I remember "oleo". I was born during the depression and was a kid during WWII. We bought this mixture at the store. It consisted of a pound of lard(?) and a button that contained yellow stuff (must have been food coloring). My job was to mix the two together to make it look like butter. (no butter during the war) Then we called it oleo. Anyone else remember this? We had a refigerator but also had an ice box for "extras". We loved it in the summer when the ice man came and we could get bits of ice off of his wagon.. We got presents twice a year - birthday and Christmas. Nothing in between. Not like today's kids. Christmas was a religious holiday for us. We had an advent wreath which marked the weeks until the baby Jesus came. The nativity was put up early in December with every one arranged except the baby Jesus. If we were good all day we got to put straw in the manger so He would have a soft bed when He arrived on Christmas eve night. Jesus always left us a book Christmas morning. I still have a few a these books that I received. We had one exciting trip during the holidays. The whole family got dressed up and off we'd go. It seemed like it took forever although it was only 25 miles. A large, upscale department store in a near by city had wonderful window displays that moved and were pure magic. Santa was there too to hold us on his lap and listen to our wish list. There was a special store within the store for "kids only". Parents had to wait out side. For a dollar you could get four gifts for your family. It took us forever to pick just the right presents!Then we got to eat out - a rare treat for us. On Christmas eve we went to mid-night mass and then fell sound asleep even though we had planned to stay awake to see Santa have our milk and cookies. Most of our gifts were clothes but our parents always made sure we got a few toys. My mom always made cinnamon apples for Christmas. Does anyone know how to make these? She cooked a syrup of water, sugar and red hots (and maybe something else?) and put peeled whole apples in this syrup and cooked the apples. They came out a pretty red color and had a cinnamon taste. She served them cold on a lettuce leaf on a salad plate. Wish I knew how to make them. Any ideas? You can tell I am not a very good cook. :-) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Julie" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, December 10, 2007 1:04 PM Subject: [VASHENAN] Catching up on things > my grandfather called margarine, Oleo - he was born in Wisconsin, and grew > up in Iowa, and eventually moved to Chicago. > > > > > --------------------------------- > Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! > Search. > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message

You don't know what red hots are!!! Those little red cinnamon flavored candies you used to eat when you went to the movies. Actually I ate something else but some had these. Barbara At 02:52 PM 12/10/07, you wrote: >I've been hoping someone would come up with the recipe for those cinnamon >apples - sounded soooooo delicious - but, what are "red hots"? Please let >me know. Thanks. > >-----Original Message----- >From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] >On Behalf Of ROBT W AMES >Sent: Monday, December 10, 2007 4:10 PM >To: [email protected] >Subject: Cinnamon > >My mother also made cinnamon apples, her's went like this: core apples, >leave skins on, put red hots, simple syrup, (1 cup sugar, 1 cup water bring >to boil and cook 5 minutes) pour on apples and bake till apples are tender >in a 350 degrees. Last 5 minutes put marshmellows on top, bake about 5 >minutes more or until marshmellows are melted. This made 6 large apples > >In my old age I still call the refridgerator the ice box and my kids do it >sometimes also. What about " washateria" instead of Laundromat? > >----- Original Message ----- >From: CA HACKER >Sent: Monday, December 10, 2007 1:07 PM >To: [email protected] >Subject: Re: [VASHENAN] Catching up on things > >I remember "oleo". I was born during the depression and was a kid during >WWII. >We bought this mixture at the store. It consisted of a pound of lard(?) and > >a button that contained yellow stuff (must have been food coloring). My job > >was to mix the two together to make it look like butter. (no butter during >the war) Then we called it oleo. Anyone else remember this? >We had a refigerator but also had an ice box for "extras". We loved it in >the summer when the ice man came and we could get bits of ice off of his >wagon.. >We got presents twice a year - birthday and Christmas. Nothing in between >Not like today's kids. >Christmas was a religious holiday for us. We had an advent wreath which >marked the weeks until the baby Jesus came. The nativity was put up early in > >December with every one arranged except the baby Jesus. If we were good all > >day we got to put straw in the manger so He would have a soft bed when He >arrived on Christmas eve night. Jesus always left us a book Christmas >morning. I still have a few a these books that I received. >We had one exciting trip during the holidays. The whole family got dressed >up and off we'd go. It seemed like it took forever although it was only 25 >miles. A large, upscale department store in a near by city had wonderful >window displays that moved and were pure magic. Santa was there too to hold > >us on his lap and listen to our wish list. There was a special store within > >the store for "kids only". Parents had to wait out side. For a dollar you >could get four gifts for your family. It took us forever to pick just the >right presents!Then we got to eat out - a rare treat for us. >On Christmas eve we went to mid-night mass and then fell sound asleep even >though we had planned to stay awake to see Santa have our milk and cookies. >Most of our gifts were clothes but our parents always made sure we got a few > >toys. >My mom always made cinnamon apples for Christmas. >Does anyone know how to make these? She cooked a syrup of water, sugar and >red hots (and maybe something else?) and put peeled whole apples in this >syrup and cooked the apples. They came out a pretty red color and had a >cinnamon taste. She served them cold on a lettuce leaf on a salad plate. >Wish I knew how to make them. Any ideas? You can tell I am not a very good >cook. :-) > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Julie" <[email protected]> >To: <[email protected]> >Sent: Monday, December 10, 2007 1:04 PM >Subject: [VASHENAN] Catching up on things > > > > my grandfather called margarine, Oleo - he was born in Wisconsin, and grew > > > up in Iowa, and eventually moved to Chicago. > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! > > Search. > > > > ------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > >------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >[email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes >in the subject and the body of the message > >------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >[email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes >in the subject and the body of the message > > >------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >[email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >quotes in the subject and the body of the message

My mother also made cinnamon apples, her's went like this: core apples, leave skins on, put red hots, simple syrup, (1 cup sugar, 1 cup water bring to boil and cook 5 minutes) pour on apples and bake till apples are tender in a 350 degrees. Last 5 minutes put marshmellows on top, bake about 5 minutes more or until marshmellows are melted. This made 6 large apples In my old age I still call the refridgerator the ice box and my kids do it sometimes also. What about " washateria" instead of Laundromat? ----- Original Message ----- From: CA HACKER Sent: Monday, December 10, 2007 1:07 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [VASHENAN] Catching up on things I remember "oleo". I was born during the depression and was a kid during WWII. We bought this mixture at the store. It consisted of a pound of lard(?) and a button that contained yellow stuff (must have been food coloring). My job was to mix the two together to make it look like butter. (no butter during the war) Then we called it oleo. Anyone else remember this? We had a refigerator but also had an ice box for "extras". We loved it in the summer when the ice man came and we could get bits of ice off of his wagon.. We got presents twice a year - birthday and Christmas. Nothing in between Not like today's kids. Christmas was a religious holiday for us. We had an advent wreath which marked the weeks until the baby Jesus came. The nativity was put up early in December with every one arranged except the baby Jesus. If we were good all day we got to put straw in the manger so He would have a soft bed when He arrived on Christmas eve night. Jesus always left us a book Christmas morning. I still have a few a these books that I received. We had one exciting trip during the holidays. The whole family got dressed up and off we'd go. It seemed like it took forever although it was only 25 miles. A large, upscale department store in a near by city had wonderful window displays that moved and were pure magic. Santa was there too to hold us on his lap and listen to our wish list. There was a special store within the store for "kids only". Parents had to wait out side. For a dollar you could get four gifts for your family. It took us forever to pick just the right presents!Then we got to eat out - a rare treat for us. On Christmas eve we went to mid-night mass and then fell sound asleep even though we had planned to stay awake to see Santa have our milk and cookies. Most of our gifts were clothes but our parents always made sure we got a few toys. My mom always made cinnamon apples for Christmas. Does anyone know how to make these? She cooked a syrup of water, sugar and red hots (and maybe something else?) and put peeled whole apples in this syrup and cooked the apples. They came out a pretty red color and had a cinnamon taste. She served them cold on a lettuce leaf on a salad plate. Wish I knew how to make them. Any ideas? You can tell I am not a very good cook. :-) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Julie" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, December 10, 2007 1:04 PM Subject: [VASHENAN] Catching up on things > my grandfather called margarine, Oleo - he was born in Wisconsin, and grew > up in Iowa, and eventually moved to Chicago. > > > > > --------------------------------- > Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! > Search. > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

my grandfather called margarine, Oleo - he was born in Wisconsin, and grew up in Iowa, and eventually moved to Chicago. Julie in CA Pat Shelton <[email protected]> wrote: Don, Patricia, and everyone, Oh, gosh, I still say "pocketbook", and didn't know it showed my provinciality! My husband asked me for something tonight and that's where I told him it was --in my "pocketbook". Both my parents carry "billfolds", and if they were going to drive somewhere they had to have their "permits". "Filling station" is more familiar to me than "service station". Is that Valley-speak? My mother never says "Route 11", it's "Number 11". I love this sort of thing, and it will be a sad day when we all sound alike. Along this same vein: As a child, I would drop in to visit my grandmother in Hawkinstown. If she wasn't around, I would call for her. She would always answer back with "who-o-o-o-o-o-o". Is anyone familiar with that response? She spent her married life in Mt. Jackson, but grew up in Fort Valley. Pat Shelton --------------------------------- Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search.

