NewsCaster. NewsCaster. The. "Tom should have been the General" Castor Association of America. by Rosemary Pardoe

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1 Volume XXV Issue 1 March 2007 "Tom should have been the General" by Rosemary Pardoe NewsCaster The Before the War In 1865, George Armstrong Custer said of his younger brother: "Do you want to know what I think of him? Tom should have been the General and I the Lieutenant."(1) Although the elder Custer's heroic exploits in the Civil War are well known, it was Tom who was the first person ever to be awarded two Medals of Honor for his bravery during the War. Such a unique distinction should have resulted in ample book and article coverage in the ensuing years, but until 2002 there had been nothing except for a few articles, none of which concentrated specifically on recounting the story of his early career in the War. Tom has tended to be seen merely as a henchman to his iconic brother, a role to which he would probably not have objected strongly, for he adored and idolised him. In 2002, Carl F. Day's biography, Tom Custer: Ride to Glory (Arthur H. Clark Company), remedied the situation somewhat, but Tom's Civil War years still demand further detailed investigation. Thomas Ward Custer was born on March 15, 1845, in New Rumley, Ohio, a small village near the West Virginia border. He was the fifth son of the second marriages of Emanuel Custer and Maria Ward Kirkpatrick. Their first two offspring having died in infancy, Tom arrived in a family which then consisted of older brothers George Armstrong (born in 1839) and Nevin Johnson (born 1842), plus and was fated to lose three brothers and a husband on one tragic day in In 1860 the Custers moved north-west to Tontogany, near Bowling Green, Ohio. They were an extraordinarily close family and remained so throughout their lives. Even as adults, the boys liked nothing better than to indulge in a light-hearted scuffle, and their practical jokes (in which father Emanuel also participated) were legendary. The handsome and flamboyant George Armstrong (Autie) was hero-worshipped by all his siblings so it was predictable that, when the Civil War broke out and he graduated NewsCaster Castor Association of America Second Lieutenant Tom Custer (standing) with George Armstrong Custer and Libbie Custer in the final months of the Civil War. Reproduced courtesy of the Library of Congress. with the West Point Class of '61 to begin active service in the Federal Army, his brothers should have wanted to follow his lead. Nevin was the first to enlist, but an inopportune bout of rheumatism resulted in an early discharge, just a couple of weeks later. Both Tom and Boston were too young, Tom being only sixteen: two years under the minimum age for enlistment. It was typical of the Custer family that this did not stop him for long. His first attempt to join up failed when his father had a word with the recruiting officer concerning his age, but Emanuel then seemingly bowed to the inevitable, and to his son's determination. When Tom tried again, lying about his age as before, he was accepted.(3) In the Western Theater So it was that on September 2, 1861, at nearby Gilead, Tom Custer joined the 21st Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry; and seventeen days later he was mustered in at Findlay, Ohio, as a private in Company H.(4) The 21st Ohio, a former three-month unit which reorganised that September as a three-year regiment, fought in the Western Theater as part of the Army of the Ohio, and later in the Fourteenth Corps of the Army of the Cumberland. Tom shared a tent with several other Tontogany boys, including Liberty P. Warner, whose letters home reflect camp life for the regiment at this time. "In our mess," he wrote on October 29, 1861, from near Hazel Green, Kentucky, "we include J. Barstead, R. Buffum, C. Grundy, T. Custer, J. Bullis, Barbers 4 and self, all well and healthy... This is a hard place. I have become fully

2 NewsCaster March 2007 Volume XXV Issue 1 Page 2 disgruntled with the profanity & vulgarity of the soldiery and do not fall in with it all, not half as much as I did at home." From Bacon Creek, Kentucky, on January 3 and 10, 1862, Warner still had no action to report, but daily life was not too uncomfortable: "Together we are a band of brothers, our 12"... "We have got a nice little stove that can aford to keep us warm. And we have plenty to eat. We draw rations of hard crackers, pickle pork, sugar, coffee, rice, salt, and occasionaly potatoes, beans, vinegar, etc. When we were on the mountains we drew rations of milk when ever we come acrost any cows." In this letter, Warner sketched the lay-out of his tent, with his bed and those of his eleven messmates (Tom's nearest the entrance), marked and numbered, all in a ring around the central stove.(5) From October 1861 until the end of 1862, the 21st Ohio participated in frequent but minor and relatively bloodless engagements in Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee. In March, for instance, they were rebuilding bridges burnt by the Confederates near Murfreesboro (Tennessee); April found them in Huntsville (Alabama), acting as guard to the Provost Marshal of the city; and in July, the detached Company H was clearing the railroad track near the Elk River (Tennessee). Liberty Warner probably expressed the feelings of most of the men when he wrote in May: "We are beginning to get tired of this thing. It has hung on until we are now in fighting order and now we want to fight... If there is any fighting, we are ready." But the final months of the year offered scant action for the 21st, who were stationed in the besieged city of Nashville, "shut out from the world" and with little to challenge them: "I have been in 3 skirmishes and have never fired a gun," Warner complained. Everything was to change in December.(6) Second Lieutenant Tom Custer in late 1864 or early Meanwhile, Autie Custer was making a name for himself in the Eastern Theater. He was in the thick of things in 1862 during Major General George B. McClellan's Peninsula Campaign and, although McClellan's advance on Richmond failed, Autie was already acquiring a reputation for courage and opportunism. Nevertheless, he still had time for some moments of reflection. During the siege of Yorktown in April, he was in a reconnaissance which came under fire from enemy sharpshooters, and afterwards he wrote to his half sister: "The day before yesterday we buried our dead slain in the skirmish, in the clothes they wore when killed, each wrapped in his blanket... Some were quite young and boyish, and, looking at their faces, I could not but think of my own younger brother." Back at home Tom's parents were worried too. Emanuel wrote to Autie on April 18, saying that his wife "troubles hir self so much about you and Thomas and she doant like to here of you being so venturesom."(7) The 21st Ohio moved out of Nashville in December, and by the middle of the month they were camped near Murfreesboro, where, according to Liberty Warner, they were unable to resist the temptation of the flocks of robins that roosted nearby every night: "As soon as it comes dark the boys slip the guard and with torch and shelalah they charge on the devoted red breast, who stare at the torch untill they are nocked of[f] of the cane. Our mess had a pot pie of some 3 or 4 dozen of this species of songster." It was a pleasant interlude, but soon Tom and the rest of the regiment were involved in "fierce and continuous" skirmishing in the days leading up to their first major fight.(8) At the Battle of Stone's River (Murfreesboro) on December 31, Colonel John F. Miller's brigade, containing the 21st Ohio, was in the centre of the Federal line. As "the battle raged with uninterrupted fury" around them, the officers and men of the regiment "universally fought with desperation and bravery", according to their Colonel, James M. Neibling. At one point they repulsed a bayonet charge. But when the hard-pressed units on the Army's right flank gave way, the brigade was forced back too. The next two freezing nights were spent on the field, both sides reforming and altering position, before action resumed on January 2. Once again the Northerners soon fell back in disarray, but then the enemy attack began to lose momentum. Seizing the opportunity, and without waiting for authorisation from his superiors, Miller ordered his brigade to charge across the river to support the beleaguered units. The 21st Ohio, Neibling reported, "although...much impeded by the disorganized flight of infantry, artillery, and riderless horses...reached the opposite bank of Stone's River and engaged the enemy. The struggle which ensued was desperate and bloody... The enemy was completely routed, and night closed pursuit, leaving us in possession of [the] battlefield." It was a terrible victory. Neibling's losses were 24 killed, 109 wounded and 26 missing. Among the wounded was Liberty Warner, who was captured and later paroled. His enthusiasm for a fight had quickly disappeared. A month after the battle, he wrote: "Oh, the scenes of blood that I have seen. I wish that they could cease, not that I fear it, but it so hardens a person, a dead man seems no more than a dead sheep or a log of wood."(9) This was to be the only full-scale fight which Tom Custer saw with his regiment, for in April 1863 he managed to get himself assigned to escort duty on the staff of Major General James S. Negley, the 21st Ohio's division commander. Many years later, General Negley told Libbie Custer (Autie's widow) that he remembered Tom as "a splendid soldier" and "bore testimony in unstinted words to the courage and fidelity of the lad". No doubt the high-spirited but hard-working Tom had exactly the right character to appeal to Negley who was "a huge, handsome man who radiated good will without losing firmness."(10) For his part, Tom, the farmer's son, must have been delighted to be back in the saddle instead

3 Volume XXV Issue 1 Page 3 NewsCaster March 2007 of slogging with the foot soldiers. He was in Negley's escort at the Battle of Chickamauga, but this was not, it would be fair to say, Negley's finest hour. On September 20, the General chose to retreat to Rossville at a time when he was needed to support the Federal left flank. Whether his judgment was impaired due to the physical illness which nearly kept him from the battlefield that day, or whether he was only doing the best he could in view of the fact that he had lost contact with most of his troops, the result was that he was immediately removed from duty until a Court of Enquiry could consider his case the following January. The Court exonerated him of all blame but his days of active service were over. (11) Tom was probably lucky not to have been fighting with the 21st Ohio at Chickamauga. They did not retreat with Negley but stayed until the last, and were one of the final Federal units to withdraw. Armed with Colt revolving rifles, they used up over 43,000 rounds of ammunition, but were eventually almost surrounded by the enemy and had to cut their way out with a bayonet charge. Their casualties numbered nearly half the regiment: 28 killed, 84 wounded and 131 captured or missing. Tom's friend from Tontogany, Liberty Warner, would never write home again about drawing illicit milk rations or making robin pie. He had recovered from his Stone's River wound only to be killed at Chickamauga during the final stand on Snodgrass Hill.(12) G Tom Custer was unwilling to give up the life of an orderly eneral Negley may have gone, but evidently Tom Custer was unwilling to give up the life of an orderly, and his services were needed elsewhere, for he proceeded to serve in the escorts of a succession of generals over the ensuing months. At Missionary Ridge and Chattanooga, from November 20, he was on the staff of Major General U.S. Grant himself. Then, at the beginning of 1864, the 21st Ohio re-enlisted for a further three years as veteran volunteers. After a furlough, during which he attended the wedding of brother Autie to Elizabeth (Libbie) Bacon on February 9 in Monroe, Michigan, Tom spent only a short period back with his regiment before joining the staff of the Fourteenth Corps' John M. Palmer for the Atlanta Campaign. He was with General Palmer in time for the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain on June 27. Following Palmer's resignation in early August over a ranking disagreement, Tom apparently stayed on at Fourteenth Corps Headquarters, under General Jefferson C. Davis, for the Battle of Jonesboro on September 1. He may then have briefly joined the escort of Major General George H. Thomas, commander of the Army of the Cumberland, but there is no clear evidence for this, and he certainly did not accompany Thomas to Nashville later that month after the taking of Atlanta. Instead, Tom was with the Fourteenth Corps as it and the rest of William Tecumseh Sherman's forces pursued John Bell Hood's Confederate army into Alabama. By late October, Sherman was at Gaylesville, and it was here that Tom, who had risen to the rank of corporal on his January re-enlistment, received news of a much more significant promotion.(13) Tom joins his brother Considering the closeness of the "Custer clan" and the widespread nepotism in the armies of both the North and the South, it is surprising that George Armstrong Custer, a brigadier general since June 1863 and newly in charge of a division, should have taken until now to secure a position for his brother on his staff. Perhaps a suitable occasion had not presented itself, or perhaps Autie thought Tom was safer where he was. For whatever reason, it was not until the summer of 1864 that Autie began to make a serious attempt to obtain for Tom an officer's rank in his brigade. At first he was unsuccessful: Colonel Russell A. Alger of the 5th Michigan Cavalry twice declined Autie's request that a suitable vacancy for a second lieutenant in the regiment might be found for Tom. Alger preferred to promote from amongst his own sergeants, and no doubt also realised that Tom would immediately join Autie's staff so would not be much value to the regiment. Colonel James A. Kidd, however, was more amenable and his offer of a commission for Tom in the 6th Michigan was received by Autie at the beginning of October. Autie wrote to Kidd on October 3 of his "sincere and heartfelt gratitude for this great favor", and the following day a letter was sent to George Thomas asking for Tom's transfer.(14) So Corporal Tom Custer was mustered out of the 21st Ohio on October 23, and travelled to the Shenandoah Valley where he took up his appointment as a second lieutenant in Company B of the 6th Michigan Cavalry on November 8. He promptly joined his brother as an assistant aide-de-camp.(15) Autie's regiments had been constantly active that summer and autumn fighting as part of Major General Philip H. Sheridan's Army of the Shenandoah, whose purpose was to drive Lieutenant General Jubal A. Early's Confederate forces out of the Valley. Sheridan's last great success of the season was at Cedar Creek on October 19. Early was driven back and would make one final stand the following March at Waynesboro, so when Tom arrived there was little for the cavalry to do until the spring, except to make a few forays in search of partisans and enemy raiders, and to participate in one or two raids of their own. There was a small battle at Lacey Springs on December 21, when Custer's division was surprised by a pre-dawn enemy attack under the command of his old West Point friend Thomas Rosser, but it was quickly repelled with the loss of only 2 dead and 22 wounded. Autie reported to Sheridan that his worst problem was the weather: during the expedition, 230 of his men were frostbitten.(16) The quiet winter months gave Autie the chance to size his brother up, and he wrote to his father-in-law that "Tom, with a little more experience will make a valuable and efficient aide." Libbie Custer had travelled from Washington to join her husband a few days before Tom's arrival, and Long Meadow, the house near Winchester commandeered for the Custers and division staff, was filled with a succession of visiting friends and relatives, plus the inevitable Custer dogs and other animals.(17) Libbie wrote to her cousin on November 15: "Aut's brother Tom...is with us. Such an openhearted boy, he adds much to our family circle - for as such I consider the staff."(18) Tom was still only nineteen and

