Mom’s March Letter

Paul,

I started this letter last week and got so mad I put it up.  I wrote some things that I did not feel comfortable about.  I am going to try to rewrite it and keep myself under control and not lose my cool again.  Anyway I do not know when I will be going to court.  I have already waited over 5 years on a 30 day time response, 60 times longer than the law says.  I do not remember what all I have wrote you so if I repeat I guess you will get told again.

Jerome County is in a bad way.  The corruption is oozing out everywhere.  The head PA left and has not been replaced yet.  The DPA stepped up and has his hands full.  The DPA had my case and my appt atty does not believe he is prepared or anxious to take on my case.  N the meantime I sit in this incubator and watch what nasty stuff is breeding.

I filed a complaint against Stoker and Paul in April 99.  It was never brought up by either.  It was not acknowledged at all, nowhere by anyone and should have been with a hearing.  There was a lot of shit that went on and should not have and a lot of did not and should have.  My ignorance of the law was used against me but then I caint make the attys do anything anyway.  So no matter what I was screwed from the very beginning even though it is my US Constitutional Right to have a fair and impartial trial.  Idaho things otherwise.  But I am not going to get into the corruption and injustices of a back woods greedy cult state.

I do not know nothing about the religious trash books.  I was told they had stuff against the cult that you have been brainwashed by.  The other stuff I got from the info Franz sent me.  It is too back you caint read the stuff he sents me.  Maybe someday.  It is about the abuse, neglect, ect that goes on in the DOC’s across the nation.  You would shit if you knew what went on.

Did you know my Dad was born in Lewiston?

Dead man walking, end of subject.

I called Sis and the last thing out of her mouth was that she was homeless and that was all I know.  I got a ½ page letter from her last week but she did not say much of anything.  How stupid are you Paul?  DO not you think there is a reason why she will not ask him for anything?  You do not know what he has done to her?  So sad, so pathetic that you are so brainwashed that you caint see past the end of your nose.  Why would she ever want to go near that house not alone ever live in it.  He fucked her up pretty bad when she was forced to live with him after what happened.  Then the dirty bastard kicked her out about a week before she turned 18.  She is not going to crawl and beg him for money.  She will not lower herself to his level.  She is independent.

As far as what Franz has tried to do from the other side of the world, at least he has tried to help which is more than you or anyone else has ever done.  Thanks I am glad to hear you think I have the mentality of a 10 year old.  My case has nothing to do with you except probably saved your life.

Where in the hell did you get the idea I was wanting financial help from any relatives.  I wanted to know my heritage and if there were any still alive in the old country.  You really ought to putt your head out and take a breath of fresh air.  I really do not give a pinch of hammered horse shit about the Andra side of the family.  I, like my Dad am a black sheep when it comes to the Andra’s.  I am a Jonas.  You are a Jonas.  You were born a Jonas and carry the name.  I am sorry I ever gave you that bastards name, either one of you kids.  Did you know Sis came to me at one time and asked if she could change her name to the same as mine.  Heed your own advise and made sure you got your shit straight too.

How was your weekend of the 7th?  There went all of the money for books.  Did you get to see Sis?  If so how is she doing?  Tell me anything you know about her.  How she looks, healthy, so forth.  The 7th was a Sat not Thurs.

Thanks for the B card.  Tell your little woman I will not hold my breath waiting to hear from her.  To start off she does not know what to say to me.  I am sure my letter to her folks went over like a ton of bricks and I really do not care cause I am tired of people just doing and not knowing or caring that what they are doing hurts other people.  If she writes, fine.  I will answer.  If she does not then that is fine too.  She really does not need to just cause she is married to you.  I already know what people think.  Human nature is to run their mouths when they have no idea what they are talking about and to suck in everything they hear.

Time to go so you two take care.  Hope you guys have or had fun this month.  I will let you know what happens when I know.  Make you let me know where you are at.  I love you, Mom

Jonas Family Photos

Jonas Family Photos

It has come time for the information regarding the Jonas Album.  There are a couple of generations in there, but like the Andra line, I will not include much information on the living individuals.  Only those familiar with the line will find those photos interesting or of much value.  However, you may be able to figure some of them out by their names.

Some of this information has been given in previous posts.  Particularly in relation to the Coley album and the Lost Trunk.  I do have quite a bit more information in relation to some of these families.  I have told some of the stories previously as well.  I will have to post more later.

