2021 Marks 40th Gallodoro Landmark

World-class clarinetist and saxophonist, Al Gallodoro, who played in sets with Sarah Fieg Corkery's drummer husband, Kevin, arrived in Oneonta 40 years ago next year.  His name can easily be spoken in the same sentence with Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw and any other great clarinetists of the 20th Century.

A member of the Hartwick College faculty, and eponym of the H'05 Award for outstanding achievement in music performance by a student, he was notable for having played alto sax with the famed Paul "King of Jazz" Whiteman Orchestra in the 1930s and, later, bass clarinet for 12 years with the NBC Symphony Orchestra under Arturo Toscanini.

Fortunato Alfred J. Gallodoro (whose surname in Italian means "golden rooster"), had a career that spanned eight decades, playing until his death at age 95 in Oneonta on Oct. 4, 2008.  Fieg cousin Allison Bookhout officiated at his funeral.

Al Gallodoro

By any measure, he was one of the world's longest continually active performing musicians, having started his career in the city of his birth, Chicago, at the age of 13.  

In addition to Toscanini, Al was conducted by Leopold Stokowski, Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Fiedler, Percy Faith, and Skitch Henderson.  

He appeared with George Gershwin, Victor Borge, Dinah Shore, Sid Caesar, Les Paul, Bob Hope, Edgar Bergen, Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey, Mario Lanza, Frank Sinatra, and Milton Berle.  Al also appeared in the 20th Century Fox 1952 production of Ernest Hemingway's "The Snows of Kilimanjaro," starring Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner and Susan Hayward.

The Gallodoro Serenade was written for him by composer Ferde Grofe.  He was also the subject of a PBS documentary.

A member of the adjunct faculty and instructor, he trained numerous Hartwick College graduates to play the reeds, and was the recipient of an honorary doctoral degree from the school.

At the time of his death, he held the world's record for the most performances on the clarinet in Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," ten thousand.  He played both classical and jazz selections, and was arguably the greatest saxophone/clarinet virtuoso in history.

The Al Gallodoro Music Memorial Fund is named for him, as well as the annual Al Gallodoro music award at Hartwick.  

At the time of his death he had produced eight CDs and a music video, in addition to recordings with other artists.  His production company was Chmusic Productions/Golden Rooster Records.

Take a listen to Al Gallodoro and the Beau Hunks playing a 1931 hit, "The Hour of Parting."

Still Standing After 100 Years

In 1920, Lothar Fieg established his business, Fieg Builder, at 3 Lewis St. in Oneonta, N.Y.  He went on to build some of the most elegant residences in the city.  As this year marks the 100th anniversary of his entry into the business world, grandson Greg Fieg has put together a photo spread of some of the lovely places that remain standing today.

Still a citizen of Germany, Lothar had been fired as an "enemy alien" from his supervisory position at the Corbett and Stewart Acid Factory, which supplied components for the making of munitions during World War I.

"G" for Gardner

106 Chestnut St.

 Lothar found work with the then-booming  Delaware and Hudson Railroad in Oneonta, drawing from his similar experience as a young man with the Union Pacific in the Far West.  In 1920 he struck out on his own, building his first home, a 1,262-square foot revival Tudor-style at 106 Chestnut St.  The chimney was adorned with the letter G, for the Gardner family, owners of the former Gardner Music Store, who first lived there. 

Another neo-Tudor at 148 East St. was at one time owned by the head of the journalism department at the State University of New York in Oneonta.  It is a 2,180-square foot quaint and cozy home in an fairly affluent part of town.  Lothar built it at the height of the Depression in 1932.

148 East Street

 Because much of the economy was crippled, woodwork such as sashes, wood frames, windows and other pieces were very hard to come by, and the builder had to make do with odds and ends as he could find them.  A self-taught architect, he made the components of the house come together like a jigsaw puzzle.  It recently listed in excess of $200,000.