4 NewsCaster March 2007 Volume XXV Issue 1 Page 4 photographs taken at this time show a very boyish, clean-shaven lad, slim like his brother. He had the same blue eyes and light complexion, but his sandy hair was a little darker than Autie's famous golden locks. Earlier that year, when Tom had re-enlisted as a veteran with the 21st Ohio, his height on the muster roll was given as 5'9", two inches taller than when he first left home in 1861.(19) Although in a later eulogy Libbie claimed that "[Tom] seemed to have come through unscathed by the coarseness of his surroundings as an enlisted man", he had undoubtedly picked up some unsuitable habits amongst the rough and ready men who fought in the Western Theater.(20) He had started drinking, sometimes to excess, which was a weakness that would stay with him for the rest of his life. Additionally, his conversation was not as refined as Libbie might have preferred, and his taste for tobacco, acquired before the War, had been taken to extremes. Autie admitted that he was "anxious concerning his conduct" for a while, but Libbie soon got to work.(21) "The amount of mothering and petty tyranny I exercised was not in proportion to my years," she said, "but [Tom] submitted to it all as only brave and bigsouled men can do when assured of sincere, disinterested affection."(22) Tom adored Libbie, and, although she was never quite so successful in influencing him as she was with her husband, it does seem that Tom, the uncultured farm boy, made a concerted effort that winter to educate and refine himself: "He not only aimed to be a perfect soldier, but he was determined to take up his studies, interrupted by his early enlistment... he bought himself school-books, and poured over them with patience in the evenings."(23) The following year, Libbie felt able to report to her parents that "Tom is a fine boy. He has improved so much."(24) Autie agreed: "He has quit the use of tobacco, is moderate in drink, is respected and admired by officers and all who come in contact with him."(25) As for work, there was never any question of Tom's receiving preferential treatment from Autie. If anything the opposite was the case. As another member of the staff told Libbie: "If any one thinks it is a soft thing to be the commanding general's brother, he misses his guess." Libbie wrote that on the occasions when "the General and his staff...were awakened by the news that required one of them to saddle and start off for night duty, Tom was the one selected. I never heard that he even looked a murmur."(26) She was being a little economical with the truth here, for Tom had been known to complain to her about "that old galoot" who grumbled at him for "every little darned thing just because I happen to be his brother." Autie drew a sharp dividing line between business and pleasure. Libbie was constantly surprised at the way he would "turn to Tom from a game of cards we were playing, or from a general family frolic in which we were all participating, and give some necessary order in the changed tone and severely grave manner that necessarily belongs to military directions." Family frolics could get a little rough: in December, Maggie Custer grumped to Libbie that Tom pinched her so hard "He left a big blue mark on me last time."(27) The 1865 fighting season began in earnest on March 2 when an attack by Custer's division on Jubal Early's remaining forces at Waynesboro resulted in the latter's complete collapse, and the capture of over 1200 men. Phil Sheridan then moved his troops away from the Shenandoah Valley to join with General Grant and the Army of the Potomac in a final push against Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia in and around Petersburg. At Dinwiddie Court House, on March 31, Sheridan's cavalry faced the Confederate right flank under the command of Major General George E. Pickett. Autie Custer's men were in support but before the day was out they were required to advance and hold a defensive line as the other divisions were forced back. As night fell, the Federals had not succeeded in their aim of reaching the Southside railroad, but, thanks to Custer, nor had they been driven from the field. The next day, at Five Forks, they were able to follow up with a frontal attack by cavalry supported by a fortuitous flanking manoeuvre from the infantry of the Fifth Corps. The consequent Confederate rout precipitated the flight of Lee's Army from Petersburg and Richmond, with Libbie claimed that "[Tom] seemed to have come through unscathed by the coarseness of his surroundings as an enlisted man" Sheridan in hot pursuit as Lee attempted to link up with Joe Johnston's Army of Tennessee in North Carolina. At Waynesboro, Dinwiddie Court House and Five Forks, Tom Custer's performance was everything his brother could have hoped for, and he was brevetted successively to first lieutenant, captain and, eventually, major, for "distinguished and gallant conduct."(28) Two Medals of Honor "The church was headquarters for Rooney Lee and Rufus Barringer on the morning of 3 April, 1865, and later served as a hospital/headquarters for Phil Sheridan in the afternoon. The church faces north and the Confederate forces were across the road facing south. Tom and the Union troops came up Namozine Church Road that ran to the right of the church. That road intersected with Cousins Road directly north of the church." --- Carl Day Tom was to exceed Autie's expectations on two occasions during the next few days. At Namozine Church, on April 3, three regiments of enemy cavalry made a rearguard stand which elements of Custer's division had to dislodge. The Northerners charged in front and flank and the Confederates broke. In the middle of their line the color-bearer of the 2nd North Carolina lost his flag to a young man in the thick of the melee. It was Tom, discovering that a staff position could be far more exciting than it sounded, especially when one's commander was George Armstrong Custer! Autie wrote to Libbie the next day. "Tom in the most gallant manner led the charge of the Second Brigade... [He] is always in the advance." For the second time that month Tom had his horse shot from under him (the first was at Five Forks). As well as the

5 Volume XXV Issue 1 Page 5 color-bearer and flag, he took a dozen prisoners, including two or three officers, and was to be awarded a Medal of Honor for his actions.(29) Just three days later at Sailor's Creek, on April 6, Tom thought he saw an opportunity to add to his new collection of enemy colors. This was a much larger fight than Namozine Church, involving both cavalry and infantry, but once again the battle around Custer's regiments culminated in their charging to dislodge the enemy line. All previous efforts having failed, the mounted charge was ordered and Tom was in the forefront as before. This time, though, the opposition was stronger and there was a second line of breastworks behind the first. Tom was in trouble but still determined to get his flag. One of Autie's brigade commanders, General Henry Capehart, saw what happened next and, twenty years on, described it to Libbie Custer: NewsCaster March 2007 "It was from the second line that he wrested the colors, singlehanded, and only a few paces to my right. As he approached the colors he received a shot in the face which knocked him back on his horse, but in a moment he was again upright in his saddle. Reaching Namozine Church out his right arm, he grasped the flag while the color-bearer reeled. The bullet from Tom's revolver must have pierced him in the region of the heart. As he was falling, Captain Custer wretched the standard away from his grasp and bore it away in triumph. For intrepidity I never saw this incident surpassed."(30) Lieutenant Colonel Edward W. Whitaker, Autie's chief of staff, told Libbie that "Tom, on that day, fought like a lion."(31) Autie was inclined to agree. When he wrote to his father-in-law soon afterwards, he said: "Tom led the assault upon the enemy's breastworks, mounted, was first to leap his horse over the works on top of the enemy while they were pouring a volley of musketry into our ranks. Tom seized the rebel colors and demanded their surrender. The color-bearer shot him through face and neck... So close the muzzle Tom's face was spotted with burnt powder. He retained the colors with one hand, while with the other he drew his revolver and shot the rebel dead... I am as proud of him as can be, as soldier, brother."(32) Tom came racing back into the Federal lines, blood pouring from his face but waving what some sources have identified as the standard of the 2nd Virginia Reserve Battalion. Major John V. Allstrom of the 3rd New Jersey Cavalry saw him and shouted, "For God's sake, Tom, furl that flag or they'll fire on you." As he galloped up to Autie, Tom yelled, "Armstrong, the damned rebels have shot me, but I've got my flag"; then he turned and started back into the fight. His brother told him to go to the rear to have his wound attended to, but Tom's blood was up and Autie could see that he was all set to disobey, so he resorted to the extreme measure of threatening to arrest him. There was no way Tom could defy this, so back to the surgeon he had to go.(33) The next day, in a letter to Libbie, Autie admitted that he was extremely worried. The wound, he said, "is very near the main artery", and "much like the mortal wound" a favourite color sergeant had received at Trevilian Station in June '64. (34) According to Libbie's description, the bullet "had entered [Tom's] cheek and passed out behind his ear", but fortunately the injury was not as serious as it looked.(35) It appears that the musket ball had grazed along just under the surface of Tom's right cheek before coming out at the neck. Tom was not admitted to the field hospital at Burkesville until Lee's Army surrendered three days later. He then travelled to the Cavalry Corps Hospital at City Point, arriving on April 11, and is recorded as having "left hospital without showing authority." A few days later, he was in Washington. Clearly his injury was not a severe one, yet there was always a risk of infection and even good clean facial wounds often result in scarring. Libbie recalled that, in 1866, Tom still bore "the scarlet spot on his cheek where the bullet had penetrated"; and it has been pointed out that one of the few post-war photographs showing the right side of his face reveals what may be a scar.(36) This would tie in with the narratives of the Arikara scouts on the Little Big Horn expedition eleven years later. To them, the younger Custer was "Tom, the one with the scar on his face."(37) For his second capture of an enemy flag Tom was awarded another Medal of Honor, which made him the first to receive this dual distinction since the Medal was inaugurated in In its entire history there have only been around twenty double winners. During the Civil War, Medals of Honor were often given for the capture of Confederate colors, and on occasion the flag in question was not so much captured as found lying on the ground after the fight. However, no one could deny that young Custer deserved his, and that, as Libbie told her parents, "Tom is a hero."(38) It was a proud twenty-year-old who presented his spoils to the War Department in Washington and received his first Medal in a ceremony on April 24.(39) Then he went home to recuperate and, as Libbie put it, "the black patch, planted in the midst of a very new and downy beard, was an ornament in our eyes for all the time it covered his wound." He gave his red necktie,

6 NewsCaster March 2007 Volume XXV Issue 1 Page 6 stiff with blood, to his parents as a memento.(40) On May 22, he was back in Washington for his second Medal, and the next day he rode through the capital in the Grand Review of the Union armies.(41) After the War Following the end of the War, Tom served as Autie's aide in Texas until January 1866, when he travelled to Michigan and mustered out in Detroit on the 31st. Soon afterwards he received a commission as a second lieutenant in the regular army, and later the same year he joined the new 7th Cavalry as a first lieutenant.(42) Because this was one step higher than his position in the volunteer army, his brevet rank was also eventually upgraded to lieutenant colonel. For the rest of his life he would wear his two Medals of Honor with pride at every opportunity, though he showed a healthy Tom Custer with tendency not to take them too seriously. Sometimes he would even allow a girlfriend to be photographed with them pinned to her dress (43). Throughout the next ten years Tom served, usually under his brother, in the 7th Cavalry. He was a good officer, but when Libbie was not around he was prone to lapse into heavy drinking and other bad habits. In February 1869, for instance, Autie wrote Libbie that "[Tom] is cuter than ever, but he is becoming more profane, and a little vulgar. I have not spoken to him about it, but am leaving that pleasant duty for you."(44) Miss Wadsworth, who is wearing his Medals of Honor on her dress, (From the "Medal of Honor Recipients Photo Albums" on the Hall of Heros web site) In 1865, Autie had written that Tom's "excellent judgment tells him when to press the enemy, and when to be moderate. Of all my...officers he is quickest in perceiving at a glance the exact state of things. This trait frequently excites comment." Someone once observed to E.A. Paul, the New York Times correspondent and friend of the Custers, that, since Tom was in Washington that April, he might have been in Ford's Theatre on the 14th, the night of Lincoln's assassination. Paul replied with typical newspaperman's hyperbole: "Impossible. Tom would have taken in the situation at a glance and the assassin would never have escaped."(45) There are some situations, however, where excellent judgment and fast reactions are not enough, as was the case on June 25, 1876, when five companies of the 7th Cavalry were wiped out to a man by the Sioux and Cheyenne, at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Tom was Captain of Company C by this time, but may have been on detached staff duty. At any rate, his body was found a few yards from Autie's, while nearby were the remains of another brother, young Boston (a civilian guide on the expedition). Brother-in-law First Lieutenant James Calhoun, commander of Company L, was lying elsewhere on the field. Tom Custer could only be recognised by means of a tattoo. He had been mutilated beyond all semblance of humanity; indeed his body seems to have been singled out for particular brutalisation. There are a number of theories attempting to account for this, one of the least far-fetched being that it was treatment reserved for those who "fought the longest and hardest", and that Tom, probably after witnessing the death of his brothers, battled on "as a demon possessed." Ironically, First Lieutenant Edward S. Godfrey, who identified Tom's mangled remains, had, like him, been a soldier in the 21st Ohio, back in 1861.(46) Notes: 1. Elizabeth Custer and Arlene Reynolds, The Civil War Memories of Elizabeth Bacon Custer (University of Texas Press, 1994), p Jeffry D. Wert, Custer: The Controversial Life of George Armstrong Custer (Simon & Schuster, 1996), pp Carl F. Day, Tom Custer: Ride to Glory (Arthur H. Clark Company, 2002), pp Elizabeth Custer, "A Beau Sabreur" (Uncle Sam's Medal of Honor, ed. Theodore F. Rodenbough, Putnam, 1887), reprinted in Garry Owen Tid Bits VII (1993), p Tom Custer's Military Records (National Archives, Washington DC). 5. Frederick H. Dyer, A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion (1908, Guild Press reprint 1996), pt.3, p William F. Fox, Regimental Losses in the American Civil War (1889, Guild Press reprint 1996), p.316. Liberty P. Warner, "Tenting With Tom: Descriptives of life for a private soldier in the 21st Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment", The Guidon, Vol.3, No.1 (October 1999), pp Liberty P. Warner, Letters of January 3 and 10, 1862, on the website of the Center for Archival Collections: 6. Warner, Letters of March 29, April 19, early July, May 30 and November 13, 1862 (Center for Archival Collections web site). 7. Marguerite Merington, The Custer Story: The Life and Intimate Letters of General George A. Custer and His Wife Elizabeth (1950, University of Nebraska Press reprint 1987), p.29. Wert, Custer, p.49. Tom Custer after the War, with what appears to be a scar on his right cheek. Tom Custer when First Lieutenant, 7th Cavalry, wearing his Medals of Honor.

