New York Historical Note:

The Ramapo Mountain People is a small population of racially mixed people living primarily in Rockland Co., NY and in New Jersey.  The origin the the group is complex, controversial and disputed.

They are generally considered and claimed to be a tri-racially mix of free black and Native ancestors with some white (Dutch) ancestors.  

The Ramapough Mountain Indians, now the Ramapough Lenape Nation have lived in the general area since the mid-18th century.  In 1978, they sought official federal tribal recognition.  In 1993, their claim was denied.  I don't know if they have gained federal recognition since then.  They have representation on the New Jersey Commission on Indian Affairs and are politically active in both New York and New Jersey.  They just held tribal elections last week.

Their Native ancestry is generally considered Munsee (Euro spelling) Lenape and there are Munsee speakers among their tribal membership.  They are headquartered here in New Jersey.

Source: The Encyclopedia Of New York State  

DNA Testing and Me

I'm not sure if I've written on this previously....

I started family history research because of a store that my maternal grandmother, Margaret Eleanor Wormuth Beismer used to tell me, about Native ancestors.  I grew up thinking I had/have Native American ancestry.

I began serious research in my mid-20s, over 40 years ago.  During my research, I met both white and Native individuals whose reactions to my claim of Native ancestry were less than thrilling.  After some soul searching, I realized that, even if the story were true, I wasn't raised in a Native community with Native traditions, therefore, I'm not genuinely Native.  However, I still want to know the truth and I'm still far from it.

In addition, I'm researching ALL my ancestors, maternal and paternal; I am, after all related genetically to all of them.  While visiting one of my father's great aunts, Beatrice Odell Beams Wilson Dempsey, she told us that the Olivers are/were "Delaware" Indian and that Ruben Odell's grandfather was "Iroquois".

So, I've had Y-chromosomal testing on my father.  As I understand it, and it was recently confirmed by several techies, Y-chromosomal testing only tests the tags that are passed from father to son, down through the generations; no tags are identified, in this test, that were passed from mother to son, etc.  Which means that there are no Y chromosome linked Native ethnic tags that were passed to my father, back through his male ancestors.  That doesn't mean that he didn't have any Native ancestors, but it means that Ruben Odell's paternal grandfather was NOT Native American.  There could have been any number of women in his ancestry who were Native.  More testing is needed on my paternal line.

Back to the original impetus for my research, the great great great grandfather that Grandma Beismer claimed went "to the mountains" and brought back "a squaw" as his wife.  I had my mitochondrial DNA tested.  Similar to Y-chromosomal testing, mitochondrial tests only identify the ethnic tags passed from mother to daughter down through the female descendants.  ALL my mitochondrial DNA tests European, back through Mary Hendrickson Hulse and farther.  That doesn't mean there are no Native ancestors in my maternal line; there could be male Native ancestors.

The tests I had run are quite inexpensive; around $100 each.  When I had them done there were only a few labs that did testing specifically for genealogical purposes; now there are a lot.  I use FamilyTreeDNA, our DNA is in their database and I recently signed up for additional matching and have actually connected with yet another 4th cousin, previously unknown.

I promised myself that on my birthday, when I'm completely retired, I will spend the money and have whatever test is necessary to test ALL my DNA to put this family legend to rest, or to spur it on.  I was recently told what test to have done and that birthday is a little over a month away.

Because my DNA and Dad's have been tested, it's not necessary for anyone along either my matrilineal line or Dad's paternal line to be tested for this specific information, if you're the same gender, since the results will be the same.  Let me know what you need to know and I'll tell you what I know or direct you somewhere that can help.

Mysteries Solved:


The maiden name of Esther Oliver, great, great, great, great grandmother of all of us who trace our OLIVER line back to Ezra and Hester (Esther), was Crandall, or a variant spelling.  I was sent an except from a register that made that claim but that was a secondary or tertiary source and I try to find several documents since so many errors are made.  The most recent documentation I've found is in the New York, Town Clerks' Registers of Men Who Served in the Civil War.... The entry is for Esther's son, Alanson.  It clearly has her name as Esther Crandall.  Now to solve her parentage.

The maiden name of Mary Hendrickson Hulse's mother, Anna, was McClannon.  The  1850 census shows James and Mary Hulse, living next to Mary's parents, John and Anna Hendrickson.  In James' and Mary's household was a 92 yr old Mary Mc-something, unreadable.  Others also found it unreadable.  In the same New York, Town Clerks' Registers of Men Who Served in the Civil War.... is Richard Clark Hendrickson, my great great grandmother's brother.  His parents clearly John S. Hendrickson and Anna McClannon.  This also clears up the surname as Hendrickson, not Hendricks.  And, apparently, Anna's mother's name was Mary as well.

