LETTERS SENT FROM BAREFOOTS

LETTERS, WE GET LETTERS…

Dear Vicki:
Yesterday I received the Ninetieth Barefoot Reunion Commemorative Booklet, and I just had to let you know how much I appreciate the wonderful job you, the two Sylvia's and your mother Betsy did in pulling this keepsake together. I know I will be spending many happy hours going through the booklet and updating my genealogical database with new names and facts.
I am pleased also to see that the true story of Rebecca Ross Barefoot's parentage has at last been officially shared with Barefoot descendants. Because of Rebecca's mother Ruth's material support of the Revolutionary War effort, those interested can still qualify for membership in the DAR even though the tie to George Ross, the Signer, has been severed, at least at this point. It is certainly possible that further research will show that Ruth's husband James does indeed connect to this distinguished Ross family, perhaps through the mysterious younger son of Reverend George Ross.
I hope in the coming year to update the Barefoot section of my website to include information I have found since first posting more than five years ago. I have not spent as much time researching the Barefoot clan as I would have liked, but rather have concentrated on the Lewellen family (Walter Augustus Barefoot - son of Samuel Ross Barefoot, son of Job Palmer Barefoot, son of Benjamin and Rebecca - married Anna Elizabeth Lewellen, and their son was my grandfather Ross Franklyn Barefoot), as well as several families on my maternal side. I am particularly pleased to be able to add considerable information to the Isabella Barefoot and Daniel Rutter family, who resided in Ohio, and to the family of William Barefoot, son of Benjamin and Rebecca. A couple of his sons and perhaps a daughter settled in Illinois. I will let you know when the update is posted,and perhaps you can see that the web address is posted in the Barefoot newsletter. Thank you, Vicki, for the time you have devoted to preserving the history of the Barefoot family of Pennsylvania, both through the commemorative booklet and through your efforts as president of the Barefoot Reunion Association.
Sincerely,
RB
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Dear Vicki,
Wanted to let you know that I received the Barefoot Reunion book that you sent & am sure I will enjoy reading it. There certainly are a lot of pictures and information in it. I enjoy the bulletin every year also.
Yours truly
MS
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There is not a reunion that goes by that I do not wish I was there. Writing this letter is long overdue. Cold weather and a health issue have kept me in this winter. Elizabeth Joan Richardson Gore’s girls have gotten married. I am still trying to get names and dates. How is the website coming along? Let me know when it is running. Did you know the Jonas Hammer gravesite was found, marked, and fenced? The gravesite was near Reynoldsdale.
Always,
BMK
Lone Tree, CO
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I enjoyed the newsletter and am sure the 90th Reunion was wonderful. Good for all of you that put it on and keep things going.
Thanks,
NB
Enumclaw, WA
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I know that I keep promising every year to get to the Barefoot Reunion, and I haven’t made it yet...but I still hope to be able to get there in the future. What is the date of the reunion next year? [August 3] In reading the Barefoot Bulletin, I see that there was a commemorative book available at the reunion this year. Is it possible for me to order one? I would really like having it. [Vicki has printed a limited number of commemorative booklets, and we will see that you get one.]
Is it true that Rebecca Ross really wasn’t the granddaughter of George Ross? I wonder if this will knock some of us out of DAR? [Yes, she is not the GD of George Ross. She is the daughter of James Ross and Ruth Robinson, not of the direct George Ross line. We do not know the descendancy of James Ross. No, no one will be knocked out of the DAR, but no new parties can enroll under Col. George Ross through the James Ross line. We also have other options in the Slick line for DAR.]
[Congratulations on the birth of your two grandchildren, recorded below. Diana is in Valle Crucis, NC, from May till October, and in San Antonio the rest of the year.]
Diana Mast White San Antonio, Texas.
Announcing the birth of my new grandson. My son and wife, Michael Schatz and Debra Gonzalez de Galdeano had a son, Nicolas Gabriel Schatz on 18 October 2007. I think I already gave you their daughter’s information—Anna Lenda Schatz, born 18 August 2004.
DMW, San Antonio, Texas
p. 101, Descended from Wm. & Dianne Heck Barefoot.
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My dad, Lewis Eisaman, husband of the late Mary Hammer Eisaman, really enjoys the updates of the Barefoot Bulletin. Enclosed is money to renew his subscription.
RV
Marshfield, MA
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On behalf of the Bedford County Historical Society, the community, and visiting researchers, I would like to thank you for your recent gift to the Pioneer Library/Historical Society. Donation book titled “Ninetieth Barefoot Reunion.” The book was delivered to our office by Carol Saylor Scott. Carol stated that she enjoyed the book as well as other staff. Well done!