7 Volume XXV Issue 1 Page 7 NewsCaster March Warner, Letter of December 15, 1862 (Center for Archival Collections web site). U.S. War Department, War of the Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (Washington DC, , Guild Press reprint 1996) [OR], series 1, vol.20, pt.1, p Ibid, pp.432,438. Fox, Regimental Losses, p.316. Warner, "Tenting With Tom", p.25. Warner, Letter of January 31, 1863 (Center for Archival Collections web site). 10. Tom Custer's Military Records (National Archives). Custer, "A Beau Sabreur", p.16. Glenn Tucker, Chickamauga: Bloody Battle in the West (1961, Morningside Press reprint 1992), p OR, series 1, vol.30, pt.1, pp Fox, Regimental Losses, p.316. Tucker, Chickamauga, pp ,368. Warner, "Tenting With Tom", p Tom Custer's Military Records (National Archives). Tom Custer's Service Record in Garry Owen Tid Bits VII (1993), p.32. W. Donald Horn, "Tom Custer's Civil War Wounds Considered", Little Big Horn Associates Newsletter, vol.24, no.3 (April 1995), p.6 (Tom Custer to General David Hunter, 1866). Tom's supposed stint in the escort of General Thomas is noted by a number of writers, but without anything approaching a verifiable date or location. In his Service Record it is listed as happening after his time with General Palmer, but it's hard to see how it could have fitted in at this point. 14. J.H. Kidd, Riding with Custer: Recollections of a Cavalryman in the Civil War (University of Nebraska Press reprint 1997), Introduction p.xiii. General George A. Custer to General George H. Thomas, October 4, 1864 (Tom Custer's Military Records, National Archives). 15. Tom Custer's Military Records (National Archives). Tom Custer's Service Record in Garry Owen Tid Bits VII, p OR, series 1, vol.43, pt 1, pp ; pt.2, p Merington, The Custer Story, p.133. Wert, Custer, p.199. There is an oft-reprinted photograph of a typical group of Custer s staff and visitors around this time. Web address Merington, The Custer Story, p Tom Custer's Military Records (National Archives). 20. Custer, "A Beau Sabreur", p Merington, The Custer Story, p Custer, "A Beau Sabreur", p Ibid. 24. Merington, The Custer Story, p Ibid, p Custer, "A Beau Sabreur", p Custer and Reynolds, The Civil War Memories of Elizabeth Bacon Custer, p.127. Day, Tom Custer: Ride to Glory, p OR, series 1, vol.46, pt.1, p Tom Custer's Military Records (National Archives). 29. OR, series 1, vol.46, pt.1, p Custer and Reynolds, The Civil War Memories of Elizabeth Bacon Custer, p.137. Merington, The Custer Story, p Custer, "A Beau Sabreur", p Ibid. 32. Merington, The Custer Story, pp Horn, "Tom Custer's Civil War Wounds Considered", p.6. Custer, "A Beau Sabreur", pp.18,19. There is considerable uncertainty as to whether the colors which Tom took at Sailor's Creek were actually those of the 2nd Virginia Reserve Battalion (Carl Day, "If You Want to Know...", Greasy Grass [Custer Battlefield Historical and Museum Association], Vol.9, May 1993, p.10). Although often repeated, the authority for the identification seems to be a dubious one: D.A. Kinsley's Favor the Bold (1967). The attack of Custer's troopers was against George Pickett's division which was facing roughly south-east. The 2nd Virginia Reserve Battalion was a mile to the north, facing north-east, in Patrick T. Moore's brigade of G.W.C. Lee's division. There were essentially two separate battles being fought simultaneously. The only way the 2nd Virginia Reserves could have been perceived as being in the second line of breastworks encountered by Tom, was if this appeared to be the case during the Confederate retreat, when the forces from both sections merged. According to R.T.W. Duke, the lieutenant colonel of the 2nd Virginia Reserve Battalion ("boys between sixteen and eighteen, and old men between forty-five and fifty" from the defences of Richmond), this did not happen; although allowance must be made for the fact that he was writing George Armstrong Custer and staff, with friends and family members, outside headquarters near Winchester, Virginia, in early Tom Custer is the first seated figure on the left (with the dog on his lap). Immediately above him is Elizabeth Custer, with George A. Custer to her left. (Courtesy of Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument)

8 NewsCaster March 2007 Volume XXV Issue 1 Page 8 over thirty years after the War (R.T.W. Duke, "Burning of Richmond", Southern Historical Society Papers, Vol.25, Jan-Dec 1897, pp ). While it is possible that his statement, "about that time a squadron of cavalry rode up from the rear and we surrendered", refers to Custer's men, it can hardly be made to accord with the descriptions of eye-witnesses to the events surrounding Tom's impulsive heroics. Far more likely, therefore, that Tom's opponent was the color-bearer of a different regiment. 34. Custer and Reynolds, The Civil War Memories of Elizabeth Bacon Custer, p Custer, "A Beau Sabreur", p Horn, "Tom Custer's Civil War Wounds Considered", p.6. Elizabeth Custer, Tenting on the Plains (1893, University of Oklahoma Press reprint 1994), p.191. The photograph is not entirely convincing. Day, in Tom Custer: Ride to Glory (p.75), says that it "clearly shows what appears to be a scar, or some minor soft tissue damage to his right lower jaw extending to a point just below the right ear". However, this straight white line looks more like a scratch on the negative plate, and it in no way resembles the "scarlet spot" described by Libbie. If the picture does, in fact, post-date Tom's Sailor's Creek wound, either of two dark shadows behind and in front of the scratch could be the scar. A better case can be made for a group photograph taken in Texas, which definitely dates from late 1865 (e.g. Lawrence A. Frost, The Custer Album: A Pictorial Biography of General George A. Custer, University of Oklahoma Press, 1964, p.74). Here, Tom seems to have a distinct dark mark on his right cheek. 37. W.A. Graham, The Custer Myth: A Sourcebook of Custeriana (1953, Stackpole Books reprint 1995), p Merington, The Custer Story, p.165. Tom was awarded his Medals of Honor on April 24, 1865 (for Namozine Church), and May 22, 1865 (for Sailor's Creek) (Francis B. Heitman, Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, Vol.1, 1903, p.348). 39. Tom O'Neil, "The Heroes in Washington", Garry Owen Tid Bits VII (1993), p.9. Both flags are now in the vaults of the Museum of the Confederacy, Richmond, Virginia (Day, "If You Want to Know...", p.10). 40. Custer, "A Beau Sabreur", p.19. Custer and Reynolds, The Civil War Memories of Elizabeth Bacon Custer, p Day, Tom Custer: Ride to Glory, pp Tom Custer's Military Records (National Archives). Tom Custer's Service Record in Garry Owen Tid Bits VII, p Photograph in Frost, The Custer Album, p Merington, The Custer Story, p Ibid, p Graham, The Custer Myth, pp.345, Tom O'Neil, "Tom Custer: The Other Custer", Blackpowder Annual 1997 (Dixie Gun Works), p.80. Godfrey's time with the 21st Ohio was while it was a three-month regiment. His enlistment ended on August 12, 1861, so he did not actually serve with Tom then (William E. Moody, with Joseph E. Moody, "Soldier of Valor", Research Review: The Journal of the Little Big Horn Associates, Vol.15, No.1, Winter 2001, p.14). I would like to thank Roger Young of The Guidon for his help in tracking down some sources of information for this article. Reprinted with the permission of the author: Rosemary Pardoe. Web Address Rebecca Who? Project Update Winter doldrums? Has "cabin fever" set in? CAOA's solution: dig out the December News Caster from your holiday mail, reread the article about the Rebecca Surname Study, and then brighten your winter by participating! Thanks to Tom Rutter for his input - from his Blackberry because his power was out! He provided some leads the same day he received his News Caster. Help us by following his lead and respond to the following: share your list of the sources you have checked concerning Rebecca's maiden name. It is important to provide sources checked that did not yield a surname. It would also help if we knew you did not have any sources and had some ideas on what sources you might think would help solve this mystery. The study needs one or two volunteers with access to Ancestry.com's family trees to follow leads found in the various trees. If you have any questions or are willing to assist in the study please contact rebecca-who@caoa-gen.org John Roose Have you checked our web page lately The DNA Project page and Rebecca Who pages have been updated.

9 Volume XXV Issue 1 Page 9 FOUNDING OF GERMANTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA Richland County Records SOME RICHLAND COUNTY, OHIO MARRIAGES Marriages Direct Index Grooms, Probate Court, Richland County, Ohio FHL film copied by Mary-Margaret Ward Groom Bride Date Vol:Page Castor, Charles Strong, Esther 13 February :41 Caster, Daniel McCrea, Mary 29 October :40 Castor, George W. May G. 23 May :320 Caster, John Diller, Ann 07 February :94 Castor, John Hanlin, Isabella 08 November :354 Castor, Oliver P. Shafer, Sarah J. 15 June :388 Caster, Uriah Huuter, Betsy 30 March :137 Caster, Thompson Gerard, Rachel 06 August :317 Castor, Watson Cornwall, Eleanor 10 January :213 Custer, David McCoy, Mary 10 April :164 Kester, George Swauger, Hester 31 December :676 Kester, Isaac Rockey, Elizabeth 06 November :219 Kiester, Samuel McCready, Esther 30 April :193 Kester, Thomas S. Getlings, Addie 09 September :254 Kester, Thomas S. Vanhorn, Anna 25 January :116 Marriages Direct Index Brides, Probate Court, Richland County, Ohio FHL film copied by Mary-Margaret Ward Groom Bride Date Vol:Page Jones, Elija Caster, Elizabeth 01 February :14 Loettinger Castor, Molly 20 September :32 Gass, Cicero T. Castor, Mary E. 30 April :677 Brinely, Charles O. Caster, Leona 23 December :123 Godder, Cyrus C. Castor, Maria 05 July 1835 Amsbaugh, Uzal H. Caster, Samantha L. 13 December :451 Stevens, Benton Custer, Mary Jane 17 January 1864 From Ancestry.com, 14 January 2006: Kiester, Samuel M. Price, Margaret 26 August 1869 Brown, Oliver G. Castor, Elizabeth M. 11 September 1856 Stevens, Benton Custer, Mary Jane 17 January 1864 NewsCaster March 2007 When the thirteen Mennonite families from Krefeld landed in Philadelphia on October 6, 1683 after a 75-day voyage, they were greeted not only by William Penn but also by a young, 32-year old German lawyer, Francis Daniel Pastorius, who had become a close friend with Penn since his arrival on August 20, 1683 on the ship America with about a dozen people, among them his personal servants. When Daniel Pastorius, a well traveled scholar, had heard about Penn's visits to the Rhineland in 1671 and 1677 to recruit a group of religious and affluent Pietists, he decided to associate himself with the group. But plans with the Frankfurt Land Company did not materialize. Instead, Pastorius became the leader of thirteen more modest families, who wished to escape religious intolerance, and settle where they could lead a quiet and God-fearing life, free from religious controversy and with the promise of liberty. That place was to be Germantown, Pennsylvania. This information was extracted from an article written for the Indiana German Heritage Society Newsletter by Betty Randall. From Richland County, Ohio Marriage Records compiled by Mohican Area Genealogist Interested in Computers, Richland County Chapter, Ohio Genealogical Society, Mansfield, Ohio Groom Bride Date Vol:Page Robert, Charles Castor/Caster Elizabeth 23 March :43 Kennel, John Castor, Jane 31 August :158 Jones, Nathan Castor, Margaret 25 Agust :111 Goodall, Unis Goodall, Cyrus C. 05 July :214 Castor, Susan Swasack, William 01 January :3

10 NewsCaster March 2007 Volume XXV Issue 1 Page 10 Richland County Records, continued Some Richland County, Ohio Court Records INDEX TO JOURNALS COURT OF COMMON PLEAS FHL Copied by Mary-Margaret Ward Castor, Sampson v. Paul Castor et al 01:56 Caster, Uriah v. (not readable) 03:472, 378 Castor, Ben v. Thos. Taylor 05:210,217, 260, 265 Caster, Benjamin v. W m Petersen 23: 380 Caster, B v. 23:417 Caster, B v. 23:450 Caster, Benjamin v. William Petersen 23: 462 Caster, B v. W Petersen 23:423 Caster, Benj v. W m Petersen 23:604 Caster, Benjamin v. F Ft & C Rlw 27:57, 70, 81 Castor, Wm v. Amos Diller 07:677 Castor, John v. (unclear: E slate?) 08:115,269 Caster & wife v. Joseph Jarard 20:422 Castor, Sampson v. P & W Caster 11: 181, 390, 563 Castor, Sampson v. Paul Castor & William Castor 13: 92, 459 Castor, Sampson v. Paul & William Castor 13: 252 Castor, Paul Estate of 14:279 Castor, Sampson v. Paul Castor 14:305 Castor, Sampson v. Joseph Hildreth 14: 484 Adm of Paul Castor 15;27 Some Richland County, Ohio Land Records GRANTEE DEED INDEX RICHLAND COUNTY, OHIO VOL. 1 NO FHL Copied by Mary-Margaret Ward Grantee Grantor Vol:Pg Date Date Description Deed Rec. Castor, Benjamin William Castor 19: SW S30 T23 R19 Castor, Conrad Thomas Glass 10: NW S22 T20 R ac Castor, Conrad Martin Andrews 23: Plymouth Castor, Conrad U.S. 25: NW 23S 20T 16R 40 ac Custard, John John Henry 09: Vermillion 8/10 Custard, John Daniel Hoover 09: NW 18S 23T 19R 77+ ac Custard, John Richard Freeborn 10: Vermillion Custard, John John Henry 10: Vermillion Custard, John John Henry 09: Vermillion Custard, John Robert McMurray 09: Vermillion Custard, John Richard Freeborn 10: SE 31S 22T 20R 80 ac Custard, John John Henry 10: Vermillion Custard, John John Henry 09: Vermillion Custard, John Robert McMurray 09: Vermillion Custard, John John Henry 10: Vermillion Custard, John Richard Freeborn 10: Vermillion Custard, John William Houritt 14: NW 29S 20T 15R 10 ac Custer/Caster, Joseph Robert Gin 23: Petersburg Castor, Paul Wm. Jarrard 33: SE 31S 23T 19R 15 ac Castor, Paul Moses Deckie 33: NE 31S 23T 19R 10 ac Castor, Paul Jobe Mase 14: SE 30S 23T 19R 80 ac Castor, Paul Moses Deckie 33: NE 31S 23T 19R 10 ac Caster, Tobias Conrad Castor 25: NW 23S 20T 16R 40 ac Castor, Uriah James Hunter 06: qtr N 1/2 26S 20T 16R Castor, William Joseph Jerrard 21: NEqtr 30S 23T 19R 10 ac Castor William Jobe Mase 14: SWqtr 30S 23T 19R 80 ac Caster, Tobias Conrod Castor 25: NWqtr 23S 20T 40 ac

