The Autobiography of Aunt Millie Part Three: Flittings

     The family moved from Yonkers to 4052 Park Ave., where the Central Railroad's trains kept thundering by.

     Her Grandpa Fieg died, as did some famous Fleischman.

                "Beta (Bertha) says our name was originally Fiegen. I didn't

                 know that, or why they dropped the en."

     It must have been a poverty time, because her mother and oldest sister, Martha, made beaded purses to sell.

     The next move was to Washington Ave., where there were bed bugs! The only memory there is playing hopscotch, taking part in a Christmas school play for which the oldest sister gave the six-year-old a beautifully dressed doll to carry in the play [Could this be the doll in the photo in the introduction?]; and a girl whose last name was Lechinsky. When her mother called from the third story window for her daughter, the kid hid in the doorway and called back, "I ain't here, mama!"

     The next move, or "flitting," was to a three-story house on 173rd St. that the father named Igles Loch (pronounced Eagle's Lock)

                "...in the midst of a lovely cherry orchard."

     A French couple lived in the attic apartment, and on Saturdays when we two [Millie and Beta probably] were taking a bath, that French woman would have to call to those girls in the bath tub, "Open ze door." It was the only way she could get upstairs.

     Here too, a Hungarian woman lived on the first floor and she had a large white goose, which she tucked under her left arm. With the forefinger of her right hand she forced whole corn down that helpless animal's throat. It is thus that pâté de foie gras is produced.

     Green pastures belonging to the Astors were nearby, and the older boys used to gather wood there by lantern light, and store it in the second story of a nearby shed.  Max built a pipe to the kitchen window of the Fieg home, and a box full of wood would slide across to his mother's kitchen, thus saving his lugging armfuls up the stairs.

     They owned a goat that the goose-feeding Hungarian could milk, and a large turkey that wandered away never to be seen again.

     There is a memory of many enjoyable evenings with [Uncle] Gustave Boehler, who could write verse and once he had a verse for each member of the family.  Only two can be recalled:

"Jetzt komt Max und die feder fie Max

Und die glis es war ein man

Ein turkey da,

Der is mach valerian (the unknown)."

For Beta:

"Jetzt komt Beta on die rei,

Der is alles einerly,

Die a madele wie der Blitz,

Shonsees wenn sie am esse sits."

     Then they all end with "Tara ra boom de ay!"  How the Old Timer wishes she could remember the rest of the verses!

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  The population of Yonkers in 1900 was about twice that of Pforzheim and the Fiegs were perhaps delighted by the hustle and bustle. Trolleys had replaced horse-drawn coaches for the most part and residents also increasingly travelled by bicycle. Nearby Uniontown, just south of Dobbs Ferry, boasted a Ferris wheel, carousel and beer parlor and was a popular destination. The Hudson River offered a place to swim, fish and picnic and fireworks on the Fourth of July spangled the skies over the water.

     Park Ave. in the Bronx runs north-south along the railroad line. During this time there was talk of converting the railroad from steam to electricity, as had been done in Baltimore. (Can you imagine the noise and fumes as the trains roared along the tracks next to the Fieg home?) Washington Ave. parallels Park Ave. one block to the east. (In Millie's letter to my father she says they moved first to Washington Ave. and then to Park Ave., reversing the order given in this autobiography.)

     When the Fieg family moved to Igles Loch they only moved a few blocks. 173rd St. crosses Park and Washington one block to the south, running from the Grand Concourse in the west to the Bronx River in the east and ending at W. Farms Rd. Three blocks to the east of Washington, 173rd is interrupted by Crotona Park and runs one block north of the smaller Claremont Park, one or the other of which was, perhaps, the location of the cherry orchard.

     The Astor family had emigrated from Walldorf, Germany in the early 1800s and hence the name of their famous hotel, the Waldorf Astoria. (But why did the boys gather firewood by lantern light?)

     The Fieg men had sawdust in their veins - they could build anything! Millie's son, Gifford, built a home from the ground up in 1993 at the age of 74 and her brother, Lothar, went on to become an influential builder in Oneonta, New York, bringing his second son, Frank, into the family business. His third son - my father - hand-built several pieces of furniture for me as well as built-in bookshelves, storage sheds and a beautifully crafted split rail fence for the home where he lived with my mother in Greensboro, North Carolina until his death in 1989.

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     Times were hard from 1900 on -- a coal strike was on and every evening the father would announce an increase in the price of coal.  She remembers talk of gooing to Alaska as the gold strike was on but instead he bought a poor little stony farm in Schocopee [Pennsylvania].  She remembers the train ride in late March [1903], when they stopped at the Halfway House for the driver of the horse stage, Billy McGown, to get a glass of beer (I guess).

     The next morning was a beautiful sunshiny March day -- very mild -- and [the] eight-year-old was very pleased with the rural scenery.  Her mother, though, cried when she was the kitchen, the walls of which were covered with boards from grocery boxes (1903 -- no cardboard boxes then!) placed in haphazard fashion all over.  How her mother ever stood the next few years is still a marvel to the Old Timer.

The Autobiography of Aunt Millie: The Family Comes to America (Take 2)

PREFACE BY LOTHAR FIEG JR.

The OLD TIMER'S MEMOIRS is the autobiography of Emilie Case. It was received from Henry Fieg [Millie's nephew, son of her brother Max] in February 1990. The following preface was derived, deduced and/or approximated from various documents in the archives of the Fieg family.

Emilie Fieg was born December 7, 1894 in Pforzheim, Germany, the daughter (and youngest child) of Carl Victor Fieg and Emilie Böhler Fieg. Her siblings were: Martha, Victor, Lothar, Max and Bertha. The family came to America in July 1899 when Emilie was four-and-a-half years old.

The family moved to Schocopee near Milford, Pennsylvania in 1903.

Emilie Fieg married Arthur Case February 28, 1915. Their children are: Stanley, Thomas, Gifford, Richard, Walter, Hazel and Arthur.

This autobiography was written in 1980 when Emilie Case was 86 years old. She died in Milford, Pennsylvania July 29, 1984 at the age of 89.   

 

Bertha, Victor and Emilie Fieg as children. The picture was probably taken in 1899 or 1900. Could they be standing in their back yard in Yonkers during their first American winter?

