| Volume 10, Number 1
Late Spring-Summer, 1999 |
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Beth Perry Johnston
Newsletter Editor
[email protected] |
| Volume 10, Number 1
Late Spring-Summer, 1999 |
|
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Beth Perry Johnston
Newsletter Editor
[email protected] |
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Please Note: The links and email addresses on older Gerking Newsletters may be outdated or no longer valid. The Newsletters are posted mainly for historical and genealogical interest. As time permits I will correct links; in the meantime,
if you run into a non-working link
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Following some of the links here will take you to other servers. If
you find yourself
somewhere unexpected, click on your "back" button until you get back
to this page.
A Note from the EditorWe have a new President! Susan Dreske McBurnett gracefully accepted the nomination (railroad job) given her at last summer’s reunion. You all be sure to say “Hi”or “Way to go, Susan!” at this year’s reunion.In This Issue
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40th Annual Gerking Family Reunion — Sunday, August 8, 1999Blue Lake Park, Fairview, OregonThis year our hosts are Kim and Michael Grayson, who have chosen Blue Lake Park near Portland for our annual get-together (note: this is a change in place from what was announced at last year’s reunion). The date is Sunday, August 8 (always the second Sunday in August). Plan to meet around 11:00 a.m., and we’ll eat about 1:00 p.m., although the hunger pangs usually start striking earlier. We’ve reserved the Chinook A area at Blue Lake Park . This shelter will hold 125 people, has parking right beside it, and is completely covered. It has electricity, water, a barbecue, and (important!) has a bathroom really close. Blue Lake Park is especially family-friendly. Please check out
the right side of the map on the reverse to get an idea of the many activities
available for all ages — boating, swimming with a lifeguard, horseshoes,
volleyball, softball, fishing, walking trails, and more.
Reunion Details • It costs $3.00 per car to enter Blue Lake Park. • No pets are allowed. • No alcohol is allowed.
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In Loving MemoryRuth Lucille McConnel Bendel (6-4-7-4) died 17 Jun 1998 in Concord, MA, at age 76. Services were held 20 Jun 1998 in Concord Center, MA, with burial at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, MA. (Information from her husband, Stephen Bendel).Evelyn Gerking Finke (6-5-2-1) passed away 2 Jun 1998 at the Good Samaritan Home in Syracuse, NE, at the age of 92. Evelyn was a long-time and consistent contributor to the family history and Newsletter. (Information from Bruce and Nancy Gerking). Opal Miller Gerking, married (1) Ralph Rowe Gerking (12-7-12), died 1 Jul 1998 in Hillsboro, Washington Co., OR, following a stroke a few days earlier. Following Ralph’s death Opal married Jerry Richey, who died in 1959. Services were held 6 Jul 1998 in Hillsboro, with internment at IOOF Cemetery in The Dalles, OR. Opal attended almost every reunion held. (Information from daughter Julia Gerking Hammond). Lenora May Beck Shearer (12-4-3-2) died 13 Jul 1998 at age 92. A memorial service was held 17 Jul 1998 in Springwater Presbyterian Church in Estacada, OR, with graveside services at Springwater Cemetery in Estacada. (Information from Oregonian obituary). Elmer Gerken of Denver died 31 Jan 1999 in Denver. He was born 13 Apr 1921 in Templeton, IA and married Bonnie Lou Tritz in Los Angeles. He is survived by 6 daughters, 5 sons, 42 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren. (If anyone wants more information, please contact me and I will mail you a copy of the information). MarriagesGina Mae Gerking (6-1-1-1-6-2-1) married Samuel Justin Spiller 23 Oct 1998 at Shumway Mansion, Kirkland, King Co., WA. (Information from Gina Gerking Spiller).BirthsSimon Abitz, grandson of Florence Chappell (12-12-5-4) and Larry Bowe, was born 5 May 1998, Merritt Island, FL. (Information from Florence Bowe).Kallin Ann Spiller (6-1-1-1-6-2-1-1) to Sam and Gina Gerking Spiller, 23 Feb 1999 at Overlake Hospital, Bellevue, King Co., WA. (Information from Gina Gerking Spiller).