It's not difficult to imagine that once word got around about Lothar's old-world craftsmanship that he became much in demand by discriminating individuals with deep pockets.  Thus, he was contracted to build the elaborate six-bedroom, 5,200-square foot Thornwood mansion for Edwin W. Elmore, the founder of Elmore's Milling. Thornwood is now the residence of the president of Hartwick College.  

Thornwood

In an affirmation of the laudatory recognition that Lothar had achieved, one of his final homes was the relatively palatial Duncan Briggs residence at the mouth of the rugged Glenwood Gorge.

Briggs, owner of the Briggs Lumber Company, was the scion of a family whose history can be traced to the creation of hundreds of homes dating back to the 19th century.  As such, he had an acute, discriminatory judgment concerning every builder in the area and, from among them, chose Lothar to build his own personal home.

Lothar had previously constructed Woodchuck Knoll, the sprawling edifice on the grounds of Emmons Farms.  Woodchuck Knoll today is owned by Marty Patton, a multi-millionaire restauranteur and the founder of the Cooperstown All-Star Village, a travel baseball camp.

Another very large structure, with a more utilitarian purpose, was built on the campus of the Upstate Baptist Home, now Springbrook, an institution for people with mental disabilities.  

One of the more recent homes, the Russell House on Union St. was built to withstand an earthquake or tornado, with a steel I-beam frame. 

A house was built at 6 City View Dr. for Elizabeth Lewis, a dietician for Homer Folks Hospital.  It was the second of two houses of a planned development that was scuttled when Lothar died in 1958.

Woodchuck Knoll

The Russell House

6 City View Dr.

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE FARMER'S MUSEUM IN COOPERSTOWN

Todd's General Store

Never one to stymie his ambition, Lothar Fieg not only took on the construction of well-built houses and big mansions such as Thornwood and Woodchuck Knoll, he even tackled the piece-by-piece disassembly, transport and rebuilding of historic structures for the Farmer's Museum in Cooperstown.

Among them was Todd's General Store, which had been operated by Lemuel Todd of nearby Toddsville. Built in 1819, it was moved to Cooperstown at the end of World War II, with each joist, crossbeam, brick and sash painstakingly numbered for exact reassembly at the museum.

Filer's Corners Schoolhouse

 In a similar fashion, Lothar transported and reconstructed the Filer's Corners schoolhouse, circa 1829, from the town of Butternuts, and the blacksmith shop, built in 1827, from the New Berlin area.  He also built the original display for the Cardiff Giant, a hoax perpetrated by charlatans to be the petrified remains of a huge human being. 

Blacksmith shop

Fieg Family Albums Now on the Blog

 After much prodding and poking, your editor has added a link to the old Fieg family photo albums that were digitally scanned by Don Roman lo these many years ago.

To view the photos, click Fieg Family Albums on the home page of the blog.  This is found under Photos, Sundry Links and goodies.

Enjoy!

Cousins Spared from California Wild Fires

Fieg cousin Janet (Holm) and her husband, Craig McHenry, have survived yet another major forest fire that threatened their community of Loyalton in the Sierra Valley, an hour north of Lake Tahoe in northern California. 

The Loyalton Fire started Aug. 14 after a lightning strike just east of town, about a mile from Craig's ranch. It raced in several directions over the next couple of days, then threatened the outskirts of town on Aug. 17, when firefighters took a stand at the highway that leads into town and put it out.

As of Aug. 24 it was almost fully contained after burning about 50,000 acres of forest and high desert vegetation. The fire gained international attention because of numerous fire tornadoes that occurred, burning five homes and numerous outbuildings. Mandatory evacuation orders were in effect for an area where the McHenrys' daughter Rebekah, husband and six children live, so they had to transport horses and many other animals to a ranch away from the fire and stayed with Janet and Craig.

Janet said, "We saw lots of miracles. Our daughter's best friend's sheep ranch was completely saved, whereas the fire wiped out everything else around it. And Craig watched as the fire swept down the mountain, but spread in an inverted V around a historic barn and home. Even displaced cattle have been found. We are thankful." 