11 Volume XXV Issue 1 Page 11 NewsCaster March 2007 Early Settlers from Germantown, West to Today s Montgomery County, Pennsylvania from Umstadt: The Rhine to the Skippack and Beyond by Elizabeth Madison Coles Umstattd 1720 "The earliest date of land being purchased in the vi-cinity of Fairview Village is in May 1720 when Thomas Shute and James Steel directed a survey of 1,000-acres, selling a portion of it to the following settlers: John Umstead [Johannes Umstat], Peter Bon, John Bull, Adam VanFossen, Jacob Engle and Hugh Pugh. (Worcester Section 1, pg. 12) 1725 Bebber Township became Skippack and Perkiomen. A petition spearheaded by Heinrich Pannebecker, supporting this move was signed by Klas Jansen, Johan Umstat, Peter Bon, Henry Pannebecker, Hermanus Kuster, Paulus Frid, Johannes van Fossen, Johannes Friedt, Hans Tetweiller, Jacob Scheimer, Paul Friedt, Willem Weirman, Nicholas H st, Henrich Kolb, Martin Kolb, Jacob Kolb, Jacob Merckley, Arnold van Fossen, Isaac Dubois, Huppert Kassel, John Pawling, John Jacobs, Richard Jacob, Michael Ziegler, Christoph Dock, Hans Volweiller, Valentin Hunsicker, Richard Gobel, Matthias Teissen, Arnold vanvossen, Jacob Op de Graff, George Merckle, Daniel Deesmont, and Peter Jansen. Heinrich Pannebecker helped those who were unable to write their names. Johannes Umstat, Henry Pannebecker and Christopher Dock petitioned the Philadelphia Court to have Skippack Township laid out and surveyed. Johannes Umstat's brother-in-law, Heinrich Pannebecker, most likely did the surveying, since he laid out most, if not all, the roads in "Philadelphia County." A petition stating the difficulties under which the constables, collectors, supervisors of the highways, and other officers had labored, asked that the boundaries be confirmed. Apparently Pannebecker signed for a few men who were not able to write. Those who supported the petition were: Klas Jansen Johan Umstat Peter Bon Henry Pannebecker Hermannus Kuster Paulus Frid Johannes Van Fossen Johannes Friedt Hans Teweiller Jacob Scheimer Paul Friedt Willem Weierman Nicholas H st Henrich Kolb Martin Kolb Jacob Kolb Jacob Merckley Arnold Vanfossen Isaac Dubois 1728 In the spring, there was hostile Indian activity which caused terror among those living in the Skippack and Perkiomen region. On the 29th of April, the residents peti-tioned Governor Patrick Gordon telling him that, due to the Indian hostility, several families had fled their homes in some cases, the women in Childbed were forced into the cold outdoors. There was no response from the governor. In early May, just 5 miles from the Skippack and Perkiomen Township border, a Spanish Indian led 11 armed Indians in war paint as they went

12 NewsCaster March 2007 Volume XXV Issue 1 Page 12 house to house looking for food and liquor. Twenty German/Welshmen followed the Shawanese Indians and a skirmish ensued. When hit, the Spanish Indian dropped his Gun and Match Coat and ran into the woods. Much was made of this giving the impression that the situation was much worse than it actually was. Although later it was discovered that five settlers and several Indians were wounded, no one was killed. The Shawanese were on their way to help the Delawares against the Flatfeet. John Roberts, who was very upset; wrote a petition to the governor requesting help. The first four signatures were John Roberts, John Pawling, Hendrick Pannebecker and William Lane. Of the 77 names that were listed only 33 were signatures the remainder were X. Those who signed were: John Jacobs, Isaac Dubois, Israel Morris, Benjamin Fry, Jacob Op den Graeff, Johannes Scholl, Richard Adams, George Poger, Adam Sellen, Dielman Kolb, Martin Kolb, Gabriel Shouler, Anthony Halman, John Isaac Klein Hans Detweiler, William Bitts, Heinrich Ruth, Hupert Kassel, Henry Teutlinger, Christian Weber, Gerhard In de Hoffen Lorentz Bingaman, Richard Jacob, Hermannus Kuster, Peter Bun, Jacob Engers, Hans Weierman, Conrad Custer, Jacob Marieke, Christian Neuswanger, Conrad Reiff, Jacob Kolb, Hans Ulrich Bergey, John Myer, Henrich Kolb, John Fried, Paul Fried, William Smith, Peter Rambo, David Young, Christopher Schmidt, Harret Clemens, Johannes Reichardt, Matthias Tyson, Peter Johnson, Hans Joest Heijt, Christian Allebach, Hans Reiff, Daniel Stauffer, Abraham Schwartz, Johann Valentine Kratz, John Johnson, Ulrich Heffelfinger, Nicholas Haldeman, Michael Ziegler, Christian Stoner, Johannes Garber, John Haldeman, Claus Jansen, Nicholas Hicks, Johannes Leisher, Jacob Sheimer, Michael Krause, Peter Reiff, George Reiff, George Meyer, Bastian Smith, Edward In De Hoffen, Christian Kroll, Jacob Grater, Jacob Stauffer, Henry Stauffer, Paul Friedt, Jr. The plea for help was taken by horseback to the governor, in Philadelphia, who immediately set out for Manatawny. After finding a number of the homes deserted and a group of Germans, ready to defend themselves, in a mill near New Hanover Township. Governor Gordon commis- sioned John Pawling and Marcus Huling to organize the settlers for the defense of the area. They were issued gun powder and lead By this time land sales had been made to: Hendrick Pannebecker 404 acres Johannes Umstat 204 acres Dirck & William Renberg 300 acres Gerhard & Herman In de Hoffen 440 acres Gerhard Clemens 100 acres The Mennonite Meeting 100 acres Andrew Schrayer 100 acres Claus Jansen 306 acres Daniel Desmond 150 acres Johannes Kolb 150 acres Solomon Dubois 500 acres John Krey 306 acres Johannes Froedt 123 acres Reserved (to later be conveyed to Ludwig Christian Sprogell, Phila. merchant) 120 acres Total 3,303 acres Anna Custer daughter of Conrad BARKLEY FAMILY. Samuel Barkley, of Virginia, and a veteran of 1812, settled in Jessamine County, and bought a farm of 500 acres at the head of the Jessamine Creek, on the Versailles and Nicholasville Pike. He married Jane Singleton, of Virginia, and to them were born seven children: Levi, Isaac, Frank, Mason, Samuel, George and Joseph (deceased). Isaac Barkley, son of Samuel, was born May 5, 1819, and died August 2, He married Miss Mary Bryant, November 18, 1832, daughter of Joseph Bryant, of Jessamine County, who died in 1836, leaving two children: John C., who was a member of Morgan's brigade, discharged for disability, and was killed at his home, in Missouri, by Bushwhackers; and Mary E., who died October 30, He married, for his second wife, Anna Custer, daughter of Conrad Custer, of Jessamine County. She was born December 23, 1814, and died July 8, By this marriage he had eight children: Lizzie (Mrs. Hugh McDowell), Maggie, Anna (Mrs. Wm. Stelle, of Nicholasville), Samuel C., Joseph, George, Mary (Mrs. Wm. Doty, of South Carolina) and Alice. George Barkley was born May 3, 1851, and Joseph, September 11, They were educated at the common schools of the county, and reared at home. In 1875 the two brothers purchased the homestead property, which contains 335 acres, and are engaged in general farming. Their place is situated on the Versailles and Nicholasville Pike, about three miles from Nicholasville. Neither of the brothers are married. barkley.txt Kentucky: A History of the State, Battle, Perrin, & Kniffin, 5th ed., 1887, Jessamine Co. Note: I have been unable to find Anna Custer in the archive files. If you have any information on her please contact me at archives@caoa-gen.org. Thanks for your help --Patricia

13 NewsCaster March 2007 Volume XXV Issue 1 Page 13 Researching the Descendants of Paulus Küster by Jean M. White Doing the History Eliminates the Mystery is a great quote from Curt Witcher, head of the genealogy section of the Allen County (IN) Public Library. If you read the history associated with your ancestors, you will better understand what was going on at the time your ancestors lived, what events influenced them, and where you need to go to find their records. To better understand the life and times of Paulus and Gertrude Küsters, you need to understand the religious aspects of the family. Paulus, a Catholic, married Gertrude Dohrs, a Mennonite. They were married in the Reformed Church in Kaldenkirchen. This would have been a highly unlikely marriage because of their different religious backgrounds. And to further complicate matters their three sons who came to Pennsylvania were each a different religion - Arnold was Reformed, Johannes was Quaker, and Hermanus was Mennonite. An excellent book documenting the religious upheaval in the Krefeld area is William Penn and the Dutch Quakers by William I. Hull. The book is online at: Another stumbling block to research on the Küsters, is the fact that the entire family did not emigrate together. It is known that Johannes came earlier than his parents and siblings. Johannes is listed on the first tax list of Philadelphia County in 1693 and he also signed the petition for naturalization that same year. Meanwhile Paulus and Gertrude were the sponsors at the baptism of twin grandchildren in Krefeld, Germany in December of that same year. No way could they have been sponsors of the twins if they were living in Pennsylvania. A note about the petition for naturalization that Johannes signed in It does not mean that he was naturalized at that time. In fact the petition was turned down. Johannes lead the Petition for Naturalization in 1706 and it took until 1713 before Queen Anne confirmed it. By then both Johannes and Paulus had died, and since they were not citizens their land could not be passed on to their descendants. Another hangup in researching the early Pennsylvania families is the formation of the counties. While Bucks County is an original county (formed in 1682), Montgomery County is not. Montgomery County was formed in 1784 from Philadelphia County. This means that any records before 1784 will found in Philadelphia County records. In fact if one gets down to the formation of the townships in Montgomery County, one would find that Arnold s land was in the northwest corner of the county in an area that is now part of Pottstown (note on map which way is north). If a researcher goes through a record, all information on the Kusters and Castors, etc. should be extracted. The idea of a researcher looking for one particular item to the exclusion of other information on the family is both time consuming and unrealistic. One does not always find what they are looking for, but many times other vital information is found in the record.

14 Volume XXV Issue 1 Page 14 NewsCaster March 2007 Below is a list of films that can be ordered from the Family History Library at your local Family History Center. They contain records that were not researched in the preparation of the Paulus book. There are a number of films of Orphan Court records, which in Pennsylvania contain estate records where there was no will. Castor/Custer/Kuster researchers can help the CAOA by letting the Archive Coordinator (archives@caoa-gen.org) know if you have already searched any of the following records and what you have found. If you haven't and would like to help let her know what your plans are and let her know what you find. Philadelphia County Orphans' Court records ; Index Microfilm of original records in the Philadelphia City Hall. The dockets are used as an index to the estates. Orphans' Court index A-Z, FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Orphans' Court dockets, v. 1-6, FHL US/CAN Film [21844 ] Orphans' Court dockets, v. 7-10, FHL US/CAN Film [21845 ] Orphans' Court dockets, v , FHL US/CAN Film [21846 ] Orphans' Court dockets, v , FHL US/CAN Film [21847 ] Orphans' Court estate papers, v. 1 2 (p.1 168), FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Orphans' Court estate papers, v. 2 (p.168 end) v. 3 (p.1 103), FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Orphans' Court estate papers, v. 3 (p.104 end) v. 4 (p ), FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Orphans' Court estate papers, v. 5 (p.1 216), FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Orphans' Court estate papers, v. 5 (p.217 end) v. 7 (p.1 128), FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Orphans' Court estate papers, v. 7 (p.129 end) v. 9 (p.1 68), FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Orphans' Court estate papers, v. 9 (p ), FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Orphans' Court estate papers, v. 9 (p.217 end) v. 10 (p.1 210), FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Orphans' Court estate papers, v. 10 (p.251 end) v. 11 (p.1 251), FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Orphans' Court estate papers, v. 11 (p.285 end) v. 12 (p.1 37), FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Orphans' Court estate papers, v. 47 (p ), 1856; Miscellaneous packets 1770, 1776, 1779, 1780 FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Orphans' Court estate papers, Miscellaneous packets 1780, 1801, 1822, 1824, 1825, 1842 FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Tax and exoneration lists, ; Minutes of County Commissioners, Pennsylvania. Comptroller General (Main Author) Philadelphia County (Pennsylvania). County Commissioners (Added Author) Microfilm of original records in the Pennsylvania State Archives in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Taxes 1769, Minutes of County Commissioners, FHL US/CAN Film [ Item 2 ] Minutes of County Commissioners, Taxes 1779 FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Taxes FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Taxes FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Taxes FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Road docket, Pennsylvania. Court of Quarter Sessions (Philadelphia County) (Main Author) Microfilm of original records at the Philadelphia city archives. Indexes to roads, streets, etc. Includes petitions for laying out or opening up roads, streets, and bridges specifying desired routes and names of petitioners, reports of court appointed road viewers, etc. Philadelphia city archives: Indexes to road dockets , ; Road docket, v. 9, ; Road docket, v. 1, FHL US/ CAN Film [ ] Road docket, v. 2 4, FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Road petitions, 1699 ca.1800 Pennsylvania. Court of Quarter Sessions (Philadelphia County) (Main Author) Microfilm of original records in Philadelphia city archives. Dates listed are approximate only. Includes papers in re opening of streets, roads, bridges, parks, filed by location; court's appointment of viewers and their reports, etc. Philadelphia city archives: Road petitions Folio FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Road petitions Folio FHL US/CAN Film [ ]