Book Additions & Updatesand are put here in one place for easier reference. Thanks to all who contributed information! Additions & Updates to Peter
Maple Gerking Line
Editor’s Note: There isn’t room to print everything Gina sent in this issue, so we’ll get in as much as possible. Page 127 of The Gerking Family in America, 3rd ed., lists four children for Chester Allen Gerking (6-1-1-1) and his wife, Emma Darden Gerking. Gina has provided more children and a slightly different order of birth: Information from Gregory Gene Gerkin (7-8-5-1-1-3) Editor’s Note: This has been a hard line to keep track of, and a recent
email message from Greg Gerkin fills in a lot of gaps. Again, there’s too
much to put in this edition of the Newsletter, we’ll get some of it in.
Page 185 The Gerking Family in America, 3rd edition, notes that James S.
Gerkin (7-8-5) had one known son. Greg has filled in a bit more:
Leaming Family Additions & Updates
Frances Lois Leaming (12-2-2-4-2) died 27 Jan 1989 in Ford, WA. (Information from John McElhattan). William Leonard Leaming (12-2-2-4-3) died 17 Mar 1998 in Harlingen TX.
His first wife, Hellen L. Egger, died 12 Aug 1996, and he married (2) Velma
Pearl Van Horn 6 Sep 1996, Harlingen, TX. Velma died 8 Mar 1998 in Harlingen,
Tx.
Edith Pearl Leaming (12-2-2-4-4) was born to Raymond Vere and Clara
Frances (Dunkelberger) Leaming 13 Aug 1919 in Olympia, WA. She married
(1) Robert Oliver Sannerud abt 1940 and they were divorced 16 Apr 1947;
(2) Norman Elias Dorland 10 May 1947 and were divorced 9 Jun 1958; (3)
John Harrison Bullock 30 Mar 1961. John was born 8 Jan 1924 in Russellville,
AR and died 10 Sep 1991 in Olympia, WA.
Florence Louise Leaming (12-2-2-4-5) died 4 Feb 1994 in Olympia, WA. Linda Leah Wallerstedt Garrard, wife of Ernest William Garrard (12-2-2-4-5-2), died 30 Sep 1987. Bill mar. (2) Mary L. Goins 23 Feb 1991. James Alexander McElhattan (12-2-2-4-5-3-3) is an addition to the book. He was born to John Anthony and Dorothy Pearl Garrard McElhattan 3 Nov 1975 in Olympia, WA. James died 4 Sep 1995 in a tragic car accident near Windy Point Campground, Naches, WA. Bixby Family Additions & Updates
12-4-6-2-1 Barbara Ann Bixby, b. 16 Sep 1949, Tacoma, Pierce Co., WA;
m. (1) 1969 to John Cary, div. 1972; m. (2) 19 Feb 1974, Reno, NV to John
McConville, son of John Carlin and Mary Jane (Keating) McConville, b. 1
Jul 1945, Dublin, Ireland. 2 children by 2nd marriage; div. 1996; m. (3)
13 Dec 1997, Maple Ridge, B.C., Canada to Siegfried Feuchter, b. Germany
Children of Tom Edwin and Debra (Jordan) Bixby (12-4-6-2-2):
Children of Richard Allan and Robin Boyce Bixby (12-4-6-2-3):
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This Could Be Your Last Newsletter!A Little Newsletter HistoryThe Newsletter was created at our 1989 reunion with the purpose of building on family historian Florence Bowe’s Gerking Family in America.Florence wanted to retire, and we felt that if each member of the family
took responsibility for his or her own family information and sent the
information to the Newsletter, we could use the Newsletter to continue
documenting the Gerking family as new information is found and it continues
to grow.