GENEALOGY

NAME                            BORN                     MARRIED                                      DIED

Carl Fieg                      July 11, 1857         1906                                                 February 1879

Emilie Böhler               Aug. 23, 1857

Martha                         May 7, 1885           Dorman                                             1917

Victor                           Dec. 1881                                                                         1907

Lothar                         Aug. 11, 1886        Florence Shields Sept. 3, 1914      Aug. 23, 1958

Max                            April 3, 1888           Nettie Newman December 1909

Bertha                        May 5, 1890            Lester Bonardel May 19, 1914

Emilie                        Dec. 7, 1894           Arthur Case Feb. 28, 1915              July 29, 1984

CASE CHILDREN

Stanley                    January 1916           Emily Porter

Thomas                  May 1917                  Alberta Krope

Gifford                     1919                          Susannah Waggoner

Richard                   May 22, 1922            Amelia Thomas

Walter                     1925                           Betty Sittler

Hazel                      May 1927                                                                              Dec. 16, 1928

Arthur                     1930                           Cathy Weeks

THE OLD TIMER'S MEMOIRS

     It's too bad the first memory of the Old Timer is scatological. In her home in Pforzheim, Germany, the privy was attached on the outside of the house, and up about 3 stories. When she was three years old she could wait on herself but for the cleansing process she would stand bent over, clothes withdrawn, and yell "Bo-bo-butze!" Her sister, Bertha, four years older, would come upstairs and clean her, as their mother had her six children, her husband, and her aged mother to care for.

                "Martha was born May 7, 1885 and died Feb. 5, 1918. Max was

                 born April 3, 1888. I've heard Max say that famous blizzard even

                 occured [sic] in Germany; that when my mother was waiting for

                 him to arrive the narrow streets – die Gasse – were filled with snow.

                "Beta was born May 5, 1890, and I on Dec. 7, 1894, tho people

                think Beta is younger than I."

     Another memory is going bathing in an enclosure with sister Martha, ten years older, and what a pleasure, splashing and dunking!

     A birthday is remembered because that same sister had put tiny white peppermint candies under each scale of a cone from a Norway pine. A cake with candles was on the table, and when the birthday child was asked, "Which would you rather have, the cake or that pretty pine cone?" she said greedily, "Both!"

     On another occasion she remembers screaming and crying so loud that her father took her from the table and pushed her out the door, and left her there screaming, "Du dow, du dow!" Translated it meant, "You sow, you sow!"

     The next memory is riding in a surrey with her mother and all the rest, riding at a brisk pace -- her hat on the seat -- and the hat flying off into the unknown. They were on their way to go to America on the ship The Pennsylvania. 

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     In the late nineteenth century, an extensive network of railroads connected Pforzheim to Baden, Wurttemburg, Stuttgart and other large cities of Germany. The area, called the Gate to the Black Forest, sat at the confluence of three rivers and was bustling with industry.

     In 1888, on a visit to relatives, Bertha Benz and her two sons arrived in Pforzheim on the first "long-distance" drive in the history of the automobile in a car manufactured by her husband Carl Benz. I can imagine my great-grandparents Carl and Emilie and three, maybe four, of their children standing by the road waving handkerchiefs and cheering as the vehicle passed by.

     When Carl Fieg married Emilie Böhler in 1879 the city's population was about 25,000. Their six children were born between 1881 and 1894 beginning with Victor and ending with Emilie, who was named after her mother. Since the establishment of a gold and jewelry factory in an orphanage in 1767 the area had become world-famous for its jewelry, a reputation retained even today, and Carl was a jeweler, though probably not a good businessman. (His son Lothar Sr. carried on the tradition of being a "soft touch" in business, though he became a successful builder and did not suffer the humiliation of bankruptcy as did his father.)

     During "La Belle Époque" women were wearing leg-of-mutton sleeves whose size contrasted with the tiny sashed waists and the simple, flared skirts that were the fashion of the day, and the bustle had all but disappeared. The sporty, emancipated (for the day) Gibson Girl set the style.

     Earlier in the 19th century little girls had worn smaller, shorter versions of their mothers' hoop skirts, bustles or empire-waisted dresses but when Millie was born, girls' dresses had taken on a different appearance. They were straight dresses with low waists and big lace collars. The skirts had details such as pleats, scallops, ruffles and shirring and girls commonly wore their hair in bangs.

     What did Millie's hat look like, as it sailed off in the breeze? Was it a small flowered affair, accented with ribbon and pheasant feathers and maybe a cameo brooch? I think it was a "Gainsborough," back in fashion after one hundred years, meant to be loosely tied with a satin ribbon under her chin and tilted slightly to one side, which, lying on the seat of the surrey, caught a current of air and flew off to who knows where, a memento of life in the old country lost to the little girl forever.

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The father's business had gone bankrupt, he went to America, and left his wife and six children to follow after he obtained work. 

                Our father Carl Fieg * was one of four brothers, Herman, Lothar

                and Frederick. The last [i.e. the youngest, Frederick] came to America

                about 1890. Herman went to Australia and illustrated that book, Das

                Buch von Pferde."

              "I don't know what became of your great uncle Lothar but Frederick

               worked at publishing in Newark, N.J. and fathered six daughters

               and two sons. Only one daughter, Helen Griffith**, is left. A retired

               school teacher, she lives in Milford and I wish you could talk to her.

               Her nephew Frederick Fieg is living in California – retired from

               the Army. His address: 118 N. Ost, Lombac [sic], Calif. 805-RF6-3661."

             "[Frederick Sr.'s] other son, Otto went to South America under a

               cloud, did well there for Esso and died not so long ago. He had

               married a Portugese [sic] girl.

              "No one knows how or where Herman died.

              "Our father had a crooked partner in Germany, in the jewelry

               business and he had to go bankrupt – a terrible disgrace in Germany

               in 1898 or '99. So he slipped away to America ahead of his family

               and later sent for his family in May of 1899. We sailed on the ship The

               Pennsylvania, and arrived in New York in July.

              "My mother Emilie Böhler [alternately spelled "Boehler," and pro-

               nounced "bailer."] was born in Baden Baden on Aug. 23, 1857. My

               father on July 11, I think also in 1857, or maybe before 1857. They

              were married in February, I think in 1879."

              "I have a wedding ring home with the date on the inside. Our father

              died in 1906 – the year your father was still out west. How much

              do you know of his riding the rods out west? How did my mother ever

              let him go?" [Millie is here referring to my grandfather - her brother Lothar - 

              who, as a young man, went west to work on the railroads.]

     The sea voyage was pleasant, as she remembers some men with chocolate bars, tempting her; her ten-years-older sister seasick the whole three weeks; her mother being told by the steward she did not have to make up the berths; she and the four-years-older sister unrolling toilet paper till the roll was empty and stuffing it into a chamber [pot] until it was full.

* Carl was also known as Philip, according to genealogical research into the lineage of his son Max's second wife. That may have been a middle name, or a mistake, as the middle name Victor is attributed to him in other family literature.

