So, what do you do when the guys are haying and they request homemade cookies, but you are out of chocolate chips, nuts, cocoa, and several other cookie making staples?   Hot Summer Day   One hot summer day sometime around 1976 or 1977, Dad, his brother Dewey, and Dewey’s son-in-law Dennis were putting up hay.  At some point, Dad said that they would need some cookies for a snack later in the afternoon

  Image: Public domain; Source New York State Archives   Sometime people who were strong believers in God had a hard time practicing their faith even in the land of “freedom of religion.”  Mary and John Tilton, my 9th great grandparents, constantly fought to practice their religion.   Salem, Massachusetts The Tilton family’s first religious conflict in the Colonies occurred in 1642 when John Tilton, born about 1613 in England, and his wife Mary were

  Above Image: Xavier and George Wittmer   What do ice elevators, recording devices for fluid meters, gas meters, and a device for turning bolts and screws have in common?   The Simple Answer   All of these devices were either invented by or had novel enhancements made by the Wittmer family of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  The inventor listed on the patents for these devices were the brothers and nephews of Rod’s 3rd great-grandmother, Elizabeth (Wittmer)

Many members of my family accomplished numerous things throughout their life.  In some cases, they simply kept their families fed and alive which often was no small feat.  For others it was business success.  However, one man in particular comes to mind when I think of “achievement.”  And, as I researched him, I found that he achieved in even more ways that I previously knew.   The Early Years Stanton Judkins Peelle was born on

It started with two brothers and before it was done six Peelle men were in the newspaper publishing business.   The Brothers The venture by the Peelle family into the newspaper business began with two brothers:  James Thompson Peelle and Christopher Columbus Peelle.  They were the sons of John Cox Peelle and Ruth Smith.  My family line is doubly related to the brothers and their descendants.  John was a brother to my great-great grandfather Passco