April 23, 2023
Letters 4/15/2023
| Hello Dutch Cousins!! It’s been a while …….but just wanted to remind everyone, if any of you have questions, concerns or you’re stumped on something you found during your family history research; please send your detailed information to the Dutch Cousins newsletter at info@dutchcousins.org . If you put your needs out there, someone in our group will be happy to share their knowledge to help get you over your hurdle. Someone else may have a short story, a date, first or last name you need, to finish ‘your’ story, just by putting your questions out there. This may even raise questions for others wanting to know more about their family history. That’s part of what our group is about…helping each other ‘finding our roots’! As they say…..’just get the ball rollin’. Send your questions to the email address above and see what response you get. You may be surprised!! I would like to say a few things about our gatherings; to me they are like a big ‘Family Reunion’ with family from all over the United States. We always enjoy seeing you in person, meeting you for the first time or seeing you again and again….it’s always a special feeling being with family. I know for Eddie & me, we would have never crossed paths with most of you. Look at all the years of enjoyment we would have missed, if we had not heard of the ‘Low Dutch Cousins of Kentucky’! During our research, you would have been a name on a piece of paper and never had a face. We feel so blessed to have met all the cousins that have attended the DC gatherings in the past several years. We also appreciated getting to know the founders of the group like Carolyn Leonard & Jon Heavener from OK, Claude & Kathy Westerfield from IA, Jim Cozine from NV and Charlie & Marilyn Westerfield from KY along with so many other cousins from all over the US. At our gatherings, we usually have cousins from 18 to 28 different states along with all their knowledge, pictures, stories and so much more. All coming together as one big family……How great is this!! Doing research you may see names you recognize but to meet our cousins’ in person is a great feeling we would not have experienced, if it weren’t for the gatherings. We’re already planning our next DC gathering which will be sometime next year in 2024. Please check our website at www.dutchcousins.org for upcoming information. If there is something you would like to see or talk about at any of our future gatherings, please send a message to either of the email addresses listed above, and let us know. If you have any comments from our past gatherings, please do the same. We appreciate your thoughts and comments. We hope you’re thinking ahead about your plans to attend our next 2024 Dutch Cousins Gathering! It’s never too early to plan ahead. Sending Blessings to all, Janice Cozine DC Treasurer & Registration Chair ——————————————————————————————————– Janice Cozine also wrote: We have a question for anyone out there ……. Michele Hammann is one of our cousins’ and she’s looking for answers…. Below is what she has given me so far. If you can help in any way, please send your replies/responses to info@dutchcousins.org to be added to the next newsletter. Your help is much appreciated, Thank you! His name is Simon Van Arsdale, husband of Rachel Banta Williamson Van Arsdale. There are several Simons’ out there and one is even buried at Old Mud. Maj. Simon died in Mercer Co., Kentucky. She doesn’t have any proof that Rachel and Simon moved to Indiana but she thinks Rachel is buried there. Michele is looking for proof that Simon & Rachel are both actually buried in Indiana. She’s also looking for proof of where Simon’s father, Garrett died? ——————————————————————————————————– Judith Smith Cassidy wrote: Hello, I am wondering if when the Dutch Cousins visited Conewago years ago and toured the Henry Banta house if any one noticed the sliding door with the erection date of 1747 marked on it. Arthur Weaner and others have reported that such a door existed ( his page 21 in Taxabled). Samuel Miller Warranted the land in 1748, and probably built it in 1747, thus the marked door. I can’t say where in the building the door was located. If so, would it be possible to post the photo to the Dutch Cousins in Kentucky on Face Book? Thanks so much. Judy Cassidy Janice Cozine replied: I looked back on my pictures of our Dutch trip and did not see anything on/about a sliding door in the Banta house. Sorry