Joseph Jonas
10 Jan 1859 – Frenchtown, Monroe, Michigan
23 Jun 1917 – Richmond, Cache, Utah

Married
Nov 1883 – Logan, Cache, Utah

Annetta Josephine Nelson
18 Nov 1864 – Logan, Cache, Utah
23 Dec 1907 – Provo, Utah, Utah

Children
Margaret Jonas
17 Jun 1884 – Logan, Cache, Utah
17 Sep 1904 – Thorpe, Kittitas, Washington
Mary Nelson Jonas
17 Jul 1885 – Ellensburg, Kittitas, Washington
21 Sep 1899 – Ellensburg, Kittitas, Washington
Rosa Nelson Jonas
5 Sep 1886 – Ellensburg, Kittitas, Washington
20 Feb 1951 – Preston, Franklin, Idaho
John Nelson Jonas
14 Aug 1888 – Ellensburg, Kittitas, Washington
19 Dec 1918 – Richmond, Cache, Utah (Influenza)
William Nelson Jonas
2 Dec 1889 – Ellensburg, Kittitas, Washington
14 Apr 1972 – Murray, Salt Lake, Utah
Joseph Nelson Jonas
19 Nov 1893 – 19 Nov 1893 – Ellensburg, Kittitas, Washington
6 Sep 1932 – Ogden, Weber, Utah (electrocuted)
Annetta Josephine Jonas
12 Aug 1896 – Ellensburg, Kittitas, Washington
12 Aug 1896 – Ellensburg, Kittitas, Washington

Christian Andersen (married previously to Caroline Mathilde Halverson)
9 Oct 1873 –Christiania, Akershus, Norway
9 Aug 1957 – Ogden, Weber, Utah

Married
29 Jun 1904 – Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Rosa Nelson Jonas
Information listed above

Children
Rosetta Mabel Andersen (married Vordis Rio Cazier)
23 Oct 1905 – Richmond, Cache, Utah
9 Jun 1981 – Townsend, Broadwater, Montana
Christian Cyrus Andersen (married Florence Zelnora Child)
21 Dec 1907 – Richmond, Cache, Utah
7 Jul 1980 – Ogden, Weber, Utah
Annetta Cleone Andersen (married Christian S Miller)
24 Nov 1909 – Richmond, Cache, Utah
19 Jun 1981 – Ogden, Weber, Utah
Merlin Andersen (married Ruby Harris)
20 Sep 1913 – Richmond, Cache, Utah
30 Dec 1998 – Westpoint, Davis, Utah
Verla Jonas Andersen (married Howard Wayment Lythgoe)
16 Mar 1917 – Richmond, Cache, Utah
22 Jun 1999 – Ogden, Weber, Utah
Arvie Jonas Andersen (married Dorothy Dean Hobbs)
30 May 1921 – Lewiston, Cache, Utah
22 May 1990 – Ogden, Weber, Utah

John Nelson Jonas
Information listed above

Married
5 Jun 1912 – Logan, Cache, Utah

Nellie Armina Jonas
26 Jul 1889 – Richmond, Cache, Utah
11 Dec 1953 – Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Children
Calvin Anderson Jonas (married Viola Florance Chapman)
6 Aug 1913 – Richmond, Cache, Utah
17 Jun 1991 – Richmond, Cache, Utah
Melvin Anderson Jonas (married Doris Everts)
31 Mar 1917 – Richmond, Cache, Utah
16 Jul 1944 – San Marcos, Hays, Texas (drowned, married Doris Everts)
Armina Anderson Jonas (married Don Farnes)
5 Mar 1919 – Richmond, Cache, Utah
30 Mar 2011 – St George, Washington, Utah

William Nelson Jonas
Information listed above

Married
6 Jan 1921 – Logan, Cache, Utah

Karen Marie Thompson
31 Oct 1892 – Richmond, Cache, Utah
13 Jun 1980 – Murray, Salt Lake, Utah

