Learn to do family history! The Siuslaw Public Library is offering a three-part series of classes on basic genealogy. Classes are scheduled for January 9th,, 23rd and February 6th. All classes are held in the library’s Bromley Room from 10 a.m. to noon. Classes are free and no registration is required. Questions can be answered at the library’s Reference Desk or by calling (541) 997-3132.
Ghost Army
SGS member Merilee shares an article from Findagrave.com that reveals the “Ghost Army of WWII”. The 23rd Headquarters Special Troops are said to have possibly “saved hundreds, if not thousands, of lives” by carrying out assignments of deception to fool German forces. Read the full article HERE.
The recent SGS cookie exchange became an international display of holiday treats! Cookies were from both places far and near, including Canada, Germany, Scotland, Holland, France, Hawaii, even biscuits from the United Kingdom.
Member Comments:
“The cookie exchange was a lot of fun! My choice was based on the theme of choosing a cookie that represented your ancestry in some way. So, I chose a Scottish-made cookie representing my 38% DNA based Scottish ancestry.”
A member reflected on “. . . memories of Grandma and the smells of Christmases gone by.”
One member admits to having only “just discovered his kitchen about 3 years ago”. Yet undaunted by the challenge, he relied on his family history experience and said, “just as we do in genealogy, we search. So off to Google for a cookie recipe”. His successful discovery and efforts in baking blueberry, white chocolate chip cookies represented his ancestors’ migration to the Carolinas, Georgia and Virginia.
“Because I have approximately 32% German ancestry, I made this candy [candied almonds], because I like to imagine my German ancestors had attended the yearly Christmas markets and were able to enjoy this holiday treat.”
According to a recent Family History Daily post, about 2 names on every page of the 1940 census (that’s 5%) were asked AdditionalQuestions. Look for a “Suppl. Quest” notation which may appear to the left of the number and names on the census page. If so, scroll to the bottom of the page to a section titled Supplementary Questions. Read more about what additional information was included HERE. Be sure to check, as I discovered that notation appeared next to my mother’s name and revealed information I had not previously known!
Lost Wedding Rings Discovered and Returned After 12 Years
A son’s search for his parents wedding rings were unsuccessful for a dozen years, until a chance discovery. Through the research efforts of a new homeowner, the rings legacy was reunited with the family. Read this remarkable Washington Post story HERE.
Once treasured family remembrances and pictures are often donated and accepted to become part of the Siuslaw Pioneer Museum’s collection. The museum makes every effort to continue honoring and celebrating each item’s historical significance to the area. One such item was a worn scrapbook of now yellowing pages, with pictures and faded newsprint articles of years gone by. A particular news article caught the interest of SGS member and museum researcher Pat Rongey. The 1903 faded news print told of a tragic incident on the Siuslaw River involving William Washington Withers, a former Lane County Sheriff. It is an incident worth re-telling in this story.
Incident on the Siuslaw
In 1903, neighboring Douglas County had issued a warrant for the arrest of 35-year-old Edward Elliott Lyons on charges of horse theft. Mr. Lyons, himself a former deputy Sheriff, had previously been convicted for embezzling school funds and sentenced to prison for one year. Aware Mr. Lyons had family members residing in a cabin on the Siuslaw River, Sheriff Withers kept a watchful eye on the area near Walton, 30 miles west of Eugene. Soon enough, he learned Mr. Lyons was indeed seen at the cabin.
On February 5, 1903, Sheriff Withers visited the cabin to serve the warrant on Elliott Lyons. With assistance from family members who held onto both the Sheriff’s arms, Mr. Lyons emerged from a back bedroom and shot the Sheriff at close range before fleeing. A posse was immediately formed. It was said that despite being on his deathbed, the Sheriff confirmed his assailant was Lyons, and that his wife and mother held his arms during the shooting.The Sheriff died two days later. Disguised as a tramp, Mr. Lyons was apprehended after boarding a freight train near Creswell. At his hearing, he stated, “I don’t know why I fired the shot, . . .I, . . I didn’t mean to do it.” He was convicted for the murder of Sheriff Withers and sentenced to “rope and trap”. He was hung on April 17, 1903 behind the Lane County Courthouse.
