Phend Family - Index to Posts

An Index Post is how I keep track of all of the blog posts that have been written on a family line. It helps keep me organized and allows visitors to easily find information on that family. This post will be updated as new blog posts are written on the family. Please contact me at kinexxions@gmail.com if you are researching this family or have additional information on them.

John Phend and Susanna Kübli, my 3rd Great-Grandparents, came from Switzerland to the United States in 1832. They settled in Carroll County, Ohio. John and Susanna had one son, Jacob, who was only three years when the family left Switzerland. John also had three children from his first marriage who came with them to this country.

• Johannes B'hend (John Phend) Immigrant Ancestor 1832 July 01, 2007
• Swiss Passport 3 April 1832 July 16, 2007 [The passport of Johannes B'Bhend, aka John Phend]
• Johannes Fendt 1782 Christening Record July 14, 2007 [John Phend]
• Phend Family Vital Records from Switzerland July 14, 2007
• The Phend Surname July 15, 2007 [examples of how the name was found in various records]
• Phend-Fisher Family History - part 1 September 09, 2007 [Written by Clarence Phend in 1928, it provided clues for researching the family.]
• Ancestral Map - Oh what fun it is to play! January 31, 2008 [using Google Maps to show the Phend and Wiseman ancestral homeland]
• Tombstone Tuesday :: William and maybe John and Susanna Phend July 7, 2009 [William is buried at Hepton Union Cemetery and it is likely that John and Susanna rest beside their grandson.]

Jacob Phend and Louisa Fisher are my Great-Great Grandparents. They were married in 1847 in Ohio, lived for a while in Greene County, Indiana near his half-sister Barbara Feutz. By 1860 Jacob and Louisa had moved to northern Indiana and settled near Nappanee in Elkhart County. They had seven children: John, Christian, Samuel, William, Jacob J., Sophia and Henry.

• Jacob and Louisa (Fisher) Phend September 26, 2007 [Biography]
• Jacob and Louisa (Fisher) Phend - part 2 [Biography, continued and listing of children]
• Tombstone Tuesday :: Jacob & Louisa Phend at Hepton December 30, 2008 [The church and cemetery at Hepton, Indiana]
• The first Saturday in August August 05, 2007 [Phend Reunion of 2007 and a brief history of the reunions.]
• Phend-Fisher Family Reunion Ledger Index [Index to a series of posts with transcriptions of the Reunion Ledger entries 1897-1943]
• Floats, Flutaphones and a Fantasy Parade February 01, 2008 ["tribute" to my Swiss ancestors]
• Upcoming Phend Family Reunions June 22, 2008 [Reunions in Columbia City and Colorado]
• Family Picnics and Reunions August 01, 2008
• Phend Reunion 2008 is now History August 03, 2008 [Phend family reunion]

Christian Phend

• In Memoriam - Marion Lamonte Yoder (1931-2007) May 28, 2007
• Christian Phend Family Photographs October 11, 2008 [pictures of Christian's family]
• Where's Waldo? (subtitled "Go ahead, Make My Day") October 09, 2008 [the quest to find Waldo Phend and his family]

Jacob J. Phend

• In Memoriam - Jacob J Phend (1920-2006) May 29, 2007 [grandson of Jacob the immigrant]

Henry Phend and Susie Yarian, my Great Grandparents

• Henry A. Phend - Part 1 of 3 February 18, 2007
• Henry A. Phend - Part 2 of 3 February 19, 2007
• Henry A. Phend - Part 3 of 3 February 20, 2007
• You never know what you will find! January 23, 2007 [Henry pulls a gun on the doctor!]
• Fires at Brubaker and Phend Homes January 22, 2008 [August 1914 Newspaper articles]
• 60th Wedding Anniversary of Henry & Susie Yarian Phend February 03, 2007 [1952 newspaper article]
• Henry Phend Celebrates 92nd Birthday August 13, 2008 [newspaper article]
• Memories of Henry & Susie February 21, 2007 [several grandchildren reminisce]
• Aunt Phyllis remembers Henry & Susie February 21, 2007
• Tombstone Tuesday :: Phend Family at South Park October 21, 2008 [gravesites of Henry, Susie, Richard, Virgil and Victor]
• Keith Eugene Phend 1922-1943 July 25, 2008 [photo and biography, son of Russell and Juanita Phend]
• These are The Faces of Genealogy June 6, 2011 [Henry and Susie with some of their great grandchildren in 1952.]