** Helen Griffith, née Fieg, is the daughter of Millie's Uncle Frederick of New Jersey.

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     How interesting to read that Aunt Millie was unsure about the dates of her parents' birthdays and wedding anniversary, days which, nowadays, are big business and people are supposed to make a big deal and spend lots of money on them. (Millie's great-nephew Steven Fieg researched the origin of birthdays and found that "when ancient peoples began taking notice of the moon's cycles [they began to pay] attention to the changing seasons and the pattern that repeated itself over and over and so they began to mark and note time changes. That's the start of birthday history." He also mentions that kings and nobles were originally the only people to have big birthday celebrations, "explained by a theory that nobility were the only people wealthy enough to throw such celebrations, and quite possibly were the only ones thought to be important enough to have been written about or remembered.")

     By around 1890 ships were almost all built from steel instead of the much heavier iron. Vessels were lighted by electricity in every quarter, including even the steerage; there was room for exercises and games on deck, well-stocked libraries and music-rooms, a piano or organ and a variety of food. The transatlantic passage was probably as comfortable as being at home.

     The fastest of these new ships could make the transatlantic trip in less than a week, but the Pennsylvania, built in 1872, was not in that class of ocean-going vessels, though she and her three sister ships - Ohio, Indiana and Illinois - were the largest iron ships ever built in the United States and the first ships to challenge Great Britain's dominance in the passenger-transport trade since the Civil War.

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     The next memory is living in Yonkers, with a big collie dog named Carlo, who could jump over a high picket fence [shown in the photo in the introduction]. A cousin, Helen Griffith, came from Newark to visit them and for some reason on a hot summer day, they all crawled under the furniture and hid.

     The first day of 1900 was a cloudless icy day, with a fine crust on the snow. There is no memory of not being able to speak English, and the first English words her mother learned were "Hooray for McKinley!"

The Autobiography of Aunt Millie - Part One

Over the course of the next few weeks, with your indulgence, your editor would like to publish the transcription of Emilie "Millie" Fieg Case.  This transcription was taken from several documents, the most imortant of which is Aunt Millie's own autobiography, "The Old Timer's Memoirs," copies of which are in the possession of several other relatives.

This fascinating memoir reveals details not only about the Fieg family's emigration to America but about life in the earliest years of the Twentieth Century in our country.  I've gathered some tid-bits of trivia to pad the account, and hope you'll enjoy...

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF AUNT MILLIE

"The Old Timer's Memoirs"

Introduction by Judith Fieg Kestner

Sometimes women marry with the misconception that a golden door will open once the ring is on the finger and that life will be soft and pleasant and enriching. "Wedded bliss," however, is more likely than not a very small object glimmering in the heat at the end of a long, bumpy road. Hard work, give-and-take and emotional experiences high and low all propel us toward that far away light that may or may not be a mirror of our original dream of happiness.

Many women who peruse the autobiography of my Great-aunt Emilie "Millie" Fieg Case will feel an empathy with her expectations for the "knobby club" to strike "in case she ever got to be too happy," for, as we all know, there is no guarantee that that shiny thing just around the next curve in the road is not fool's gold. To quote English author Mary Anne Evans (a.k.a George Eliot), "Having once embarked on your marital voyage, it is impossible not to be aware that you make no way and that the sea is not within sight -- that, in fact, you are exploring an enclosed basin."

Dorothy Fieg Roman's Obituary Appears in Daily Star

August 15, 2012                                                              

Dorothy Fieg Roman


Dorothy Fieg Roman

HILLSBOROUGH, N.J. _ Interment services for Dorothy Fieg Roman were held Aug. 4, 2012 in Forest Hill Cemetery, Utica.

Mrs. Roman died in Hillsborough, N.J., on July 16.  She was 83.
She was born May 24, 1929, in Oneonta to Florence (Shields) and Lothar Fieg.

She attended Hartwick College and later became a legal secretary for Farone & Steidle and then at State Teachers College. She subsequently became a librarian in Willingboro, N.J.
She was predeceased by her husband, Robert W. Roman of Utica.
She is survived by three sons: John of Somerset, N.J., Don of Upper Chichester, Pa. and Mark of Edgewood, Md.; a sister, Maxine Whiteside, Sioux City, Iowa; six grandchildren; and a number of nieces and nephews.

Donations in her memory are being accepted at Hartwick College.

Go to http://thedailystar.com/obituaries/x1344399502/Dorothy-Fieg-Roman to leave a comment and view the photo.

Youngest of Seven, Dorothy Fieg Roman Dies

Dorothy Fieg Roman, 83, youngest of seven brothers and sisters born to Lothar E. and Florence Shields Fieg, died July 16 in Hillsborough, NJ after a long period of declining health.  Her family was at her side.

Dorothy was born May 24, 1929 in the master bedroom of the family homestead in Oneonta.  She graduated from Oneonta High School in 1947.  Her father was the builder of Thornwood, home of the Hartwick College president.

Designing a mouse maze which was built at her direction in her father's carpentry shop, she won a scholarship as first prize in a science fair competition, enabling her to enroll at Hartwick College in 1947.  There she studied nursing for three years.

She worked as a secretary for the Farone and Steidle law firm and later State Teachers College in Oneonta before marrying Robert Roman of Utica, who preceded her in death. She had been a member of the choir at First United Presbyterian Church in Oneonta, where she was married.

At the time of their marriage her husband was manager of the F.W. Woolworth's store in Oneonta, and she supported him as he gradually advanced to regional manager for the Woolworth's chain at various venues in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The couple also devoted themselves to the raising of three sons.

For more than a decade she worked as a librarian until she retired more than 30 years ago.

She is survived by her sons, John of Somerset, N.J., Donald of Upper Chichester, Penn. and Mark of Edgewood, Md.; her sister Maxine Whiteside of Sioux City, IA, six grandchildren and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

Memorial services will be held on Aug. 4 at the Roman family plot in Forest Hill Cemetery in Utica, where her ashes will be interred.  Honorariums may be made in her memory to the Hartwick College Alumni Association in Oneonta.

Van Arsdale Funeral Home in Somerset, N.J., is in charge of preliminary arrangements.

Reunion Rehash Redux

Here are some more entries from the Fieg Reunion News, published by V.P. Fieg between 1985 and 1987.  There are so many similarities between this reunion and ours in 2009 -- wanting more time to mix and mingle and thoughts of a mini-reunion to name a couple.

May 25, 1987

DON'T BE A PARTY POOPER

If you are thinking that maybe you won't attend [the reunion this year]... please think again.  Those of us who will be there will miss you.  We will welcome you with open arms--but if you don't show up, we'll send nasty notes.

