First off I want to think my new found cousin, Patti Waldron
Cline, for letting me post these memories she wrote about her mother. I really enjoyed how her mother would tell an
ancestor story to get across a point, give a moral to a story or just to let her,
Patti, know she came from someone special and she could do anything she
wanted. Patti's mom sounds like she was
a wonderful lady.
One of the reasons I wanted to add Patti's story memories is
because of the story she told about the Underground Railroad. Since I have been writing stories this year
about slavery and my ancestors, I thought a story about the Underground
Railroad would fit right in.
The following is the story that Patti wrote.
"My mother was a fascinating, animated, walking talking
history book and encyclopedia all wrapped into one. She was an avid genealogist and proud
Daughter of the American Revolution. She was so proud of her Quaker heritage
and her Scots-Irish “industrious stand up for yourself open minded” way of
thinking.
I was always hearing of one ancestor or another depending on
how that ancestor’s story and situation in life related to my life at that
moment. My mother had a charming ability
to make everything relevant and come to life.
When I was in my creative arts and globe building mind set I
heard about my GG grandfather William Conrad Herider who held two patents. One invention was on an “Improved Farm Gate”
with a turnbuckle built in for straightening, granted: June 20th 1863, and the
other is a “Blackboard and map case”. Patent number: 40035. Date granted:
9/22/1863.
I heard on Lincoln’s birthday how President Lincoln’s
great-grandma was a STOUT, my 4th great grandma’s sister.
When I had writing assignments and lamented that I couldn’t
do it, I was introduced to my 4th great
grandfather, Daniel Isgrigg who wrote three books; Hierglophic 1834, The
Hoosier 1836, and his Biography in 1838. His hand written manuscript is in the
Indiana Manuscript library. Daniel was a
friend of Thomas Jefferson’s and they wrote letters to one another discussing
astronomy, religion, politics and other various topics. By God if he could
write to President Jefferson and write books, then surely I could write a
simple essay.
Rachel Stout Allen, my 4th great grandma was brought up as
an example when I went to college and majored in Vocational Agriculture and
Plant Science. In the North Carolina State Archives is Rachael’s herbal medical
book with her recipes for remedies. She was an herbal doctor known as ‘the
medicine woman” with so much knowledge of the value of plants for people and
livestock. Everything that happened had some sort of historical family
story that reinforced the point she was making.
I remember the school day when we learned about the Civil
War, or War Between the States, depending on which side one supported. This was
my mother’s “seize the moment” opportunity to share another story.
My mother’s people were all Quakers so they didn’t bare
arms. My GG grandpa, Nathaniel Lynn Isgrigg served in the war so to speak, not
with a rifle, but with his medical knowledge.
He was a doctor and cared for anyone who needed help. His daughter Delcene Anne, (for whom I’m
named) was 12 years old when the war broke out.
Grandma Del lived with my mother’s family when she was a little girl and
this is what Grandma Del told my mother: “When I was 12 years old out doing
chores I noticed a black man hiding in the wood shed. I was so frightened. I ran right away to tell pa about the
stranger hiding. Pa confided in me that we helped slaves escape. I was to tell NO ONE. Our people, the Friends, do not believe in
owning people. Helping escaped slaves
was a death sentence if caught at that time so it was a big secret.” My mother was always so impressed with the
fact that a 12-year child old could be trusted with a life and death secret,
and she was proud that her grandma shared this amazing story. Of course we know today this is what’s known
as the Underground Railroad.
My mom was always quick to point out that things are not one
sided. I was asked if the teacher that
day also told about how General Sherman marched through the countryside and
towns leaving a wake of death and destruction. Grandma Del remembered seeing
Sherman’s men march through taking all the livestock and food and burning the
barns. I was reminded that the north had
child labor and indentured servants living and working in filthy fire traps no
better than slave labor, and to take what the teacher said with a huge grain of
salt; A lesson in open minded thinking and not jumping to being too judgmental
in life.
One day I decided to walk in the Lung Association
fundraiser. It was 18 miles. I was wondering how I was going to make it as
I wasn’t much into walking, but I did want to support the cause. Before I left
that morning mom had this story for me. Your 3rd great grandmother Phebe Allen
born in 1789 and lost her husband in 1826. She decided to migrate with the
other Quakers who were leaving for Indiana.
