Kennedy Konnections

1.  During a 1966 campaign appearance in Oneonta, Greg Fieg not only got to shake the hand of former U.S. attorney general Robert F. Kennedy, who was running for senator, but also:
A.  got his autograph
B.  rode on the trunk of his car w/ him
C.  joined a group of hecklers urging him to return to Massachusetts
D.  Greg wasn't at the rally

2.  In 1970 the opera star Maria Callas was being interviewed by David Frost in the NYC theatre district.  Greg Fieg and his friend Billy Wells sat in the audience and heard Callas say that, after nine years of living with him, she had been had been summarily ordered off Ari Onassis' yacht to make room for his new bride, Jacquelyn Kennedy.  Asked by Frost about this she replied:
A.  she would file a palimony suit and take Ari for every franc he had
B.  scratch out the eyes of her new rival
C.  remain Ari's best friend and confidante, and he hers
D.  Greg wasn't at the interview

3.  Before Black Friday, which marked the beginning of the Great Depression in 1929, Joseph P. Kennedy, who cashed in before the crash and became a millionaire, moved his family to
A.  Hyannisport, Mass.
B.  Chappaquiddick, Mass.
C.  Nantucket, Mass.
D.  Bronxville, N.Y.

4.  Teddy Kennedy was rescued from being pulled into a throng of wildly out of control admirers by New York congressman Sam Stratton, who grabbed him around the waist and kept him from losing his footing.  Sam Stratton was known best, before his almost 30-year career as a congressman and ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, as:
A.  captain of the USS Enterprise
B.  test pilot of the Air Force X-15 rocket airplane
C.  Sagebrush Sam, a cowboy character who introduced cartoons to viewers on WSYR-TV
D.  the songster who introduced the hit single "Mr. Lonely"

5.  While visiting Oneonta on a campaign stop, Robert Kennedy slept in a house the size of a lake steamer at the corner of Watkins Ave. and Grove.  This house later became the possession of Judge Albert Baldo, who is best known by the Fieg family as:
A.  the man who performed the marriage ceremony of Greg Fieg and his first wife, Jackie
B.  the man who convicted Fieg family friend Joe Wright of making an illegal left-hand turn
C.  the man who helped bring to life the housing development known as Balford Park
D.  A and C

6.  Judge Albert Baldo had a brother, Patsy "Pat" Baldo, who was a master shoemaker.  He was not bashful about remarking that Albert bore a striking resemblance to one of the Kennedys, that being:
 A. John F. Kennedy
B.  Robert F. Kennedy
C.  Edward M. Kennedy
D.  Edgar Kennedy 

7.  Dutch Schultz and Jack "Legs" Diamond made their fortunes by running illegal liquor during the Prohibition as did:
A.  General Douglas MacArthur
b.  Governor Al Smith
C.  Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy
D.  New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia

8.  During a number of trips to St. Louis, Steven Fieg and his father were able to see and meet future Hall-of-Famer Stan Musial, the St. Louis Cardinals slugger.  In 1962 Musial was invited to the presidential box at the all-star game in Chicago where he met JFK and:
A.  Bloodthirsty mobster Jack "Legs" Diamond
B.  Bloodthirsty mobster  Dutch Schultz
C.  Bloodthirsty mobster Sam Giancana
D.  None of the above

9.  Sam Giancana, who was thought to be influential in bringing in the 1960 Chicago vote for JFK, died on June 19, 1974 by:
A.  overdosing on sedatives and bourbon
B.  jumping off the Chrysler Building
C.  dying peacefully in his sleep
C.  being assassinated by a mob hitman

The Phantastic Fiegs Quiz

1.  In 2010, Lisa Fieg was strolling past the St. Regis Hotel near Central Park and she bumped into yet another celebrity face to face.  This individual was:
A.  Pop singer Bruno Mars   
B.  "Star Trek" actor Leonard Nimoy
C.  Jazz musician Sun Ra
D.  Former Beatle Ringo Starr

2.  The number seven train of the New York city Subway system stops at the corner of Lisa's block, a few short feet from her door.  She takes the train west to work every day.  If she were to take the train east, it would go directly to Shea Stadium which was, in addition to the venue of the N.Y. Mets baseball team, also host to:
A.  Rock and roll legend Elvis Presley
B.  Opera legend Enrico Caruso
C.  Legendary soprano Maria Callas
D.  The Beatles

3.  The Beatles, in their early years were known as:
A.  The Quarrymen
B.  The Flintstones
C.  The Rockhounds
D.  The Drywall Hangers

4.  If Lisa takes the seven train east to see the Mets she will pass through:
A.  an Irish neighborhood
B.  a Spanish neighborhood
C.  a Chinese neighborhood
D.  all of the above, in succession

5.  While out on the hustings,  congressman Sam Stratton one day tore his pants on a nail.  He retreated to his mother's house in Cooperstown, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame, and removed his pants while she fetched a needle and thread.  Before her return a number of guests appeared unexpectedly and he:
A.  wrapped a shawl from the back of the couch around his waist
B.  shrieked and ran out of the room
C.  sat down and crossed his legs, smiling pleasantly
D.  ordered the visitors out of the house because he was indisposed.

6.  When Jean Davie first met her future husband, Philip Fieg, in the living room at 10 N. Sixth St. he was wearing:
A.  only his boxer shorts
B.  a bear costume, as he was on his way to a Halloween party
C.  a mortar board and gown on his graduation day
D.  his mother's frilly apron, as he was washisng dishes in the kitchen

7.  Philip's brother, Frank Fieg, had a life-long best friend, Joe Wright.  While returning from the Majors Inn in Gilbertsville in a 1934 Ford Cabriolet V-8, Joe was ticketed for speeding 75 in a 50 mph zone.  Sitting beside him in the passenger seat was
A.  future mayor Roger Hughes, drunk
B.  future judge Albert Baldo, drunk
C.  Gilberstville town constable Carloga Klemm, drunk
D.  Maxine Fieg, sober

8.  The Majors Inn was best known as a hideout for
A.  Dutch Schultz
B.  Al Capone
C.  Jack "Legs" Diamond
D.  George Raft

9.  Jack Diamond died 12/18/31 when he
A.  died peacefully in his sleep
B.  overdosed on barbituates and bourbon                  
C.  was suspected to have been shot by Dutch Schultz 
D.  jumped off the Chrysler Building

Not So Great

Your editor got carried away in the previous post and after further review on the slo-mo cam, finds that many of the great-grandchildren cited there are just grands.  I think everything has been corrected but please alert me if there are still some relationships out of whack.

