87th Ingalls Family Reunion meeting minutes
The 87th Ingalls Reunion was held on Saturday, October 17, 2015, at the United Methodist Church of Greenville and Norton Hill. Fifty-four people were in attendance. The temperature was 35 degrees at 7:00 a.m. The day was a mix of sun and clouds and very windy. The high temperature was 50 degrees. There was beautiful fall foliage, but the first freeze of the season was expected at night.
The Stanley R. Ingalls Family hosted. The tables were nicely decorated with a fall motif, and, at the end of the meeting, two lucky people at each table discovered they had a penny taped to the bottom of their chairs. This meant they got to take home the fall arrangements at their table.
Walter Sutton assisted with Registration by ensuring all present had name tags.
The Historian, Krista Ingalls Haushalter, displayed various family photograph albums and framed copies of family deeds.
Copies of the 2003 Genealogy and History of the Jacob Ingalls Family were available for twelve dollars each. Copies of the 2016 Greenville Local History Group calendar also were for sale, for nine dollars each.
Jason Haushalter, this year's President, was not at the Reunion, due to another commitment. His aunt, Kay Ingalls Sutton, capably stepped in for him.
At 12:00 noon, Alex and Clare Ingalls, Eian Lafferty, and Olivia Hagan rang the cowbell from the Jacob Ingalls’ homestead to gather everyone for the group photograph, taken by the “family photographer,” Kay Ingalls Sutton. (The four first cousins did a great job ringing the cowbell each time it was needed during the Reunion!)
The group then seated themselves, and Stanley R. Ingalls said grace. Olivia and Eian went from table to table to notify the people sitting there that it was time for them to head to the buffet, and a bountiful lunch was enjoyed by all.
After the meal, the children rang the cowbell to call the meeting to order. Kay welcomed everyone to the 87th Reunion. She thanked The Rev. Dr. Bob Milsom for the use of the church hall, Janet Lockwood for helping out in the kitchen for her thirty-seventh year, and the host family.
Those who traveled the farthest to attend the reunion were Debbie and Kevin Reeth, from Reno, Nevada, and "Flat Stanley," who traveled all the way from California.* The youngest person present at the reunion was Clare Ingalls, four years old. The oldest member present was Shirley Spad, 92. Olivia Hagan, age 9. attended a reunion for the first time
* The Flat Stanley Project has become the longest-lasting literacy project on the Web. Kids send a flat visitor to a school, a celebrity, a family member, a politician, or anyone of interest, and the recipient returns the little flat guy along with a completed journal and perhaps some souvenirs such as post cards, photos, or special items. We were honored to have "Flat Stanley" visit our reunion, especially since the host family this year was the Stanley R. Ingalls Family!
The Secretary, Paige Ingalls, read the minutes from last year’s reunion, which were approved as written. She sent around the book for everyone to sign and a folder with “Ingallsiana.”
The Treasurer, Alliene Applebee, gave her report:
There was $1879.46 in the savings account prior to the reunion.
No Genealogies were sold at today's reunion.
Today’s Collection totaled $439.00.
Interest on the savings account (October 2014 - September 2015) equaled $0.83.
Dispersals totaling $338.40 were made for--
Printing and postage for the invitations ($163.40)
Janet Lockwood’s services ($75.00)
Rental of the church hall ($100.00)
(it was noted that the suggested donation for the church hall had increased by $25.00 since last year)
The host family graciously asked not to be reimbursed for their expenses (food and supplies).
This left a grand total of $1,980.89 in the savings account.
It was moved and seconded to accept the Treasurer’s report.
Paige read correspondence received this year:
We received an acknowledgement and thank you from the ALS Association for our donation of $50.00 last year in honor of Carol Ann Elliott, from the Ransom Benjamin Ingalls branch.
Linda Ingalls Wright, from whom one could order a hard-back reprint of Burleigh's 1903, 324 page, "Ingalls Genealogy," wrote in August to request that we remove her from our mailing list. An invitation to our reunion was sent to her each year as a courtesy. She gave no further information, but her name and address have been removed from the mailing list.
In September, John Bewley, from the Henry Ingalls branch, e- mailed a photograph of an Ingalls homestead c. 1891. He wanted to know if anyone at the reunion knows where his house was located. Unfortunately, no one did. However, Paige found a photograph in with the family memorabilia donated by Flora Ingalls Holderbaum, the daughter of Edmund Henry Ingalls (1900 - 1982), that appeared to be similar and had some of the same people featured in it. Gerry Rugg and Walt Ingalls both said this home was located where Mc Naughton Farms boarding house/summer resort used to be, on North Road in Norton Hill. According to Walt Ingalls, it burned to the ground many years ago, and a motel was built in its place. Paige plans to scan this photograph, which appears to have been taken before the one sent by Mr. Bewley, and send it to him.
In early October, Gary Elliott wrote to inform us his family and he would miss this year's reunion because of a First Annual Town of Minden "history day" in Fort Plain, on the same day as our reunion. (A full copy of his letter appears under "Correspondence" on the reunion's Web site.) Gary noted he wished he could split himself in two and go to both events! (Gary is Carol Ann's brother.)