She packed what she could manage, and rode side saddle carrying her new
born infant who is your GG grandpa. Her
11 other children walked all the way from Cane Creek, North Carolina to
Indianapolis, Indiana. The 468 miles
took several days to get there. If those kids could walk 468 miles, you can
manage 18 miles.
I was always amazed at how much my mother knew about her
ancestors, and how her story telling timing was impeccable. Feeling sorry for ones self or whining was
unacceptable and not tolerated.
I recall right after we moved to Orange, I was given the
choice to go to Orange High School or Villa Park High school. Orange High was
an older school with an FHA Agriculture and plant science program which I
loved. Villa Park High was a new school
with an excellent art program which I also loved. Decisions.
I asked my mother for guidance. Here is the guidance I got.
She said, “In September of 1918 when your grandpa Orla
Edmond Frazier had to register for the WWI draft he had an excruciating
decision to make. Being Quaker, going to war bearing arms was against the
teachings. He also was taught to be faithful and patriotic to his country. The
world was at war and his country needed him. But fighting was against
everything he was ever taught.” Mom continued,” My dad went to his father (your
great-grandpa) Oliver Aaron Frazier (who also had to register that same month
for the draft) for advice, his father told him this: “You have to make your own
choices in life and make your own path. No one can choose for you, no one but
you knows what is in your heart and what your can live with. Only you know. I
will support whatever choice you make because you will make the right choice
for yourself.”
Probably the most impressive ancestral story that my mother
loved to tell, and I even use today to motivate myself is that of Penelope Van
Price, b ~ 1622, my 8th great grandmother.
Whenever I was apprehensive, unbrave or unconfident in any endeavor, my
mother the motivator got this powerful story out of her “bag of tricks”.
Penelope and her new husband and several Dutch settlers set
sail for New Amsterdam about 1640. The ship hit a heavy storm, went off course,
wrecked, and ran aground at Sandy Hook, what is now Monmouth County, NJ. Everyone survived. All the passengers and
crew set off for New Amsterdam on foot, abandoning Penelope on the beach with
her very ill husband. The Indians found them on the beach, killed the husband
and thought they had killed Penelope. The Indians had hacked her in the abdomen
leaving her intestines hanging out and fractured her skull. She crawled to a
hollow tree where hid until a few days later two Indians returned to check the
dead white people.
The elder Indian had a small dog that found Penelope. The
younger Indian wanted to kill her; however, the elder Indian disagreed and said
that if she didn’t die the first time it was wrong to kill her now. The elder
Indian took her back to the camp where his wife nursed Penelope back to health. She stayed with the Indians working, learning their language
and their ways. They were very kind to her. Most accounts say she was with the
Indians for a couple years. After a long time, some of her shipmates returned
looking for her and asked the elder Indian for her return. He said that it was her choice to stay with
them or go back. She decided to return to her people and the old Indian took
her back. She met Richard Stout, was
married and had ten children. She became the first liaison between the white
settlers and the Navesink tribe of Leni Lenapi.
Penelope outlived Richard by twenty-seven years, dying in
1732, at the 110. By the time of her death, it is said that she was proud to be
the multi great grandmother of five hundred, and two descendants. It was told of her that she had always to
wear a cap because of her scalp scar, and that she had no use of her left arm.
Her knowledge of the Indian language, and the fact that she was a friend of the
Indian who mended her wounds, no doubt was a great help to the little New
Jersey settlement.
Every Stout descendant in America can thank their ancestor
Penelope for her bravery, confidence and endurance. It is said that she told
her family that she was never afraid of anything ever again.
These are some of her favorite stories to use as
motivational material... there are so many more… but they will wait for phase
two of my memories.
At the end of mom’s favorite motivational story, she always
added, “If Penelope could make it through all that, then you can do what you
need to do!” "
Since this is the Memorial Day weekend coming up I also wanted to include the story Patti tells about her father, Ed Waldron, who was a Pearl Harbor
survivor in this video which a friend of hers did and placed on YouTube at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekpvbNtNS8k
Mr. Waldron, thank you so much for your service and for the
others who gave their lives for our freedom.
Patti’s father passed away in Fresno on April, 1, 2016 at the age of 96.
