Our Cuz Betty Smith Celebrates 90th Birthday

By Rodger M. Wood

On Sunday May 24th our cuz Betty Duberow Smith celebrated her 90th birthday in the loving company of over 75 children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, in-laws, relatives and friends on beautiful Presque Isle in her lifelong residence of Erie PA. Betty is the daughter of Fred Casper Duberow (1893 – 1944) and Elizabeth Mary Staab (1893 -1942), granddaughter of Emil Frank Duberow (1863 – 1932) and Maria Bode (1858-1924), who is the common link between Betty’s Duberow and our Herr Family. Maria Bode was the second wife of George Gasner (1844- 1892) and after he passed away, the first and only wife of Emil Frank Duberow. George Gasner was the father of Rose Gasner (1881 – 1955) who married Fred Fidel Herr (1881 – 1944), the son of William Herr (1844 – 1894), the son of Fidel Herr Jr. (1812 – 1894) the son of the progenitor of Herr Family in America, Fidel Herr Sr. (1777 – 1862), who came from Achern, Baden to Nankin, Wayne County, Michigan in 1832. Growing up, Betty always said that our grandfather Fred Herr was her favorite uncle and my mother, and daughter of Rose Gasner, Helen Herr Wood, her favorite cousin.

Betty’s children David, Greg, Sharon, Matthew, and Christel, their children, grandchildren and even four great grandchildren, and some of the children and grandchildren of her brothers, Bernard (1920 -2012), 92-year old Paul, who was also present, sister Rita Sajewski (1921 – 1960), and even one of Herr Kuisine, Rodger M. Wood and his wife Joanne, joined in the celebration.Betty’s sons, daughters, niece, and Herr cousin joined her in the celebration of a Mass the Saturday afternoon before at Betty’s family church, and a cook out at the house of Mitch and daughter Christel Willis following Mass.

Duberow- Sajewski-Smith Family PhotoBetty and Youngest Great Grandchild

2013 Woodworth Family Reunion

June 9-12, 2013Wolfville, Nova Scotia

     Over ninety (90) descendants of Walter Woodworth (1608 – 1686), who settled in Scituate, MA in 1631, celebrated their New England Planters lives at the 2013 Woodworth Family Reunion in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, June 9 – 12, 2013.

     Entriced by a grant of free land, six Woodworth settlers, Thomas (1), Thomas (2), William, Amasa, Silas,  and Joseph Woodworth, left New England to settle  in Cornwallis Township, Nova Scotia in 1760.  Concerned about the French threat hovering behind them at Louisbourg, Cape Breton,  British officials bestowed land upon  the settlers, which had been vacated by the French Arcadians, whom the British had expelled after their century and a half of living there.

      During the reunion, the attendees, of whom thirty – nine (39) were direct descendants of the six Woodworth New England Planters (with ten (10) tracing their roots to William Woodworth, two (2) to Amasa Woodworth, two (2) to Thomas Woodworth (2), and the high majority, twenty –five (25), to Silas Woodworth), toured Thomas, William, Amasa, and Silas Woodworth’s original royal land grants,  went to the Planters’ Plymouth Rock, where the Woodworths came ashore in 1760, walked the Grand Bre National Park, where the Arcadians had to pull up their roots, and for a day and a half with our informed tour guide, Ken, visited Wolfville, Kentville, and other towns, homes, museums, and sights near and dear to our  first Woodworth settlers in Nova Scotia.

     Our family’s lineral New England Planter ancestor is William Woodworth

(1731 – 1827), who with his young wife, Sarah Blackmore (1736 – 1767) and four children, Elizabeth Betty (1753 -   ), William (1755-1839), Timothy (1758 – 1839), and Alexander (1760 - ) left Lebanon, Connecticut in 1760 to settle in Nova Scotia.  Sons Leonard, Branch, and Lemuel Woodworth were born after the family’s settlement in Cornwallis Township.

     William Woodworth’s brother-in-law (wife Sarah’s brother) Branch Blackmore (1732 -  ), a signatory on the original royal land grant, settled on  a homestead nearby to  William Woodworth.

     William Woodworth’s father, Jedediah Woodworth (1699 – 1777),  and oldest brother Jedediah Woodworth (1739 -1853) were also as petitioners for royal land grants but there is no evidence of their subsequent settlement there.

     Our family Woodworth line is Walter Woodworth (1608 – 1686), Joseph Woodworth (1645 – 1718), Joseph Woodworth (1671 – 1745), Jedediah Woodworth (1699 – 1777),  WILLIAM WOODWORTH (1731 – 1827), Timothy Woodworth (1758 – 1839), Eunice Woodworth (1785 – 1822), William Bills (1820 – 1900), Sarah Eunice Bills (1857 – 1937), and Fred Fidele Herr (1881 – 1943).

 You can view the 267 photos of the reunion activities, including four family portraits, at this link.

If interested in purchasing two photo cd containing the 267 2013 Woodworth Family Reunion photos for $25.95 (US funds only), including postage and handling, please leave a reply to this article. 

Our Ancestors Fought At The Battle of Fredericksburg

December 11-12, 1862

Our ancestors, Charles and John Marshall Bills, cousins of our 1st great grandmother, Sarah Eunice Bills, wife of William Herr/Fidel Herr Jr/Fidel Herr Sr/Blasius Herr/Marcus Herr, had their baptism of Civil War fire at the Battle of Fredericksburg, December 11, 1862

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Their unit, the 24th Michigan Infantry, had been formed with exclusively Wayne County, Michigan men the previous June - August, 1862 and had been joined to other Wisconsin and Indiana Regiments in the famed Iron Brigade to make up for that brigade's casualty losses at South Mountain and Antietam the previous September, 1862

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The Iron Brigade was distinguished by its tall hats, but the 24th Michigan was shunned and not allowed to wear those hats until they showed their battle mettle at Fredericksburg by crossing the Rappahanock River on small boats along with PA and NY brigades before the main battle commenced to take out snipers shooting the Union pontoon bridge builders from shoreline houses, behind fences, boulders, and other buildings

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Later in the main battle of Fredericksburg, the 24th Michigan went against Stonewall Jackson on the right flank of the Confederate line on Prospect Hill where they broke through and for about an hour almost helped win the day for the otherwise devastated Union Army, whose General Burnside was sending his soldiers up Marye Heights eight times before learning it was futile

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In his pension records, Charles Bills described the Union Army's retreat through Fredericksburg back across the Rappahannock at the battle's end. He survived the war to live in Caro, MI to a ripe old age of 88, but his cousin John Marshall Bills was not so fortunate having been captured at the North Anna River crossing in May, 1864 and dying a few months later at the infamous Confederate prison Andersonville at the rage of 21

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In the photo folder, the 24th Michigan reenactors are shown crossing the river, and taking out Confederate snipers in buildings, obstacles, that were standing 150 years ago during the battle

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Other photos show the futile charges up Marye Heights, and the terrain of Prospect Hill, where the 24th Michigan almost beat Stonewall Jackson's crack Confederate brigades.