The fire occurred exactly 26 years after the Cottonwood Fire, which also burned about 50,000 acres and threatened the town many days in a row. Janet has been blogging about the experience with photos on her Facebook page and on her website: https://www.janetmchenry.com. 

The two photos are views of the fire from Craig's ranch--at the beginning of the firefighters' stand and toward its end. 

 

 

Janet Holm McHenry Garners Award

Fieg cousin Janet Holm McHenry, a prolific author of Christian lifestyle books, has earned the 2020 Jennifer Kennedy Dean Award from the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association.

 Dean, who passed away in June 2019, was an author and speaker who wrote numerous books, studies and magazine articles specializing in prayer and spiritual formation.  She and Janet were close friends, and Janet penned a lovely tribute published online in "Looking Up." 

Warm congratulations to Janet!

 

Fiegs Mark 75th Homecoming Anniversary

Next year marks the 75th anniversary of the Fieg boys coming home from World War II, with Bud, Frank and Phid finally sleeping in their own beds once again.

With the loss of so many contemporaries of the period, we are left to imagine what a happy reunion that must have been.  After having lived on K-rations and C-rations for four years, they now could enjoy mother's cooking again.

The scent of chicken and dumplings certainly wafted through the house, and Mom's special creation of gingerbread surely graced the table that Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Mary Bookhout Wolcott, who inherited the gingerbread recipe from her late sister, Liz, who got it from her mother, Flo, after she inherited it from her mother, Florence, has prepared the dessert many times, and it is a favorite in the Wolcott household.  Mary has the original index card from her mother's recipe box, which dictates that the gingerbread should be prepared thusly:

Mother's Gingerbread                                     325 deg. - 45 min.

1/2 c. sugar                                         1 c. hot water added last

1/2 c. butter & lard mixed

1 egg                                                    Bake in moderate oven for 35 min. in shallow pan.

1 c. molasses

1 1/2 c. sifted flour

1 1/2 t. soda

1 t. cinnamon

1 scant t. ginger

1/2 t. cloves

1/2 t. salt

Here is the original index card of the gingerbread recipe, transcribed in Flo's hand, from
Florence Fieg's instructions.

Fieg Reunion Movies Available on YouTube

Your editor recently received an email from Doug Fieg, son of the late Lothar Fieg, Jr.  Doug is a computer whiz, who also understands how to get stuff done on the Worldwide Web, and his latest coup was to upload movies taken by his dad and mine of Fieg reunions beginning in 1950, as well as shots of 1405 Knightwood Drive in the early '70s.

You'll grin from ear to ear as you watch our aunts and uncles waltzing around the dining room of an unnamed restaurant.  You'll go gaga over the baby faces of your cousins as they act silly for the camera.  You'll see how kids 'way back then kept busy outdoors, with nary an electronic device to be seen.  And you will really love seeing Grandpa and Grandma Fieg.

So click this link and, beginning with the still photo of ---- who can guess the name? -- enjoy a trip back in time.

Thanks, Doug, for your hard work!

Cade Dangca Enters Business World

Cade Dangca, 25, son of the former Anna Fieg, and Allan Dangca of Oneonta, NY, has entered the business world with the creation of his own enterprise, Dangca Co., having signed a multi-thousand dollar contract with Cason Inc. of Duanesburg, NY.  Cason is engaged in the hauling of heavy duty business and construction materials to various areas of the northeast.

Dangca has acquired his own authority from the government to operate his 1992 Peterbilt tractor to pull end-dump trailers primarily in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and New York.

Cade splits his time with Cason while serving as an active member of the Army Reserves, where he recently became qualified as a military policeman.  He is an Army veteran.

Dangca's grandparents are Greg Fieg of San Antonio and Hartwick, NY, and Jacqueline McAdams of Oneonta.  Best of luck to Cade!