Don, Patricia, and everyone, Oh, gosh, I still say "pocketbook", and didn't know it showed my provinciality! My husband asked me for something tonight and that's where I told him it was --in my "pocketbook". Both my parents carry "billfolds", and if they were going to drive somewhere they had to have their "permits". "Filling station" is more familiar to me than "service station". Is that Valley-speak? My mother never says "Route 11", it's "Number 11". I love this sort of thing, and it will be a sad day when we all sound alike. Along this same vein: As a child, I would drop in to visit my grandmother in Hawkinstown. If she wasn't around, I would call for her. She would always answer back with "who-o-o-o-o-o-o". Is anyone familiar with that response? She spent her married life in Mt. Jackson, but grew up in Fort Valley. Pat Shelton ----- Original Message ----- From: "Patricia M. Ginalick" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, December 09, 2007 5:08 PM Subject: Re: [VASHENAN] Catching up on things > Don, > > The more you type the more I remember! > > My grandmother called thunderstorms "electrical storms" and she had the > same > reaction your grandmother did. All electrical devices were "cut off" and > no > one was allowed to sit near windows which of course were closed and drapes > pulled shut as we sweltered on those hot summer afternoons. We weren't > allowed to be near the kitchen sink or in the bathtub and the telephone > was > off limits. > > Mashed potatoes? I use a hand masher in honor of my grandmother to this > date! Butter? My grandmother made them with butter AND half 'n half > (which > was a staple in her "ice box" as well as cream). > > Until the day my grandmother died the refrigerator was called the ice box > and a gas station a filling station. Not long ago while at a friend's > home > I commented about my "pocketbook" and the friend who claims to be a local > dialect expert said she could tell I had family who were from VA. My > grandmother also carried a "change purse" and my grandfather carried a > "bill > fold." I hear my grandmother's way of speaking more and more in my mother > (who is now 80 yrs old) as well as my sister and I and to a degree my own > daughters. > > When my great grandfather (Lemuel Ortt) became to old to live by himself > in > Mt. Jackson my grandmother loaded us into her old black Chevrolet > (probably > a 1945 or so) and we drove to pick him up and return with him to live with > my grandparents. He wore "long johns" year round and slept with the > bedroom > window open in the dead of winter. If only.....if only I had asked as > many > questions as possible about our family history - but I was just a small > child. > > The route we took from DC to Mt. Jackson was much different than today's > route. We drove through the city to northern VA - taking route 7 west to > Winchester and then the "valley pike" south to Mt. Jackson for what seemed > like forever. My mother recalls the same ride during her own childhood > when > the family would return to Mt. Jackson for regular family gatherings as > well > as funerals. I remember the apple orchards and small towns that pretty > much > look unchanged as I drive around the area these days. > > Your shared memories have given me much food for thought on this rainy > Sunday afternoon and I plan to head to the kitchen to finish dinner and > think about all the family times we spent on our front porch..... > > Patricia > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > On Behalf Of Don Silvius > Sent: Sunday, December 09, 2007 1:34 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [VASHENAN] Catching up on things > > Patricia, > > You reminded me of a couple things - one other reason people migrated > north > into eastern WV - B&O Railroad. There were two roundhouses and shops in > Martinsburg - also the Pennsylvania Railroad and its predecessor, the > Cumberland Valley Railroad. It was quite the rail center. The B&O > Roundhouse complex is being restored and is one of THE most photographed > sites in the Shenandoah Valley - I would bet the farm on that! > > Also, I remember grapefruits, oranges, hard candies, chocolates, apples, > nuts, those orange-flavored jelly sugar-coated pieces of candy, etc., > being > handed out at church programs - and best of all - of all the things I have > ever eaten in my life, best of all was my grandma's buttery and lumpy > mashed > potatoes (mashed by hand even though she had an electric mixer). Every > time > I eat mashed potatoes, that is the standard by which they are measured - > and > butter has cholesterol in it, but it sure tastes good! > > In my grandma's kitchen was a wood fueled stove on which she cooked until > the last time she ever cooked - and on the other side of the kitchen was > an > unused electric range. Only when her health had failed her and she was in > her last months do I ever recall that electric range being used, and then, > not by her, but by my aunts. I also remember an old "pie safe" that she > had > - and used - the old style bowls and plates she had that I now see in > antique shops. My grandfather always drank Pepsi and Mountain Dew in the > 16 > ounce returnable bottles and when I see these in antique shops I am also > reminded of my grandparents and their old-fashioned ways. Water came from > the pump outside and yes, there was an outhouse out back complete with > Spiegel catalogs for reading material! My grandma was so afraid of > thunderstorms that whenever she heard thunder, she unplugged everything > electric in the house, if it couldn't be unplugged it was turned off, the > windows were closed and the blinds were drawn, the doors were closed and > locked - and many of you know how plentiful our Shenandoah Valley > thunderstorms can be! The more I type, the more I remember! > > I am no expert on the subject by any means, but I think these are the > stories that need to be recorded for our descendants. My grandparents > were > deeply religious people - and in such a way as we do not see today. They > were raised in an environment where community life revolved around the > church. Schools and churches were bound so tightly together that they > often > met in the same buildings. Of course, you can't even say a prayer in a > school today, but when I was in school, and I'm sure most of you were the > same - we started the day with a prayer and the pledge to the flag. > > Until about the 1970s, we were, at least in rural America, a front porch > society. If you visited someone's house, you ended up sitting on the > front > porch drinking iced tea or lemonade and talking. Now, we start and end > our > visits in front of the TV. > > Thanks for your contributions to the thread, it all goes to the list's > archives, which are searchable. > > Don > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > On Behalf Of Patricia M. Ginalick > Sent: Sunday, December 09, 2007 10:56 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [VASHENAN] Catching up on things > > Don, > > Thanks for all your hard work. I've been utilizing the website for a few > years now. It became a starting point for research on my maternal > grandmother's family (Ortt/Wellard in the Forestville and Mt. Jackson > areas). > > We had family living in Shenandoah Junction, WV (Jefferson County) area in > the 1920's. My paternal grandfather (married Gladys Ortt from Mt. > Jackson) > was born in Harpers Ferry and his father was working at that time with the > railroad. I believe my relatives living in Jefferson County were working > in > some capacity with the rail system. We also had family who lived in > Shepherdstown during the Civil War as my great great grandfather was > pastor > of the New Street Methodist Church (Rev. William G. Coe). I discovered > this > information when I lived in Shepherdstown myself in the 1970's and 1980's. > > The descriptions of your family Christmas celebrations are similar to my > childhood ones. My grandmother - Gladys Ortt Coe - from Mt. Jackson was > definitely the "ring leader" and put many of our traditions in place. We > also had the Christmas Eve celebrations with the entire family present. > There was music playing and parents actually "rocking" around the > Christmas > tree just like Brenda Lee described in her 1950's era song. Santa > decorated > our tree when he dropped off our toys. My father would string the lights > but the ornaments, candy canes and spray snow were always applied by > Santa. > We always had an orange and nuts in the toe of our stocking in addition to > toys under the tree. Christmas Day meant more visiting and dinner at one > home with the dining table extended to the maximum and the entire family > at > the table (no kid's table allowed). My Mt. Jackson grandmother prepared > so > much food and always had both turkey and ham. I remember a dessert she > called "Ice Box Cake" which was chocolate and angle food cake based. We > thought of her as the best cook in the family and she'd tell us it was > because of her "up in the country" upbringing. Oh....and there was always > some dessert item with coconut. > > Once again....thanks for your hard work and inspiration to pursue my own > intricate family lines. Best holiday wishes to everyone. > > Patricia Ginalick (Mt. Airy, MD) > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes > in the subject and the body of the message > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >

Tom, According to Lake's 1885 Atlas of Shenandoah and Page Counties which includes a street map of New Market, Solomon Henkel owned lot 60, but the atlas does not name the ownerof lot 62. A dwelling is shown to be on that lot.. The lots were on Lime Street, which is now Cadet Road/St (?). That street is one block west of New Market's main street which is Congress St. I've also wondered where Rockingham Co. stopped and Shenandoah began back in the old days. I encountered problems when researching my Phillips family from that area. Pat Shelton ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gerald Spore" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, December 09, 2007 7:43 PM Subject: Re: [VASHENAN] New Market > Tom, > I recently purchased a 731-page book that I have found helpful in my VA > and TN research. It is "The Lutheran Church in Virginia 1717-1962" by > William Edward Eisenberg, 1967. It contains a chapter entitled > "Missionary Ministry of Paul Henkel". Quoting from that chapter: > > "For a year (1783-84) Henkel and his family lived at Shepherdstown. > Then for five years they resided at The Forest in Shenandoah. The first > of the extended journeys away from home was made to North Carolina in > 1785. The move to New Market took place in 1790, and New Market became > the chief base of operations for missionary activities, as well as > Henkel's principal residence, for the rest of his life.---" > Jerry Spore > > > > > On Sun, 9 Dec 2007 14:23:56 -0800 "Tom Chapman" <[email protected]> > writes: >> All this traffic today reminded me that I have a couple questions to >> ask: >> >> 1. If a person that is known to have lived in the New Market area >> is >> described in a 1796 document as being from Rockingham, where is the >> likeliest place he would have lived. Perhaps Timberville? >> >> 2. My ancestor owned and sold two lots (60 and 62) in New Market >> in >> that same period, although he apparently did not live there. Is it >> possible that lots in New Market were purchased as investments and >> changed hands frequently? >> >> 3. My ancestor is described as a "neighbor" in a journal written >> by >> Rev. Paul Henkel. Does anybody know specifically where Henkel >> lived >> around 1795? >> >> Tom Chapman >> >> P.S. By the way (Don) I'm a Silvis descendant - of Armstrong >> County, >> PA. However, the subject ancestor is "Rickard." >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without >> the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> >> > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >

Tom, I recently purchased a 731-page book that I have found helpful in my VA and TN research. It is "The Lutheran Church in Virginia 1717-1962" by William Edward Eisenberg, 1967. It contains a chapter entitled "Missionary Ministry of Paul Henkel". Quoting from that chapter: "For a year (1783-84) Henkel and his family lived at Shepherdstown. Then for five years they resided at The Forest in Shenandoah. The first of the extended journeys away from home was made to North Carolina in 1785. The move to New Market took place in 1790, and New Market became the chief base of operations for missionary activities, as well as Henkel's principal residence, for the rest of his life.---" Jerry Spore On Sun, 9 Dec 2007 14:23:56 -0800 "Tom Chapman" <[email protected]> writes: > All this traffic today reminded me that I have a couple questions to > ask: > > 1. If a person that is known to have lived in the New Market area > is > described in a 1796 document as being from Rockingham, where is the > likeliest place he would have lived. Perhaps Timberville? > > 2. My ancestor owned and sold two lots (60 and 62) in New Market > in > that same period, although he apparently did not live there. Is it > possible that lots in New Market were purchased as investments and > changed hands frequently? > > 3. My ancestor is described as a "neighbor" in a journal written > by > Rev. Paul Henkel. Does anybody know specifically where Henkel > lived > around 1795? > > Tom Chapman > > P.S. By the way (Don) I'm a Silvis descendant - of Armstrong > County, > PA. However, the subject ancestor is "Rickard." > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >

Nancy, Here's the Ice Box Cake recipe from my Mt. Jackson grandmother. Angel Food Ice Box Cake 1 large angel food cake (I remember my grandmother making her own and cooling it inverted over a Canada Dry ginger ale bottle but these days I buy one ready made from the grocery store) 2 squares unsweetened chocolate 1 6 oz. pkg chocolate chips 10 T. sugar Pinch salt 4 eggs separated 1 pt whipping cream 2 1/2 tsp vanilla Cut cake into squares and spread in bottom of 9 X 11 baking dish. In double boiler melt unsweetened chocolate and chocolate chips, sugar, and salt. Cool slightly and add 4 slightly beaten egg yolks. Beat egg whites and fold into chocolate mixture. Beat whipping cream and vanilla and fold into egg white/chocolate mixture. Pour half over angel food cake squares and allow to soak into cake then cover with remaining chocolate mixture. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. (Note: I increase the chocolate portion by 50% which makes a deeper serving) Thanks for the ice box cookie recipe. Plan to add it to the family Christmas dinner menu. Reading your cooking memories makes me want to get up from the computer and finish dinner! Enjoy your visit to Shepherdstown. My daughter and I will be spending a day there before Christmas as a yearly tradition of ours. The Lutheran Church is beautiful this time of year. Patricia Ginalick Mt. Airy, MD -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Nancy Shrum Sent: Sunday, December 09, 2007 1:31 PM To: VASHENAN group Subject: [VASHENAN] Thanks for updates and memories/sharing Fort ValleyBaking Memories Thanks, Don, for updating us on the Website and your book about Inwood. Also, thanks to Patricia Ginalick (Mt. Airy, MD). I love your parts of the country and will be heading to Shepherdstown this coming Sat evening for my great niece's wedding. Amy Custer will become Mrs. "Jay" Blue at the Lutheran Church. Can't wait and hoping the weather will be nice. Then they are having a sit down meal with the reception at the Fire Hall. I always look forward to the good food and fellowship with family and friends. Patricia, you mentioned an Ice Box Cake recipe. Do you have the recipe to share? Made me think of an old Ice Box Cookie recipe. Including some of my own baking memories from old Fort Valley in Shenandoah County. I shared this with the Shenandoah Valley Herald this week for their special cookie recipe edition. They asked for recipes, memories and photos. Fort Valley Baking Memories, circa 1950 Nostalgia takes me back to the old log home place in the Fort Valley mountains on a cold winter day. Mom has the wood cookstove fired up just right, and is wearing her feedsack apron and everyday dress. There is a tiny lamb snuggled up on a rag rug behind the stove. Mom is nursing it back to health while she does her baking and cooking. Aromas of breakfast linger in the kitchen from the fried side meat and biscuts baked earlier. Handed down recipes are written in her old composition notebook, but Mom has most of them in her head. She has seven sisters, and they all share a love of preparing tasty food. Her mother, Grandma Bessie Clem, is still living at the old Daniel Clem house 10 miles to the south of us in the quaint valley, here in 1950. No doubt, she's baking in her kitchen, too. One of Mom's older sisters, Aunt Isabel Ritenour, lives right up over the road from us, and is more like a grandmother to me. Her homey kitchen is always inviting. We're connected with the old party line if someone forgets an ingredient, or I can just run up over the hill. Aunt Isa has fresh milk. We don't as the milk cow almost killed mom, and she doesn't bother to milk anymore. Mom and Daddy worked as cooks on a camp car on the B and O Railroad for the Western Union after the Great Flood of 1936 up around MD or WV. They cooked for the men who were rebuilding the telegraph lines. Mom cooked and baked for many folks, including her own family of six later on. Daddy was in the CCC camp at Camp Roosevelt before their marriage in 1934. He made some money to send home to his mother so she could help feed that side of the family following the Great Depression. Grandma Sue (nee Ritenour) Grandstaff made the best sugar cookies, and kept them in a round tin on top of the pie safe in the dining room. Mom always said the Ritenour's were "rich" cooks. "Rich" meaning high in fat is my guess. Mom was raised on a large self sufficient farm with all those Clem sisters and four brothers. They all had their chores, and made the best of what they had. They shared with neighbors, no doubt some of Grandma Bessie's bread and cookies, too. Now back to 1950, Mom has fresh eggs from the chicken house, and cracks three into the old stoneware mixing bowl after the butter has melted and the brown sugar is stirred in. She lets me help. Says I can stir with the wooden spoon. We're making Ice Box Cookies. I barely remember in 1947 when we got electricity and along with it came our first refrigerator- - -no ice box anymore!!! This time we will add some long walnut (butternut) kernels to the cookie dough. (We had a tree of them down beside Passage Creek, and cracked some in the fall/winter along with black walnuts.) Mom adds baking soda, cream tartar, vanilla and enough flour to make the dough stiff. We roll the dough into logs on waxed paper on the oil cloth covering the round oak table. Leaving them in the wax paper we put them in the refrigerator to get hard enough so we can slice them. Sometimes, we leave them overnight. Then we slice the cookies from the roll, place them on cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees. Mom says that if a recipe doesn't have a temperature written down, just use 350. She bakes the communion bread for the Oak Hill Church of the Brethren for the Love Feast, also . Makes extra for us to eat at home, and gives to others to take home with them. I think she adds sugar to her recipe making it more tasty. Mom always said that she was "drinking from her saucer because her cup overflowed". No doubt she is up there in Heaven dunking some of those ice box cookies and communion bread in her coffee and sharing with her family and everyone that she can. What a Love Feast that must be!!! Now, here I sit in 2007, a crafty 63 yr old homemaker. The old oak table from home stands in my kitchen, and is covered with recipes and cookies. Some cookies are drying out to become Christmas tree ornaments, and waiting to be painted. This is my therapy for five broken bones in my left wrist and right hand in the last year or so. Mom's presence is felt as I work alone, and my Massanutten Mountain heritage is evident as I focus on memories of old times, wonderful family get-togethers, and delicious recipes. Mom's Icebox Cookies 1/2 c. butter 2 c. brown sugar, packed 3 eggs, well beaten 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. cream tartar 1 tsp. vanilla 3-4 c. flour (enough to make the dough stiff) 1 c. chopped nuts Mix all ingredients together. Roll into 1 1/2 inch rolls with waxed paper. Refrigerate for a couple of hrs or overnight. Cut into 1/4-1/2 inch slices. Bake at 350 degrees for at least 10 minutes. Dough can be prepared in advance and frozen until needed. Sometimes, Mom used coconut instead of nuts. Nancy Grandstaff Shrum Woodstock, VA "Shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life......." Phil 2:15, 16 NIV ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Don, The more you type the more I remember! My grandmother called thunderstorms "electrical storms" and she had the same reaction your grandmother did. All electrical devices were "cut off" and no one was allowed to sit near windows which of course were closed and drapes pulled shut as we sweltered on those hot summer afternoons. We weren't allowed to be near the kitchen sink or in the bathtub and the telephone was off limits. Mashed potatoes? I use a hand masher in honor of my grandmother to this date! Butter? My grandmother made them with butter AND half 'n half (which was a staple in her "ice box" as well as cream). Until the day my grandmother died the refrigerator was called the ice box and a gas station a filling station. Not long ago while at a friend's home I commented about my "pocketbook" and the friend who claims to be a local dialect expert said she could tell I had family who were from VA. My grandmother also carried a "change purse" and my grandfather carried a "bill fold." I hear my grandmother's way of speaking more and more in my mother (who is now 80 yrs old) as well as my sister and I and to a degree my own daughters. When my great grandfather (Lemuel Ortt) became to old to live by himself in Mt. Jackson my grandmother loaded us into her old black Chevrolet (probably a 1945 or so) and we drove to pick him up and return with him to live with my grandparents. He wore "long johns" year round and slept with the bedroom window open in the dead of winter. If only.....if only I had asked as many questions as possible about our family history - but I was just a small child. The route we took from DC to Mt. Jackson was much different than today's route. We drove through the city to northern VA - taking route 7 west to Winchester and then the "valley pike" south to Mt. Jackson for what seemed like forever. My mother recalls the same ride during her own childhood when the family would return to Mt. Jackson for regular family gatherings as well as funerals. I remember the apple orchards and small towns that pretty much look unchanged as I drive around the area these days. Your shared memories have given me much food for thought on this rainy Sunday afternoon and I plan to head to the kitchen to finish dinner and think about all the family times we spent on our front porch..... Patricia -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Don Silvius Sent: Sunday, December 09, 2007 1:34 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [VASHENAN] Catching up on things Patricia, You reminded me of a couple things - one other reason people migrated north into eastern WV - B&O Railroad. There were two roundhouses and shops in Martinsburg - also the Pennsylvania Railroad and its predecessor, the Cumberland Valley Railroad. It was quite the rail center. The B&O Roundhouse complex is being restored and is one of THE most photographed sites in the Shenandoah Valley - I would bet the farm on that! Also, I remember grapefruits, oranges, hard candies, chocolates, apples, nuts, those orange-flavored jelly sugar-coated pieces of candy, etc., being handed out at church programs - and best of all - of all the things I have ever eaten in my life, best of all was my grandma's buttery and lumpy mashed potatoes (mashed by hand even though she had an electric mixer). Every time I eat mashed potatoes, that is the standard by which they are measured - and butter has cholesterol in it, but it sure tastes good! In my grandma's kitchen was a wood fueled stove on which she cooked until the last time she ever cooked - and on the other side of the kitchen was an unused electric range. Only when her health had failed her and she was in her last months do I ever recall that electric range being used, and then, not by her, but by my aunts. I also remember an old "pie safe" that she had - and used - the old style bowls and plates she had that I now see in antique shops. My grandfather always drank Pepsi and Mountain Dew in the 16 ounce returnable bottles and when I see these in antique shops I am also reminded of my grandparents and their old-fashioned ways. Water came from the pump outside and yes, there was an outhouse out back complete with Spiegel catalogs for reading material! My grandma was so afraid of thunderstorms that whenever she heard thunder, she unplugged everything electric in the house, if it couldn't be unplugged it was turned off, the windows were closed and the blinds were drawn, the doors were closed and locked - and many of you know how plentiful our Shenandoah Valley thunderstorms can be! The more I type, the more I remember! I am no expert on the subject by any means, but I think these are the stories that need to be recorded for our descendants. My grandparents were deeply religious people - and in such a way as we do not see today. They were raised in an environment where community life revolved around the church. Schools and churches were bound so tightly together that they often met in the same buildings. Of course, you can't even say a prayer in a school today, but when I was in school, and I'm sure most of you were the same - we started the day with a prayer and the pledge to the flag. Until about the 1970s, we were, at least in rural America, a front porch society. If you visited someone's house, you ended up sitting on the front porch drinking iced tea or lemonade and talking. Now, we start and end our visits in front of the TV. Thanks for your contributions to the thread, it all goes to the list's archives, which are searchable. Don -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Patricia M. Ginalick Sent: Sunday, December 09, 2007 10:56 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [VASHENAN] Catching up on things Don, Thanks for all your hard work. I've been utilizing the website for a few years now. It became a starting point for research on my maternal grandmother's family (Ortt/Wellard in the Forestville and Mt. Jackson areas). We had family living in Shenandoah Junction, WV (Jefferson County) area in the 1920's. My paternal grandfather (married Gladys Ortt from Mt. Jackson) was born in Harpers Ferry and his father was working at that time with the railroad. I believe my relatives living in Jefferson County were working in some capacity with the rail system. We also had family who lived in Shepherdstown during the Civil War as my great great grandfather was pastor of the New Street Methodist Church (Rev. William G. Coe). I discovered this information when I lived in Shepherdstown myself in the 1970's and 1980's. The descriptions of your family Christmas celebrations are similar to my childhood ones. My grandmother - Gladys Ortt Coe - from Mt. Jackson was definitely the "ring leader" and put many of our traditions in place. We also had the Christmas Eve celebrations with the entire family present. There was music playing and parents actually "rocking" around the Christmas tree just like Brenda Lee described in her 1950's era song. Santa decorated our tree when he dropped off our toys. My father would string the lights but the ornaments, candy canes and spray snow were always applied by Santa. We always had an orange and nuts in the toe of our stocking in addition to toys under the tree. Christmas Day meant more visiting and dinner at one home with the dining table extended to the maximum and the entire family at the table (no kid's table allowed). My Mt. Jackson grandmother prepared so much food and always had both turkey and ham. I remember a dessert she called "Ice Box Cake" which was chocolate and angle food cake based. We thought of her as the best cook in the family and she'd tell us it was because of her "up in the country" upbringing. Oh....and there was always some dessert item with coconut. Once again....thanks for your hard work and inspiration to pursue my own intricate family lines. Best holiday wishes to everyone. Patricia Ginalick (Mt. Airy, MD) ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