Rolland Victor Phend and Hazlette Brubaker, my Grandparents

• Two Fellows Home From Camp Taylor January 20, 2007 [1917 newspaper article]
• Vic Phend Writes From France January 20, 2007 [letter from 1918 published in The Post]
• Brubaker-Phend Marriage January 15, 2007 [1921 newspaper article]
• Grandma's Story March 08, 2007 [Biography & photos of Hazlette Brubaker Phend Dunn Ferguson]
• The Life of Hazlette Brubaker January 2011 [The introduction and links to a series of posts with transcriptions of the autobiography of my grandmother.]
• Grandpa Vic June 17, 2007 [Biography & photos of Rolland Victor Phend]
• Larwill Girl Married In North Webster Church - August 26, 2008 [marriage of my parents]
• Holiday Parties December 08, 2007 [Christmas with Grandpa and Grandma]
• Grandpa's Candy December 06, 2007 [Grandpa Vic made delicious candy!]
• Grandpa Vic and Some Grandkids June 18, 2007 [family photograph taken in August 1949]
• Tombstone Tuesday :: Phend Family at South Park October 21, 2008 [gravesites of Henry, Susie, Richard, Virgil and Victor]
• In Memoriam - Walter Eugene Mitchell (1921-2006) May 28, 2007 [husband of Phyllis Phend Mitchell]
• In Memoriam - Michael Eugene Mitchell (1944-2007) May 28, 2007 [son of Phyllis and Walt]
• In Memoriam - Teresa Wiseman Plybon (1954-2007) May 28, 2007 [daughter of Virginia Phend Wiseman]
• Happy Birthday Uncle Bill May 05, 2008 [several memorable pictures of Uncle Bill]
• Happy 80th Birthday, Mom! May 9, 2008 [Photo tribute to Mom on her 80th birthday.]
• Today was Grandpa's Birthday June 19, 2008 [one of the few pictures of me with grandpa]
• She Won't be Forgot... - - December 14, 2010 [Memorial to my Aunt, Phyllis Phend Mitchell who passed away on December 7, 2010.]
• Grandma's New House :: 1950 - - January 19, 2011 [Photos and documents received from my aunt which document the house in Auburn that my grandmother had built.]
• Good News... Bad News - - December 31, 2010 [Mom diagnosed with cancer.]
• Update on Mom - - January 7, 2011 [Visits to Doctors]
• Update on Mom - - February 5, 2011 [Mom admitted to the hospital]
• Update on Mom :: May she Rest in Peace - - February 15, 2011 [My Mother passed away]
• Mr. and Mrs. Jack Wiseman - - May 9, 2011 [Marriage of my parents – documents found in Mom's papers after her death.]
• Mom :: Before she was Mom - - May 9, 2011 [Photos of Mom as a youngster and young adult, in honor of her birthday.]

Originally Posted on March 3, 2008 :: Last Updated on July 4, 2011

Post date adjusted December 29, 2012 so that when a search for the surname is done on the blog this post will appear first the search list.

Veterans in the Family

Grandpa - Rolland Victor Phend - WWI

1917-1919
saw duty in France, was gassed

photo taken in June 1983

Dad - Jack William Wiseman - WWII

1943 - 1946
saw duty in the Pacific arena with the 511th

Brother - Charles Douglas Wiseman

1964-1968
Hospital Corpsman, served with the Marines at Camp Lejeune

Brother - Jack Lynn Wiseman

1969-1973
Hospital Corpsman, served with the Marines in San Diego

me - Becky Wiseman

1969-1979
Photographers Mate, numerous duty stations

You can read more about the military service of ancestors and others in my family in this post from 2007.

Published under a Creative Commons License.
Becky Wiseman, "Veterans in the Family," Kinexxions, posted November 11, 2012 (http://kinexxions.blogspot.com/2012/11/veterans-in-family.html : accessed [access date])

These are The Faces of Genealogy

Henry and Susie Phend with their great grandchildren on the celebration of their 60th wedding anniversary, September 2, 1952. That's me on the left side, sitting on the ground. My brothers, Doug and Jack, are between me and Susie. Doug was 5, I was 4, and Jack was 3 years old. The other kids are first and second cousins. They are just part of the reason I “got into” genealogy.

I'm a little behind in my blog reading... and saw this post late yesterday afternoon, which explains why I'm posting this photograph, which is one of my favorites.

Due to the amazing response of the genealogy-blogging community, the offensive photo was removed from the online article.

Mr. and Mrs. Jack Wiseman

Virginia Rose “Ginny” Phend graduated from High School on April 26, 1946. Less than two weeks later, on May 9th, which also happened to be her 18th birthday, she would be married to Jack William Wiseman. They had been introduced to each other by one of her former boyfriends after Jack had been discharged from the Army in January 1946. As a side note, that former boyfriend (Robert “Bob” Reiff) had married Virginia's sister Patricia in June 1945. It had been a mutual parting of the ways for Ginny and Bob with no hard feelings and was a source of amusement for many of us over the years.

Ginny and Jack, all dressed up for the Senior Prom.

Larwill High School Diploma for Virginia R. Phend

The marriage license was obtained from the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Whitley County, Indiana. Dated May 9, 1946 it was issued by Charles H. White.

The Marriage Certificate was signed by Rev. J. A. Leatherman.

Larwill Girl Married In North Webster Church

Miss Virginia Phend, daughter of Victor Phend of Larwill and Mrs. Harold Dunn of Auburn, became the bride of Jack Wiseman of Warsaw, at 6:30 o'clock Thursday evening at the altar of the Methodist church in North Webster, the Rev. L. E. Leatherman officiating.

Mr. and Mrs. Walter Mitchell of Columbia City, brother-in-law and sister of the bride, attended the couple. Mrs. Leatherman, wife of the officiating minister, presided at the organ, playing a medley of wedding music during the single ring ceremony.

The bride chose for her wedding a frock of aqua colored linen with which she wore white accessories and a corsage of yellow roses. Mrs. Mitchell wore a beige colored frock with black accessories. Pink roses formed her corsage. The groom and his groomsman wore white carnation boutonnieres.

The bride is a 1946 graduate of Larwill high school. The groom was recently discharged from military service after extended service in the Pacific Theatre of Operations. He is now attending a Tool and Die Makers school in Warsaw.

Mr. and Mrs. Wiseman are at home with the bride's father in Larwill.

[Unidentified newspaper article included with the license and certificate.]

All of the marriage items were found inside this little booklet. The license and certificate are attached to the inside covers and would be damaged if removed so there they will remain. Several years ago I found the newspaper article in the microfilm copy at the Peabody Public Library in Columbia City, Indiana. It was in the Saturday, May 11, 1946 edition of the Columbia City Post. It's nice to have the original article.