Miss Maren Corkery Weds Mr. Thomas Buff

Maren Cokery, 22, daughter of the former Sarah Fieg and Kevin Corkery, was married to Thomas Buff, 21, of Middletown, N.Y. on Saturday July 11, 2020 at St. Joseph's Church in Worcester, N.Y., with the Rev. Fr. Joseph L'Arche officiating.

The couple will reside in Albany, where Thomas is employed as a mechanic at Firestone Complete Auto Care. Maren has resigned her position at NBT bank in Cooperstown, and will enter the field of childcare.

Maren wore a lustrous, street-length strapless ivory satin gown with a pearl and rhinestone belt, a trailing chapel veil, and a silver and rhinestone necklace.   

The maid of honor was the bride's sister, Colette Corkery, and the matron of honor was Emily Guardado.  Bridesmaids were Grace Corkery, Hannah Stuart, Hope Sonnenburg, and Jamie LaBarbera.  Junior bridesmaids were Mary Buff and Karoline Corkery.  The best man was Thomas Borchers, and groomsmen were Dimitri Maricich, Joseph Buff, Gabriel Hanus, Jacob Berben, and Matthew Mason.  Flower girl was Gemma Corkery, and the ring bearer was Daniel Corkery.

Jean Hren was pianist, and Colleen Rockwell was soloist.  Readers were Frances Corkery, Bridget Buff, and Christa Buff.

Due to limitations imposed because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, a guest list of 150 people had to be trimmed to 50 in the sanctuary and 70 at the reception in Oneonta.

The couple has been dating for three years, having met 5 years ago in Worcester at a graduation party.  Maren and Thomas were home schooled.

Maren is a graduate of Northeast Catholic College in Warner, N.H where she studied business.  Thomas attended Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan. for three years before choosing to pursue his present endeavor.

Maren's grandparents are Greg Fieg and Jacqueline McAdams of Oneonta.  Parents of the groom are James and Joann Buff.

A honeymoon is planned in Lake George, N.Y.

Picture This: Don Roman's Photo Background on "Live Chat" Radio

Don Roman was recently the guest on a live podcast about South Jersey photography, sharing his experiences in camerawork from middle school to the present. Don is the middle son of the late Bob and Dorothy Roman.

The host, Charles Kershenblatt, introduced Don, saying that for many years he had looked forward to having him on the show.

Don began with a description of the hook that got him interested in photography - his paternal grandfather's home dark room, in Utica, N.Y. - wending through his introduction to cinematography, close encounters with the likes of Buckminster Fuller, his work on a live-action "Scooby-Doo" film, and affectionate descriptions of the cameras he has owned throughout his life.

In one segment of the show, Don describes his six-month motorcycle trip to Guatemala with a buddy in the winter of 1983-84, when he actually stopped in Laredo and visited with cousin Greg Fieg and your editor's husband, Joe Kestner.  The results of that trip comprised his portfolio for admission into photography school.


Take a listen! 

Doris Holm To Celebrate 92nd Birthday

On October 1, our cousin Doris Fieg Holm will turn 92 years old.  Her daughter, Janet McHenry sends this blurb, and asks that we send our happy returns of the day to:

Doris Holm

9325 E. Stockton Blvd., #116, 

Elk Grove CA 95624

Standing: Janet, Pete, Roberta.  The birthday girl is seated.

Doris is thriving in her senior living apartment at The Meadows, active in events held there. She secures interviews for the Elk Grove Historical Society with native senior citizens, attends church at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, and keeps the Elk Grove Inner Wheel organization together (associated with Rotary International). Doris very much enjoys hosting family and friends in the private dining room at The Meadows and would love to see any Fieg family if they happen to be in the Sacramento area. 

Doris is the only living child of Louise and Max Fieg and the only child of both of them. She was from a Brady Bunch type of family, as Max was a widower with two boys and two girls, and Louise was a widow with two girls. She and Bob Holm (dec'd) had five children: Janet, Nancy (dec'd), Peter, Roberta, and Matthew. Janet is a writer and speaker, Pete is an EMT, Roberta has a large daycare business, and Matt is a teaching golf professional.

