January 2005 Self Seekers Newsletter
SELF SEEKERS:
THE SELF FAMILY ASSOCIATION QUARTERLY ONLINE
NEWSLETTER
SUPPLEMENT
Co-Hosts
Tim W. Seawolf Self
Barbara Ann Peck
[email protected]
Volume 8, no. 1 January, 2005
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WELCOME
Welcome to the 29th issue of the quarterly online newsletter
supplement
to "Self Portraits: The Self Family NetLetter," the Website dedicated
to Self family research at http://www.selfroots.com
You are receiving this newsletter because you were kind enough to
join
"Self Seekers: The Self Family Association." We appreciate all
of your contributions, large and small, and we hope you will continue
to
support our page, our surname list, and this newsletter.
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TIME FLIES!
It seems as if we weren't quite ready for summer in 2004, and now
it's the beginning of 2005 and spring is just "around the
corner." Most of our "Self Seekers" members have been with us for
most, if not all, of the seven-plus years that the group has been in
existence. Therefore, we've now decided to streamline the
introduction to this "newsletter." You can always find the
traditional information in the back issues at
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~selffam/SelfSeek/default.htm.
Please add it to
your Bookmarks and Favorites.
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SELF SEEKERS MEMBERSHIP FEES
If you haven't made your 2004
contribution yet, please do so now...and re-join us for the 2005 year,
too!!
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SINGING WHEELS
by Barbara Peck
Edited by Tim Seawolf-Self
Did you have a "reader" in grammar school? If you did, chances
are that you shared in the adventures of Dick and Jane and saw Spot run
more times than you could count. However, you just may have been
one of the small minority that read the "Alice and Jerry" series.
And just when you were getting tired of these children and their
inevitable dog (named Jip), you had a pleasant surprise waiting for
you! When you reached the fourth grade, you began a whole new
story--an entire book of over 300 pages--called "Singing Wheels."
FINDING THE BOOK
For many years, I've asked my friends if they've ever read "Singing
Wheels." Most of them had never heard of it. One day, when
I was taking a break at work, I looked up the title on the Web.
Sure enough, it has gained a real fan club according to the postings on
various message boards. My next visit was to E-Bay where I found
this reader up for bids. The seller had included a terrific
picture of the cover which I sent to Tim. He surprised me in
September by winning the auction and purchasing "Singing Wheels" for me
as a gift. Reading it once again was like reliving some of the
happiest days of my childhood with an old familiar friend.
A BRIEF REVIEW
"Singing Wheels" is about a boy named Tom Hastings who makes a journey
from New York to the open prairie sometime about 1850. His
father, who brought the rest of the family there in a covered wagon a
year or two previously, is the founder of the settlement named
"Hastings Mills." The book chronicles the adventures of Tom and
his family and friends. There is a sequel entitled "Engine
Whistles" (thanks to Tim, I now own this book as well) which continues
the development of the town and the saga of the Hastings family,
pausing briefly in 1879 and 1910 before reaching "today"--sometime in
the 1950s.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
When Mabel O'Donnell wrote "Singing Wheels," she was the "Elementary
Supervisor" in Aurora, Illinois. Today, there is an elementary
school there named in her honor. Ms. O'Donnell wrote many books
in the "Alice and Jerry" series. We contacted the school and
asked for more information on their famous educator, but sadly we
received no reply--not even acknowledgment of our original
request. [Somehow, I think Ms. O'Donnell would be really
embarrassed!]
MORE THAN JUST A
READER
"Singing Wheels" made reading fun. After two years of short,
repetitive sentences, young students were shown a much more grown-up
world. It's a real story with a huge vocabulary, even containing
some archaic words explained in the glossary at the end. A
mixture of color and black-and-white pictures are not only decorative
but illustrate some of these words and visually explain many of the
activities and items that occupied children in the mid-nineteenth
century.