My parents were divorced in 1964 after 18 years of marriage. I was very surprised to find these items amongst Mom's things. She never said anything about having them, but then I guess I had never asked. I just assumed she had destroyed or disposed of them after the divorce. Just goes to show – don't make assumptions!

Mom :: Before she was Mom

My Mother would have been 83 years old today. I thought that I had seen all of the pictures of her through the years, but amongst her things we found the picture below. I don't know whether it is her or not but it was in the same drawer as her marriage license and certificate.

Whoever it is, she is a cutie! Below are some (okay, a lot of) confirmed photos of Mom. What do you think? Is the above photo my Mother? As always, double-click to view a larger version of the photos.

    

1928 and 1934

     

1936 and 1937

    

1941 and 1942

    

1943 – fifteen years old – yes, 15!

    

1944 – sixteen years old

    

1945 (Junior Prom) and 1946

In May 2008, for her 80th birthday, I posted some photos of her in her later years.

Please, Do Your Family a Favor...

My Mother passed away last week (Tuesday, February 15th) and due to her foresight and thoughtfulness, the days following her death were somewhat less stressful than they might have been.

You see, back in January of 1999 Mom planned her own funeral, decided where she was going to be buried, selected the grave marker – and paid for it all!

She purchased the cemetery plot and grave marker outright and got an “insurance policy” to pay for the funeral services. Premiums were paid for three years and guaranteed the cost. She also discussed those arrangements with me, so I knew what she wanted.

She had selected only one song for the service so we chose several more that we knew she liked. The only things that were left to decide and pay for were the flowers for the casket, the funeral cards, thank you notes, and the obituary notices.

The other thing that Mom did that made our decision for us when the time came, was that she discussed her wishes in regards to “heroic measures” or life support in the event that she became terminally ill. It was a heart-wrenching decision that was by no means easy, but essentially one that she had made and we were bound to honor that decision.

Last November, Apple wrote about the process she went through in pre-planning her Mother's funeral as well as selecting a burial site and grave marker. Tough decisions were made and it was stressful, but imagine having to make those decisions in a very short period of time and under even more stressful conditions.

It is definitely not an easy task, but one which your family will forever be grateful. So, if you can, get your funeral planned. At the very least, discuss your wishes with your family. And, if at all possible get it paid for. Now.

Thank you, Mom, for this gift that you gave us.

Mom was cremated and the cremains were buried in the plot shared with her sister at Lakeview Cemetery, Larwill, Indiana. Mom selected a bench marker so that we might have a place to sit when visiting her.

Update on Mom :: May she Rest in Peace

Virginia Rose Phend Wiseman
May 9, 1928 - February 15, 2011
Rest in Peace, Mom. I Love You!

It was 11 days ago that Mom was admitted to the hospital as a result of radiation and chemo treatment for rectal cancer. She passed away at 8:45 this morning at Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The cancer was not the direct cause of her death - an infection of the colon that antibiotics failed to control along with pneumonia and anemia were the major contributors.

With her consent, she was placed in Hospice care on Wednesday afternoon but due to the strength and wellness of her vital organs (her heart, liver, lungs and kidneys were in excellent condition) death did not come easily for her. She was not in a great deal of pain due to the medication she was given. She wanted just enough medication to ease the pain but not enough to dull her mind so the doctors complied with her wishes. She knew every friend and family member who came to visit and communicated with them even though she sometimes was too weak to talk. There were moments of anguish that were extremely difficult to watch as she said goodbye to each one of them. Though fewer, there were also moments of of joy and laughter.

Mom knew exactly what was happening all of the time up until about 8 pm last night when she suddenly became completely unresponsive. It was a relief for us when she finally passed to the other side knowing that she was in a better place and no longer suffering. She will be missed but her memory will live forever in our hearts.

Her death following so soon after the death of her sister Phyllis (just nine weeks ago) makes this an even more trying time for us and extended family members. It is so hard to believe that they are both gone...

Link to her Obituary (added February 16, 2011)

Update on Mom

It has been nearly a month since I last wrote about my Mother and her battle with rectal cancer. And I have been chastised by several people for not doing so but I didn't want it to seem like I was soliciting sympathy. So I humbly apologize to the family and friends who were expecting more frequent updates to be posted here.

Mom has been a real trooper through it all, handling it quite well physically and emotionally. The only thing she hasn't cooperated with is eating and drinking fluids. We had been warned that during the third week of treatment (she is getting both radiation and chemotherapy) that the side-effects would start showing up – and they did, with a vengeance.

Imagine if you will, having an extreme case of diarrhea lasting for a week or more. You can imagine how that would feel if you've experienced even one day of that crap (pun intended). On top of that (or rather beneath it) you've gotten a very severe sunburn where the skin has peeled off several layers and exposed raw flesh. The combination of the two is indescribable.

Then her blood count dropped. She had been holding at a level that was low but it hadn't dropped significantly until a few days ago. Low blood counts cause weakness. On Wednesday, she was at the point where she could help us very little with getting her in and out of bed and she couldn't stand on her own. The treatment center was closed Wednesday due to the nasty weather so she missed that session.

Thursday morning she fell trying to get out of bed on her own. She has two black eyes and probably has a broken nose. She looks awful. Even worse now than yesterday morning. If it wasn't so sad it would be funny.

We weren't due for blood tests or to see the doctor until Friday but I called and we went in Thursday afternoon. Her blood count had dropped significantly since the previous Friday so she was scheduled for a transfusion Friday after her radiation treatment.

I had a terrible time getting her up and dressed yesterday (Friday). She was no help whatsoever, it was like all of her strength had simply melted away. She was literally dead weight. Somehow we managed and I got her to the treatment center. Once the doctor saw her it was decided to admit her to the hospital.