Children
Delwyn Thompson Jonas (married Myrna Mae Bowman)
4 Jan 1922 – Logan, Cache, Utah
10 Dec 2003 – Murray, Salt Lake, Utah
Maynard Thompson Jonas (married Lois Rae Lemmon)
9 Apr 1923 – Thatcher, Franklin, Idaho
31 Jan 1997 – Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Gaylen Thompson Jonas
14 Mar 1925 – Logan, Cache, Utah
19 Sep 1944 – Peleliu, Palau Islands
Vaughn Thompson Jonas (married Dorothy Wiley)
7 Sep 1926 – Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
8 Aug 1991 – Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Carvel Thompson Jonas (married Beverly Clayton and Barbara Williams)
17 Sep 1934 – Sandy, Salt Lake, Utah
Still living
William Thompson Jonas
22 Oct 1937 – Murray, Salt Lake, Utah
23 Oct 1937 – Murray, Salt Lake, Utah

Joseph Nelson Jonas
Information listed above

Married
6 Sep 1916 – Logan, Cache, Utah

Lillian Coley
26 Aug 1898 – Lewiston, Cache, Utah
11 Feb 1987 – Layton, Davis, Utah

Children
Joseph Herbert Jonas (married Hilma Grace Erickson)
14 Aug 1917 – Richmond, Cache, Utah
23 Jun 1993 – Ogden, Weber, Utah
Spencer Gilbert Jonas (married Viola Amelia Cole)
10 Dec 1920 – Burley, Cassia, Idaho
26 Aug 1996 – Ogden, Weber, Utah
Irwin John Jonas (married Mary Elizabeth Popwitz)
2 Sep 1921 – Thatcher, Franklin, Idaho
11 Jul 1944 – Lowe, France
Wilburn Norwood Jonas (married Colleen Mary Andra)
15 May 1924 – Lewiston, Cache, Utah
14 Mar 1975 – Burley, Cassia, Idaho
Ellis Seth Jonas (married Geraldine Pitcher)
6 Sep 1926 – Lewiston, Cache, Utah
12 Aug 2012 – Smithfield, Cache, Utah
Evan Reed Jonas (married Lona Rae Jensen)
4 Sep 1928 – Ogden, Weber, Utah
4 Feb 1999 – Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Lillian Annetta Jonas (married Ray Laurence Talbot)
15 Jul 1930 – Ogden, Weber, Utah
20 Feb 2009 – Layton, Davis, Utah
LeReta Mary Jonas (married Lowell Hansen Andersen)
1 Aug 1932 – Ogden, Weber, Utah
Still living

Wanner Family Photos

Wanner Family Photos 

Here is another update in the long goal to load all my photos up onto the blog.  I have loaded my maximum for the month of May already but am happy to report I am about 90% done.  Then I can spend time writing and commenting about other things rather than the latest updates in photos.

My last update relating to photos dealt with the Nuffer family.  My ancestor from the Nuffer family married a Wanner introducing a new name for the line.  Here is the information on the Wanner family.

It is a sad note that four of my great grandmother’s siblings all lived to be adults but died for a variety of reasons.  Two from flu, one from blood poisoning, one as a missionary in New Zealand.

John George Wanner (Johann Georg Wanner)
18 Oct 1845 – Holzgerlingen, Boblingen, Wurttemberg
16 Feb 1922 – Logan, Cache, Utah

Married
6 Jun 1870 – Holgerlingen, Boblingen, Wurttemberg

Anna Maria Schmid
21 Jan 1849 – Holzgerlingen, Boblingen, Wurttemberg
9 Dec 1929 – Logan, Cache, Utah

Children
John George Wanner (Jr)
29 Oct 1870 – Holzgerlingen
5 Jan 1947 – Chicago, Cook, Illinois
Christina Wanner (married Charles August Nuffer)
30 Mar 1872 – Holzgerlingen
10 Aug 1940 – Preston, Franklin, Idaho
Maria Magdalena Wanner (married William Addison Wagstaff)(More information at this link: Wagstaff Family)
12 Sep 1873 – Gruenkraut, Boblingen, Wurttemberg
23 Oct 1952 – Ogden, Weber, Utah
Johannas Wanner
23 Jun 1875 – Gruenkraut
5 Nov 1875 – Unknown
Johannas Frederick Wanner
28 Jul 1876 – Gruenkraut
12 Nov 1878 – Unknown
Luise Sophia Wanner (married Jeffery Marcelin Bodrero)
30 Mar 1879 – Gruencraut
1 Feb 1967 – Logan, Cache, Utah
Jacob Frederick Wanner (married Mary Elizabeth Carter and Eva Christensen)
14 Jan 1881 – Gruenkraut
25 Aug 1955 – Preston
Pauline Wanner (married William Henery Crossley)
1 Apr 1884 – Gruenkraut
10 Dec 1921 – Ogden
Gottlop Wanner (married Rebecca Hicks and Grace Elizabeth Stewart)
18 Jun 1886 – Gruenkraut
25 Mar 1952 – Inkom, Bannock, Idaho
Wilhelmina Wanner (married Moses Bodrero, brother to Jefferey above)
12 Sep 1887 – Gruenkraut
4 Mar 1991 – Logan (103 ½!)