When I thought of "Singing Wheels" during the past 50 years, I
remembered a lot more than a good plot and pretty pictures. I
recalled a lot more than sounding out words and finding out what they
meant. And when I finally sat down to re-visit the book, I knew
what else I had learned from it: history, culture, sociology,
family values, and my first introduction to genealogy.
I read a vivid description of everyday life 100 years before I was
born. I studied the little drawings at the top and bottom of some
of the pages--pictures of clothing, tools, and other objects used in
the most common tasks. I also gained a sense of time--I still
marvel at how long it took to make maple syrup and maple sugar
candy--treats we can now purchase in minutes at the local
supermarket; how tedious it was to make the candles necessary to
light the long, dark winter nights on the prairie when it now takes us
just a second to flip a switch; how truly segregated girls
were from boys in public places, but how families spent a great deal of
quality time together; and yet how similar the thoughts and
dreams of those long-ago characters were to those we cherish today.
Through "Singing Wheels" and its sequel, "Engine Whistles," I learned
that progress is indeed the way of the world. The tiny settlement
of Hastings Mills gradually grows into a prosperous city. Tom's
memories of stagecoaches and covered wagons are overshadowed first by
the railroad and then by the new "horseless carriage" purchased by his
son--who in his own childhood was awed by a big-wheel Victorian
bicycle. The telephone is invented, and the first "nickelodeon"
opens in 1910.
Interwoven with the plot and the historical details are some subtle
examples of the change in American society over the years. For
example, in the 1850s, children were taught to mind their
parents. On his first night in the cabin, Tom learned quickly
that he "was to listen to Pa and mind what Pa was saying...if Pa ever
caught him at it, there would be a 'pile' of trouble in store for
him...There, hanging on a wooden peg on the wall, was a leather
strap." Later, when Jim breaks the Christmas clock, he's afraid
to tell his father what he'd done, even though we never do hear of that
strap being used in this instance or any other. By the year 1879,
the philosophy of child rearing was much different. Parents were
beginning to reason with children rather than demand their
obedience. When young Tom has to dress up and have his picture
taken, his father says mildly, "Now see here, Tom. It is little
enough to ask of you to give up an hour or two of fun to do something
to please your mother." And in 1910, when on a great motorcar
race to the next town and back, Mr. Hastings "tinkers" with his Pierce
Arrow and causes his father-son team to lose the contest, he first
denies doing so. When "Pinkie" learns the truth, he fearlessly
rebukes his Dad: "You did too, tinker! You did, too!
Now see what you've done!" Mr. Hastings "almost gave Pinkie a good
sound slap" but only because he "was so angry and disgusted with
himself."
We can also see that the characters in each generation echoed the
sentiments of their creator--that growth was good for America. As
Hastings Mills--known for its lumber and flour--grows into Hastings
which is ultimately known for its skyscrapers and airport, development
of the land and resources follows the same pattern as the industrial
revolution. We leave the big city on the prairie and step onto
the threshold of the information highway which even the author could
not foresee. Tomorrow was full of hope and promise--increased
population was a good thing, bringing revenue and prosperity.
Unfortunately, things have changed today as we find ourSelfs
overdeveloped, overpopulated, and in danger of being used up. My
own city tried to "cap" the population at 200,000 by refusing to build
more multi-family units--an attempt that failed miserably. When
no separate housing was available, families moved in together,
sometimes crowding in three or more times the number that the dwelling
was intended to house. We wonder now how Ms. O'Donnell would
envision Hastings, and what her projected future would hold.
Mindful of her young audience, Ms. O'Donnell concentrated more on
social customs than on American history as it is taught, say, in high
school. She skips over the wars--there is no mention of any
soldiers, battles, or consequences. Very little unpleasantness is
seen in her pages. There is no gossip or racial differences among
the inhabitants of Hastings--they all work together, and young Tom
accepts Indians and Frenchmen without reservation. When
improvements are needed, the entire population contributes to the
cause. When a fire breaks out, even the boys serve on the "bucket
brigade." Each person has his place and his occupation and does
his job skillfully and courteously. Things don't always turn out
as hoped, but there are usually solutions of some sort to all
disasters--and the residents take things, such as the destructive
spring thaw, in their stride. I see now that this is basically
how a child sees the world around him. Good things are exciting,
and bad things are quickly forgotten. The author is not so much
shielding children from life as she is relating to their own
perceptions.