15 NewsCaster March 2007 Volume XXV Issue 1 Page 15 Deeds, ; index to deeds, Philadelphia County (Pennsylvania). Recorder of Deeds (Main Author) Microfilm of original records in the Philadelphia County Courthouse, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Some records are difficult to read. Philadelphia City Archives: 5.1 Grantor index to deeds v. C FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Grantor index to deeds v. K FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Grantee index to deeds v. C FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Grantee index to deeds v. K FHL US/CAN Film [ ] A list of names of the inhabitants of the county of Philadelphia with the quantity of land they respectively hold therein according to the uncertain returns of the Constable, 1734 Microfilm of records from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Note in record: The foregoing list of names of the Freeholders with the number of acres of land that many of them are said to possess; many more there are inserted of whose lands there has not yet been any account given, the reasons are entered against the respective lists of names and of the freeholders in your county of Philadelphia which makes the number of inhabitants appear so few, but when the single men, journeymen and housekeepers that are not freeholders be added to that number it then appears that there is taxable people in the county 2333 and in the city 1355 to equal 3688 signed by Jn. Hyatt. A list of names of the inhabitants of the county of Philadelphia with the quantity of land they respectively hold therein according to the uncertain returns of the Constable, 1734 FHL US/CAN Film [ Item 16 ] Montgomery County Orphans' Court Dockets, Microfilm of the original records at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Each volume has an index. Orphans' Court Dockets v FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Probate records, Micro reproduction of ms. To use these records find the names of the person in the Estate Index, obtain the volume, page and block number of the Preceedings Index, in the Proceeding Index you will find the volume and page number of each type of probate record for which you are looking. Estate index, surname C. FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Estate index, surname K. FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Proceedings index, vols FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Proceedings index, vols FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Proceedings index, vols FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Proceedings index, vol. 7. FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Proceedings index, vol. 8. FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Proceedings index, vols FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Tax Lists, Montgomery County (Pennsylvania). Board of County Commissioners Microfilm of the original records at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Abington Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Cheltenham Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Douglas Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Franconia Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Frederick Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Gwynedd Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Hatfield Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Horsham Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Limerick Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Lower Merion Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Lower Salford Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Marlborough Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Moreland Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Montgomery Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] New Hanover Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ]

16 Volume XXV Issue 1 Page 16 Norriton Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Pottsgrove Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Perkiomen Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Plymouth Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Springfield Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Towamencin Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Upper Dublin Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Upper Hanover Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Upper Merion Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Upper Providence Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Upper Salford Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Whitemarsh Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Whitpain Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] Worcester Township FHL US/CAN Film [ ] NewsCaster March 2007 Krefeld, Germany Shield of Arms, - Krefeld Germany History Krefeld is located in Germany on the West bank of the lower Rhine River, not far from Holland. The area around Krefeld is rather flat and contains many backwaters left by the Rhine when it altered its course. The town is a beautiful mix of the old and new, with a spacious plaza and pedestrian area at the center of the city joining three of the major cultural facilities, the Seidenweberhaus (Silkweaver's House), the Municipal Theater and the Public Library. In addition, Krefeld has three art museums and the Museum Burg Linn, a restored Medieval moated castle. Of special historical interest to Americans is Philadelphia house, built in 1955 in memory of the 13 Krefeld Mennonite families who in 1683 were the first Germans to immigrate to the United States. Krefeld's history dates back to the year 69 AD when it was part of the Holy Roman Empire. During the ensuing centuries the town assumed different names as it was dominated by the Franks, the Earl of Moers, Prussia and Napoleon. It owes its modern name to the Mennonites who came from France in the 17th century. These immigrants were recognized throughout Europe as skilled weavers of silk and velvet. Even today, 8 out of 10 ties worn in Germany are manufactured in Krefeld. This is reflected in Krefeld's official motto, "Stadt wie Samt und Seide" (A City Like Velvet and Silk). PRE-PUBLICATION NOTICE : Hans George Gerster, A Significant Providence Dear Castor Clan, A documented narrative on the life of Hans Georg Gerster of Gelterkinden, Canton of Baselland, Switzerland, who immigrated to Philadelphia in 1736, has just been completed by Richard J. Castor. Its purpose is to place the historical information gathered on both continents over the years into an interesting and more readable chronological form with demographics that better appreciate the historical background of his life s experiences. The 140 page book contains information from over 60 sources including earlier and more recent findings of Swiss research, The Frankford Historical Society, the Germantown Historical Society, and The Historical Society of Pennsylvania. New information about the unique influences that forged Hans life is presented, that helped create his life s contributions to our world. This book also contains many colored pictures depicting old scenes of his Swiss and American history compared to the same sites today, photographs taken by the author, who also attended the 900 th Anniversary Celebration of Hans Gerster s hometown of Gelterkinden in This third volume of Castor history will replicate the same dimensions and approximate the red hardbound cover as A Castor Family in America, Volumes I & II. Its Table of Contents is enclosed. Cost of the book will be approximately $35 plus postage, dependant upon the number of requests that are made. The limited copies printed will be made available when ordered later. Those interested in purchasing a copy or copies at a later date, please complete the form below. Note: Please share this information with other family members (children?) as our Castor Reunion Address List is outdated. Your sending updated addresses and s would also be most appreciated, even if you are not interested in the book. We are beginning to prepare an address list for the 275 th Gerster/Castor Anniversary Reunion of 2011, under the direction of Mr. Robert G. Castor. Contact Richard J. Castor for more information at rcastor@onlineimage.com Phone:

17 Volume XXV Issue 1 Page 17 From The President NewsCaster March 2007 We Need Your Participation The CAOA DNA Project is in desperate need of an administrator. This valuable project has already proven common ancestry between several lines where the paper trail had failed to do so. There is so much potential knowledge to be gained and mysteries to be solved. We really need a guiding light for this project. If you are willing to be more involved in CAOA by taking on this opportunity, please archives@caoagen.org. Spring has almost sprung, at least in Texas, and the CAOA Board sprang into action and had its first meeting of the year on February 10 th via conference call. Board members in attendance were myself, Vice President Gary Custer, Secretary Mary-Margaret Ward, Treasurer Joe Lacy, Archive Coordinator Patricia Caster, and Editor Alton Sissell. It was a pleasure to meet together. The most exciting decision we made was to produce a series of new publications. Called Workbooks, these publications will be a useful compilation of information sent in by CAOA members along with research tools. Each Workbook will focus on a particular CAOA line or portion of a line. Our Archivist will compile the genealogy of a line showing our ancestors and their offspring. Documentation and sources sent in by the original CAOA member contributors will be included. Aids, such as tables, will assist in identifying missing information that needs to be researched. These Workbooks will quickly show what information is known about a line and what information is still needed, with suggestions on obtaining the missing information. The Workbooks will be great to carry along on research trips. We are hoping that the members who receive them will help fill in the blanks that are missing. By sharing, we can update the books periodically, and it may help us tie families together. There will eventually be a Workbook for each of the 200+ lines that CAOA follows. In order to allow Patricia, our Archivist, the time needed to compile the Workbooks, the CAOA Board has voted to discontinue providing lineage reports to new members, as of March 1, Lineage reports traced the ancestors of a specific person, whereas, each Workbook will be applicable to multiple members. The Workbooks may be purchased as a download, which may then be printed by the purchaser, or as a book. Since each line will be a separate publication, they will become available as time permits. Members who have joined CAOA before March 1, 2007 may choose between a lineage report or may purchase a Workbook at a special price. The Castor Association has several ongoing projects: The CAOA DNA Project, Archives Duplication Project, The News Caster Scan Project, Benjamin Castor/Custard 1741 Book, the Data Entry Project, and our newest project, RebeccaWho. Each project is progressing nicely. You are always welcome to get in touch with me if you have any suggestion or question. I would love to hear from you. Condolences from CAOA to: Virginia B. Wass Eulah Leona Custer 90, Wirt, Minn., died Friday, October 20, 2006 at the Grand Rapids Hospital. Eulah was born March 15, 1916 in Woodriver, Ill. To Chester and Julia (Bales) Custer. She moved to Minnesota with her parents in July On Jan. 24, 1934, she married George Custer in Elk Point, S.D. They lived in Wirt where Eulah was a homemaker. She loved to sew her own clothes, make quilts and was famous for her big batches of homemade bread. She is survived by three sons, Silver and Tim of Wirt, Minn., Robin of Bigfork; two daughters, Geraldine Marovich of Cohasset and Virginia Wass of Bigfork; a brother, Hershel Custer of Willowbrook, Ill.; and a sister, Hilda Emmil of St. Cloud, Minn. She has 10 grandkids, 16 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband George; a son Chester; and her brother, Sam. Funeral services were Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2006, at 1 p,m, in Carroll Funeral Home, Deer River, Minn. Visitation was held one hour prior to the service. Burial was at Wirt Cemetery, Wirt, Minn. Arrangements by Carroll Funeral Home, Deer River, Minn. PK S Philip J. Caster: His mother, Ada Iona Castetter, passed away on 22 January She was born on 1 December She married Percy St. Clair Castor on 12 September 1932 in Hamilton County, Indiana. JC S

18 NewsCaster March 2007 Volume XXV Issue 1 Page 18 From The Archive Coordinator The baton of Archive Coordinator was turned over to me seven years ago when Jean White and her husband Chuck parked their van next to my house. It didn't take long to start unloading the boxes of books and files from their van. It didn't look like a lot of stuff but... When the notebooks were unboxed it filled up the shelves that stood against an 8' x 10' area of the wall. When the files were unloaded they filled up a four drawer lateral file, a 5 drawer legal file and another 5 drawer letter size drawer file. There were boxes left over that had more loose files and no where to file them. I had vision's of getting all of that data into my genealogy program so that I could start tying families together. When I began we had about 120 different family lines that were unidentified. Seven years later with a few families tied together, I have mixed emotions, even though a lot has been accomplished with the help of long time members, new members, and volunteers. A little over a year ago several members volunteered to be on a team to help organize and duplicate the archives. We have done a great job because I have been able to find the sources that are listed in the archive files. However, I still felt like I am not getting anywhere with the files. I felt that I needed to examine how I was doing things. I was being pulled into to many directions. I am responsible for sending each new member their lineage file. I need to make sure the files are safe. By our bylaws there is to be a duplicate set of the archives. I want to tie families together. I have to answer members and non-members queries. I want to get all of the data into my genealogy program so that I can find peoples ancestors easier... I began feeling overwhelmed in the last couple of years and have been getting behind with everything. I started to give some serious thought about what I needed to do to be able to accomplish all of what I need to do. Member lineages take a lot of time, and, at this point, I am about 18 lineages behind. Member lineages also only focuses on one person s needs. There is too much in the archives just to stand at a copy machine and make copies, and it would take a lot of time. As an organization we are supposed to be publishing books and we haven't published one in a long time. I had an idea, so, rather than talk about it, I decided to just go ahead and do it. I put together a workbook for myself to see what it would look like and how long it would take me to do it. I chose Frederick Keister because it See next page for one page out of a 90+ pages workbook for FK.0 Frederick Keister would contain the lineage of one of our new members and it is one of our smaller lines. I started the week after Christmas 2006, and was somewhat finished by the middle of February I say somewhat because it will never be a finished product because it is a workbook, and I will be updating it as new information comes to me. Also, the files are as they are in the archives. My goal is not to make it pretty but to produce a book that will preserve the data in the archives and give me an overview of what we have and don't have. I do have to caution you that the approximate two months it took me to put it together, I was wearing many hats. Alton relieved me of one of the hats when he volunteered to become the Editor of the News Caster. As more volunteers come forth to take over some of my hats I will have more time to work on the workbooks. The board has voted to discontinue the member lineages so that I can work on the workbooks. New members who joined before 1 March 2007 will have their choice of a lineage report or the workbook for a small charge. I would be happy to talk with each new member to discuss which they would prefer. Please contact me at archives@caoa-gen.org. Now, I will put on my temporary DNA Project Coordinator hat to report that one of our members has volunteered to have his DNA tested for an accurate definition of which Haplogroup the Paulus line belongs. Relative Genetics just recently upgraded their Haplogroup Predictor. It resulted in the I1c Haplogroup that we were assigned being no longer valid. I checked with one of the experts for the I1c Haplogroups and he confirmed that our DNA Haplotype does not fit the I1c Haplogroup. He was not sure which group we belonged. After a long discussion with one of Relative Genetics Molecular Genealogists, we decided that by doing an single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) test it could be determined in which group the Paulus line belongs. A SNP mutation identifies a group who share a common ancestor far back in time. We really need some non-paulus line tests to be done to help identify the other DNA Family lines. Our members have been generous and we have enough money available to help pay for a test if that is one of the reasons why you can't take the test. Please consider helping us to establish these lines, so far almost everyone who has tested is a PK. Now, I will put on my temporary Online Membership Directory hat to say that I apologize for the online directory being so out of date. I have been working on getting it updated, and we do have a volunteer who is willing to help me out with it as soon as I can find the time to train her. Hope to have it done soon. Patricia

