENT BY: Pat Mickunas
Do you have the ‘skin hunger’?
The Dutch-born anthropologist Harald Prins points out the effect coronavirus has already had on his native language:
It appears, not surprisingly, that Covid-19 related neologisms are rampant in the Netherlands (and probably in most if not all other languages, too). I doubt most will survive but some will, albeit with unsuspected accretions.
In Dutch, for example, few realize that a popular word like “klerevent” (difficult to translate, but equivalent to bastard or rotten fellow) derives from cholera (klere).
Here are some Dutch corona neologisms with my free translations (but several terms resonate in a unique social-cultural way in the Netherlands):
- Huidhonger / skin hunger: a longing for human contact while in isolation
- Anderhalvemetereconomie / six-feet-economy: an economy constructed to avoid spreading coronavirus
- Hoestschaamte / cough-shame: the anxiety one may experience about possibly triggering a panic among the people nearby when making a coughing sound for whatever reason
- Coronahufter / coronajerk: shopper at a supermarket or store who violates the six-foot social distance prescription or other safe-keeping protocol.
- Druppelcontact / spray-contact: exchange of little droplets when sneezing or coughing, esp. as source of infection
- Onthamsteren / dehoarding: processing long-stored shelf-stable food into a meal.
- Straatschaamte / street-shame: the embarrassment someone experiences when being out for urgently necessary errands during lockdown
- Toogviroloog / blather-virologist: dilettante who spreads false or unsubstantiated information about the virus, its transmission, or its treatment
- A new Dutch corona lexicon was created and is updated. It already comprises 700 new words, including those noted above.
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SENT BY: Marion Bauer, Harrodsburg Historical Society Olde Town Newsletter
Harrodsburg’s 250th- Plans are already underway for the celebration of the founding of Harrodsburg in 2024. Check out the Facebook page Harrodsburg Sestercentennial (250 years). The six major categories being focused on include 1.) History and Research, 2.) Tourism and Marketing, 3.) Industry and Business, 4.) Beautification, 5.) Events, and 6.) Community Outreach. We are open to ANY and ALL ideas. Also, Memories are being collected about life in Mercer County. Tony Sexton, founder of the writer’s group, Nomadic Ink would like to publish those memories in a book. Long, short, or snippets of what Harrodsburg and Mercer County has meant to people over the years are acceptable. Find Nomadic Ink on Facebook. This group would love all the input they can get. Contact David Kirkpatrick at the Mercer County Public Library, by phone 859-734-3680 or by message on Facebook page.
Progress is slow on the renovation project at the Old Mud Schoolhouse because of the pandemic. Mercer County’s 9th grade students tour Old Mud for their history day field trip March 9 before the quarantine. This has become an annual event. About 150 students visited throughout the day (five busloads). They especially enjoyed the stories of the Revolutionary War veterans buried in the graveyard, and some even learned their ancestors were part of the story. The current newsletter includes an interesting story about early industries and businessmen in Mercer County during the days of Fort Harrod. The story is written by Mary A. Stephenson and dated 6 March 1914.
To become a member and be on the HHS Olde Town newsletter list, send your complete mailing address to Membership, HHS, PO Box 31, Harrodsburg, KY 4033k0-0316. Dues are payable each May. $30 individual $45 family, $10 student. For more info, go to the webpage https://harrodsburghistorical.org/
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SENT BY: Bill Oosterman
I’m Bill Oosterman, of Oxford PA. That’s Oxford, not New Oxford. I have worked as a {Dutch} translator and editor for years, some of that doing Dutch for the Mennonite Historical Societies in Lancaster Co and Franklin Co. PA. I am in Gettysburg occasionally, and had checked out the cemeteries years ago, from interest in the Battle of Gettysburg and colonial Dutch Church doings. This time I actually saw a sign, and called Alan. I had brought groups by twice. My own colonial Dutch connection is though my mother’s Huguenot great..grandfather Philip LeFevre who was baptized in the Dutch Church in Kingston in 1710, then ended up on Lancaster Co.- his son and nephew(another ancestor) were teamsters on Braddocks expedition,along with Boone. I was supposed to give presentations at several historical functions this summer but they’re mostly cancelled. So I’m plodding away on some articles, until our Governor gives the word. Keep healthy. Wm. Oosterman
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SENT BY: Hello Carolyn,
My name is Maggie Olsen. I’ve been working at the burial ground on Low Dutch Road and have just recently moved to the one on Swift Run. Many of the graves on Low Dutch are in poor shape and I try to avoid anything that is not structurally sound so I avoid doing any damage. I think there will be more to work with at Swift Run. Here are some before and after pictures, including one of my little helper Amos, who likes to nap in the grass while I clean. I the cleaning agent I’m using continues to work over time and will brighten the graves in the weeks after the initial cleaning. I’ll send more as I continue to work! I studied history locally and have a particular interest in cemetery preservation, as well as the frontier history of the Gettysburg area. I live right down the road and responded to a sign Alan posted asking for volunteers. I am using D2, and it is indeed very effective. I would appreciate being added to the mailing list.
(Photos sent by Maggie Olsen will be posted on our webpage www.DutchCousins.org)
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SENT BY: Pam Ellingson
I have added the photos and information to the Dutch Cousins website.
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SENT BY: Patricia Hanavan
Greetings
I’m using the quarantine to start going through family history stuff from my basement and adding it to my online files and have only just found the Dutch Cousins website.
My 3G grandparents were John Comingore (1778-1841) and Sally Cozine (d. 1839), and I have a lot to learn about their forebears. Thanks so much for this resource, connection, and community!
Very best,
Pat
Patricia Relf Hanavan
NOTE: GOOD for you Pat. I know we have some other descendants of John and Sally Comingore on here, so you may be picking up some cousins soon!
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Our Dutch Cousins MISSION STATEMENT
We are descendants of the Low Dutch who settled New Amsterdam, moved to New Jersey, migrated to near Gettysburg, and made history when they later populated the frontier. Our Dutch Kentucky Cousins goal is to research, share, and preserve the genealogy and history of our common Low Dutch heritage, including but not limited to, the restoration and preservation of the old Mud Meetinghouse built by our ancestors in the early 1800s near Harrodsburg, KY. We meet every two years to renew our love for each other. Our mission is to honor the memory of these ancestors and enjoy the friendship of cousins, both newly- discovered and long-loved.
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HERE ARE THE PHOTOS FROM THE 2019 Dutch Cousins Gathering in Kentucky!
SENT BY: Pam Ellingson
I did upload Charlie’s photos to the DC google account. The following link should allow access and people can download the file of 429 photos. Thank you Charlie Westerfield, immediate past president!
https://bit.ly/2Pm0DVX
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To stay in touch, we mainly use our official website, www.DutchCousins.org, and the weekly or so Dutch Letters email sent through MailChimp mailing service. The email goes out to almost 1,000 addresses – and I know it is passed on to others who do not use computers, and is posted at some libraries. The letters are also archived on the website.
SENT BY: Carolyn Leonard
Editor, Dutch cousins of Kentucky
E-mail me: CarolynLeonard@me.com
On my web page www.CarolynBLeonard.com
Dutch letters are archived on our official webpage, www.DutchCousins.org
by Pam Ellingson
Barbara Whiteside has a facebook page that you may find interesting, Dutch Cousins in Kentucky
