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"

Fiegs, Friends and Freddy Freeman Fare Fine in Foul Freeze

Emily and Brian Fieg have hunkered down for an anticipated four-day wait after winter storm Leon dumped 2-3" of snow and a heavy coating of ice on the city of Atlanta.

Brian, son of Doug Fieg of California, barely made it home to suburban Acworth at 2:00 Tuesday afternoon and had to wait for a school bus to get unstuck so he could reach his own driveway.

Meanwhile, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of cars were abandoned throughout the area.  A member of Dr. Ed Fieg's staff was stuck on an arterial for 26 hours.  The Georgia National Guard was helping to "extract" some motorists with medical or other needs from vehicles that were gridlocked on interstates and roads around the city, and students who were stuck on school buses.

Atlanta Braves first-baseman Freddy Freeman was trapped for 11 hours until former Braves super-star Chipper Jones arrived on a four-wheel ATV to rescue him.

"Atlanta is in no way prepared for a storm like this," Brian said.  "We have no intention whatsoever of going out unless it becomes absolutely necessary."

On the bright side,eighteen-month-old Caleb Fieg had a blast trudging through the snow in the yard until it became too cold for him to continue. 

Bob "Punchy" Powell, who flew with Lothar "Bud" Fieg during World War II and lives near Emory University in Atlanta, said that he and his wife Betty were essentially trapped in their house as they cannot negotiate the snow-covered hill where they live.

"Atlanta is shut down today," Punchy said.  "You see barely a single car or even hear one."

Bill Doyle Conquers Mt. Washington

The observatory on Mt. Washington in New Hampshire

With winds sustained at 70 miles per hour and the temperature hovering at a balmy +10 degrees Fahrenheit, the intrepid Bill Doyle, husband of Diana Fieg Doyle, recently enjoyed a two-day visit to the top of the highest mountain peak in the northeast United States.

Last fall, Diana and Bill had driven up to the observatory at the summit of Mt.Washington in New Hampshire where they went so far as to become members.  The brochure they received listed several trips and classes available and one called Winter Mountain Essentials (aka Mountaineering "What If?") appealed to Bill and so he registered to participate.

He arrived on Friday Jan. 3 at the Crummy Inn in North Conway, N.H. (a motel secured by his travel-agent wife who didn't really care about the accommodations as she didn't have to stay there and anyway, he was roughing it, wasn't he?) at about 4:00 in the afternoon, in time to rent mountain-climbing boots and crampons, which are too expensive to own outright (unless you are a St. Bernard dog whose livelihood depends upon that sort of equipment).

The party met Saturday at 8:00 in the morning at the base of Mt. Washington and, the roads being blocked with snow, took a Sno-Cat 6,288 feet up to the observatory where they were to spend the night, take the class and then, the next morning, practice the skills they had learned.  Usually very stoic, Bill (or maybe it was his spine?) had to let out a slight scream at one point as the Sno-Cat went over a particularly jarring bump in the road.

As the temperature in North Conway was -10 degrees on Friday night, Bill and his fellow mountaineers were pleased with the "warmer" conditions at the peak on Saturday when they arrived.  In fact, that night Bill found it too hot in the bunk room so he went to the lounge with the observatory cat, Marty, to sleep.

This crew not only had good luck with the outdoor temperature but also with the unusually clear weather.  Bill reports that the views of both sunrise and sunset were spectacular, and that, to the east, they could see all the way to the Atlantic Ocean and, to the west, all the way to Mt. Marcy, the highest peak in New York State.

Bill Doyle is the second person from the right.

On various forays from the observatory on Saturday the attendees were drilled in ice ax use, walking with crampons and building a snow cave, and they practiced self-arresting (how to prevent a fall) and how to walk in 70 mph winds.  There were a few women among the group, one of whom almost blew off the mountain, according to Bill, and she did not come out of the observatory again after that.

Right off the bat, Bill liked the leader of the expedition, a mountaineer named Joe Lentini, who has been a professional climbing guide for over 45 years, according to his website www.climbwithJoe.com. 

On Sunday the party walked part way down the mountain to the Sno-Cat and Bill arrived back at the Crummy Inn for one night and then back home to Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.  The first weekend in February will find Bill again at the observatory to learn about the weather station there.

Corkerys Welcome New Addition

Gemma Jacqueline Corkery arrived at 1:30 a.m. on January 7, 2014 at the Bassett Birthing Center in Cooperstown, N.Y. to parents Sarah and Kevin Corkery.  Gemma and all of her seven siblings have been born at the same hospital in the home of baseball and, should there be one more child, we'll have a complete baseball team and probably a front-page headline in the Cooperstown Crier.

Gemma weighed in at 8 pounds 12 ounces and was 21 inches long.

Sarah had the baby delivered under the prescribed terms of an elaborate birthing plan (reproduced below) which was dictated to the doctors, nurses and midwives in attendance.  Asked by her father, Greg Fieg, where she found this plan, Sarah said she was inspired by an article in "The Troublemaker's Guide to Making Trouble."  

Our congratulations and well wishes for for the baby are on the way, attached to a 90-mile-per-hour fastball.

Birth Plan for Sarah Fieg-Corkery and Baby Girl- 

Due date: 1/2/14

Birthing Partner: Kevin Corkery, husband and father

December 2013

To Whom It May Concern:

As I prepare for the birth of our eighth child I wanted to write a basic birth plan for those that will be supporting my labor and attending the birth as nurses, doctors and midwives.  