Thanks, Gilian K. Leach
Executive Director
Bedford County Historical Society, 242 East John Street, Bedford, PA 15522 (814) 623-2011
Bedford history@earthlink.net
Rootsweb.com/~paphsbc.com
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We also gave a donation of the book titled Ninetieth Barefoot Reunion to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, UT. It has been placed in their collection for circulation. President Vicki Erdley has granted permission to digitize the book and make it available to all researchers. It can be accessed eventually at the website www.familysearch.com under the library catalog.
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Dear Sylvia,
Your newsletter is getting better every year, and I appreciate all your hard work in putting it together and keeping us informed.
Thank you for putting Paul J. Sauers III obituary in the letter—his death was sudden and a shock to all. He was unaware of a health problem. Glad to see the note from Ross Barefoot.
BJB
Johnstown, PA
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Please correct the spelling of my name to MJC. [Sorry about the error]
I’ll get back to you about some findings of family history I found handwritten by my mother Vivian Stanton Crisman. Have a nice time at the Barefoot Reunion picnic. Enjoy.
Blessings,
MJC
San Diego, CA
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Dear Sylvia,
Looking forward to next year’s newsletter. Beautiful job on the newsletter. A lot of loving work went into it, and it has paid off.
KS
Pittsburgh, PA
Alex Vale Stanton’s daughter
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Thanks for the work on the Bulletin.
GSB
Aurora, OH
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Another great Barefoot Reunion Bulletin. Sorry we could not be there. I really appreciate reading the Bulletin. Also, I am aware of the work required to produce it.
TKHomosassa, FL
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We moved to Cary. NC, to be near our daughter and family. Will not be at the reunion.
JR
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Dear Sylvia,
I greatly appreciate the donation that you sent for the upkeep of the Pleasantville Cemetery.
We have been able to correct some of the drainage problems and have filled in many areas—mowing and trimming demands a lot of time.
I will continue to help keep things up this coming year as time and health permit. Again, thanks to all of you for this donation.
Sincerely,
Bob Felton, Box 34, alum Bank, PA 15521-0034
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Dear Sylvia,
Just a note to let you inow that Doris Wingard died in 1996, and Al Wingard just died on 19 June 2007. Al married my mother in 1999 (Jean Cubbage) Wingard. She is presently at Pennknoll Village recovering from a massive stroke. I just wanted to help you update your records.
Sincerely,
VJC
Park Place United Methodist Church
Lavale, MD
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Dear Sylvia,
Thank you for the great job you did and have done on the Barefoot newsletter. I’m sure it is a tremendous amount of work on both your and Jack’s part to put this together. I wish we could make it to the reunion this year, but it’s not in the cards. Maybe we could have won the prize for the farthest distance traveled. Have a wonderful summer in your new home.
T&JHG
St. Clairsville, OH
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Dear Sylvia,
Thank you for your well-versed newsletter, as it is always very informative, and I really enjoyed the section on “Ancestor Spotlight.” It was very kind of you to include the obituary of my brother Robert, as he always looked forward to going to the Barefoot Reunion. He would say, “That’s family. We must go.”
As I go through his belongings, I find so many pictures and articles of the Cauffiels. I plan to somehow get it sent to the library or Discovery Center in Johnstown.
Enclosed is part of a page about Moxham, probably around 1920. The Mayor Cauffiel was my grandfather, whom I never met. I thought it was interesting when he drove Theodore Roosevelt in his Stanley Steamer.
BL
Bethlehem, PA
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We really enjoyed the Barefoot Bulletin, especially the information about Rebecca Ross. Hopefully, someone will learn of James Ross’s lineage. I appreciate the work you do to keep the Barefoot family in order!
DK
Kalispell, MT
Safety Harbor, FL
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I received the Pleasantville Cemetery booklet this afternoon. Thank you.
Our son’s plans are still uncertain. If possible, I plan on attending the Reunion. Assuming I do make the reunion, I plan on bringing a copy of my file so that others may peruse its pages and make any corrections, etc. and if they would like to correspond with me, they can leave their information. I am hoping that others would bring some family photos, memorabilia, etc. Especially since it is going to be the 90th, and there is the commemorative book. Looking forward to seeing you in August.
DML
Kane, PA
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Glad to see you’re still going strong. [Sent subscription for SH of Idaho Falls, ID.] She was the Idaho DAR Regent for the last two years!
The rest of the family is fine and healthy—including Joyce and me.
