Sometimes She Took a Lad or Two Home to her Mother

 Uncle Peg’s Chronicles

November 2, 2023

“Sometimes She Took a Lad or Two Home to her Mother”

 

This photo made me smile this week. There were lots of trick or treaters, but I had to choose one. Of course, you can all put your family photos in our group if you like. These lads are the sons of John and Makala (Brignone) Russo, and the grandsons of Joe and Cynthia (Ballantyne) Brignone. They are in the Louisa Ballantyne line.

GRATITUDE

I am grateful to Julia for sending me a research request. I do love my rabbit trails. I think I answered her question further along in this chronicle, in an article about Ella Holmes Underhill.

 

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS (WAS) . . .

 

Pictures snatched without permission.

 

Kennon and Eleanor (Holmes) Wilson are visiting Wyoming, and showed photos of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Lots of snow in the mountains! Eleanor is in the Peter Holmes line.

And Jeff Yee, of the William Holmes line, is golfing in Las Vegas, Nevada, where there is no snow. He’s on the right of the photo.

KATHERINE’S POETRY

(Continued from the chronicle of September 28.) The author, Katherine Eggleston Junkerman Holmes, was the wife of Fenwicke Lindsay Holmes, son of William Nelson Holmes, grandson of Daniel Holmes. I don’t know much about her. She was born in Mississippi in 1874, and married Fenwicke in 1919, becoming a mother to his adopted son, Louis. I don’t know her date of death. The link will take you to a brief biography. William N Holmes line. You can read the short book at

https://archive.org/details/fragranceoflove00junk

 

DRAWN FROM A HAT

Featured this week are Marcia Alexander and Sandra Bannister Wellman. Let me know if you need updating.

I haven’t met Marcia, and I don’t know much about her, but I know where she fits in the family tree. I didn’t have her family completed, so thanks to this little feature, I inserted Marcia and her sisters, Elizabeth and Carol and their families – still need to bring them up to date. She has one more sister, Susie. These four ladies are the daughters of the late David and Constance (Whittier), and in the Peter Ketchum Holmes line. She is married to Joe Alexander and has a son, Joshua.

I met Sandra virtually quite some time ago, and in person at the 2016 reunion. She’s such a pleasant lady. She and her husband, Mark Wellman, are the parents of five grown-up children: Melissa, Keith, Angela, Tanya, and Alecia. Three of those “children” are married and she has five beautiful grandchildren who make her beam with pride. Donna Watson lives with the Wellmans and often accompanies them on outings. You also met Donna in 2016, if you were in Maine with us. Sandra is in the Charles Holmes line.

MY GENEALOGY GOALS

 

• Chronicle several times, and publish on Thursday morning.
• Keep writing my next article for Generations, which is about the will of William Lotham. Francis Holmes is mentioned in his inventory both as owing money and being owed money.
• Continue indexing old New Brunswick obituaries and death notices for the NBGS website project.
• Spend a bit of time on Moore family research.
• Find four two speakers for January to May of 2024, for the genealogy society.
• In the evening, after chores are done, edit the Maggie Holmes and Billy Snider family (second child of Daniel and Charlotte) the same way I did the Louisa, William and Carrie lines. No rush on that.

 

I focused on the October workshop meeting, which went well.

 

 

LOOKING AHEAD

This year, I focused on our 2016 reunion photos for the Facebook page headers. This month’s photo features Kevin J Dropps (1951 – 2021, husband of Heather Holmes of the William N Holmes line. I found him wandering alone, looking intently at the stones. I think it is an appropriate photograph for this month in which we remember. Lest we forget. Kevin and Heather have two children, Laura and Eric, and a grandson, Aden. (Does this need to be updated?)

 

Not sure what I want to focus on next year, but I’m thinking of using the photo of the little ribbon that our predecessors wore for one of the 1920s reunion for the whole year. Maybe weekly or monthly, I’ll focus on an old photo, but not for the headers. Candid shots? Portraits? I’m not sure. But, what I’m sure of is this – I haven’t had any new old shots for a long time. Perhaps some newer folk can help by providing photos of your past family members.

 

Here is Kevin’s obituary.

 

Find a Grave 225405736

Kevin Jon Dropps

APPLETON, ME – Kevin Jon Dropps, 69, formerly of Berkley MA, passed away unexpectedly at his home on Sunday, April 4, 2021 with family at his side.