She says she had a work history of 19: 19 years as a homemaker and designer, 19 years as an elementary school teacher, and 19 years drafting homes. She still creates landscape watercolors and enjoys her "favorite sports": eating out, visiting casinos, and watching San Francisco Giants games.  

She can also be contacted at 916-425-4869. 

Thank you!

Janet

Janet and Craig McHenry

Steve and Roberta Martinez

Joyce and Pete Holm

 

Columnist Remembers Greg Fieg, Senator Seward

Here is the link to a column recently published about Greg Fieg in the Oneonta Daily Star.  Read it and weep ... with laughter!

https://www.thedailystar.com/opinion/columns/backtracking-in-our-times-local-moviemakers-home-developers-had-ambitions/article_43011a97-95d3-561b-a902-9485257d5102.html

Fieg Cousin Wins Book Award

Janet Holm McHenry, daughter of Bob and Doris Fieg Holm, granddaughter of Max Fieg, and prolific author of Christian books, recently attended a publishing event in Nashville, signing her most recent book and enjoying the opportunity to network with other Christian writers and communicators.

At the event, Janet also received a publishing award.  Her book, The Complete Guide to the Prayers of Jesus, was given a Golden Scroll Award (runner-up) for the Best Christian Living Book at the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association banquet, held in conjunction with the Christian Product Expo.  

(On her Facebook page, Janet noted that she also spent time at the expo doing what she terms "prayer walks" throughout the convention hall, asking blessings for the participants.)

Published by Bethany House Publishers, a traditional publisher with Baker Books, the work is Janet's twenty-third book in her thirty-year-plus career of writing.  Two of her books have been bestsellers:  PrayerWalk (WaterBrook/Random House) and 50 Life Lessons for Grads (Worthy/Hachette).

Her newest book was just released.  Stronger Every Day is a Bible study on the topic of strength, published by First Place for Health, a Christian health organization of 500,000 worldwide.

Janet is a journalism graduate of the University of California - Berkeley who has worked with words her whole adult life - as a technical writer/editor, newspaper reporter and city editor, freelance editor, and high school English teacher.

Janet is married to Craig McHenry, a cattle rancher in the Sierra Valley in northern California, about 40 miles northwest of Reno. They have four adult children, who Janet says "are all done with college, all married, and yay, all gainfully employed."

She loves to speak encouragement at women's retreats, conferences, and other events, and can be contacted through her website, www.janetmchenry.com, or via email at janetmchenry@live.com.

Diana Fieg Wins the Big One!

After moving to New Hampshire three years ago, Diana and Bill Doyle have found their niche.  They enjoy winter sports, like falling down in the snow, and they love watching the Common Loons nesting on Little Pease Porridge Pond outside their window. 

Each has also found a new athletic pastime.  For Bill it is horse-back riding.  For Diana, the passion is tennis.

After many hard-fought games and tournaments, Diana and her mixed doubles partner, Steve Piotrow, were victorious in the Bridgton (ME) Highlands Country Club Mixed Doubles tennis tournament on July 20.

You can see from the photo below that they make a really good team -- he goes for the high ones, she for the low ones.

Congratulations to Diana and Steve, and here's to many more!

Arwen Bookhout, Warrior Girl!

Arwen Bookhout, eldest child of Dan and Jenny Bookhout of Florida, recently underwent some corrective surgery.  Here's the skinny, from her grandmother, Diane Bookhout, whose hubby is Will Bookhout, and what a story!

Arwen has had an alternating strabismus, which means that she would alternate which eye she was using to see. Since her eyes were seeing everything at different angles, her brain was getting different pictures of the world from each eye, which causes double vision - and makes it even hard to learn!

To accommodate for this, she would use the picture from one eye and the other eye would turn in because she wasn’t using it at that moment, and then vice versa. The doctor had us try on glasses that mimic how Arwen was seeing the world with her eyes turned in, it was very confusing - everything had a double, and I almost instantly had a headache.