Background:  All my children have been born at Bassett Birthing Center.  My last birth was twin boys delivered by Dr. Graham through induction at 39 weeks.  It was, physically speaking, my worst birth experience due to the induction.  However all other labors and births, except my first in 1998 were natural and without the use of drugs of any kind.  Outside the twins’ birth all babies were delivered by midwives.  My babies tend to be larger with most weighing in between 8 lbs 13oz to 9 lbs 14oz.  The twins were nearly 8 lbs each and my smallest was 5 lbs 14. I have never had any emergency situations, excessive blood loss or perineal tearing of any significance.  Overall my experiences at Bassett Birthing Center have been very positive and I am content to be returning. 

General Birthing Philosophy:  In a nutshell, I believe in the body’s ability to give birth and prefer outside intervention to be kept to a minimum if used at all.  I ask for as quiet an environment as possible, low lights, and hushed voices.  I prefer to not use drugs for pain relief, my husband is my advocate, I am open to suggestions for comfort during labor, and I do not want the presence of any students at any point. 

Delivery:  Assuming all is progressing normally, I would like to deliver in whatever position I feel comfortable.  I appreciate encouragement and suggestions but ultimately would like to be able to push naturally when my body is ready.  When the baby is born I would like the cord to remain intact for at least one minute and my husband to be encouraged to be involved as much he is up to doing.  He will cut the cord when the time comes.  I would like a quiet, low lit environment with as few people present as possible. 

Baby care:  Upon delivery we would like our baby to be given to me to hold skin to skin as long as I am able and up for it.  If not my husband will hold her until I can.  If possible, within the first hour or thereabouts, we would love our daughter to experience a warm LeBoyer bath when she is ready and prefer to not have any standard bath with soaps of any kind given.  I do plan to breastfeed so our daughter will not require the use of pacifiers, bottles or any other artificiality for soothing or feeding.  I have used an S&S as needed in the past due to my milk tending to come in late but am always hopeful that I won’t need to.  We prefer our baby girl to be in our presence at all times.  We do not want any immunizations, eye ointments, and/or Vitamin K shot.  We want no heal sticks of any sort or any other such procedural, routine events taking place.  Alternatively to the Vit. K shot we would like oral vitamin K given.  It is our understanding that Bassett does not provide that option; however we plan to administer our own liquid vitamin K1.  Please understand this is our conscientious objection and not a frivolous, uninformed decision.  We believe the best transition into the outside world is to be born naturally, brought to mother skin to skin, and put to breast as soon as baby desires.  We want the healthiest, most comfortable, pain-free transition into the world we can give our child and painful poking and prodding interferes with this.  We understand some of our philosophy goes against state mandates.  Nonetheless we maintain our position knowing that parents make the best decisions for their children’s health, not States.  We are fully aware and respectful of Bassett’s responsibility to report as required by NYS law.  

In Case of Emergency:  If anything begins to not go according to plan and unforeseen events begin to unfold we just ask that we be informed at every step of all options and risks to maximize the safest delivery possible.  If for some reason I cannot be awake to receive information and voice my wishes my husband will make all necessary decisions for me.  The baby is to stay with him at all times until I can be with them.  In the event of a life threatening emergency please be certain to call a priest as we are Roman Catholic.  This is very important to us.

In conclusion, I want to reiterate how much we like the Bassett Birthing Center and its staff.  Everyone in the past has been very professional, helpful, and accommodating and we look forward to the same care this time as well.  I always recommend the Bassett Birthing Center to anyone looking for a good, reliable place to give birth.  Thank you for reading our birth plan and respecting our position and philosophy for bringing a child into the world.  See you soon!

Sincerely,

Sarah and Kevin Corkery

Pete Rose Recognized as "Da Man"

In the previous story about the upcoming Induction Weekend at the Baseball Hall of Fame, your editor neglected to include an amusing anecdote, submitted by cousin Ed Fieg Sr. at the same time he sent the photo of himself together with Pete Rose.  Here is the conversation between these two gentlemen as relayed by Ed:

"Mr Rose," I asked, "who is the best baseball player you ever saw?"  Pete replied, "Well, let's see, that's a hard one."  I interrupted, "You're lookin' at him -- every morning when you shave!"

BTW:  after I said that to Mr Rose, since he was a player-manager, he asked me, "Do you know who the best player who ever played for me was?"   

 

"Who?" I queried.  

 

Pete replies, "Me!"

 Pete Rose, you da man.

Fiegs Look Forward to Hall of Fame Week

Ed Fieg (left) chats with all-time hits king Pete Rose during
Induction Week in Cooperstown in July 2013.

Vicki Gates, proprietor of the Phoenix Inn in Cooperstown, N.Y., where the Fiegs have spent several summer weekends, reports that a historically large turnout is expected for Induction Week at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in that city.

"I've already got a waiting list of four or five people," she said, noting that there are few, if any, vacancies left anywhere in town.  Nonetheless, Greg and Eddie Fieg are already making their plans to be there to join in the tumultuous welcome being accorded to former Braves manager Bobby Cox, former Yankees manager Joe Torre and former Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa, who are to be enshrined during the third weekend of July.

As if that weren't enough, former super-stars Craig Biggio of the Astros, Frank Thomas of the White Sox, Mike Messina of the Yankees and ten to twenty more newly named nominees could yet be admitted.

Greg and Eddie urge all who are interested to contact them and come to Cooperstown.