Who knows, this may be your last chance. (Sob!) [Sadly it was the last chance for Dad, who passed away from a heart attack on July 5, 1989.]

GOING OUT OF BUSINESS

Reckon this will be the last newsletter--until the next reunion, anyway.  It's been a pleasure being able to communicate with so many of you at one crack.  And I got to be an editor again.

See you Upstate.

July 2, 1987

LAST MINUTE ARRANGEMENTS

Kathy Clancy writes to say they have received notice that at least 71 people--adults, kids and infants-- will be at the reunion.....

Unless strict religions dictate otherwise, our meal will be supper (or dinner, for fancy people)....

July 24, 1987

WE'LL HAVE TO DO IT AGAIN

Well, gosh.  It's hard to believe the reunion is over.  Time really is going by too damned fast.

We count 78 in attendance (including Karen's mother).  That means 77 Fieg descendants, or around 85% of the entire clan.  An excellent turnout, I think. [Dad is referring to the descendants of Lothar and Florence Fieg.]

The only thing wrong was--we needed a two or three-day shindig, in order to really check up on each other.  At least one person said to me:  "Gee, I only said 'Hello' to Aunt Flo."  I'm sure he wasn't the only one who felt that way.

IF WE CAN'T DO THE WHOLE THING . . .

Now that we've met, there's no reason there can't be mini-reunions, especially among you younger, more ambitious folks.  You could come visit some of us older, less ambitious and worn out folks, for instance.  October and November are nice in North Carolina.

ANOTHER, NEW NEWSLETTER?

A couple people asked if we couldn't continue contact, through a family newsletter, now that the "Reunion News" is passe'.  I guess I promised I would start said newsletter....

See ya later.

With this newsletter the Fieg Reunion News passed into the archives and the Fieg Family News emerged to take its place.  The first edition, published in October 1987, ends thus:

THANKS TO THE THANKS . .

Thank you to all who wrote to say you enjoyed the reunion.

See you next time.

Auf Wiedersehen:
     Phid
      Unk P.
    Dad

Dorothy Fieg Roman Passes Away

Dorothy Marie Fieg Roman passed away in a nursing facility in Hillsborough, New Jersey at 11:30 p.m. on July 16, 2012. 

Dorothy, who had been ill for many months, was surrounded by her loving family and she died quietly and without suffering.  Dorothy was 83 years old.

A memorial service is planned for Saturday August 4 at 11:00 a.m. at the Forest Hill Cemetery, 2201 Oneida St. in Utica, New York. 

The youngest of seven children, Dorothy (or, as we called her when we were little, Aunt Dorsey) grew up at 10 N. 6th St. in Oneonta, New York.  She graduated from Hartwick College in Oneonta and was very proud of her affiliation with that school.

On November 5, 1955 she married Robert W. Roman who died in 1976.  She is survived by sons John (Anne), Don (Jennifer) and Mark (Cindy), 6 grandchildren and a sister Maxine Whiteside (Bob).

To make a donation in her memory, make it to the General Fund at Hartwick College. The address is:
     College Advancement
     Hartwick College
     P.O. Box 4020
     Oneonta, NY 13820

Reunion Archives Yield Coincidences

Your editor is spending the morning perusing the old Fieg Reunion News, a newsletter published (in the kitchen) by my dad, Philip Fieg, beginning a couple of years prior to the Fieg reunion of 1987. 

The letter was aimed at the descendants of Lothar and Florence Shields Fieg, probably because there were enough of them to fill the picnic shelter to overflowing!  The enthusiasm of all Fiegs leading up to this seminal get-together is quite evident in these one-page journals and an attendance by 80 family members is a testament to the persistence and persuasiveness of "Old Unk P."

After the reunion, The Fieg Reunion News became the Fieg Family News.  Dad writes, "I guess I promised I would start said newsletter," and it survives to this day, cementing our family connections.

With your indulgence, your editor, over the course of a few days, would like to reprint some of the articles and anecdotes from the Fieg Reunion News.  They are amusing and heartwarming (and you will see similarities to the Fieg reunion of 2009!) and might give us more meaningful reasons for continuing our wonderful reunions.

Sept. 4, 1985

FRY'S IS NO LONGER FRY'S

Fry's -- now renamed Aalsmeer -- is the bunch of cottages where some of us have stayed before....  [Fry's was where Lothar and Florence Fieg, Dad's parents, hosted family gatherings in the summer for their grown children and their families.  The cabins are still red!]

HOW COME AALSMEER?

Somebody told me it's because the spelling puts them first in the directory of cottages.

Jan. 21, 1986

ANOTHER FIEG IS HEARD FROM

Bud sends a copy of a letter from Cousin Henry Fieg, who says he would like to attend....  Henry and Carolyn celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary a while ago.  [Ed. note:  Henry was the grandson of Carl and Emilie Fieg who immigrated to the U.S. in 1899.  He is Doris Fieg Holm's half-brother.  Their dad was Max Fieg.]

Feb. 24, 1986

IT WILL BE A 100-PLUS ANNIVERSARY

Just confirmed that Aug. 11, 1986 will be Dad's 100th birthday....  Oh, well, in 1987 it'll be a 100-plus celebration. 

YOU CAN'T TELL THE PLAYERS . . .

In a way, you hate to think of it, but I guess we got to think about name tags at this shindig.  Keyed to the appropriate sibling.

For the uninitiated, the short (and so easy to read) names of all of us are: (in descending order)
EM
FLO

BUD                                        
FRANK
PHID
MAC
DOC

I will see what I can do about stealing tags from Ciba-Geigy [where Dad worked], next time I'm at the office.  [What a joker -- Dad was about the most honest guy you ever met.]

April 30, 1986

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO EAT?

That question, of course, is addressed to the women....  So [do] I hear a volunteer who will chair the food committee?

THE SHOEMAKER'S CHILDREN . . .

Frank ought to conduct a tour of Oneonta, showing people the house we lived in, and the houses Dad built.  (Remember Woodchuck Knoll, Frank?)  Maybe some of you young kids don't know what an artisan your grandfather -- or great-grandfather -- was.  Hired only by the rich people, because his prices were so high.  High because he would only build what he thought was correct.

While our porch roof leaked....

May 1, 1986

WHO'LL COOK?  WHY, THE COOK!

Ouch!  My daughters all attacked me for the comment in the last newsletter, saying that the question of food was addressed "to the women."  You can guess the names they put on me.

Rightfully.

Because the volunteer is Brian Clancy.  He is:  1) a chef; 2) a Cooperstown resident.

Kathy (Mrs. Brian) ((and I ain't going to say "Ms.")) notes that he makes a wicked sauce for BBQ chicken....