Racing Rodger

2011 Woodworth Family Reunion

Visit the Gallery

By Rodger M. Wood

2011 Woodworth Reunion, Griswold CT  

You missed a good time if you weren’t at the 2011 Woodworth family reunion June 12 – June 16th in Griswold, CT. From registration on Sunday night to close out Thursday morning, over 55 family members and spouses talked about Woodworth genealogy, checked out records, romped through home sites, cemeteries, and bonded together for lots of fun.  

Day One – Columbia and Coventry, CT  

Lebanon Crank or Columbia CT  

Monday morning, we started out for Columbia, CT, which was formerly known as Lebanon Crank. Our sixth and seventh great grandfathers, Joseph Woodworth (1671 – 1745), and Jedediah Woodworth (1699 – 1777) left Little Compton, RI to settle there between the years, 1726 – 1734. Joseph’s oldest son, Joseph Woodworth (1696-1750), also settled there about 1734. Lebanon merchant, Thomas Newcomb verified their presence in the town between the years from 1733 to 1738 in his account book.    

A Benjamin Woodworth also settled in the northeast part or Alder Road area of Lebanon in 1703, and joined the First Church of Lebanon, but soon, tired of walking over hill and dale to get to church on Sundays, joined the North Society of Lebanon Crank, which established the Second Church of Lebanon in 1716 on the other side of the hill.  

A Third Church of Lebanon or Goshen Church was established in Columbia in in 1800, or four years before Lebanon Crank was incorporated into Columbia in 1804.      

Columbia Town Hall  

At the Columbia town office, town administrator, Jonathan Luiz, greeted and filled us in about Columbia historical resources, and the beautiful Columbia Lake, which the American Tread Company sprung in 1933 from a spring, which our ancestors probably drank from when they first settled there in the early 1700s.    

Columbia Historical Society  

At the Columbia Historical Society, we checked cemetery records for Woodworth graves in the Columbia Burying Ground and the Old Yard. We found a burial record for Benjamin Woodworth and Jedediah Woodworth in the Old Yard, so we headed there next.  

Old Yard Cemetery

 Jedediah Woodworth Grave Site

It took a while, but finally we found the our patriarch Jedediah Woodworth’s grave site under a big oak tree next to a stone wall midway back on the north side of the Old Yard.

His grave was guarded by a large worn tombstone, which read, “Jedediah Woodworth (1699 - 1777), He finished a most exemplary life, November 11, 1777, aged 78.” Woodworth was hyphenated,  with  “Worth” appearing on the line below “Wood,” and making the tombstone name more difficult to identify, while walking around, quickly glancing at only the last names on the many tombstones in the cemetery.

There were no other Woodworth markers nearby his grave, but I’d guess that his wife Margaret Torrey, who died about 1751 after the birth of her youngest daughter Margaret, was probably buried alongside him, as the Old Yard was established with its first interment in 1725. 

Jedediah’s son William Woodworth, our New England planter 5^th great grandfather, died in 1767 in Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, and his grandson, our fourth great grandfather, Timothy Woodworth died in Royalton, VT in 1839 and both were buried in those faraway locations.  

Other lineal ancestors were not buried there.

I didn’t find the graves of Jedediah’s father Joseph or his brother Joseph in either of the Columbia cemeteries.  Both cemeteries were functional when the father died in 1745 and the brother in 1750.

A tombstone for his oldest son Constant Woodworth, who died of small pox only six months before him in April, 1777, was found on the front lawn of a house in the Alder Street area, where we believe the Woodworth homestead and Second Church of Lebanon were located.

Jedediah’s  youngest son, Jedediah Woodworth Jr.  (1739 – 1823), who probably inherited the Jedediah Woodworth homestead because all of his brothers had passed away before his father’s death in 1777, lived in Columbia until his death January 5, 1823 and may be buried in the Old Yard somewhere too.

Benjamin Woodworth (1772 – 1856).

We also found the grave of Benjamin Woodworth (1772 – 1856) and his wife Mary (Tichnor) in the third row back from the Old Yard gate.  Benjamin was the son of James Woodworth (1733 -1812), grandson of Benjamin Woodworth (1689 -1729) and great grandson of Benjamin Woodworth (1649 – 1728), who was reputed to have been the first Woodworth to settle in the northeast section of Lebanon in 1703 and was certainly would have been on the committee that prompted the establishment of the Second Church of Lebanon.

Coventry, CT – Home of Nathan Hale

After Columbia, many of the Woodworth Family met at Lakeview Restaurant in Coventry CT, where we ate outdoors and enjoyed the view of beautiful Lake Wangumbaug.  

Coventry was the birthplace of American hero Nathan Hale, whose dying words, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country” inspired us in youth.  

Nathan Hale Cemetery

Our ancestors in the Albert P. Woodworth (1834 – 1926) Branch settled in Coventry, CT in the 1800s     so after lunch our next stop was the Nathan Hale Cemetery, where we paid our respects at Albert’s  gravesite.         

 While the cemetery is named the “Nathan Hale Cemetery,” it is not because Hale was buried there. There is a large monument honoring Hale at the front of the cemetery, but the patriot hero was hanged for his spy activities during the Battle of Long Island at 66^th St. and 3^rd AV in New York City. The British left his body hanging from the tree for three days as an example to others who may want to become colonial spies, and buried him somewhere near that spot.

Nathan Hale Homestead

Joanne and I were so inspired by the Nathan Hale story that we went to see his family homestead a few miles down the road from the cemetery.  Nathan Hale never lived in the big red house on the grounds as his father, step mother and 12 brothers and sisters moved into the house a month after he was hanged.  The homestead moderator told us, however, that Nathan and 8 brothers and sisters lived in the little shack with an outhouse to the left across from the big house when growing up.

We enjoyed an informative tour of the large roomy Hale house and went back to Griswold for a discussion of the Woodworth DNA Program at the hotel to end the day.

Day Two – Lebanon, CT

We headed to Lebanon, CT, where many Woodworths settled after a migration from Scituate, MA, to Little Compton RI.   