Cousins Greg Fieg and John Roman shake hands with Yankee great Yogi Berra.

Eva Dangca Lands Role in Classic Hit Musical

Eva Dangca, 10,  daughter of Allan and Anna Fieg Dangca of Oneonta,  has been cast in the role of cat in the all-singing,  all-dancing (no speaking) musical "Cats,"  an Orpheus Theatre production in Oneonta.

The former, long-running Broadway hit will open at Goodrich Theater on the campus of State University of New York,  College of Arts and Sciences.  In addition to a Friday afternoon show for school classes only,  tickets are now on sale for an 8 p.m. presentation Saturday,  Dec. 14,  and 2 p.m. Sunday Dec. 15.

Tickets are $15 but a block of family seats has been purchased by the family,  with Barbara and Dr. Edward Fieg,  Greg Fieg, John Roman, Diana Monaco and Bill Doyle among those expected to  attend.  Seats are still available at no cost, but must be claimed in advance.

The former Andrew Lloyd Webber production, based on "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" by T.S. Elliot tells the story of a tribe of phantom cats called the Jellicles and the night they make what is known as the "Jellicle Choice" to decide which cat will come alive.

Maxine Fieg Whiteside, 1926 - 2013

Maxine Fieg Whiteside

Maxine Fieg Whiteside, last survivor of seven siblings from an old Oneonta family, succumbed to cancer in Sioux City, Iowa, on Nov. 22.  She was 87.

Maxine was born at home at 10 N. Sixth St. on Sept. 23, 1926 to the late Lothar and Florence Shields Fieg.  She attended Oneonta public schools where she edited The Echo, the high school newspaper.  From her first year in school through her last, she was a straight-A student.

Retired Oneonta High School coach Tony Drago, her schoolmate and friend, remembered her not only for her intellect but also for a radiant and congenial personality.  "She was affable, always joyful, and very, very intelligent," he said.

In 1948 Maxine graduated with a bachelor's degree in education from State Teachers College in Oneonta (now SUCO) where she was Queen of the May, salutatorian and treasurer of her sorority, Alpha Sigma Alpha.  She was a member of the Oneonta Presbyterian Church where she sang alto in the choir.

Because of her academic standing she was recommended to continue to graduate school, earning her master's degree in education at the University of Iowa.  After marrying Dr. Robert Merl Whiteside of Storm Lake, Iowa, she set aside her plans to teach and together they raised four children in Sioux City. 

The couple was active in the community, where Maxine joined the American Association of University Women and the Junior League and founded a women's bridge club.  They were also members of the Sioux City Art Center.

Preceding her in death were her parents and her siblings Emilie Fieg McGonigal, Lothar E. 'Bud' Fieg Jr., Florence Fieg Bookhout, Franklin W. Fieg, V. Philip Fieg and Dorothy Fieg Roman.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by her children Marsha Adams of Dakota Dunes, S.D., Dr. Jeffrey Whiteside of Appleton, Wis., Anne Still of  Danville, In. and Robert Whiteside Jr. of West Branch, Iowa..  Also surviving are nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews and a sister-in-law, Jean Davie Fieg, of Greensboro, N.C.

To read more about Maxine Fieg Whiteside visit www.fiegfamily.blogspot.com. 

A Letter From Syracuse

Philip Fieg, age 26, attending Syracuse University after returning home from World War II, found himself at odds with the dormitory proctor.

In letters to his girlfriend and future wife, Jean Davie -- letters now re-examined after more than six decades -- Philip philosophizes about the age-old conflict between labor and management.  Noting the differences between their backgrounds, he and proctor John Owens took their positions.  Wrote Philip, "If our backgrounds were exchanged, we would be arguing on opposite sides, I know."

He continued, "[It] is difficult to separate your logical thoughts from those which are the result of personal experience.  It takes a pretty great mind to see outside himself and desire what is best for all, rather than what is best for himself.  John thinks he is liberal enough to desire the greatest good for the greatest number, but what he really wants is the greatest good for his class -- even as [do] I."

In an attempt to offer a foundation for his views, Philip mused,  "(My father)...came to Oneonta with the desire to be his own boss, so he invested his savings, put two mortgages on his house, borrowed money and announced to the world that he was no longer Lothar Fieg, carpenter, but L. Fieg, Builder.

"He worked and worried through many years, maintaining a high order of honesty and integrity.  He attempted to do always the best job possible.  He was not afraid to work with his hands himself.

"... In the last half of the nineteenth century the wages his father earned as a stone cutter barely provided food and clothing for a family....  [Lothar] went to work when he was ten and worked for the rest of his life.

"He was intelligent enough to learn, though, and he taught himself estimating, construction formulae, the characteristics of wood and steel beams, concrete strength and the thousand-and-one things a builder must know.

"He could get along with ditch diggers and bankers, immigrant railroad workers who wanted a room plastered and the town's richest man (Edwin W. Elmore), owner of a feed mill, for whom he built a mansion on a hill.

"His work was enough for him, and as long as he could put food before his family and shoes on their feet (and socks three sizes too large for them, so that they must be turned under), he was satisfied.  He made no attempt to get rich.  He never drank when his children were small.

"The only recreation he allowed himself were occasional weekend motor trips.  He had no car.  When the family went on a trip they rode in the back of the truck on benches.

"Now he is 63, and he is beginning to wear out.  The machine was a good machine and it was kept in good running order by never being allowed to stop so long it got rusty.  But a machine must wear out.

