Heirlooms: The Silver Cups

 

My Grandfather and Grandmother, Edmund and Georgia Von Fumetti continued a German tradition that had been followed in the Von Fumetti family for generations. I was given a silver cup when I was born, engraved with my name and birthdate, and each of my sisters and brother were given one as they were born. There were slight variations among them all and none of the cups was just like the other. 

My father, Cyril Von Fumetti, with his step-mother, Georgia, and 

my grandfather, Edmund Von Fumetti

July 1984

The little silver cups were not saved for special occasions. We could use them anytime we wanted to, and the wear and dents show that they were frequently used and enjoyed. They often did get pulled out for events such as family birthday celebrations. The photo below is from my sister's birthday in 1968 and all six cups are on the table.

The Silver Cups

Lower right:  Lynn and Karla's cups

Beside the cake: Mark's cup

Two together in front of Mom:  Lisa's and Jill's cups

Upper right:  Viki's cup

We loved the little treasured cups. It made them more special that they had our names and birthdates engraved on them. I would take my finger and follow the letters of script on the cup long before I could read my name. But, I knew it was my name and took great pride in having something that was mine only.  Almost everything we had as children, we were expected to share under most circumstances. These little cups were one of few exceptions.

Of the cups given to the six of us, five still exist. Lynn's was lost over the years.

This is my cup. Full of dents and a bit wobbly on the bottom now as the soft metal has been used, dropped, and bumped many times over 65 years. 

Karla Jean

August 31, 1956

Mark Steven

Now much loved and enjoyed by his grandson, Finn Cooper.

Jill Marie

© Karla Von Fumetti Staudt

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored on a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without prior permission of the copyright owner and publisher.

Giuseppe Maria v. Fumetti, ca.1670-abt.1730; Origins, History, Coat of Arms: Shield and Crest

 

Family tradition tells that Giuseppe Maria v. Fumetti, born in Tuscany, moved to Düsseldorf with a daughter of the House of de Medici as a financial advisor in her marriage to the Elector of Palatine.

My Fumetti line of descent from my sixth great-grandfather:

Giuseppe Maria v. Fumetti, ca.1670 Tuscany - bef.1730 Cologne 

Johann Ferdinand v. Fumetti, 1701-1757

Franz Joseph Anton Nepomuck v. Fumetti, 1739-1799

Johannes Justinus "Justin" v. Fumetti, 1790-1861

Franz "August" Robert v. Fumetti, 1823-1891

Julius Francis "William" August von Fumetti, 1866-1936

Edmund August Von Fumetti, 1901-1988

Cyril William Gene Von Fumetti, 1930 - 2012

Karla Jean Von Fumetti

The following is from the "Genealogisches Handbuch Des Adels, Adelige Häuser B Band III" [the Genealogical Handbook of the Nobility. Aristocrat houses B Band III] by C. A. Starke, 1958 citing Walter Rau: The family von Fumetti manuscript, 1955, the property of the author in Stuttgart:

Translation:  Catholic. The family comes from Italy, probably from the Tuscan nobility, and came to Germany in the 17th century. The family line begins with Giuseppe Maria (v.) Fumetti, died before 1730, Kurköln. Banker in Düsseldorf. Belonging to the nobility was not objected to in Prussia. 

Giuseppe was considered Tuscan nobility when he went to Düsseldorf which at that time was an Electorate of the Holy Roman Empire. Nobility were people who had titles bestowed on them which were hereditary such as Dukes, Counts, Earls, and Barons but were not royalty. Although it seems acknowledged that Giuseppe was a noble from Tuscany, it is unknown what his title was when he went to Düsseldorf. Based on the crest of a Count's crown which adorns the Fumetti shield, Giuseppe was given the title of Count by the Electorate of Palatine. There is no other mention in the family history or papers of any other title, so Giuseppe may have been a Count in Tuscany, or the Elector may have only recognized the title bestowed on him in Düsseldorf.

While I have not found proof that Giuseppe Fumetti escorted her; Anna Maria Luisa de Medici, the daughter of Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany, did marry Johann Wilhelm, the Elector of Palatine on 29 April 1691. The House of Medici was the Italian banking and political family that ruled Florence for three centuries. Anna Maria Luisa left shortly after her marriage, by proxy in Tuscany, for Düsseldorf, the capital of the Electorate of Palatine.  