When my niece and I left the hospital last night at 11:30 pm they still had not started the blood transfusion. It was expected to be started within a few hours. They did get a saline solution started to get fluids into her. She is extremely weak from the diarrhea and low blood count. Getting some new blood into her as well as fluids should make a big difference.

She hasn't lost her sense of humor: When the nurse asked her what they could do to make her feel better she simply said, “let me get some sleep!” It seemed like as soon she would drift off to sleep someone came in to prod or poke her to get blood or something... that's the nature of hospitals though.

And now, I'm off to spend the day at the hospital.

Prayers gratefully accepted.

The Berlin Family :: John D. and Susannah

Born on December 8th, 1792 near Abbottstown in York (now Adams) County, Pennsylvania, John D. Berlin was the eldest of nine children of John Frederick Berlin whose wife was reportedly Juliana Dietzler.

A record in the “Orphan's Court” of Adams County, Pennsylvania dated August 25, 1845 shows that John Sheffer, as heir at law of Frederick Berline in right of his wife Loretta, petitioned the court stating that “Frederick Berline died intestate September 18, 1843 leaving issue eight children, to wit: John, Henry, George, Loretta (wife of petitioner), Eli, Joel, Polly and Frederick. All over the age of twenty-one.”

Census records suggest that John D. Berlin may have resided with his father through 1810 in Adams County, Pennsylvania. I have not located John in the 1820 census where he would have been 28 years old and single.

It is not known when John D. Berlin settled in Columbiana County, Ohio but on February 16th, 1826 he was married to Susannah Huffman in that county. They resided near Washingtonville which lies on the line delineating the counties of Columbiana and Mahoning.

Susannah Huffman (or Hoffman) was born March 9, 1804 in Columbiana County, Ohio. She was the second of eleven children of John and Catherine (Coy) Hoffman. There arises some confusion in several published biographies of Coy family members. It seems that Susannah's aunt, Elizabeth Coy, also married a man by the name of John Berlin! Those biographies state that Elizabeth and John Berlin resided in Nappanee, Indiana. Not true. Elizabeth Coy did marry John Berlin but they lived in Ohio. That John Berlin was born January 8, 1777 and was probably the son of John Nicholas Berlin (brother of John D. Berlin's grandfather) which would make John and John D. first cousins once removed. A record on Find A Grave shows that that John Berlin lived to be 101 years old. He is buried in Stark County, Ohio while his wife Elizabeth is buried in Summit County.

I have never seen a record that indicates what the “D” stands for in John D. Berlin's name but suspect that it was used primarily to distinguish him from that other John Berlin. Columbiana, Mahoning, Portage, Stark and Summit counties are all in the northeast corner of Ohio, which is where both of them lived at various times. His mother's maiden name is reported to be Dietzler, so perhaps he used the “D” in her honor.

On May 26, 1827 Solomon Berlin, the first child of John D. and Susannah, was born. They remained in Columbiana County, near Washingtonville, for the next 19 years and had eight more children: Catherine, 1830; Lydia, 1832; Josiah, 1834; Jacob, 1836; Mary, 1838; Sarah, 1840; Elizabeth, 1843; and Lovina, 1845.

In 1846 John D. Berlin moved with his family to the Rootstown area in Portage County, Ohio where they lived for 18 years. Their youngest son, Joseph Milton was born there in 1848. He was killed in the spring of 1856 in a wagon accident, at the age of seven years.

As with the majority of my ancestors, John D. Berlin was a farmer. As a result, there doesn't seem to be a lot of records on him. I've found him in land records and census records: In 1830 and 1840 in Columbiana County, Ohio as John Barlein and Jno. D. Berlin, respectively. In 1850 in Rootstown, Portage County, Ohio he is enumerated as John Elsworth! He and his family were listed on the lines immediately after Dolly Elsworth. The names and ages of the children match his family completely so there is no doubt that it is the family of John D. Berlin. In 1860 he was enumerated as J. D. Berlin and was still in Rootstown. At that time only the four youngest daughters were still living at home.

Solomon Berlin, the oldest child of John D. and Susan, married Fianna Slabaugh in 1851 and shortly thereafter moved to Locke Township, Elkhart County, Indiana. Catherine Berlin, the next oldest child, was married about 1854 to Frederick Daniel Richmond. They lived in Iowa for several years (where their first two children were born) before settling in Elkhart County about 1858. Jacob Berlin, fifth child of John D. and Susan, was living with his brother Solomon in Elkhart County in 1860.

Susannah's sister, Elizabeth Coy, had married Jacob Stauffer and they had moved with their family to Elkhart County in 1852. John D's sister, Loretta (full name Clarissa Loretta) and her husband, John Shafer, and their daughter and son-in-law, Anna and Isaac Rodibush (or Raudenbush) moved to Elkhart County, Indiana prior to 1860 where they are enumerated in Union township.

With family (and undoubtedly some friends too) already living in Elkhart County, Indiana it was not surprising to learn that John D. and Susan moved there also. Family letters show that John D. and Susan left Portage County, Ohio just a few days after the marriage of their daughter Sarah to George W. Greene (they were married on August 28, 1864). Traveling with John D. and Susan were their daughters Elizabeth (aka Lizzie) and Lovina, and their son Josiah along with his wife and two sons. Three daughters of John D. and Susan remained in Portage County – Sarah, Lydia and Mary Ann. Lydia had married Myron Collins in November 1858 and Mary Ann was still single.