     Born July 16, 1951 in Anoka, MN to Aden L. and Mildred L (Dennis) Dropps, he was educated in local schools before enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1969 and heading to the Great Lakes Naval Base for initial training

     While serving as an Electronics Technician, Kevin would be stationed at the Quonset Point Naval Air Station in Rhode Island, and the Naval Air Facility on Adak Island, Alaska.

     On February 17, 1974, while still in the Navy, Kevin married the love of his life, Heather Holmes, and together they would live on Adak Island until his honorable discharge in 1975.

     Following his service in the Navy, Kevin began employment with Texas Instruments in Attleboro MA as an Electrical Design Engineer. Texas Instruments would eventually be bought out by Sensata Technologies and Kevin would retire from there in 2017 as a Senior Design Engineer after 41 years, and with several patents to his name.

     While working at Texas Instruments, Kevin attended and graduated from Roger Williams University in 1987.

     Kevin had many interests and hobbies. He especially loved woodworking, was an avid reader, book collector, and was a Ham Radio enthusiast just to name a few.

     He shared many of his skills and talents while a Scout Master in the Boy Scouts of America for well over 20 years. During his time in the Boy Scouts, he was a Vigil Honor Member of the Order of the Arrow and a recipient of the Silver Beaver Award, an award given for exceptional character and distinguished service within a council.

     After retiring from Sensata Technologies, Kevin and Heather moved from their home of 42 years in Berkley MA, to their retirement dream home in Appleton.

     Predeceased by his parents.

A private burial with Military Honors will be held at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne MA with a public memorial and gathering held at a later date.

     In lieu of flowers, donations in Kevin's memory can be made to: Narragansett Council, Boy Scouts of America, PO Box 14777, East Providence, RI 02914. (Please Memo Kevin Dropps Memorial).

 

RESEARCH REQUEST

From time to time, I get a research request from one of you. Thanks to Julia Nolte for asking for help in finding a book. We try, every so often, to figure out who her great-grandfather was. Even after scouring her mother’s DNA test, I am no further ahead. Her great-grandmother, Ella Mae Holmes, gave birth to a daughter, Lillian O, later changed to Lillian Holmes, three years before her marriage to Carl Felt Underhill. Carl adopted Lillian.

Julia Nolte (and three siblings) – Janet Minella and Ralph Nolte – Lillian Holmes Underhill (adopted by Carl Underhill) and Angelo ‘Mac” Minella – Ella Holmes and Carl Felt Underhill – Charles R Holmes and Phoebe McMonagle.

I believe the book is titled “Descendants of Edward Small of New England.” This is the book in three volumes, which I located at Ancestry in one volume. You need a subscription to read it at Ancestry. I have copied the pages that relate to the family. The book is in public domain, and is also available for purchase.

https://www.ancestry.ca/imageviewer/collections/14388/images/dvm_GenMono000511-00003-0?ssrc=&backlabel=Return&pId=1

It may be of interest to all descendants of Ella Mae Holmes, daughter of Charles R Holmes and Phoebe McMonagle, and wife of Carl Felt Underhill. Given her credentials and her knowledge of this family, it is probably accurate, but do your due diligence.

The lady in the photo is the author of the book, Lora Altine (Woodbury) Underhill. Mum was acquainted with Lora’s granddaughter and namesake, Lora Jean Underhill Thornton. She pronounced her name Lo-ra, not like Laura.

If you wish to read the copies from the book, please comment or message me, and I will send you the email. 

 

Mum’s Chums

This is from my memory of Mum telling me the stories over and over again. I hope I do her story justice.

In her late teens, Margaret Holmes left her home on a Hill Grove farm and moved to the big city (relatively big to her) of Moncton. She and some girl friends rented a flat in the east end of the city, sharing it with some rodent tenants. She went to work as a file clerk at the Number Five Supply Depot, and she attended the Highfield Baptist Church. She walked everywhere, except when she took the train back and forth to her Hill Grove home.

Moncton had, at that time, a flight school. Some lads from England were sent here to learn to fly when they enlisted. A few were older and higher ranking, but most were fresh young men straight from their parents’ homes. They sometimes had to go to the supply depot and many of them went to the Highfield Church. Mum and her roommates met many of them, and some of them became friends with whom she corresponded for a time after they went to war. Sometimes she took a lad or two home to her mother, who fed them home-cooked farm fare and gave them a respite from their training. They certainly appreciated that.