19 Volume XXV Issue 1 Page 19 NewsCaster March 2007

20 NewsCaster March 2007 Volume XXV Issue 1 Page 20 Brick Walls Vickey Sue (Caster) Wanless: I am looking for my Dad's (Victor Caster) maternal grandmother, Ruth Hazen. She was married to Tobin Wood. I believe they were from Indiana or Illinois. His mother was Ida May Wood. Any help would be appreciated. Gretchen Slota: This brickwall concerns Nicholas Custard and his wife, Mary Morris. They are my 4th great grandparents. Nicholas (PK ) is found on page 174 of the Descendants of Paulus and Gertrude Kusters book and in the News Caster of June 1984 and March It seems as if the Nicholas who is found in Erie County, Pennsylvania 1790 census is most likely their son. I am familiar with two of Nicholas and Mary's children. Mary "Polly" who married Thomas Crawford and Susannah who married [her] cousin Abraham. Both settled in Erie County, Pennsylvania and are well known in the county records. Has anyone found other sources? I would love to know more about these ancestors. Michael Gallagher: Looking for the military service and death date of George Custer and the birth and death dates and locations of Mary Rhoades. Looking for the death date of their daughter Rebecca Custer born circa 1734 possibly in Hanover Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Patricia Solomon: Trying to find a birth record for my grandfather Alvin Leroy Caster. He may have been born in Denver, Colorado on August 8, Teresa Tucker: Who are William Custard's parents? He was born in 1810 in Ohio. Patricia Perry: Descendants of John Caster who was born in 1789, son of Jacob Caster who was born circa 1736 or 1738 or I am trying to validate his relationship to John A. Caster who was born in September of 1830 and died 16 December John A. married Mary E. House on 7 November I would appreciate any help from NC Caster. The DNA Project has definitely revealed that John Caster Sr. and William Custard 1810 are descendants of Paulus Kuster John Caster Sr. is most likely a descendant of Arnold and his son Conrad. Now the fun begins as we now examine Conrad and his sons as a possible father of John Sr. At this time we are still looking into where William Custard 1810 fits. ADDRESSES/NEW MEMBERS Albert, Frances G. Oldest Known: Stephen S. Kester 1868 OH. Custer, Lauran Oldest Known: William Custer from Maryland Custer, Susan B. PK Lucas, Charlotte A. IK ?.0?.0?.0?.0? Phillips, Larry Oldest Known: Cynthia (Castor) Spink 1776 NY-1812 NY Ramsey, Dr. Jerry V. PK Schagunn, Connie HG ?.0?.0?.0?.0?.0? Wainwright, Sharon May be from the PK Paul Custer line Walker, Terri L. Oldest Known: Magdalena Kuster died c1790 PA Only the Surname, Given Name(s) and Lineage Numbers will be provided, to protect the privacy of our members. Please the Membership Chairman for contact information. CHANGES AND CORRECTIONS TO MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY Only the Surname, Given Name(s) and Lineage Numbers will be provided, please the Membership Chairman to contact anyone listed below: Begeal, Jeanne PK ? Castor, Edward JC Castor, Harold PK Castor, Jack K. PK Castor, Maurice Vern GC.0.0?.0?.0?.0? Custer, Roy Jr. PK ? Deitemeyer, Wanda PK Dunbar, Richard PK Elias, Robert PK Gallagher, Michael PK ?.0?.0?.0?.0?.0?.0? Harvey, Betty PK Kaster, Kim Marie PK ? Kuesters, Guido AGK Kuster, Diane Lee, Sandra Loescher, Dorothy Maerk, Nadine Shoemaker, Florence Spangler, Norma Sullivan, Pamela Thomsen, Evelyn Thurman, Geraldine Tucker, Teresa Verrone, Evelyn Worthington, Beverly CA.0.0a PK JN PK ?.0? PK ? PK PK ?.0?.0?.0?.0?.0? PK b HI.0.0? ?.0?.0?.0?.0? WC PK PK a

21 NewsCaster March 2007 Volume XXV Issue 1 Page 21 INDEX to the March 2007 Issue Abraham 20 Adams, Richard 12 Albert, Frances G. 20 Alger, Russell A. 3 Allebach, Christian 12 Allstrom, John V. 5 Amsbaugh, Uzal H. 9 Andrews, Martin 10 Arikara 5 Bacon, Elizabeth 6, 7, 8 Libbie 3 Bales Custer, Julia 17 Barbers 1 Barkley, George 12 Isaac 12 Samuel 12 Barringer, Rufus 4 Barstead, J. 1 Beagel, Jean 20 Bergey, Hans Ulrich 12 Bingaman, Lorentz 12 Bitts, Wiliam 12 Bon, Peter 11 Brinely, Charles O. 9 Brown, Oliver G. 9 Bryant, Joseph 12 Mary 12 Buffum, R. 1 Bull, John 11 Bullis, J. 1 Bun, Peter 12 Calhoun, James 6 Capehart, Henry 5 Caster, Alvin Leroy 20 B. 10 Benjamin 10 Benj 10 Daniel 9 Elizabeth 9 Jacob 20 John 9, 10, 20 John A. 20 John Sr. 20 Joseph 10 Leona 9 P. 10 Patricia 17 Philip J. 17 Samantha L 9. Thompson 9 Tobias 10 Uriah 9, 10 Victor 20 Vikie Sue 20 W. 10 Castetter, Ada Iona 17 Castor, 14, 16 Ben 10 Benjamin 10, 17 Charles 9 Conrad 10 Cynthia 20 Conrod 10 Edward 20 Elizabeth 9 Elizabeth M. 9 George W. 9 Harold 20 Jack K. 20 Jane 9 John 9, 10 Margaret 9 Maria 9 Mary E. 9 Maurice "Vern" 20 Molly 9 Oliver P. 9 Paul 19 Percy St. Clair 17 Richard J. 16 Robert G. 16 Sampson 10 Susan 9 Uriah 10 Watson 9 William 10 Wm 10 Castors 13 Catholic 13 Clemens, Gerhard Harret Cornwall, Eleanor Crawford, Thomas 20 Custard, 17 John 10 Mary 20 Nicholas 20 Polly 20 Susannah 20 William 20 Custer, Anna 12 Autie 2. 4 Boston 1, 6 Chester 17 Conrad 12, 14 David 9 Elizabeth 6, 7, 8 Emmanuel 1 Eulah Leona 17 Gary 17 George 17, 20 George Armstrong 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 Geraldine 17 Hershel 17 Joseph 10 Julia Bales 17 Lauren 20 Libbie 1, 2, 3, 5 Maggie 4 Mary Jane 9 Paul 20 Rebecca 20 Robin 17 Roy Jr. 20 Silver 17 Sam 17 Susan 20 T. 1 Thomas Ward 1 Tim 17 Tom 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 William 20 Davis, Elizabeth 19 Jane 19 Laban 19 Jefferson C. 3 Day, Carl F, 7 Deckie, Moses 10 Deesmont, Daniel 11 Deitemeyer, Wanda 20 Desmond, Daniel 12 Detweiler, Hans 12 Diller, Amos 10 Ann 9 Dock, Christoph 11 Christopher 11 Dohrs, Gertrude 13 Dubois, Isaac 11, 12 Solomon 12 Duke, R.T.W. 7 Dunbar, Richard 20 Dutch 13 Dyer, Frederick H. 6 Early, Jubal A. 3, 4 Elias, Robert 20 Emiml, Hilda 17 Engle, Jacob 11 Engers, Jacob 12 Findley, Mary 19 Samuel 19 Freeborn, Richard 10 Frid, Paulus 11 Fried, John 12 Paul 12 Friedt, Johannes 11 Paul 11 Paul, Jr. 12 Froedt, Johannes 12 Fry, Benjamin 12 Fox, William F. 6 Gallagher, Michael 20 Garber, Johannes 12 Gass, Cicero T. 9 Gerard, Rachel 9 German 9 Gerster, Hans George 16 Getling, Addie 9 Gin, Robert 10 Glass, Thomas 10 Gobel, Richard 11 Godder, Cyrus C. 9 Godfrey, Edward S. 6 Goodall, Cyrus C. 9 Unis 9 Gordon, Parick 11 Graff see Op de Graf Grant, U.S. 3, 4 Grater, Jacob 12 Grundy, C, 1 H_st, Nicholas 11 Haldeman, John 12 Nicholas 12 Halman, Anthony 12 Hanlin, Isabella 9 Harvey, Betty 20 Hazen, Ruth 20 Heffelfinger, Ulrich 12 Heijt, Hans Joest 12 Henry, John 10 Hevener, John 19 Ruth 19 Hetzel, Betsy 19 Philip 19 Hicks, Nicholas 12 Hildreth, Joseph 10 Hood, John Bell 3 Hoover, Daniel 10 George 19 Hannah 19 Horn, W. Donald 7 Houritt, William 10 House, Mary E. 20 Huling, Marcus 12 Hull, William I. 13 Hunsicker, Valentin 11 Hunter, David 7 James 10 Huuter, Betsty 9 In De Hoffen, Edward 12 Gerhard 12 Herman 12 Indian/s, Cheyenne 6 Delawares 12 Flatfeet 12 Shawanese 12 Sioux 6 Spanish 12 Ingle, Jacob 11 Jacob, Richard 12 Jacobs, John 11 Jansen, Claus 11 Klas 11 Peter 11 Jarard, Joseph 10 Wm. 10 Jerrard, Joseph10 Johnson, John 12 Nevin 1 Peter 12 Johnston, Joe 4 Jones, Elija 9 Nathan 9 Kassel, Huppert 3 Kaster, Kim Marie Kennel, John 9 Keister, Betsy 19 Elizabeth 19 Frederick 19 George 19 Hannah 19 Henry 19 James 19 James Jr. 19 Jane 19

22 Volume XXV Issue 1 Page 22 NewsCaster March 2007 Mary 19 Michael 19 Ruth 19 Kester, George 9 Isaac 9 Kidd, James A. 3 James H. 7 Kiester, Samuel 9 Kinsley, D.A. 7 Kirkpatrick, Maria Ward 1 Klein, John Isaac 12 Kolb, Dielman 12 Henrich 11 Jacob 11 Johannes 12 Martin 11 Kratz, Johann Valentine 12 Kraus, Michael 12 Krey, John 12 Kroll, Christian 12 Kuster, Arnold 20 Conrad 20 Diane 20 Gertrude 13, 20 Guido 20 Hermanus 11 Hermannus 11 Nicholas Paulus 13, 20 Küester see: Kuster Lacy, Joe 17 Lane, William 12 Lee, Robert E. 4 Rooney 4 Sandra 20 Leischer, Johannes 12 Lincoln 6 Loescher, Dorothy 20 Loettinger 9 Lucas, Charlotte A. 20 Maerk, Nadine Marieke, Jacob 12 Marovich, Geraldine Custer 17 Mase, Jobe 10 May, G. 9 McClellan, George B 2 McCoy Mary 9 McCrea, Mary 9 McCready, Esther 9 McMurray, Robert 10 Mennonite 9, 12, 13, 16 Merckle, George 1 Merckley, Jacob 11 Merington, Marguerite 6 Miller, John F. 2 Morris, Israel 12 Mary 20 Meyer, George 12 Morris, Mary 20 Myer, John 12 Neibling, James M. 2 Negley, James S. 2 Neuswanger, Christian 12 O Neil, Tom 8 Op de Graff, Jacob 11 Op den Graeff, Jacob 12 Palmer, John M. 3 Pannebecker, Heinrich 11 Hendrick 12 Henry 11 Pardoe, Rosemary 1 Pastorius, Francis Daniel 9 Patricia see: Caster, Patricia 12, 17, 18 Paul, E.A. 6 Pawling, John 11 Penn, William 9 Perry, Patricia 20 Petersen, W. 10 Wm 10 Phillips, Larry 20 Pickett, George E. 4 Pietists 9 Poger, George 12 Price, Margaret 9 Pugh, Hugh 11 Rambo, Peter 12 Ramsey, Dr. Jerry V. Randall, Betty 9 Reformed Church 13 Reichardt, Johannes 12 Reiff, Conrad 12 George 12 Hans 12 Peter 12 Renberg, Dirck `12 William 12 Reynolds, Arlene 6 Rhoades, Mary 20 Robert, Charles 9 Roberts, John 12 Rockey, Elizabeth 9 Rosser, Thomas 3 Ruth, Heinrich 12 Rutter, Tom 8 Schagunn, Connie 20 Scheimer, Jacob 1 Schmidt, Christopher 12 Scholl, Johannes 12 Schrayer, Andrew 12 Schwartz, Abraham 12 Sellen, Adam 12 Shafer, Sarah J. 9 Shawanese Indians 12 Sheridan, Phil 4 Philip H. 3 Shoemaker, Florence 20 Shouler, Gabriel 12 Shute, Thomas 11 Singleton, Jane 12 Sissell, Alton 17 Slota, Gretchen 20 Smith, Bastian 12 William 12 Solomon, Patricia 20 Spangler, Norma 20 Sprogell, Ludwig Christian 12 Stauffer, Daniel 12 Henry 12 Jacob 12 Steel, James 11 Stevens, Benton 9 Stoner, Christian 12 Strong, Esther 9 Sullivan, Pamela 20 Swadley, Susan 19 Swasack, William 9 Swauger, Hester 9 Swiss 16 Taylor, Thos. 10 Teissen, Matthias 11 Teutlinger, Henry 12 Teweiller, Hans 11 Tetweiller, Hans 11 Thomas, George H 3 Thomsen, Evelyn 20 Thurman, Geraldine 20 Geri 23 Tucker, Glenn 7 Teresa 20 Tyson, Matthias 12 Umstadt 11 Umstat, Johan 11 Johannes 11 Umstatt, John 11 Umstattd, Elizabeth Madison Coles 11 Umstead, John 11 Van Fossen, Arnold 11 Adam 11 Johannes 11 Van Horn, Anna 9 Van Vossen, Arnold 11 Verrone, Evelyn 20 Volweiller, Hans 11 Wainwright, Sharon 20 Walker, Terri L. 20 Wanless, Vicki Sue 20 Ward, Mary-Margaret 9, 10 Warner, 7 Liberty P. 1, 2, 3, 6 Wass, Virginia 17 Virginia B. 17 Weber, Christian 12 Weierman, Hans 12 Willem 11 Weirman, Willem 11 Welshmen 12 Wert, Jeffry D. 6 Whitaker, Edward W. 5 White, Chuck 18 Jean M. 13, 18 Witcher, Curt 13 Wood, Ida Mae 20 Tobin 20 Worthington, Beverly 20 Young, David 12 Roger 8 Ziegler, Michael 11, 12 COMING SOON CAOA Workbooks Check our CAOA Website: after April 1st for additional information on the new Workbooks. The Workbooks contain compiled information we have received since It may contain information that you may not have received in your lineage reports. The first two books FK.0 Frederick Keister an Isaac Kester are nearly completed.