AND PLEASE EXAMINE THE MUSEUM

If you haven't, visit the Farmers' Museum.  the buildings that Dad took down, stone by stone, and re-re-erected on the site are:  1) the store; 2) the school; 3) the blacksmith shop.  I worked on the school; Frank on all 3, I think.  Right, Frank?

Have a nice summer.

That's it for right now.  I'm going to work on the family tree!

2012 Fieg Reunion Plans Finalized

August 3 will mark the beginning of another Fieg family reunion in Cooperstown, New York.

Your board members have been working out the details to make this a relaxing, renewing, rewarding time for all the leaves, twigs, branches and limbs on the Fieg family tree.

Below is the agenda for August 3, 4, 5 and 6 along with a list of those who have already paid for various meals at Cobblescote on the Lake, the resort that is catering some of our meals, as well as those attending the free Friday get-together.  There is still time to add your name to this list for - all you need to do is contact Diana Monaco at 914-271-2944 or Diana@dianatravel.net.  We will get an invoice to you to cover the meals you choose.  PLEASE DO SO BY JULY 25.

On August 3 there will be an evening get-together at Cobblescote (address below) from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. hosted by the reunion board members.  On Sunday at 1:30 p.m. we will call our family business meeting to order (20 minutes tops) before the fun and games begin for old and young alike.  Make plans to attend one or both of these events to say hello and to hear what's happening with your kith and kin.

See you all soon!!

- Judy Fieg Kestner, Secretary

THERE IS STILL SPACE AVAILABLE FOR THOSE WHO DID NOT YET RESERVE A PLACE AT ANY OF THE FOUR MEALS OR THE FRIDAY GET-TOGETHER.  CONTACT DIANA IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND.
(The flyer with price list will be e-mailed separately)

FRIDAY AUGUST 3, 2012

•  7:00-9:30 p.m.: FREE family get-together at Cobblescote on the Lake, 6515 St. Hwy. 80, Cooperstown, NY - 607/437-1146   Attendees:  Diana Monaco and Bill Doyle; Judy, Joe, Emilie Kestner; John and Anne Roman; Sue and Ed Williams; Greg Fieg; Lisa Fieg; Ed and Barbara Fieg; Nancy Fieg; Max Fieg; Emily, Harv, Paige, Hannah and Michael Harvey; Doug Fieg; Eddie Fieg and Angie.
• Fieg reunion funds purchase ice, drinks (soda, juice, water, tea), cups, paper goods, ingredients for s'mores (bring your own sticks if your kids want to make s’mores).
• Park up at the Hotel on the hill and walk down to the fire pit by the lake. Bring a lawn chair or blanket if desired.    
• Individuals may bring light snacks to share.  
• Strict end time: 9:30PM.  (Flashlight might be good to have on hand.) 
• Pack out all garbage!! 
• Cancelled if raining.

 

SATURDAY AUGUST 4, 2012

•  8:30-10:00 a.m.: Breakfast at Cobblescote by reservation.   Attendees:  Same as Friday night
•  Optional free time activities:
• Outing to Glimmerglass State Park for swimming and lunch (bring your own everything).  $7/car.  Ommegang Brewery, Baseball Hall of Fame, Howe Caverns, Fenimore House where there is a Mary Cassatt exhibit, Irish step-dancing feis in East Durham (Corkery girls are competing)
• 6:00 p.m.: Happy hour at Cobblescote by reservation (BYOB)
• 7:00 p.m.: Dinner by reservation.   Attendees:  Same as breakfast plus Anna, Eva, Rosa and Jacquelyn Dangca; Sarah, Kevin, Maren, Colette, Grace, Karoline, Frances, Sean and Seamus Corkery
•  Strict end time: 9:30PM. 
• Optional outing to Otesaga for music and dancing till dawn.

 

SUNDAY AUGUST 5, 2012

•  Breakfast and morning activities on your own.
• 12:00 noon: B-B-Q at Cobblescote by reservation.    Attendees:  Same as for Sat. dinner plus Will and Ben Bookhout; Alan and Cade Dangca
• 1:30-4:00 p.m.: Family business meeting (approx. 20 min.) plus 50-50 drawing; unveiling of Herman Fieg painting; pontoon boat ride around the lake provided.  Fun & games.
• Bring photos, letters, Fieg memorabilia.

MONDAY AUGUST 6, 2012

•  7:30-9:30 a.m.: Farewell breakfast at Cobblescote by reservation.   Attendees:  Same as Saturday breakfast except the Harvey family.

 

Aug. 5 Business Meeting Agenda (20 minutes max.)

Welcome
     Thanks to Diana for the arrangements
Minutes of the prior meeting
     Next reunion date, location discussion
Treasurer's Report
     New bank account discussion
     Donations
     Fire-proof box
Historian's report
     Newly found relatives
     Family tree
     Autobiography of Aunt Millie
Family artifacts discussion
     Herman's painting
     Albums
50/50 winners
Closing remarks
Group photo

Phone numbers:
Diana Fieg 914-806-4233
Judy Kestner 361-701-1962
Joe Kestner 361-877-4411
Emilie Kestner 361-876-8346
Anne Roman 908-581-8447
Greg Fieg 607-437-3780
Ed Fieg 937-207-9706
Sue Williams 708-460-5176
Lisa Fieg 917-756-4352
Doug Fieg 562-212-6173
Anna Dangca 607-433-7369
Will Bookhout 315-663-4062

Whitesides Gather Over Memorial Day Weekend

This e-mail was recently received by your editor from Steven Fieg on behalf of his cousin Marsha Whiteside Adams.  Steven's dad, the late Lothar "Bud" Fieg, was the brother of Marsha's mom, Maxine Fieg Whiteside, who resides in Sioux City, Iowa.

Hi Steven,

We were all together on Memorial weekend in Iowa City for our niece Annie's graduation from high school. (My brother Bob's youngest.) That is half way to Indiana where Anne [Marsha's sister] lives so my parents went on with them and are staying a couple of weeks.

When my mom isn't home she turns off her answering machine so people don't expect her to call them back....she doesn't know how to retrieve her messages from afar and has lost the directions so I can't help her with that. For some reason, Anne can't figure out how to go to AOL for my mom's emails so I forward them to Anne's account for my mom to read.

From Iowa City after the graduation, we went to Chicago to help our oldest son [Bob Jr.] who had sinus surgery last Thursday. They have a 2 1/2 year old and 4 month old so we were able to go to the surgery and other appts. so [his wife] Ursula could stay with the kids. At the moment we are back in Iowa City, just arrived, and will stay over with our son Bill and then travel the last 5 hours home to South Dakota tomorrow.