All this traffic today reminded me that I have a couple questions to ask: 1. If a person that is known to have lived in the New Market area is described in a 1796 document as being from Rockingham, where is the likeliest place he would have lived. Perhaps Timberville? 2. My ancestor owned and sold two lots (60 and 62) in New Market in that same period, although he apparently did not live there. Is it possible that lots in New Market were purchased as investments and changed hands frequently? 3. My ancestor is described as a "neighbor" in a journal written by Rev. Paul Henkel. Does anybody know specifically where Henkel lived around 1795? Tom Chapman P.S. By the way (Don) I'm a Silvis descendant - of Armstrong County, PA. However, the subject ancestor is "Rickard."

Patricia, You reminded me of a couple things - one other reason people migrated north into eastern WV - B&O Railroad. There were two roundhouses and shops in Martinsburg - also the Pennsylvania Railroad and its predecessor, the Cumberland Valley Railroad. It was quite the rail center. The B&O Roundhouse complex is being restored and is one of THE most photographed sites in the Shenandoah Valley - I would bet the farm on that! Also, I remember grapefruits, oranges, hard candies, chocolates, apples, nuts, those orange-flavored jelly sugar-coated pieces of candy, etc., being handed out at church programs - and best of all - of all the things I have ever eaten in my life, best of all was my grandma's buttery and lumpy mashed potatoes (mashed by hand even though she had an electric mixer). Every time I eat mashed potatoes, that is the standard by which they are measured - and butter has cholesterol in it, but it sure tastes good! In my grandma's kitchen was a wood fueled stove on which she cooked until the last time she ever cooked - and on the other side of the kitchen was an unused electric range. Only when her health had failed her and she was in her last months do I ever recall that electric range being used, and then, not by her, but by my aunts. I also remember an old "pie safe" that she had - and used - the old style bowls and plates she had that I now see in antique shops. My grandfather always drank Pepsi and Mountain Dew in the 16 ounce returnable bottles and when I see these in antique shops I am also reminded of my grandparents and their old-fashioned ways. Water came from the pump outside and yes, there was an outhouse out back complete with Spiegel catalogs for reading material! My grandma was so afraid of thunderstorms that whenever she heard thunder, she unplugged everything electric in the house, if it couldn't be unplugged it was turned off, the windows were closed and the blinds were drawn, the doors were closed and locked - and many of you know how plentiful our Shenandoah Valley thunderstorms can be! The more I type, the more I remember! I am no expert on the subject by any means, but I think these are the stories that need to be recorded for our descendants. My grandparents were deeply religious people - and in such a way as we do not see today. They were raised in an environment where community life revolved around the church. Schools and churches were bound so tightly together that they often met in the same buildings. Of course, you can't even say a prayer in a school today, but when I was in school, and I'm sure most of you were the same - we started the day with a prayer and the pledge to the flag. Until about the 1970s, we were, at least in rural America, a front porch society. If you visited someone's house, you ended up sitting on the front porch drinking iced tea or lemonade and talking. Now, we start and end our visits in front of the TV. Thanks for your contributions to the thread, it all goes to the list's archives, which are searchable. Don -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Patricia M. Ginalick Sent: Sunday, December 09, 2007 10:56 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [VASHENAN] Catching up on things Don, Thanks for all your hard work. I've been utilizing the website for a few years now. It became a starting point for research on my maternal grandmother's family (Ortt/Wellard in the Forestville and Mt. Jackson areas). We had family living in Shenandoah Junction, WV (Jefferson County) area in the 1920's. My paternal grandfather (married Gladys Ortt from Mt. Jackson) was born in Harpers Ferry and his father was working at that time with the railroad. I believe my relatives living in Jefferson County were working in some capacity with the rail system. We also had family who lived in Shepherdstown during the Civil War as my great great grandfather was pastor of the New Street Methodist Church (Rev. William G. Coe). I discovered this information when I lived in Shepherdstown myself in the 1970's and 1980's. The descriptions of your family Christmas celebrations are similar to my childhood ones. My grandmother - Gladys Ortt Coe - from Mt. Jackson was definitely the "ring leader" and put many of our traditions in place. We also had the Christmas Eve celebrations with the entire family present. There was music playing and parents actually "rocking" around the Christmas tree just like Brenda Lee described in her 1950's era song. Santa decorated our tree when he dropped off our toys. My father would string the lights but the ornaments, candy canes and spray snow were always applied by Santa. We always had an orange and nuts in the toe of our stocking in addition to toys under the tree. Christmas Day meant more visiting and dinner at one home with the dining table extended to the maximum and the entire family at the table (no kid's table allowed). My Mt. Jackson grandmother prepared so much food and always had both turkey and ham. I remember a dessert she called "Ice Box Cake" which was chocolate and angle food cake based. We thought of her as the best cook in the family and she'd tell us it was because of her "up in the country" upbringing. Oh....and there was always some dessert item with coconut. Once again....thanks for your hard work and inspiration to pursue my own intricate family lines. Best holiday wishes to everyone. Patricia Ginalick (Mt. Airy, MD)