Lebanon Historical Society

Original Proprietors of Lebanon, CT 1734

Our first stop was the Lebanon Historical Society, where we were treated royally and granted access to many historical records, one of which was a March 10, 1704 record of the original Lebanon proprietors. If I am deciphering one of the names correctly, a signer on that record and one of the proprietors was our 7^th great grandfather, Joseph Woodworth (1671 – 1745).  While he may have the property there in 1704, I don’t think he or his sons relocated to Lebanon Crank until 1726 or later.       

The museum exhibits were informative about Lebanon’s early history. The town was founded in 1700 and served as an important supply depot for the colonists during the American Revolution. Connecticut troops drilled on the large common across the street from the historical society building. 

Lyman High School Exhibit

One of the exhibits commemorated a Lyman High School. Our fourth great grandfather Timothy Woodworth married Eunice Lyman, daughter of Jabez Lyman (1702 – 1784), granddaughter of Samuel Lyman (1676-1708) and great granddaughter of Samuel Lyman (1647 – 1708), who was granted a large parcel of land in Lebanon Crank for his exploits fighting the Pequot Indians and for whom I think the school was named.

Timothy Woodworth, Private, Connecticut Line, American Revolution   

Looking out the window of the research room, I couldn’t help visualizing our 4^th great grandfather, Timothy Woodworth, an 18-year old private in Captain Eley’s Company, Colonel Huntington Regiment of the Connecticut Line, and his cousins, Samuel Woodworth (1756-1816), Benjamin Woodworth (1759-1803), Benjamin Woodworth (1757-1841) and Uncle Jedediah Woodworth (1739 -1823) drilling on the common during the Winter of 1776-1777, before they were called to battles at Brandywine, Philadelphia, Trenton, and then spent the terrible winter at Valley Forge in 1777-1778. Timothy had returned from Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, to live with his grandfather, Jedediah Woodworth, after both his parents William and Sarah (Blackmore) died in November, 1767 and enlisted in the Connecticut Line for three years in February, 1777.

Trumbull Cemetery, Lebanon, CT

Doug Woodworth and I looked for Woodworth and Fitch graves in Trumbull Cemetery. He was interested in finding the Reverend James Fitch, who was one of the original landowners and first church rector of Lebanon. I was more interested in looking for Lyman, Blackmore, Whitely, Hutchinson, Swift, Clark. and other families that our Woodworths married into. While I was unsuccessful in finding any more Woodworths, I did find a Hutchinson and Lyman grave site to make my search worthwhile.

Lebanon Town Office Building

The Lebanon Town Clerk Office was truly a treasure chest of volumes and volumes of early Lebanon land records, dating back to the early 1700s. I found and had copies made of twenty-five different land records, which were consummated by our direct Woodworth ancestors, Joseph, and Jedediah Woodworth, between 1737 and 1750.

It will take me some time to analyze these records, but I should get a better fix of where exactly our ancestors lived in Lebanon afterwards.

 I didn’t look at earlier years because the older volumes didn’t have indices as the others, but plan to go back there some day to finish the job. 

Third Day – Free Day and Banquet

Mystic Seaport, CT

Joanne and I set off for Mystic Seaport, which was an easy ride of about 25 miles, going alongside the Thames River by way of historic Norwich, and Groton, CT.

Nestled along the wide, beautiful blue waters of the Mystic River, the restored nineteenth century seafaring village is a bustling collection of old sailing ships, over sixty original captain houses and other buildings, museums, and outstanding sea food restaurants.

We took a boat ride up and down the Mystic River, during which we saw the Charles W. Morgan, which reportedly is the only surviving wooden sailing ship in the world, the Annie, a still functional sand bagger sloop, and the Mystic River drawbridge opening and closing on the 45 minute mark of every hour.

We ate at an outstanding Italian sea food restaurant in the shadows of the drawbridge and across the drawbridge and walked a few steps from it to Julie Roberts’ famous Mystic Pizza shop.

Ledyard, CT

Bill Cemetery

On the way back, we drove by way of Ledyard, CT, stopping to see the Bills Memorial Library, and the Bill Cemetery. 

We are related to Joshua Bill (1762-1841) through his second great grandfather Phillip Bill (1620 – 1689), who relocated to the Groton area in 1671 at the request of John Winthrop the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony to provide a buffer colony on the Thames to ward off the French and Dutch, who were trying to make inroads in the area.

It was hard to find the graveyard, which is high up a hill just off Route 117, one mile north of Ledyard Center, which is  the first right going north past the Bill Library. Down the road also is an old store managed by the Bill family in the 1800s.

Ft. Griswold

We took a leisurely ride to Ft. Griswold, which figured prominently in the Thames River defense and the Battle of Groton Heights on September 6, 1781 in which British troops under the traitorous Benedict Arnold captured and almost destroyed the fort. Many of the Bill ancestors fought and were wounded at Ft. Griswold.

Thank You! Lowell Woodworth

Prior to the banquet, we found out that Lowell Woodworth was passing the next reunion baton onto Diane Woodworth Martin Liebert, who would organize the next reunion at Nova Scotia in 2013.  We owe Lowell deep gratitude and many thanks for doing a great job in organizing the past 2007, 2009, and 2011 Woodworth Reunions , which were great times and went off without a single hitch.

Banquet

The Woodworth met on the last day of the 2011 reunion for its biannual banquet at the plush Lebanon Golf and Country Club.

Eric Woodworth gave us another outstanding address emphasizing that Lebanon was a step in the Woodworth’s trek in realizing the family and country’s Manifest Destiny. Connecticut was not blessed with an abundance of good arable land, and the next generation after the initial Woodworth settlers had to move on, some to Nova Scotia, others to Vermont, and a few years later,  the bulk of them to Western New York.

A raffle was held at the end of the banquet, and yours truly won three prizes,

The Woodworth Family presented Lowell with a thank you present and all went on their way to join up together again in 2013 at Nova Scotia, which is NOT as far off as you think. Renew your passports!

Nicht Dummer!

“I’m Not Dumm” oder, Nicht Dummer!

Introduction

In German class, I was inspired by playwright Frank Wedekind pre-expressionistic message about the adverse impact of the German educational system on children in the year 1892.

I felt I experienced a similar effect myself in 1953 when attending public elementary school in Detroit.

I described that experience in this vignette to communicate my feeling in a style I thought similar to the much underrated German playwright.