My phone number is the same: 605-422-2152.
   
Yes, caring for my dad [Dr. Bob Whiteside] is getting more difficult. He is totally blind in one eye and has limited vision in the other making reading very difficult and watching TV impossible. Makes him a bit crabby....

Keep in touch!

Marsha

Jean Fieg Provides the Wherewithal

Many thanks to Jean Davie Fieg for her cash donation to help offset the costs of printing and mailing the Fieg Family News to those who have requested a hard copy. 

Her generosity means that we will not have to tap into the Fieg treasury to cover these costs for years to come (unless the cost of postage becomes prohibitive).

Grazie!  Gracias!  Merci!  Danke!  Tak!  Mahalo!  Arigato!  Salamat!

News From the Facebook Archives

Perhaps I should call this "Olds From the Facebook Archives."  On January 9, Mark Roman replied to a message from me and gave an update on his family. 

Mark is the youngest son of Dorothy Fieg Roman, who is the youngest child of Lothar Fieg Sr. of Oneonta, NY. who was the third child of Carl and Emilie Fieg of Pforzheim, Germany.  I am hopeful that Mark and his family will try to attend the reunion in August so we can catch up further!  Here is what he had to say:

"Robert, 27, is just working. Jessica, 25, an RN at Greater Baltimore Medical Center, is doing great. Makes almost as much as I do and I've been working for 35 years. I guess that tells ya getting a degree is the way to go.


Steven, 19, just returned from Kuwait on R&R has to return later this month; Shelby, 17, is a senior in HS, doing fantastic getting ready for graduation and college and Noah, 12, is doing well in middle school getting really good grades. [He and I] go to Las Vegas in March to see Monster Jam world finals. Very into monster trucks.

I turn 50 in March and me being the youngest cousin (I think) means we are all over 50 and there are many cousins much older than I. I have got to make an effort to see everyone...a bucket list to start I think:-)"
..

Laura Fieg to marry 'Chief' Valentino

Susan and Jerry Untiedt of Cleveland,GA, and Douglas Fieg and Cindy Harris of Simi Valley, CA have announced the wedding of their daughter, Laura Fieg, to Kasibante (Chief) Valentino on Saturday, June 23, in Dahlonega,GA.

Valentino, 30, is a youth minister from Kampala, Uganda in Africa. He and Laura, 32, met while
Laura was serving as a school teacher in Kampala.


To View Laura & Kasibante's wedding, click here:

Case Family Member Passes Away

Steven Case reports that his mother, Cathy Weeks Case, widow of Arthur "Mike" Case, youngest child of Emilie Fieg Case, has died.

Cathy lived with her son Mike and wife Jenny in the Triangle-area of North Carolina, near the home of Steve and his wife Susan and in the same general vicinity.

Here is Steve's e-mail to me:

Judy--
Here's a link to the obit at the funeral home site:
http://www.brightfunerals.com/obituaries.php?page=2&op=view&id=1395

As far as her other history--after she got her BA from Southwestern University in Texas, she moved to the northeast and worked for Prudential, somewhere in the wilds of New Jersey--Norristown I think, but I wouldn't swear to it. She met dad at there--so working in insurance can't be all bad

So far as I know, she didn't work after they married--he was drafted, they went to Texas and Oklahoma till he earned his discharge, and then returned to the east coast where he worked for IBM (New York, where Michael was born; Florida, where I was born; back to New York, Virginia, and finally North Carolina).

One other thing I'd say is that she had a great time traveling in her 60s and 70s. Mostly package tours with friends, but she went to England several times, and to southern and western Europe (Spain, Italy, France).


Love
Steven

Upcoming Reunion Success Verified by Unimpeachable Source

On May 18 Diana Fieg Monaco and Bill Doyle ordered Chinese take-out for supper. 

Diana, a travel agent who works from her home, recently has been working on a big tour for a client and trying to iron out the wrinkles in our reunion accomodations had caused her an excess of angst.  Here is an e-mail she sent to me describing the alleviation of her reunion blues:

Bill & I got Chinese food for dinner. I usually throw the fortune cookies out, but decided to eat one. You’re not going to believe what the fortune was ...

A family reunion in the coming

months will be a tremendous

success!

So there you have it -- nothing, but nothing can get in the way of us having a wonderful get-together in August! 

Billy Adams Jr. Photographs Insight Bowl

Those Hawkeyes at the University of Iowa must all be psychology majors or sumpin'. 

Their football team made a postseason appearance against Oklahoma at the Insight Bowl on December 30 last year.  Though the team lost, the fans were more than enthusiastic, as you can see from the photos taken by Billy Adams Jr., son of Marsha and Bill Adams and grandson of Maxine and Dr. Bob Whiteside. 

They are descendants of Lothar Fieg whose parents, Carl and Emilie Boehler Fieg, came to America in 1899 and established their family in Milford, Pennsylvania in 1903. 

Take a look at Billy's handiwork at http://spectator.uiowa.edu/2012/january/bowled_over.html.  You will be bowled over!

77th Annual Shields Reunion Scheduled

Ed. note:  For those with a Shields connection (through Lothar Fieg), here is info about the next reunion:

The 77th annual Shields Reunion will be held on Sunday, July 8, 2012, at 12:30 PM at Nathaniel Cole Park (shelter #2), Harpursville, NY.


Please bring a covered dish to share, and beverage and table service for your own family. Charcoal will be available for those who wish to grill.

More work has been completed on the Genealogy. If your branch of the family is not included or not complete, please bring names and dates with you.

Call Vera (570 - 729 - 8621) or Midge (607 - 441 - 0475) or email midgemcclenon@lycos.com for directions.

Can You Feature That? Word Paintings from March 2012

Kyle McGonigal volunteering at the inaugural tour of the Hunter James Kelly Research Institute in Buffalo (see related story at http://fiegfamily.blogspot.com/2010/07/kyle-mcgonigal-to-address-national.html) ....  Doris Holm donating a painting by her uncle, the long-lost Herman Fieg, to the Fieg Family and noting that, "(O)n the back of the painting, the artist wrote: " Im Australian Busch",  so I assume that he painted it after going to Australia.  It is dated '86.......1886, of course.  It was a thrill to hold it in my hands.  I hope that you all will feel the same...."  Carol and Bob Ramagosa aboard their beautiful boat Sunnylands cruising northward on the Intracoastal Waterway from Savannah to Surf City, N.C. ....  Judy Kestner's mouth hanging open in delighted disbelief as she reads e-mail messages from various members of the family of Millie Fieg Case.... 

Letter from FFN Founder Surfaces

Ed. note:  I should not be away from this blog for such long periods of time.  Here is another story that has been languishing in the archives.  Enjoy!