GENEALOGICAL
IMPLICATIONS
As I became re-acquainted with both books, I realized that they
taught me my first lessons about genealogy. As "Singing Wheels"
begins, 9-year-old children can instantly relate to a boy and his
family, even if they live in other times. But when they start
"Engine Whistles" one grade later, they suddenly discover that "Tom" is
not the person they remember, but rather, his son. In the space
of a little over 300 pages, new characters with familiar names are
introduced and old characters disappear--a clear instance of given
names being "handed down" to another generation. While Ms.
O'Donnell
never really mentions "death" or "dying," the reader soon realizes that
time has passed in the story--and people have, too.
This is the first and only children's book series I recall that dealt
with genealogy in
any way. Even though that "big word" was never written in its
pages--and even though the author merely alludes to the ebb and flow of
the
generational tide--she clearly implies a genealogical interest and
imparts
her enthusiasm to young children in an entertaining way. We've
said this before: family history and research, formerly thought
to be a pastime only of the elderly, doesn't have to be boring.
It can be made fun for even the youngest reader, as Ms. O'Donnell
managed to do in her books. A popular classroom activity that
illustrates
genealogical continuity is assigning students to draw a "tree" of
the Hastings Family from 1850 to 1950...and the next logical step is to
encourage them to make their own chart as far back as they can find out
from their own relatives.
[As an aside: this kind of project is being used in more and more
classrooms today. We've seen positive stories emerge, such as one
here in Los Angeles where two girls attending the same school
discovered that they were second cousins--something apparently unknown
by both their families. We've also heard negative concerns, such
as "invasion of privacy" or the psychological effect on kids who can't
find out anything about their past and feel left out, guaranteeing a
bad
grade on their empty assignment. "Privacy" can be guaranteed
first by allowing children to write in "My mother" or "My grandfather"
if these individuals are still living. Or simply "John" or "Mary"
with no dates for living persons. As for the second concern, it's
true that many records have been damaged or destroyed by war or natural
disasters. They may never be recovered, and there may be no
elderly relatives who are keepers of family legends. Many people
have been adopted and their records
sealed. Some have been abandoned on purpose or through tragedies,
and their true identity will remain unknown until DNA testing is a more
common practice. Children should be told that if they have such
circumstances in their background, they might want to research instead
the family of a friend or a celebrity.]
The characters in both "Singing Wheels" and "Engine Whistles" grow up,
age, and pass away in the same bittersweet cycle that our ancestors
did. We share a year with the first young Tom, a summer with the
second, several weeks with the third, and only a few hours with the
fourth and youngest Tom, a child of the 1950s. A child (or the
child within each of us) can relate to the highlights in the life of
each boy. Suddenly, though, as each successive young Tom takes
"center
stage," the previous one becomes "Mr. Hastings," a responsible adult
who
has left childhood behind everywhere in his life except within his
heart. Then he becomes "Grandfather," an important man in his
community, but still mindful of his youthful dreams and
escapades. At last, he becomes simply a memory to one or two
generations, a legend to the youngest of them, but always someone to be
proud of, a good person to have as the strong roots of one's family
tree.
SUMMARY
"Singing Wheels" and its sequel, "Engine Whistles," are entertaining,
easy-to-read books that give us snapshots of life during a few of our
country's historical eras. While doing this, they provide insight
into genealogy and the history of a family. Though intended for
nine-
and ten-year-old students, this set of readers can be enjoyed by people
of all ages. These books introduced me to genealogy when I was
very young--and they might help to interest your own children or
grandchildren. Search the online auctions and buy a copy of both
if
you can--read them, smile, and pass them on to the next generation.
