January 5, 2021

Dutch Cousins of KY Newsletter Jan ’21

By Pam Ellingson Uncategorized 0 Comments

Hello Cousins,

Happy 2021! Best wishes for a healthy and peaceful year.

This is the first newsletter from your new editors. Yes, it’s been a long time coming. Figuring out the mailer application has been an unexpectedly difficult journey. Thankfully, Jeremy Westerfield came to our rescue! So, this is an introduction and a test. We really miss Carolyn’s skills with this and all the great work she’s done for the Dutch Cousins and wish her well.

Speaking of Carolyn, here’s an update from her received about three weeks ago:

From Carolyn Leonard:
Medical Update: Monday December 14, 2020.

(Beginning the 6th week of treatment)

I just finished 7 straight days of Vidazia chemo and I feel it. (this is the 8th day). And then a frustrating all day today at the clinic that should have been about an hour and a half. I am exhausted, hurting in every joint and still nauseated. I managed to get down a cup of tomato soup and a half sandwich toasted with chicken salad today and it is still down. So far so good. So glad the next 3 weeks will be fairly easy, with just 2 days a week of infusion.

And a little more good news.

Dr. Reitz said He had not had a patient (my age of course) whose blood counts continued to RISE during the Vidazia chemo treatments. (I told him it is the prayers of my friends.) He thinks the counts may already be higher than when I started treatment. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that helps heal damaged tissues and resolve infections. Dr. Reitz said my neutrophils today are at 1300. When they get up to 1500 he will approve lifting my quarantine. He will not say the AML is in remission yet, but the week of Dec 28, he is scheduling another bone marrow test to see. So keep them prayers coming!

So NOW Judi girl, it looks as if I will not only still be here for Christmas, and NOT be in hospice, but also may get to lift the quarantine blanket a little. So NOW what are we going to do about it at this last minute?

An interesting Thing is that VIDAZIA the preferred chemo for this treatment is in short supply so the doc has been researching some other torture for me. He found one called DACOGEN. Instead of 7 days of belly shots every 30 days, it is 5 days of 3 hour infusions, but then you get 25 days off.

My white cell count (WBC) is up, now at 3.3. (standard is 4.5 to 11.)
Red blood is up to 3.55 (should be 4.2 to 5.4)
Hemoglobin is up to 10 (should be 11 to 16).
The “blasts,” which are typical in acute Myeloid Leukemia, are down to 2 %.
Platelets are up to 123 (should be 150-450).
Segmented Neutrifills are 44%, absolute 1.45 (should be 1.80 to 8.00)

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From Sharon Cole:
Harrodsburg Historical Society Research Library

Look what I found!! So excited to finally connect my missing link! I found it at the Dutch Cousins 2017 research day at the Harrodsburg Historical Society Research Library.History Center.
In my 2012 research, I discovered the Dutch Cousins website. I emailed asking for information and received a wonderful note back from Carolyn Leonard welcoming me, saying “You are one of us!”. I was so happy to receive such a welcome and attended our first DC meeting in 2013.

My search started in 2012 with an inherited diary written by James Kern Francis, my GGGrandfather. The diary relates his enlistment in The War Between the States (his title of the diary). His mother was Mary Ann Stagg Francis, born in Harrodsburg, KY in 1814. She died in Versailles, IN in 1853.

My Proof problem: connecting Mary Ann to her parents James Dunn Stagg and Mary Polly Rynearson. I knew Mary Ann was born in Harrodsburg (no proof) and I knew she was married in Ripley County, Indiana in 1839 to Jacob K. Francis (marriage certificate). I could find no records (Bible, census, will, etc.) that would prove that she was the daughter of James Dunn Stagg and Mary Polly Rynearson.

Fast forward to 2017: After many, many dead-ends I decided to explore other ancestors and asked the History Center for the file on the Rynearson’s. I couldn’t believe there was a will!
“…minor children of said Jacob Francis and his wife Many Ann Francis who was the Grand Daughter of Mr. Barent Reynearson, deceased.” Barent’s wife and Mary Ann’s grandmother was Antje Banta.

When you come to a Dutch Cousins meeting 2021, plan to attend our reserved History Center time. It is full of treasures and maybe you will find your missing link.
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From Carol Rittscher:
I came upon your site when I was trying to do some research I could not do in person in Harrodsburg this past fall due to KY discouraging residents of states with high covid numbers from entering.

I am hoping someone in your group might be able to lead me to the information I seek. My
g-g-g grandmother was Ann Westerfield – daughter of James Cozine Westerfield &
(Catherine Sortore)
son of James Jacobus Westerfield &
(Phoebe Cozine)
son of Jacobus Westerfield/Westervelt &
(Maria Demaree)
Ann first married Peter VanArsdall, then Isaac VanArsdall (my g-g-g grandfather), then Irwin Moore. I have found when she married both VanArsdall men, but cannot find birth or death dates, or any other information for either one.
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From: <acozine813@aol.com>
Date: Wed, Dec 9, 2020 at 12:10 PM
Subject: my mom dorothy cozine
To: DutchCousinsKY@gmail.com <DutchCousinsKY@gmail.com>

she passed away over thanksgiving

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Sent by Carol Rittscher
A narrative I read in the archived Stanwood, Cedar County, Iowa newspaper when my g-g grandmother died in 1953 was that the family, including 7 daughters (her being one of them) planned to move from Mercer County by covered wagon to Missouri, but Isaac died right before the start of the trip. A driver was hired. The VanArsdall females didn’t stay long in Missouri, but headed to Keokuk, Lee County, Iowa, where Ann had relatives.

If anyone in your group happens to be descendants of either Ann & Isaac or Ann & Peter, could you possibly have them get in touch with me? I would certainly like to make some progress in getting information.

Thank you so much!
Carol Rittscher

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From Lilly Martin:
Fri, Dec 4, 11:10 AM
to DutchCousinsofKY@gmail.com

Dear Sharon,

Here is my personal genealogy report for you concerning your STAGG ancestors.

You and I are related through our shared BROUWER (Brewer) ancestry. My ancestor did not go to Kentucky but remained in New York.

If you need any help on the Brouwer line (Brewer) let me know. That is my specialty.

Best regards,
Lilly

(Editor’s note: The Descendants of Thomas Stagg report is not included in this newsletter. If you wish to receive it, please email info@DutchCousinsofKY@gmail.com with your request.)

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Sent by Pat Mickunas
I just wanted to send a message to Malcolm and Betty Banta congratulating him (& her) on his recovery from an injury in February. In Carolyn’s last e-mail, she reported that Malcolm has just returned home after 9 months in the VA in Tampa. Malcolm and his wife Betty have been in my prayers since he reported his injury. I’m thankful to hear that he has progressed enough in his recovery to go home. Keep up the good work Malcolm!

Pat Mickunas, St. Petersburg FL (one of the Connecticut Banta descendants)
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To stay in touch, we mainly use our official website, www.DutchCousins.org, and the Dutch Letters email sent out. The email goes out to hundreds of COUSINS addresses – and is passed on to others who do not use computers and is posted at some libraries. The letters are also archived on the website.

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 Kentucky frontier. Our Dutch 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 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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