Thanks, Don, for updating us on the Website and your book about Inwood. Also, thanks to Patricia Ginalick (Mt. Airy, MD). I love your parts of the country and will be heading to Shepherdstown this coming Sat evening for my great niece's wedding. Amy Custer will become Mrs. "Jay" Blue at the Lutheran Church. Can't wait and hoping the weather will be nice. Then they are having a sit down meal with the reception at the Fire Hall. I always look forward to the good food and fellowship with family and friends. Patricia, you mentioned an Ice Box Cake recipe. Do you have the recipe to share? Made me think of an old Ice Box Cookie recipe. Including some of my own baking memories from old Fort Valley in Shenandoah County. I shared this with the Shenandoah Valley Herald this week for their special cookie recipe edition. They asked for recipes, memories and photos. Fort Valley Baking Memories, circa 1950 Nostalgia takes me back to the old log home place in the Fort Valley mountains on a cold winter day. Mom has the wood cookstove fired up just right, and is wearing her feedsack apron and everyday dress. There is a tiny lamb snuggled up on a rag rug behind the stove. Mom is nursing it back to health while she does her baking and cooking. Aromas of breakfast linger in the kitchen from the fried side meat and biscuts baked earlier. Handed down recipes are written in her old composition notebook, but Mom has most of them in her head. She has seven sisters, and they all share a love of preparing tasty food. Her mother, Grandma Bessie Clem, is still living at the old Daniel Clem house 10 miles to the south of us in the quaint valley, here in 1950. No doubt, she's baking in her kitchen, too. One of Mom's older sisters, Aunt Isabel Ritenour, lives right up over the road from us, and is more like a grandmother to me. Her homey kitchen is always inviting. We're connected with the old party line if someone forgets an ingredient, or I can just run up over the hill. Aunt Isa has fresh milk. We don't as the milk cow almost killed mom, and she doesn't bother to milk anymore. Mom and Daddy worked as cooks on a camp car on the B and O Railroad for the Western Union after the Great Flood of 1936 up around MD or WV. They cooked for the men who were rebuilding the telegraph lines. Mom cooked and baked for many folks, including her own family of six later on. Daddy was in the CCC camp at Camp Roosevelt before their marriage in 1934. He made some money to send home to his mother so she could help feed that side of the family following the Great Depression. Grandma Sue (nee Ritenour) Grandstaff made the best sugar cookies, and kept them in a round tin on top of the pie safe in the dining room. Mom always said the Ritenour's were "rich" cooks. "Rich" meaning high in fat is my guess. Mom was raised on a large self sufficient farm with all those Clem sisters and four brothers. They all had their chores, and made the best of what they had. They shared with neighbors, no doubt some of Grandma Bessie's bread and cookies, too. Now back to 1950, Mom has fresh eggs from the chicken house, and cracks three into the old stoneware mixing bowl after the butter has melted and the brown sugar is stirred in. She lets me help. Says I can stir with the wooden spoon. We're making Ice Box Cookies. I barely remember in 1947 when we got electricity and along with it came our first refrigerator- - -no ice box anymore!!! This time we will add some long walnut (butternut) kernels to the cookie dough. (We had a tree of them down beside Passage Creek, and cracked some in the fall/winter along with black walnuts.) Mom adds baking soda, cream tartar, vanilla and enough flour to make the dough stiff. We roll the dough into logs on waxed paper on the oil cloth covering the round oak table. Leaving them in the wax paper we put them in the refrigerator to get hard enough so we can slice them. Sometimes, we leave them overnight. Then we slice the cookies from the roll, place them on cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees. Mom says that if a recipe doesn't have a temperature written down, just use 350. She bakes the communion bread for the Oak Hill Church of the Brethren for the Love Feast, also . Makes extra for us to eat at home, and gives to others to take home with them. I think she adds sugar to her recipe making it more tasty. Mom always said that she was "drinking from her saucer because her cup overflowed". No doubt she is up there in Heaven dunking some of those ice box cookies and communion bread in her coffee and sharing with her family and everyone that she can. What a Love Feast that must be!!! Now, here I sit in 2007, a crafty 63 yr old homemaker. The old oak table from home stands in my kitchen, and is covered with recipes and cookies. Some cookies are drying out to become Christmas tree ornaments, and waiting to be painted. This is my therapy for five broken bones in my left wrist and right hand in the last year or so. Mom's presence is felt as I work alone, and my Massanutten Mountain heritage is evident as I focus on memories of old times, wonderful family get-togethers, and delicious recipes. Mom's Icebox Cookies 1/2 c. butter 2 c. brown sugar, packed 3 eggs, well beaten 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. cream tartar 1 tsp. vanilla 3-4 c. flour (enough to make the dough stiff) 1 c. chopped nuts Mix all ingredients together. Roll into 1 1/2 inch rolls with waxed paper. Refrigerate for a couple of hrs or overnight. Cut into 1/4-1/2 inch slices. Bake at 350 degrees for at least 10 minutes. Dough can be prepared in advance and frozen until needed. Sometimes, Mom used coconut instead of nuts. Nancy Grandstaff Shrum Woodstock, VA "Shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life......." Phil 2:15, 16 NIV

My Grandmother was our last Virginia born relatives. Naturally, both of her parents came from this area of Virginia; so the 'traditions' migrated to Texas and Oklahoma with them. Our Christmas sounds a lot like Don's. When our Grandparents were younger, we always met on their farm. We would feast on food brought by all the Aunts and the joyful sounds filled the heart. We called ourselves 'Inlaws' & 'Outlaws'. The Outlaws were the children & the extended families, which were always welcome. Often, we children would present a spontaneous program .. which only loving parents could endure. Thanksgiving was a prelude to Christmas at the Grandparents. After this became too much of a burden, one of the Uncles became a farmer and moved onto the old farm. Thanksgiving was a huge event which our Uncle & Aunt continued. Christmas changed, for we had become more scattered. The echos of the Uncles' laughter as they recalled their younger exploits, bring so many memories. A little more than a year ago, I visited this area of Virginia for the first time. Sitting among my contemporaries, once again, I heard the wonderful peales of laughter and chatter! What a wonderful gathering! Thanks, Don, for bringing this to mind for us. I'll bet many of us remember similar events & traditions. Shirley S

Don, Thanks for all your hard work. I've been utilizing the website for a few years now. It became a starting point for research on my maternal grandmother's family (Ortt/Wellard in the Forestville and Mt. Jackson areas). We had family living in Shenandoah Junction, WV (Jefferson County) area in the 1920's. My paternal grandfather (married Gladys Ortt from Mt. Jackson) was born in Harpers Ferry and his father was working at that time with the railroad. I believe my relatives living in Jefferson County were working in some capacity with the rail system. We also had family who lived in Shepherdstown during the Civil War as my great great grandfather was pastor of the New Street Methodist Church (Rev. William G. Coe). I discovered this information when I lived in Shepherdstown myself in the 1970's and 1980's. The descriptions of your family Christmas celebrations are similar to my childhood ones. My grandmother - Gladys Ortt Coe - from Mt. Jackson was definitely the "ring leader" and put many of our traditions in place. We also had the Christmas Eve celebrations with the entire family present. There was music playing and parents actually "rocking" around the Christmas tree just like Brenda Lee described in her 1950's era song. Santa decorated our tree when he dropped off our toys. My father would string the lights but the ornaments, candy canes and spray snow were always applied by Santa. We always had an orange and nuts in the toe of our stocking in addition to toys under the tree. Christmas Day meant more visiting and dinner at one home with the dining table extended to the maximum and the entire family at the table (no kid's table allowed). My Mt. Jackson grandmother prepared so much food and always had both turkey and ham. I remember a dessert she called "Ice Box Cake" which was chocolate and angle food cake based. We thought of her as the best cook in the family and she'd tell us it was because of her "up in the country" upbringing. Oh....and there was always some dessert item with coconut. Once again....thanks for your hard work and inspiration to pursue my own intricate family lines. Best holiday wishes to everyone. Patricia Ginalick (Mt. Airy, MD) -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Don Silvius Sent: Sunday, December 09, 2007 8:56 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [VASHENAN] Catching up on things Hello all, Wanted to update you on what's happening on the web site, etc. I am doing work behind he scenes, correcting errors, changing some formats to make them easier to read and adding photos, etc. Look for this to happen almost continuously - again, behind the scenes. The site is so large that maintaining what is there could be a full time job if I had that much time to devote to it. On a personal note, as many of you know, I live in Berkeley County, WV, which is about 45 minutes north of Strasburg. I am active in researching in Berkeley County as well and have written a book which was published by the Berkeley County Historical Society as Berkeley Journal issue 33, "A History of Inwood, West Virginia." Inwood, WV is the place I have called home for most of my life and no one had ever researched its history, let alone written about it. The book is $10 plus shipping at http://www.bchs.org Two things I'd like to accomplish with this email - first - does anyone else have family that, during the 1920s, moved from Shenandoah County north into Eastern West Virginia? My maternal grandmother and paternal grandparents did - around the year 1925 (there are also Racey and Bly families that appear to have done the same). During the 1920s this part of WV had a flourishing apple industry as well as a number of textile mills. Second, I'd like to start a thread, since we're heading into the Christmas holiday - of family holiday traditions. Here is the Silvius family holiday tradition started by my grandparents (at least) who were both from Shenandoah County. As long as I can remember, Christmas Eve has been a time when "extended" family got together for a big meal and visitation. What once was held in someone's house and had 20-25 people in attendance is now held in a church social hall with as many as 75-100 people in attendance. This holiday tradition draws more people than the family reunion does. Of course, when my grandparents were living, this was usually followed up by a return visit to their house on Christmas Day. What our kids will remember about Christmas is that we always burn cedar in the fireplace on Christmas Eve (after the big dinner) and Christmas Day is always a long and busy day, rising early, opening gifts, going to first one, then another family dinner and arriving home late that night exhausted. >From my recent research (which took place over a period of more than >three years) I can tell you that if you don't record verbal history, what you're going to find is very bland. Newspapers, vital records, etc., leave out all the "characters." Names and dates are facts, personal memories are stories. Facts are critical, but personal recollections are fun. Who wants to read a family history (or any history) that details "John married Jane and they had Jim, Mary and Susie" over and over again. You'd rather read that John was a blacksmith, but he was also a bear hunter and a very successful one, and known only by certain people, he also could make some mean moonshine! Don't forget the pictures! Pictures of the people, where they lived, where they worked, where they're buried, things they saw every day. This is, of course, my opinion - all our methods are different - all our stories are different - but put them all together and it is history - and our genealogy is our personal history. Don Don Silvius coordinator Shenandoah County GenWeb Project http://www.rootsweb.com/~vashenan/vashenan.html ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Don I enjoyed reading about personalizing your family tree. I am trying to do that with my husbands Parrett family which came to Shenandoah Valley early 1700s and they moved on to Ohio. This is a work in progress and I have not done much this summer or fall but plan on returning to the project after Christmas. It is a slideshow of the first 43 pages not in perfect order If you need to see close up just click on pic and choose view large size. Some pages are cut off at the bottom in the slideshow. I don't have this technique figured out yet. If anyone is working on this family I would love to get in contact with you. You might help find the errors I have here and I am willing to share my sources with you. > http://www.esnips.com//web/PARRETTChapter1FirstGeneration? > action=showSlideShow#files Marcia [email protected] http://www.digiscrapmemories.com/index.htm >