"He is a Republican and a free-enterpriser, and the new government regulations and forms are an abomination to him.  Every year there is another form to fill out every month and another tax to pay.  Every year it becomes more difficult to operate his business, and more involved.

".... So the father becomes more petulant, more easily angered, more tired.  He feels that the government is taking away from him what he gave his life to.  He has loved his work and been proud of it.  His aim was never to make money, but to do what he wanted to do and do it to the best of his ability.

Phid reveals the meat of his argument:  "But now he is lumped together with all employers, and is subjected to the same treatment as what are referred to in campaign speeches as 'The Wall Street Interests.'

"A few men have worked for him ever since he went into business for himself.  They ... could have set themselves up as employers instead of employees.  But they lack something he has -- they lack the willingness to take the risks....

"Must he then be responsible for their being born less endowed than he?  He makes about $5,000 a year.  Must he charge higher prices so that he can support a pension program for his employees?

"Perhaps the answer is yes.  Perhaps those who are more fortunate than others must take care of those less fortunate.... Such is the attitude of the young liberal -- John Owens.  His desire is 'to make my small contribution to the community.'

".... What I am suspicious of is his method -- government intervention.  So far, few of the government's efforts have been anything but wasteful and confused.  Turn something over to the government and it becomes immediately unprofitable and twisted up in reams of red tape.

"I am also repelled by the attempt at leveling -- putting everybody on the same plane ....  Men are not all born equal, and to make them all equal will always be an artificial equality."

Ed. note:  The preceding opinions, observations and sentiments are not necessarily those of the Fieg Family News,  its staff, management and stockholders,  nor the Fieg family.  They were condensed from one of three letters sent to me by my mother, Jean Davie Fieg.  She thought it would be good grist for the mill.  It was a great pleasure for Greg and me to collaborate with my father post mortem. 

Baby, Baby, Baby, OHHHH!

Sue Fieg Williams sends great news from Gainesville, Georgia:  her nephew Maxwell Musoke Kasibante entered the world on Sept. 18 at 12:54 p.m. weighing 6 pounds 7 ounces, as you can see from the birth announcement below.

Proud parents are Valentino "Chief" and Laura Fieg Kasibante.  Laura is the daughter of Doug Fieg and great-granddaughter of the late Florence and Lothar Fieg Sr.  

That is one cute little baby!

Not to be outdone, Adam and Samantha Bowers, son and daughter-in-law of Doug's wife, Cindy Harris Fieg, welcomed daughter Harper Sloane Bowers, on September 18 (does that date sound familiar???) at 10:59AM.  She tipped the scales at 7 pounds 4 ounces and was 20" long.  A hearty slap on the back all around!

Do you suppose that this is the first appearance of these babies' names on the Internet?  Famous before they can hold their heads up -- what a world! 

Whitesides Celebrate Birthday, Teamwork

On July 5 your editor received an e-mail from Maxine Fieg Whiteside.  It was the date of the 90th birthday of her husband, Dr. Bob Whiteside, and her message is as follows:

An AMAZING  cake arrived from a FIRST- RATE bakery shop for Uncle Bob's 90 birthday.  It's from Greg, Lisa and Ed [Fieg].  Will  you please do whatever it is you do to keep in touch with Greg with a big thank you from us?   I have Lisa's and Ed's addresses so I can write to them.  Marsha and Bill [Adams] will be here for the formal lighting of the candles. (!) and the yum of joining in the eating.   Love   Aunt Maxine

We also are grateful to Greg, Lisa and Ed for their kind consideration, and I'd like to add another note in that vein.  Greg ordered a bucketful of white bracelets that read "Team Maxine" and had them send to Iowa for distribution to those people who are on that particular group of family, medical personnel, friends who are all rooting for Aunt Maxine and lending their support.  Herewith a photo of three familiar wrists, submitted by Marsha Whiteside Adams, Maxine's eldest:

Barbequed in Carolina, Baked In The Big Apple

On July 5 the Joe Kestner family flew from Texas to Greensboro, N.C. for a family visit.  After spending the night at 1405 Knightwood Dr., they drove their rental car to Glade Spring, Va., hometown of the patriarch of the little family of three, for a Kestner family reunion.


On Saturday night Judy and Emilie went to the Barter Theatre in Abingdon and took in a performance of "The Gin Game," made famous by actors Jessica Tandy and her husband Hume Cronyn, who was a frequent performer there in his youth, and whose photo hangs on the wall with those of many others who got their start at this venue in the Appalachians.

The next morning, Joe fired up the pit and made his famous beef brisket and hot salsa (delicious, made from fresh ingredients) for his visiting relatives and friends.  Though there was a shower of rain -- something the parched Texans were glad to see, just to renew old acquaintances -- the reunion was a success. 

The three headed back to Greensboro to visit with your editor's mummy and baby sis, Jean and Phyllis Fieg, and with middle sister Diana and her new husband, Bill Doyle, who had driven down from New York.  (Bill's status as husband is new, I should say; he is not... LOL.)  The stay was relaxing and renewing and included many games of Yahtzee and bridge.

Despite the extra-warm weather, that great equalizer, air conditioning, allowed us to spend our indoor time in comfort and our outdoor time in haste, .

Jean arranged a photo session at Olan Mills, and the wonderful photos that resulted reflected this enjoyable experience, facilitated by the professionalism and good humor of the photographer.