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Ich schrieb diese,, Nicht Dummer” fuer meine Deutschklasse bei George Mason Universitaet. Ich besuchte, wie Expressionismus oder wie Frank Wedekind zu schrieben. Ich hoffe, dass Sie es mogen.

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Nicht Dummer!

Von Rodger M. Wood

     Einmal in der achten Noteklasse legte ich einige wilde Hafer in die Musikklasse. Meine Musiklehrerin, Frau Z war eine dicke sensible Frau, die ich nicht mochte oder respektierte. Waehrend einer fruehen Klasse hatte sie mich an der Wandtafel vor allen Studenten die Musiknoten zu analysieren gebeten. Weil ich nicht  wusste, wie das zu machen, brachte sie mich in Verlegenheit, wonach sie sagte,, Ich dachte, dass du cleverer als das warst, aber ich hatte unrecht.” Dann lachten meine Klassenkameraden viel, als sie mich ,,Dummer” nannte.  

     Weil ich eine sehr stolze sensibele Person war, wusste ich, dass ich ihr fuer ihr beleidigendes Benehmen zurueckzahlen musste, und so wartete ich auf den richtigen Moment. Als ich hinten im Klassenzimmer saB, bereitete ich meine Rache vor. Ich riB ein Stueck Papier heraus aus meinem Notizbuch, das ich zu einem Segelflugzeug zusammenfaltete.  Ich nahm mir vor immer geduldig aus den richtigen Moment zu warten. 

     Sobald ihre Augen sich schloBen und ihr Kopf einnickte, war mein Moment gekommen.  Ich hoB mein Segelflugzeug auf und zog es durch die Luft entgegen Frau Z. Es zog behutsame. Die Augen der anderen Studentens verfolgten hypnotisch der langsamen, aber sicheren Flug auf  die Haare auf meiner Lehrerins Kopf stellt.

     Als das Segelflugzeug landete, erstarrte einen Augenblick meine dicke Lehrerin. Sie wurde einem Augenblick, bevor sie begriff, dass ich der Schuldige war, der verantwortlich fuer diese Tat war.

     Sie stand auf von ihrem Stuhl, und wie ein Stier, der eilig aus einem Knesttor beim tierkampf hatte mit Feuer kommenden aus ihren Augen und Ohren, kam sie schnell auf zu mich.

     Also statt wie ein Stierkampfer, der fuer einen Stier abzuwehren wartete, wartete ich nicht auf sie, sondern rannte im Klassezimmer herum, waehrend meine dicke  Lehrerin mich erfolgte und meine Klassenkameraden lachten, bis sie Traenen fast in ihren Augen hatten.

      Weil Frau Z.  mich nicht fangen konnte, schrie sie laut,,Gehe zum Buero. Du wirst von der Klasse gewiesen, und wirst fuer dieses Semester eine ,,F” Note in Musik erhalten.”

     Beim Buero peitschte Frau C. die Rektorin meinen Hintern mit einem Guertel, den sie ,,Adolphus” nennt, und telefonierte meiner lieben Mutter, die nicht glaubte, dass ihr Kindsohn etwas unrecht tun konnte.

     Ja! Ja! Diese Bestrafung wurde viele verdient, aber es tat mir nicht leid, dass ich Frau Z. aufregte, weil sie mich aufregte. WiBen Sie etwas? Ich laechelte mit jedem Guertelschlag

auf meinem Hintern, weil ich ueber mein glattfliegendes Segelflugzeug dachte, und wie gut es zu seinem Ziel flog. Ich hatte verteidigt!  Ich war nicht der Dumme, wie Frau Z. sagte, und sie wurde in Verlegenheit von meinem Segelflugzeug gebracht, als ich bei der Peitsche war. Ich wuerde dasselbe Handeln, wenn die Stituatio wieder vorkommen wuerde.  

Fidel Herr Image

John Herr

GroB Geburtstagfeiern im Biergarten Haus oder Wood Family Celebrates Rodger’s 39th Birthday

Am 20.November 2011 aehnelte Trinken gutes deutsches Bier, Essen gutes Wurst, Sprechen ein bisschen Deutschsprache bei anderen Kunde und Feiern Rodgers 39^th Geburstag beim Biergarten Haus am,, Capitol Hill” im Washington, D.C.  wie einem Feiern im Deutschland.

Drinking liters of good German wheat beer and eating lots of Wurst at the Das Biergarten Haus on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. on a Saturday afternoon, November 20, 2010, the Wood Family added a touch of traditional Germany to their festive celebration of Patriarch Rodger’s 39th birthday (at his age, you start lying about your age).  

Except for daughter Aimee, who was sick, all of his immediate family members were there to enjoy the festivities, including wife Joanne, oldest son Mark Wood, his wife, Justine, and sons Tad and TJ, son Thomas, his wife Colleen, daughters, Meghan, Katie, son Brendan, and Aimee’s husband Robin, and son Sebastien.    

As the afternoon wore on, more and more you felt like you were back in the Schwarzwald.

See the full gallery on Posterous

See the full gallery on Posterous

Same Great OensbachHerr.com - New Site Design and Host - Please Update Your RSS Feed

We made some changes, but all the content is the same, just an updated look and feel. If you previously read the blog via RSS, then you will want to update the feed as it has changed. Thanks for visiting and stay tuned for more posts soon now that minor league baseball is over for the year.

