| DECEMBER DINNER
The December dinner was held at Strongbow Turkey Inn in Valparaiso, on Dec. 14th.
The weather turned out to be miserable; blustery winds and a cold, freezing rain, but 10 hardy souls turned out for the evening.
A turkey dinner with all of the trimmings was served buffet style in one of the dining rooms. We were entertained with piano music throughout the evening.
Those present to enjoy the outing were Joanne and Elmo Elliott, Mike Fleming, Ellen Kurtz, Steve and Mary Potrzebowski, Priscilla Sebert, Delmer Olson, Ron and Cheryl Albert.
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NOVEMBER MEETING
The board held a short meeting. A motion was made to give a small stipend to our speakers. Motion passed.
At the regular meeting, Elmo Elliott installed the officers for 2006.
29 students attended the meeting and Dick and Mauvie Fagg served refreshments.
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NEW MEMBERS
3 new members have joined the WCHS. We would like to welcome Karen Bannwart, Dr. Timothy Willis and Deborah Willis to our group.
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DONATIONS
Thank you to Frank Morgan for his donation to the WCHS, and to Joanne and Jr. Elliott for their donation to the Scholarship Fund.
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STUDENTS TO SELL OUR NOTECARDS
Each year, members of the Westville 8th. grade class are given the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C.
The students sell candy bars as a fund raiser, with each student keeping the money that he or she has raised toward their trip.
We have offered our note cards for them to sell. The note cards sell for $10 a box, and we are giving the students $2 for each box they sell.
If they knock on your door, please help them and us by buying a box.
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JANUARY MEETING
At the Board meeting, we discussed the signs to mark the site of the old Airline, where it crossed U.S. 421 and also Wozniak Rd.
We sent Ron Albert up the street to measure the signs that point to the Veteran’s Memorial.
When he returned, after much grumbling about sending him out in the cold night, he advised us that the signs were 24 by 36.
Jr. Elliott got prices, and we are getting 2 signs, one for each side of 421. Because of the cost involved, we will wait until our treasury is built up before we place them on Wozniak Rd.
The speaker for the meeting cancelled. With many students present, they were asked to tell about their first school and what they remembered about it. Although, most of them were a little bashful, as time went on, they became very talkative and the ones that went first began to remember more. Some of the adults also told about their first school.
Mike Fleming regaled us by telling us that he was excited to hear his first school had a laboratory. He was crushed to find out that it was a lavatory!
The students provided the refreshments for this meeting.
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FEBRUARY MEETING
Westville Postmaster, David Dew was our speaker in February.
He presented an interesting program on the United States Postal Service. It was well received by both the members and the students.
His first question was directed to the students: Who was the first Postmaster General of the United States? The adults had to answer the question.....it was Benjamin Franklin.
He spoke of the inner workings of the postal service. More mail is moved in one day through the USPS than FedEx and United Parcel deliver in one year.
Mr. Dew also told of the charities that benefit from the USPS.
Everyone was surprised to hear that the mail is delivered not only in the conventional ways by motor vehicle, planes and trains but by boat, bicycle and to some residents by mule (in Colorado) and dogsled (in Alaska).
Afterwards, he passed out pencils and lapel pins of the American flag to everyone.
Helen and Phil Carson provided our refreshments.
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COOKBOOKS
We are planning to go forward with the cookbooks and have them ready for sale at the Pumpkin Fest this year.
More recipes are needed. If you have any to share, please send them to the WCHS at P.O. Box 395, Westville, 46391.
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PROGRESS ON BOOK “THE HISTORY OF NEW DURHAM TOWNSHIP”
Many hours of research have been completed and there are many more hours of hard work ahead for the ones working on the book, “The History of New Durham Township”.
Joanne Elliott, Jean Bartmess, Priscilla Sebert, Mauvie Fagg and Cheryl Albert have been doing the research. New member, Debbie Willis has volunteered to work with us, too.
We plan to cover the years from the township’s beginnings up to 1955.
Census reports up through 1930 have been gone through to get the names of merchants, members of the clergy, justice’s of the peace, town marshal’s, school teachers, principals and township trustees.
Research is being done to find more information on these people by emailing descendants, reading old obituaries, newspaper articles, county histories etc. The committee will be sending out letters to family members for added information and photo’s.
We are very interested in old pictures of these residents, and pictures of old places of business, how they looked before 1955.
If you have any that you are willing to share with us, please email either Joanne or Cheryl, or send to the WCHS, P.O. Box 395, Westville, 46391.
Joanne’s email:
jwe1931@verizon.net
Cheryl’s email:
charmel2@verizon.net
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DUES REMINDER
For those who haven’t done so, please send in your dues for 2006, or you can pay them at the March meeting.
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MEETINGS
Our meetings are held on the 4th. Monday of every month, at 7 p.m. in the lower level of the library. The room is handicapped accessible. Guests are welcome at every meeting.
The board meets before the regular meeting, at 6 p.m.
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Madora Jane (Ray) Reynolds
One of the earliest settlers of New Durham Twp. was James Morris Ray, who was born in Ohio in 1806, and came to Westville as a young man.
He is credited with building the first frame house in Westville.
James and his first wife, Lydia Witham were parents of 7 children. He and his second wife were parents of 4 children. His many descendants have been part of the history of our township for many years.
His daughter, Madora Jane, known as Jennie, was born in a house on East Valparaiso St. on Feb. 2, 1853. Except for a short time residing in Michigan, Jennie spent her entire life in Westville, living on the same street.
In 1874, Jennie married William Reynolds. They were the parents of 8 children: Ray, Earl, Veer, Nellie, Stella, Grace, Bessie and Lura.
William passed away in 1928.
Many of you reading this will remember her daughter, Miss Lura Reynolds, as one of your elementary school teachers.
The names on our Veterans Memorial include members of Jennie’s family who entered the service as residents of New Durham Twp.
Her half-brother, Morris Ray was in the Civil War; 2 of her sons served, Ray in the Spanish American War and Veer, in World War 1. 3 of her grandsons were in World War 2, one of them, Forrest Koontz, making the supreme sacrifice for his country.
Jennie, whose family contributed much to our community, passed away July 2, 1952, just months short of her 100th. birthday, one of the oldest citizens of LaPorte county at that time.
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Thank you to Maxine (Gemberling) Hunsley, a great-granddaughter of Jennie’s for providing the picture.
Madora Jane “Jennie” Ray
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