#3-2021. Namesake. Middle Names in the Shaffner Family

 #3-2021.  Namesake  Middle Names

Donald Kurtz, Walter Fanoit, George Blanchard and Dean Fletcher Shaffner

estimated in the 1930's

My grandfather and grandmother, John Shaffner and Della Rae Kurtz had 4 sons.   The middle names of their sons was a family surname, except for one.

The oldest George, born in 1914, was given the surname Blanchard.  No one knows where that name came from.  I am not even sure George knew and certainly his children didn’t.  Nor did anyone ask before he died.

The second son, Walter, born in 1917, was given the middle name of Fanoit (Fainot).  This was also John’s middle name but it was the surname of his great great grandfather, George Fredric Fanoit who immigrated from France in 1752.  (Information from Family Bible)

The third son, Donald, born in 1919, was given the middle, Kurtz.  Kurtz was the his mother, Della Rae’s maiden name.

The fourth son, Dean, born in 1924, was given the middle name of Fletcher.  Fletcher was the maiden name of his mother, Elizabeth Deborah Fletcher.  

But where did Blanchard come from?  Since I have began researching the family genealogy and history, I have always been on the lookout for the name Blanchard.  Was it a neighbor?  (None in neighborhood in census reports).  Was it a co-worker?  A family friend?

I did find the name Blanchard as the captain of the ship that brought Della Rae’s grandfather to the United States in 1842.  Peter Paul Deewall immigrated from Ludweiler, Germany leaving behind his mother, step-father and step-sisters.  The family story indicates he left in the middle of the night, posing as the driver of the wagon carrying his friends. (Which I have discovered were related to him).  I have yet to find paperwork indicating that he left Germany legally.  Do you suppose he left illegally and the ship captain covered for him?  Peter Paul died in 1890, Della Rae was born in 1886, her mother, Mary Etta Deewall was born in 1849 and died in 1940.  I can’t help but wonder if there is a family story involving the ship captain.  I will continue to research my theory.

Because it is Veterans Day...in honor of my Dad and uncles who served in World War II.

My grandmother, Della Kurtz Shaffner,  had 3 sons in the South Pacific at one time.  She saved every letter they wrote home.

Walter was the oldest son and was killed in action in 1944

Don, my father, served with the 163rd Infantry, which was a National Guard unit from Montana that was activated.  He mostly served in the New Guinea theatre of action and was often a clerk since he could type.  He told stories of flying over "the hump" with a bag of money to pay the soldiers.

Dean, the youngest, served with the Headquarter unit under General McArther.

I have a scrapbook of information that I just briefly went through.  (more to scan)  Of course, my dad kept a scrapbook!