John George Wanner
29 Oct 1870 – Holzgerlingen
5 Jan 1947 – Chicago, Cook, Illinois

1. Married
14 Nov 1894 – Logan, Cache, Utah (divorced or did she die?)

Eliza Stirland
3 Dec 1876 – Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England
Unknown death date

Children
Earl Wayne Wanner
31 Oct 1895 – Providence, Cache, Utah
29 Jul 1962 – Unknown
George Phineas Wanner
1897 – Somewhere in Present Franklin County
Unknown Death location or life.

2. Married
31 Aug 1898 – Logan, Cache, Utah (divorced)

Regina Friederike Nuffer
26 Jan 1869 – Neuffen, Esslingen, Wurttemberg
10 Mar 1942 – Preston, Franklin, Idaho

Children
William Cristoph Wanner
9 Nov 1899 – Mapleton, Franklin, Idaho
1 Dec 1918 – Camp Genicart, Gironde, France (Influenza)
Willard John Wanner (married Gladys Laverna Thompson)
9 Nov 1899 – Mapleton, Franklin, Idaho
19 Oct 1979 – Preston, Franklin, Idaho
Mary Louise Wanner (married William Fredrick Andra, my great grandfather)
5 Mar 1901 – Mapleton, Franklin, Idaho
11 Aug 1991 – Preston, Franklin, Idaho
Golden Wanner
4 Sep 1902 – Mapleton, Franklin, Idaho
26 Nov 1918 – Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah (Influenza)
Eva Virtue Wanner (married Adolf Ernest Spatig)
24 Feb 1904 – Mapleton, Franklin, Idaho
12 Aug 1968 – Preston, Franklin, Idaho
Rulon Wanner
6 Nov 1905 – Mapleton, Franklin, Idaho
26 Feb 1924 – Logan, Cache, Utah (blood poisoning from razor cut)
Serge Nuffer Wanner
8 Mar 1908 – Preston, Franklin, Idaho
5 Oct 1929 – New Zealand (killed as a missionary for LDS)

3. Married
5 May 1921 – Fort Myers, Lee, Florida(divorced)

Annie Janes Metts
29 Aug 1873 – St Augustine, St Johns, Florida
4 Jan 1961 – Unknown

4. Married
3 Jun 1942 – Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Grace Irene Frasure
5 Jul 1893 – Evansville, Rock, Wisconsin
Mar 1980 – Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Ross in Washington State

Ross in Washington State 

A few updates and ponderings.

As I finished going through the entire stack of papers that were the culmination of work for Howard Ross, I sensed a bit of frustration that I may have missed something.  Some note, hidden on the back of some page I forgot to turn over and examine.  Moreover, there are always the little nuances that a symbol or a phrase can bring back a memory for Howard, but does nothing for me.  It is part of deciphering the past and someone else’s research.  Looking at that, I realized what a great thing it is that I am putting these notes up on a blog.  Someday, there will probably be some form of this blog available and it is much easier to search a blog than going through a stack of papers.  Another good part is that I may die, my house may burn, and all I have may be lost, but this will give an extension to another dimension.  I am sure somebody is printing or copying the things I am putting up that is relevant to them.  So this is a mass sharing that is effective for saving.

Anyhow, having given my deep thoughts for the day, here is the latest news.

One of those papers in Howard Ross’ massive stack was an address for a Beulah Duncan in Zillah, Washington (The sheet it was on was dated 1972).  I knew I had a Beulah Ross who was the daughter of Robert Leonard Ross.  The rascal that disappeared and I have yet to catch up with him.  I knew she had married a Duncan but that was it.  Could she have really made it to Washington State?  I thought I might as well venture to find out.