Can You Feature That? Word Paintings from October 2014

OH GREAT!
(Ed. note:  Rats!  I meant to post this Friday.  Please turn on the Way Back Machine and return to Halloween!)

Caleb Fieg, great-grandson of the FFN's editor emeritus Lothar "Bud" Fieg, "begged for and ate carrots for breakfast" the other day.  Good bunny!

Cindy Haney Fieg, in preparation for the Halloween festivities, took it one step too far.  She fell on an uneven sidewalk breaking a front tooth and suffering a lip the size of Denver.  Masks aren't that expensive, ma'am....

Andrew Shedlock, grandson of Florence Fieg Bookhout, is preparing to compete in the New York City Marathon on Nov. 2.  Andrew's bib number is 40471 and proud mummy Annie Bookhout informs us that she has downloaded a free TCS NY Marathon app to her cell phone to follow his progress.  Annie likens watching the marathon from a distance to viewing the Super Bowl "where it is warm and dry."  Run, Andrew, run!

Andrew's wife Denise Egan Shedlock mentions that she has a couple of friends raising funds for ALS during the running of the marathon.  Visit events.carolinashealthcarefoundation.org to make a donation.  Annie adds that "Andy's grandfather Bookhout became a prisoner in his body due to ALS. His verbal strength was ripped away from him. To watch someone with ALS try to communicate because their brain is still sharp is horrible torture for the patient and those that love him/her. Thanks for alerting all of us."

Emilie Kestner, granddaughter of FFN founder Philip Fieg, is president of the Psychology Club at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Tex.  She also stays busy planning events for her service-oriented sorority Phi Theta Gamma, mentoring a freshman psych major and taking notes in class for students with disabilities.  Emilie wished everyone "Happy Day of the Cat" on Oct. 28.  She will graduate in May.

Eddie Fieg, grandson of Uncle Bud's brother Frank, will escape the bonds of his twenties in less than a month.  It's not that bad on the other side....

Uncle Frank's great-grandson, Cade Orion Dangca, graduated from basic training at Ft. Jackson, the U.S. Army base in South Carolina.  His mom and dad, Anna and Alan Dangca, and sisters Eva, Rosa and Marta, were on hand to watch as Cade and his classmates marched across the field.  They shared some lovely photos on Facebook.

Cade spent several months with cousin (and your humble editor) Judy Kestner in South Texas earlier this year.  He worked with Judy's husband Joe in the oilfield and proved to be a valuable asset to Joe's business.  We miss you, Cade, and are so proud of you!

Brenna Rose Ferguson, one of Uncle Bud's granddaughters, visited Charleston, S.C. this month.  Most interesting thing learned?  It's "Chaaaaaston."

What a great aunt!  Nancy Fieg, who is also a granddaughter of Uncle Frank, absolutely L-O-V-E-S her nieces and nephews.  The birthday greetings and other photos she posts on Facebook just radiate affection.

Speaking of nephews, Emilie Fieg Harvey, still another Frank Fieg granddaughter, gave birth on October 22 at 10:25 a.m. to the newest Fieg cousin, Thomas Edward Harvey.  Mother (looking smashing the next day BTW) and baby are healthy and Tommy's sisters Hannah and Paige, brother  Mikey and dad Matt are ga-ga over him.  Congrats, Harvey family! 

As if she didn't have enough on her mind, Emilie entered a Preggers in the Pumpkin Patch contest.  (Really, all that was required was a photo of the baby belly next to a wagon of punkins, and asking friends to vote for her.  Not too strenuous, I guess!)

Cindy Harris, wife of Uncle Bud's son Doug Fieg, co-escorted her lovely daughter Megan down the aisle into the arms of  her new husband.  The ceremony took place at the Montecito Sequoia Lodge in King's Canyon National Park in California.  The bridesmaids wore emerald green, a tip o' the hat to the gorgeous outdoor surroundings. 

St. Louis Gateway Arch Approaches Milestone

1.  While changing planes during a two-hour delay in St. Louis some years ago, Dr. Ed Fieg sat down for a snack and found himself at the same table with:
A.  Former Cincinnati Reds catcher Johnny Bench
B.  Former Green Bay quarterback Bart Starr
C.  Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Orr
D.  Tennis great Jimmy Connors

2.  The St. Genevieve Fiegs, from their home less than an hour away, witnessed the St. Louis Gateway Arch rise from nothing to its current height of  630 feet.  Next year the number of candles on the arch's birthday cake will be:
A. 10
B.  25
C.  30
D.  50

3.  The initial bond issue for the construction of the arch was floated in:
A.  1935
B.  1949
C.  1954
D.  1960

5.  The Gateway arch, the tallest man-made arch in the world, is how wide?
A.  630 feet
B.  150 feet
C.  200 feet
D.  430 feet

6.  The amount of land that was condemned for construction of the arch was:
A.  10 city blocks
B.  15 city blocks
C.  25 city blocs
D.  40 city blocks

7.  On November 22, 1980, at about 8:45 a.m. CST, 33-year-old Kenneth Swyers of Overland, Missouri, parachuted on to the top of the arch where he:
A.  slid down the north leg into a fireman's net
B.  slid down the north leg to his death
C.  was arrested by FAA officials in the Observation Room
D.  was warmly greeted by the mayor in the Observation Room

8.  From their fourth story attic window, Stephen and Eleanor Fieg can look out and see:
A.  the airplane warning lights at the top of the St. Louis Gateway Arch, blinking in the night.
B.  the entire arch, illuminated in silhouette against the sky on a clear day at sunrise.
C.  aircraft flying  underneath the arch, west to east
D.  nothing - they have no fourth floor window.