The timing of the marriage of Giuseppe Fumetti to Anna Sophia Christina Coppels (Kappels) in 1696 in Düsseldorf lends some credence to the family lore as well the information given in the Handbuch Des Adels.

Beate v. Fumetti b.1917 is a great-granddaughter of Justin v. Fumetti in the lineage at the top of the page. Research done by Beate prior to 1990 and translated by Lisi Fruhling, at that time:

When Anna Maria Luisa de Medici had sent for merchants, artists, workmen and bank-clerks from her house, the Toscana, Giuseppe Fumetti came from there as one of the bank-clerks to Düsseldorf, who had to care for the finances of the sovereign, as the banks of Florenz were said then to be standard in money-matters.

The Fumetti family is demonstrable up from the 12th century. They had lived near the upper Italian lakes, Garda, or Como Lake. They were against a ruling party of the Viscounts. After a battle against them the (Fumetti's) had to fly and there lived in the Toscana. Giuseppe’s parents are unknown. He probably lived in Florenz before removing to Düsseldorf, he was the first v.F. in Germany. 

Taking the account of Giuseppe von Fumetti's life from the Adels book, I turned to Horst Reschke in 2000 who both translated and explained Giuseppe's notable accomplishments:

Giuseppe was a diplomat, or ambassador, for the Electorate of Cologne at the court of Palatinal-Zweibrücken.

An electorate was a state ruled over by an Elector. An elector was one of only a handful of German princes whose obligation and privilege it was, to elect the Kaiser or emperor.  

Cologne - not just the city, but the territory around it - was ecclesiastical territory as early as 313/14. It first became a diocese, when Cologne was conquered by the Franks, in 459 A.D. In the year 794 it was elevated to the status of an archdiocese. In the 12th century the archbishop of Cologne became one of the electors. The secularization of the territory of Cologne began in 1801, when France annexed the area west of the Rhine. It continued in 1803 with the assignment of the area east of the river to several secular states and was wholly completed in 1806, when the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation ceased to exist.

The first time the Palatinate and Zweibrücken were associated with each other was in 1390, when the lineage of the Counts of Zweibrücken became extinct and its possessions fell to the Palatinate. Zweibrücken pretty well remained in the picture all along, but always as a component of a slightly different name combination. The actual designation Pfalz-Zweibrücken came into existence in 1611, when the (convoluted) territory was split three ways. The other two sections were named Pfalz-Moschellandsberg and Pfalz-Kleeburg. 

Giuseppe v. Fumetti and his wife, Anna Coppels, had eight children. My immediate family is descended from their third child, Johann Ferdinand v. Fumetti. Giuseppe died about 1730 in Koln (Cologne) and Anna died 1739 in Düsseldorf, Prussia, though their exact burial locations are unknown.

At the christening of his children from 1697 to 1711 in the St. Lambert's Catholic Church in Düsseldorf, the father's name is given as Giuseppe Maria and/or Josephus or Joseph Maria Fumetti, rather than v. Fumetti which would indicate nobility although it is unclear if that was simply a preference of the recording church. 

All of Giuseppe's children used the title of v. Fumetti during adulthood which indicates that Giuseppe may have been granted his title of Count after 1711, if not before. 

The Fumetti shield has been in existence at least since the time of Giuseppe's move to Düsseldorf and may have been used prior. The shield, as used by the direct descendants of Giuseppe v. Fumetti also includes a crest of a Count's crown. 

Photos and information below are provided by "J. Siebmacher's grosses und allgemeines Wappenbuch, III. Band, 5. Abteilung; Der Adel des Herzogthums Oldenburg; Author: M. Gritzner, Ad. M. Hildebrandt; Publication: Nürnberg: Bauer & Raspe, 1872". 

Wappenbuch, translated to English means Heraldic Book. Siebmacher's Wappenbuch is considered the definitive work on Germanic heraldry.

Translated from German: 

This Italian family, which came from Tuscany at the beginning of the 18th century, was a member, then a privy councilor, of the Cologne electors. His sons turned to Hildesheim and donated the lines that were flourishing in Hanover and Oldenburg. Here the official assessor of the register belongs to Oldenburg Edmund Ludwig August v. F.

W .: In the (oval) g. Shields a descending b., Straight, continuous point, marked with 3 (2.1) stars and each marked with a cross (?) On the shield, which is held by 2 twisted snakes, rests a crown with 9 prongs that have 3 blades. 6 pearls in between. 

