Historian’s Report February 1996

HISTORIAN’S REPORT WINTER 1996

By Patricia Thayer Muno

A million thanks to the numerous cousins who sent their kind words of encouragement through Christmas greetings this last holiday season. My appreciation also to my correspondents for their patience and understanding concerning the delay in the response to the mountain of submissions and requests for information received in the last few months! Some of these letters take me more than one day to sufficiently answer, and they continue to come in faster than I can crank them out! I may no longer be capable of answering each and every submission of information, as I am presently corresponding with over 650 Thayer families at the same time. Please know that your help in this project is appreciated, even if I am unable to send you a personal reply.

Some questions regarding the photography project: Please send your OLD photos (pre-1900) to Robert W. Thayer for copying. (See add elsewhere in this issue). He will return your originals unharmed and forward the copies to me. We would also like to keep a scrapbook of photos of our present day cousins that can be shared at various gatherings and ask that our members submit these to me. These will not be returned and will become the property of TFA.

The first printing of The Thayer-Tayer- Theyer Families of Gloucestershire, England 1500-1660 have all been sold. The popular book is presently in its 2nd printing and only 20 are unsold at this writing. The book can be obtained on a first-come-first-serve basis only through me (see address elsewhere this issue) for $49.00 plus $5.00 postage and handling. The cost of production has gone up and future printings will inevitably require a price adjustment.

Through the extended efforts of Paul Goodwin Thayer (of Staunton, VA) and David Manville Thayer (of Dundee, IL), we are attempting the impossible task of notifying every Thayer family in America of TFAís existence! Paul and Dave have adopted various states as their targets and have been sending personal messages of invitation to all Thayers to join us in this project. This undertaking resulted in a fun first-time gathering of Thayers in the Chicago, IL area for Dave and some of the more distant Thayer cousins he was able to uncover. If you are able to help in this area, please contact David at:

David M. Thayer
16N690 Sumter Dr.
Dundee, IL 60118

Marilynn Munn Strand of Lakewood, CO has accepted the responsibility of notifying other genealogical associations and libraries. Rodney Lee Thayer of Yokosuka Japan has been a tremendous help in finding and contacting our cousins through the Internet. Clifford Frank Thayer of Monroe, OR has accepted the tedious job of keeping track of all the Thayer Internet addresses. We petition our members for help in reaching potential contacts via mailings.

With all this concentrated effort to include all Thayers in the records preservation project, the cut-off date for the inclusion of new information in the forthcoming genealogy has been moved to 31 Dec 1996. This date may be subject to change so watch for announcement in future “TQ” issues. Thanks to each for all your help and support in this important work!

A Family Reunion for the descendants of Theodore Thomas Thayer (1827-1876), of Charleston, SC, will be held 31 Jul through 4 August 1996 in Philadelphia, PA. For details contact:

Marcia (Thayer) McGhee
7359 14th St. So.
St. Petersburg, FL 33706

MADORA ALLIN BOYD

Joseph Thayer (1836/37-1916) Elizabeth Bi Mose Kive (1840-1899) Thaddeus Thayer (abt 1834) & Mary (_____) (1815)
Madora’s ex-husband was William Joseph Thayer, Jr., from the last generation born of the Lac Courte Oreilles Chippewa Indian Reservation in Chippewa and Sawyer counties in Wisconsin. (William served as a Medic in the Pacific Campaign during World War II and passed away Dec 1993). Out of the love for these people she agreed to be their Family Representative. She has had many challenges to deal with as the individuals who were charged with their care were not very careful with the important records of the events of their lives. She is also the family representative for the brother of her husband’s ancestor as there is no one to represent those people. Below are some of the many activities she has performed in serving in this capacity.