The Problem is $$$Over the past 10 years the Newsletter had printed all the updates we’ve received (thank you all!) I feel the Newsletter has done what it set out to do, but it is costing the family money and it won’t be long before the treasury is depleted if it’s not refreshed.Newsletter Facts & Figures• Newsletter expenses include the costs of copying and postage for mailing.• Editing the newsletter is volunteer work, as is folding and stamping each issue. In addition, your editor picks up the cost of newsletters returned because someone has moved but hasn’t provided a new mailing address. This is now $ .50 per newsletter returned. • There are 286 people on the mailing list as of this writing. so it will cost almost $160.00 to mail this issue of the Newsletter. • Copy costs for this Newsletter will be $ .08 per double-sided page plus a little for stapling. I’ll have 300 copies run, which will give us some extras for the reunion and new family members. Total copy costs will be $132.00. • Doing the math: This issue will cost about $292.00. The Solution?At the 1998 reunion (see the minutes on page 5), the family decided on a two-pronged approach to solving the problem:• ask everyone on the mailing list if they wish to continue receiving the newsletter, and • BEG for donations to keep the newsletter going. So I’m begging! You can help by returning the form at the bottom of this page if you want to continue receiving the Newsletter. If we don’t hear from you, this is your last issue! Please send back your form as soon as possible if you are remaining on the mailing list so we’ll have an indication at the upcoming reunion of how much interest there is in continuing the Newsletter. And if you can, please make a donation to help keep the Newsletter going. Contributions of all sizes are welcome — nothing is too small. |
Miscellaneous Family-Related NewsBlue Mountain (Kees) Cemetery UpdateBob Gilliland of Weston, OR, who spoke to us at the 1998 reunion, has created a web page devoted to the cemetery. For those on the Internet, its URL is http://users.bmi.net/bobg/kees.htmAs he gets time, Bob adds pictures of the grave stones to his web page and has generously made pictures of the Gerking graves a priority. Prior to Memorial Day a work crew cleaned up the cemetery and will do so again in the fall to prepare for winter. Keys to the cemetery are now available at Weston City Hall, Athena City Hall, and Suzi’s Handimart in Weston (primarily for after-hours use). Pioneer Picnic Guest BookIn his spare time, Bob is creating a web page ( http://users.bmi.net/bobg/ ) listing names of those in the Pioneer Picnic Guest book, the original of which is kept at the Weston library.The Guest Book recorded not only names, but the dates of arrival in Oregon and how the person traveled to Oregon.This is a massive project and will be a real boon to researchers who can’t travel to Weston. Jonathan N. B. Gerking Homestead Nominated for National Register of Historic PlacesCeridwen Atwood sent word that the Bend, OR Bulletin featured an article earlier this year about this nomination. At the time the article was written, the nomination was yet to be reviewed by the State of Oregon Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation. We have not yet heard if the nomination was successful.According to the Bulletin, “The Gerking house, located at 65725 Gerking Market Road northeast of Tumalo, was built in 1906 by Jonathan Napoleon Gerking, also known as the “father of the Tumalo irrigation project. “The two-story house features the American Foursquare design. Nestled in a flat valley, the house and several outbuildings were built next to a small bluff and an irrigation canal. “The homestead is a rare example of early dry-land farming in Central Oregon . . . .” Finding Gerkings on the InternetSearching the Internet can be a great time waster, or it can produce really interesting material. Some examples of the latter:From Rootsweb
Martin Co., IN
From Cass
Co., Nebraska, Query Page
Results of a General Web search for the name “Gerking:”
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r Yes, I want to remain on the Newsletter
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Please Note: Contributions are voluntary — remaining on the mailing list
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r I am enclosing a contribution
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but will keep it on my mind for the future.
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for me or my family (use form below).
Mail to
Beth Perry Johnston
Secretary-Treasurer
2749 NE Iler St.
Newport, OR 97365
If sending a check, please make payable to Gerking Family
If you have something new to share with the family, just put it in an email to Beth. Tell us:
| Minutes
of the 1995 Gerking Family Meeting
Minutes of the 1996 Gerking Family Meeting |
President: Susan Dreske McBurnett
Historian: Florence Bowe
Secretary-Treasurer: Beth Johnston
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