BRINGING YOU UP TO DATE / CATCHING UP

Go grab a cup of coffee (or a glass/mug Pinot Grigio, depending).  Sit down.  

I have some "stuff" to fill you in on.....

OF COURSE you've noticed that I've been absent....... (OK, MAYBE you've noticed)

I've been working with JWM Productions on bringing "Heritage Returned", or some facsimile of it, to the smaller screen...........

My last entry of September 28, 2012 

was right when the S*#T started to hit the fan for me........  

I started speaking with a lawyer about protecting the concept.  The next week, on October 2nd, my mother had a stroke, and then another.  

That Sunday, October 7th, 2012, she passed.  

The NEXT day, on October 8th I had a meeting with my lawyer.........

Fast forward a few months........ 

Remember The Stringer Family Bible from my September 17, 2012 entry...... NO ?...... Go take a peek again.

Ken Stringer, Sr. passed on February 20, 2013.  What I didn't know when I returned the Bible to he & his family, was that he had been battling Multiple Myeloma... His wife, Marie told me that in the months prior to his death, he had asked for three things, and one was to get the Bible blessed.  

On the night of his passing, their son, Kenny, brought the Bible to the hospital where it was blessed by the vicar of their church as their family & a few close friends laid their hands upon it.............  After it was blessed, he received his last rights.......

To be honest, I never thought that a simple act of kindness would or could have such an affect on one family.  It's hard to explain that I'm just as thankful for them, the Stringers, as they are for me for returning their heritage to them.

Ken Stringer, Sr., wife, Marie, and mother, Barb.

We made the "sizzle reel", which is basically a 3-4 minute commercial for the project or show you're working on, in April.  We returned The Burns / Overington Family Bible to the great great great great-granddaughter of the original owners of the Bible.  We returned it at The Trinity Church Oxford in Northeast Philadelphia.  

WHAT AN INCREDIBLE DAY THAT WAS.

Sandi Gammon was the recipient of the Bible, and I couldn't have found anyone more deserving of it.  I found her because she has a blog about her family's heritage:

Sandi's Family History

What an incredible story, and perfect fit.

As I type this on October 19, 2013, waiting to go to work at my store,

Kelly-Cataldi HOME

I'm waiting with baited breath to hear back from JWM Productions, who are waiting to hear back from The Smithsonian Channel.  

Sometimes, I get more anxious waiting for a "no", than I do waiting for a "yes".........

There will be some "tweaking" done, either way.

And either way, I'll be letting all of you know the results.

Lest you forget,

Michael

THE CHRISTIANA SEELEY DARE SAW MILL DEED & DAVID SAYRE SHEPPARD WILL DISTRIBUTION

  We were at our favorite antique store in Lambertville, New Jersey, Kline's Court Antiques, and I was chatting with the owner, Mindy, about what my latest passion was...................... 

HERITAGE RETURNED.  

She then went looking into cubbies, underneath drawers, searching behind things...  

What she came up with was THE OLDEST THING I'VE EVER RESEARCHED !

It was deed......... and a will distribution.

  This deed has Christiana Seeley Dare, (1728-1801), and widow of John Dare ( 1713-1785), along with her son and his wife, Seeley (1749-1811) & Hannah Dare (1752-?) selling a saw mill to David Sayre Sheppard, (1757-1827)  It's dated April 12, 1794...........................

 This, I believe, is the distribution for David Sayre Sheppard's will.  

David was born on March 16, 1757 and died November 24, 1827. 

 Included in this certificate are his children from two wives, Sarah Ludlam Walker 1784-1814) (When she died in 1814, her portion went to her heirs), Joseph Sheppard (1786-1838), Ercurius Ludlam Sheppard (1793-1859),  Providence Ludlam Sheppard (1788-1860), Isaac Aplin Sheppard (1806-1863),  & Mary Sheppard Hann (1804-1885).

APPARENTLY David Sayre Sheppard had A LOT of property to disperse.

Let the games begin.

Lest You Forget,

Michael

CATHERINE IS GOING HOME...... SORT OF.....

Catherine Goetschius has LEFT the building and is on her way to Walnut Creek, California, NOT Bergen County, New Jersey where she was born (in 1789).