Kevin Corkery Among Last to See Oneonta Mayor Alive

Kevin Corkery, husband of Fieg cousin Sarah Fieg Corkery, exchanged a wave of the hand with Mayor Dick Miller as the two passed each other at the bank Friday afternoon, never guessing for a moment that he would be among the last to see the city's chief executive.

Miller, 71, was found dead the next morning having shot himself to death with a .22-caliber pistol..  Police found a suicide note but have not revealed the contents.

"He had a serious look on his face and was somewhat distracted," Kevin said.  "Maybe he was making plans for what he was going to do."

The community is in shock, with many grieving over the loss.  Miller was a popular figure with a garrulous and effervescent personality.

In 2009 he became Oneonta’s 20th mayor for the first of two terms.  He was a decorated U.S. Army combat veteran, Hartwick College President, SUNY Vice Chancellor, Vice President at the University of Rochester and President and CEO of Case-Hoyt Corporation.

Greg Fieg left a message at City Hall about a year ago concerning a minor traffic issue.  A few days later he was surprised to receive a return phone call from Mayor Dick Miller.  "I was amazed that he paid that much attention to detail," Greg said.  "I have known many mayors - Roger Hughes, Sam Nader, Jim Lettis, Dave Brenner and so on, several of whom I counted among my friends.  All of them were outstanding men who devoted much personal time to their community but none seemed to enjoy being mayor more than Dick Miller."

A service to celebrate the life of Mayor Miller will be at 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 2.

Run for the Hills! It's the Killer Bees!

Last Saturday while helping a friend cut brush on her ranch,  Joe Kestner, husband of Fieg cousin Judy Kestner, was attacked by a swarm of Africanized honey bees.

The noise of the chain saw he was using disturbed the insects, known throughout the southwestern states as aggressive and dangerous predators, and they set upon the first living thing they saw: Joe.

He ran toward the house nearby but the horde pursued him, a trait that separates them from regular honey bees.  They all poured into the bathroom, where Joe turned on the shower and stuck in his head.

Though this discouraged some bees, many others had gotten inside of his clothes and were stinging him under the arms and on the back.  Probably because of the venom entering his body under the arms, where are located many lymph nodes, Joe began to lose consciousness.

The other people there came running into the bathroom, receiving the wrath of the bees as well, and tried to get Joe to stand up so they could get him to a vehicle and away from the scene of the massacre.  Because he was virtually dead weight (sorry!) they struggled mightily, but eventually were successful in righting him. 

They took off his clothes, poured a bottle of ammonia over his body (can you envision them using an After Bite pen on every one of the 40+ stings?), loaded him into a car and drove to the ranch gate, calling 911 on the way. 

To make a long story short, after an ambulance ride and a few hours in the hospital in Laredo, Joe was discharged, wearing an attractive hospital gown with stylish back tie, and our friend Janice drove him back to the ranch.  He was fine after a couple of days, though his glasses have not been discovered.  (Maybe the bees are learning how to use them to focus the sunlight into a little pinprick of heat to fry ants.  It wouldn't surprise me.)

The End.

Out of Africa

Thanks to Fieg cousin Sue Williams for sharing a blog address for her niece, Laura Fieg Kasibante, husband Chief and their child Maxwell Musoke. 

Laura is the daughter of Doug Fieg, who is the son of Lother "Bud" Fieg who is the son of Lothar Fieg Sr. who is the son of Carl Fieg of Pforzheim, Germany, the man who planted in America the sapling from which fell all the nuts in our family.

You can read about the family's life in Uganda, watch the baby growing up and feel the passion these three have for their mission by visiting http://kasibantes-in-ug.blogspot.com/2014/08/june-july-2014.html.

See if you can recognize Laura's grandmother, Catherine Shafer Fieg, smiling out from Laura's face!

Brenna Rose Ferguson Graduates

Thanks to proud aunt Sue Williams for the following great news:

After three years of hard work and dedication Brenna Rose Ferguson will graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in digital photography from the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago.

Brenna, daughter of Cindy Haney Fieg and step-daughter of Cindy's husband, Richard Fieg, went to Chicago in the summer of 2011 to pursue a degree in photography.  She has been working part-time for TK Photography in Chicago (http://tkphotographychicago.com/) ("We photograph people through life’s journey, wherever that journey may lead.") as well as free-lancing on her own for weddings, graduations, family portraits and the like. 

For her final school project she has chosen as her subject Eleanor Williams, her uncle Ed Williams' mother. They have had fun getting to know each other a little better and getting some great pictures for Brenna's portfolio/project.

The graduation date is Sept. 26, 2014.  Well wishes, roses and engraved pocket watches may be directed to Brenna at www.BrennaRosePhotography.com  or brenna.ferguson2010@gmail.com. 

The Lothar Fieg family is very proud of her accomplishments and happy to have her in the family.

Hoppy Hedder's Hearsay

WHAT FIEG COUSIN and spouse are about to embark on a sailboat cruise from Cape Cod through the Intracoastal Waterway?  (Hint:  it's NOT Carol and Bob Ramagosa!)

WELL DEARS, in just under six weeks there will be a new arrival at the home of a very appropriately named Fieg cousin whose two girls (initials H. and P.) can't wait to be big sisters!

IN UPSTATE NEW YORK a lanky red-head is off to third grade.  I can't divulge the name, but the initials are K.M.  Hats off to this child and best of luck!  (Well done, also, with the ice water challenge in memory of Hizzoner the grandfather.)

NOW MY DEARIES, you all should know that there will be an event -- THE event -- in Sin City on November 2.  Fiegs from around the country will converge for a hug-fest in the West with the best of the best, and, darlings, you do NOT want to miss it.

That's all I can divulge at this moment.  It's time for cocktails!

100th Wedding Anniversary Observed by Fiegs

Sept. 3 marks the 100th wedding anniversary of Florence Shields and Lothar Fieg who famously were married while holding hands through a window overlooking a porch.