I looked up Zillah, Washington on Google and found it is between Yakima and Sunnyside.  I searched Duncan in the phone book for Zillah and found a couple in Sunnyside and a couple in Toppenish both of which were nearby.  After about a half dozen phone calls, I found nobody home.  So I left it for a day or two.  I knew that she was probably not still alive, but a good chance a family member who knew of her would be able to lead me in the right direction.

I rang the numbers again last night to find some woman with what I believe was a Irish accent in Toppenish.  First strike.  The second call was a lady I had a devil of a time understanding.  But she assured me she was the daughter-in-law of Mrs. Beulah Duncan.  I thought she told me her name was Debra Lee.  We visited and she gave me the phone number of her daughter Terel Stan Stone.  I know, that is what I thought, a girl with a guys name!  I hung up and called Mrs. Stone and she thought I was crazy when I told her I had visited with her mother Debra Lee.  Come to find out, her mother’s name is Beverly and the lady I was talking to was Carol Ann Stone.  Wow, it is amazing how hearing can alter things.

We visited for a few minutes; she told me what she knew of her grandmother, Beulah.  Their story goes something like this.  Robert was an alcoholic and his wife Minnie had some sort of Drug addiction.  All the children were farmed out to others.  Beulah was taken in by her grandparents, my great great grandparents James Thomas Meredith Ross and Damey Catherine Graham.  She was taken and raised near Rupert, Idaho.  But her strict Mormon grandparents was a bit much for her so she was anxious to get out.  That came when she met a Jack or Mack Duncan.  She was 14 and married him.  They moved to Zillah, Washington and lived out the remainder of their days.  He died in the late 70’s and she died in 2002 at about 96 years of age.  They had four children, two of which are deceased.

Anyhow, I am excited to finally flesh out one of Robert Leonard Ross’ lines.  However, it will not be easy to get the rest of the siblings.  Carol did not know what happened for sure to her siblings and we will have to see what we can scrounge up.  It sounds like even Beulah herself did not know where some of her siblings ended up.

At least for now, we are one step closer to filling in some holes on the Robert Leonard Ross line.  I look forward to any information Carol has which may give clues to more.

See, one little note on a piece of paper has opened a door to an entire family line.  Carol was not aware of us and we were not aware of them.  Now we are.  Let’s see where family can take us.

Nuffer Family Photos

Nuffer Family Album 

For those who did not notice, I added a couple of new albums.  So now I will take an opportunity to explain the Nuffer family.

My mother’s mother’s mother’s mother’s maiden name was Nuffer.  That is how I tie in.  There are alternate spellings.  The other main spelling is Neuffer, which some of the family has changed it back to (despite the family changing it to Nuffer, even the German line).  My 3rd Great Grandfather was married 4 different times.  So here we go.

John Christoph Nuffer
6 Mar 1835 – Neuffen, Esslingen, Wurttemberg
12 Apr 1908 – Preston, Franklin, Idaho

Married
13 May 1862 – Neuffen

To
1. Agnes Barbara Spring
26 Nov 1841 – Neuffen
29 Jan 1867 – Neuffen

Children
John Nuffer
4 Dec 1862 – Neuffen
4 Jun 1946 – Preston
George Friedrich Nuffer
20 Jan 1864 – Neuffen
31 Mar 1952 – Saratoga, Santa Clara, California
Christiane Nuffer
18 Aug 1865 – Neuffen
8 Jun 1866 – Unknown

Married
25 Jul 1867 – Neuffen

To
2. Eva Katharina Greiner (my 3rd Great Grandmother)
26 Feb 1835 – Dettingen, Schwarzwaldkreis, Wurttemberg
26 Feb 1893 – Mapleton, Franklin, Idaho (then Oneida Co)

Children
Regina Friederike Nuffer (my 2nd Great Grandmother)
26 Jan 1869 – Neuffen
10 Mar 1942 – Preston
Charles August Nuffer (He interestingly married the sister to my 2nd Great Grandfather, John George Wanner)
18 Jun 1871 – Neuffen
17 Jul 1952 – Preston
Adolf Nuffer
14 Apr 1875 – Neuffen
21 Sep 1955 – Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Mary Nuffer
11 Oct 1881 – Providence, Cache, Utah
5 Oct 1900 – Mapleton, Franklin, Idaho