23 Volume XXV Issue 1 Page 23 NewsCaster March 2007 FROM THE EDITOR This is the first issue that I have had the privilege to take the lead in content, style and presentation. I wish to express my thanks to the board members for their articles. In particular, I wish to thank Patricia Caster, for her mentorship, patience and understanding. I eagerly solicit the membership for articles on their families. Your family stories and photographs deserve to be seen by all of the Castor Association of America membership. Sharing your research efforts, trials and struggles will assist all of us in finding our missing ancestor. Please me with your articles, ideas on what we can research and publish, suggestion on improvement in content. In order to protect the privacy of our members in the newsletter, we are not publishing addresses and telephone numbers for new members and for additions/ corrections to the 2006 membership directory. Please the Membership Chairman to obtain complete address/phone number/ address for members listed in the New Members or Changes/Corrections to the Membership Directory. Alton Sissell, Editor CAOA INCOME/EXPENSES Ordinary Income/Expenses Income Gaylord Castor Fund General Fund Publication Fund Reimbursed Expenses Total Income Expense NewsCaster Postage and Delivery Office Supplies Total Expense Net Ordinary Income General Fund Interest Net Other Income Total Income Articles Needed for Future Issues of the News Caster If you haven't seen an article on your ancestor please let the Editor know and/or send in an article today. The Castor Association of America is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the preservation of family history for all variations of the family surname. Caster Castor Coster Custard Custer Gerster Kaster Kastor Keister Kester Kiester Kistard Kister Koester Koster Kuester Kustard Kuster Kusterd Küster Officers President Teresa Tucker Vice President Gary Custer Secretary. Mary-Margaret Ward Treasurer.....Joe Lacy Appointed Positions Archives Coordinator Patricia Caster Editor......Alton Sissell Publications Manager..... Buck Custer Historian....Phillip Castor Web Site Coordinator......Geri Thurman Library....Patricia Caster CAOA Queries president@caoa-gen.org Teresa Tucker, President 5050 CR 236 Liberty Hill, Texas Membership and Change of Address membership@caoagen.org Gary L. Custer, Vice President, Membership 438 Hiway 74 Twin Falls, ID Secretary secretary@caoa-gen.org Mary-Margaret Ward, Secretary 2214 Clay Street San Francisco, CA Membership Dues Treasurer@caoa-gen.org Book Purchases-News-Caster Issues Joe Lacy, Treasurer 302 County rd Natalia, TX Articles/Suggestions for News-Caster Editor@caoa-gen.org Alton Sissell, Editor 9491 Lake Natoma Drive Orangevale, CA Archives and Lineage Questions achives@caoa-gen.org CAOA Library Books library@caoa-gen.org Patricia Caster, Archives Coordinator PO Box 955 Windsor, CA CAOA DNA Project caoa-dna@caoa-gen.org The News Caster is published quarterly by the Castor Association of America. Past issues may be ordered from the Treasurer for $5 an issue.

24 In this Issue Tom should have been the General Rebecca Who? Project Update...08 Founding of Germantown, Pennsylvania...09 Richland County Records Early Settlers from Germantown Anna Custer daughter of Conrad...12 Researching the Descendants of Paulus Küster Krefeld Germany History...16 Hans George Gerster, A Significant Providence...16 From the President...17 Condolences from CAOA...17 From the Archive Coordinator...18 Frederick Keister Workbook example...19 Brick Walls Changes and Corrections to Membership Directory...20 Addresses/New Members...20 Index to the March 2007 Issue From the Editor...23 CAOA Income/Expenses...23 Please ask before you use it All material published by the Castor Association of America including the News Caster, information on the CAOA web site, books, or materials in any other form, including materials developed from the CAOA Archives, may be used only with the express written Permission of the Castor Association of America. The Castor Association of America 1815 Billingshurst CT Orlando, Florida USA NONPROFIT ORG U.S.POSTAGE PAID ORLANDO FL PERMIT #422 Dated Material

25 NewsCaster The NewsCaster Castor Association of America Volume XXV Issue 2 June 2007 Abraham Lincoln Custer PK Abraham Lincoln Custer was born 25 February 1863, Norristown, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, the son of William and Mary Elizabeth Custer. He died 21 November 1903 also in Norristown. Abraham married Amelia Adams. Amelia was born in Bridgeport, Pennsylvania, the daughter of William and Elizabeth Adams. Amelia Adams and Abraham Lincoln Custer Obituary A braham Custer, aged about 40 years, residing on Airy Street, below Arch, died at Charity Hospital at 2 o clock on Sunday morning, of injuries received at Swedes Furnace on Saturday morning. During the fire the flames burned through the heavy wire cables used to operate the iron carriages which were run to the top of the stack. One of these carriages suddenly descended, and Mr. Custer, who was foreman in the stock room, was struck and badly injured about the abdomen. Deceased was a son of William Custer. He leaves a widow and two children. Norristown Daily Herald\Monday, November 1903 Their children: 1. Charles Custer born 1893 in Norristown; died 2 December 1898 in Jeffersonville, buried at Riverside Cemetery, Norristown, Pennsylvania. 2. Florence Flora Custer, born 21 Aug 1885 Norristown, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania; married Ira Worthington at St. Patrick s Catholic Church, Norristown, Pa. On 11 July 1906; died 11 Feb 1965 Forestville, Prince Georges County., MD. Her son Joseph George Worthington Sr. born 2 Nov 1908 Norristown, Montgomery County., Pa died 19 Jul 1974 Washington D.C. Lived in Coral Hills, MD at time of death. His son Joseph George Worthington Jr born 7 Jun 1930 married Beverly Joyce Post born 29 May Ellen J Custer born 1898 at Jeffersonville; married 12 November 1919 James Joseph Mc Granahan at St Patrick s Catholic Church, Norristown, later divorced. Amelia s second marriage was to George W. Weaver in 1908.

26 NewsCaster June 2007 Volume XXV Issue 2 Page 26 Elizabeth Custer s Grandson Travels to Nebraska By Alton Sissell, editor This article was obtained from my great uncle s journal. He was a railroad telegrapher in the northwestern corner of the state of Nebraska. I, Wade Alfonzo Hack, born on a farm, near the small town of Corley, Iowa, Shelby County, Iowa, July No Doctor, my Great Aunt Caroline (Custer) Shaffer, was Mid-wife. My father was Louis Andrew Hack and my mother was Margaret Jane Beatty. My grand parents were Leander Johnathon Hack and Elizabeth Custer. We lived on an 80 acre farm, owned by a Mrs. Carter. I started to school in the fall of 1891 with sister Mabel. We walked one mile and a quarter. It was a small country school taught by Maude Carter, daughter of the woman who owned the farm on which we lived. The school was overcrowded and I sat on a little box near the rear wall. I was 5 years old. Dad had a good crop in 1891, but unable to sell. They were paying only 8 cents a bushel for ear corn. Most all of the farmers used corn for fuel. It was cheaper than coal. Grandfather Leander Johnathon Hack had bought a farm near Belgrade (Nance County.) Nebr. and moved there a few years before we left Iowa. Dad visited them in the fall of took me along (do not remember much about it). On the visit Dad decided to move to Nebr. He rented the Frank Main's farm 3 miles north of Belgrade, Nebr. and Dec 1891 we left Corley, Iowa (never returned) even for a visit. Farmed in Nance County. Nebr. the years of all three years Mother did the cooking for the whole caravan. were bad. No rain, hot winds burned up everything burned up by July 4th. In the mean time, a family by the name of Charlie Morris ( whom Dad had known in Iowa ), came to our place. Traveling by team and covered wagon. On their way back to North west Nebr. He had been out to north west Nebr. some years before. Taken a homestead, proved upon it, then sold out to August Wendt ( father of Ferd Wendt ). Morris went to Kansas. Did not like it down in Kansas and was on his way back to north west Nebr. Stopped to see Dad. Talked Dad into coming out west with him. Thus, on Sept 1, 1894, Dad, Mother, Mabel, myself and Maude and Cecile, in a covered wagon, drawn by a team of horses (named Deck and Frank) cow tied to rear end of wagon, followed by a young calf, 1 doz. black hens and a rooster in a box tied to the side of the wagon. Mother's sewing machine, cook stove, one set bed springs, two straw ticks, bedding dishes etc. We were on our way. When we arrived as Cedar Rapids, Iowa Dad decided the calf was going to be to much bother so sold it to a butcher for $2.50. We camped at Greely-Ord-Brewster and another smaller place I do not remember. This small town was where we went into the vast sand hills. We traveled days without seeing anyone. Some water holes were so stagnant we could not use water. Good thing we kept healthy. Mother did the cooking for the whole caravan. It was hard work for her. Our fair was mostly pancakes, molasses and coffee. Spread an oil cloth on the ground and all gathered around ( like a picnic ). Sat on the ground. Occasionally a gust of wind would whirl by while eating, putting sand, grass and what not in your grub. You ate it and did not grumble. Nothing of any importance happened on our trip across the sand hills. After what seemed like endless days, we arrived at Hay Springs, Nebr. Glad to get back to civilization. We kept moving west and camped on Bordeaux Creek east of Chadron, Nebr. Moving out of Bordeaux Creek we headed for Pine Ridge. Camped over night at the Henry Wohler's farm and on Sept. 21, 1894 made our last camp at Gene Stetson's saw mill in the canyon between the old Ferd Wendt place and where Roscoe Royal now lives. Charlie McHenry was living there at that time. I remember some of the fellows who came to our camp that evening. Tom Mchenry, Frank Pierce, Jim Andrews, Byron Arnold who was operating a saw mill for Gene Stetson and was steam engineer at that time. Also, John Diehl, Charlie McHenry, Joe Gould, Ferd Wendt and several others but do not recall their names. We spent the fall of 1894 and early winter in a log house about two miles southeast of where we had camped, known as the Candee place. Mable, Maude and I started to school, walking the two miles to a log school house, just across the canyon west from where Rosco Royal now lives. (The school was torn down years ago). We only had school for 4 months. Those years, short of funds. Our first teacher was Mrs. Kate Gillette, then the next four months term (fall of 1895) was taught by Mrs. Niram Poole (nee Snow), next Bertha McCoy and finally, Chas W. Jones. We moved to the homestead four miles east of Belmont, Ne. March 1, Our house was a hole dug in the hill side, roofed with wood slabs,, logs, and covered with dirt. There was a small addition built of native lumber, added on to the east end of this dug out, had a door and one sash window on the east side and north side. The dug out part of the

27 Volume XXV Issue 2 Page 27 NewsCaster June 2007 house was walled with native boards, the floors were of the same material. Our furniture consisted of a home made table, and benches for seats. We did not have a well. Had to carry water from a well a quarter of a mile up hill. Mother carried most of the water. Pioneering was a tough life. Yes, we went hungry many times, and no warm clothes, we were cold in the winter, especially going to school. I remember we three, Mabel, Maude and I went to school one morning all barefooted. It was one of those Indian summer days in the fall. Think it was about Oct. first. Warm just like summer. We did not have any shoes. That afternoon it clouded up and started to snow. By the time school let out at four o'clock, there was two inches of snow on the ground. There we were, two miles from home, barefooted, two inches of snow to walk through. We started out. After a while our feet got numb with cold, and we made it to the dug out. How we ever lived or stayed healthy I will never understand. We ate many a meal just plain boiled potatoes and salt. Dad would go to the timber one day (Lots of government land in those days) to get a load of dry wood. Bring it home, cut it up into cook stove lengths. This was done the second day, and on the third day haul it to Marsland and trade it for a sack of flour, a little sugar and salt. (Flour was 75 cents a sack.) The years were dry ones, Dad did manage to raise a few spuds. One year he raised a double wagon box full of turnips and rutabagas. That was the year mother fattened a pig on cooked rutabagas. (Where she got the pig I do not remember). But I do remember the meat and lard was as yellow as gold. That year we planted an acre of sorghum cane it done pretty good. When it was ready to harvest, Dad made a couple of long wooden knives. Mabel and I took these knives and stripped the leaves off the cane stalks. Dad detasseled and cut the cane stalks down and piled them up in neat piles. This done, we loaded the cane in the wagon and hauled it to an old cane mill owned by an old quack Dr. named Harrington, who lived one mile south of us. It was a crude affair, out in the open, and the power used was a horse. (By standing a hand wringer on end would give you some idea what it was like). The cane was run through the rollers and juice squeezed out. The juice was conveyed to the boiling pans by an open wooden trough, except where the horse had to step over the trough, a board was nailed over it. (A very sanitary operation). The boiling pans were made of 2X8 native planks with tin bottoms. These were placed over a pit dug in ground and walled up with rocks. Pans placed on top of pit. Fire built, we were ready to boil the juice down to syrup, along with the dust, sand, horse manure, flies, bugs and what have you. Do not remember how long it took to finish the syrup but when it was all done we had 5 gallon of slightly scorched sorghum syrup with all ingredients. Dad made us kids some wooden paddles and we licked the syrup pans after syrup was taken out. Lord we were sick but recovered. It was a hard life in the 1890's. School term either four months in fall or four months in the spring. Our home on the homestead was a two room dug out, no windows. Front room used as kitchen, dining room, four pane window in north. Door opened east. table home made - Home made benches for seats. I could go on and on but why? Came to Denver Mar 8. Wayne rented basement apt. at 1200 Detroit, Mar 10, We moved in. Do not think it was good for him to try to make a home for me. Old people become burdensome and interfere with their children's way of life. Not to much more to write. If you find this after I have gone into orbit, and do not care to have it around, burn it. Wade A. Hack Our house was a hole dug in the hill side... Elizabeth (Custer) Hack PK Elizabeth Custer was born 13 March 1836 in Fountain County, Indiana, daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (Burkett) Custer. Elizabeth married 22 September 1850 Leander Alexander Hack in Fountain County, Indiana. Leander was born 29 November 1829 in Warren County, Kentucky, son of William and Susan (Penner) Hack. They went to Shelby County, Iowa in Leander was a farmer. They later settled in Marsland, Nebraska. Elizabeth died 14 May Leander died 6 October 1909 at Marsland. They were buried at Marsland Cemetery, Marsland, Nebraska. Their children: 1. William Hack born 4 March 1853 at Oakland, Iowa; married 6 June 1880 Elen Jewel in Shelby County, Iowa. 2. Lydia Hack born 14 September 1854 at Oakland, Iowa; married 23 December 1871 Albert Chase in Shelby County, Iowa; died 12 September Lewis Andrew Hack born 19 December 1857 at Walnut, Iowa; married 19 December 1883 Margaret Jane Beatty; died 24 June 1937 at Belmont, Nebraska.