we couldn’t help more. I wouldn’t think there would be any problems posting the cousins trip on fb other than, you may need to ask permission of someone that is pictured in the photo(s) you choose to use. ——————————————————————————————————– Judith Smith Cassidy Wrote: Subject: Brief History of and the Surnames of those buried in the Northern Low Dutch Cemetery. BURIELS IN THE NORTHER CONEWAGO CEMETRY. Most Individuals who were buried in the Low Dutch Cemetery seemed to have Family Plots. While there were many such plots at one time, today there are few grave markers. Many markers consisted of field stones with initials and dates carved into the rock. Later generations replaced the original stones with more traditional gravestones. Family Records often indicated where family plots were located. The Northern Low Dutch Cemetery was also known as Osborns Because Samuel Osborn Patented this land ca. 1812 and it remained in the Osborn family for about 250 years.. Also at one time Russell Osbourn, the caretaker, had a map of at Conewago but refused to show the map to Arthur Weaner and others. The map has since been lost or perhaps remain in the Osborn Family descendants. Arthur Weaner had in his possession an Inscription list was created in 1930 which may be in the Adams County, Historical Society. Many of the burials are courtesy of Arthur Weaner’s book. There have only been two in burials in the Northern Cemetery since the 1900’s, (1) Unknown gypsy Boy ca 1910-1912, and Dr. David Weaner, August 1969, the brother of Arthur Weaner. A great deal of damage and neglect was evident in the 1960’s. The stone wall was broken in several places. Briars and underbrush have over grown the area and many of the old stones are broken or fallen from their bases. Some of the markers have been undermined by the ground hogs and large cedar trees have grown up with the enclosed burial ground. Stones were taken by or knocked over by vandels. An electric light on a pole illuminates it today. Stones that could be read a that dated were: Bercaw, Demaree (Demarest) Lashells, Monfort, Brinkerhoff, Van Duyn, Kitcheon, McCreary, McDannel, Vanorsdal, Houghtelin, Van Arsdel, Robinson, Coshun, Cownover (Conover), Osborn, Hulick, Cassatt and Vanderbilt. Some names are not Low Dutch but they may have married Low Dutch women. Causes of deaths: One causes for deaths of women and children. their clothes caught on fire. Women long skirts were especially vulnerable, when women bent over the fire cooking or working over fires outdoors. Small Children especially often got to close to the fire and their clothes also caught fire. Open fires, especially outdoor, were very dangerous. Fire was used to boil water, when washing clothes, burning fields. etc. According to Russell Osborn, who was the caretaker at this date, said that the oldest grave is that of Mrs. Bodine married to an Osborn, the mother of Samuel. She was buried in 1768. Another inscription, the individual not identified was “Not all the pain that are bore shall spoil my future peace.” “Stop traveler as you pays by As you are now so once was I, As I am now you soon shall be, Prepare yourself to follow me. “ As mentioned, In 1963 Mr. Osborn has a century old plan for the Northern burial ground. He refused to share this with Arthur Weaner, and it has disappeared after his death. The 1930 Inscription list was compiled by Alfred R. Justice, titled “Pennsylvania Gravestone Inscriptions Conewago Or Low Dutch Graveyard, About Four Miles From Gettysburg, Adams County, Pennsylvania” taken from the Archives, Pennsylvania Vital Records, Vol. III. Arthur Weaner and Carolyn Leonard expanded and added to both the Revolutionary War veterans records and cemetery records. Information taken from various Articles written by Miss Beryl F. MacPherson, County historian and historical writer for the Gettysburg Times have also been used. HERE ARE THE SURNAMES: AMMERMAN, BANTA, ANDERSON, BALDWIN, BERCAW, BODINE, BRINKERHOFF, CANNINE, CASSART/CROSART, CONOVER/CROWNOVER, CASHUN, COSINE/COZINE, DEMORIST/DEMAREE, HUTCHEON, HULECK, KITCHEN, LASHELLS, LASH, MCCREARY, MCDANNEL, MONFORT, NEVIUS, OSBORN, ROBINSON, SALZGIVER, THOMPSON, VAN ARSDALE, VANDERBELT/WESTERFIELD, VAN DUNN; VANDINE/VANTINE/ THE GYPSEY BOY, WEANER. ——————————————————————————————————– Judith Smith Cassidy also wrote: Subject: Low Dutch Women of Conewago who overcame adversity MARCH 2023 WAS WOMENS HISTORY MONTH. So here is a list