Married
28 Sep 1893 – Logan, Cache, Utah

3. Anna Elizabeth Reber
17 May 1855 – Aezruti, Schangnau, Bern, Switzerland
1 Dec 1901 – Logan, Cache, Utah
She was married before with children

Married
19 Mar 1902 – Logan, Cache, Utah

4. Maria Anna Alker
12 Aug 1847 – Worms, Rhineland, Hesse
23 Jul 1926 – Logan, Cache, Utah

Regina Friederike Nuffer married John George Wanner in 1898.  But before that, she was married to Jacob Scheibel in 1889.  He was from Kolb, Saratov, Russia.  He ran off and we don’t know what ever became of him.  They did have a child named Alma Katherine Scheibel who would go on to marry Charles Daniel Naef and have 11 children together.  She lived in Downey, Bannock, Idaho raised her family there and is buried there.

Special British Visitor

There are blessings to losing one’s job. You don’t have to ask for time off
in which you can do random things you might not otherwise do. Yesterday was
one of those opportunities. 

I rode with Amanda down to school and spent part of the morning in the
library working on various little things. We had our lunch together and as
she went back to class, I went to visit the Capitol of the State of
Virginia. See, the State of Virginia had a special guest coming to visit.

I never got to see her while I lived in England, so why not take the time
since she will be in Richmond, Virginia. I arrived at the Capitol grounds
about 12:30 and started to enjoy the weather and scenery. It really was a
beautiful day. It was just like so many of the days I remembered in
England. The sky was overcast but warm. There was a certain humidity in
the air but it was comfortable. There was the slight drizzle that came down
but not enough to make you wet, just enough to dampen you.

In complete coincidence, I leaned against a temporary fence and watched the
people on the hill around the Capitol. I watched the marching band organize
and then they started playing and marched around the bottom of the hill. I
stayed where I was and I found myself pinned between the passing band and
the fence. It was with surprise that when the band had passed this familiar
looking man shook my hand and then proceeded past me a few feet and turned
up the ramp to the stage. I dawned on me who he was, the Governor Tim
Kaine. I was watching the band, it never passed my mind there was somebody
following them. It was obvious with his little entourage passing with him
they were for security. He was there to open the entertainment. Moral of
the story, if you get stuck against a wall, you never know who may shake
your hand!

The music was really quite good. I enjoyed Ralph Stanley quite a bit. I
knew his voice from the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack. Jane Powell
was a great soul singer and powerful whistler! The whistling was very
impressive. They locked Capitol Square down at 2:30 and nobody else was
allowed in.

As the moment drew closer, Larry Bland and his volunteer choir were working
the audience. I think that was my favorite music in the whole show. It was
actually pretty moving. It was while he was singing, with his gospel choir,
He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands that Queen Elizabeth arrived. The
energy of the whole crowd exploded. We were a single mass and were very
drawn to the occasion. I do think the music really helped the tone. The
place where I was sitting I could hear the music loud and clear from the
speakers, it then echoed to me from the state buildings behind me, and also
an echo from the Capitol itself. So I was hearing Larry Bland and the choir
from three different angles all with slightly different timing. The
jumbotrons showed the Queen’s car arriving and the crowd’s excitement. It
was really a sensory overload in many ways. Mr. Bland went onto his
rendition of The Battle Hymn of the Republic which was pretty powerful too.

Finally Queen Elizabeth and Governor Kaine made their way back out of the
Governor’s Mansion towards the Capitol. They came around the side near
where I was. Due to the hill I could only see her about waste up, but it
was exciting. Everything was to be seen on the jumbotrons though, so I
wasn’t overly concerned. We watched her reception by the Chief’s of
Virginia Indian Tribes. She received her gifts and made her way into the
Capitol. I stayed so as to watch her speech to a joint session of the
Virginia Legislature.

At that point, most of the excitement was done and it was starting to
properly rain so I headed for the school to meet Amanda and head home.
Luckily, she finished school just shortly before Queen Elizabeth gave her
comments.

So that was an exciting day. I have applied for several jobs, but nothing
back yet. It was worth it though. How often do you get to see the Queen of
England in Virginia!

 

Paradise Lost

I think I may have named a previous blog by this name. I hope not. 