Hello all, Wanted to update you on what's happening on the web site, etc. I am doing work behind he scenes, correcting errors, changing some formats to make them easier to read and adding photos, etc. Look for this to happen almost continuously - again, behind the scenes. The site is so large that maintaining what is there could be a full time job if I had that much time to devote to it. On a personal note, as many of you know, I live in Berkeley County, WV, which is about 45 minutes north of Strasburg. I am active in researching in Berkeley County as well and have written a book which was published by the Berkeley County Historical Society as Berkeley Journal issue 33, "A History of Inwood, West Virginia." Inwood, WV is the place I have called home for most of my life and no one had ever researched its history, let alone written about it. The book is $10 plus shipping at http://www.bchs.org Two things I'd like to accomplish with this email - first - does anyone else have family that, during the 1920s, moved from Shenandoah County north into Eastern West Virginia? My maternal grandmother and paternal grandparents did - around the year 1925 (there are also Racey and Bly families that appear to have done the same). During the 1920s this part of WV had a flourishing apple industry as well as a number of textile mills. Second, I'd like to start a thread, since we're heading into the Christmas holiday - of family holiday traditions. Here is the Silvius family holiday tradition started by my grandparents (at least) who were both from Shenandoah County. As long as I can remember, Christmas Eve has been a time when "extended" family got together for a big meal and visitation. What once was held in someone's house and had 20-25 people in attendance is now held in a church social hall with as many as 75-100 people in attendance. This holiday tradition draws more people than the family reunion does. Of course, when my grandparents were living, this was usually followed up by a return visit to their house on Christmas Day. What our kids will remember about Christmas is that we always burn cedar in the fireplace on Christmas Eve (after the big dinner) and Christmas Day is always a long and busy day, rising early, opening gifts, going to first one, then another family dinner and arriving home late that night exhausted. >From my recent research (which took place over a period of more than three years) I can tell you that if you don't record verbal history, what you're going to find is very bland. Newspapers, vital records, etc., leave out all the "characters." Names and dates are facts, personal memories are stories. Facts are critical, but personal recollections are fun. Who wants to read a family history (or any history) that details "John married Jane and they had Jim, Mary and Susie" over and over again. You'd rather read that John was a blacksmith, but he was also a bear hunter and a very successful one, and known only by certain people, he also could make some mean moonshine! Don't forget the pictures! Pictures of the people, where they lived, where they worked, where they're buried, things they saw every day. This is, of course, my opinion - all our methods are different - all our stories are different - but put them all together and it is history - and our genealogy is our personal history. Don Don Silvius coordinator Shenandoah County GenWeb Project http://www.rootsweb.com/~vashenan/vashenan.html

Hi there, and thanks for the info about the book. Thanks, too, for the website (dmkheritage.com). The Shenandoah County Library has a copy of the book in the Shenandoah Room. What a wealth of knowledge in that room!!! Shenandaoh Pioneers and their Descendants A History of Frederick County, Virginia T.K. Cartmell Imprint: Winchester, VA: Eddy Press Corporation 1909 Subject: History -- Frederick County, VA. Subject: History -- Shenandoah County, VA. Subject: Shenandoah County (Va.) -- History. Subject: Shenandoah County -- Genealogy Shen. Rm Nonfiction AR 975.59 CAR Non-Checkout This info made me think about THE FAMILY TREE WORKSHOP which was taught at the county library in October. Archivist, Jean Martin, gave us a printout entitled WHAT COUNTY IS THIS? It shows that Shenandoah County is located in the Shenandoah Valley which is part of The Great Valley of Virginia. Shenandoah County began as part of Orange County. Augusta County was created in 1738. (Frederick County was formed at the same time. Together they included all the land west of the Blue Ridge Mountains.) Dunmore County, created in 1772. Name changed to Shenandoah County in 1777. You probably knew that information. Just adding as a refresher. Going Ons at the County Library this week: 1. Join the Shenandoah County Library and Shenandoah County Parks and Recreation in welcoming Mrs. Santa Claus to the library on Wednesday, December 12th at 10:30 a.m. 2. Quilt Show and Demonstration on Thursday 13 4-7 pm. Come out to the library and see the work of the "Loose Threads" quilting club! Club members will be displaying their work and will answer questions about their quilts or quilting techniques. Check out a book on quilting while you're here! (I don't think I belong to this quilting club even though I have a few things LOOSE!!!) Hope to see some of you there!!! Nancy Shrum, a FRIEND of the library ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, December 09, 2007 3:02 AM Subject: VASHENAN Digest, Vol 2, Issue 215 > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: Brown Inquiry (RUTH HENRY) > 2. Shenandoah Valley Pioneers (Doris Christian) > > Message: 2 > Date: Sat, 8 Dec 2007 22:12:37 -0600 > From: Doris Christian <[email protected]> > Subject: [VASHENAN] Shenandoah Valley Pioneers > To: [email protected], [email protected], > [email protected] > Message-ID: <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=WINDOWS-1252; format=flowed > > Shenandoah Valley Pioneers and Their Descendants > > A History of Frederick County, Virginia > > From its Formation in 1738 to 1908 > > Compiled Mainly from Original Records of Old > > Frederick County, now Hampshire, Berkeley, > > Shenandoah, Jefferson, Hardy, Clarke, > > Warren, Morgan and Frederick > > > T. K. Cartmell > > Clerk of the Old County Court > > Here is the information on the book. If your local library does not > have it and you cannot borrow it from the loaning library, you might > want to check into this website. dmkheritage.com we have it on > CD. with the Table of Contents and INDEXES listed. > > for the surname index go to: > > This 568 page (25 page index) history of old Frederick County > contains information on the pioneers of the upper Shenandoah Valley. > > > Table of Contents (abridged) > > Shenandoah Valley Settled, Flow and by Whom > > The Minor Grants > Van Meter and Hite Grants > Old Frederick County, Organization of; Gleanings from Old Courts > Boundaries of Old Frederick County > Frederick County, Physical Features of > Frederick County, Typography of > Frederick County, Natural Points of Interest of > The Lower Valley; Old Frederick in the Early Days > Old County Roads and Turnpikes > > Railroads, Their Charters, etc > Public Ferries > Mills and Other Developments > Gleanings from Old Courts, Continued > The Indian and French War > Gleanings from Old Courts, Succeeding Revolutionary War > County Roads, List of, and Overseers, 1788-89, and Gleanings from Courts > Revolutionary War, Officers and Enlisted Men of > Morgan and his Men; George Rogers Clark Expedition; List of Old Justices > The War of 1812-14 > Old Courts, Justices', District and Circuit; Notable Trials; > Naturalized Aliens > Valley Banks Old and New > Revolutionary War Heroes; Court Gleanings Continued up to Civil War > Justices' Courts, from 1862 to Underwood Constitution; County Court > Judges and > Officers; Criminal Trials > The County Court, Continued; Lynching of Wm. Shorter > End of County Court System; Beginning of New > City of Winchester, 1743-1850 > Winchester, Water Supply of, Gas, Electricity and Manufactures; > Criminal Trials. > Newspapers of Winchester, 1787-1908 > Winchester, Educational Developments, Fire Companies > Winchester Old Taverns and Streets, Mayors from 1804 > The Churches in the Lower Valley > Presbyterian Church, Episcopal Church, Parish of Hampshire > Lutheran Church, German Reformed Church,Methodist Episcopal Church > Baptist Church, Society of Friends , Roman Catholic Church > The Cemeteries of Winchester > Town and City Government; The Market Square Suit > Towns in Old Frederick County > Notabilities of Old Frederick, Fairfax > Notabilities of Old Frederick, George Washington > Notabilities of Old Frederick, Joist Hite Pioneer > Daniel Morgan Life of > Homesteads, Colonial and Others > Homesteads of Frederick County > Homesteads and Biographical Notices > The John Brown Raid > The Civil War; > Emancipation Proclamation, Effect on Both Armies; The Campaign in > Spring of ?63; Death of Stonewall Jackson > The Valley Army After Jackson?s Death > Gettysburg > Fall of Richmond; Appomattox and Surrender > Biographical Sketches > The Pioneers of the Upper Valley > Frederick County at this Writing > Appendix No. I-8 > > for the surname index go to: > http://www.dmkheritage.com/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=53 > > > > **************************** > Visit: http://www.dmkheritage.com > To check on the latest County Histories and Parish Records on CDs > Indexed and searchable > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > To contact the VASHENAN list administrator, send an email to > [email protected] > > To post a message to the VASHENAN mailing list, send an email to > [email protected] > > __________________________________________________________ > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] > with the word "unsubscribe" without the quotes in the subject and the body > of the > email with no additional text. > > > End of VASHENAN Digest, Vol 2, Issue 215 > **************************************** > >

