January / February 2005 Vol 1 Issue 1

Fenton Historical Society

January / February 2005 Vol 1 Issue 1

Fenton Historical Society Newsletter

President

Donna Seger

Vice President

Nat Woodward

Treasurer

Jane Reed

Secretary

Donna Seger

Curator

Ken Seger

Historian

Marjorie Nierescher

Research Room

Eileen Brown

Cheryl Canty

Trustees

Pauline Foley

Jill Gibbs

Nellie Gould

Phyllis Schaefer

Webmaster

Cheryl Canty

Notes

A special Thank-you to Cheryl Canty for moving the computer and copy machine from the Victorian room to the research room and setting it up.

We received a note over the holidays from Geri Hard. Bob Hard has been moved from Crestmont to a more intimate facility in Parshalville. He would appreciate a card. (Address has been omited for privacy on the internet.)

We also received a note from Mable Wheeler from Arizona. She is doing well except her arm is in a cast.

Mary Lyn from Imaginique Studios came to the museum with a flyer saying her store was now ready to do all your copying and restoration needs. Visit them at www.imaginique.net

Honor for Eileen Roddy

We will be putting up a plaque with a picture in the research room to honor Eileen Roddy.

She set up the files and most of the genealogy research information. We truly appreciate all she has done for us over the years. I don't think we will ever get over her untimely death.

From the Newsletter Editor...

This is the first newsletter we have done on the computer, so you will have to overlook the mistakes. If you have any suggestions please feel free to contact me or Donna. Or better yet, if you would like this job, speak up!

About Our Organization

We are very proud of our new research room and would like to invite everyone to come and see it. We are also very proud of all the information we have available to anyone doing research on homes, family, history or whatever.

The only problem we have is getting people to keep the museum open on Sunday afternoons, one to four pm.

The same few people can't keep doing this job over and over. It would be much easier if everyone took a turn and then it is not a hardship on anyone. Call Pauline Foley if interested.

Museum to Re-Open

I am very happy to announce that the museum will resume its regular hours of being open on Sunday from one pm to four pm begining on February 6, 2005. The project of redoing the research room is complete and looks very nice. We are in the process of moving all the books back on the shelves and filling the new files with the file folders. I want to thank all the people who came down to the museum on Sunday, Jan. 16th and helped put things back in order.

We will not be having a general meeting in February but we do plan on resuming the meetings in March. I will let you know in the March newsletter.

Come down and see the research room. We have new carpet, lights, files, bookcases, and a desk for the computer. We would like to thank the City of Fenton for doing this project and the Fenton Foundation for the grant.

Ken Seger, Curator would like to announce the appoinment of an assistant curator. He is Harry T. Bidelman. Harry has shown a lot of interest in the museum and Fenton history and has went out and made sure we got the cash register from McGuire's hardware store and the door to the Michigan Bean truck. Thanks Harry, and hope you like your new job...

Announcements

We have purchased two items for the museum in the past few months. One is a digital camera, Canon Power Shot A-400. The other purchase was a Brother's Label Maker. we plan on using the label maker in the files and on the bookshelves to make it easier for people to find things in their research. We can also use the labeler on the file folders themselves as the stickers we had put on keep falling off !!

The digital camera should come in handy, but we could really use someone who knows a lot about digital cameras and how to get the pictures on the computer. Just call me if you could help.

Other announcements, Bill and Dorothy Phillips have moved to Albion, Michigan. Todd and Cheryl Canty have moved but they stayed in Fenton. (Address' have been omited for the internet edition).

I am enclosing with this newsletter, a Family Record Sheet. I would like everyone to fill out their genealogy and return it to the museum or to me at my home. We have a notebook at the museum of Fenton Families that we need to bring up to date and also Cheryl Canty is putting Fenton Families on the computer and we need to bring that up to date also. The notebook and the computer information is available for the public.

(Note from Cheryl: If you did not receive the Family Record Sheet or cant find it. I have added a link to the location at the Library of Michigan for you to print it off on your computer.)

Last Words

Oldtimers Recall Ballgame in 1890's

Fenton on the 4th of July 1941. With the announcement that the House of David baseball team will play the Flint Capital recreation team here this afternoon, many old-time fans recall the story of a game played in the early 90's between the Flint Pie Eaters and the Fenton Independent in which Rube Waddell was to play.

The two teams were bitter rivals. The Flint men were betting big sums of money on the game so Frank Wood engaged Waddell to agree to come to Fenton as they were on a fishing trip near by.

Waddell pitched the game and nobody was the wiser until it was over and Fenton won the game 13-0. Calling in his outfielders and having the infielders sit on the grass, Waddell struck out the Flint side in one inning. Waddell struck out 21 batters, and sent all his teammates except his catcher to the bench in the seventh.

Acquisitions From Ken Seger

One of my major interest is military history. I especially like Civil War and World War II.

In the museum are some scrapbooks from WWII and some were in very poor condition. I decided to make copies of these sheets and make a Fenton War notebook.

I found articles on all but four of the men who were killed in the war. I also found articles about those that were wounded or POW's. I had many photos of my Dad's of students who were in the service.

This book is no where near complete but it was all the information I had at hand.

If anyone has any photos or clippings they would like to loan, I would like to make copies for the museum.

*One formed picture of the Fenton Depot from Pauline Foley

*One GAR flag holder from Ken Seger

*One ribbon from Fenton Fire Department, Alice Van Atta books from Pete Hartley

*Three glass jars from Lemen's Grocery Store from Elaine Robinson

*One copy of photo of Joe Smallbone's car

*One set of 8 photos of 1959 Parade floats from Evelyn Lutz

*One book bought, "The Way it Was" by Ted Wilson. Fenton author

*One postcard of 1934 July 4th Parade, and newspaper article on Leta Pasco from Jack Pasco.

*One picture of Fenton High School 1923 footbal team, and picture of Flint Post Office with William Pasco in it form the estate of Alice Pasco Thompson by Chuck Pasco.

*Nine books written by Helen Topping Miller donated by Joyce Wheat. The books are, Cameo Christmas with Robert E. Lee, Christmas at Mt. Vernon, Christmas at Monticello, Christmas at Sagamore Hill, Christmas for Tad (Lincoln), Her Christmas at Hermitage, Slow Dies the Thunder and Born Strangers.

*One 1929 First Day Cover cancelled in Fenton, May 30, 1929 donated by Don Gaul

*One baby photo of Lester Slocum - postcard and 2 copies of photo of Fenton to Long Lake Street Railway Co. Car by Pete Hartley

*18 pictures of Lang's Marina on Lake Fenton from the 1940's and one ticket from Chris Craft Joy Ride on Lake Fenton,1943 from Dan Turner of Linden

*76 pictures from the estate of Alice Pasco Thompson all relating to the class of 1933 and 1934 by Chuck Pasco

*2 books bought from the Flint Genealogy Society, "Location of Cemeteries in Genesee County" and "Genesee County Birth Records, vol. 4, 1888 to 1904

*One bon-bon dish from Cole's store, one photo 1920 Fenton High School, one photo 1930 baseball team, Fenton High School from Deane Cox

*One twist and turn Santa Claus from the D and C store from Fenton in the 1960's from Ken Seger.

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