Ich Dachte, Dass Ich in die Schwarzwald Waere

Von Rodger M. Wood

Im Juni, fuhren meine Frau Joanne und ich nach Helen, Georgia, wer alle ist so Deutsch. Wir wanderten in die Berge, aBen Deutsch Essen und trinken deutsche Bier, sprachen Deutsch mit vielen Leute, und swamen in die Chatahoochee FluBe. Sein im Helen war, wie im Schwarzwald sein. Nestled by the Chattahoochee River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains of Northwest Georgia, with its old world towers, the Alpine village of Helen resembled, ein Dorf im FuBe von Schwarzwald.” I believe you can close your eyes there and easily believe you are in Oensbach, the birth village of our third great grandfather Fidel Herr. I ate sauberbraten, and drank liters of good German wheat beer the four days I was there. I ordered my food and talked to the proprietors in German at the Hofbrau Haus, and Bavarian Inn. Joanne and I hiked the nearby Smith Creek Trail in Unicoi State Park, viewed Anna Ruby Falls and stuck our toes in the refreshing waters of the Chattahoochee River as we watched the many tubers cascade down the rain swollen river. On the way to Helen, we stopped at Zebulon, NC to take some photographs at a AA- Southern League Mississippi Braves/Carolina Mud Cats ball game. Prior to the game, Carolina RHP Matt Klinker talked and posed with the young Fayettesville Police Boys Club players. We took a day trip to photograph the festivities at the SALLY League All Star game in Greenville, S.C.. With its 30-foot high Green Monster in left field, Pesky Pole in right field, same dimensions all around the outfield, and manual scoreboard, Greenville Fluor Field is a close replica of Boston Fenway Park. On the way there, we stopped at the Clemson University campus, which housed the manorial home of mid -19th century southern statesman, John Calhoun, and an awesome football stadium, which opponents compare to “death valley ” when playing there. As usual, I bought a Clemson baseball cap and football jersey at the school book store to show off to my sons at family gatherings. From Helen, we drove 90 miles southwest to Stone Mountain, GA , where we rode a railroad around the park, cruised on an amphibious “duck” around a lake, toured the Dudley Plantation House and viewed a spectacular laser show shown on the granite memorial to Confederate heroes, Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson majestically hovering high above us. On the way home, we stopped in Myrtle Beach, S.C. to see our old friend “Wild Bill” Mathews, who lost his dear wife Dee in November, 2009. While there, we ate a great sea food dinner at a Calabash, N.C. and the next night, a chicken dinner, while entertained by a lively Dixie Stampede at Dolly Parton’s show place. Just past Richmond, VA, we stopped at Guinea Station to tour the Fairfield Plantation house where General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson died May 10, 1863, concluding a nice sojourn into our German American heritage while earning some money with my sports photography.

Our Cousin Won HR Derby!

By Rodger M. Wood

While on assignment at the Eastern League All Star Game in Harrisburg, PA last week, I was surprised to read on the video screen the high school hitter at the plate in the HR Derby was “Kolbe Herr.”Knowing he was representing Lower Dauphin HS in Hummelstown, PA, which is nearby Lancaster,home site of the Mennonite elder, Hans Herr, who migrated to the new world about 1719,I sought him out to congratulate for winning the HR derby as well as find out more about his Herr ancestry.

Kolbe knew his extended Herr family was large at family gatherings, but typical of an 18 – year ball player, not too much about his roots, or Hans Herr’s homestead was still standing in Lancaster or if he was related to Lancaster, PA , St Louis Cardinals 2B of the 1980s, Tommy Herr. Understandably, he was at an age when those things were not too important.Not wanting to spoil the joy of his triumph that day, I dropped the genealogy to tell him I was also a photographer for Baseball America who would be forwarding his photos on to that magazine for publication consideration.

Kolbe will be entering junior college in September, and is a fine clean cut young man, who will well represent the Pennsylvania Herr Family now and down the road.

Rodger Saves Little Red Riding Hood

In the German Polygot Performance of Bruder Grimm’s “Rotsklappchen” (Little Red Riding Hood) April 5, 2010 at George Mason Harris Theatre, Rodger playing the Jager (Hunter) arrived just in time to save Little Red Riding Hood from the jaws of the BigBad Wolf.Click here to see clips from all the performances.6:55 German show (8 minutes; supervised by Dr. Francien Markx): Grimm's fairy tales read and acted out in German. See the video. Windows Media Player required.Click in this link to view the 2009 Polyglot presentation.

37" Snow Blizzards Hits Sterling VA and Washington Metropolitan Area

By Rodger M. Wood

Snow blanketed the Sterling VA area, where I live, and  the Washington Metropolitan Area, in bursts of 24 and 13 inches on Friday, February 5rh, and Tuesday February 9^th.

We just dug ourselves out from the first burst, only to be snowed in the house for another four fays by the second burst.

The snow plow came through today, and I’ll shovel the driveway near the road end, but I’ll have to see a few cars driving by the house  before I venture out again, and I am a seasoned Detroit winter driver who should be used to all this snow.

During my 29 years of residency, I can’t recall Detroit ever being this bad. Fortunately for us, our power did not go out, and we had plenty of food in the ice box.

Things could have been worst and the sun is shining today. Maybe it’ll be floods from the snow melting next!.

Whatever is meant to be, will be. Oder welches Gòtt machte, konnte Männer nicht ändern.

German Students Reflect on the Fall of the Berlin Wall

An article featuring Rodger at George Mason University.  Read all about it here or

http://chnm.gmu.edu/freedomwithoutwalls/news/germ-415-magazine.html.

See Rodger present at Freedom without Walls, Fall of the Berlin Wall 1989-2009

See more of the presentation at this link.

Keine Flaschen Mehr Abfüllen in Fabriken

Von Rodger M. Wood

Detroit war eine Stadt von Tag und Nacht, als ich als Junge da gewohnt habe.

Die rauchigen Laute von den Autofabriken begannen bei der Morgendämmerung jeden

Morgen zu brüllen, während die bunten Vögel ihre Lieder sangen. Das Brüllen von

Polizeiautos und Krankenwagen schienen zu derselben Stunde zu anhalten.

Als Junge konnte ich mit meinem Fahrrad zum grünen Rougepark fahren, und so tat

ich wie wenn ich Henry Thoreau beim Waldenpark vorzugeben. Ich träumte gern da

unter den höher Eichen im Schatten. Ich mochte auch gern dort ,,Mumbley Peg” mit

meinen Freunde spielen, und mein Picknick essen, während die würdevollen

Riesen unseren Spaß überblickten.

Dann verbesserte die Autosherstellung sich. Die Leute fuhren überall hin, statt zu

ihrem Reiseziel zu spazieren. Pferdgekeuchte Wagen fuhren manchmal auf unserer

Straße am Wochenende, wie sie aus ihrem Schlaf aufzuwachen. Viele lachende Kinder

spazierten zur Schule, während des kalten Winters und heißen Sommers, aber

überfürsorgliche Eltern fuhren gelegentlich sie hin.

Als ich an der Universität teilnahm, verlockte die Coca Cola Fabrik mich im

Sommer für sie mit ihrem grünen Geld zu arbeiten.  Passanten konnten durch die große

Fabrikfenster die tausenden leeren vorbeigehenden Flaschen in der Aufräumemaschine

sehen und in noch einer Maschine, die sie mit dunkler Flüssigkeit füllte und an ihnen

metallische Flaschenverschlüsse stellte.