Florence May Shields Fieg

Hermann Lothar Emil Fieg

Florence, who was suffering from scarlet fever, an often fatal disease at the time, was taken from the boarding house run by her mother, Celestia, in Corbett, N.Y. to the Mary Mason house, a resort on the Delaware River in nearby Colchester, where she was kept under quarantine.

Lothar, a foreman at the Corbett and Stewart Acid Factory in Corbett, climbed up on the roof of the porch and took Florence's hand while the vows were recited.

 

The boarding house in Corbett had been operated by Celestia, and Florence and all her sisters had domestic chores to perform there as part of the operation.   "My mother was a good cook and a good baker," said Thelma Bost, daughter of Florence's sister Nettie.  "She was about 6 or 7 when she had to start making cakes to serve to the boarders."  Thelma, age 88, recalled that the girls had to go to the company store for supplies and sister Marie insisted on carrying the heavy goods back to the house, to Nettie's delight. 

It is believed that the boarding house, which was owned and operated by Corbett and Stewart from the 1920s to 1930s, when the company folded, is still standing.  The remains of the Mary Mason house are under 50 feet of water in the Pepacton Reservoir.

Florence and Lothar's eldest child, Emilie, was born June 29, 1915 (yep, that's nine months!).  The couple later moved to Oneonta, where the other six were born. 

Max Fieg Enrolls at Iowa State

Max Fieg has enrolled as a freshman at Iowa State University in Ames, Ia., where he will study engineering.

Max, 19, son of Edward L. Fieg, Col. U.S.A.F. Ret., and Dr. Teresa Hennessey, will follow in the footsteps of a number of captains of industry who graduated from this leading institution for the education of individuals in the engineering field.

Alumni include astronauts, scientists, Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, statesmen, academicians, CEOs, entrepreneurs, athletes, film and television actors, and a host of other notable individuals in their respective fields. Some of the more recognizable among them are scientist (and the original recycler) George Washington Carver, suffragist and League of Women Voters founder Carrie Chapman Catt, candy magnate Russell Stover (who attended for a time but did not graduate), Iowa Senator Tom Harkin and NASA astronaut Clayton Anderson.

Max's sister Nancy also graduated from Iowa State and is working for American Girl in Manhattan.

Shopping for school -- so much fun!

Maren Corkery Wins Voice Scholarship

Following a recent audition, Maren Corkery has won a Dox Apprentice Scholarship with the Catskill Choral Society based in Oneonta, N.Y.

Sixteen-year-old Maren will sing first alto in the fifty-member choir under the direction of Prof. R. Colin Armstrong.  Accompanied by an orchestral ensemble, the group plans a major presentation called "Carols and Lullabies: Christmas in the Southwest" on December 5 and 6. 

The society's focus has been on choral music of all periods since its founding in 1970.

Maren is the eldest daughter of Kevin and Sarah Corkery of Oneonta and granddaughter of FFN editor Greg Fieg.  Kevin is a semi-professional percussionist who plays regularly throughout the area and the Fieg family is notoriously musical, so Maren appears to have been cut from the same cloth.

Congratulations, Maren!

Fieg Cousin Scores Personal Home Run

Greg Fieg meets with Major League Baseball's all-time hits king Pete Rose in Cooperstown
during Hall of Fame Induction Weekend in July.  Greg, his brother Ed and sister Lisa
spent the 4-day weekend together and met with childhood chums John, Billy and Bobby Wells. 
Ed was accompanied by his wife Barb.

Lucky in Love - 7/11

Thanks to our roving reporter Anne Roman, wife of Fieg cousin John Roman, for the following account of the wedding of her niece:

Jessica Roman (daughter of Mark Roman and Maureen Taylor) and Cory Cross were married on Friday evening, July 11, 2014 at the Top of the Bay, the newly renovated former officers’ club at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, in Aberdeen, Maryland.   

Mark, who looked very handsome in his Marine dress blues, gave the bride away and in an e-mail message several days later said, "What an unbelievable moment...one I will NEVER forget..." 

The ceremony took place on the second floor  terrace overlooking the Chesapeake Bay.  The bride’s favorite colors, yellow and green, were worn by her bridesmaids and incorporated into the wedding decorations and flowers. 

The bride was beautiful (according to her Aunt Anne, she is incapable of taking a bad picture so the photos won't lie), wearing her grandmother Dorothy Roman's pearls with a strapless white lace gown. 

The weekend celebration began on Thursday evening with a rehearsal dinner crab feast hosted by the groom’s parents Kacy and Michael Cross at a restaurant in suburban Baltimore.  On Saturday afternoon, the day after the wedding party, the Cross family hosted a backyard barbecue for family and friends at their home.  

The happy couple spent their honeymoon in Jamaica.  They are back home and at work in Baltimore, but we are not sure if their feet have touched ground yet.  

Best wishes for life-long happiness go to the newly-weds from the entire Fieg clan!

P.S. Has anyone ever seen Noah Roman's eyebrows before?  Here they are:

Judy Kestner Endures "Death March" and Survives

Your 'umble editor recently made a five-day birding trip with three other women to Big Bend National Park on the Rio Grande in West Texas to add some western U.S. birds to her life-list.  Of the 23 potential new species, she came home with nine checked off, bringing her to 437 of the 914 North American birds that are accepted by the American Birding Association.  Here's the story:

The trip began with an overnight stay in San Antonio at the lovely 1910-era home of one of the foursome and the next morning we set off very early for our first stop:  the South Llano River State Park in Junction.  A local birder met us there and led us to a couple of target birds (Golden-cheeked Warbler and Black-capped Vireo) and after a couple hours we hit the road again and arrived for late lunch at the Bien Venidos Restaurant (really good Mexican food!) in Ft. Stockton.  Half an hour west of there was the next (birding) hot-spot we visited, Lake Balmorhea, and lifer number one: Clark's Grebe - hooray!