Sincerely,
RHB
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Dear Vicki,
We have only been to one Barefoot Reunion, and I know of no otherrelationships in this family. We happened to be in Pennsylvania toresearch my Moore/Griffith family and my cousin Kitty Ann GriffithMcQuillan and Eva Griffith Skelly noted that it was the weekend of theBarefoot Reunion, so we went. We were embarrassed that we took home all the prizes given - longevity, distance, age, etc. I have subscribed tothe Barefoot Bulletin for sometime and was pleased that Eva received such a nice article in it.My connection with Barefoots was a phone message from Sylvia Coleman on our return from a trip. What an exciting moment that was for me. She was doing the Barefoot Genealogy and our Moore family came up in her research. I had never researched that particular family though we have spent years compiling the Ward family of Connecticut and my mother's Smith family from New Hampshire. Since we are both Connecticut Yankees, we had plenty of sources to use and many cemeteries to visit! And we have an overload of information on those families. Now! A message from.....New York?.....on the Moores? Wow!
When visiting my Moore grandparents in Juniata, I made quick exits to mycousin Anabelle Karns' home in Hollidaysburg, where we roamed the countryside together, once climbing Chimney Rocks, on the way to my great Uncle Harry Miller's dairy farm where he let us ride the horses bare back! The boys and Aunt Minnie made wonderful ice cream, which we devoured before our trek back to Karnses. Or maybe her parents came out to get us. At this point in time I have no idea of the distances involved. I know my grandparents and parents came out one time when we all indulged in
fresh peach ice cream, which the boys, Clyde & Elton, had made in the mechanical ice cream freezer. The best ever! My father told me that the dairy processed milk received from surrounding farms. All I recall is watching the bottles go round and round in the processing plant - it seemed to be a fairly small operation.
On our trip Kitty Ann took us researching the cemeteries in the Pleasantville area, and we had such fun. We traveled in her 'green lung,’an old VW van, and it was pouring rain! My hubbie Bob held an umbrella over us as we photographed and read inscriptions in PleasantvilleCemetery, the old Spring Valley Cemetery, where the controversial stone about the Ross family stands. I, too, researched this Ross and completely agree with the girls who did their extensive research. We are not related to Betsy's family. We are fortunate to have so much morematerial available to all of us since genealogy has become a major hobby. We even went to and interviewed the new owners of the Miller family farm.
I think Gary Mickle or someone had just given them the original deeds -unhappily we did not photograph them! Thank you, Vickie, for taking over the Barefoot Bulletin and Reunion. Eleanor [Kinnan] would be so pleased, and of course that whole huge body of people who attend now. We surely enjoyed our one visit..
EWM
California
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Hi, Sylvia:
Just wanted to let you know that I have posted on my website an update of Descendants of Samuel Barefoot, and ask that you invite subscribers to the Barefoot family newsletter to check it out. My website is http://beckfoot.home.att.net. In the update I have incorporated information from the "Blue Book" and the 90th reunion commemorative booklet, bringing as many family units as possible through the 1930 federal census, so there now is much more detail on descendants of James Barefoot and the eastern Pennsylvania line. I would certainly welcome any additional information on descendants, or any corrections to the information posted as well as comments from your readership, all of which can be left in the website Guest Book or sent directly to me at beckfoot@mho.com.I'm taking a breather from the Barefoot family for a while, but am able to update my website more easily than once was the case, so any additions or changes I receive can be quickly incorporated into the website.Thanks very much, Sylvia.
BB
Sedalia, CO
Note: Please take a look at Becky’s website. It is absolutely a wonderful addition to all the Barefoot information that has already been compiled. Sylvia
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Hi Sylvia,
Going home next month for Dad's 92nd birthday - will get out to Culp's to check on the Rebecca tombstone info for you. Dad was out and talked to them about it, but he didn't have enough info at the time. Will let you know what I find out.
Has been a busy winter genealogy-wise. Got rather ambitious after seeing how some of these cemeteries have been so incorrectly put on the web and decided to do a lot of them. I have Pleasantville all done except for pulling some more obits at the library when I get home. I was able to identify all those miscellaneous ones that didn't have names have at least 142 more that aren't on any
and list.Just finished up the Trinity Reformed and Dry Ridge and the Mt. Olivet. I have all the New Paris (Cuppett, Reformed & Evangelical), Helixville, Hull Baptist, Hull Farm, all 3 included in the Fishertown (Lutheran, Center & Hoover) and the Quaker. Just got the Schellsburg/Chestnut Ridge draft all set up, have over 950 obits so far in it. I noticed on that findagrave site; she had Mt. Union in Lovely - after looking at it, I also did that one. She has over 27 people on there that belong to the Mt. Union in Clearville/Mench. I wrote and told her and offered to send the obits for the people so that she could change them. I then gave what I had done on Mt. Union to Brian Cartwright, and he photographed the cemetery and is going to put it on the web with the rest of his cemeteries he has done. I'm not photographing any of the ones I'm doing. Will keep me busy to get them all done this year but at least I stay out of trouble and keeps the brain active. Hope all is going well with you
SC
New York
And from a second letter
Regarding the Rebecca Ross tombstone, why not eliminate the monument entirely and put up her original tombstone? It is in beautiful condition and probably looks better than most of the others in the cemetery. Also, we've heard it down through the years that there is supposed to be a tombstone underneath the monument that belongs to James Barefoot. He is buried in that cemetery and supposedly beside her. Now if this tombstone is there, it would be nice to have both of them put up in place of the monument. To me it certainly would be cheaper. The monument means nothing anymore.[Letters edited and abridged]
Sincerely,
SC
New York
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Sylvia,
This is sent to let you know what we are doing. We are finding out Brandon being president of the Colorado C. A. R. is turning out to be a family affair. I am not sending you this for donations, but the file comes as one piece. Christopher is president of the local chapter of C. A. R. Cassie also has an office in the local chapter this year. Brian's family is headed back east to attend regional meetings in Baltimore, Williamsburg and Florida the last part of July and August.
