88th Ingalls Family Reunion Meeting minutes
The 88th Ingalls Reunion was held on Saturday, October 15, 2016, at the United Methodist Church of Greenville and Norton Hill. Sixty-two people were in attendance. The temperature was 30 degrees at 7:00 a.m., the first hard freeze of the season. The day was sunny and breezy, with the high temperature in the low sixties.
The Hattie Winans Family of the Eleanor Ingalls Winegard branch hosted, and the tables were prettily decorated in a fall motif.
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 2017 Greenville Local History Group calendar also were for sale for nine dollars each.
Richard Dedie, the President, rang Jacob Ingalls’ cowbell at 12:00 noon to call all of those present to gather for the group photograph. Kay Ingalls Sutton, the Family Photographer, did the honors.
After everyone was seated, Richard asked Stanley R. Ingalls to say grace. Those present were treated to a delicious buffet.
After the meal, Richard rang the cowbell to call the meeting to order, and he welcomed everyone to the 88thIngalls Reunion. He thanked The Rev. Dr. Bob Milsom for the use of the church hall, Janet Lockwood for helping out in the kitchen for her thirty-eighth year, and the host family, which was his branch.
Those who traveled the farthest to attend the reunion were Debbie and Kevin Reeth, from Reno, Nevada; Jeff Perry and family from Satellite Beach, Florida; and John Dedie and family from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. We are a family spread far and wide!
The youngest persons present at the reunion were Evalina Juliet Taverna, seven weeks old, and Noah James Ingalls, seven months old. The oldest member present was Shirley Spad, 93. Hunter Smigel, age eleven, attended a reunion for the first time. A warm round of applause was given for all of them.
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, along with a folder of “Ingallsiana.”
The Treasurer, Alliene Applebee, gave her report:
There was $1990.85 in the savings account prior to the reunion, which included $0.96 interest earned during the past year.
Two Genealogies were sold at the reunion, bringing in $24.00.
Today’s Collection totaled $345.29.
Dispersals totaling $509.80 were made for--
Printing of the invitations ($100.00)
Postage for the invitations ($74.80)
Janet Lockwood’s services ($75.00)
Rental of the church hall ($100.00)
Food reimbursement to Robert Dedie ($160.00)
This left a grand total of $1,850.34 in the savings account, which was a loss of $140.51 from 2015’s reunion.
It was moved and seconded to accept the Treasurer’s report.
Paige said there was no correspondence received this year.
Richard inquired if there was any “old business” to be addressed, and there was none.
Richard then asked if there was any “new business?”
--Walter Ingalls gave a brief presentation about T. Merritt Elliott, the father, grandfather, great grandfather, and great great grandfather of some of those attending today’s reunion. He read from his prepared remarks:
I heard Mary Lou Nahas’ history of the boarding houses in the Town of Durham at the Greenville [New York] Local History Group meeting last month. My sister, Edna Ingalls Adams Zivelli, was the first Greenville Town Historian, and she started the history group and collected a lot of local memorabilia.
Mary Lou mentioned one boarding house, the “Elliott Place,” where the “Zoom Flume” is today, and my immediate thoughts were of my uncle, T. Merritt Elliott [known as Merritt], who romanced and married my aunt, Ruth Ingalls, of Norton Hill, New York. In addition, I was reminded of another uncle of mine, Jeremiah (Jerry) Goff, a carpenter, who built the dam under the bridge there. My father, Stanley Losee Ingalls, told me about this. [Note: The Elliott Place in East Durham, New York, was built by Seneca Elliott for his second wife.]
My father was one of nine children of Truman and Carrie Ingalls, and Ruth was his sister. I have a picture of Merritt and Ruth riding in a carriage. I assume Merritt used that carriage to come from the Elliott Place to court Ruth at the Truman Ingalls farm, where my father and his siblings grew up.
This farm eventually belonged to Merritt and Ruth Elliott and then their son, Adrian, and his wife Edna Jennings. It had two herds of cattle on it. Merritt had a Jersey herd, and Adrian had a Holstein herd in the same big barn. When Merritt and Ruth sold the farm to Adrian and Edna, they used the money to purchase the vacant home and land of P.R. Stevens next to the United Methodist Church in Norton Hill, New York [where our reunion is being held today].
While living there, Merritt and Ruth could have had a few cows if they wanted. However, Scott M. Ellis, who was the husband of Elgirtha (my father's and Ruth’s sister), hired Merritt to work as a clerk for the Greenville Central School, a position he held until he retired. [Scott M. Ellis was the superintendent of the school.]
Everyone enjoyed listening to Walt’s reminiscences! He is a remarkable family historian.
--Paige then spoke about how family names become endangered or extinct over time. She referred to a front page article in The [Catskill, New York] Daily Mail dated January 17-18, 2015, that featured a photograph of Truman and Carrie Spalding Ingalls and their nine children in 1907. [A copy of the newspaper was passed around.] They are from the Ransom Benjamin Ingalls branch. Of the four boys, only one, Stanley Losee Ingalls, had sons who carried on the Ingalls name: Randall Stanley ("Buddy") Ingalls and Walter Ingalls. Fortunately, Buddy and Walter both had sons, who also have had sons. The newest baby with the surname Ingalls from the Truman and Carrie Ingalls line was born this past winter to John and Jeanette Ingalls: Noah James Ingalls. This little fellow is the great, great, great grandson of Truman, the great great grandson of Stanley Losee, the great grandson of Buddy, and the grandson of Stanley Randall Ingalls. Even though fewer of us may have the Ingalls surname today, Jacob Ingalls left us a long and rich legacy, beginning in 1793, when he settled in Lambs Corners, New York, and continuing today. Let us not forget our Ingalls heritage!