We piled back into the car and headed for Big Bend, passing through this area in the photo.  (Does anyone know what it means?  We had to look it up, too!).  Just north of the park we stopped at a prairie dog town and found one Burrowing Owl there, a lifer for our overnight hostess.  These birds live in abandoned prairie dog holes and are cuter than pie.

This part of the Lone Star State is wildly beautiful and we were awestruck by the rugged landscapes, mountain formations and the unique flora and fauna. 

On to the very remote Chisos Mountain Lodge but uh-oh!  After the climb up the mountains there was smoke coming out from under the car's hood.  Luckily the lodge had a mechanic on duty so we left word for him to take a look at the motor the next day, checked in, clinked a beer bottle toast or two and went to bed.

At 5:30 a.m. it was raining, so we postponed our hike up the Laguna Meadows Trail for an hour.  Then we were off.  (This trail was labeled "strenuous," a fact I discovered the next day, after it was 'way too late.)

We watched the mountains turning color as the sun came up and garnered another couple of lifers for my list, as well as great views of other birds not native to my neck of the woods.

Mexican Jay - another lifer!

After two hours, the other three went on ahead of me and I continued slowly, stopping to sit on my folding stool (a life-saver if ever there was one) every 20 minutes or so. I made a friend (see pic at left) and had a lovely time, though I think the high high altitude (~6,000 feet) sapped me of energy as I had a harder and harder time putting one foot in front of the other.




In my mind, I thought that the entire hike would be about four hours, until a man hiking with his son (Dan and Alex) stopped where I was having a snack and showed me a map and told me there were about 8.5 miles to go.  "Oh no there aren't," sez I, and asked them to relay the message to my buddies at the top that I was turning back.  My decision was a good one, as evidenced in the photo on the right.  Can you spot the lodge's red roofs to the right of the cone-shaped mound? 

The way down was easier (thank you, gravity!!) but even so I didn't get back to the lodge until 1:45 in the afternoon.  Cold washcloth, stat!  Take off slacks, hiking boots and socks (120-degree feet!), stat!  Turn up A/C and take a nap, stat!

My friend Teri knocked on the door around 4:00 and announced that Susan had suffered heat exhaustion and had to lie down on the trail and Teresa had twisted her knee and was in tears and that she, Teri, had run down the last couple of miles of trail to get help.  Thank heavens one of us was in good health!

All turned out fine.  The car's transmission fluid had expanded in the heat and the excess was what was burning; someone gave Susan a PowerAde and Jell-O with fruit and she did not, after all, have to be carried down the mountain on horseback or a stretcher; Teresa's knee was fine; and, when we got to the restaurant for dinner, EVERYONE knew us.  "Judy, you made it back!"  "Susan, you look fine!"

The next two days were spent driving to other destinations and walking just a little.  Getting into and out of the car there was usually a chorus of "Ouch, ow, oh, ugh, yikes," as we stretched our aching muscles.

It was a trip to remember and to repeat (though the new "Code Red" at the lodge is now "A-10 B-4" - our room numbers!  I suspect they were happy to see us go.)  I'll see if I can convince my friends to go back next year!

Farewell to the Lodge!

Lily Abigail Fieg Meets World

On June 30 at 12:18 p.m. little Caleb Fieg of Acworth, Ga. heard the cry of his newborn sister, Lily Abigail Fieg, and became resigned to the fact that he would be expected to share stuff from that point on.  Your editor is sure that his parents, Brian and Emily Fieg, have done the best job in the world preparing him for this outrage.

An e-mail from the proud parents announced that "She is 21.5 inches long and 8 lbs. 11 oz.  Lily and Emily are doing great and we couldn't feel more blessed!  Emily's mom and dad are here to help with Caleb. Thank you everyone for your prayers--it was a wonderful birth!"

Brian is the son of Douglas Fieg and Susan Untiedt.

Brian, Emily and Lily Fieg, June 30, 2014

Dr. Bob Whiteside Dies on May 20

Thanks to Marsha Whiteside Adams for forwarding the following obituary of her dad, Dr. Bob Whiteside, who passed away on May 20.

Dr. Robert M. “Bob” Whiteside, 90 of Sioux City died on Tuesday, May 20, 2014 at his residence.   Visitation with the family present will be from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Thursday, June 5 at Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel.  Private graveside services will be in Storm Lake, Ia.

Bob was born July 6, 1923 in Galva, Ia.  He was the son of Merle and Elsie (Marsh) Whiteside and grew up in Storm Lake.  

Bob received a B.S. degree from Buena Vista College and then served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II where he became a certified lab technician.   After the war he returned to school at the University of Iowa where he received a degree in physical therapy, his D.D.S, and M.S in maxillofacial surgery.

He married Maxine Fieg in Storm Lake. The couple lived in Iowa City and then moved to Sioux City when he began his oral surgery practice in 1955.

Dr. Whiteside was a member of the American Dental Association, Iowa Dental Association and the American Association of Oral-Maxillofacial Surgeons. He served as President of the Northwest District Dental Society, Sioux City Dental Society and Iowa Society of Oral-Maxillofacial Surgeons.

Bob served as Potentate of the Abu Bekr Shrine Temple in 1966, was a longtime member of the Chanters and served as Midwest Shrine Association President in 1974. Bob was on the Board of the Buena Vista College Alumni Association.

Survivors include his children Marsha Adams (Bill) of Dakota Dunes, S.D., Jeff Whiteside (Kathi) of Appleton, Wisc., Anne Still (Kevin) of Danville, Ind., Bob Whiteside (Kathy) of West Branch, Ia., 9 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Maxine, a brother and a sister.

Bill Doyle Trains Union Workers

During the month of May, Bill Doyle, who is married to the middle daughter of the FFN's founder V.P. Fieg, trained about a dozen construction workers in his local union on the use of a remote control-operated excavator called a Brokk 100.

Bill called the machine, which is made in Sweden, "a jackhammer on tracks." It is about half the size of a V.W. Beetle, though they can be as large as a pick-up truck  The demolition devices are used inside buildings to break up concrete and are also used to knock down bridges and other structures.