On July 11, Joe returned to his oil and gas biz in Texas and Judy and Emilie accompanied Diana and Bill on a road trip north.  We stopped in Leesburg, Va. to visit Lori Davie Price and her son Jack (daughter and grandson of the late Raymon and Sonja Davie of Cooperstown), where we were treated to a yummy spread of cold shrimp, cookies, Queen Anne cherries and faux Cheddar (not really -- Lori had cut up a mango into small pieces that we all mistook for cheese!) and then it was on to Croton-on-Hudson for Emilie's Big Apple fix.

Hot as it was in N.C., we were shocked by the steamy weather in the Hudson Valley.  Alas, the Doyles' home is not air-conditioned so Emilie and I slept in the sauna -- er, I mean the back bedroom.  Happily there were a couple of hair dryers blowing on us all night to alleviate the heat.  Oh, those were fans?  Well, we enjoyed leaving the bedroom every morning and gathering in Diana's air-conditioned office.

On the first three days we took the train to the city, where we went on an NBC tour at 30 Rock, ate the best pizza in the world at Lombardi's, shopped, walked, got rained on (hey, isn't that supposed to cool things down?) and, on Sunday July 14, met cousins John and Anne Roman for a late brunch and to watch the Tony-winning musical "Kinky Boots," which we all adored.  (After the play we had a light supper in an Italian trattoria.  Just as they brought our dessert, the entire block lost electric power -- what good timing on our part!)

In the evenings we watched movies before collapsing into bed.  New York is a walking town, and for those of us who, due to the ever-present hot weather, drive everywhere, it was exhausting getting around!

The last day in New York was spent at the Doyles' home, admiring cucumbers on the vine, barbequing chicken and enjoying life in the country.

We enjoyed the hospitality shown to us by everyone, and can't wait to go back.

The Writer's Block

Greg Fieg recenly prompted your editor to obtain a list of the top fifteen most enjoyable, important, edifying books recommended by our aunt, Maxine Whiteside. Aunt Maxine's eldest, Marsha Adams, noted that the list is in the order in which they should be read, age-wise, beginning as young adult. Herewith is the list of Maxine Louise Fieg Whiteside's top ten books. How many have you read, hmm?

1. Crime and Punishment by F. Dostoevsky
2. I'm Okay You're Okay by Thomas Harris
3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
4. Gift From the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
5. North to the Orient by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
6. Act One by Moss Hart
7. On Wings of Eagles by Ken Follett
8. Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
9. Marathon Man by William Goldman
10. The Good Earth by Pearl Buck
11. The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit by Lucette Lagnado
12. The Folded Leaf by William Maxwell
13. Eleni by Nicholas Gage
14. This House of Sky by Ivan Doig
15. Not Fade Away--A Short Life Well Lived by Laurence Shames and Peter Barton

Get the to the library!

The Writer's Block

In an e-mail from Jean Fieg, your editor's mummy and wife of the late V.P. Fieg, comes this poem for the Fieg Family News, "Because 25 years have passed since its founding...."

A Paean to the Founder

Reaching for newness, for an untried experience,

A man who did not grow old or stale or uninteresting, he was

Youthful, always, in my mind and in his, and

Mindful of the potential in every small thing.

The joys of understanding,

Of instilling this in others, in us -

No stone unturned, no opportunity neglected.

Driven by curiosity and love of knowing how and why, he

Accepted the how and why as truth,

Valued conicidence and trial and error and the

Infinite possibilities of the human brain and spirit, and -

Just when we think we may finally have some answers -

And are ready to spill the beans - evening falls,

Night embraces us all.

Jean Davie Fieg

Says Jean, "Your dad used that phrase, often, spill the beans, and as a tribute to his sense of humor [it] was incorporated...it seems to stand out as a guffaw might, in a conversation.
                                                                  
In the hospital, I recall his last words to me, Raymon, and Sonja , also  present (though it was Diana and Sonja at the very end), "Two steps forward and one step back."  

Thanks, Mom!                                        

                       

Love Birds

On June 9 Bill and Diana Fieg Doyle hosted a celebration of their recent wedding, with around 30 friends and relatives in attendance.  The party was held at Croton Point Park, a 508-acre park situated on a peninsula on the east shore of the Hudson River in Croton-on-Hudson, where the Doyles reside.

Anne and John Roman and Lisa Fieg, the new bride's cousins, represented the family and Anne shared the photo below.  (Love the "heart-carved-in-a-tree" message on the cake!)

Diana reports that, as a wedding gift, she received a free manicure, pedicure and hair styling courtesy of the salon she frequents.  Also, after the recent record-setting rains, she gushed that the weather could not have been more perfect, with blue skies and puffy white clouds.

Wishes for happiness and serenity go out to Diana and Bill from all of us!

Eight is GREAT!

Greg Fieg called your editor the other day with wonderful news.  His daughter, Sarah Corkery, and her husband Kevin are expecting baby number eight around January 3, 2014.

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to chat with the new mom (no, that's not the right term; she is the mom anew!), after enjoying a heart-warming rendition of the title song "The Sound of Music" warbled by the three oldest girls, Maren, Collette and Grace, over the phone.  We traded women's war stories (childbirth tales) and Sarah told me about being blown away by four-year-old daughter Frances' singing debut, an impromptu rendition of something from "The Phantom of the Opera" on an open mike following a recent children's performance.  I expect we'll see the Corkery Sisters on the Great White Way or America's Got Talent pretty soon.