Ich  habe bei ihren Lastwagen mit hölzernen Kasten von ,,Coca Cola” Flaschen

geladen. Ich räumte auch jeden Tag die Toiletten auf.  Es war eine widerliche

Arbeit, aber ich arbeitete drei Sommer da, diesen Job zu machen. Als die Detroits

Universität mir im September ein Zeichen gab, war ich sehr fertig,, auf Wiedersehen”

bei Herrn Technologie zu sagen, und ,,Guten Tag” bei Frau Universität. Ich glaubte, wenn

ich mit den Händen bei der  Fabrik arbeiten mußte, dass ich viele ernsthoften Ärger

während meines Lebens haben würde.  Ich brauchte statt dessen mit meinem Gehirn zu

arbeiten. Ich schätzte besser meinen Unterricht.

Nach der Universität, begann ich im Personalbüro einer großen Kriegswaffenfabrik zu

arbeiten. Ich stellte Arbeiter an die große schwarze Behälter herstellten. Ich mag nicht

gern die Idee von meiner Teilnahme in der Herstellung der Kriegsmaschine. Als Folge

ging ich wieder an die Universität zurück, um für einen MPA zu studieren.

Ich wandte viele Abende am Ufer des gewundenen blauen Detroits Fluss auf, an

mein Schicksal zu denken. Ich glaubte, dass alle Leute auf einer Linie auf einer

Wäscheleine waren, die vom Haus bei der Garage floss. Wir konnten wenig nach links

und nach rechts und Vorwärts und Rückwärts laufen, wie die Wäscheleine erlaubte,

aber nicht weg aus unserer vorherbestimmten natürlichen Kategorie.  Wie die Sonne

jeden Morgen im Osten aufgehen wird, und jeden Abend im Westen untergehen wird, s

werden unsere Leben verlaufen. Wir können nur unser Schicksal wählen.  Alle uns

Gedanken, Wörter und Taten waren ein Teil einer magischen Reihenfolge, die nicht

geändert werden kann.

Viele Jahre später danke ich meinem Gott, dass er mich aus dieser alten Coca Cola

Fabrik an der Warrenstraße wegnahm. Mein Schicksal war mir wohl gesinnt.

A Nostalgic Trip Back Home

September 17 - October 14, 2009

By Rodger M. Wood

My recent trips back home for my 1959 Catholic Central High School class reunion and cousin Karin Copenhaver wedding took me to places and people I hadn’t seen in over forty years.

The photo folders, “Catholic Central Class Reunion” and “My Trip Back Home” picture some of my fond memories  from these trips.

I wrote about the reunion trip in another article so here, I’ll write about my visit with my dad’s family at Karin’s wedding, a trip to the old Gilchrist neighborhood, old St. Mary Church in downtown Detroit, Belle Isle, and the great visit I had with my Uncle Harold Herr three sons, David, Charles, and Jimmie Herr and their families.

The photo folder starts with a good panorama view of Detroit, where I proudly lived from November, 1940 to November 15, 1969.

My first twenty -three years I lived in the house at 15800 Gilchrist. Many a day I sat on the side porch steps of that house and the front curb, with my young buddies, Ted and Gary Walton, David Ross, Mike Moriarty, yes the actor, worrying about the Russians, and fantasizing about playing baseball for the Detroit Tigers, We passed many a youthful moment discussing heavy duty topics during a time when the world  turned out to be very calm and peaceful.

My friends and I spent many a hot summer days playing baseball on the four corners of Gilchrist and Pilgrim, 500 Flies and Grounders and football in the street, and on the lawn, our favorite game, Mumbly Peg, which required we performed various tasks successfully with pocket knife to win the game.. .

With Dad’s help about May, 1950, my brothers and I planted the saplings, which grew into the three big Elm trees that now tower on the Pilgrim side of my old house.

Looking at the house from Gilchrist, the upper window  on the right was my brothers and my bedroom window, and on the left, my parents. Many a hot Indian summer night (in those days houses were not air conditioned), I can remember falling a sleep to the sounds of the trains, and police and fire sirens.

The train sounds resounding through the open window in the quiet of night  were comforting but the police and fire sirens always disturbed me, particularly when my parents were out for the evening.

Once, I can remember huddling down in our bedroom with my mother, who told me to keep quiet so our 80+ Aunt Louise ringing the doorbell downstairs on the side porch underneath the window, would not know we were home. Aunt Louise was a supposed older friend of my Grandmother Zazi, who I suspect now was actually my great aunt in spite of my mother’s insistence that she was not related.

In the winters, as a small boy, probably about 4 or 5, I often sat in the bays of the two first floor front windows watching the snow come down, wondering if it would ever stop, and if we were going to be snowed in the house for awhile.

I used to crawl through the milk shoot at the right side front side into the kitchen of my old house after school when my mother accidentally locked me out or I forget my house key.

Across Pilgrim Avenue, Teddy and Gary Walton’s  house at 15790 Gilchrist, Mike Moriarty’s house at 15784 Gilchrist, David Ross’s house at 15785 Gilchrist, next to Linda and Kenny Large big corner house

were my haunts. I used to stand at their side door and call them out to play or walk to Isaac Crary School.

Up to age six and I started school, Teddy, Gary, Mike, David, and Linda were my only world. I played, and went places with them most every day.

As a five year old visitor to the Christian Scientist Church on Grand River and Outer Drive, I was told to go upstairs to the balcony away from my little friends, Teddy and Gary Walton by a bible class teacher, who objected to my presence there when I told him proudly, “I was a Roman Catholic.” That act of discrimination stuck in my mind my entire life. Dr. Walton was so upset my treatment that day, he never returned to that church again.

15703 Biltmore was the home of my buddy Jack Cross, with whom, Doug Merrick, and I palled around a lot in the upper left front side den of the house. We played poker, drank our first coffee, and smoked  our first cigarettes in a trailer back behind the house by the garage. Jack’s mother Esther used to treat us to an a delicious spaghetti dinner on Saturday night once in awhile. I used to talk to Jack’s dad, Norman a lot about school as he was an English teacher at Cooley High School.

Jack, Doug and I loved walking over to the White Castle hamburger joint at Southfield and Fenkell ,

where we ate a lot of delicious 12 cent hamburgers.

Mike Moriarty and I used to go to the movies at the Norwest Theater at Grand River and Oakfield Avenues.

Mike was determined to be an actor and used to study the actors‘ techniques, especially Jimmy Dean, who he modeled himself afterwards in high school drama at U of D High School, Dartmouth, and the big time theater and Hollywood movies that he would become later famous for in life.

A Neisner Dime Store, and Cunninghams Drug Store, were also at the corner of Grand River and Southfield. I sold the Detroit News on the street corner and in the newsstands  so that the regular newsboy,  a crippled boy, Tommy Johnson, could spend the Christmas Holidays with his grandparents in West Virginia.

