PA German Names

    Since I work at a historical center I encounter many, many PA German surnames. It is quite fascinating to say the least.
    Only a German tongue would know that Page, Barge and Bertsch are one and the same surname. And since a German Zimmerman was a builder, the surname Carpenter has the same family roots as the Zimmerman.
    Then there are the spellings: Brubaker, Brubacker and Brubacher may have the same origin but they will let you know if they are the "h" or "ck" or "plain bak"variety. South of the border the Horst surname is pronounced the same as the Hurst in Pa. Then there are the Koons, Koens, Kuntz, Koontz and Kuhns with different spellings but same pronounciations. And don't assume you know how to spell the name Shaffer. It could also be Shaeffer, Shafer, or Sheaffer. Each one might tell you their spelling is the "correct one". Then there are names like Landis or Landes, Sherk or Shirk, Burkholder or Borkholder, Lawver or Lauver, Shelly or Shelley, and Cauffman or Kauffman. There are Kraybill, Graybill, Krahenbuhl, Greybill, Graybuhl families who all claim the same European ancestor. We try to sort out the Acker, Auker and Auckers in their family tree.
    We have the Peachy Beachys and Beachy Peacheys. We have the Stoltzfus and Stoltzfoos clans, the Joders and Yoders, the Webers and Weavers, the Widmers and Witmers, the Snider and Snyder families. There are Stouffer, Stauffer, and Stoufer surname family files.
    Be sure you have the correct spelling for the Myers, Meyers, Myer, and Meier friend when you search for their name in the phone book. The same advice applies for the Byler, Beiler and Beyler or for Fox and Fuchs or Musser and Mosser clans.
    When you are talking about PA German surnames it is not as simple as Miller or Jones!
    Yet, somehow our great God knows each one of us as a unique individual and he does not get mixed up with all our variations and pronunciations. And the genealogist does not have a boring life!

Shifting gears

This week we shifted gears from this 93 Buick Regal with 268,000 miles

 

 

to this 2004 Buick LaSabre with 51,000 miles.

 

 

We hope it goes places and takes us along for a long time. This is our 10th vehicle.

We went to CA with the 62 blue Pontiac that belonged to Marvin's Dad. Then we bought:

 

#1- 1963 black Ford (1965-1967-old police car- lemon)

#2- 1966 blue Chevy II  (1967-1973- good little car!)

#3- 1969 chocolate brown Chevelle station wagon (1973-1979 -served us well)

#4-  light brown Chevy station wagon (1979-1980 Wrecked)

#5- 1978 or 1979  blue Chevy Impala station wagon (1980-1988- wrecked)

#6- 1985 white Plymoth Voyager van - (1988-1993)

#7- 1987 Plymoth Voyager gray van (1993-2001)

#8-1995 Dodge Caravan blue van (2001- 2006)

#9-1993 blue Buick Regal sedan (2006-2013)

#10- 2004 gray Buick LaSabre (2013-

and maybe the last one we will ever need.  Guess that is up to our Commander-in-Chief

Historical Center shadow increasing

Progress report of building expansion at the Juniata Mennonite Historical Center

 

June 3 - The last board meeting in the old facility. Notice the bare walls. We are preparing to move out of this building into a temporary office trailer soon.

 

June 3- Building committee chairman, Harold Saner ( on left in blue plaid shirt)

 gives some more last details on the plans.

 

June 4- the first dig for the expansion! Digging out a pine tree stump.

 

- June 4- The site is being leveled.

 

June 5- Pouring the footer.

- June 11 -The block wall is going up.

 

 

June 11- Donna Fultz, our volunteer at work on the obituary collection.

She is a very important part of our crew!

 

 

June 11- Mary Alice Charlton- my assistant- organizing card catalog

 

 

June 11- Betty Ann working on the July 2013 issue of the Echoes

 before we move out of our tiny familiar office.

Local historical center to expand - LewistownSentinel.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Central PA — Lewistown Sentinel

Local historical center to expand - LewistownSentinel.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Central PA — Lewistown Sentinel

Grandmothers

If It Weren't For Grandothers

by Lois Kempton

 

If it weren't for grandmothers, how would we know

How everything was in the long, long ago?

The changes that come and the changes that go-

If it weren't for grandmothers, how would we know?

 

The way people ate, and the way they dressed;

The way they suffered, and how they were blessed;

 The beauties they saw, and their fun, and their woe-

If it weren't for grandmothers, how would we know?

 

 

Oh, see her bright eyes as she tells of the way

Your Grandpa proposed! And the sweet wedding day;

The funny adventures that babies bestow-

If it weren't for grandmothers, how would we know?

 

For they are the keepers of memories untold;

The legacy treasures more precious than gold;

Oh, cherish their stories! Rejoice in their glow.

If it weren't for grandmothers, how would we know.

 

Taken from Poems Sublime and Ridiculous

 



You cannot...

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by encouraging class hatred.
You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away man's initiative and independence.
You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could do for themselves.

Abraham Lincoln

His Love Will See Us Through

His Love Will See Us Through

 

Only God knows the future;

He holds it in His hand.

And when our questions find no answers,

He's the One Who understands.

His presence still goes with us;

His love is ever near.

The whispered cries within each heart,

The Lord will always hear.

No matter what each day may bring,

His promises are true:

He'll never leave us,

And His love will see us through.

 

unknown

 

This poem was on the front of the bulletin for Benny Shertzer's funeral last week.

So fitting for all of us, regardless what we face in life!

Do remember to pray for Ruth Shertzer and the family. They parted with four children between 1997 and 2002, due to cancer. Now the father developed cancer six months ago- and went to be with his Savior and the four children. They have three living children - two of them are married and there are seven grandchildren. Two grandchildren are in heaven too.