There are some new developments in the lives of Paul and Amanda I thought I would share.

We are often warned that gossip can be destructive. It certainly can. My mere association with others and their comments have come to haunt me. I don’t need to go into details as that would prove to further the gossip. My being present during a conversation and comments, which I thought were ambivalent, and even commenting caused things to be attached to my name. As it made its rounds, it found its way to a manager who then called me on the carpet. I tried to explain the situation but my presence that day cost me a great amount of trust.

The next punch came a couple days later. Here is the next rule of lesson for the day. Do not allow the lines of authority and responsibility to be
confused. With the loss of another employee I was asked to pick up the slack. That required access to their e-mail. Rather than giving me access
on my computer it was given on another computer under a manager’s username and password. This is my major mistake. That manager had to sign me in and I was operating on her system. I was awkward with it, but it came back to get me. I had access to a whole host of things. Some of it I had to come in contact with due to the nature of what I was doing. During which, I forwarded e-mails to may account for work, jokes, and other forwards. One forward from that manager’s account included some confidential material.  Well, that cost me my job.

It was the classic one-two. I did find it an honour I was being signed under the manager’s name, but I should have known I would be watched closely and highly scrutinized for what happened there. I should have been more careful in that position to what I might have been privy to. More importantly, I should have just had them move the access for the other e-mail to my computer and I could have totally been safe from this last scenario. I understand their situation, and I can see mine, and if both parties had been wiser, this whole thing could have been avoided.

Well, it has been a learning experience. I now start the job hunt again all over again. Just as I had met with HR to secure a full time position and
everything, I had quite the job search a month or so ago leaving me completely off guard.

Life goes on. I will have to be more careful, watchful, and wise in the future. The lady at the staffing agency told me she thought it was a bit of
a “throw Paul under the bus” scenario, but what is to be done now?

In other news, the Queen is here in Richmond and I am going to walk over and say hello to her. The best part, I don’t have to worry about getting out of work to attend the festivities.

Calvin Sheppard

This is more self explanatory. This is from Calvin Sheppard who is the
brother to my Nancy Adeline Shepherd. She would be my great, great great
grandmother. He spelled his name differently.

Between 1914 and 1915 a questionnaire form was sent to all known living
Tennessee Civil War Veterans. All were returned by 1922. I will type up
the questions and insert Calvin Sheppard’s response after the question from
the following pages.

The Tennessee Civil War Veterans Questionnaires
Volume 5, Confederate Soldiers, pg 1946-1947

1. State your full name and present Post Office address:

Calvin Sheppard, Dandridge, Jefferson Co., Tenn.

2. State your age now:

Seventy Nine 14th of May

3. In what State and county were you born?

Pulaski County, Va.

4. In what State and county were you living when you enlisted in the service
of the Confederacy, or of the Federal Government?

Newbern (Pulaski county, Va.?) Confederacy.

5. What was your occupation before the war?

Farmer

6. What was the occupation of your father?

Farmer

7. If you owned land or other property at the opening of the war, state what
kind of property you owned, and state the value of your property as near as
you can.

—-

8. Did you or your parents own slaves? If so, how many?

No

9. If your parents owned land, state about how many acres.

My father owned 75 acres.

10. State as near as you can the value of all the property owned by your
parents, including land, when the war opened.

$1500.00

11. What kind of house did your parents occupy? State whether it was a log
house or frame house or built of other materials, and state the number of
rooms it had.

Log house, six rooms, good barn, well wattered and layed.

12. As a boy and young man, state what kind of work you did. If you worked
on a farm, state to what extent you plowed, worked with a hoe, and did other
kinds of similar work.

I did all kinds of work on the farm, plowed, hoed, cradled, —ed and did
any and everything that was to do on a farm.

13. State clearly what kind of work your father did, and what the duties of
your mother were. State all the kinds of work done in the house as well as
you can remember – that is, cooking, spinning, weaving, ect.

We had sheep and raised flax, had two good looms and two wheels my Mother
raised her own flax and spun wove and made clothes for the familydid her own
cooking.

14. Did your parents keep any servants? If so, how many?

They did not keep servants.

15. How was honest toil – as plowing, hauling and other sorts of honest work
of this class – regarded in your community? Was such work considered
respectable and honorable?

