Tombstone Tuesday - Isaac and Elizabeth Wiseman

ISAAC WISEMAN

1738 - 1818

ELIZABETH WISEMAN

1738 - 1807

Buried at...

...The Old Rehobeth UMC, Keenan, Monroe, WV.

****Isaac and Elizabeth [Davis] Wiseman are my gr-gr-gr-grandparents.

Amanuensis Monday - John Bateman's Will

LAST WILL & TESTAMENT OF JOHN BATEMAN

Source: Chester County, Pennsylvania Courthouse

Written: January 8, 1765

Recorded: March 9, 1765


Will of John Bateman Vincent Township Chester County Pennsylvania

Proved 9 March 1765


In the Name of God Amen. The Eighth Day of January in the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty five

I John Bateman of Vincent Township Chester County in the province of

Pennsylvania, Yeoman, Being very Sick and weak in Body but of Perfect mind and memory, thanks be given to God therefore Calling to mind the mortality of my
Body and that it is appointed for all men once to Die, Do make and ordain this
my Last Will and Testament

That is to Say Principally and first of all, I give and Recommend my Soul into
the hands of God that gave it and for my Body I Recommend it to the Earth to be
decently Buried at the Discretion of my Executors; and as touching Such worldly
Estates wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life after paying all
my Lawfull Debts I Give, Devise, and Dispose of the Same in the following manner and form

First of all, I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Anne Bateman whom I make,
ordain, and constitute one of the executors of this my Last will and testament,
the one half of my Clear Estate after paying my Just Debts and the Legacies that
I Shall hereafter mention

also I give and bequeath to my Beloved Daughter Catherine married to David Evan the Sum of five Shillings to be paid in one years time from my Decease

also I give and bequeath to my Beloved Daughter Anne married to Elis Elis the
Sum of five Shillings to be paid in one years time from my Decease

also I give and bequeath to my Son in Law Andrew Geirce that was married to my
Daughter Susannah the Sum of five Shillings to be paid in one years time from my
Decease if he will Come and Demand it

also I give and bequeath to my Beloved Daughter Mary Married to John FitzSummons the Sum of five Shillings to be payd in one years time from my Decease

also I give and bequeath to my beloved Son Henry Bateman the Sum of ten
Shillings to be paid in one years time from my Decease

also I give and bequeath to my beloved Daughter Margaret married to James Evan the Sum of five Shillings to be paid in one years time from my Decease

also I give and bequeath to my beloved Daughter Martha married to Abraham Hammer the Sum of five Shillings to be paid as above

also I give and bequeath to my beloved Son John Bateman the Sum five Shillings
to be paid as above mentioned

also I give and Bequeath to my Beloved Daughter Sarah Bateman the Sum of five
Shillings to be paid as aforesaid

also I give and bequeath to my beloved Son William Bateman whom I make, ordain, and constitute the other Executor of this my Last will and Testament; the other Half of all my Clear Estate after paying my Just Debts, and the Legacies herein Mentioned

also I give and bequeath to my beloved Son Thomas Bateman the Sum of five poundsto be paid in two years Time from my Decease

also I give and bequeath to my beloved Daughter Hanah Bateman the Sum of three pounds, and a Cow, to be paid to her in three years time from my Decease

And I Do hereby utterly Disallow Revoke and Disannull all and every other former
Testaments, wills and Legacies, Requests and Executors by me in any way before
this time named willed and bequeathed; Notifying and Confirming this and no
other to be my Last will and Testament, in witness whereof I have hereunto Set
my hand and Seal the Day and year above written

Signed, Sealed, Published, pronounced his
and Declared by the Said John Bateman   
as his Last will and testament, in the 
presence of us the subscribers                          his
                                                                   John  X  Bateman
                                                                           mark
          his
John  X Phillips Sr
         mark

              his
Morris  X Evan                                   John Martin Sr
             mark


****John Bateman [1696 - 1765] was my gr-gr-gr-gr-gr-grandfather. [John Bateman -> Henry Bateman -> Elizabeth Bateman -> Rachel Wiseman -> William McHarvey Bean -> John M. Bean Sr. -> Walter Beane -> Me!]

Sentimental Sunday - Grandpa Dreher

Henry Dreher [1902 - 1977]

Grandpa was a restless one at night. He had extremely bad back pain, and suffered with migraines his entre life. He was often "up for the day" by 3:00a.m.

I remember waking up as he would come into the living room when we visited [my sister and I slept on a pallet or rollaway in there].

"Lay back down little one, it's still the middle of the night. I'm going to sit here and read my Bible while you sleep, and God and I will watch over you."