of the really tough Low Dutch Women who endured great hardships and came out winners. Many of these ladies appear in the Conewago Deacons Records. Their stories are well worth reading, whether or not you are related. Yannetje Van Asdalen or Widow Ammerman Widow Betu (Sarah Potts), Laybteaux. Eyda Van Arsdale Houts. Widow DeGraff (Guel, Jewell Juel. Mary Smock, Scampe, Bice. Annatje, Hannah Peterson Vanarsdalen Meyers. Eleanor/Neeltje Peterson Vanarsdale. Marnytje, Marthey, Mary Vanarsdale Dorland. Aeltje/Ellen Cozine Vanarsdale, daughter of Reverend Cozine, Widow Magdalena/Ida Hougland Nevies Snapp. ——————————————————————————————————– Judith Smith Cassidy also wrote: Thankyou so much for including my Article in the Newsletter. Today there is more information available in the Rev. War. Period in York Co. Which I am including in the book I am writing. Loved the suggestion that people create an ancestral photo album. Might I suggest if they are a family such as Vince Akers and Bob Vanorsdales that kept every original document and scrap of paper they include those also. An example was slave purchases or bills written in pencil or recently in my research I have been exploring the original land records of PA in particular York Co prior to the Rev. In PA the land was owned by William Penn and his family. So for a prospective buyer there was a three step process one had to go through. Obtain a Warrant, Have the land Surveyed and the final step obtain a Patent. But this process often took place over a period of many years and through the hands of different people. Henry Banta land for example was Warrented by one man in the I believe 1740’s but Henry had it Surveyed in ca 1768. He donated land for the Northern Church and then up and left by 1779 probably due to the Rev War. So there may not be a separate deed fir the Church and Cemetery. At age 61 he and some of other men were removing their families from the possibility of British winning. But I kept wondering what he did with his land which was not Patented until 1804. Turns out He did nothing but hung on to it for YEARS later returning it to the Proprietors who in turn Patented it to 4 men including Isaac Vanarsdale and Sam Osborn. 1804 was the year before Banta died. I came across a receipt for Peter Monfort from the Pa Proprietors which is probably the same printed Document given Henry Banta which showed costs, acreage, payment requirements etc. so very long story short, Peter Minforts standard issue document with the blanks filled in answered many of my Banta questions. So Save Early Documents. ——————————————————————————————————– Joe Putnam wrote: The Graves of Henry and Mary (Banta) Shively (by their 4th great grandson Joe Putnam) Henry Shively (1759/60-1842) married young Mary Banta (1767-1844) near Harrodsburg, Kentucky in 1783. Mary was a daughter of Hendrick “Father Henry” Banta who led the Low Dutch to Beargrass Creek at Louisville, then down to the Harrodsburg area, than back up to Bantatown/Pleasureville near Louisville. Henry and Mary apparently moved across the river to rural Orange County, Indiana circa 1826, settling near Paoli. The local DAR put together a list of all known burials in Orange County, I think back in the 1940s, and they list the Johnson Cemetery as having 10 known burials inside the fence, five unmarked ones, and one marked grave outside. I saw more than 10 stones, some broken, and counting some tiny slabs which I suspect may be footstones. No grave was visible outside the fenced area. The DAR list indicates that everyone in the cemetery is either a descendant of Henry and Mary or a spouse of a descendant. I guess that means the whole graveyard are Dutch Cousins… I found the Johnson Family Cemetery in a soybean field a few miles outside of Paoli back in September 2014. The little graveyard was grassed, enclosed by a dilapidated fence, and nicely mowed off. A single old persimmon tree stood inside the fenced area. The graveyard is visible from the county road, except when the field is planted in corn. Henry and Mary’s stones were in the first row. Curiously, their youngest daughter Martha Mahala Shively (1808-1878) is buried beside her father, with her husband George R. Pierce (1805-1879) buried in the row behind them. I descend from Mahala and George, who married in Orange County on November 22, 1829, per the handwritten record in the courthouse book. When I visited in 2018 I was saddened to find the tree and