Steven Fieg, son of Lothar "Bud" Fieg Jr.,  recently re-discovered a letter written to him on New Year's Eve, 1979 by Victor Philip Fieg, the founder of the Fieg Family News, and he forwarded a copy to your editor.

Philip, as he was known, was responding to a letter from his nephew Steven and, simply because he couldn't help himself, not only answered Steven's questions but also included some thoughts on life, jazz and the Fieg family ethos.  He also was looking forward to the publication of his children's book, "Why There Aren't Many Witches and Other Tales" and had sent some of the advance copies to his siblings and other family members, which he mentions in the first paragraph.

Dad occasionally used poor grammar ("You buy them 2 records....") or deliberate misspellings ("yer father")as an emphasis, for humorous effect or, I suspect, sub-consciously as a way to add a bit of self-deprecation to his speech and writing.  It is a trait I find myself using at times.

Anyhoo.... Here is the letter, lightly edited, that so excited Steve and is so quintessentially my dad:

Dear Steve,

How nice to get your letter! 

Wait a few days to go over to your father's, and you can see my book.  I put it in the mail today.

He (yer father) is a workaholic because of his birth and upbringing.  That father of his, born in Pforzheim, Germany, brought up in the Protestant Work Ethic, passed on to us the same viewpoint of life.  "Man was made to work."  And "Man was not put on this earth to enjoy himself."  Or "Life ain't no joke."  And in another way, "Nobody said life was supposed to be easy."

.... It is true that he does seem to be taking more opportunities to do things he enjoys, like the long auto trip in October.  You know.  New wife -- new life.  Happen to any of us....  Hope new outlook is good.  Can not, in any event, cast aside Protestant Work Ethic one has lived with for 60 years.

And anyway, your father is a good guy.  Great guy, right?

I never did own a 'bone.*  Used the school's....  Dorsey never did play jazz.  Played pop.  Go to your record store and buy 2 J.J. Johnson records.  Any 2.  Listen to them.  That's jazz.  That's what I like.  And Phyllis.  Right now while I'm at the typewriter off the kitchen, she's playing jazz records in the family room....

You buy them 2 records, listen to each one of them 12 times.  Then you write back and tell me what you think of jazz.

....  Phyllis is writing short stories, sending them to magazines, getting rejection slips, but still writing.  I tell her she'll be successful in 5 years if she just keeps it up.

Write again.  I enjoy talking to you.

                                   Uncle Philip
*Trombone

Sue Williams Reports on European Cruise

Ed. note:  Don't know why this did not get published before now -- my apologies!

In mid-February, Fieg cousins Ed and Sue Williams, and Steven and Eleanor Fieg went on a cruise to Canary Islands with five other couples from Sue’s travel agency, Good Buy Travel & Cruises. Since this was Steven’s first trip to Europe it was a special one.

The group flew to London on Feb. 10 where they spent two nights at the Renaissance Hotel near Heathrow airport. That gave them the opportunity to do a little sight-seeing on Sunday in London.

Steven and Eleanor met Eleanor’s niece and her daughter and the whole group walked around London looking at the major attractions:  Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, London Bridge and so on.

Since this was not the first time in London for Ed and Sue they wanted to see something different, so they went to the Churchill War Museum, a great place to learn about one of WWII’s most prominent leaders. As with most museums, there was not enough time to see and read everything in one visit.

By mid-afternoon they had cruised the River Thames to Greenwich to see the official “clock of the world.” Unfortunately they had only about an hour before the last boat departed back to London. It would probably take two days to see everything there - maybe three. Next visit!

On Feb. 13 all 14 happy cruisers were off to  Southampton to board Royal Caribbean’s “Independence of the Seas.”  This ship is huge! Her gross tonnage is 160,000 pounds, she is 1,112 ft. in length, 183.4 ft. maximum beam, draft of 28 ft., cruising speed of 21.6 knots and 1,360 crew members to serve the passengers.

There are many different restaurants, bars and lounges, and activities such as a surf simulator, rock-climbing wall, ice skating rink, mini-golf, full-sized basketball court and boxing ring, spa, fitness room with top-notch equipment, a casino, fantastic shows in the evening and bingo and other games during the day to fill the hours at sea.  A promenade offers all different kinds of specialty shops including a cigar store, barber shop, clothing boutique, snack/gourmet coffee spots and duty-free shopping.  Age-appropriate activities and special lounge areas and a disco occupy the children on the ship.  There is no way to get bored on this floating city!



Steve and Eleanor Fieg, Sue and Ed Williams aboard the
Independence of the Seas

 This was the first time the Fieg cousins have been to Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands so the ports of call were very interesting.  In Vigo, Spain they chose the shore excursion to a winery to taste some really great wines and fantastic cheeses. At Lisbon, Portugal a trip to the medieval village of Obidos was selected.  The 17th century Parish Church of Santa Maria was the highlight of this trip.

Gran Canaria and Tenerife, Canary Islands were beautiful islands with hills and stunning panoramic views. In Madeira, Portugal they took a scenic tour to Camara de Lobos, a well-known fishing village with more wine tasting at the end of the tour. LaCoruna, Spain was the last port-of-call where the couples had a leisurely tour viewing some of the highlights of the area: Maria Pita Square, San Anton Castle and Maritime Promenade, Hercules Tower, Domus, Orzan and Riazor beaches.

Unfortunately the cruise had to come to an end on Feb. 24.  Ed, Sue, Steven and Eleanor decided to take a tour of Windsor Castle before flying out of Heathrow. Now this is the way to live! The rooms that are open to the public are beautiful and filled with centuries of history. (The Queen was not at home when we were there!)  The town of Windsor also merits more time than we had to roam the streets and enjoy the culture of the area.

The return flight was uneventful, which is always good!

The highlights of the trip depended on the point of view of each traveler.  For Sue it was that all of the plans fell into place without any problems while Ed’s highlight was the Medieval village.  Steven really enjoyed his time touring the foreign countries and seeing the different life-styles of our neighbors across the pond and Eleanor thought touring the historic sights in London with her niece was the best.

Next trip we will have to have more Fiegs on the ship. Maybe the next reunion can be on a ship! We’ll see!

A Caselot of Cases Discovered

In recent days your editor has received several e-mails from the descendants of Emilie Roseina Fieg Case and her husband Arthur with information that they are happy, healthy and certainly very interested in renewing family ties. 

After Sharon Hirsch, Aunt Millie's great-granddaughter, left a comment on our blog, she sent some follow-up e-mails, telling me that her mother is Judy Case Smith Wood, Aunt Millie's eldest granddaughter and the eldest daughter of Millie's eldest son, Stanley.  Sharon is also Judy's eldest daughter! 