The shield shown in this book, is the one that has been used by every generation descending from Giuseppe v. Fumetti. Upper left corner. Siebmacher's 1872.

The earliest family evidence of the use of the coat of arms in my possession is from a hand created rendering on the seal of a document by Johannes Justinus v. Fumetti, the great-grandson of Giuseppe v. Fumetti. Estimated before 1822.

This image of the family crest below was drawn by my great-grandfather, William v. Fumetti in 1886 at age 20. Note that the image below had an addition to the coat of arms, an attached lion's head within a roped embellishment. Family account says that the lion's head was added to our line's coat of arms representing the marriage in 1822 between Johannes Justinus v. F. and his English wife, Katharina Diggles. The lion is a traditional symbol for England.

Several heirlooms exist within my extended family's direct line that carry the v. F. coat of arms or Count's crown.

When my grandfather emigrated about 1880, he brought with him a wax sealing kit in a small wooden box with a sealing tool that is called a petschaft, a form of siegel, or a seal. It is about 4" tall with an inverted copy of the v. F. coat of arms sealing plate is made of metal and attached to a handle. The seal can sit upright in a small, matching wooden cup. It was made after the marriage of Justin v. F. as it reflects the lion's head.

At the time that William emigrated he also brought stones of several types (agate, jade, bloodstone) that had the v. F. coat of arms etched into them. Two are held within my father, Cyril Von Fumetti's, line of descent and one is in the possession of his sister, Phyllis', descendants. Other stones exist among descendants of the emigrants to the U.S., William v. F. and of his brother, Johann Wilhelm Bernard v. F. 

Other pieces of jewelry also exist among the extended family including pendants and cufflinks. This belongs to one of my sisters.

William also brought, or inherited from his parents, some silverware and silver hollow ware which has been dispersed through the family. This is one of the spoons that he had as part of the set of silverware and has the Count's crown engraved on it:

Looking at the above pendant and the green jade ring, the armorial markings for color are fairly obvious. Dots are the standard representing the color gold in the shield, horizontal hatching indicates blue, and though it is not clear from the small images the stars are gold and the crosses are red. It is noted in descriptions of the shield that the crosses are unusual. They may reflect special meaning to the family at the time the crosses were created. They have radiating lines from the upper half of the crosses and a pearl or cabochon in the center, with a dropping straight arm ending in a small round shape. This pendant was made from a casting of the petschaft. The petschaft was created ca. 1822-1880 and may be the truest representation we have of the original coat of arms.

Shapes and colors used in heraldry are meant to represent different attributes of the person or family. Crosses can indicate religious steadfastness or faith; stars, divine quality. The color red suggests military strength, a warrior or military duty, possibly a martyr; gold expresses generosity, wisdom, glory and faith; and blue, to represent truth and loyalty.

The Count's crown reflects 9 pearls, 3 standing on each side of the center blade, and one on each of the 3 blades. Markings on the crown are a combination of crosses and diamonds believed to be black and blue in color respectively based on a letter from Victor v. Fumetti in 1998 describing his father's artwork. The color black, or sable, suggests wisdom, constancy, prudence and grief.

The serpent embellishments are gray serpents with red tongues. They are not considered to be part of the shield, but an adornment.

The dropping lion's head has a gold face with black mane, and the enclosing tapered rope is gold. This is not considered to be part of the shield, but an adornment added to reflect the marriage of Justine and Katharina (Diggels) v. F.

There can be confusion over who is entitled to use a coat of arms. Generally, it was worn by the individual it was awarded to or by a direct line descendant, traditionally male, from the person that was granted the original coat of arms. Modern interpretations include descendants of females with the family surname Fumetti.  

The ranks of nobility are no longer a legally recognized class in Germany since shortly after the end of WWI when the Weimar Constitution took effect in 1919 and all Germans were declared to be equal. The use of von (.v) commonly remained as part of the surname of these families and is still an indicator of which families in Germany descended from noble lines.

Today in the world, the Fumetti surname is found in Germany, Austria, Corsica, Italy, and the United States.  

I am working on a One-Name Study of the surname Fumetti. It is mostly in the research and DNA identification phase but a description can be found at https://one-name.org/ if you type in Fumetti in the box at the top of the webpage that says "Is your surname here?"   