John D. Berlin and Susan were found in the 1870 census in Locke Township, Elkhart County. Residing with them were his brother Frederic (a blind potter, age 60) and his sister Polly (age 58). By then the two youngest daughters had married: Elizabeth to Samuel Coppes in 1867 and Lovina to Eli Yarian in 1866. Lydia, Mary Ann, and Sarah were all still living in Portage County, Ohio.

Lydia's husband, Myron Collins, had died of disease in a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee in April 1865. Nine years later (September 1874) she would marry Henry Woodruff and move to LaCygne, Linn County, Kansas. Henry died in 1898. Shortly thereafter, Lydia went to live in Elkhart County, Indiana.

Toward the end of 1866 Mary Ann Berlin also moved to Indiana. She was living in Elkhart County in 1875 when she married Lewis B. Winder.

Thus it was that Sarah (Berlin) Greene was the only member of the family who remained in Portage County, Ohio. She would live in the Ravenna area the rest of her life, giving birth to seven children, five of whom would live to adulthood. One of her children, Harry B. Greene, would move to Nappanee, Elkhart County, Indiana prior to 1900.

On November 11, 1879, John D. Berlin passed away at the home of his daughter Mary Winder in Locke, Elkhart County, Indiana. His wife Susan died five months later, on April 22, 1880 also at Mary's home. They are both buried in the Primitive Baptist Cemetery in Locke Township, Elkhart County, Indiana.

The family of John D. and Susannah (Hoffman) Berlin

front row: Elizabeth, John D., Susannah, Lydia , Solomon

back row: Mary, Sarah, Lovina, Josiah, Catherine

A copy of the above photograph was received in the late 1990s from a descendant of Solomon Berlin. It is not known who now has the original or whether there were any markings on it to indicate where or when it was taken. I'm guessing that it was taken between 1862 and 1868. The son Jacob is not included – he was killed on April 7, 1862 (the second day of fighting during the Battle of Shiloh) – and Josiah died in March 1869.

John D. and Susannah (Hoffman) Berlin are my 3rd great grandparents. Their daughter, Lovina, married Eli Yarian and their daughter Susie Yarian would marry Henry Phend. They were the parents of Rolland Victor Phend who would marry Hazlette Brubaker. And they would become the parents of Virginia (Phend) Wiseman, my mother...

Additional information on The Berlin Family:

• Bible Records
• Introduction to The Letters
• The Cast of Characters
• List of The Letters

Grandma's New House :: 1950

In The Life of Hazlette Brubaker :: Part 14 my Grandmother stated that she “went to work for a Chevrolet & Buick dealership in Auburn as head bookkeeper. At last I was earning a decent salary and had a new home built...”

I don't know the address of the house but it was out in the country near Auburn in Dekalb County, Indiana. I've asked my aunts and my mother if they knew the address but they don't remember.

This week my cousin gave me some things from her mother Phyllis (Phend) Mitchell. Among the photographs and miscellaneous papers was an envelope marked “Detailed cost of Mother's house she built in Auburn in 1950.” There was also a photograph of the house...

The house that Grandma (Hazlette Brubaker Phend Dunn) had built in 1950.

Building Supplies and Plumbing.

Plaster and Electricity.

Flooring and Cost of House ($5,250.86)

The thing I remember most about the house was the front step, with the upright brick edging. Many family photos were taken on those steps...

1951 – Me and my brothers.

1955 – Grandma with her grandchildren.

That's me, reaching toward my sister, probably to pull her thumb out of her mouth!

Meeting the Grands...

Donna Pointkouski has an interesting post, Meeting Great-Grandma, in which she discusses longevity and over-lapping generations. Her post prompted me to take a look at my database. Even though I knew some of my “grands” had lived long lives, I was surprised at how many were alive during my lifetime.

My Dad knew 3 of his 4 grandparents but all of his great-grandparents were long gone before he was born.

Mom was in her late teens when her grandfather, Charles Brubaker, passed away though she says she never met him (he moved to Mississippi before she was born). She was in her mid to late 20s when the other three grandparents died and she knew each one of them. She met two of her great-grandmothers and one great-grandfather but would have only been 4-8 years old when they died. However, she says she remembers them.

Although one of my great-grandfathers and all four of my great-grandmothers were living when I was born, I don't personally have any memory of any of them. I would have been between the age of two and ten when they died. They all lived within 15 miles of where we lived.

Dad's mother's mother (i.e., my Great-Grandmother) Nancy Jane (Lavering) Shuder died January 2, 1954. I was not quite six years old when she passed away at the age of 99.

His father's mother, Amanda (Alexander) Wiseman was also still living when I was born. I was two years old when she died June 2, 1950 at the age of 89.

Mom's mother's mother, Maude (Wise) Brubaker died February 14, 1953, aged 75; I was almost 5 years old. Maude is in the middle, her granddaughter Phyllis (Phend) Mitchell is on the left and her daughter, Hazlette (Brubaker) Phend is on the right.

Mom's father's mother, Susie (Yarian) Phend died April 29, 1956 at age 84; I was 8 years old.

Of my great-grandfathers, only Mom's father's father, Henry A. Phend was still living when I was born. He passed away July 10, 1958 at the age of 92; I was 10 years old.

Henry and Susie (Yarian) Phend with their great-grandchildren at their 60th Wedding Anniversary Celebration in September 1952. I'm sitting on the ground on the left side of the picture.

Update on Mom...

This past week has been filled with almost-daily trips to Fort Wayne (and, no, not to the Library). Meetings with several doctors, getting tests done, and setting up a treatment schedule for Mom. My head is spinning, too much information to absorb....

