Bill Doyle Rides Again!

On one of his last trips to Iceland, Bill Doyle, husband of Diana (Fieg) Doyle, took a tour to an area that was best accessible by horseback, so after his return to the States, and a little rumination, he decided to take horseback riding lessons, to be prepared for his next visit to the land of fire and ice.  Here is proof:

Ride 'em, Wild Bill!

Recent Travels With Sue and Ed Williams

Thanks to Sue (Fieg) Williams who sent some photos and write-ups of her recent adventures.  Here goes!

Ed and Sue (Fieg) Williams spent a great day in Chicago at the ball park with niece, Brenna Rose Ferguson, Richard Fieg's oldest step-daughter.  Brenna's friend, Zack, joined us for the day; however he is not in the picture as he was the photographer.

Unfortunately the Cubs did lose to the Cincinnati Reds that day. Brenna bought a Cubs T-shirt for this special occasion (she didn't want to wear her St. Louis Cardinals shirt ... thank you very much!), and that's why they lost -- end of story!!

Ed and Sue ventured to Acworth, GA to see the nieces and nephews on Sept. 9, 2018.  This time of the year is usually when Laura (Fieg) Kasibante and family get their USA "fix."  

The six children sure are growing up fast.  They range in age from one to six years old.  We all did some fun things like going out to eat, visiting the school Caleb and Lily attend, reading books, playing on the swing set in the backyard and much more.

From left to right:  the Kasibantes - Judah (age 3), being held by Chief, Laura holding Zionne (age 1) and Max (age 5); the Fiegs - Brian  (holding Max), Caleb (age 6), Lily (age 4) and Emily holding Nathan (age 1).

Laura and Brian are the children of Douglas Fieg, and grandchildren of Lothar Fieg Sr.

Ed and Sue got some great R&R in Las Vegas at the end of September.  They stayed at one of their favorite hotels, Red Rock Resort. The Vegas family (Russell Fieg and Samantha Theobald) joined them for dinner at Lucille's BBQ, and they all had a good time catching up on the family news.  It had been a year and a half since the last Vegas reunion for these family members.

From left to right:  Russell Fieg, Sue (Fieg) Williams, Samantha Theobald

Dan and Jenny Bookhout Featured in Local Newsletter

Dan and Jenny Bookhout, along with daughters Arwen and Zadie, were featured on page 76 of the digital version of the St. Augustine Social, which bills itself as "the city magazine for Saint Augustine."

The Bookhouts are entrepreneurs who manage two businesses in the Florida city.  Lemonlark Paperie is a stationery boutique that specializes in wedding and event invitations and fine art prints.  Creative Whitt helps clients build websites that make them stand out in the crowd.

Dan is the great-grandson of Carl and Emilie Fieg who immigrated from Germany in 1900.

Seventy is The New Forty!

On this day, back in 1948, Lothar Fieg Sr. and his wife Catherine welcomed a little red-head into their family.

Susan F. Fieg was born at Fox Hospital in Oneonta, N.Y., the second of five siblings.  According to her baby brother, Steven, "Mom told her mother-in-law (Florence Celestia Shields Fieg) that the F was for Florence, but her birth certificate has just an F....  Aunt Catherine, of course, named her onlyiest daughter after  her mother, 'Susan' Maria Rosecrans Shafer."

We wish this lovely woman a happy birthday and a wonderful year ahead.  Proud to have you as a cousin, Sue!

Susan and Catherine on Susan's baptism day, 1948

Susan, Catherine and Lothar "Bud" Fieg, baptism day

Hallelujah!  Another red-head!  Emilie Fieg McGonigal with 

her niece, Susan

Robert Whiteside Photo

Marsha sent this to me and it's too adorable not to publish.  They really were young once!  Remembering her dad, Dr. Robert Whiteside, Sr.:

108 Years of Father's Day

In the Middle Ages in Catholic Europe, March 19, the feast day of St. Joseph, was the day when the faithful celebrated fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society.

 The tradition came to the Americas with Spanish and Portuguese explorers and, in fact, March 19  is still recognized as Father's Day in Spain and Portugal, as well as in Bolivia and Honduras, among others.

In the U.S., there are several reported origins of this holiday.  One has it that in 1908 a woman named Sonora Smart Dodd, after listening to a Mother's Day sermon at church in Spokane, Wash., raised the issue of honoring fathers as well.  Her own father, William Smart, was a widow who raised her and her five siblings for 11 years after his wife's death.  On June 19, 1910, "sermons honoring fathers were presented throughout the city" of Spokane at Methodist churches.

Lothar Fieg Sr. "out West"

Another report tells of Harry Meek, a member of the Lions Clubs International, claimed to be the originator of the idea of Father's Day in 1915.  He chose the third Sunday in June that year (his own birthday) and made many efforts to promote it and make it an official holiday.  The Lions Club named him the "Originator of Father's Day."