Kay inquired if there was any “old business” to be addressed, and there was one item:
The Web site for our family reunion,
www.jacobingallsfamily.com, is up and running and has had a few "hits." The "Original Ingalls Homesteads" PowerPoint that was presented at last year's Reunion is now available on the Web site. A big thank you to Howard and Scott Snowiss for managing the site for us this past year!
Kay then asked if there was any “new business?”
Walt Ingalls shared a story concerning a large wooden beam signed by Truman Ingalls, his grandfather, that was discovered when a barn was razed in the fall of 2014. The barn belonged to Ed Griffin, the former owner of Balsam Shade, a boarding house/summer resort in Greenville, NY. Initially, it was a mystery as to why a beam in this barn would have been signed (not stamped) "Truman Ingalls, Norton Hill." It also was odd that this barn stood so close to the road (today's State Route 32).
According to Walt, Ed's father, Burdette Griffin, bought Balsam Shade from Gus Shepard, for Gus' boarding house's "overrun" [of guests]. The Shepard Farm was located just north of Balsam Shade. Gus financed the sale, and Burdette paid him back over the years.
When Burdette bought the property, he needed a barn and bought one that was on Truman Ingalls' farm on Old Plank Road in Norton Hill, NY. Walt said Burdette got it "pretty cheap." The barn was taken apart and moved to the Balsam Shade property. Because it was bigger than expected, it ended up being very close to the road when it was rebuilt.
Walt noted that the nine Ingalls children of Truman and his wife Carrie were good friends with the nine Griffin children. Walt's father, Stanley Losee, was very close with Burdette through the years.
When the barn was being dismantled in 2014, Len De Giovine, Ed Griffin's son-in-law, went to Stan Ingalls, the head of GNH Lumber, and asked, "Who is Truman Ingalls?" And this is how the story came to light.
Today, the beam hangs in a special case in the GNH Lumber building in Greenville. As Stan noted, "The Ingalls got it back!
Walt also mentioned that teamsters worked out of Truman's barn when it was behind his house. The teamsters would meet the day boat and West Shore Railway train in Coxsackie to pick up various products. They would bring them back to Norton Hill and store them in Truman's barn until the people who wanted them were contacted and came to pick them up.
Paige produced a hand crank music box that was donated to the reunion by Flora Ingalls Holderbaum. She had no information about it, other than that it belonged to Flora's father, Edmund Ingalls (1900-1982). "Lyra" is imprinted on the top, but, underneath, there is a label indicating it was made from a cigar box! Paige played the music box and asked if anyone recognized the tune. Unfortunately, no one did, although several people said it sounded familiar. Rob Hosley said he thinks it may be an English carol.
It was noted that last year, the Hattie Winans Family volunteered to host next year's reunion. Thanks were extended to the family!
Prior to the election of officers, Paige reviewed the responsibilities entailed in hosting the reunion and serving as vice president, and, the following year, as president. If you host, it does not mean that you also are responsible to put on the "entertainment" or to conduct the meeting. However, sometimes these responsibilities overlap.
The Officers elected for next year were:
President-- Richard Dedie
Vice President-- Sarah Stevens
Secretary-- Paige Ingalls
Treasurer-- Alliene Applebee
Historian-- Krista Ingalls Haushalter
Sarah spoke about the presentation she plans to give at next year's reunion. She is a textile conservator and asked that people bring in some of their family heirlooms, such as quilts and christening gowns, for her to evaluate and offer tips on how best to preserve them.
Krista asked for the report of births, deaths, and marriages. Special mention was made of the passing of Marjorie Winans Dedie, of the Eleanor Ingalls Winegard branch. Marjorie was a faithful supporter of the Ingalls Reunion through the years, and she will be greatly missed. She passed away on May 8, 2015, at the age of 91.
Krista led the Roll Call of Families, and the following numbers indicate how many people from each branch were present at the Reunion:
Enoch Ingalls Branch 0
Henry Ingalls Branch 0
John Ingalls Branch 2
Lucinda Ingalls Hunt Branch 3
Eleanor Ingalls Winegard Branch 7
Diantha Ingalls Smith Branch 0
Joseph Truman Ingalls Branch 18
Ransom Benjamin Ingalls Branch 31
William Henry Harrison Ingalls Branch 2
Thaddeus Warsaw Ingalls Branch 0
Cyrus Ingalls (Westerlo) Branch 0
This year's “entertainment” was a presentation arranged by Richard Dedie, the vice president. He arranged for Ron Stetkewicz to play the guitar for a "hymn sing." Methodist hymnals were passed out, and the family joined in singing the following hymns:
--In the Garden
--Amazing Grace (verses 1, 2, and 6)
--How Great Thou Art
--Lord of the Dance
--America the Beautiful
--We Are the Church
The final hymn, Blest Be the Tie That Binds, was sung with everyone standing in a circle. We were especially grateful to Hank and Rob Hosley for their superb voices as we joined together in song!
Kay closed the meeting by inviting everyone back next year, on October 15, 2016, for the 88th Ingalls Reunion.