Sharon gave a quick recap of what her family is doing, but the most amazing information she shared is, "I live in Durham, NC -- literally within one mile of Steven Case (Cathy and Mike's son). I ride my bike and walk past his house regularly, though we don't see each other as often as we should! Beth Case (Betty and Walter's daughter) lives in nearby Apex. Steven's brother Michael is also in the Triangle-area and Aunt Cathy lives with Michael and Jenny (Ridley - she's from Milford, too) currently."   Alert the the Greensboro contingent!

I also received an e-mail from Sharon's mom that reads in part, "I live in Peapack Gladstone, New Jersey and I have three children - Sharon lives in Durham, NC., near Steven and Michael Case - Mike's children, Kevin lives in Verona, NJ and Kelly lives in Oyster Bay Cove, NY. I was divorced from George Smith, who passed away 2 years ago. However, I remarried in 1997 to Christopher Wood. He has two boys. Between us we have 12 grandchildren, 8 of whom are mine." So now the New Jersey and Long Island City/Hudson River Valley contingents will have to be alerted as well!

Next I received an e-mail from Steven Case, son of Arthur "Mike" Case, who is also Millie's grandson.  He included the e-mail address of his brother Mike and you can be sure that all the above will receive an invite to join our Google group so they can receive copies of blog postings too.

Well, your editor now has her work cut out for her in filling in the pages of our family tree and she also proposes that we put together a family address book.  Does anyone know of an online service of that type?  Do I hear someone volunteering for that duty?  (insert sound of cricket chips here).

Judy Wood has said she will attempt to visit the reunion in August and I am not alone, I am sure, when I say that any members of the Case family who attend will be the honored guests this year, as was Doris Holm at our last reunion.

Word Received From Case Family Descendant

After years of futile search we have finally received word from a descendant of Emilie Fieg Case, better known as Aunt Millie.  Sharon Smith Hirsch stumbled onto the Fieg Family News and sent us a missive.  We could not be more delighted.

Sharon writes, "My mom is Judy Case Smith Wood, daughter of Stanley and Emily Case. I, too, was born in August -- August 9, 1965. I'm the one mentioned in Emilie's letter as the one year old (note 14). It is amazing to see this history -- I'm sharing it with my kids (Matthew is almost 20 and Katie is 17.)"



Please join us in welcoming Sharon and her family back to the fold.  We only hope to be so fortunate to see them at the Fieg family reunion in Cooperstown on August 3 through 5. 

Regrettably, though Sharon contacted us through the FFN blog, we cannot immediately determine how or where to respond to her.  If there is a family member who can help us to do this, please contact your editor at 361-387-7329 or jkestner@stx.rr.com. 

Aunt Millie died in Milford, Pa. in 1984. What a thrill it would be to add a leaf to the branch of the family tree and what tid-bits of family lore have been handed down through the Case line!

Judy Kestner
Editor

Dangcas Become Entrepreneurs

Thanks to Diana Monaco for alerting your editor to this tidbit of news:

Did you know that Anna and Alan Dangca are moving?

They are going to start renting out their house in Oneonta to families with children who are going to the All-Star Baseball Camp which is right around the corner from their house. Speaking of which, they named the rental property ‘Around the Corner’ and you can see the house online at www.cooperstownfamilyrentals.com/WhitePicketFence .

Good luck -- make a million bucks!

A Message from the Fieg Family Association President

It is with immense pleasure and gratitude that I announce the donation to the family from Doris Fieg Holm of a precious family treasure which she has carefully guarded for many decades.

I am speaking of what by virtually any measure should be considered the late Herman Fieg's ultimate masterpiece, an oil painting on wood depicting a herd of sheep imperilled by horses.


This spectacular creation, which we believe in all probability was painted from life when Herman crossed the American continent in the late 1800s on his way to the Pacific Coast, depicts an historic scene vaguely reminiscent of those painted by the renowned New England water colorist and oil painter Winslow Homer,  who travelled the American west during the same general period.

The unveiling of this work will be the highlight of the Fieg Family Reunion in August, so I urge you all be to there to see it.  It will be the keystone of conversation when the family addresses the dispensation of various family artifacts,  mementos and heirlooms in an effort to see that they are passed down to safe and loving hands in generations to come.

Herman's paintings are among the few we have with which to remember him, as his three brothers Carl, Frederick and Lothar Fieg lost contact with him when he disappeared into the wilds of Australia well over 100 years ago. (It is interesting to note that Diana Fieg Monaco has established an Internet alert whenever the name Fieg is published on the worldwide web and many of these occurrences are linked to Australia.)

Doris has given this irreplaceable heirloom to Susan Fieg Williams in Chicago, who is now the sole arbiter of how and when it will be passed on.  She is agreeable to the idea of exhibiting it permanently, as are Maxine Fieg Whiteside and various other family members who have been polled unofficially. 

I plan to make contact with museum officials and other potential exhibitors in the Cooperstown area later this month to see whether there is interest in adding the painting to local collections deemed appropriate and thematically correct for inclusion.

Doris has invested more than $500 to restore and ship this gift.  Please join me in thanking her profusely.

                                                                                 Greg Fieg, President 

The Writer's Block

On Eugene Ormandy's Retirement

Bach's musical macrame'

Of silken threads

Is re-created by

The nimble fingers of
Senor Pablo Casals
Who plays along with
His friend
And interpreter,                                                       
Eugene Ormandy,
A gentleman of the
Intellectual design of Johann.

With bows and strings and fingers
Of musical craftsmanship
Into the superhuman -
Perhaps sublime
Artistry (meaning
Skill and feeling
Of the aforementioned)
Senor Casals.

And though
We can not
Create such music
With its emotions,
We understand what we have heard:
A true meaningful expression
Of our very human
        and we hope
               meaningful
Existence.

        Jean Davie Fieg

Can You Feature That? Word Paintings from January 2012

Emilie Kestner recuperating after an appendectomy on Jan. 9, glad that she was not at college when it happened....  Hannah Harvey learning to scoot on her very pink scooter....  Jean Fieg being blown away by the fact that the photos ordered on-line by daughter Judy Kestner in Corpus Christi, Texas could be picked up at Walgreen's in Greensboro, N.C. just a few hours later....  Anne Roman creating the dreamy flyer for the Fieg Family Reunion to be held in August, 2012.... Greg Fieg searching for the power cord to his computer notebook and thinking he probably left it in in a cafe Timbuktoo....  Facebook friends of Kathy Clancy enjoying spectacular photos of the trip she and hubby Brian took to the Grand Canyon this month....