Bid Dominoes, anyone??? Wanting to share a Shrum family tradition here and to learn more about the history of the game of Bid Dominoes. Hoping some of you will know and share more. This ol' Fort Valley mountain girl came westward to Woodstock and married into the Shrum family back in 1965. As a Shrum I had to learn a new family tradition---that of playing the game of Bid Dominoes, the way of the Shenandoah Valley, VA folks. As far as I know no one in Fort Valley played like this when I was growing up. My Fort Valley kin seemed to have little time for indoor games and we were the peace loving Brethren who kept pretty strict to our beliefs. It's hard to have peace when you're playing bid dominoes with the Shrums and their kin!!! This particular game seems to be indigenous to central Shenandoah County. Our son John traveled the world in the US Army and he found no one who knew about bid dominoes the way we play with a total of 28 points. Which ever team gets to 28 first wins the game. Here's a similar game I found online known as Texas 42, is a trick-taking game played with a standard set of double six dominoes. It was created in 1887 in Trappe Springs Texas, by 12-year-old William Thomas and 14-year-old Walter Earl, members of a strict conservative Southern Baptist sect who were forbidden to play cards. 42 is often referred to as the "national game of Texas," and continues to be very popular in much of the state - in and around College Station and Austin, in particular, as well as in the Fort Worth-Dallas area. Tournaments are held in many towns, and the State Championship tournament is held in Hallettsville the first Saturday of March each year. I found another similar game Shoot the Moon. This is more like we play it. In this game, no domino has a special value, and all tricks remain worth one point. If a team is denied the possibility of winning, or set, then they instead lose the amount they bid from their total. The game is played to 21 points, and the minimum bid is 4. The name of the game comes from "shooting the moon." If a player states during the bidding phase that they will shoot the moon, then they must catch all tricks. Doing so is worth 21 points. Failing to catch all 7 tricks results in a loss of 21 points. This is the highest possible bid, unless another player elects to "shoot it over" the player who is shooting the moon; this makes their own bid worth 42 points. There are no special contracts in this game. All I remember about playing with dominoes during my Fort Valley childhood was at my wonderful Grandstaff grandparents' house. What a loving family home!!! "Us kids" got the old tin out of the cabinet and scattered the dominoes on the living room floor. We stood them on end and watched them snake around the floor. Sometimes we connected them. Grandma Sue Grandstaff (nee Ritenour) was hopelessly devoted to her husband and family. Grandaddy Charlie was a cook on the Southern Railroad. I got my "rich" cooking from them, and my bad arthritis from Grandma Sue, or so mom always said. My older sister got the tin and dominoes. Goes to figure!!! Back to the Shenandoah County bid dominoes game. The ultimate goal here is to get a 28 hand. Players usually bid from 4-7, but will risk going 28 sometimes if they think their partner can help them win or if they have 28 dead. Doubles, trumps and skill are what helps you win. Bid dominoes is not a game where you connect the dominoes. It is similar to a card game where four players each have 7 dominoes and play with a partner. I don't play much anymore. Can't concentrate very well. The Shrums take their domino playing very seriously. They tell me that I play a "Sausage Head". Oh well, let the games go on and I will curl up with my dog and a good book. :o) Merry Christmas, Everyone Love and prayers, Nancy Grandstaff Shrum Woodstock, VA "Shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life......." Phil 2:15, 16 NIV

Shenandoah Valley Pioneers and Their Descendants A History of Frederick County, Virginia From its Formation in 1738 to 1908 Compiled Mainly from Original Records of Old Frederick County, now Hampshire, Berkeley, Shenandoah, Jefferson, Hardy, Clarke, Warren, Morgan and Frederick T. K. Cartmell Clerk of the Old County Court Here is the information on the book. If your local library does not have it and you cannot borrow it from the loaning library, you might want to check into this website. dmkheritage.com we have it on CD. with the Table of Contents and INDEXES listed. for the surname index go to: This 568 page (25 page index) history of old Frederick County contains information on the pioneers of the upper Shenandoah Valley. Table of Contents (abridged) Shenandoah Valley Settled, Flow and by Whom The Minor Grants Van Meter and Hite Grants Old Frederick County, Organization of; Gleanings from Old Courts Boundaries of Old Frederick County Frederick County, Physical Features of Frederick County, Typography of Frederick County, Natural Points of Interest of The Lower Valley; Old Frederick in the Early Days Old County Roads and Turnpikes Railroads, Their Charters, etc Public Ferries Mills and Other Developments Gleanings from Old Courts, Continued The Indian and French War Gleanings from Old Courts, Succeeding Revolutionary War County Roads, List of, and Overseers, 1788-89, and Gleanings from Courts Revolutionary War, Officers and Enlisted Men of Morgan and his Men; George Rogers Clark Expedition; List of Old Justices The War of 1812-14 Old Courts, Justices', District and Circuit; Notable Trials; Naturalized Aliens Valley Banks Old and New Revolutionary War Heroes; Court Gleanings Continued up to Civil War Justices' Courts, from 1862 to Underwood Constitution; County Court Judges and Officers; Criminal Trials The County Court, Continued; Lynching of Wm. Shorter End of County Court System; Beginning of New City of Winchester, 1743-1850 Winchester, Water Supply of, Gas, Electricity and Manufactures; Criminal Trials. Newspapers of Winchester, 1787-1908 Winchester, Educational Developments, Fire Companies Winchester Old Taverns and Streets, Mayors from 1804 The Churches in the Lower Valley Presbyterian Church, Episcopal Church, Parish of Hampshire Lutheran Church, German Reformed Church,Methodist Episcopal Church Baptist Church, Society of Friends , Roman Catholic Church The Cemeteries of Winchester Town and City Government; The Market Square Suit Towns in Old Frederick County Notabilities of Old Frederick, Fairfax Notabilities of Old Frederick, George Washington Notabilities of Old Frederick, Joist Hite Pioneer Daniel Morgan Life of Homesteads, Colonial and Others Homesteads of Frederick County Homesteads and Biographical Notices The John Brown Raid The Civil War; Emancipation Proclamation, Effect on Both Armies; The Campaign in Spring of ’63; Death of Stonewall Jackson The Valley Army After Jackson’s Death Gettysburg Fall of Richmond; Appomattox and Surrender Biographical Sketches The Pioneers of the Upper Valley Frederick County at this Writing Appendix No. I-8 for the surname index go to: http://www.dmkheritage.com/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=53 **************************** Visit: http://www.dmkheritage.com To check on the latest County Histories and Parish Records on CDs Indexed and searchable