The newest addition to the Corkery family will bask in the love of the aforementioned sisters as well as child number four, Karoline, and twin brothers Sean and Seamus at their home in Oneonta, N.Y.  We wish them well.

Shields Family Reunion Date Set

This comes from Midge McClenon for the branch of the family tree that descends from Lothar Sr. and Florence Shields Fieg:

It's that time of year again!  Almost!

 

The anual Shields Reunion wll be held on Sunday, July 14, 2013, 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 family.  Charcoal will be available for those who wish to cook.

 

Call Vera 570 - 729 - 8621 or Midge 607 - 441 - 0475 or e-mail midgemcclenon@lycos.com for directions.

 

Please feel free to forward this to any and all members of the clan.  I seem to lose a few more addresses every year. 

 

I hope some of us can get there!

Las Vegas Fieg Mini-Reunion a Success - Take 2

Anne e-mailed me today with a few slight corrections to this story.  I was taking notes when she originally called me, but some of the details were mis-remembered.

Your editor received a phone call today from Anne Roman with details of a recent Fieg mini-reunion in Las Vegas, Nev.

Anne and hubby John are on a sight-seeing jaunt through the American West, though their main goal in traveling to Las Vegas was to meet John's half-sister, Samantha Theobald and her husband Chuck.  The gathering also happily included cousins Sue and Ed Williams, Douglas Fieg and Russell and Heny Fieg.  Russell and Heny also live in Las Vegas.

Thursday night the Romans supped with cousins Doug, Sue and Ed and Russell and Heny. 

On Friday everyone, including the Theobalds, linked up for a long, leisurely breakfast and had the opportunity to share photos of the Fieg family and, I'm sure, to fill in some gaps in the family story.  Then on Saturday the Romans and Theobalds lunched at the Theobald home ("Beautiful," said Anne -- high praise indeed from Martha Stewart Jr.!), a large ranch-style house in a gated community (where did I get the 5 acres of land???).

Chuck marveled at the resemblance between Sammie as a young woman and her grandmother, Florence Fieg.  "I choked up when I first saw her," said Anne.  "She looks so much like Dorothy."  Anne also commented that Sammie's expressions and mannerisms are similar to Dorothy's; she even takes her coffee black and eschews breakfast! 

John and Anne will wend their way back east, stopping for four days in Moab, Ut., home of the Arches and Canyonlands National Park, then on to Boulder, Colo. to spend time with family friend Ed Weise and his wife and son.  They plan to be home on May 6.

From left to right, Russell Fieg, John Roman, Samantha Theobald, Sue Williams, Doug Fieg

Further Explanation Department

Here is a picture of Jessica Roman and a man I assume to be her fiance, Cory Cross (LOL, as the kids say!!!)

Also, the Silver Springs Mining Company, where Cory is employed as head chef, is NOT a mining company -- it is a restaurant!

I got a good laugh when I found out.

Jessica Roman Affianced

Jessica Roman recently announced her engagement to Cory Cross, with a 2014 wedding planned.

Jessica, a registered nurse at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center in Towson, Maryland, is the daughter of Mark Roman, youngest son of the late Bob and Dorothy Fieg Roman (and the youngest of the Fieg cousins from the Lothar Fieg Sr. limb of the family tree), and his first wife Maureen.

Cory, head chef/kitchen manager at Silverspring Mining Company in Perry Hall, Maryland, accompanied Jessica to Clearwater, Florida in March to help celebrate his future mother-in-law's 50th birthday.  He popped the question on March 23 and, according to Jessica's aunt, Anne Roman, "he actually asked Mark's permission and also spoke to Maureen before proposing...."

In a very romantic gesture, Cory proposed with the ring his father gave to his mother when they were 17 years old.  Says Jess, "They're still happily married.  [Cory] bought a diamond and we plan to build the ring together, like we will build our marriage."

The couple have been dating for four years and currently share an apartment in Hamilton, Maryland with their cat, Rocky.

We wish them nothing but the best!

Maxine Fieg Has Surgery

Here is an e-mail your editor received from Marsha Fieg Adams, eldest child of Maxine and Dr. Bob Whiteside.  I hope you all will sharpen your crayons and send cards and letters to Aunt/Cousin/Sister-in-law Maxine and let her know she is not only in our minds but in our hearts and prayers as well.

Hello Judy,

Would you please let the Fiegs know this:

My mom has a tumor just below her jawline (discovered very small last Thanksgiving) which was thought by all who examined it to be a salivary gland needing to be removed.  By surgery date a few months later it was as big as an egg.  When they started the surgery they realized it was actually lymphoma, the pathology report says "diffuse large B cell lymphoma." 

She had some severe post-op complications: 6 hours after she got home from the surgery, we had her in the ER, then in the ICU for 2 days, in the hospital for a week.  These were blood pressure, heart rate, atrial fib, horrible nausea problems.  Plus her neck had so much edema she looked like a sumo wrestler.

Her first appointment at the cancer center was last Friday and she will have a PET scan next week to see where else it might be.  Before we went she was determined to not take any treatment, but after talking with the Dr. I think she may try chemo and see how it goes.  The area is too risky for radiation.   We are also concerned how the chemo will affect her heart, besides the easy to vomit problem she has. 

She really does want quality, not quantity of life and has made this clear to all of the family and the Dr. If she takes no treatment, she probably has less than a year; my brother is saying 6 months in his mind.  Her oncologist has not offered a timeline.

She is not much of a phone talker but loves to get emails and cards with a little note.

I'll keep you updated.