(NEXT: "REPLIES")
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OBITUARIES
contributed by Cousin Barry
LINDA LOUISE
DUNCAN, age 53 of 901 Vonore Road, Sweetwater,
TN, passed away 4 A.M. Wednesday, November 24, 2004 at her home. Member
of
Valley View Baptist Church, Loudon, TN. Survivors: husband, John
Duncan;
daughters, Angela Fay Moore, Athens, TN, Natasha Kay Burleson,
Sweetwater, TN;
sons, Robert Lee Moore, Spring City, TN, Johnny Paul Duncan,
Madisonville, TN.
Grandchildren, James Edward (Jamie) Viar, Julia Danielle Burleson.
Sisters,
Donita Harmon, Gail Webster, both of Sweetwater, TN, Joyce Bidwell,
Rockford,
IL, Barbara Gossage, Lenoir City, TN, Debbie Overton, Patricia Jenkins,
both of
Loudon, TN, brothers, Terry and Bobby Jones, both of Sweetwater, TN and
several
nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by son, Charles Edward Moore,
parents,
James Edward and Thelma Louise Self Jones, brother, Billy Jones.
Funeral
was 11 A.M. Saturday, November 27, 2004 at Biereley-Hale Funeral Home
Chapel.
Interment was in Tellico Plains City Cemetery, Tellico Plains, TN.
Arrangements
by Biereley-Hale Funeral Home, Madisonville, TN.
Linda Duncan
was a granddaughter to Lewis Monroe and Cora
Mae Jackson Self and a great granddaughter to John J. and Lydia Avaline
Waters
Self.
JERRIE COLLINS,
age 37, of Nashville,
TN formerly of Madisonville,
TN passed away 7:55 P.M. Saturday,
November
27, 2004 at Skyline Medical Center,
Nashville. Member of Faith Church.
Survivors: mother & step-father- Audrey and Bennie Lane-
Goodlettsville,
TN, father- Troy Abernathy- Gallatin, TN, father & step-mother-
Charles and
Jean Collins- Tellico Plains, TN, sisters & brother-in-law- Ticia
Abernathy- Gallatin, TN, Stacey & Kevin Emerson- Memphis, TN,
nephews-
Christopher and Chandler Emerson, beloved aunt- Lequita Thomas-
Sweetwater, TN,
many other aunts and uncles,
special friend- Herbert
Bond- Nashville, TN, and her beloved
puppy- Pebbles.
Funeral was 1:00 P.M.
Wednesday, December 1, 2004 in
Biereley-Hale Chapel, Rev. Cora Alston officiated. Interment was in Haven Hill Memorial
Gardens.
Arrangements were by Biereley-Hale Funeral Home, Madisonville, TN.
Jerrie Collins was a
granddaughter to Reba Self Roberts, a
great granddaughter to William Floyd Self, a gr.- gr. granddaughter to
Lavada
Self Tucker and a gr.-gr.-gr. granddaughter to John J. and Lydia
Avaline Self.
PLEASE CONTRIBUTE
SELF OBITUARIES!
ALSO BIRTH AND
MARRIAGE NOTICES!
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MINOR SELF LINES
part 4
by Barbara Peck and Tim Seawolf-Self
In 2003, we presented an article on the major unconnected Self
lines. Now we'd like to concentrate on the minor lines that are
still not connected to Olde Robert Selfe, even by "best
evidence." In this third installment, we've included Self
branches from Hawaii and Illinois. We hope to feature more small
family
lines
in the following newsletters.
HAWAII
WILLIAM SELF: Born in England, William Self married Mary Hoa in
Tahiti and settled on the island of Kauai. The couple had 2
children, Louis K. and Joseph. What are William Self's English
roots?
ILLINOIS
LOUIS SELPH: We've had reports of fairly modern (mid-1800s to the
present) Selfs born in other countries and emigrating to the United
States. Louis Selph was supposedly born 1860 in Russia where he
married his wife, Ida. Their four children were Pearl, Jake, Sam,
and Ruth. This family lived in Cook County.
SIMON SELPH: He may be the brother of Louis Selph, above.
