Every Family Needs A Maiden Aunt

Every family should have at least one maiden aunt who lives long and leaves her estate to her siblings and their descendants. I reached that conclusion this week as I continued working through an 1880 estate which is a little genealogy gold mine. 

Last week I stumbled upon a deed in which Mary Good, single woman, sold a small parcel of land to the trustees of the Evangelical Assocation for the purpose of erecting a house of worship in Voganville. The deed said it adjoined her property and she sold it for ten dollars. I didn't remember there was more than one church in the little village of Voganville so I looked it up and sure enough! It's still there at 590 Voganville Road. It was called Salem Evangelical Church until recently and is now Salem Bible Church. 

Having satisfied my curiosity on the church, the next question naturally was, "Who was Mary Good?" A little search of Lancaster County records soon turned up the Release of Mary's estate. She was the daughter of Michael and Elizabeth Good and her estate was divided between her one surviving brother, nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews. It gave me a list of sixty names, some of which were not found anywhere else. 

For example, Rachel Good married Abraham H. Buckwalter and died in Illinois at the age of 21, shortly after the birth of her only child, also named Rachel Buckwalter. The child was raised by relatives in Lancaster County until she was grown. Then she went to live with her father in Kansas. She received her mother's share of Mary Good's estate. The Release identified her at Rachel Calkins of Adams County, Nebraska. Census records show her married to Frank Calkins in Nebraska. He must have died soon after 1880 as he disappears and she returned to Lancaster County where she married two more times and died as Rachel Drorbough. The Release is the only place which documents her first marriage and makes it possible for us to reconstruct her life story.

If every family had a maiden aunt who did the same as Mary Good, genealogists work would be made much easier!

Kudos to Mary Good, 138 years later!

Weekend to Remember

Many years ago I heard a minister say in a sermon, "What is more beautiful than a young couple on their wedding day? An old couple who has weathered the storms of life together and is still happily married." We had the privilege of witnessing both this weekend.

My niece, Karen, married Phil on Friday afternoon June 8. They are both 35 and it was a match worth waiting for.

We were invited to a 50th anniversary party on Sunday evening for a couple who has been our friends for more than 50 years. Their children asked us to meet them at the church where they were married and take them to the party in the 1967 Chevelle that used to be our family car. Our son owns it now. We secured his permission and were happy to oblige. The look on their faces when they saw us pull in was priceless! Curvin drove a car like this when they were married and they were thrilled to ride in one again.

In between these two events, from Friday night until Sunday evening, we were at the cabin for our annual family weekend with our children and grandchildren. Oh yes! And our first great-grandchild.

We took a little time off Saturday morning to go over to the Home where Leroy's mother lives to introduce her to her first great-great-grandchild and take a 5-generation picture. Avery was born in January. She is the first child of her parents, first grandchild for both sets of grandparents, our first great-grandchild, and Mom's first great-great-grandchild.

Sarah Stauffer (great-great grandma), Leroy Stauffer (great-grandpa), Cheryl Stauffer Miller (grandma), Josh Miller (father), Avery Miller (5 months old)

On Saturday evening we crammed in one more thing, a 50th birthday party for Daryl about a month early. Some clues that you're getting old are to have your children turn 50 or become grandparents.

This weekend was a reminder that time moves relentlessly along and we're being swept downstream with it. We collected some more good memories this weekend to add to our stash. Lots to remember and more to come. "Roll, Jordan, roll."

Earnestly Contend For the Faith

In a 7 - 2 ruling today, the Supreme Court sided with the Colorado baker who refused to make a wedding cake for two gay men. I applaud this ruling but at the same time know it will not end the clamor of the LGBT community for the "right" for their lifestyle to be recognized as normal behavior. How has our nation and world gotten to this place?

I think some of the answer can be found in a presentation given by Lamar Martin at the Conservative Mennonite Teacher's Institute on September 15, 2017. He said:

"The Protestant work ethic has made democracy work in North America. Someone asked Ben Franklin what kind of government the Constitutional Convention had produced. He replied, "A republic, if you can keep it." Both George Washington and Ben Franklin said in effect that democracy will work as long as there is virtue in the people. Thus, the decline of Protestantism (or Christianity) in America as a whole is requiring the U. S. government to decide moral issues and provide social programs. As Americans exhibit less virtue and self-control, they will need government control." 

In the past, homosexuality was shameful and kept under cover because the general public knew it was sin. If Americans had maintained Christian beliefs and principles, the wedding cake would never have been an issue. That it reached the Supreme Court is simply an indication of the breakdown of society. Protestant churches failed to uphold Biblical standards on the issue and things rapidly spiraled downward. 

Lamar Martin goes on to say:

"From the beginning, the Anabaptists have held to the belief that the civil government has no authority to determine matters of Christian doctrine or practice. They have believed that the New Testament teaches a clear distinction between the kingdoms [of church and state]. . . . Are we willing to unashamedly bear the suffering of being identified with the kingdom of Christ or will we accept the cultural norms around us?"

I am sure the LGBT community will continue to pressure for acceptance. How long will it be until our government bows to the pressure? Will their "rights" take precedence over the religious freedom guaranteed in the Constitution? How can the government justify granting the wishes of one group of people at the expense of canceling religious freedom? 

The more important question is, are we willing to stand for Christ and not compromise His truth? If it comes down to it, are we willing to suffer persecution to maintain our faith like our ancestors did 500 years ago? It's a spiritual battle. "Earnestly contend for the faith."