The first doctor we met with was the radiologist on Monday (Dr. Rad). He was very nice and explained things quite well. Best of all, he talked TO Mom and listened to what she had to say. We've had several doctors in the past that act like she's not even in the room when discussing various things. Anyway, we all like him - all being Mom, my niece, my brother, and myself.

Dr. Rad did not "agree" with Previous Doctor's suggestion for treatment. Previous Doctor was the one who found the tumor and diagnosed it as cancer. His suggestion was to treat the tumor with radiation only and "make her comfortable" suggesting that the cancer was not curable. Dr. Rad, on the other hand, doesn't believe in half-hearted treatment. Instead, he "goes for the cure" which includes radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery...

After an extended discussion with Dr. Rad, which Mom seemed to fully understand (she sometimes has memory/comprehension issues – but then, so do I), the choices were to go with "radiation only" at another facility and with Another Doctor since Dr. Rad "doesn't do that" or to go with Dr. Rad for the cure. We were all quite surprised when Mom said that she wanted to go for the cure! Quite a change from 3 1/2 years ago when she wouldn't do either radiation or chemo for the breast cancer!

Mom is taking it all in stride and, at least on the surface, seems to be handling everything quite well. She seems to have an optimistic outlook (somewhat surprising to us given her negative-thinking tendencies) and is trying to follow the recommendations of the doctors as far as eating more/better (she has lost about 20 pounds in the last six months) and drinking more fluids (the treatment could cause dehydration). We even got her started on Carnation Instant Breakfast, which is what was recommended as a supplement, and she actually likes it!

On Wednesday we had a meeting with the chemotherapy doctor, Dr. Chemo. She too was very thorough in her explanations of the two types of chemo treatment available – an oral pill and IV/infusion pump. Dr. Chemo patiently answered all of our questions. She also talked directly to Mom and we all liked her as well. I think it is extremely important to like your doctors and those who are treating you!

Yesterday they did a P.E.T. Scan to see if there were any other "hot" spots. Today we returned to see Dr. Rad for the results and to set up the treatment schedule. The P.E.T. Scan did not show any other abnormalities though apparently some lymph nodes have been affected. However, they are in the pelvic region and will be able to be treated along with the tumor. If there is such a thing as “good news” associated with the cancer, I guess it is that it hasn't spread outside the rectum, other than some of those lymph nodes.

Insurance won't cover the oral chemo-medication, which would have been easier to administer, so the chemo will be via an IV/Port infusion pump. As you can probably guess, both have pros and cons with various and different so-called "minor" side affects. We've been told that she won't lose her hair but that there may be some nausea.

Anyway, treatment starts Monday afternoon (January 10th). Chemo will be given in conjunction with the radiation and will be five days a week for 5 1/2 weeks (a total of 28 treatments). A technician will come to the apartment on Saturdays to disconnect the chemo pump then on Mondays we see the Chemo Doc to resume the chemo treatment for the next five days. Radiation will be done daily at the treatment center in Fort Wayne. After the first session, it will only take 15-20 minutes for each treatment - it takes us longer than that to get there!

After the chemo/radiation treatment they will wait 5-6 weeks then there will surgery to remove the affected area of the colon and rectum. Depending upon how well the treatment worked and the damage done by the radiation she may or may not end up with a colostomy bag.

About six weeks after surgery more tests will be done to determine if additional chemotherapy is required. If so, that could last for up to six additional months.

We're just going to take it a day at a time and hope that she does not have any serious side-effects from the radiation and chemo.

Good News... Bad News...

I've been putting off writing this post for the past few days... writing it down is somehow different than just talking about it... writing about it makes it more real.

Bad News...The results from the biopsy a week ago Wednesday (12/22) shows that Mom has rectal cancer. According to the doctor, the tumor is a “large” one so she's had it for a while. The symptoms she had were diagnosed as something somewhat minor (hemorrhoids) so it was a bit of a shock when the doctor told us last week that he was sure it was a cancerous tumor. The biopsy has confirmed that diagnosis.

Good News... Mom had a CT Scan this past Monday (12/27) and the results came in on Tuesday along with the news of the biopsy. The cancer appears to be “localized” to the tumor. It has not spread to her liver. In fact, the doctor was “surprised” to see that her liver was in such good condition. She's had other tests in the past year that, considering the fact that she is 82 years old, show her heart and kidneys are also in good shape.

The cancer is by no means an immediate death sentence. Mom is borderline diabetic, has memory issues (diagnosed as dementia), and is very weak (uses a walker). She has had frequent episodes of falling in the past year but, thankfully, has not had any serious injuries from the falls and it has been over a month since the last fall. Various tests have found no cause but I suspect a sudden drop in blood pressure to be the culprit.

The Treatment... She goes in on Monday (01/03) for a consultation with a radiologist in Fort Wayne. The doctor said she would have radiation treatment five days a week for six weeks. Radiation is not a cure. His goal is to shrink the tumor to relieve the pain and bleeding and make her more comfortable. At this point we don't know what “stage” the cancer is in. We might know more about that after Monday. There is a possibility of surgery after the radiation but the doctor doesn't want to do it unless it is absolutely necessary. It would mean removal of part of the colon and the rectum and she would then have to have a colostomy bag.

My plans? To stick around as long as I'm needed or wanted. Family dynamics being a slippery slope, I don't want to step on any toes or make things any more difficult than they already are. As for my plans, the bad news is that I'll miss attending the RootsTech Conference in Salt Lake City in February but the good news is I now have some time to review my genealogy database and perhaps even do some local research!

In the past few days my blogs have gotten a little bit of a facelift. Long overdue but rather minor changes. I've pretty much ignored Whitley County Kinexxions over the past two years and that isn't going to change any time soon, but it is still out there and occasionally gets some visitors. The data files on my soon-to-be-defunct website have been transferred to the Genealogical Society of Whitley County website. After nearly eight years, my website has outlived it's usefulness and will drop out of cyberspace the first week of March 2011.