Born 1864 in Russia, he m. wife Anna. They had eight
children: Louis, Emma, Rose, Bessie, Pearl, Irving, Mildred, and
Sidney, all in Cook County.
UNKNOWN SELF: He lived in Jackson County, MO. He m. Mary
[maiden name unknown] and had three children: Jesse, Susan C.,
Annie B.
THOMAS WILSON SELF: Born in 1837 and died in 1875, he raised his
family in Jefferson County. He m. Nancy Jane (Cooper)
Burnett. He had four children named Malinda, James William, John
Thomas, and Joseph Newton. It's possible that Thomas could be
related to William Allen Self of Indiana who married Malinda Douthit.
WILLIAM M. SELF: William M. Self was born 1836 in Illinois.
He married Anna M. ---, b. 1870 in Germany. Their 3 children
were: Arthur, Edmond, and Viola. The family lived in Kankakee
County, IL.
JASPER WILLIAM SELF: Associated with Lee County, IL but listed in
the Montgomery County, IL Census in 1880, he was born 1839 in IL.
On Jan. 13, 1859, he married his wife, Mary A., b. 1838 in IL.
Their 7 children as listed in the 1880 Census are: William H.,
Eliza R., Hattie I., Evelina, John B., Edward, and Jasper F. Is there a
close relationship between this entry and the two previous ones, three
Self males born in the 1830s?
FRANCIS ENOCH SELF: Also of Lee County, he m. Mary E. Paddock, b.
1850. Their son, Roy F. Self (1886 - 1960) went to Los Angeles,
CA. He m. Nancy Lorella ---. Francis Enoch Self is said to
have been born in England in 1856. What English line did he come
from (if any)?
JOHN D. SELF: Born 1807 in Madison County, IL. He m. Nancy
Ann Voyles there in 1830 and had 8 children: Elizabeth and Eliza
(twins), Sarah Jane, William J., S. H. M., Margaret A., John M., and
Mary. Elizabeth married Andrew Jackson Denny--she died in KS, and
he died in OK; Sarah Jane m. Isaac Stevenson. She listed
her parents as being born in Missouri (John) and Tennessee
(Nancy). Mary Self is probably the Mary Jane Self who married
Joel T. Vansant in Madison County, IL in 1867.
JOHN ADAM SELF: Born July 1869 in Fountain County, IN., John Adam
Self and his wife, Anna M., were in Peoria County, IL in 1900.
Their two children were: Ida Virginia (1894 - 1978) and William
Roy (1895 - )
UNKNOWN SELPH: A cousin wrote to us years ago, trying to find the
father of her husband's ancestor. The legend says he was born in
Ireland--probably not, but if he was, his family had come from
England...he had sons William and John. What happened to John is
unknown. But William must have been a real American
patriot. His son was named George Washington Selph. This
individual lived in Perry County, IL., where he married his wife, Sara
King. They had four children: Becky, William Harvey, Sara,
and Martenia, and eventually went to Arkansas.
JOHN OR ROBERT SELF: What is the lineage of John or Robert Self,
born 1812 in King George County, VA and died there in 1863--and which
name is it? He m. Mary Carver, b. 1824 in VA and died 1887 in
Sangamon County, IL. Their 3 children were: Robert S., James M.,
and Cornelia Bird.
ELIZABETH SELF: Elizabeth Self lived in Schuyler County,
IL. She m. William Cooper and had two daughters, Myrtle Mae who
m. John Franklin Hite and Mary Lena who married John Albert Lance.
MICHAEL W. SELF: Where does Michael W. Self fit into the
family? His wife was Susan Bair, and his daughter was Laura Pearl
Agnes Self.
RUHAMA SELF: She lived in Litchfield, IL. She married
Francis A. Grubbs, supposedly a grandnephew of Daniel Boone.
Their children: Anna, Catherine, William, Minnie, Josephine, Myra, and
Grace, whereabouts unknown.
