Newsletter 3-9-2021 – Dutch Cousins

Good day Cousins: This newsletter is a month later than we intended. As the saying goes: “Life is what happens while you’re making your plans.”

On Jan 18, our co-editor, Sharon, fell off the top of a two-step step stool and hit the floor hard. She broke her right shoulder and tore the rotator cuff. I took her to the ER that day and she left in a sling with instructions to see the Orthopedist Thanks to Covid and the big freeze here in Texas and power outages that went with it, she didn’t have surgery to repair it all until five weeks later – Feb. 25. Now she’s recovering, but as you all probably know, the shoulder business is tough business. I’ve been elevated to chief cook and bottle washer and care-taker since the incident, so certain tasks have been delayed. Besides this newsletter, I’m also late roto-tilling my garden for the spring planting. But, we’re getting there and Sharon is improving a little each day. And, we’re certainly not complaining. There’re loved ones amongst us who have it much worse then we and our prayers are with you.

Sharon wrote her article, Look What I Found!!, prior to her surgery when she actually had less pain and more finger movement.
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Ed Westerfield wrote:
I’ve made contact with the seller of the Durie/Westervelt bible from 1778. I’ve asked for the names so we can cross check against our genealogy tree. My guess is these ancestors represent a non Conewego branch of our Dutch family.

This is not a book I would want for a private collection. I would hope would go to a public resting place.

Thoughts

Doc Eddie
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Peggy Kephart Morrow wrote:
To Julia Norton,
My connection to this group is through my maternal line which includes Rykers and Smocks. My father was a Kephart. His family lived in North Carolina for almost 100 years before moving west to Oregon. I can only trace back to my 3rd Great Grandfather who, according to the census, was born in 1821 in Kentucky. I’d like to hear about your Kepharts.
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Julie Norton wrote:
Thanks. I have replied to her directly. There is another Kephart member from a while back that the last editor sent me when I first joined almost 3 years ago now. I will see if I can find that, too.

Thanks for sending this on to me.

Julia Norton (Julie to my friends and family)
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Barbara Whiteside wrote:
Would you like to post the info on the gathering on the DUTCH COUSINS IN KENTUCKY FB site??? We are nearing 500 members…..6 to go…..and I am sure there are some on there that have no clue about this gathering. Or have forgotten. If you want to post anything from the newsletter on the Facebook site….please feel free……

Barb Whiteside

Editor note: we did.
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Diana Stephens wrote:
Approximate cost for Saturday and Sunday?

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Judith Smith Cassidy wrote:
Hello Tamara: I had Amazon ship 8 copies of my book The History of Low Dutch Slavery to you today. You can use the money towards what ever Dutch Cousins project you wish.
Keep well
Judith Smith Cassidy
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Mary Jo Gohmann wrote:
Bergen Roots—Part Five: Dutch Reformed Church Records starts in 1 Day
Dutch Cousins might be very interested in this upcoming webinar. It starts tomorrow 2/8 but is likely to be saved to a video. Viewers will be asked if they are members of the Bergen Co. Historical Society- they can join for a reasonable cost.

editors note: Sorry, but this was received too late to get it out last month. Perhaps a Google search will find a replay.
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Vince Akers wrote:
Hi Tamara!
Hope this finds you and your family well!
You can count on two more for the gathering September 24-26 — myself and my son Zach. I’ve been to all the gatherings since 2005 and Zach has tagged along with me since 2015. We both are saddened by the news since our 2019 gathering–first the tragic unexpected loss of Charlie and now Carolyn’s illness. We pray we’ll see Carolyn again in September along with so many other Cousins we’ve gotten to know.

I’ve made some kind of presentation (or two) at every past gathering, but I’m going to beg off on doing anything like that this year. Lisa and I are pretty much full-time into elder care right now leaving precious little “spare” time for any presentation preparation. Lisa’s mom and my dad have both made appearances at past gatherings. My mother-in-law has recently turned 99! She’s now into her seventh year living with us. My dad is 96 and still living (with my help) in the home he bought the year I was born. They are both in pretty good health for their age, but need a lot more attention and help during this pandemic. Anyway, I’ve pretty much already presented everything I know to the Cousins and some are surely getting tired of hearing me. Maybe the gathering might focus on the genealogy research a lot of the Cousins have been doing. That would tie right in with their networking.

So count me and Zach in for the gathering, but I can’t do any presentation.
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Pam Ellingson wrote:
Someone asked for information about the gatherings. I have attended many of them. They are a wonderful way to meet distant cousins and to learn about our family heritage. I maintain the website for the Dutch Cousins. More information about the schedules of past gatherings can be found at:. http://dutchcousins.org/gatherings/
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Brenda Snider wrote:
Dutch connection:
My great-grandmother was Eliza Banta Konkle from the Banta family of Southern Indiana.
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Nita Burgener wrote:
My name is Nita Malcomb Burgener. My grandmother was Mattie Francis Stafford Malcomb. My great, great grandfather was Hiram Westerfield Stafford. In doing my family research on my father’s side of the family, I found that my grandmother’s great, great-grandfather, William Stafford who came to Kentucky with Daniel Boone to Harrodsburg, was married to Leah Westervelt, daughter of Jacobus Westervelt. Leah was one of the few survivors of the Westervelt Massacre. I am interested in receiving your newsletters and maybe attending your gatherings every two years.
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Karen Gilbert Rock wrote:
Dutch connection:
I am the daughter of Shelley Wallace Gilbert……….
– Shelley Wallace Gilbert (1922 KY – 2004 MI) is my father.
– Katherine Drane Kephart Gilbert (1899 KY – 1996 FL) is my paternal grandmother. (She married Shelley Wallace Gilbert, Sr.)
– Cora Drane Wells ( 1858 KY – 1944 KY) is my great-grandmother. (She married Warren Thomas Kephart.)
– Martha Jane Banta (1834 KY – 1859 KY) is my 2nd great-grandmother. (She married Napoleon Bonaparte Wells.)
– Isaac Banta (1809-1881) of Henry County, KY is my 3rd great-grandfather.
– Peter D. Banta (1763 NJ – 1832 KY) is my 4th great-grandfather.
– Hendricks Banta IV (1740 NJ – 1777 – PA) is my 5th great-grandfather.
– Hendrick Epkese (Henry) Banta III (1718 NJ – 1805 KY) is my 6th great-grandfather.
– Hendrik Banta II (1696 NJ – 1740 NJ or PA?) is my 7th great-grandfather.
– Hendrik Epke Banta (1655 Friesland, Netherlands – -1740 Bergen County, NJ) is my paternal 8th great-grandfather.
– Epke Jacobs Banta (1635 Friesland Netherlands – 1719 NJ) is my 9th great-grandfather.
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Sharon Cole (co-editor) wrote:

Look what I found!!

Recently I’ve been cruising the internet more than usual due to the huge winter weather event here in north Texas. I discovered a free trial of newspapers.com I have had a wonderful time reading old newspaper clippings and then posting them to Ancestry. If you haven’t tried it, there is a free 7-day trial. But, I promise you it is easy to get hooked. I now know “Mr. and Mrs. Tustison (King’s grandparents) were entertained at the Parsons home and ice cream was enjoyed by all” 1911, Hinton Times.

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