There is also a 1 minute video describing what the Guild of One-Name Studies mission is that can be found here  https://vimeo.com/561265778

© Karla Von Fumetti Staudt

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored on a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without prior permission of the copyright owner and publisher.

The House at 2661 New Haven Street

 

2661 New Haven Street, Dubuque Iowa

ca. Winter 1971

Today, even the words "New Haven Street" tug at my heart and memories jump into the forefront of my thoughts. But there was a time when the street did not exist, nor the house we grew up in. 

Our family in spring 1961, consisted of my parents, myself and my sisters, Viki and infant, Lynn. At that time, we lived in a small 2-bedroom house on Hale Street and Dad and Mom decided we needed more room. Mom drew up what she wanted for the floor plan, Dad created the blueprints and my grandfather, Maurice Bush, a retired carpenter, became the contractor in charge of building the house.

We had a large garage right next to the house on Hale Street, it was as big as the house itself. A lot of activity started happening in that garage that little girls found fascinating. Mom, as well as Dad, Grandpa and a few strangers popped in and out throughout the days to work in there. The saws would make loud noises and Viki and I would cover our ears but stood there watching everything that was going on. This went on for some time and Grandpa, who we saw most of the time anyway, came and went more frequently, sometimes multiple times a day. Two curious little girls finally had enough wondering about what was going on and decided to find out for themselves. While Grandpa was in the house having a cup of coffee or a chat with Mom, Viki and I crawled into the back floorboards of his car. Grandpa hopped in a few minutes later and we were off.  

We must have been terrified of being found out because we were silent during the car ride and my grandfather had no idea, we were right behind him. A short time later Grandpa pulled the car to a stop and got out.  Viki and I slowly raised our heads and looked around us. We saw Grandpa up on the hill talking to men in front of something that looked like big pieces of wood put together in the shape of a house but that we could have walked right through. We turned our heads around. There were a few houses here or there, piles of dirt some places, big holes other places and a few more of those stick houses. All very interesting. The door to the car opened suddenly and we both jumped. We had been discovered. Grandpa just laughed at us, got in the car, and drove us back home. The big secret was out! We were going to have a new house.

The dirt covered property that we had just seen was on Lot 11 in Block 12 in Steger Heights Subdivision. At the time that New Haven Street was put in, it was literally the western edge of Dubuque. If you walked just to the crest of the hill all you could see was farmland and countryside in the distance to the west. Center Grove Church, about a mile away, was the only distinctive feature in the landscape and at that time Highway 20 ran a block behind our house rather than several blocks away to the south where it was moved during the mid-1960's. 

The house went up quickly. I started kindergarten that fall and while I was at school, and Viki and Lynn were with Grandma, Mom and Dad moved us from one house to the other on Sept 15, 1961.  Walking into the house that first afternoon was so exciting. We had beautiful hardwood floors throughout the living area and bedrooms that Dad had finished, and a kitchen table that was built into the wall of the kitchen, something I had never seen before. Walking down the hall we saw the bedroom that was going to be Lynn's, then further back was Mom and Dad's room at the front corner and Viki and my room at the back corner of the house. Our bedroom even had a toy closet built into the wall that had our dolls and games waiting for us. 

Although I did not realize it then, the house was of a very modern design inside with a lot of built-in features that other homes did not have. We had a linen closet that spanned the back of the hallway with shelves enclosed by cabinet doors on top and drawers below it. Dad built in false floors in our closet, and in theirs, that had a drop lid shoe chest and drawers along the front for extra storage underneath. Eventually the front bedroom had a chest of drawers built in as well. We had a large closet built over the stairwell to the basement which allowed for storage of larger things that sat on 2-foot-high tiered shelves that also allowed us to get into the attic. 

Most 3-bedroom houses of that time did not have more than a single bathroom. Dad and Mom had designed a longer narrow space divided by a door with entrances from both the back foyer and from the hallway. Walking in from the hallway was our tub and a large vanity that ran the length of the space with a sink to one side and storage underneath, then through to a smaller area with a toilet, sink and the washer and dryer. It was designed for a bigger family, and eventually there were eight of us in all and that bathroom allowed for us to get showers, dressed, hair fixed, and laundry done with surprising grace; most of the time.