I used to walk to cathecism and mass at St. Mary of Redford Catholic Church at St. Mary and Grand River Avenues.  I was frightened to death in a confessional  there when kindly Father McHugh heard my first confession. I was also baptized, received First Communion, and Confirmation at that church. I can remember being inspired by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen preaching about life is worth living from the pulpit and the seemingly immense size of the church when my mother and brothers attended. It was filled at every Mass and I remember how the wooden kneelers torn my knees up during the long prayer for peace at the end of Mass..

Another special trip for me and my young buddies was to make the long walk to the Kreges Store at Greenfield and Grand River. We loved walking through back street alleys looking for treasures in the trash cans, walking through the store, just looking, unless we had a dime or quarter to spend on stamps for our collection, Bowman or Topps baseball cards, Archie comics, or a 5 cent lemon or chocolate coke at the soda fountain.

When we were about 11 years old, Grand River was also our avenue to a bigger world. We could catch a bus at Gilchrist and Grand River and ride past Greenfield, Schaeffer, Livernois, West Grand Boulevard,

to downtown Detroit for 10 cents one way.  It wasn’t long before we saw the towering buildings beckoning us to a day of adventure at JL Hudson Department Store, ice cream at Saunders, and carefree times at other stores. Sometimes, we got off  at Trumbull Avenue, and walked down to Brigg Stadium, where we saw our beloved Tigers play a ball game. On the way back, we knew we were out of the downtown area when we saw the foreboding Detroit Police Station pass by on the right of the bus.

About 1835, our third great grandfather, Fidel Herr walked the 15 miles, down Michigan Avenue, which is parallel to Grand River, from his homestead at Warren and Ann Arbor Trail to St. Mary Church in downtown Detroit, behind the Old City Building and across from one of the Casinos in Greek Town. He wanted to have his confession heard at the old German Catholic Church, but was turned off and never returned to Catholicism after a priest asked him to pay the “French Tax” before hearing his confession.

One of our third great aunts, Mary Barbara Herr married Anthony German at the altar of St. Mary in 1850.

Anthony and Mary Barbara ran a candy store on Michigan Avenue in downtown Detroit until about 1905.

Their only child, a daughter, was a school teacher in the Detroit school system for many years.

My dad’s mother, Grandma Zazi lived near Michigan and 2^nd Avenue, and my father was born in a house near 16^th Street and Michigan Avenue.

On Sundays I was going to a Detroit Lions game, I met my friend Doug Merrick after his church service

at the downtown First Methodist Church at Woodward Avenue and Grand Circus Park and we’d walk over to Briggs Stadium from there.

I went to the David Whitney Building across Grand Circus Park for my orthodonist appointments with Dr. Bruce Foster  every two weeks for eight years until I went to the Merchant Marine Academy in August, 1959.

I loved going down Jefferson Avenue to Belle Isle, where Joanne and I often fished in the Detroit River or canoed on the inlets with our friends. As an adult,  I played baseball in the Federal League on the diamonds fronting the Windsor side of river. I can remember swimming in the Detroit River there once when I was about 15.

My dad and mom met each other at a dance at Ramona Park, which was located on the mainland next to the Belle Isle Bridge.

My mother and I used to go to the Detroit Yacht Club on Belle Isle to meet her friends, who would take us yachting on Lake St. Claire, and other festivities and banquets related to mom’s clubs, the Rosedale Garden Progressive Club and the National Farms and Garden. I won a bird identification contest there once when quite young.

I took the wedding photos at my cousin Karin Marie Copenhaver and Gary Tomsik’s wedding on September 19, 2009 at the Wixom Community Center. My dad’s sisters, Aunt Dot and Aunt Virginia, Karin’s mother, my cousin Lynn Ellen Copenhaver, her sister, Janice, cousins Patti, Suzie Q, Jackie and Gordie Selinsky, Norma Jean, and their families were there. I enjoyed visiting with all of them and wished I had not waited so long to get in touch, but making amends, we all promised to see each sooner next time.

The grand finale to the reunion trip was seeing my favorite Uncle Harold Herr’s three sons, David, Charles, and Jimmie and their families at Jimmie’s house in Novi. On that Sunday. my Uncle Harold and Aunt Margaret would have been proud to see how their children turned out. They are a big happy family, who care about each other, have values, and fun together.

David Herr, the oldest son, is the spitten image of his father Harold, and further back, photos I have seen of his second great grandfather, Fidel Herr Jr.

The Herr boys and I talked endlessly about our memories and common genealogical roots. Jimmie’s wife, Brenda is a great cook and fed us to the brim with a sit down dinner. Jimmie’s sons, James (with wife Elizabeth), Jarrin,  and grandson Gavin Herr were there.  We had a great time and I invited all the Herr to visit us in Virginia sometime soon.

Again I got nostalgic from this trip - I sometimes wonder why I didn’t visit family more when I was younger, but then, I think I was more sold on myself than I should have been. My parents tried to keep me in touch but you know how it is with a 20 - year old. I just didn’t have the time. Now I hope I can make up for lost time.

My 50th High School Class Reunion, October 2 - 4, 2009

My 50th Detroit Catholic Central 2009 Class Reunion was like slipping back to my youth at Detroit Catholic Central and paling around with my old buddies again after an absence of over forty years.

Zeke Seacourt, who stood up at my wedding, Charlie Incaudo, who was my ring side trainer,, Bill Butterfield, who I car pooled to school with, and as many as fifty - seven other classmates showed up for the reunion activities, some traveling from as far away as Michael Murphy from Ventura, CA and Mike McInerney from Dallas, TX.Festivities started off fast and furious at the Boys’ Bowl Game Pep Rally in the school gymnasiumand were close to the way we used to get ready for that game fifty years ago.Friday afternoon, Class of 1959 Alumnae Coordinator, Rudy Seichter, showed Joanne and me around the 5-year old, state of the art, Catholic Central building and campus, which are far removed from the intimate, little bandbox we seemed to have back at Outer Drive and Hubbell in our days.I watched the football team practice and made arrangements for a photo shoot with our star running back Niko Palazeti for Sporting News that afternoon. I noted that the football players of old were minute compared to the likes of our 2009 football team.At the stag party Friday night, forty-seven classmates talked a blue streak with each other until the five hours limit ended the conversation too soon.Fortunately, particularly after our long stag party the night before, Saturday morning was a quiet time until our fantastic banquet in the evening.Fifty -four couples attended, ate a great meal, and talked the whole night as a fine band played music of old.A big Catholic Central win over St. Marys Orchard Lake, 27 -0, to make them 6-0 on the season and ranked third in the State of Michigan, topped off Sunday and a great reunion.I want to thank our class coordinator Rudy Seichter for a great job contacting our classmates and organizingsuper reunion festivities. When we were going to school together I saw Rudy always smiling, and even today so many years afterwards, he has not lost that smile.Seeing the guys again made me nostalgic, questioning my reasons for leaving the Detroit area so many years ago but when I got home to Sterling VA, my six grandkids quickly reminded me why I was still there.