I get to stay home and watch the house, for Edmund is going back with them. I know better than to go to Virginia and Florida in the summer heat.
Elizabeth Joan Richardson Gore's girls are now married: p. 303
Elizabeth Joan Richardson b: 07 Jul 1948 in Johnstown, Cambria County, Pennsylvania married Charles Walter Gore b: 05 Nov 1948 in Rahway, Union County, New Jersey, on 28 Nov 1970 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
..... 2 Katharine Elizabeth Gore b: 20 Feb 1976 in Livingston, Essex County, New Jersey married Kristopher Michael Harrison b: 24 Aug 1974 in Sharon, Connecticut on 15 Nov 2002 in St. John United States Virgin Island in the Caribbean.
..... 2 Amy Rebecca Gore b: 23 Jul 1978 in Livingston, Essex County, New Jersey , married Salvatore Tumino b: 20 Jan in New Jersey on 01 Jun 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Benjamin Allen Risher, George Allen Risher's son, is now serving in the U. S. Airforce in Germany.
This is all the news I have. Hope you had a nice 4th of July.
Batha May Risher Karr
Lone Tree, Colorado 80124
batha.k@comcast.net
My name is Brandon Karr. I am the Colorado State President for the Children of the American Revolution. (additional Greetings ie, It is a pleasure to be here; thank you for inviting me to your [Spring Fling] Event).
At this time, I would like to introduce my state project. This year’s National President has adopted the Theme, “Ensuring American Patriotism.” As Patriots in America, we have “certain unalienable rights, that among these are: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. (The Declaration of Independence) In addition, we must promote the General Welfare (Preamble to the Constitution).
There are children who are being offered a service here in Denver that aligns with their rights as citizens. They are the children in the Respiratory Wing at National Jewish Hospital. They suffer every day with respiratory related ailments that deny them the right to being “children.” It is our responsibility to “promote the general welfare” by helping them.
The theme I have adopted is “Creating Childhood Moments for Kids with Respiratory Ailments.” This project is in conjunction with the Pediatric Respiratory Department of National Jewish Hospital in Denver. Since 1998, the U.S. News and World Report magazine has rated National Jewish as the #1 Respiratory Hospital in the country.
Support of Respiratory ailments is important to me since my brother, sister and I all have some degree of asthma and asthma related illnesses. We have experienced what it means to sit behind a nebulizer in order to breathe, participate in research studies to help others in their illnesses, as well as repeatedly attend doctor’s visits for testing, shots and follow-up therapy. Thankfully, however, none of us are as severe as those treated at National Jewish.
Children with illnesses such as severe allergies, eczema, psoriasis, asthma and other ailments often miss out on the things most children take for granted. Many such children are admitted to National Jewish on a daily outpatient basis as well as overnight stays of weeks or months to diagnose and treat their condition. The Art and Play Rooms in the Pediatric Respiratory Department provide a bit of “home atmosphere” for their stay. It is a “safe” environment where kids can be kids and where testing is not permitted. It is a chance for each child to “Create a Childhood Moment” that each of us take for granted.
This project will provide items and financial support to the children’s art and play rooms at the hospital. Both rooms are in need of brand new items to provide a safe, non- bacterial environment for the children who are staying there. I have includes lists of items that may be purchased for donation. Each item must be new due to the low immune system issues of each patient. Additionally, I have included monetary donation forms. Both items and monetary donations will help to provide each child with a “Childhood Memory” during his stay at National Jewish.
Please join me in “Creating Childhood Moments” for children who endure many tests and procedures each day. Through your support, each respiratory patient will be able to color, paint, play, or read like other children.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak before you today. It will be my pleasure to serve Colorado as the State CAR President to Ensure American Patriotism as a young adult.
Contact Batha Karr at the above e-mail if you have any interest in donating items. She can tell you what is on the list, which is too lengthy to print in the newsletter

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