Love,
Cousin Marsha

How Can That Be? Another Fieg Quiz!

1.  When Judy Kestner has spare time on her hands, as often as not she can be found wandering the South Texas monte with her friend Susan Foster spying on wildlife with her binoculars.  Among the animals she has seen is the titmouse which is:
A.  A pregnant prairie dog
B.  A lactating Norway rat
C.  A suckling mole
D.  A black-crested songbird

2.  The recently married Diana Fieg Doyle, formerly Diana Monaco, has, among the decorations in her master bedroom, three color prints of:
A. Colorful wildflowers of the Catskills
B.  Currier and Ives snow scenes with horses and sleighs
C.  Copies of bucolic oil paintings in the style of the Hudson River School
D.  Battle scenes of the Civil War

3.  When he was stationed at Travis Air Force Base in California, Ed Fieg and his wife Barbara Harris made frequent auto trips to the Midwest to visit their relatives.  In the course of their trips, Ed always endeavors to spend time "in the rocking chair."  The rocking chair is:
A.  A hand-crafted pioneer recliner situated on the porch of a popular B&B
B.  A 5,500-foot mountain summit from which 13 states can be seen
C.  A special oscillating seat that can be used in the car to prevent back strain
D.  A position taken between two speeding tractor-trailer trucks to prevent being stopped by the police.

4.  When streaking across Utah on I-80 along the Great Salt Lake, Ed Fieg noticed that the highway patrol had painted on the side of its door:
A.  A shield, because it's the Freedom State
B.  A star, because it's the Constellation State
C.  A sunburst, because it's the Sunrise State
D.  A beehive, because it's the Beehive State

  5.  When Lisa Fieg boarded an airplane in New York to visit relatives in Iowa, she was stopped by eight inspectors who confiscated her:
A.  Pocket knife
B.  Cigarette lighter fluid
C.  Nail polish remover
D.  Tweezers, to avoid a tweezing catastrophe

6.  The Brown Booby, a sea bird spotted by Judy at an inland freshwater lake in South Texas, is named such because:
A.  It has two small mammary glands
B.  It is flightless and its waddling walk makes it appear comical
C.  The name Blue-footed Booby was already taken
D.  Of its stupidity in dealing with mankind.

7.  For a number of years Marsha and Bill Adams resided in northern Iowa just across the Minnesota line from the city of Worthington.  Not far off is the city of Keister, which in German means:
A.  Keyhole
B.  Keystone
C.  Kite string
D.  Buttocks

8.  When Diana Fieg Monaco and Bill Doyle recently tied the knot, the name of the officiator was:
A.  Brad Pitt, same as the famous actor
B.  Ann Romney, same as the wife of last year's Republican presidential candidate
C.  Judy Sheinlein, same as the T.V. judge
D.  Lisa Puglisi, same as the daughter-in-law of Doris Fieg Holm 

9.  Largely due to a preponderance of the birth of females, the Fieg family line is down to three male heirs of child-rearing age carrying the name (Brian, Eddie Jr.and Max) and one who is a child (Caleb).  Susan Fieg Williams' husband, Ed, is a descendant of the vaunted Carabelli clan of the Cleveland, Ohio area.  The number of male heirs carrying on that famous name in the next generation total:
A.  267
B.  333
C.  966
D.  0

10.  In the mid-1600s in the recently settled New World city of New Amsterdam (now New York City), a Fieg ancestor by the name of Jan was forced to invent a last name for himself to distinguish his family from those of  the many other Dutch Jans who were living in the area.  The name he chose was Voorhees.  Today, from that one individual have been counted descendants numbering more than:
A.  26
B.  120
C. 333
D. 100,000

The correct answer to every question, as many of you may have guessed, is the letter D.

D-d-d-d-dat's all, folks!

Herman Fieg Illustrations Discovered

A nineteenth-century Swiss book about the early life of William Tell, illustrated by Herman Fieg, has been found in an offering from an international dealer.  

"I felt immediately connected and needing to have it," said Diana Fieg Doyle, who discovered the book online, "and no matter how much it cost, I had to have it: das Buch Ich muss haben!"

Entitled "Der Knabe des [Wilhelm] Tell: eine Geschichte für die Jugend" (The Boy [William] Tell: a Tale for Children), the book, published in 1886, is part of an eight-volume series made available from a national youth library.  The 179-page tome, authored by Jeremias Gotthelf, was published by Druck u. Verlag von Gebrüder Kröner, features six metal engravings created by Uncle Herman, brother of Carl Fieg who immigrated to America in 1900 and established our branch of the family.

Originally published in Stuttgart, Germany, it was sold through www.AbeBooks.com out of Lyssach, Switzerland.  The engravings depict a number of heroic deeds attributed to the early Swiss liberator William Tell, including the famous feat of shooting an apple off his son's head with a crossbow.

Herman has been described in succeeding generations as the long-lost uncle who vanished into the South Pacific.  In retrospect, however, it seems as though he had not vanished at all, but that he knew exactly where he was - Australia.  He sent paintings and letters to his brother Carl but presumably lost contact when Carl died suddenly of appendicitis.  Not only would Herman not have known Carl's son, Lothar (born, coincidentally, in 1886), or his other nieces and nephews Max, Millie, Bertha, Victor and Martha; he likely didmay not even have known of some of them; hence the assumption of his disappearance.

A number of Fiegs have been uncovered in Australia but they have been, so far, incommunicado.  It has not been confirmed, but it seems likely that these are Herman's heirs.