It was not until 1966, however, that President Lyndon Johnson designated the third Sunday in June to be Father's Day.  Six years later, President Richard Nixon signed it into law as a permanent national holiday.

So, in a time-honored tradition, we belatedly honor the men who brought home the bacon, cleaned the gutters, mowed the grass, and taught us how to stand tall.  Thanks, Dad!

Young Jim McGonigal

Uncle Dick Bookhout - here comes the judge!

Lothar Jr., war hero

Frank Fieg, working hard

A youthful V. Philip Fieg

Bob Whiteside - nice tie!

Mr. Cool - Bob Roman

Joe Kestner - nice shorts!

This Guy Gets Around!

Greg Fieg (from left), his first cousin Marsha Adams and her husband, Bill, in a recent photo.

Nathan Fieg Turns 2

This weekend was special for the family of Brian and Emily Fieg, not just because we celebrate Memorial Day, but also because their youngest, Nathan, turns two years old!

Happy birthday, little guy.

Nathan Fieg (upper left) with sibs Caleb and Lily.

On the road With Greg and Rosie

Rosie "Not A Mop" Fieg, from left, and Greg Fieg

Put Them All Together, They Spell Mother

The ancient  Romans held festivals to celebrate the mother goddesses Rhea, mother of Zeus, and the Greeks celebrated Cybele.

The early Christian festival "Mothering Sunday" fell on the fourth Sunday of Lent, and marked the day that women should return to their "mother church" for a special service.  This gradually became a secular day when children gave flowers and tokens of appreciation to their mothers.

During the 19th century, Ann Reeves Jarvis initiated "Mothers' Work Day Clubs" and, after the Civil War, the "Mothers' Friendship Day," in an effort to promote reconciliation between the North and South.

Abolitionist and suffragette Julia Ward Howe wrote the "Mothers' Day Proclamation," asking women to promote world peace, and she advocated for a "Mothers' Peace Day" to be celebrated annually on June 2.

Anna Jarvis, daughter of Ann Reeves Jarvis, joined forces with the founder of Wanamaker's Department Store and conducted the first official Mother's Day celebration at a church in West Virginia, on the same day that a huge celebration took place at a Wanamaker's store in Philadelphia.

Finally, in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation recognizing the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

While Anna Jarvis envisioned a day that mothers would spend time with their families, and promoted the wearing of a white carnation as a special badge, she became disgusted with the commercialization of the holiday, and even petitioned to have the proclamation revoked.

So, this year, as you place your on-line gift order for flowers, candy, or a DVD or CD, or you stop by the 7-11 on your way home to pick up a bottle of MD-2020 and a gift card to Denny's, please take the time to remember that we celebrate the person without whom we would not have become the distinguished, polished, successful, erudite, educated beings that we know we are today!

An engagement party was held for 'Katie' Shafer at Aunt Emilie McGonigal's  residence in Milford Center, March or April 1945. Bud and Katie married June 3rd in Oneonta.  For some reason, Uncle Frank and Uncle Philip could not be there. A buddy of Bud's, from the war, was best man. Uncle Bud was very lucky to find such a catch, to say the least, and she was absolutely happy. All the pictures I have seen, taken around this time, and just from being her son, I can notice this was the ultimate for her. Uncle Bud was a war hero, and his father-in-law was well known in the city.  In September they went to Alaska so Bud could finish his mining engineer degree.  They drove from Washington state to Fairbanks, Alaska, when Alaska was just a territory. Driving into the unknown is the way I think of it.

Happy Mother's Day Mom,

Love from a Fieg,

Steven

Dorothy Fieg Roman, mother of Samantha, John, Don and Mark.

Jean Davie Fieg, wife of V. Philip Fieg and mother of Judy, Diana and Phyllis.

Marina Pizano Fieg, wife of Frank Fieg and mother of Greg, Ed and Lisa.

Maxine Fieg Whiteside, mother of Marsha, Jeff, Anne and Bob Jr.

Emilie Boehler Fieg McGonigal and Florence Celestia Fieg Bookhout - mothers of many!

Judy Kestner, mother of The Best Daughter She Ever Had, Emilie V.

Florence Shields Fieg, wife of Lothar Fieg Sr., and mother to Em, Flo, Bud, Frank, Phid, Doc and Mac.

83rd Sheilds Family Reunion Set for July 8

The 83rd Annual Shields Reunion will be held on Sunday, July 8, 2018, at 12:30 p.m. at Nathaniel Cole Park in Harpursville, NY.

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.

Call Vera at 570- -729 - 8621 or Midge at 607 - 441 - 0475 or e-mail Midge at midgemcclenon@gmail.com for more information or directions.