She told me that they liked to sing and they liked to doodle. The choir at Highfield grew, but changed often as the soldiers came and went. This period of time in her life was so interesting to her, but sad as well, as we well know how many lost their lives during the second world war. One funny story she told, always with a chuckle, was about a letter she received after one young man left for the war. He apologized, but felt that it was best that they not marry. At no time while he was in Moncton, she said, did the subject of marriage ever come up.

One fellow gave her some of his doodles; it appears to me they involved India. Media was pencil on tissue paper.

 

 

OUR FAMILY HISTORY LESSON

Continued from last week’s chronicle

William Oliver Snider’s Ancestry

I don’t know too much yet about William’s great-grandparents, but they were the immigrant ancestors from Switzerland or Germany.

William Oliver Snider (c. 1827 – 1916) – son of Elias Snider Jr (1782 – 1856) and Deborah Ketchum – son of Elias Snider Sr (1754 – 1811) – son of Johann Jacob Schneider and Mary Magdalena Lang (baptized c. 1732). Johann was the son of Christian Schneider and Mary was the daughter of Elias Lang – and that is where the name Elias came from.

Johann ‘Jacob’ Schneider and Mary Magdalena Lang had the following sons and daughters. The dates should all be considered circa for now. I have taken them from a source that recommends that they be verified and Find a Grave, which differs for some. All were born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. All came to New Brunswick except Christian, who stayed in Pennsylvania. Martin later went to Ontario.

Martin 1753 – 1828

Elias Sr 1754 – 1811

Christian 1756 – 1827

Baultus 1757 - 1809

Peter 1758 – 1830

Barbara 1762 –

Mary 1764 - 1855

Jacob 1773 - 1854

 

Martin, Elias, Christian, Baltus and Peter all fought in the Revolutionary War, and all survived. War sometimes breaks up families, and in the Schneider/Snider family, Christion took the side of the independants; the rest were loyal to the king.

William, who I fondly refer to as Uncle Billy as I never heard him called anything else, married Margaret Eliza Holmes, our Aunt Maggie. Margaret was the second child of Daniel and Charlotte Holmes.

I knew that they were related to each other, so I delved into that. How closely were they related? Not quite so close as our mutual ancestors, Captain Isaac Ketchum and Mary Elizabeth Ketchum.

Now I know we can sort of legitimately call them Uncle Billy and Aunt Maggie – even though they aren’t our uncle and aunt. Maggie is my great-great aunt; Billy is my third cousin five times removed. I think. So, if you are the great-grandchild of Daniel and Charlotte (Hoyt) Holmes, like I am, you would be the same.

This is my last find for Elias Snider Sr, grandfather of Elias Snider Jr, father and grandfather of Uncle Billy, aka William Oliver Snider. I found it at Ancestry under US Census Reconstructed Records, 1660 – 1820. I found earlier that Christian joined the other side, and lived out his life in the USA. I’d like to see this actual record.

Name	Elias Snyder
Gender	M (Male)
Additional Remarks	Petition, Nov 1777, to Governor William Livingston and the Legislative Council of New Jersey from inhabitants of Pennsylvania seeking a pardon for Elias Snyder, Martin Snyder, Christeon Snyder & Peter Snyder “Brothers & Residents of the sd State of Pennsylvania”. They “were apprehended in the State of New Jersey with James Iliff & others in attempting an Escape to the Enemy–And whereas the sd Elias, Martin, Christeon & Peter are now all under Sentence of Death for their Offence afsd & condemned to be hanged as Traitors to their Country on the Second Day of December next “Your Petitioners/Neighbors of the sd Convicts/ pitying the Distress of their aged Parents–moved with Compassion for the Sorrows & afflictions of the Wife & innocent Children of Elias Snyder–Charitably considering the tender Years of the other Brothers the Eldest not more than twenty two–do most humbly represent . . . “That the Father of the sd Convicts has always sustained the Character of an honest, sober, upright & industrious Man–That his unhappy Children the sd Convicts have always, before this fatal wicked Measure, conducted themselves like prudent modest Young Men–And that your Petitioners are convinced they were unadvisedly drawn into this Treason by the Devices & Delusions of bad Council & of wicked Men”.
State	Pennsylvania
Residence Year	1780