Monday, February 11, 2013

Georgia Sunset :: On The Road Again

Reflection in the side window of Van Dora. Taken January 31, 2013 at the Georgia Veteran's Memorial State Park southeast of Americus, Georgia.

A few minutes later, the colors are more muted.

You may have guessed by now that I am no longer in Indiana! I was ready to leave the cold weather behind in November, but for a variety of reasons was unable to get away until the end of January. After a short stop in Alabama to spend a few days with my friend and distant cousins, Babs, I've been enjoying the much warmer temperatures and very pleasant weather in Florida for the last week (in spite of several rainy days). As an added bonus, I was able to meet-up (separately) with two geneablogger-real-life friends, Charley aka Apple, and Denise Barrett Olson. I thank them both for their hospitality and for the time spent with them.

Even though I am now traveling, work continues on that monster Database Cleanup that was started in December. Once the sun goes down I have several hours before turning in for the night - and those rainy days are put to good use too. It's actually kind of fun - I'm getting "reacquainted" with some of the families that I haven't worked on for a long time and seeing a lot of "data holes" that need to be filled. It is awfully tempting to go searching for the "missing" information but I'm trying really hard to stay on track!

Registration for G.R.I.P. was last week and as much as I really wanted to attend (particularly the new tract with Tom Jones) I decided to forgo that opportunity this year. To be honest, I haven't fully absorbed everything from last year. The syllabus and my notes are traveling with me so when I get tired of working on the database they are available to peruse. I also felt that it was important to get the database straightened up a bit as well as getting all those documents reviewed that I obtained at Salt Lake City in 2010 and 2011 - I have barely even scratched the surface with them. Perhaps G.R.I.P. or one of the other institutes will be on the agenda in 2014.

I'm not sure how long I'll be traveling this time around, or even where all I'll be going. There are a few places on the "definite" list, mostly in The West, but this journey will be taken at a much slower pace than was done previously, with more time spent at each stop along the way.

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Published under a Creative Commons License.
Becky Wiseman, "Georgia Sunset :: On The Road Again," Kinexxions, posted February 11, 2013 (http://kinexxions.blogspot.com/2013/02/georgia-sunset-on-road-again.html : accessed [access date])

Tuesday, February 05, 2013

Foster 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.

It is not known when William Foster (my 5th great-grandfather) who was born Wilhelm Georg Forster about 1749 somewhere in the area now called Germany, came to this country but it is presumed by some researchers to be about 1765. What is known is that he married Magdalene Daniel, daughter of Adam Daniel, on April 19, 1774 at Christ Lutheran Church, Tulpehocken Valley, Bethel Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. About 1796 he purchased 190 acres of land on the "drains of Bauman Mill Run" outside of Strasburg, Virginia.

By that time he had become a Lutheran minister and served two small congregations - one in neighboring Hampshire County (now in West Virginia) from 1797 to 1803 and the other - then known as the "Hawksbiel" church in Page County from 1798-1806.

About 1805, he began  a stint as a traveling preacher in the wilderness of what would become Perry county, Ohio. He moved his family to Ohio in 1808 and lived there until his death on July 11, 1815. During that time, he organized at least three Lutheran congregations in what is now Perry County, Ohio. In addition to being a Lutheran minister, William became a large landowner. When he died in 1815 his bequest to each of his 12 children was 160 acres.

My line of descent is through his 10th child, Benjamin Foster (1791-1879). His daughter, Sarah Foster (1818-1904) had a son, William Brubaker (1843-1912), who was born out of wedlock. William's son, Charles Romain Brubaker (1871-1945), had a daughter, Hazlette Aileen Brubaker  (1902-1984). She married Rolland Victor Phend (1893-1991) and they are my mother's parents.
  • The Search for Hawksbill Church - - November 11, 2009 - - Located in Shenandoah County, Virginia the Hawksbill Church was the pastorate for three of my ancestors - the first two pastors of the church were Johann Caspar Stoever Sr. (1733-34) and Johann Caspar Stoever Jr. (1734-42). They were my 6th and 5th great-grandfathers, respectively. The eighth pastor of the Hawksbill Church  was my 5th great-grandfather, Wilhelm Georg Forster, who served from 1798-1806. 
  • Help Wanted! A gift received from a Genea-Angel! - - December 31, 2011 - - A reader sent a "Letter of Recommendation" for Wilhelm George Forster that was signed by two of the reader's ancestors. The letter is undated but written while Forster was still pastor of the Hawksbill Church, which he left in 1806.
Benjamin Foster (1791-1879) had two children by his first wife, Margaret "Peggy" Myers (abt 1797-abt 1821): Sarah and Eli. In 1821, Benjamin married Margaret's sister Anna Maria, known as Mary Myers and had 11 children with her. Benjamin lived in Perry County, Ohio and is buried in Zion Ridge Cemetery in Thorn Township.

Sarah Foster (1818-1904), whose first child, William Brubaker was born out of wedlock in 1843 was married on March 28, 1849 to George Thomas Parkison. About 1851, they moved to Thorncreek Township, Whitley County, Indiana. Sarah's brother, Eli, as well as several of their half-siblings also moved to Whitley County at about the same time or shortly thereafter. John Brubaker, the father of William, had settled in Rock Creek Township, Huntington County, Indiana prior to 1850.

Published under a Creative Commons License.
Becky Wiseman, "Foster Family :: Index to Posts," Kinexxions, posted February 5, 2013 (http://kinexxions.blogspot.com/2013/02/foster-family-index-to-posts.html : accessed [access date])