THOMAS R. SELF: From the 1880 Census. He was born 1830 in Indiana
of Indiana parents. He m. 1851in Jefferson County, IL., Martha
Jane Walls. The family lived in Saline County, Illinois and
consisted of: Samuel, William, Joseph, Jane, Isabel, Ellen,
Ellis, and Webster.
SARAH A. SELF: She m. 1870 in McLean County, IL., Daniel E.
Blodgett and had at least 4 children, Elizabeth, Allie, Lydia, and
Estella.
SARAH M. SELF: Born 1854 and m. 1873 in Schuyler County, IL.,
James A. Donaldson who was born 1843 in Scotland. Their
children: Elizabeth, Daisy, Catharine, James W., and Cornelia.
JESSE SELF DENNIS: We ran across this person who has "Self" for
his middle name. Can someone tell us where he fits into the
family. His wife was Mary Ann Huff, and he had a son named Samuel
Virgil Dennis (1856-1925). His grandchildren were: William
Jesse, Benny Edward, Samuel Ernest, Herschel Miller, Elsie Mae, and
Pearl.
MARY SELF: Who was Mary Self who m. Rufus Lorenzo Massey-Massa,
b. Aug. 29, 1866 in IL? Their children were: Charles,
Rufus, Elva, and Thomas.
ANNA ELIZABETH SELF: Another mystery--Anna Elizabeth Self.
We know she was born Apr. 11, 1842 in Owingsville, KY and that she m.
Feb. 26, 1861, John Marion Rigdon, b. 1836 in Springfield, IL. We
also know that their children were named Annetta Blanche, Everman
Clifton, Iva Dell, and Mabelle Grace. But we don't know who her
parents were.
MARY ELEN J. SELF: A cousin wrote looking for this person, b.
Feb. 22, 1848 in Stanton, IL and d. Feb. 23, 1925 in Cedar County,
MO. She was m. in 1867 to Joel T. Hawman and had 7
children. Who were her parents?
SUMMARY
If you know about any of these Selfs from Hawaii and Illinois,
please send
us a chart or gedcom showing their ancestry. In the issues to
follow, we'll be listing other "Loose Ends" from other states.
You'll find these people listed on the "Loose Ends" section of
"SelfSite" as well. We'd just love to put them in their place!
(NEXT: Minor Self Lines, part 5)
Maybe your ancestors used to tell
stories about life in the "old
days," stories you remember hearing as a child. Please tell us about
them. We will even supply editing and formatting; but we'd all love to
know about daily life in the Self families of old--and you may be able
to help. Please contact us.
And please state that your story is specifically for the newsletter.
LOOSE ENDS
Please go to our "Loose Ends" subsection at our SelfSite
at RootsWeb.
DEAD ENDS
Please go to our "Dead Ends" subsection at our SelfSite
at RootsWeb.
SELFS IN SPACE
What would you like to see here? This space is reserved for
any topic of interest to Self cousins. Express YourSelf!!
If you do not wish to receive this electronic publication, please
take a moment to e-mail us.
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DISCLAIMERS OF WARRANTIES AND LIABILITY
Some parts of this newsletter contain information
contributed by individuals. The editors may not monitor or censor the
information
placed on these Pages. We do not invite reliance upon, nor accept
responsibility
for, the information posted here.
Each individual contributor is solely responsible
for the content of their information, including any and all legal
consequences
of the postings. We are in no way, in whole or in part, responsible for
any damages caused by the content in this newsletter or by the content
contributed by any person.
We do not warrant, or guarantee any of the services,
products, or information used for these pages. We do not make any
warranty,
expressed or implied, and do not assume any legal liability or
responsibility
for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any of the information
disclosed in this publication, or represent in any way that the use
would
not infringe privately owned rights.
NOTICE: The information in this newsletter is
Copyrighted, and must not be used for any commercial purposes
or republished in any form without prior permission. This newsletter is
copyrighted, except where previous copyright applies.
Copyright 1998-2005 Tim Seawolf-Self and Barbara
A. Peck, All Rights Reserved
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