the fence both gone. A guy at some farm buildings told us that the tree had fallen and mangled the old fence, which they then removed. Weeds and a sapling or two now grow among the graves. The graves are no longer fenced. I am glad I visited while it was still fenced, and took a few pictures to document the site. At some point Mary (Banta) Shively’s gravestone broke off near the base. Henry’s gravestone may have fallen into some disrepair, and was replaced with a free one for veterans courtesy of the U.S. government. The form (via Ancestry.com) indicates the stone was signed for in 1961 by one Mrs. Garret Qualkenbush, who identified herself as a 2nd great-grandaughter of Henry and Mary. The original stone lies nearby. There was a small American flag stuck in the ground by Henry’s grave when I visited in 2020, indicating that the Legion or another descendant remembers him also.   ———————————————————————————————————Lily Martin wrote: Hello to all Dutch Cousins, For those of you with BREWER ancestors who migrated from NJ to KY and intermarried with other Mercer Co, KY Dutch families, I will list the best and most accurate sources to further and refine your research. http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~brouwergenealogydata/genealogy/index.htm The above website began in 2008 and is updated. This is the work of Chris Chester. Your family begins with Adam Brouwer, the immigrant who arrived in New Amsterdam in 1642, and married there in 1645. He was from Koln (Cologne, now Germany). His true name was similar to Adolf Bruer, in the German style, but in New York he used the Dutch spelling variation of Adam Brouwer. His descendants most often used the name of Adolph and Adolphus to honor him. Adam Brouwer’s page is here below: http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~brouwergenealogydata/genealogy/p158.htm#i20365 Daniel Brouwer (Brewer) 1719-1791 is the man who left NJ to settle in Harrodsburg, Mercer Co, NJ. His profile is below. http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~brouwergenealogydata/genealogy/p161.htm#i20449 Additionally, this database has the Cozine, Banta and other allied families included. Finally, Chris Chester also has a BLOG, and you can search it. The link is below. https://brouwergenealogy.blogspot.com Best regards, Lilly Martin, descendant of Adam Brouwer.——————————————————————————————————— New subscribers to the Dutch Letters: Joe Putnam wrote: Dutch connection: Hello Dutch Cousins, My name is Joe Putnam and I would like to be on the Dutch Cousins mailing list. I thought I might as well sign up as I have been reading your site the last year or so. I am a southern Indiana direct descendant of “Father Henry” Banta and Antjin/Antie Demarest through their daughter Mary who married Henry Shively at Harrodsburg in 1783. I have been casually researching them since 2018 and have been to their graves multiple times. If you think the Dutch Cousins would be interested, I could work up a few paragraphs about them and/or their family graveyard for the newsletter, and attach a few pics of the graveyard from the times I visited it. Thank you, Joe Putnam ——————————————————————————————————— Mary Miller wrote: Dutch connection: My g-g-grandmother: Ellen Corinth (Banta) Hancock #KLF4-58B (b. 11/1/1854 North Pleasureville, Henry County, KY- d. 6/3/1914) m. 10/31/1873 Thomas H. Hancock Appears on page 291 of “A Frisian Family, The Banta Genealogy, Descendants of Epke Jacobse …,” by Theodore M. Banta, New York, 1893 ——————————————————————————————————— Robert M. Cassat, Sr. wrote Dutch connection: Francis Cossart buried at the Low Dutch cemetery is my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather. ——————————————————————————————————— Jay vanArsdale wrote: Dutch connection: my family was blacksmiths in burgin for at least 4 generations- i only foundout about the old mudhouse recently and am curious about what else is available – my father john buck van Arsdale made the chandeliers for, harrodsbug historical buildings and some reproduction iron work for shalkertown plus help keeping the community and its farmers working- my grandfater was Bert G van Arsdale- i am curious about any debates about the slavery issues in mercer county back in the old days- it was never talked about at all-in any education i got about Ky history- thanks- jay van Arsdale ——————————————————————————————————— |
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