A nephew of Thomas Jefferson Brattain, one of the earliest sheriffs of Lane County, Sheriff Withers was a well-respected officer of the law. The year prior to his death, he successfully captured a murder suspect after tracking him for 2 months, through 3 states. The suspect, Bert Heaton, had murdered Benton Tracey, a Junction City saloon keeper in 1902. Despite the county‘s $500 reward, “dead or alive” Sheriff Withers refused to accept it, citing, “his work was only in the line of his duty”.
By all accounts, Sheriff Withers was “noted for his persistence in following criminals and was highly skillful in locating them.” Sadly, he was just 45-years old at the time of his death, leaving a wife and son.
As a museum researcher, Pat Rongey was recently able to contact and forward the tragic, but revealing news accounts to Sheriff Wither’s great-grandson. Pat also volunteers as an SGS research assistant at the Siuslaw Public Library. She can be found in the Siuslaw Genealogy Room on Tuesdays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. to assist you with your family research.
Members are encouraged to bring a total of 40 cookies representing their heritage and perhaps share a bit about its origin.
Cookies should be packaged two per bag, making a total of 20 small bags or baggies.
Members will bring these bags to the exchange. Each member will then go home with an assortment of small bags of cookies!
If possible, please include the ingredients and/or the recipe on a small card or piece of paper. Bring a container to take cookies home.
Not a baker? You can still participate! We know this is a busy time of year, so consider store-bought bakery items, as they would be welcomed as well! (You might even substitute two pieces of traditional candy instead.)
The December Genealogy Society meeting will be held Wednesday, December 13th at the library in the Bromley room at 3:00 p.m. Stay tuned for more details for this fun genealogy event as we share cookies from our family heritage!
The November presentation will be a continuation of genealogy gift ideas! Members are welcomed to bring gift ideas of family memorabilia (special family heritage items, videos, etc). Join us for a bit of creative fun!
Undelivered Letters to French Sailors Read after 265 Years
Over 100 undelivered letters written during 1757 – 1758 by loved ones to French sailors were recently opened and read during a special Cambridge University project. Credit goes to Professor Renaud Morieux of the History Faculty and Pembroke College for devoting months of work while deciphering these precious pieces of historic correspondence. The letters were penned during the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763), a time when nearly 20,000 French sailors were detained in Britain. Many of the men were eventually released, while tragically, disease and malnutrition claimed the lives of many others. Professor Morieux utilized genealogy research to discover details about the lives of both the intended recipients and senders. Read more about this remarkable projectHERE.
This month’s Siuslaw Genealogy Society meeting featured a program on Gift Giving! Thinking about the Holidays? Get ideas to help encourage family members become interested in family history! This presentation shared many ideas that you can give as gifts. If you missed the meeting and would like the list of ideas (it actually totals 104!) contact us! The November 16th meeting will be a follow up to the Gift Giving list.
Football Huddle and Genealogy?
Some may think it a stretch to somehow link the two terms, but in a recent article by Barry Shuck titled ‘Genealogy in American Football: The Huddle‘, he attempts to do just that. I’m certain I’m not alone in wondering what exactly goes on in a huddle. Do they talk about ‘stuff’ (the Gatorade flavor, crowd noise, etc.), or just use numbers and remind each other what to do in the next play?
According to Mr. Shuck, the game of football began without huddles. It was ‘invented’ in 1894, and was initially viewed as a violation – a disruption to the game’s flow, or timing. Some criticized it as a stalling tactic. As it turns out, there was no rule preventing it. By 1930 the rule makers decided the huddle anomaly was here to stay and allowed it for 15 seconds. In 1939, the huddle time allotment was expanded to 30 seconds . . . and that eventually gave birth to generations of 30-second commercials.
The No-Huddle The article cites a 1957 University of Oregon game as the 1st time the huddle was sacrificed to utilize their team’s speed as a way to overcome the opponent’s defense. Whether it can be directly attributed to the no-huddle offense or not, that season Oregon went to the Rose Bowl.
So in the end, perhaps the football huddle does indeed have a familial lineage to the game as we know it today – although what actually is said in a huddle remains a mystery to me.
Siuslaw Genealogical Society blog 