He trained the crew one at a time on the use of the controls at the union school near his home in Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.  "If you can use an excavator, you can use this," Bill assured me.

Bill's wife, cousin Diana Fieg Doyle, mentioned that Bill is now working at the Indian Point nuclear power plant, and that "he comes home all aglow."  Let's hope not!

79th Shields Reunion Slated for July 13

Midge McClenon sent this email for the Fiegs who are also Shieldses:

 

The 79th Annual Shields Reunion will be held on Sunday, July 13th, 2014, at Nathaniel Cole Park (shelter #2) in Harpursville, NY. 

 

Lunch will begin at 12:30 PM.  Please bring a covered dish to share, and beverage and table service for your family.  Charcoal will be available for those who wish to grill. 

 

There will be a brief business meeting after lunch and plans for the 80th Reunion will be discussed.  Bring your great ideas to make it the best Reunion yet!!

 

Nathaniel Cole Park is open from 8:00 AM to dusk, offering swimming, boating, hiking, sports areas, and picnicing in a beautiful setting!  If you've never been there come see for yourself!  You're going to love it!! 

 

Call Vera 570 - 729 - 8621 or Midge 607 - 441 - 0475 or e-mail midgemcclenon@lycos.com, if you have any questions or need directions.

 

See you on the thirteenth!!

 

Midge

 

 

Mini-reunion Set for November in Las Vegas

Cousin Sue Williams has been busy planning not only her imminent retirement from the travel biz but also a 2014 mini-reunion for the Fieg family.

In an e-mail from earlier this month, Sue shares the following details, encouraging any and all twigs on the Fieg family tree to attend:

The date will be Sunday November 2 and the event will kick off with a 3:00 p.m. cocktail party at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas (check it out at https://redrock.sclv.com/).  Dinner will follow at the resort in either Lucille's B-B-Q (www.lucillesbbq.com/locations/las-vegas) or the Grand Cafe (https://redrock.sclv.com/Dining/Grand-Cafe.aspx ).

Sue is working with a representative of the resort to schedule the dinner and cocktail reservations, and is delegating the room reservations to Diana Doyle since, as of May 31, Sue will find herself among the ranks of retired baby-boomers!  Her partner will take over the travel business.  Our best wishes to her in this momentous move.

Those who plan to attend in November should contact Sue at either her cell number (708/955-2906) or at home (708/460-5179). 

Sue and hubby Ed will fly out on October 31, as they plan to visit Bryce Canyon National Park, and will stay five or six nights at the Red Rock.  At this point her four brothers (probably with a sprinkling of spouses) and Roman half-sister Sam Theobald and husband Chuck all plan to attend as well.

As a special treat Sue will attempt to create a CD of family photos to show during the cocktail party.  More to come about that.

Please mark your calendar and start saving frequent flyer points.  We hope to see you all in Vegas!

From the Mouths of Babes

Art Linkletter had it right:  "Kids Say the Darndest Things," and the kids in the Fieg family are no exception.  

Thanks to Jean Davie Fieg for the suggestion for this article.  Read on for a giggle or two.

Liz Bookhout, maybe four or five years old, came running into the house crying, "Katie isn't doing what she was told to do on the swing.  She's not going backwards and forwards, she's going crookwards!"                                                                                                                                                                                                          At Christmastime, Diana Fieg had either wax or the sound of reindeer bells in her ears when she sang, "Jesus our brother, kind of good...," and "... curly head dolls that toddle and coo, elephant spokes and kiddie cars too."

Her sister, your kindly old editor, sang, "Up on the rooftop, reindeer paws," though, since paws and pause are homophones, I was the only one surprised to find the latter word was the correct one, as I always had an image of reindeer hooves (why didn't I realize they didn't have paws?) pawing at the shingles.

And in keeping with the Christmas theme, 2-year-old Janet Holm McHenry, daughter of Bob and Doris Fieg Holm, used to sing, "Oh, you better watch out, better not cry, Better not pout, I'ma tellin you."  Who exactly were her ancestors...?

Fieg Family Photo Surfaces

Recently your editor received this wonderful photograph of the family of Max Fieg in the early 1940s, sitting on the porch of their Montclair, N.J. home.  It was sent by Max's daughter, Doris Fieg Holm.

The picture was sent with the following notes:

Back row:
  (bro) Carl Fieg, (his wife) Gerry; Mom - Louise Fieg; Leila Foster Wood (friend); Pop - Max Fieg.
Middle:
  Rondolph Gregory; sis (his wife) Janet Fieg Gregory; Doris (Dolly) Moline (Rosenbaum), my niece; Bud Fieg; sis Ruth Stiles Tomasko
Front:
  Sis Helen Stiles Moline - later Santina; Doris Fieg; sis Emma Fieg Walter

35 Oxford St., Montclair, N.J. (ed. note:  now the site of the Essex Youth Theatre)

Doris writes, Brother Henry (Hank) was probably in Ohio, with National Cash Register.  Helen and Ruth were Louise's daughters by first marriage to Robert Stiles.  Rondolph later went to (the) Army, as (did) Fred Walter, too, and both served in Europe.  Fred was wounded in Anzio, Italy, I think.

Clarence Moline, Dolly's father, was killed in an accident at Walter Kidde Co., Bloomfield - hit by a compressed air tank, 1942.  (ed. note:  The Walter Kidde Co. makes fire extinguishers.)

Helen remarried in 1945 to sea captain Frank Santina, who spent his whole life at sea, all wars, in the Merchant Marine.  Decorated for saving lives at sea after (a) torpedo hit.  Three medals!

Many thanks to Doris for this wonderful look back in time.  Your editor notices that Emma Fieg Walter looks extraordinarily like her cousin Florence Fieg Bookhout, somewhat in the facial features but even more in the way she holds herself in the photo.

An additional bonus realized by your editor in the creation of this post was the discovery of the "Save to TIF" function for scanning the photo when she tried, tried again.  This gave a much more satisfactory quality to the reproduction of said photo, and a greater sense of well-being and happiness to said editor.