Grandpa was a real student of the Bible. He could argue theology with the very best, and most degreed of ministers and theologians. And he would sit and tell me Bible stories when I was little. As I got older he would ask me questions regarding theology, principals, and various religions.

I own Grandpa's Bible today. He read from a large family Bible. It always brings me delight to handle it.

And I read from my own Bible each day. Studying. Learning. 

Grandpa passed from this life in 1977. It was probably the hardest funeral I have ever had to attend. And I miss him dearly.

In November of 2003 I was ordained a non-denominational minister. And I felt strongly that on that day Grandpa was looking down on me. Him and God. Watching over me.

****Did you remember to set your clocks back one hour last night???

Sorting Saturday - All That Genealogical Dander

I tend it to call it dander for a reason. Every time I get into it, I begin to sneeze like crazy! [Allergies don't ya know.]
We all call it birth records, marriage records, death records, social security records, deeds, maps, census records, etc. The list goes on and on and on! Almost as big a stack of photographs fits right in with these things.

They fit into boxes we have stacked in our home office space, in our cupboards, in our closets, in our attics, and our basements.

It would be excellent to fit it all into binders. [I've been working on that one for ten years...I've got about 12 great big fat binders so full and heavy that it takes two hands to pull them from the bookcase where I keep them beside my desk.]

But I think I've found an even better way, thanks to the wonderful advice of so many other excellent genealogists, primary being Dick Eastman and his blog.

I'm going all digital!

Yep... I'm taking the plunge and I am scanning all of the documents and photos I have and will keep them on a separate external drive with my computer, as well as a backup drive.

Copies of anything will be shredded or used for handmade crafts. [There are so many more than I could ever mention!] Originals only will be kept. And depending upon what they are, I will decide on an appropriate storage for them. I know I have some documents that would be best kept in our family safe. [Doesn't everyone have one in their home?] Don't worry, due to a shortage of funds, no money has ever been kept in it... just our important papers [birth certificates, marriage certificate, deeds and car titles.]

And I also think I will keep my backup in the safe every month as well. It's fire and flood proof. A perfect safety measure.

Now... to get up off my duff and get started with it!

One box at a time. One file folder at a time. One binder at a time. Remember the tortoise and the hare?

Slow and steady wins the race!

How about you? How are you keeping those important measures of genealogical dander? Are they safe and secure? Or are they simply sitting there waiting for you to come up with the perfect solution for you?

****Be sure to set your clocks BACK one hour tonight!!!

Family Recipe Friday - My Birthday Cake

Okay... so maybe that tells you what today is...yep. The old Texicanwife is another year WISER!!! Ha ha, you thought I was going to say something else, didn't ya? Well, I am that as well. But once you reach my age... birthday gifts and My Favorite Chocolate Cake are always welcomed!!!

When I was a child growing up, Mama would ask me what kind of cake I wanted for my birthday. [She always wanted to buy me a bakery cake [and once or twice she did sneak one in]. I would always answer with the same kind of cake, year after year.

"Mayonnaise cake with coconut-pecan frosting!", I would reply. Always quite enthusiastically I might add!

Even today, the thought of Mama's mayonnaise cake sets me drooling! While I still have Mama with me, she is no longer able to cook. But the thought of that birthday cake... there was nothing any better! {Maybe I'll get out my Miracle Whip and cocoa and get to baking my own cake today!]

Mayonnaise Cake

2 Cup flour

2 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

4 Tablespoons Cocoa
1 cup sugar

1 cup salad dressing

1 cup water

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix dry ingredients, add salad dressing, water and vanilla. Mix well. Pour into greased and floured 9 by 13 inch pan or round cake pans. Bake for 35 minutes in 350 degree oven.

Allow to cool completely before frosting with your choice of frosting.

Lick, lick, lick... that's me licking the batter spoon!

Happy Birthday to me...

Happy Birthday to me...

Happy Birthday I've great cake...

Happy Birthday to me!

Those Places Thursday - Suresnes American Military Memorial and Cemetery

On October 2nd, 1918, Henry Edward DREHER, was on his way to serve his country in France. It was a sad time in our Nation's history. It was World War I.

Henry, along with several hundreds of other young men, was beng sent to France by ship. He was a Supply Sergeant in the US Army.

Shortly after the ship set sail, influenza broke out on board. It was ravaging throughout the country back on shore in America [an estimated 16-million people died because of the outbreak]. Henry Edward was one of the unfortunate ones who did not survive the voyage to France.

Somewhere in the voyage, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, Henry Edward Dreher, aged 28 years and 11 months, was wrapped in this country's flag, and given a burial at sea.