Arwen's eyes are and always have been fine, but her brain wasn’t communicating to her eyes typically.  Also we’ve been to two different ophthalmologists since Arwen was born in Jacksonville, but over time it was clear that they doubted if Arwen could even see.  Her MRI from a week old shows that her vision center in her brain was damaged very badly, it’s almost non-existent. But it’s always been clear to us that Arwen can see.

Over the last year  Arwen was using her vision more and more consistently, and not just at home. When we got the Tobii Eye Gaze device, I didn’t even have to question myself any longer! She was using her eyes to play games and identify pictures of her family to say hi!

A video of her playing and using her eye gaze (failed to convince) her ophthalmologist locally, and that’s how we found Dr. (Lawrence) Tychsen in St. Louis.  He specializes in correcting strabismus in children with cortical vision impairment. 

From the moment we were in his office he said, “Well, of course she can see. That’s not even in question in my opinion.” And after her diagnostic testing he concluded she actually sees really well!

During surgery, the doctor loosened her inner medial rectus muscles on both eyes to position them straight on. This will help her binocular vision develop so her eyes can work and see together.  She doesn’t need glasses anymore, and her processing time is only slightly slower than normal. Typically when you see something, it takes about 1 millisecond from the time the image hits your optic nerve to when it’s processed in the visual center of your brain. Arwen’s processing time is about 70% of that. (It) will probably start to get faster as her visual world is less confusing.

 
Her dental work was easy in comparison. Her enamel was gone on her four front teeth (due to) high doses of steroids for infantile spasms, which are rare seizures seen only in infants, for three months as an infant. She’s also been on seizure meds since 8 months old, so her front four teeth were stained and had some pits as well. Since she was already going to be under anesthesia (for the eye surgery), we arranged with a dentist at St. Louis Children’s to do four crowns on her front teeth and then preventatively seal all her back teeth. Kids with Cerebral Palsy are prone to dental issues, so hopefully the sealing will prevent future problems.

Through our whole journey thus far, God has really directed our steps and opened and closed the right doors. It’s often overwhelming to manage and need to educate yourself on so many new therapies, surgeries, but it gives me such peace knowing God is in control.

Arwen Charlotte June Bookhout - betcha can't keep from smiling!!

#superarwen #cpwarrior #corticalvisionimpairment

Roger Silliman, Last Surviving Employee of L. Fieg, Builder, Dies in California

Word has been received of Oneonta native and career Air Force officer Clifford Roger Silliman, recipient of the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, and survivor of a harrowing air crash at sea during World War II, has died at his home on the Pacific Coast, two and a half weeks shy of his 98^th birthday.

The news of his passing was delayed due to the remoteness of his location from Oneonta, his advancing age and infirmity, and the passing of most of his contemporaries.  Roger, as he was known to his childhood friends and immediate family, passed away on Jan. 28, 2018, in the beachside community of Lompoc, Calif.  

He was born on Feb. 15, 1920, the eldest of three children. His parents, Clifford and Velma (Beach) Silliman, and his wife, Bernadette, preceded him in death.  Silliman was the last surviving member of the L. Fieg, Builder construction crew in Oneonta.

His father, Clifford, for decades operated a filling station and auto repair business in the 400 block of Main Street in Oneonta. It was there that the younger Silliman, teaming with another adolescent, Lothar “Bud” Fieg, opened a shop where they produced, serviced and sold complete bicycles assembled wholly from metal tubing, salvage and various mechanical parts. 

This skill presaged Silliman’s mechanical aptitude later in life.  He received Bachelors Degrees in both aeronautical and civil engineering, and enjoyed a thirty-three year career in the military and the aerospace industry.

During World War II, Silliman saw action in the military theatres of Western Europe and in the Balkans.   He was also a veteran of the Army Air Corps’ North African campaign, engaged in vanquishing German and Italian units under the command of Nazi Field Marshall Erwin Rommel.  Silliman was the executive officer for the P-38 fighter maintenance depot there.  