1) Sent copies of probate papers from Bureau of Indian Affairs, with lists of the descendants of Joseph Thayer and Elizabeth Bi Mose Kive. These records indicated that Joseph was a NON-INDIAN and had married into the tribe before 1860. With Madora’s help, I was able to trace Joseph8 and his brother, Thaddeus8 Thayer, as the sons of Thaddeus Adams7 Thayer and wife Elizabeth A. (_____) (Thaddeus Adams7, Obediah Allen6, Noah5, Hezekia4, Nathaniel3, Richard2, Richard1).

2) Sent copies of Family Group Records for descendants which included additional information from Emma Thayer Lawrence who visited from the LCOCI reservation in about 1956/1957. ìShe took care of registering all of our children with the Tribal Council. We corresponded for several years, and she added interesting little things.î

3) Provided copies of pictures taken in the reservation in the 1920’s and 1950ís.

4) Sent copies of information, newspaper clippings, photocopies from books and from a variety of sources in different areas of the country relative to Thayers as found during her searches.

5) Sent pedigree information received from the Tribal Council after they were notified of the deaths of William Jr., Daniel, and Philip Thayer in 1993.

Madora’s future plans include a trip next month with her daughter, Marguerite, to Hayward, Wisconsin to attend the big Pow Wow on the reservation. While back there she hopes to meet and obtain information on any relatives still living in the area. The twosome plan to obtain many photos of where the childrenís father was born and lived as a young boy. She hopes to possibly learn when Joseph and Thaddeus arrived in the area, married, and hopefully, the name of Thadís wife. Marguerite plans to take some of her father’s ashes back with her ìto the place where he began life.î (See Fall 1995 issue of The Thayer Quarterly for Madora’s picture and article on Thaddeus Thayer).

LOLITA THAYER GUTHRIE

Spencer Thayer (1799-1878) and Sally Butler (1805-1870)

Lolita and I have corresponded for several years. Her earliest known ancestor, Spencer Thayer, is yet unplaced. If anyone could find his connection, Lolita could! She has been very actively involved in the Genealogical circles in the state of Ohio. She has published the THAYER SLEETH FAMILY SCRAPBOOK since1985 for the Thayers and their descendant of Shelby county Indiana.

Here is a look at some of the valuable service Lolita has performed for us:
1) Provided me with numerous worthwhile contacts which have been shared with the TFA.
2) Keeps an ongoing correlated file of any and all mentions of the Thayer name she encounters through correspondence on her many searches, notably of Ohio and Indiana.
3) Continues to update the genealogical information on the descendant of Spencer Thayer and Sally Butler, and plans to submit their biographical sketches.
4) Forwards any and all Thayer-related correspondence for contact by me. Her Thayer scrapbook is seen by many individuals and a lot of Lolitaís referrals have been a result of these efforts.

Lolita is one of the busiest genealogists I know of, and in addition to the many acts of service she performs for Genealogical societies in the state of Ohio, she was the compiler and main force behind the publishing of the book: On The Courthouse Steps Woods County, Ohio, in commemoration of the centennial of that courthouse. We greatly appreciate her efforts to help us as serving as Family Representative. Many, Many thanks Lolita!

BETTY HARMON BUE

Moses Allen Thayer (1840-1875) & Laura Eliza Barnhart (1844-1934)

Betty got the “Family History Bug” when she uncovered the ancient letter written during the Civil War by her ancestor, Moses Allen, to his then sweetheart and future wife, Laura Eliza Barnhart.

Some of Betty’s interesting activities include the following:
1) Helped organize a “cousin” get-together in New Hampshire of the cousins in her generation of great grandchildren of Moses Thayer. Betty took her genealogy notebooks with her and shared it with interested family members.

2) Referred descendants to the TFA and announced her position as a representative so that others may contact her and coordinate their research/compiling efforts.

3) Is in the process of exchanging documents, information and photos with other descendants interested in the Thayer project.

4) Arranged a meeting with a cousin she had not seen in 30 years in Yuma, Arizona where they reminisced about their childhood in New Hampshire and share the treasured Moses Thayer family bible. Betty says the reunion was a very happy time for both and a direct benefit resulting from her activities as a representative!

