#4 Favorite Photo. Grandma on the horse, Jerry

 #4-2021. Favorite Photo

With the genealogy collections that I have inherited, there are MANY pictures.  Choosing a “Favorite Photo” is a challenge.  And difficult because there are too many excellent, interesting pictures that brought up memories and stories.  

This picture of my grandmother, Della Rae Kurtz Shaffner, bring up questions, research and memories.  And I have always looked at wishing for more...

Della Rae Kurtz Shaffner, and Jerry

Donnee Shaffner Stibal wrote on the album page, "Jerry and Grandma.  She rode him from Custer, Mont to Dillon”.  Donnee was the granddaughter of Della & John, and worked with Grandpa to label pictures as well as write some of the family history.  I am sure there is more to the story that Grandpa told her.  I wish I had that information!

Della & John married in 1913 in Dillon, Montana; returning to Sims, North Dakota were he was the telegrapher.  The first son was born in 1914 in North Dakota.  The second son, Walter, was born in Dillon, Montana in 1917.  

What I do know, is that Jerry is the horse purchased by Grandpa, John F. Shaffner in North Dakota.  I have the original bill of sale. He final payment of $10.00  was made on 18 January 1915.  Jerry was a Hamiltonian gelding that gave the family many memories.

He applied for a homestead in Beaverhead County, Montana on 21 October 1915 and filing for additional acreage on 9 Feb 1916, meanwhile still living in North Dakota.  Della spent the summer while proving it up.  The first summer, Della & George lived in a tent.  I am not sure when the first cabin was built.     

I do know that Grandpa served as a telegrapher in Custer, Montana.  He left the employ of Great Northern Railway in June of 1917.  He went to work for the Oregon Short Line Railroad in November of 1917.  

What year did Della ride the horse from Custer to Dillon?  Maybe 1917.  The mileage would have been about 320 miles.  How many days?   Where was George?  Where did she stay at night?

And where was the picture taken?

#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.

Della Kurtz-School Memories

As the school year begins, thoughts of what school like for our ancestors passed through my thoughts.  I remembered this collection of my Grandmother's school years.  The memories are in a scrapbook album, made by my cousin, Donnee Shaffner Stibal.  Her notes indicate that the original copies of the diplomas are in her files.  The diplomas were large and she states that the copy was reduced in size.  A picture of a rolled up diploma with a ribbon comes to mind, but I have no idea if that is how Della Kurtz received her diploma!


Della Kurtz was my grandmother who was born in Muncy, Lycoming, Pennsylvania on 29 October 1886.  She was the daughter of Emanuel D. Kurtz and Mary Etta Deewall.
Della married John F. Shaffner in 1913.

These are her report cards

Top Left:  Second Intermediate  1896-1897

Middle top:  Freshman

Top Right:  Sophomore 1902-1903

Bottom Left:  Junior  1903-1904

Bottom Right:  Senior  1904-1905

Her diploma from Department of Public Schools

1902

Della Kurtz 1905

Graduation

Donee wrote that Aunt Edith (Della's sister) gave the picture to Donnee when she graduated from High School

Della Kurtz's Salutatory speech in 1905

 Della's High School Graduation

 Della's Diploma in 1905

The Women in my father's Family

Mother's Day got me to thinking of all of my female ancestors.    I decided to find the pictures, thus the delay in posting!  Quite a collection of women!  I can't imagine their lives, what they lived through, and how hard they worked.

Margaret Maria Fetter was born 19 May 1820 in Pennsylvania.  She married Gabriel Shaffner (father of John Martin Shaffner)  24 December 1845 in Manheim, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  Margaret died 11 November 1903 in Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.  She is also buried in the East Harrisburg Cemetery.  The date on the picture written by Donnee Shaffner Stibal is about 1901.  She is holding Walter Ruskin Shaffner.  Estimating Margaret's age would make her 81 year old.  Margaret's ancestor were from France; her Great Grandfather was George Fredric Fanoit who came from Montebeliard,  France in 1842.

Elizabeth Deborah Fletcher, who was born 4 July 1858 in Covington, Tioga County, Pennsylvania.  She married John Martin Shaffner on 16 September 1880 in Whitesville, Allegheny County, New York.  There is no date on the picture.  Elizabeth died 17 November 1899 in Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.  I discovered that she was buried with her father-in-law at the East Harrisburg Cemetery.  There was no headstone.  Her last child, Walter Ruskin Shaffner, was born 7 September 1899.  I wonder if she was pregnant in this picture.

The Peter Paul Deewall Family.

Peter Paul came to the U.S. in 1842.  He married Catherine Troutman in Pennsylvania in 1847.

Mary Etta was the oldest girl born in 1831.  George Albert was the youngest son born in 1865

Catherine died in 1877, so this picture was taken in the 1870's.  

Mary Etta Deewall Kurtz, who was born 17 December 1849 in Pennsylvania.  Her father was Peter Paul Deewall (Duval)  who came to the U.S. in 1842 from Ludweiler, Germany.  Mary Etta married Emanuel Kurtz 23 February 1871 in Pennsylvania.  

My grandmother, Della Kurtz Shaffner.  This picture was taken in 1905 taken at her high school graduation.  She was salutatorian, although her name is at the top of the graduate list so perhaps she was valedictorian.   And I have the speech that she gave, which is labeled her salutatory speech.    She graduated from Muncy High School, in Muncy, Pennsylvania.

Della Kurtz Shaffner, my grandmother.  She married by grandfather, John Fanoit Shaffner on 12 September 1913 after their trip through Yellowstone Park.  Donnee Shaffner Stibal wrote on the picture:  Jerry and Grandma.  She rode the horse from Custer, Montana to Dillon, Montana.  After John & Della married they returned to Simms, ND where he worked as telegrapher on the railroad.  He also worked at Custer, Montana as a telegrapher.  They homesteaded near Dillon, Beaverhead County, Montana.  The story I heard was that Grandpa rode the horse to Dillon!  Since Donnee got the information from Grandpa; I will believe her story!