My thanks and appreciation go out to each and every one of you who have commented and provided moral support with your thoughts and prayers these last two weeks. Thank You.

I'm going to steal a wonderful quote for the New Year from Bill West who got it from Cheryle Hoover Davis:

"May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself." - Neil Gaiman

May you – my readers – have a safe, healthy and happy New Year and may 2011 be a Great Year!

It's Not Over...

I was so looking forward to spending the rest of the year on the beaches of Padre Island in South Texas, soaking up the nice, warm sunshine! And traveling further west again to explore places that I missed the last time through... but sometimes, life throws you a curve ball, and "plans" change.

The Journey has made a U-turn and is on Indefinite Hold. After several very nice days in the Texarkana, Texas area (one day was in the mid-70s!!), I'm back in Indiana.

I'm fine – it's my Mother – she has some medical problems that are far more serious than we were originally told. She goes to the doctor on Wednesday for a scope to determine the size of a tumor in her colon and to take samples to send off to see if it is cancer. We probably won't know anything definite until after Christmas. Once we know what it is we will know what course of action needs to be taken. And we'll do what needs to be done. And hope and pray for a positive outcome.

In the meantime, I'll have the wonderful memories of the many fantastic places I've been these past 15 months and the dreams of the places yet to be seen... It's Not Over!

Big Lagoon State Park, Pensacola, Florida

November 18, 2010

She Won't be Forgot...

A week ago today (December 7, 2010) my Aunt Phyllis passed away at her home in Columbia City, Indiana at the age of 88. Due to my own negligence (not checking voice mail for two days – shame on me!) I didn't find out about it until Wednesday night. On Thursday morning I left the nice warm home of my friend in northeast Louisiana and headed to the frigid north. After 900 miles, seven states, two time zones, crossing the Mississppi River three times, and 25 hours later, I arrived home safely Friday morning. Visitation was Friday afternoon and the service was Saturday morning.

But I wasn't the only one to drive a long distance to pay my respects to Aunt Phyllis – her sister, my Aunt Shirley drove from Maryland and my older brother Doug came down from Minneapolis. As her daughter Kathy said, it was a testament to how much Phyllis was loved that we would drive so far to be able to be in her presence one last time. [Update 2:30 pm - I had a memory lapse... Phyllis' grandson Jameson Mitchell and his mother Emmy flew in from California to attend the services.]

It was nice to see many of my cousins and their children, some whom I hadn't seen in many years, and their grandchildren, some whom I had never seen. Though it was sad that death is what brought us together there was joy and happiness in sharing stories and memories of Aunt Phyllis and honoring her long life, one well lived.

One word was spoken over and over during those two days that describes Aunt Phyllis – Special. And that she was. Not only was she so very special, Aunt Phyllis had the ability to make you feel special. She didn't condemn. She didn't judge. She listened. And she talked, and boy, was she a talker! She never spoke badly about anyone. Never an unkind word to or about anyone. She was kind, gentle and loving, and one of the nicest people I have ever known. She was Special.

Aunt Phyllis sometimes did silly or “stupid” things. But she was able to laugh at herself. One of my favorite stories about her involves a little night light that wasn't!

Phyllis and Walt lived in Columbia City in an old two-story house that was difficult to keep warm in the winter. During one particularly cold winter in the 1960s they purchased an electric blanket. It was their first one and she was quite pleased with it. One day while showing it to her brother Bill, after raving about how well it was keeping them warm and comfortable at night, she commented that they didn't need the night light that was on the control so she always turned it off. When Bill pointed out that the “night light” was actually a light to indicate that the blanket was turned on she laughed about it and got through the embarrassment and the story has been told over and over through the years.

Phyllis Elizabeth Phend was born in Columbia City, Indiana on September 29, 1922 and was the first child of Rolland Victor and Hazlette (Brubaker) Phend. She lived most of her life in Whitley County, graduating from Larwill High School with the Class of 1940. Phyllis married Walter Eugene Mitchell on December 6, 1942 (the day before the bombing of Pearl Harbor). She passed away on December 7, 2010 (the day after what would have been their 68th wedding anniversary).

Phyllis and Walt opened “Mitchell's Bait and Tackle” store in their home in Columbia City in 1946. They kept it going for 23 years closing it down in 1969. Walt was also a collector of post cards and old bottles, while Phyllis loved collecting buttons and old dolls. For many years they attended shows and auctions buying and selling their stuff. And since Aunt Phyllis “never knew a stranger” they always had a good time while doing it. She enjoyed it immensely.

Phyllis was the mother of five children: Kathy, Mike, Patrick (died in an accident in 1948 at the age of two), Jim and Kevin. She had 8 grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren, 4 step-great-grandchildren and was expecting 1 great-great-grandchild due in March of 2011. She was a “second Mom” to many of the kids in the neighborhood.

Mike, Kathy, Walt, Phyllis, Kevin, Jim
I think this was taken at their 50th wedding anniversary in December 1992.

March 2008. The siblings.

Patricia, William, Shirley, Virginia, and Phyllis (seated).

Why Wye?

As I was getting ready to leave Springfield Wednesday morning (September 9th) I discussed my travel plans with my hosts. My intention at that time was to head north to Lawrence, Kansas to see what I could find on Samuel Fisher, the brother of my 2nd Great Grandmother, Louisa Fisher Phend.

However, I made a stop to purchase a few things before leaving and “something” jogged my memory – a small town in Arkansas was calling my name.