5) Shared photos and stories with our editor, Rick Thayer, for publishing in The Thayer Quarterly newsletter for publishing.

Future plans include going to New Hampshire again in Sept. 1995 and Betty hopes to update her descendancy chart and promote other family gatherings. She plans a trip to New England in Upper New York state where she and hubby, Ed, will explore the small towns that Moses Thayer lived in his youth–an area where they have never been before. Betty also hopes to obtain Moses Thayerís war records at the National Archives in Mission Viejo, California soon and will add that information to her growing collection of data. She continues to correspond with Rep, Gayle Lester of New York who was found through her association with TFA. Thanks Betty for all you continue to do!

GAYLE DORSCHEL LESTER

Gayle has written up a from letter to be sent to all the descendants which introduces the TFA and the multi-volume genealogy compilation and publishing project. She has requested that the various families update the information on their respective lines and share photographs.

Gayle has also asked them to submit the biographical and historical data when possible. She has also visited graveyards and taken pictures and shared genealogical data with others. Her biggest worry was that her requests and enthusiasm for this project would be overwhelming for those family members she contacts, but she has been very successful in her endeavors.

DOROTHY THAYER SHARON

Dorothy has been very helpful with the collection of genealogical data on NY Thayers and Thayer-related trivia which she finds in local newspapers, etc., and forwards to our Historian. She has agreed to serve as Family Representative in the line of:

George Thayer (about 1828/1833) and wife, Jane Strickland

This family resided in Georgetown, Madison county, NY. The couple has 130 descendants in 6 generations and remain in the ìUnplacedî Thayers file. If you have information to share on this line, please contact Dorothy at the following address:

Dorothy Thayer Sharon
79 Fennell St. Apt. 23
Skaneateles, NY 13152

CHARLES R. LILLY

Charles was one of the first Thayer descendants I ever corresponded with, over two decades ago. At that time, he presented me with a challenge, which I eventually followed through with. He has been researching the Thayer line many, many years and when I contacted him again as the official Historian of the TFA, he provided us with mountains of his research materials. He has been serving as a Family Representative in the line of:

Lemuel Thayer about 1760 – 1833 & Charity Manley about 1763 – 1803/1804

[PHOTO OF CHARLES R. LILLY REMOVED, COULD NOT REPRODUCE AN ADEQUATE ELECTRONIC COPY]

If you have information on this line to share, please contact Charles at:

Charles R. Lilly 8800 State Highway 133 Carbondale,
CO 81623

LUANNE KRIEBS

Elbridge May Thayer (1832-1917) & Catherine Merryfield (1835-1901)

LuAnne submitted large amounts of well recorded and coordinated genealogical data on her line, she has recently extracted the 1880, 1900 & 1920 U.S. census soundexes for Nebraska and is commencing work on the 1885 Nebraska State census. This project will be time consuming because there is no index for that enumeration.

She plans to tackle the obituaries as soon as she has the census project completed. She has been collecting Civil War records and has taken pictures of tombstones. She has corresponded with others in her line and also plans to work on the biographical information for her ancestors.

Eugene Kriebs is the grandson of Amy Ruth Thayer born 1883. Amyís lineage is as follows: Amy10, Oren Mortimer9, Elbridge May8, Royal Olmstead7,

Jedediah6, Micah5, Jonathan4, Josia3, Ferdninado2, Thomas1. LuAnne states the picture is of the “two real Thayers” (Gene and daughter Amy) and herself and adds: “When they can’t get out of it, they both help with genealogy. Amy looks up obituaries. Gene gets lost in the old news stories, but with a little prompting finds obit’s and is my #1 copy man-he and copy machines go hand in hand.”

If you have information on this line you may write LuAnne at:
LuAnne Kriebs 12511 Poppleton Ave. Omaha, NE 68144-1306