All honest work and toil was considered honorable in those days.

16. Did the white men in your community generally engage in such work?

Yes

17. To what extent were there white men in your community leading lives of
idleness and having others do their work for them?

Every body except a few rich men that owned slaves did their own work,
nearly everybody worked in those days.

18. Did the men who owned slaves mingle freely with those who did not own
slaves, or did slaveholders in any way show by their actions that they felt
themselves better than respectable, honorable men who did not own slaves?

—-

19. At the churches, at the schools, at public gatherings in general, did
slaveholders and non-slaveholders mingle on a footing of equality?

No

20. Was there a friendly feeling between slaveholders and non-slaveholders in
your community, or were they antagonistic towards each other?

Most always friendly

21. In a political contest in which one candidate owned slaves and the other
did not, did the fact that one candidate owned slaves help him in winning
the contest?

Not very much

22. Were the opportunities good in your community for a poor young man –
honest and industrious – to save up enough to buy a small farm or go in
business for himself?

Not much, wages was low and the rich men owned the land in those days.

23. Were poor, honest, industrious young men, who were ambitious to make
something of themselves, encouraged or discouraged by slaveholders?

No

24. What kind of school or schools did you attend?

We did not have any free schools in those days we had to pay for what we
got.

25. About how long did you go to school altogether?

—-

26. How far was it to the nearest school?

about four miles

27. What school or schools were in operation in your neighborhood?

—-

28. Was the school in your community private or public?

Privet I suppose we had to pay for it.

29. About how many months in the year did it run?

Three months

30. Did the boys and girls in your community attend school pretty regularly?

Yes

31. Was the teacher of the school you attended a man or a woman?

Mostly men

32. In what year and month and at what place did you enlist in the
Confederate or of the Federal Government?

Oct. 1_, 1862 Pulaski County, Va

33. State the name of your regiment, and state the names of as many members
of your company as you remember.

Company C. Jim Marton, Jack Duncan and myself I enlisted in a home guard
company and was on duty for 15 months at Dublin Va. then went in to regular
servis in company C. Horton command Brecanridge brigade.

34. After enlistment, where was your company sent first?

We went to the Saultville we was in a fight there then we went from one
place to another we was in the Clands? Valley.

35. How long after your enlistment before your company engaged in battle?

about 12 months

36. What was the first battle you engaged in?

Cla_ds? Valley

37. State in your own way your experience in the war from this time on until
the close. State where you went after the first battle – what you did, what
other battles you engaged in, how long they lasted, what the results were;
state how you lived in camp, how you were clothed, how you slept, what you
had to eat, how you were exposed to cold, hunger, and disease. If you were
in the hospital or in prison, state your experience here.

We went to Withville and was there one winter on duty we were very poorly
clothed had one blanket no matter how cold it was and very little to eat.

38. When and where were you discharged?

Christianburg, April 15?, 1865 we did not have telephones then and did not
know that Jen. Lee had surrendered.

39. Tell something of your trip home.

I walked home.

40. What kind of work did you take up when you came back home?

I worked by the day just when I could get work.

41. Give a sketch of your life since the close of the Civil War, stating
what kind of business you have engaged in, where you have lived, your church
relations, etc. If you have held an office or offices, state what it was.
You may state here any other facts connected with your life and experience
which has not been brought out by the questions.

I have worked hard all my life, farmed mostly.

42. Give the full name of your father. Born, at, in the county of, state
of? He lived at? Give also any particulars concerning him, as official
position, war services, etc. Books written by, etc.

William Shepard; —-, Pulaski co., va, —

43. Maiden name in full of your mother. She was the daughter of (full name)
and his wife (full name) who lived at?

Nancie Marton, William Marton, —-

44. Remarks on ancestry. Give here any and all facts possible in reference
to your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, ect., not including in
the foregoing, as where they lived, office held, Revolutionary or other war
services; what country the family came from to America; where first settled,
county and state; always giving full names (if possible) and never referring
to an ancestor simply as such without giving the name. It is desirable to
include every fact possible and to that end the full and exact record from
old Bibles should be appended on separate sheets of this size, thus
preserving the facts from loss.

My grandfather Marton ____ came from Irland and him and one son were in the
War of 1812. My grandfather Shepard was dead before I was born so I know
very little about them but they were Virginian.