Mom's kitchen, was a galley shape and had floor to ceiling cabinets, long spacious countertops, and a large utility closet that sat behind our kitchen table. If there was a spot to build in storage, there was something there; giving Arts and Crafts features to the ranch style house. The basement became our favorite play space, especially in the winter, and we had room to ride our tricycles, play with our toy kitchen and other large toys to our hearts' content. Later as Mark, Lisa and Jill arrived, two bedrooms were created in the basement for Viki and I and a work room for Dad. The play space became smaller but then had a TV and comfortable furniture for the kids to congregate. 

Our family owned the house over 40 years until July 2002 when Mom sold it to downsize to a smaller apartment. We all drive past the house whenever we are back in Dubuque; looking at what's changed and what is still the same. So many memories lie within those walls.

Spring Time

A look at the plans for the new house:

Double click on images to enlarge

The front elevation of the house including swing set placement.

Floor plan

The basement and garage with the curving steps down to the driveway.

The original color of the house remained for several years until a bad hailstorm destroyed the siding.  When it was replaced, the house was painted an olive green that remained until the house was sold.

My sister, Lynn, Spring 1966.

2661 New Haven Street with the curved stairs, 6th house down from the corner

New Haven Street in 2013, upper street.

© Karla Von Fumetti Staudt

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored on a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without prior permission of the copyright owner and publisher.

Walking Where Others Walked

They say, "you can't go home again". It may be true. But sometimes the places and the people come together to give you that moment in time that brings it all near in our hearts again. My sisters and I made a whirlwind pilgrimage trip to the area where my Mom was raised, and where she is buried. Dad, who loved Mom's huge family, and my Mom, the youngest of eight children, always made sure we got back to Tomah on a regular basis when we were growing up: teaching us the importance of family and place. 

There have been casual reunions among the "Kenyon Clan" all through my lifetime. Many weekend visits where we would farm ourselves out to stay with our various cousins, sometimes meeting at a campground or on the side of the road where we would swap siblings for cousins or swap them back again. Others were slightly more organized family picnics and semi-reunions over the years. But we came together. We not only knew who each other were, we knew each other. Mother and her siblings were born over a 16-year period from 1916-1932, and their children were born spread out from 1937 through 1966. There are thirty-one first cousins in my generation, and thanks be, twenty-nine of us are still living although our parents have all gone home to their eternal reward.

As the years passed, we grew up, and we brought families in tow for those picnics and reunions, when we could. And we did make it happen when we could. Later picnics, the photo albums would come out and the stories would be told to many listening ears. 

This photo is of the last time my Mom and her siblings were all together at a family get together. They all cherished their time with each other; holding an empty chair each time they were together in memory of their sister, Doris, who had died in 1965. 

Glen, Jeanette, Helen Joy

Doris' chair, Kyle, Veva

Jim and Katie

"The Kenyon Kids"

NOTE:  Click on any of the photos in the blog to view in a larger size.

I made the decision this spring to make a quick trip back to the Midwest.  I always do my best to make the trip up the country highways from Dubuque to Tomah to visit Mom's grave and any cousins that might be around.  This time I gave them all a little notice and they turned out big time just to get the chance to see each other for one meal, one evening to spend together.  We represented several cities and towns in Wisconsin, California, Oregon, Alaska and South Carolina, all with a family toe hold in Monroe County, Wisconsin.

Back row:  

Craig Storkel, Dennis Hart, Jason Hart, Viki Von Fumetti, Jim Storkel, Gregg Evans, 

Lisa Von Fumetti, and Mike Kelley

Middle row:

Xena Kenyon, Thom Kelley, Helen Kenyon, John Kenyon, Jean Kelley, Kelley (Evans) Stiles, Sally (Mauer) Kelley and Jenn Kozelka

Forward Row:

Liliana Kenyon, Chas. Kenyon, Kelly Kenyon, Kathy (Kenyon) Kulick

Front:

Della (Yarbrough) Koenig, Donna Faye (Kelley) Evans, and Steve Adams

Several of us were able to spend the night in a local hotel, met up for breakfast the next morning and some much-needed coffee after the late night. Then we got into our cars and went to say hello to our parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, and several ancestors. 

Mom's family and ancestors have deep roots in Wisconsin going back to the 1844 Wisconsin Territory, and Daniel Crane Purdy was the first of our line to settle in the valley that would go on to carry his name, Purdy Valley, in 1859. There are two cemeteries nearby, La Grange and Greenwood Cemeteries. 