En route to take this position, Silliman and the crew of the C-46 on which he was a passenger narrowly escaped with their lives when the plane developed difficulties in a storm over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Gibraltar.  

The pilot had declared that all aboard should parachute to supposed safety, but Silliman, as senior officer aboard, was able to persuade him that this would be foolhardy, and possibly suicidal, especially as it was night time, and that because the aircraft was well-built and very sturdy, it would remain intact on splashdown.  After the plane hit the water, the crew launched an inflatable raft, drifting for many hours before being rescued.  Silliman called it the worst experience of his life.

In the 1950s, Silliman was in charge of directing the multi-million dollar design and construction of the Far East Air Force Base on Guam.  From 1957 to 1961, he was responsible for the development, construction, testing and acquisition of the ground segment of the hardened Titan ballistic missile system.  

Colonel Silliman topped his career in the mid-1960s as Chief, Technical Requirements and Standards Office, Space and Missile Systems Organization.  The Legion of Merit Award marks his exceptional service.

Roger and Bernadette finally retired to a life of travel to sunny southern climes and hiking in the Rockies, until her death in 2002.

Silliman was likely among the few remaining, perhaps one of even the last two, from the Oneonta High School Class of 1937, along with former mayor Albert S. "Sam" Nader.

Silliman was nothing if not an exceptionally amiable friend and acquaintance to all who knew him, offering a snappy salute, a ready smile and a meaty handshake.

"I remember Roger as being a very nice guy," recalled Nader.

Clifford Roger Silliman’s survivors include Bernadette’s son, Barry Welker (Lynn), his nephews George Sidney Silliman (Rachel); Bruce Silliman (Michiko); David Silliman (Saundra) and his niece Wendy Silliman Creel (Richard).  Donations in his name may be made to Lompoc Meals-on Wheels.

Shields Family Reunion Date Scheduled

The 84th Annual Shields Reunion will be held on Sunday, July 14, 2019, at 12:30 pm at Nathaniel Cole Park, shelter #2, in Harpursville, NY.

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

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

Please share this invitation with as many family members as possible.

Coast-to-Coast Fieg Cousin Reunion

Bob and Carol Ramagosa

Thanks to Janet Holm McHenry for this contribution to the blog:

Janet Fieg McHenry (from left) and Carol Walter Ramagosa

Janet Holm McHenry of Loyalton, Calif. recently visited Carol (Walter) and Bob Ramagosa at their home on Topsail Island, N.C.  Janet and Carol are first cousins.  Carol is the daughter of Emma (Maggie) Fieg Walter (dec'd); Janet is the daughter of Emma's sister, Doris Fieg Holm, 92, who lives in Elk Grove, Calif.

Carol and Janet toured the island, took a boat tour, and visited the local turtle rehabilitation center.  Carol and her husband Bob are enthusiastic boaters, often touring up and down the East Coast in their 43-foot sailing yacht, Sunnylands.

From there Janet drove to Charleston S.C., where she attended a retreat hosted by her literary agency. Janet's books and speaking ministry are featured on her website  https://www.janetmchenry.com. 

Janet and her husband Craig live in the Sierra Valley, about an hour north of Lake Tahoe (40 minutes from Reno), and they have a guest house, where Fieg cousins are welcome to visit. 
 

Blessings,

Janet

Praying for you!

Janet Holm McHenry

Inspiring Author - Encouraging Speaker

www.janetmchenry.com

Kasibante Family Sends Update From Africa

Thanks to Sue Williams for this update from her niece, Laura Fieg Kasibante, in Africa:

April 23, 2019

Laura and Chief (back), Max, Zionne and Judah

Greetings from the Kasibantes in Nkumba!

Our family has adjusted well to life back in Nkumba, Uganda. The past two years have been spent partially in Georgia, USA with my family, and also living in Lubowa, near the International school where I was teaching. 