Read Rodger's German Class Article

Written for a graduate German course, Rodger presents his thoughts on the fall of the Berlin Wall.  See it here on George Mason University's website.

2009 Woodworth Family Reunion Photo Album (June 21 - June 25, 2009)

Our Grandpa Timothy Must Have Been There Helping Me!Far away, but not far enough  from the Washington D.C. political scene, I felt good about myself and the folks I was with at the 2009 Painted Post Woodworth Reunion.Woodworths  are unpretentious people who jell well together, and unlike many social gatherings today, are unaffected by most of the trite values structuring our contemporary American society.Maybe that is because we all have at least a few Woodworth genes and/or our Woodworth spirits were truly with us during those few days we were together, enjoying the festivities just as much as we did.Maybe credit should go to the several Woodworth ministers in our genealogy and present day ministers in attendance at the reunion whose strong moral values were catchy and helped us be thankful for the simpler things of life.At the reunion picnic, Fran Ambroselli told us several tales about how Woodworth spirits helped her to restore the North Cohocton Woodworth House to the beautiful bed and breakfast it is today.

The Tuesday reunion picnic at the Woodworth bed and breakfast was the type of large traditional family gathering which would have overjoyed our ancestor spirits, as it did for sure, all of the living attendees.Many of us toured the old Woodworth bed and breakfast, which had its heyday about 1850, ate fried chicken, a good traditional picnic lunch, and renewed our friendships with the close to eighty family members in attendance.Before the picnic, some of us toured the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum and Pleasant Valley Winery, where some of us joined the spiritual world ourselves.Our immediate family has some ties to the Finger Lakes Region. While the last male Woodworth in our line, our fourth great grandfather Timothy Woodworth (1758 - 1838) never made it past Royalton, Vermont, his oldest daughter, Eunice Woodworth  (1785 - 1822), our third great grandmother and the first wife of Samuel Bills (1778 - 1840), lived and died  in Batavia, NY, a mere 85 miles away from the North Cohocton bed and breakfast..

On Monday, the first day of the reunion, we visited the Abner Woodworth House in Penn Yan. Our immediate family’s closest connection to its former owner, War of 1812 General Abner Woodworth(1785 - 1869), ‘was Joseph Woodworth (1671 - 1745), whose grandfather was Walter Woodworth, the first Woodworth in our family to come to America about 1630.Joseph Woodworth had two sons, Joseph, who was Abner Woodworth’s father, and Jedediah Woodworth, who was our Timothy Woodworth’s grandfather, and who he lived with after his father and mother died in 1768 and he returned from Nova Scotia to his birth place in Lebanon, CT. I think that makes Abner Woodworth Timothy’s uncle.The Abner Woodworth house is in near shambles, but still impressive and surprisingly close in architectural design to the North Cohocton Woodworth bed and breakfast. We should convince Fran to restore the Abner Woodworth house back to its former grandeur. Maybe we could recruit more Woodworth spirits to help her out.After the house visit, the Woodworth group traveled on to pay their respects at Abner Woodworth’sgrave in nearby Lakeview Cemetery and later lunched at a Watkins Glenn waterfront mall restaurant, adjacent to beautiful Seneca Lake, which was troubled by rough waters that day.Some of us still went on an hour boat trip on Seneca Lake. The captain and first mate told us about the Sullivan Expedition in the Summer of 1779 in which the colonists battled the Iroquois and effectively took over their land. Many of the soldiers in that expedition were offered land bounties and came back after the Revolutionary War to settle in the area.While I have not researched it out, Abner Woodworth was probably offered the standard 300 acres of land parcel for his service as a general in the War of 1812 and emigrated to  Western NY for that reason. The area around the Penn Tan house we visited may have been part of the original land grant.Wednesday, time was fleeting and  we had to make the best of our morning  at the Corning Museum  of Glass, and return to the hotel before we spent all our transportation money back home in the gift shop.The Wednesday night banquet at the Holiday Inn Extended, Horseheads, NY was our grand finale.At the well attended banquet, Erich Woodworth emceed and made an excellent  presentation about our common Woodworth ancestor and author of the “Old Oaken Bucket,” Samuel Coleridge Woodworth. Many of us learned his lyric in first grade, without knowing our ancestor wrote it.And no, the Canadians Woodworths did not win all the door prizes this time but I won’t tell you who did.In free time during evenings, Marvin and Diane led excellent discussions about Woodworth Genealogy, History, and DNA, from which all of us learned more about our past.Lowell Woodworth organized the reunion and made sure the fun activities went without a hitch - we’d be lost without Lowell heading up these reunions and  he deserves a lot of credit.Most of the family members stayed at the Hampton Inn, Painted Post, which provided us meticulous rooms,a spacious hospitality room, and a full daily breakfast, including porridge, to get us started on a high note each day.Joanne and I went on to Batavia Thursday morning to research land records for Samuel Bills and Eunice Woodworth at the Batavia Main Library, toured the Holland Land Record Museum, and slumbered along the Genesee River as our ancestors had done so many years before.Thursday night at Auburn NY, I went back to my former life photographing the young Rookie A NY-Penn Auburn Doubleday and State College Spikes ball players recently drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays and Pittsburgh Pirates.On Friday we got lost crossing Bear Mountain to West Point looking for a gas station and barely saw the academy.I think the Woodworth spirits were in their glory during the reunion. I believe many more spirits made the trip to join the local spirits helping Fran at the house. I felt their presence every where, especially at the Woodworth houses.I believe my photography at the reunion was my finest ever but  I can’t explain why. Each picture was well composed and perfectly exposed.. I had to be inspired. Just maybe, Grandpa Timothy was there helping me. I can’t say that for sure, but I can tell you another thing for sure. He will be at the 2011 reunion. Lebanon, CT. was his home town and he certainly would not miss a reunion there and you know what, neither will I.