I will miss her, & hope she likes being reunited with her family....... her great great great great grandson, to be exact.

I CAN'T WAIT to share the NEXT family Bible that's on it's way here.............  Stay posted.

Lest You Forget,

Michael

CATHERINE GOETSCHIUS HAS A FAMILY

Catherine Goetschius has a family, and he called me today !

  I got a call today from a gentleman in California who is Catherine's 

great-great-great-great-grandson, 

so she (OK, her picture) is going home to her family tomorrow.  

  I've asked Mark Harrison to send me a picture once they get reunited, and then I'll post the picture. 

Lest You Forget,

Michael

JOHN CUTHBERT OGILVY & FREDERICK TAYLOR CHANDLER

  When I was up in Adamstown, Pennsylvania and I went to visit my friends, Bruce Horton and Daniel Charest at The Black Angus Antiques at Stoudt's Brewery to look at a few pieces of "heritage" that I would like to have returned to their families........... except THESE pieces, I can't just GIVE to the families, because they have much more monetary value than the emotional value of the family bibles and pictures that I've been trying to return so far.
  The first piece is the fruit and nut set that I spoke about in an earlier blog.......... It was presented to John Cuthbert Ogilvy of Glasgow, Scotland upon his retiring in 1903 from "S. Allsopp & Sons", a brewer.  It's a BEAUTIFUL piece, as you'll see.
  I've tracked it down to his great-great-granddaughters named, Norma & Henrietta Ogilvy living in Spokane, Washington.....They were born in 1935 & 1940, respectively.

  BDH Antiques also has possession of the sterling "loving cup" that was presented to "Frederick Taylor Chandler" when he was elected to the presidency of The Philadelphia Stock Exchange on March 30th, 1905 and was presented this by "A FEW FRIENDS"........  

  In looking for his lineage I came across the fact that Frederick was my 1st cousin 5X removed of wife 1st cousin 9X removed ......... Pretty funny, huh ?

  "Fred T. Chandler" was the vice-president of The Philadelphia Club, the precursor to The Philadelphia Phillies, among other things.

  I'll keep plugging along.....writing emails to relatives......hoping that someone will get back to me.

  Lest you forget,

  Michael

"TAUFSCHEIN" FOR HILDA MAGDALENE RENGERT

  I was in Adamstown, Pennsylvania looking for some "heritage" to "return"........... and I came across this "taufschein", which is a German baptismal certificate, for a "Hilda Magdalene Rengert" born on 26 JAN 1903, and she was baptized on 10 APR 1903.

  The interesting thing is that she was born in Waldo, Marion County, Ohio........FAR from Adamstown, Pennsylvania.

  I went on Ancestry.com and found a number of people that have her in their family trees, so I email one to see what will happen.

  This is the "taufschein".  Let the games begin....................................

HERITAGE IS RETURNED - THE STRINGERS

Ken & Marie Stringer with Ken's mother, Barbara.

  Yesterday I returned my first family bible to The Stringer family.  The bible was started by Ken Stringer's great-great-grandparents,  John Edward & Sarah (Hoffmaster) Stringer, who were married on March 3rd, 1868.  

  We laughed over the initial reaction from his wife, Marie, when I tracked her down on Facebook and sent her a message.  I explained that I had this family bible that I THINK was from her husband's family.  I gave some of the names and information, so she had Ken check the facts with his mother, Barbara.  Ken's father, Harry Stringer, had done A LOT of research of his family tree, with genealogy being his passion.  Sadly, Harry passed two years ago.  So when Ken came in with my email to check out the facts, Barbara just went and got the BOOKS where Harry had kept the information.  The first book they opened had a picture of John & Sarah Stringer...............

  Marie emailed me back: "Correct... Very interesting.  Please leave your store phone number and I'll give you a call." I chuckled when I read that.......  I think she thought that I MIGHT be a little crazy..... little did she know........

  The mystery remains as to how THEIR family bible ended up at The Golden Nugget Flea Market in Lambertville, New Jersey when the family has lived in the Philadelphia / Norristown area for years.........

  I'm so glad that I could be the vessel that brought them all together.

  Ken & Marie plan on giving the bible to their newly married son, Ken, and new daughter-in-law, Jayna, so they can continue to put in their life information where the bible left off........