Walking to the top of the hill in La Grange Cemetery and looking to the west you can see the hills that roll into what was once Purdy Valley. The oldest graves top the hill and the markers of the descendants of those first burials trail down the hill, many almost by family lines.

We started at the lower side of the cemetery to visit Mom and her family first. Mom wanted to be buried "back home" and we did everything we could do to make that happen with special help from our cousin, Chas. Kenyon, who had his parents, Kyle and Xena, moved to rest one over the other, to make room for Mom. Kyle and Mom were especially close, and I know she is content to be near him in death.

Kathleen Karyl (Kenyon) Von Fumetti was born in 1932 in a small log cabin in Purdy Valley.

"I Loved You So, 'Twas Heaven Here With You"

Mom loved irises and reading. The marker honors those memories.

L to R: Lisa Von Fumetti, Karla (Von Fumetti) Staudt, Viki Von Fumetti

Four of the children of Charles Martin and Harriet (Shookman) Kenyon lie in a row along the lower edge of the family plot. Buried here (in order) are Jim and Bernice (Barrett) Kenyon; Veva (Kenyon) Von der Ohe Stillwell Kenyon; Kathleen (Kenyon) Von Fumetti; and Kyle and Xena (Cade) Kenyon.

Kenyon Siblings & wives

On the upper side of the family plot lie our grandparents, Charles M. and Harriet (Shookman) Kenyon and our great-grandparents, Louis and Gertrude (Vandervort) Kenyon

Left to right:

My grandparents:

Charles Martin Kenyon, born in Purdy Valley in 1889.

Harriet (Shookman) Kenyon born 1895 and moved to Monroe County as a child about 1903.

My great-grandparents and Charles' parents:

Louis Avery Kenyon was born 1866 in Orleans County, New York and came 

with his parents in 1872 to Purdy Valley.

Gertrude Inez (Vandervort) Kenyon was born 1872 in Purdy Valley.

From there, we started climbing up the hill towards our Vandervort ancestors who are buried in a family line going up the slope in the cemetery.

My 2nd great-grandfather and Gertrude (Vandervort) Kenyon's father:

Martin Luther Vandervort born 1844 in Oneida County, New York, joined his parents 

in Purdy Valley following the Civil War.

My 2nd great-grandmother and Gertrude's mother:

Phebe Jeanette "Nettie" (Hunt) Vandervort, born 1851 in Valparaiso, Indiana, moving to Wisconsin about 1857, marrying Martin in Milwaukee, then moving to Purdy Valley about 1870.

Continuing on up the hill to say hello next to our 3rd great-grandparents:

Jacob Vandervoort was born 1820 in Schoharie County, New York.  Jacob and his wife, Louisa, moved to Wisconsin at the end of the Civil War and were living in Purdy Valley before 1875.

Louisa (Eastman) Vandervort was born 1819 in upstate New York and accompanied her husband, Jacob to Wisconsin, living out the end of a long life in Purdy Valley.

The last grouping of Vandervoort graves at the top of the hill include my 4th great-grandfather, James Robert Vandervoort and his second wife, Mary (Baker) Vandervoort, as well as those of Jacob's half-brothers, Cornelius, Isaac and James Vandervort and members of their families.

James R. Vandervoort born 1789 in Fishkill, New York, married first to Rebecca McIntyre about 1812. Rebecca was the mother of Jacob, John, William, and Abigail.  Rebecca died about 1831 in Schoharie County, New York. James remarried to Mary (Baker) Moon, a widow, about 1832. Together they brought their family to the Wisconsin Territory in 1844. They moved to Purdy Valley in 1868.

Mary (Baker) Moon Vandervoort was born 1804 in New York

From this vantage point just at the crest of the hill, Purdy Valley, the home of all the ancestors above, was to the west about a mile.  The U.S. Government took Purdy Valley by eminent domain for the expansion of Camp McCoy in 1941 and the community of Purdy Valley was destroyed in that process.

Looking over the cemetery from the top of the hill you can see about eight hundred graves. It would not be an exaggeration to say that most of the people buried there are related in some way to the Kenyon, Vandervort and Purdy families, and most probably did live in, or near, Purdy Valley during their lifetimes.