In 1985, I corresponded with Arba Phend Showalter, a daughter of Marion Ora Phend and granddaughter of Christian Phend. Her uncle, Clarence D. Phend was the fellow who wrote the early version of the history of the Phend Family.

Though undocumented and rife with errors, his version of the family history nevertheless provided invaluable information and clues for further research. I will forever be grateful to Clarence for putting it all in writing and to Arba for sending me a copy of it!

Clarence was first married on May 18, 1901 in Elkhart County, Indiana to Myrtle Clyde. It is not known whether Myrtle was deceased or if they were divorced, but, according to Arba, Clarence was married a second time to Lora West on September 22, 1908.

I haven't found Clarence in the 1910 Federal Census but in 1920 he was a 43 year old preacher living in River Town, Mayes County, Oklahoma along with his wife, Lora. She was also 43 years old and a school teacher. In the 1930 census, Clarence and Lora were found in Wye, Perry County, Arkansas. His occupation was given as farmer and she was a public school teacher. In both 1920 and 1930, he was listed as having been born in Indiana and she in Missouri.

It seems that Clarence may have been an itinerant preacher for a time. In an article found online in 2001 (the url is no longer valid) about the Branson, Missouri Presbyterian Church by Townsend Godsey in the White River Valley Historical Quarterly (v 9, Winter 1987) there was this brief sentence “... Revivalists, identified by the Branson Echo as Reverends Ross and Phend, began asking for subscriptions to build a church...”

Of her uncle Clarence, Arba wrote “My information is that his second wife's name was Lola Gray. I wrote to Alice Selby, pastor of the Wye and Bigelow, Arkansas United Methodist church in 1981. She wrote that the church records show that Clarence and Lora Gray Phend became members of the Wye United Brethren Church on August 22, 1943. Lora taught school in the community and Clarence did some preaching. I quote 'They lived in a little cabin about 6 miles south of Bigelow, Arkansas on Highway 113' and 'Lora was raised in Graysville, Missouri and I know that in early days, Rev. Phend was the pastor of a U. B. Church in northern Missouri which may be where he met Lora.' Clarence died on either the 11th or 22nd of March 1945. Lora died November 30, 1951 and both are buried in the Wye, Arkansas cemetery. My mother's information is that Clarence died on the 11th of March 1945 but Alice Selby writes it was March 22nd 1943 which can't be right.”

So it was to find Clarence's burial place that I headed south from Springfield instead of going north. Though I knew “about” where it was, I couldn't find the town of Wye on the road atlas that I had and, luckily, as I entered Arkansas on US Rte 65 there was a welcome center. The nice man gave me a more detailed map and even helped me find Wye, which is about 30 miles northwest of Little Rock.

Even though it was raining and overcast, I opted to get off the main highway and take Scenic Route 7 from Harrison. Route 7 winds and wends its way through the hills and valleys - it wasn't quite so scenic as it would have been on a nice sunny day, but it was still quite pretty. And it didn't rain the whole way. After turning off onto several other back-country roads and traversing their ups and downs, I eventually found myself in the small community of Wye. You can't really call it a town since there are no open stores but there are some houses. And a church. And some vacant buildings.

The half-mile road back to the cemetery is really a one lane gravel path, barely wide enough for one vehicle, with trees bordering both sides of the lane. And it was raining, again. Pouring down. But as I arrived at the cemetery, it let up some and after a few minutes slowed to a drizzle. It was about 4 o'clock. Trees surrounded the cemetery and their darkness contributed to the gloomy day.

Wye Cemetery covers a fairly large area but there aren't that many stones there. It only took half an hour or so to walk the entire cemetery. Clarence and Lora were alongside the front of a fenced in area and I had somehow overlooked them on the first pass through from front to back.




It surprised me that they were buried next to the Rev. Alice Selby. The very same Alice Selby who had provided Arba Showalter with information about Clarence!

Clarence D. Phend, son of Christian and Mary (McConnell) Phend, was born September 18, 1876 in Kosciusko County, Indiana and passed away on March 11, 1945 in Bigelow, Perry County, Arkansas. Lora (West) Phend was born about 1877 and died November 30, 1951. They are buried in Wye Cemetery, Pulaski County, Arkansas.

Note: The 1930 census shows Wye Township in Perry County, Arkansas. The GNIS database and Find-a-Grave both show that it is in Pulaski County. I haven't yet found when the change was made.

Another one bites the dust...

Yep, it was The first Saturday in August, again. The Phend Family Reunion has come and gone for another year. Attendance was at an all-time low (35 or so) but those of us there certainly enjoyed ourselves! A few new faces did show up and there were descendants of three of the children of Jacob and Louisa (Fisher) Phend - John, Christian, and Henry. They came from Texas, Ohio and Illinois as well as Leesburg, Goshen, Mishawaka, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Auburn, North Manchester and Columbia City (all in Indiana).

After 25 years of organizing the reunion I decided that this year was the last year for me to do so. Hopefully someone will step up and they won't let it fall by the wayside, but attendance has been dropping considerably the last few years. The old folk are getting older making it more difficult for them to attend and the young folk don't seem to be all that interested. It's sad, but that's the way it is.

Regardless of how many people show up, I always consider it a success when people depart with smiles on their faces! And here are a few of those smiling faces...

1st Cousins - Josephine & Phyllis.

Husband and Wife - Rich & Kathy.

Mother and Daughter - Sunny & Dee.

Little Imp.

Third cousins once removed - Jackie and Matt

They found each other on Facebook a few weeks ago.

My brother.

Two of the three sections of family charts and photos.

The beginning. The first five generations.