This marvelous volume will remain a treasured heirloom and the family is indebted to Diana for finding it.  Since the discovery of this volume, Diana has found another metal engraving online and is waiting to receive it.

Diana Fieg Monaco Weds William Doyle

On Wednesday February 6, 2013 Diana Marie Fieg Monaco became the wife of William "Bill" Doyle.

The two were joined in matrimony at the Cortlandt Town Hall in Peekskill, NY with the Town Supervisor, Lisa Puglisi, officiating.  The ceremony began at 3:30 p.m. with Victor (Wayne) and Christine Varella as witnesses and their daughter, Victoria, as flower girl.

The party was treated to dinner later that evening and the newlyweds enjoyed a honeymoon trip to snowy Saugerties, NY.

Our best wishes go out to the happy couple!

Nancy Fieg Enjoys Big Apple

Nancy Fieg, age 26, recently moved to Long Island City to live with her Aunt Lisa Fieg while looking for her own apartment, a successful search that has led her to her own digs in Sunset Park in Brooklyn.  She now shares a two-bedroom brownstone with another woman near her own age.  Outgoing kid that she is, she has made a lot of friends already.

Nancy is currently working full-time as a server at the American Girl Place restaurant on Fifth Avenue ("don't forget your doll!" says Lisa).  Nancy majored in hospitality at Iowa State University and her goal is to become an event planner in the future.  I'll bet herding little girls at the American Girl Place will give her a good taste of it!

While strolling the streets and byways of the city that never sleeps, Nancy has spotted several celebs including Edie Falco, Robert Pattinson, Al Roker and Barbara Walters.

As for Hurricane Sandy, Lisa reports, "lots of flooding, damage and trees down in Long Island City but fortunately not on my block.  My windows shook violently and the lights flickered all night but we did not lose power."

Judy Kestner Pushes Girl Scout Cookies

On January 7 Judy Kestner appeared on the 6:00 a.m. local news in Corpus Christi to promote the sale of Girl Scout cookies.

Judy has been involved in Girl Scouting since 1999 when her daughter, Emilie, joined as a Daisy Girl Scout.  In 2002 Judy and another troop mom became co-leaders of the troop and the following year she and another troop leader volunteered as co-service unit managers, a role that eventually fell to Judy alone.

In recent years Judy has become a trainer and worked on a committee to redesign the way that the Girl Scout program is delivered to girls through its network of adult volunteers.

Says Judy, "I have two high school seniors in my troop and next year our troop number will be retired, after 15 years!  I'm so proud of the girls who continued in Girl Scouting into their high school years, a time when most girls find other outlets and leave Girl Scouts."

Emilie was a member of the organization for all the years she was in school and earned her Bronze Award in eighth grade.

To see a video of Judy on TV, click the link below:

http://www.kiiitv.com/story/20520712/girl-scout-cookies-go-on-sale-january-12

New Year's Quiz Answers

Here, at last (thanks, Diana, for the kick in the rear), are the answers to our New Year's quiz.  Funnee!

A. The Babylonians first celebrated the new year

1. 4,000 years ago
2. 2,000 years ago
3. in 1886

B.  In 46 B.C. Julius Caesar established the date for the new year, which was

1. March 15
2. January 1
3. His mother-in-law's birthday

C.  January 1 has been widely celebrated as a holiday by Western nations since

1. 1,000 years ago
2. 400 years ago
3. 1886

D.  The Babylonians also made New Year's resolutions.  Their most popular one was

1. To have more children
2. To drink more wine
3. To return borrowed farm equipment

E.  The Tournament of Roses parade dates back to

1. 1902
2. 1915
3. 1886

F.  Traditional New Year foods are thought to bring luck.  Many cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck, because it symbolizes "coming full circle," completing a year's cycle.  For that reason, the Dutch believe that eating what on New Year's Day will bring good fortune?

1. Donuts
2. Bagels
3. Life Savers

G.  The words "Auld Lang Syne" mean

1. A good long year
2. The good old days
3. Return my farm equipment

Thanks to those who replied with answers and to those who scratched their heads in private.

A Happy New Year Quiz

Greetings and Happy New Year!  It's been a while since your editor and roving reporter have put anything on this blog, and we are heartily ashamed about it.  There is a lot of Fieg news to publish and we will hop to it soon.

But first:

HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT NEW YEARS CELEBRATIONS?
Take this quiz and find out!

A. The Babylonians first celebrated the new year

1. 4,000 years ago
2. 2,000 years ago
3. in 1886

B.  In 46 B.C. Julius Caesar established the date for the new year, which was

1. March 15
2. January 1
3. His mother-in-law's birthday

C.  January 1 has been widely celebrated as a holiday by Western nations since

1. 1,000 years ago
2. 400 years ago
3. 1886

D.  The Babylonians also made New Year's resolutions.  Their most popular one was

1. To have more children
2. To drink more wine
3. To return borrowed farm equipment

E.  The Tournament of Roses parade dates back to

1. 1902
2. 1915
3. 1886

F.  Traditional New Year foods are thought to bring luck.  Many cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck, because it symbolizes "coming full circle," completing a year's cycle.  For that reason, the Dutch believe that eating what on New Year's Day will bring good fortune?

1. Donuts
2. Bagels
3. Life Savers

G.  The words "Auld Lang Syne" mean

1. A good long year
2. The good old days
3. Return my farm equipment

Good luck to all!