Back home, Henry Edward's mother was devestated over the loss o her son. And especially to some virus, as he had been so robust his entire life! The Dreher's were of hardy German stock and prided themselves in their health. This was so much harder to bear than anything else she'd ever faced in life. And she began to fall into a decline.

After the War,  in 1931,  President Herbert Hoover sent the mother's of the lost boys of the War to see where their sons were layed to rest. [Bodies were not usually sent back home at that time]. And so Henry Edward's mother became almost cheerful when told she would be making this trip. She was 66 years of age at the time, and had never travelled before. Much less travelled all alone. But she had been assured all would be taken care of, and there would only be other mother's tavelling with her, and she would find assistance among them should she need it.

Henry Edward's mother went by train to the port she would sail from on the SS President Roosevelt

This is the postcard Henry Edward's mother sent home. It is ilegible on the back.

Later she even sent home a letter to her husband... it was a single sheet of paper, folded into quarters, provided by the ship for the mother's.

Here is the unfolded paper, and here Henry's mother wrote her letter:

"on SS Presedent Roosefelt  ~ May 28

Dear children here I am almost in

mid ocean have seen 2 whales an

a school of flying fsh it sure is

wonderful, I am well and sure

enjoying myself hope you are

all well.                                     

Mother Dreher"

At the single fold, or folded in half the first time, we find...

...information regarding the Santa Barbara Mission and other well known tourist sites, in getting around to telling you that the famous American tranatlantic fleet can bring you to these ports of call and more,  on the left.

On the right, we find the ships menu. [Yum, yum!]

And when the paper is folded the final time we have...

...the front cover of the mailing to her husband and children in Indiana, and the back...

...tells a bit about the shipping line and hoping you will use their services during your next voyage!

[The odd thing, this country was in the midst of The Great Depression at this time. So this was indeed a luxury for these mother's, and an escape from the poverty known at home.]

When the ship came to the correct latitude and longitude marking the spot where Supply Sergeant Henry Edward Dreher was buried at sea, engines were cut, and a roll call of those buried at sea at this spot was read. Henry Edward's mother dropped a single red rose into the ocean, as a last farewell to her son.

In 1919, PreidentWoodrow Wilson dedicated the Suresnes American Military Memorial Cemetery, located just outside of Paris. It was here the mothers were brought in 1931.

The American Military Memorial and Cemetery, Suresnes, France

Much to her delight, Henry Edward's mother found that a cross stone marker had been placed and dedicated to the memory of her son. Between the stop over his burial coordinates, and the marker, Henry Edward's mother found closure. And began to heal a broken heart.

Josephine Sophie Benzel Dreher, died quietly on 12 December 1932, She was at peace.

Josephine Sophie Benzel Dreher [1865 - 1932]

In 1931 when Josie visited the cemetery, only the chapel was built, along with the tended gardens.

Today there are two loggias, one for the World War I deceased and another for the World War II.

A portal in the left wall of the chapel leads to the World War I loggia, a covered passage

with one side open to give a view of the graves area below and of Paris in the distance.

The opposite or rear side is paneled in limestone. One panel of this wall bears the

inscription:

TO THE ETERNAL MEMORY OF THOSE AMERICANS

WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY

DURING WORLD WAR I

***

INTO THY HANDS O LORD

Midway along the loggia, a relief portrays a group of soldiers carrying an empty bier.

Beneath the frieze is the inscription:

SOME THERE BE WHICH HAVE NO SEPULCHRE. THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR

EVERMORE.

An engraved list of other World War I military cemeteries in Europe completes the

texts appearing on the wall of this loggia.

Remembrance

At the end of the loggia, one enters the World War I memorial room and faces a pure

white statue entitled “Remembrance.” This graceful figure was created in Carrara marble

by the American sculptor John Gregory, of New York, New York. The walls and floors

of the memorial room are of Italian marbles of varying shades and give a rich subdued

effect to highlight the statue.

On one wall panel is inscribed the text:

THIS MEMORIAL HAS BEEN ERECTED BY

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

IN PROUD AND GRATEFUL MEMORY OF HER

SOLDIERS, SAILORS, AND MARINES

WHO FAR FROM THEIR HOMES

LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES THAT THE WORLD MIGHT

LIVE IN FREEDOM AND INHERIT PEACE

This place held a special spot in the heart of my great-grandmother, and as such, it continues to hold a special place in the hearts of her descendants. Even today.

American Military Memorial and Cemetery

Suresnes, France

Wordless Wednesday - Two of the Bean Sister's

Eleanor Beane Ward [1921 - 2007] and Audrey Beane Harriff [1912 - 2002]