In October, 2018 we moved for the 7th time (since being married) to a new house…our OWN house!  It is an incredible blessing to no longer be renting. We are so thankful to the Lord that He has provided a wonderful home, in a large compound, where we are free to settle, plant and invest our lives. It is also very convenient to the church. It is only 4 minutes walk to House of Prayer Nkumba. The whole family is enjoying getting to know our neighbors, and appreciating the beauty of the nature that surrounds our home. We have guest bedrooms-let us know when you want to come visit!

We are in a season of settling and investing into ministry. Chief was given his last US visitor’s visa before Zionne was born, and the visa is now expired. This means we will stay as a family in Uganda until Chief obtains a US green card/citizenship. Pursuing this is quite an investment of finances and time, so we are waiting on the Lord’s timing of when to begin this process. I am currently homeschooling Max (5) and Judah (3), leading the children’s ministry, and is also involved in women’s ministry. Chief continues to lead the church; he preaches 2 services on Sundays, teaches in the Bible School, and is currently teaching the book of Joshua for the Wednesday night Bible study.

Since we are staying through the summer, I had the idea of doing a Vacation Bible School. Everyone is excited about the idea. Someone blessed us with a kit I chose called “Roar! Life is Crazy but God is Good.” I feel that the theme fits both my life and the lives of the children here in Nkumba. I also love that it is a safari theme so I know it will be easy to find supplies for decorating and crafts....and everyone loves songs with African drumming! It is exciting to live in a place where kids are free to run and play and attend church activities. 

However, during school holidays many children live in homes with very little structure. Parents live one day to the next, working for survival, leaving their kids to the neighbors or older siblings for care. This usually results in kids running and roaming around the community, often watching whatever is playing on the shopkeeper’s or neighbor’s TV. Meals are sometimes hard to find. Very few children have anything to really “look forward to” during school breaks.

We believe offering an annual holiday Bible program will be a great platform to bring home the kingdom of God to these little souls. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, for the kingdom of God is theirs.” (Matt. 19:14).  Despite 80% of our community being Catholic, many Catholic parents allow their children to attend our growing Sunday School program. We have more than 100 children coming to our church on a Sunday morning; investing in them is important to us. 

As a community church, we feel called to provide opportunities that can show them the love of Christ and give them opportunities for spiritual growth. We will have times of dancing, singing, prayer, Bible time, crafts, meals, and other interactive activities. We are intentionally laying the right foundation in these young lives because they are the church and the hope of tomorrow.

Please labor with us as we embark on such a wonderful journey of transforming and redirecting lives of the children in Nkumba.

The “ROAR” holiday Bible school will go from 9 AM -1 PM from May 20-24th.

Here are the ways you can labor with us:

PRAYER

-God’s spirit to be upon the entire event. That all glory would go to God!

-Logistics of running the program: finances, volunteers, organization, parents, children, supplies, food

-Salvation - for both children and their parents

-Volunteers - that the Lord would give us wisdom, to effectively serve the children’s needs, have teamwork, be committed, that we would also learn, stay healthy, and have enough people to be successful!

-That we can start on time every morning

-Nice weather

-Clear communication between everyone involved

-Safety with food, snacks, play, etc (and, if needed, we would have a nurse on duty)

-Enough sponsorship to enable at least 40 children to join this program.

-Joy! That despite chaos and unexpected events, we would have a blast the entire week...remembering that God is good!

GIVING

Please visit this SoKind website if you are interested in giving. You can sponsor a child for just $16. If you feel led to give more, we have other needs you can donate towards as well. A few of the requests are things that we will continue to use throughout the year and future Bible School events, like playground sand, tents, and tables. Any amount helps! The sooner we receive the funds the easier our preparations will be!  (Ed. Note:  You can also go to Laura's Facebook page for more inormation.)

God bless you!

Love,
Laura Kasibante

House of Prayer Children’s Ministry Director