IMF Official, Fieg Family Friend, Killed in Afghanistan

Word has been received  from Afghanistan that Wabel Abdallah, the top representative in Afghanistan with the International Monetary Fund, and Lisa Fieg's longtime friend and former roommate, has been killed in a Taliban bombing in Kabul.

Wabel, who was a Lebanese national, was having dinner in a Lebanese ex-patriot restaurant in a supposedly safe part of the city, when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives.

Wabel was a very intelligent, kind and gentle man whose loss is devastating to Lisa and others who knew him.  He and Lisa shared an apartment in Long Island City near where Lisa continues to live today.

Lisa today discovered the Reuters news report after Wabel had not answered any of her letters for over a month.

IMF, UN officials among 21 killed in Kabul suicide attack Sat Jan 18 20:35:28 UTC 2014

By Jessica Donati and Mirwais Harooni  KABUL (Reuters) - A Taliban suicide bomber and gunmen attacked a restaurant popular with foreigners in the heart of the Afghan capital Kabul, killing 21 people including three United Nations staff and the International Monetary Fund's top representative in Afghanistan. Gunmen burst into the Lebanese restaurant spraying diners with bullets after the bomber blew himself up near the entrance around 7:30 p.m. local time on Friday, just as people had sat down for dinner. Thirteen foreigners were among those killed, according to police, and details about the victims began to trickle through on Saturday. The U.S. State Department said three U.S. private citizens were killed. Britain and Canada confirmed they each lost two nationals and Denmark said one of its citizens also died. The American University of Afghanistan said two of its U.S. employees died in the attack on La Taverna du Liban, a popular dining spot whose charismatic owner, Kamal Hamade, was also killed. "We are devastated by the news," Michael Smith, president of AUAF, said in a statement. After the initial blast, sporadic bursts of gunfire were heard over the next hour. The two gunmen inside the Lebanese restaurant, located in Kabul's diplomatic enclave, were shot dead by police, an Afghan official said. Most foreign forces are preparing to leave Afghanistan this year after more than a decade of war. Afghanistan watchers fear the Taliban will intensify attacks in the run-up to an election in April to find a successor to President Hamid Karzai. At odds with Washington over the terms of the bilateral security pact that governs the withdrawal, Karzai is still deliberating whether to allow some U.S. troops to stay on. If no agreement is reached, Afghan forces could be left to fight the insurgents on their own. The Taliban claimed responsibility for Friday's attack, calling it revenge for a U.S. air strike earlier this week that had also drawn condemnation from Karzai as eight civilians were killed. The White House condemned the violence. "There is no possible justification for this attack, which has killed innocent civilians, including Americans, working every day to help the Afghan people achieve a better future with higher education and economic assistance at the American University, United Nations, International Monetary Fund and other organizations," it said in a statement. FAVOURITE HAUNT Several kitchen staff survived by fleeing to the roof, where they hid until they were rescued by police. "When I was in the kitchen, I heard an explosion outside. Then all the guys escaped up and I went to the roof and stayed with my back to the chimney for two or three hours," said Suleiman, a cook at the Lebanese restaurant. By midnight, the operation to clear the area was still under way, with police nervously flashing lasers at passing cars and people on the dark, dusty streets. The restaurant had been running for several years, and was a favourite haunt for foreigners, including diplomats, contractors, journalists and aid workers. A couple of armed guards were usually on duty at the front entrance, which led to a courtyard in front of the main ground floor dining room. The suicide bomb attack took place at that entrance, but accounts differed over where the gunmen had entered from. "The target of the attack was a restaurant frequented by high-ranking foreigners ... where the invaders used to dine with booze and liquor in the plenty," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in an e-mailed statement, written in English. Karzai issued a statement on Saturday condemning the attack, using the opportunity to swipe at the United States for not doing enough to fight "terrorism." "If NATO forces led by the United States of America want to be united and partner with the Afghan people, they have to target terrorism," he said in a statement. Karzai believes Washington could do more to persuade the Taliban to begin direct peace talks with his government. UN PEACE SEEKER KILLED The IMF's representative in Afghanistan, 60-year-old Lebanese national Wabel Abdallah, was one of the diners killed. He had led the fund's office in Kabul since 2008. "This is tragic news, and we at the fund are all devastated," Managing Director Christine Lagarde said in a statement. "Our hearts go out to Wabel's family and friends, as well as the other victims of this attack." The United Nations initially said four staff were killed, counting the IMF's representative in the total. The other three included a Russian, an American and a Pakistani. The Russian was a senior U.N. political officer trying to negotiate a start to peace talks with the Taliban. "You can imagine the effect it has had on staff members here," U.N. spokesman Ari Gaitanis told Reuters. A British Foreign Office spokeswoman said two Britons were killed in the attack. Del Singh, a British opposition Labour Party candidate for the European Parliament, was one of British victims, and the other was serving with the EU Police Mission in Afghanistan. A Dane serving with the mission also died. Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said two Canadians were killed, but it was unclear which organisation they worked for. Foreign casualties were taken to a military base in Kabul. At a hospital morgue near the attack, Afghans screamed and cried as they mourned attack victims, some pressing scarves to their faces to stifle sobs. One young man, grieving for his dead father, kicked a wall and howled. "One of the restaurant's cooks was wounded," said a doctor, Abdul Bashir. "Two dead bodies have been taken to the morgue." While the south and southeast of Afghanistan have been the main theatres of action in a war that has dragged on for more than a decade, Kabul has suffered regular attacks. Taliban fighters mounted several attacks in the capital during the summer months last year, but the assault on Friday inflicted far higher casualties. (Writing by Maria Golovnina, additional reporting by Erik Kirschbaum in Berlin, Louis Charbonneau in New York, Anna Yukhananov, Lesley Wroughton and Steve Holland in Washington; editing by Simon Cameron-Moore, Sonya Hepinstall and G Crosse)