--Paige asked if anyone present had used one of the Web sites that are advertised, e.g. Ancestry.com, to find out his/her genetic make-up? No one said they had, so she requested that, if they should do so in the future, they share the results with us. It would be interesting to hear about the experience and what they learn.
The Ruth and T. Merritt Elliott Family volunteered to host next year’s reunion. After a vote, it was agreed to hold the reunion on Saturday, October 14, 2017.
A suggestion was made to add another position to the slate of officers, that of Family Photographer, which was done.
The Officers elected for next year were:
President-- Sarah Stevens
Vice President-- Gary Elliott
Secretary-- Paige Ingalls
Treasurer-- Alliene Applebee
Historian-- Krista Ingalls Haushalter
Family Photographer-- Kay Ingalls Sutton
Krista announced something new this year: an “announcement board.” People can fill out cards regarding births/adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths, then hang them on the board. It will be like reading a newspaper, Krista said. The information, which is used to update the Ingalls Genealogy, then will be shared during the meeting.
Krista asked for the report of births, deaths, and marriages. Special mention was made of the passing of Carol Ann Elliott of the Ransom Benjamin Ingalls branch. Carol had ALS for sixteen years and passed away last month, at the age of 60. She waged a brave battle with the love and support of her family, and she will be greatly missed. Her brother Gary Elliott shared the sad news.
Krista reminded everyone of the quilt she is making for the children who attend the reunion. Instead of being an “autograph” quilt, it includes the children’s handprints, which are traced onto the cloth.
Krista also informed those present that she has various forms available for use:
--genealogy update forms
--forms to record family heirlooms
--forms to record family traditions
--forms to record family history interviews
Krista also emphasized the importance of journaling every day as a way of recording family history. (In the “old days,” this was called keeping a diary, and we are grateful to our ancestors who did this for us.)
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 0
Lucinda Ingalls Hunt Branch 12
Eleanor Ingalls Winegard Branch 21
Diantha Ingalls Smith Branch 0
Joseph Truman Ingalls Branch 16
Ransom Benjamin Ingalls Branch 27
William Henry Harrison Ingalls Branch 0
Thaddeus Warsaw Ingalls Branch 0
Cyrus Ingalls (Westerlo) Branch 0
This year's “entertainment” was a PowerPoint presentation by Sarah Stevens of the Lucinda Ingalls Hunt branch.
Sarah, who has a Master of Science degree in Historic Costume and Textiles from the University of Rhode Island, is a Textile Conservator in private practice in the Albany, NY, area. She has worked for the NYS Bureau of Historic Sites, assisting with the conservation and preservation of historic site collections, including tapestries, costumes, furniture, quilts, drapes, upholstery, rugs, and flags. She has served as an assistant textile conservator at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York and was an Andrew W. Mellon Fellow in Conservation at the Metropolitan Museum of New York. We were pleased to have her share her expertise today!
Sarah began by noting that textiles are made from fibers. Natural fibers, such as cotton, linen, wool and silk, require a lot of processing. Other fibers are manufactured from cellulose e.g. rayon and acetate, and nylon, polyester, and acrylic use oil as their raw material.
Fibers are then turned into fabrics, e.g. via spinning/plying (yarn construction), knotting or looping (like lace), and weaving (using a stationary warp). There also are non-woven fabrics, e.g. felt. As an example, silk is a fiber; satin is a fabric.
Some weaves are plain, or twill, or brocade, or have a supplementary weft or ‘pile’, e.g. corduroy or cut velvet, which have a nap, or direction of the pile.
Other considerations are embellishments such as beads and fringe, dyeing, and finishes.
Factors that affect the preservation of textiles include:
--temperature and relative humidity
--all light (and the damage cannot be fixed)
--pests (e.g. moths, beetles, silverfish, mice)
--mold
--human handling (e.g. due to hand oils and cleaning)
She suggests not keeping textiles in the attic or the basement, but in the lived-in area of your house. The temperature should not be too hot, i.e. keep it between 50 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, or too humid, i.e. ensure the percent of relative humidity is held to between 35 and 60 percent. These limits depend on the season. Wash your hands or wear gloves when handling certain textiles.
Cleaning may entail surface cleaning, e.g. gentle vacuuming of the textile; wet washing a soiled item; or dry cleaning, i.e. by using solvents for stain removal. Considerations when cleaning include finishes and the color fastness of the material.
She noted there are archive kits to assist with the care and handling of family heirlooms, e.g. acid free boxes, tissue, and gloves. She recommends always “cleaning it before storing it.”
Some of the ways of storing something are: rolling it on a tube with acid free tissue, boxing it, making “sausages,” i.e. rolls to fit in the folds of the textile in order to prevent creases, and hanging, e.g. by padding out your hangers and allowing enough space for each garment. You can roll andbox something, especially if your storage area works better with boxed things.
She also discussed various mounting methods: Velcro fasteners (used with flat textiles, such as rugs or quilts), sewing the item onto a fabric covered panel and frame, mannequins, and a bar (e.g. to hang a kimono on).
References were provided, and then she fielded people’s questions.
Although requested, only one family brought an heirloom for Sarah to examine. Stephanie and Paige Ingalls presented a coverlet from the early 1800s that was bequeathed to them by their great aunt Leona Ingalls Rundell. Sarah provided helpful information about how best to care for this particular textile.
Everyone enjoyed Sarah’s presentation and learned a great deal of useful information.
Richard closed the meeting by inviting everyone back next year for the 89th Ingalls reunion, on October 14, 2017.