New York State Historical Note:

In 1785, the Oneida reluctantly succumbed to pressure from New York State to sell their land at Oquaga (Onaquaga), (now Windsor and Colesville, Broome Co., NY).  By the 1740s the large Oneida village extended along the Susquehanna River.  In 1756, Sir William Johnson, superintendent of Indian Affairs was asked to set up a trading post.  That same year he a fort built to protect local Oneida families during the French and Indian War.  Thayendanegea (Joseph Brant), Mohawk, gathered forces at Oquaga in an attempt to stop the expansion of European settlements.

Family Member Profile:

William Marcus Wormuth – Uncle Marcus – son of Thomas James Wormuth and Fanny B. Hulse – was born 16 Jan 1892 in Peakville, Delaware County, NY.  He died 26 Aug 1956 in Harvard, Delaware Co. and is buried in the Harvard Cemetery.  He remained a bachelor all his life.

He worked for and lived with John D. Houck and Nancy Wormuth Houck on Houck Mountain.  Nancy was his sister as was my grandmother, Margaret Eleanor Wormuth Beismer.

He was my great uncle but I remember him as Uncle Marcus.  I remember him as taller than his sisters, handsome and pleasant, but shy and quiet.

I’ve only seen one photograph of Uncle Marcus.  He was standing in either a hay wagon or a manure wagon.  My mother had a copy but it was lost, possibly in a roof leak.  If anyone has any photos of him, I’d appreciate and would pay for a copy.

Software:  Ancestral Quest

You may have read that I recently purchased Ancestral Quest to replace PAF (Personal Ancestry File) which is no longer being supported.  I was nervous about how well my database would migrate into Ancestral Quest and was very happy that there were no problems and the process was very quick.  Ancestral Quest appears to be modelled on PAF, many screens and reports are identical and it has many enhancements that I’m only beginning to discover.  I will report on features that I find useful.  I’ve applied to be an affiliate and will shortly have a link to their web site where you can purchase the software.  It’s very reasonable and easy to install and use.

The Wilderness Empire by AllanW. Eckert

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

I discovered an index card today, written in someone else's hand, with notes of connections between relatives and relatives of relatives.  I have no idea who gave it to me or when.

I admit it; I'm a sloppy note taker and very disorganized.  

I also recently discovered a photo of my paternal grandfather that I've had for years.  I don't remember ever seeing it.  I didn't know I had it but I do remember other items in the envelop I found it in.  The photo is attached to my grandfather's enlistment card.

Over the years, many people have given or sent me notes, photographs, newspaper clippings.  I have boxes and files full of things.

Over the years, I've visited a lot of people who have spent time talking to me, giving me information about relatives and ancestors.  I've taken notes, returned home and looked at the notes weeks and months later and not been able to figure out what I'd written, or who I'd visited or when.

Sometimes, I'm able to piece together these things and fill in holes in family trees and take another step forward in the family history.  Sometimes, I have to put the note back into a file folder or envelop and hope I'll figure it out later.

I apologize globally to all who have contributed to the information I have on my families, for being so disorganized that I can't always remember who gave me what.

So, DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO.

Get yourself a plan together, a routine for research, for taking notes.

If nothing else, whenever you're working, visiting somebody, looking at some kind of record, use the basic journalistic practice of writing down:  Who, What, When Where.  Sometimes you need to record How and/or Why, as well.

Whether you use spiral notebooks, a 3-ring binder, loose note paper, when you begin, write down, on the top of the page:  Date, Place, Title of Resource, Name of Person Spoken to, etc.

As you take notes - write down the surname of individuals discussed.  Draw a miniature family tree chart.

Use separate pieces of paper for different surnames.

When you get home, look over the notes briefly to be sure you know what you've got, then file them in surname file folders.

This index card I've found has mostly given (first) names related to the writer's "Dad".  Since I don't know who gave the card to me, I don't know who the Dad was.  Fortunately, there are a few surnames given and some are familiar, although not directly related.

The next few blogs will be about a filing system, correspondence and genealogy etiquette.

I really would appreciate your comments.  I'm sure you have methods and practices that would be helpful to me.