Battle of the Births Quiz

1.  ALL THE FOLLOWING WERE BORN in the Continental United States except:

A.  Richard Fieg
B.  Richard Bookhout Jr.
C.  Jeffrey Whiteside
D.  Phyllis Fieg


2.  ALL THE FOLLOWING WERE BORN at Fox Hospital in Oneonta except:

A.  Susan Fieg Williams
B.  Anne Bookhout
C.  Bobby McGonigal
D.  Judy Fieg Kestner


3.  ALL BUT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING WERE BORN in Pennsylvania:

A.  John Roman
B.  Judy Fieg Kestner
C.  Douglas Fieg
D.  Anne Roman


4.  ONLY ONE COUSIN WAS BORN in Colorado.  That person is:

A.  Jon McGonigal
B.  Russell Fieg
C.  Don Roman
D.  Marsha Whiteside Adams


5.  JEAN DAVIE FIEG'S NIECE, LORI PRICE, resides in Leesburg, VA.  Born in Leesburg was:

A.  Stephen Davie
B.  Lori's husband John Price 
C.  Steven Fieg
D.  Joe Kestner


6.  MAXINE FIEG WHITESIDE'S GRANDMOTHER, Celestia Shields, having retired from running a boarding house, spent the rest of her days in a second floor apartment above a store.  The name of this store was:

A.  Fieg Plumbing
B.  Gregory's plumbing supply
C.  Bresee's Oneonta Department Store
D.  The Golden Rooster


7.  FIEG'S PLUMBING SUPPLY is located in:

A.  Cleveland, Ohio
B.  Oneonta, New York
C.  Milford, Pennsylvania
D.  Milford, New York


8.  BOB MORGAN WAS BORN in the vicinity of the sleepy village of Whitehall in the upper Hudson River Valley.  Whitehall is best known as:

A.  The birthplace of French's mustard
B.  The birthplace of Sail pipe tobacco
C.  The birthplace of the United States Navy
D.  The birthplace of Franklin Delano Roosevelt


Got your Thinking Cap on?  The answers are underlined:

1. ALL THE FOLLOWING WERE BORN in the Continental United States except:


A. Richard Fieg
B. Richard Bookhout Jr.
C. Jeffrey Whiteside
D. Phyllis Fieg


2. ALL THE FOLLOWING WERE BORN at Fox Hospital in Oneonta except:

A. Susan Fieg Williams
B. Anne Bookhout
C. Bobby McGonigal
D. Judy Fieg Kestner


3. ALL BUT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING WERE BORN in Pennsylvania:

A. John Roman
B. Judy Fieg Kestner
C. Douglas Fieg
D. Anne Roman


4. ONLY ONE COUSIN WAS BORN in Colorado. That person is:

A. Jon McGonigal
B. Russell Fieg
C. Don Roman
D. Marsha Whiteside Adams


5. JEAN DAVIE FIEG'S NIECE, LORI PRICE, resides in Leesburg, VA. Born in Leesburg was:

A. Stephen Davie
B. Lori's husband John Price
C. Steven Fieg
D. Joe Kestner


6. MAXINE FIEG WHITESIDE'S GRANDMOTHER, Celestia Shields, having retired from running a boarding house, spent the rest of her days in a second floor apartment above a store. The name of this store was:

A. Fieg Plumbing
B. Gregory's Plumbing Supply
C. Bresee's Oneonta Department Store
D. The Golden Rooster


7. FIEG'S PLUMBING SUPPLY is located in:

A. Cleveland, Ohio
B. Oneonta, New York
C. Milford, Pennsylvania
D. Milford, New York


8. BOB MORGAN WAS BORN in the vicinity of the sleepy village of Whitehall in the upper Hudson River Valley. Whitehall is best known as:

A. The birthplace of French's mustard
B. The birthplace of Sail pipe tobacco
C. The birthplace of the United States Navy
D. The birthplace of Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Editor Emeritus Lothar "Bud" Fieg Cited in War Remembrance

The late Capt. Lothar Fieg, a World War II fighter pilot and Fieg Family News editor emeritus, is cited in a newly-published book titled Fighter Group: The 352nd "Blue Nosed Bastards" in World War II.  

Author Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jay A. Stout mentions Bud once regarding the strafing of a German air base and again, more colorfully, with a description of the parties thrown at the 352nd's base in Bodney, England.  The passages appear below, sent to your editor by Sue Fieg Williams:

Page 135: 

Very little of value was destroyed or even damaged. The poor weather simply made it too difficult to see, and if something worthwhile was spotted it was often too late to fly into a good position to attack it. What was hit reads like an assorted list of scraps: The 352nd's commander, Joe Mason, blasted away at a flak tower and a gun emplacement on the beach; John Thornell shot up a radio tower, some troops and a B-17 that had belly-landed in a field sometime before; Jack Donalson worked over a number of gun emplacements and shot up a rifle range where German solders were practicing their marksmanship. Lothar Fieg fired at a flak tower; after shooting at another tower of some sort, William Halton fired his guns "purely at random," John Coleman shot his guns at "some suspicious looking buildings," and John Meyer "observed strikes on the rear portion of an army truck."

Page 154:

Many of the 352nd's fliers fit the stereotype of the hard-drinking, hard-partying, hard-flying fighter pilot, but some of them didn't. Robert Powell remembered that Lothar Fieg was not a riotous reveler. "His bed was next to mine in the Nissen hut. He was a non-typical fighter pilot--quiet and shy and conservative. He never came to the parties.

"At one point while we were still flying P-47's Lothar was getting a little flak happy," Powell recalled. "I finally persuaded him go to one of our parties. He was curious and I told him that our flight surgeons mixed up a vat of grain alcohol with fruit juices that we called Thunderbolt Joy Juice. The idea was to have a couple of slugs of that before the trucks arrived with the girls. If you did that, then the girls looked more beautiful. After they showed up you picked one out and gave her a slug or two, took her over to the food and then......well, the rest was up to you. Ultimately, Fieg returned to the states and married his longtime sweetheart."

Sue also mentioned that she was happy and pleased to see that the book is dedicated to Betty Powell, wife of Robert "Punchy" Powell.  It reads, " Especially for Betty Powell because she deserves it."

P-51 Bluenoser "E Pluribus Unum"