On our walk back down the hill, we stopped to visit Uncle Royal and Aunt Doris, my mother's oldest sister and daughter of Charles and Harriet (Shookman) Kenyon.

Doris (Kenyon) Hart was born in Purdy Valley in 1916.  

She married Royal Hart in 1937 and they lived in Tomah and later moved to the Milwaukee area.

L-R: Lisa Von Fumetti, Craig Storkel, Kelley (Evans) Stiles, Karla (Von Fumetti) Staudt

Photo taken by Kathy (Kenyon) Kulick.

Relaxing before heading to Greenfield Cemetery.

Purdy Valley sits to the west side of LaGrange Cemetery on the corner of Highway M and Elgin Avenue. Greenfield Cemetery sits to the south, near the mouth of the valley along Hwy 21. More of our Kenyon and Purdy ancestors are buried there and we headed there next.

Most of our ancestors in this cemetery are buried along the furthest west entrance drive to the cemetery.

The original Kenyon family to move to Purdy Valley were Charles and Adelaide (Purdy) Kenyon, my 2nd great-grandparents.  They are the parents of Louis Avery Kenyon who was buried in LaGrange Cemetery.

Charles Wesley Kenyon was born in 1837 in Yates, Orleans County, New York.

Charles and Adelaide moved with their family to Purdy Valley in 1867 after the Civil War.

Adelaide (Purdy) Kenyon was born in 1843 in Allen, Allegany, New York.

She is the daughter of Daniel Crane Purdy and his first wife, Keziah Gould.

Daniel Crane Purdy was born 1820 in Onondaga County, New York.

His second wife, Susan (Savage) Purdy was born in Madison County, New York.

They moved to Wisconsin in 1859 with six of their children.

Purdy Valley was named after Daniel and his family.

Daniel "Avery" Purdy was born in 1859 in Yates, Orleans County, New York.

A babe in arms when the family headed overland to Wisconsin, he died in 1862.

Click the link below for a video of some of us enjoying our time together at Greenfield Cemetery.

Cousins at Greenfield Cemetery

Compiled by Kelley (Evans) Stiles

Back: Pat (Froekle) Hart, Karla (Von Fumetti) Staudt, Dennis Hart, Lisa Von Fumetti, 

Craig Storkel, Helen Kenyon, Viki Von Fumetti

Middle:  Kathy (Kenyon) Kulick, Kelley (Evans) Stiles, Jean Kelley.

Front: Jason Hart

Two cemeteries are on the South side of Tomah, and we headed there before heading back to Iowa.  Oak Grove and St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery sit side by side on Superior Avenue (Highway 131).

Entrance to Oak Grove Cemetery

Frank Storkel was born in 1912 in Tomah, Wisconsin.

Jeanette (Kenyon) Storkel born 1926 in Millston, Wisconsin, is my mother's sister.

Frank and Jeanette's son, my cousin, David Storkel was born 1955 in Tomah.

Entrance to the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery 

Frederick "Fritz" Kelley was born 1910 in Tomah, Wisconsin.

Helen Joy (Kenyon) Kelley was born 1928 in Pleasant Valley, Wisconsin.

Helen is one of my mother's sisters.

Mom had one other sibling, Glen Kenyon, born 1920 in Tunnel City, Wisconsin who along with his wife, Dolores (Siekert) Kenyon are buried in St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery in Sparta, Wisconsin.

Today we walked where others walked

On a lonely, windswept hill;

Today we talked where others cried

For Loved Ones whose lives are stilled.

Today our hearts were touched

By graves of tiny babies;

Snatched from the arms of loving kin,

In the heartbreak of the ages.

Today we saw where the grandparents lay

In the last sleep of their time;

Lying under the trees and clouds -

Their beds kissed by the sun and wind.

Today we wondered about an unmarked spot;

Who lies beneath this hallowed ground?

Was it a babe, child, young or old?

No indication could be found.

Today we saw where Mom and Dad lay.

We had been here once before

On a day we'd all like to forget,

But will remember forever more.

Today we recorded for kith and kin

The graves of ancestors past;

To be preserved for generations hence,

A record we hope will last.

Cherish it, my friend; preserve it, my friend,

For stones sometimes crumble to dust

And generations of folks yet to come

Will be grateful for your trust.

"The Recording of a Cemetery"

by Thelma Greene Reagan

© Karla Von Fumetti Staudt

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