28 NewsCaster June 2007 Volume XXV Issue 2 Page Nevada Hack born 2 May 1860 at Oakland, Iowa; married 17 April 1878 Francis Marion Anstine in Shelby County, Iowa; died 14 August 1935, buried at San Francisco, California. 5. Jonathan Perry Hack born 11 January 1863 at Oakland, Iowa; married 12 January 1890 Henrietta Mae Clark; died 2 June 1920 in Platte County, Nebraska, buried at Main Cemetery, Belgrade, Nebraska. 6. Rudolph Hack born 25 July 1865 at Walnut, Iowa; married 3 January 1897 Musa Main at Belgrade, Nebraska; died 10 January 1945 at Belgrade, Nebraska, buried at Main Cemetery. 7. Rosella Hack born 22 November 1868 at Harlan, Iowa; married Martin E Flynn; died 29 July 1932 at Anaheim, California, buried at Belgrade, Nebraska. 8. Anne Hack born 15 February 1870 at Harlan, Iowa; married Albert Chase; died 1 February Harriet "Hattie" Hack born 20 April 1872 at Harlan, Iowa; married 13 January 1894 David C Lowe; died 8 September 1929 at Fremont, Nebraska, buried at Belgrade Cemetery, Belgrade, Nebraska. 10. Oscar Hack born 6 May 1874 in Shelby County, Iowa; married 7 June 1904 Mary Frances Krejei near Belmont, Nebraska; died 1 August 1956, buried at Marsland Cemetery, Marsland, Nebraska. Sources: letter Darlene Dickinson Hanson Feb 1987 Charles Wilson Castor NC Charles Wilson Castor was born 21 March 1870, in Hamilton County, Indiana. He was the son of Samuel B. and Frances A. (Wilson) Castor. Charles married Grace H. Trittipo about (Family records show marriage date of 5 December 1896). Grace was born 19 July 1876 and was the daughter of Samuel L. and Salinda Jane (Kimberlin) Trittipo. Charles and Grace lived in Wayne Township, Hamilton County, Indiana. Charles was a farmer. He died June 1943 in San Antonia, Texas and is buried at Crownland Cemetery, Noblesville, Indiana.. Grace died 9 October 1946 in California and a marker is also in Crownland Cemetery. Their children: Marvyn Samuel Castor was born 24 March He married Gladys Bateman, who was born in Mission, Texas. One daughter, Ruth Joan Castor was born 1 November 1924 in Tampa, Florida and died 3 October 1925, in San Antonio, Texas. Audrey Roberta Castor was born 4 January She married Robert Orr Jr. They had a son Robert Orr III. She married Robert House (West) Brown on 24 November 1941 and had a daughter Audrey Sandra Brown who was born 18 September She divorced Robert in 1945 and married Leonard Leutz. Audrey died 15 December 1968 and is buried at Austin, Texas. Fletcher Charles Castor was born 18 January He died 10 October 1912 in Mercedes, Hidalgo County, Texas and is buried at Crownland Cemetery, Noblesville, Indiana.

29 Volume XXV Issue 2 Page 29 NewsCaster June 2007 Biography Arnold Allan Custard AACU.0 One of the most successful veterinary surgeons of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, is Dr. Arnold Allan Custard, of Jeanette, Pennsylvania, a member of an old Pennsylvania family and himself for many years identified with the life of that region. His grandfather, who also bore the name of Arnold Allan Custard, was born at Clintondale, Clinton County, Pennsylvania, and received his education in the local public schools. He engaged in farming all his life in that place and also carried on a large lumber business. He married Martha McCadden, and they were the parents of the following children: Richard, Amelia, George, Josephine, Fannie, Kreasy, Delinda. All of these, with the exception of the last named, are deceased, and Delinda is now the wife of Dr. Litzell. The first Arnold Allan Custard was a very prominent member of the community in his day, a staunch Democrat, and who always took an active interest in public affairs. He was a power in politics and was recognized as one of the most influential citizens in that part of the State. The father of Dr. Custard was George Custard, a native of Clinton County born in Like his father he received his education in the local public school, and devoted himself to farming for practically his entire life. He also carried on the lumber business, established by his father, and developed it to very large proportions, being one of the most successful men in that part of the country or indeed the State. He was a man of remarkably strong character and vigorous and attractive personality, and took a leading part I the affairs of the community where he resided so long. He was a natural leader of men was looked up to and admired by all his fellow citizens. Like his father, he was a very ardent Democrat, and was regarded as one of the principal figures in politics in the county. A Methodist in religion, he attended consistently the church of that denomination at Clintondale and took an active interest in its work, serving it in the capacity of trustee for a number of years. He was prominent in the social life of the place and was a member of the A. O. O. F. He married Sarah Allan, a daughter of David and Annie Allan, of Baldeagle township, Clinton County, Pennsylvania. They were the parents of the following children: Arnold Allan, of further mention; Martha, who became Mrs. John Keister, and is now deceased; Frank, who is engaged in the rubber business at Williamsport, Pennsylvania; Nelson, who is now a resident of Mill Hall, Pennsylvania, where he is engaged in business; Jeannie, who is now Mrs. William Krape, of Clintondale. Mr. Custard died in the year 1886 and was survived by his wife until 1909, when her death occurred at the venerable age of ninety. Born June 6, 1848, in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, Dr. Arnold Allan Custard received his early education in the local public schools of that county. He later took a course of veterinary surgery with Professor Benjamin Straw, of Clintondale, and after qualifying for work in this line began active practice at Rockhaven, Clinton County. There he met with marked success and remained for about ten years, but in 1904 removed to Jeannette, Westmoreland county, since which time he has continued his practice in that flourishing community. He is a man who always keeps abreast of the latest developments of his profession, and accordingly took a special course at Atchison, Kansas. Later he also studied at the Detroit Veterinary Dental College and received a diploma from that institution in Dr. Custard s practice is a very extensive one and not only covers the whole of Westmoreland county, but frequently extends into the adjacent counties, his reputation being of the highest wherever he has practices at all. He has even on occasion been called as far as Clearfield county and his practice may be said to extend over a rough circle with a radius of about two hundred miles. On reason for this extensive practice is to be found in the fact that Dr. Custard is the only veterinary in the region who has made a special study of veterinary dentistry. In addition to his general practice, Dr. Custard takes charge of the veterinary work of Harvest & Walker, of Clearfield county, Pennsylvania, a concern with eighteen different plants and which uses some one hundred and eighty head of horses. He also has charge all horses of Diamond Ice Company of Braddock, Pennsylvania, another large concern. Dr. Custard is a very public-spirited man and an active participant in the general affairs of the community. In politics he is an Independent, allying himself with no party organization, and in religion he is a Presbyterian, attending the church of that denomination at Jeannette. He takes a very active interest in church matters and is one of the most prominent members of the congregation. He is also a member of the Patriotic Order Sons of America. On December 11, 1903, Dr. Custard was united in marriage with Mrs. Sarah Elizabeth (Boyd) Hawn, a daughter of Thomas Boyd, of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and widow of James Hawn. Source: Old and new Westmoreland by John Boucher and Fenwick Y. Hedley; American Historical Society, New York, New York, 1918, Vol. III, pg 244. Does any of our readers know the family history of Arnold Allan Custard? Please send any information to the Archives Coordinator, listed inside back cover.

30 NewsCaster June 2007 Volume XXV Issue 2 Page 30 Obitaries received from Jo Ligget Loraine C. Kester ************************** Wabash Valley Obituary: Loraine C. Kester, 89, of Sullivan died at 7:56 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29,2002, in Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes. She was born July 31, 1913, in Knox County. Her husband, John Kester preceded her in death. Survivors include one son, Lonnie Joe Kester, one daughter, Sandra Kay Crews; five grandchildren ad four greatgrandchildren. Graveside services are 10:30a.m. Wednesday in Bethel Cemetery in Freelandville, with Dr. Patrik Larracey officiating. Visitation is 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday in Banks& Brust Funeral Home. Terre Haute, Indiana Tribune-Star Robert L. Kester ************************** Robert L. Kester, 84, of Brazil died at 2:50 a.m. Friday, July 11, 2003, in Clay Health & Rehabilitation Center. He was a teacher and coach. He was born Feb. 25, 1919, in Brazil to Charles Kester Sr. and Dora Bell Moore Kester. Survivors include his wife, Ernestine Snell Kester, of Harmony, whom he married July 29, 1950; two daughters, Sharman Kester Woll of Brazil and Shari Kester Voeltz and her husband, Donnie of Jefferson, Wis; two grand-daughters, Jamie Woll Judson and her husband, Steve and Julie Woll, all of Brazil; nieces and nephews, Janie Steele and her husband, Stephen of Avon, Greg Steele and his wife, Rachel, Kimberly Steele and Jennifer Pennington and her husband Aaron, all of Indianapolis and Dr. Daniel Cheek and his family of Terre Haute. He was preceded in death by his parents, four brothers, Ernest, Wayne, Ray and Charles Jr. Kester; and three sisters, Reva Cheek, Helen Patrick and Ruth Maurey. In 1937, he graduated from Staunton High School and worked for a local mining company hauling coal. In 1939, he was employed by McAlman Construction Co., building the section of US 40 from the Blue Bonnet Restaurant to the Staunton Road. In 1939, he Indiana State Teachers College and attended until he was drafted in the Army on Dec. 29, On April 22, 1942, he was shipped overseas and assigned as a special troop member with the 127 th Regimental Combat team 32 nd Infantry Division, spending 3 ½ years in the South Pacific. Being discharged on Oct. 13, 1945, he immediately enrolled back in college and graduated in 1948 with a bachelor of science degree in industrial arts and physical education. In 1956, he worked at Twiggs Air-Craft Industry. He began teaching in Plymouth and later went to Whitewater in Franklin County. In 1963, he returned to Staunton High School as a shop teacher and guidance counselor. He earned his master s degree in administration and guidance after 18 years at the high school, retiring in During his teaching career he was a basketball and baseball coach from 1954 to1956 at Van Buren High School, an industrial arts and driver s education teacher for 18 years at Staunton. He was a drummer and was the first recipient of the John Phillip Souza Award in Clay Count. He enjoyed hunting and since his retirement he raised and trained bird dogs. He was a member of Penile United Methodist Church, Clay County Retired Teachers Association. ISU grand Society of Sycamores, American Legion Post 2, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1127, Clay County 4-H Council and the 4-H Horse and Pony Club. He was the first leader of the 4-H Dog Obedience Club and the Clay Quail Club. Services are 2p.m. Tuesday in Lawson-Slack Funeral Home, with the Rev. John Fischer officiating. Burial is in Roselawn Memorial Park in Terre Haute, with graveside military rites by American Legion Post 2an VFW Post Visitation is 4 to 8 p.m. Monday. Terre Haute, IN Tribune-Star, Saturday July 12, William W. Harlan ************************* Warren W. Harlan, 86, of Prairie Creek died at 7:18 p. m. Thursday, July 18, 2002, in Terre Haute Regional Hospital. He was a farmer. He was born Oct. 10, 115, in Prairieton to Otto V. Harlan and Flora P. Kester Harlan. Survivors include his wife, Joy Laybold Harlan, whom he married July 25, 1942; two sons and daughters-in-law, Vernon and Emma M. Harlan and Dennis and Vicki S. Harlan, all of Prairie Creek; one daughter Loretta Harlan of Crawfordsville; two grandchildren, Jared Harlan and Spence Harlan; two stepgrandchildren, Tim Winters and Brye Winters; and two stepgreat-grandchildren, Allison Winters and Jacob Winters. He was preceded in death by his parents. H received the Indiana Prairie Farmer Master Farmer Award in 1985, and the Terre Award for Outstanding Service in Agriculture in He was a member of Prairie Creek First Baptist Church, was former director of Growers Co-op for 18 years, was former director of Vigo County Farm Bureau Co-op for 19 years, formerly served on the board of directors of Wabash Valley Fair Association, formerly served on the New Harmony Cemetery board of directors, and previously served with the Prairie Creek Volunteer Fire Department. Services are 1 p.m. Monday in DeBaun Springhill Chapel, with the Rev. Ray Dyer officiating. Burial is in New Harmony Cemetery. Visitation is 11 a.m. until services Monday. Memorial contributions may be made to Prairie Creek First Baptist Church or Prairie Creek Volunteer Fire Department. Terre Haute, Indiana Tribune-Star, Sunday, July 21, 2002

31 Volume XXV Issue 2 Page 31 NewsCaster June 2007 Dorothy Rose Price Dorothy Rose Price, 95, of Cory died at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2002, in Terre Haute. She was an elementary school teacher for 49 years in Cory and later was a teacher and assistant principal at Eastside Elementary in Brazil, retiring in She was born Oct. 12, 1907, in Perry Township to Rudolph B. Kester and Goldie Shaw Kester. Her husband, Russell Price, whom she married October 1935, died in Survivors include two sisters, Delores Sparks of Terre Haute and Jo Staggs of Mount Shasta, Calif.; two brothers, Gerald Kester and his wife, Valda of Cory and Bill Kester and his wife, Shirley of Tampa, Fla.; two sisters-in-law, Francis Price of Florida and Betty Kester of Terre Haute; and several nieces and nephews; including Kermit Sparks and Vickie Hoffmann. She also was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, Kermit Kester and Harold Kester; one sister, Jackie Dishon; and one nephew, Robert Sparks. She was an 1927 graduate of Indiana State Norman School and received her master s degree from Indiana State Teachers College in She was a member of Cory United Methodist Church, a charter member of Alpha Delta Kappa Soroity, eastern Star of Riley, Rebekahs of Cory, secretary and treasurer for many years for the Cory Volunteer Fire Department ad treasurer of the Cory apple festival until Services are 11a.m. Monday in Schoppenhorst Funeral Home in Clay city, with the Rev. Curtis Hurley officiating. Burial is in Oak Hill Cemetery. Visitation is 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday. If friends so desire, memorial contributions may be made to the Cory Volunteer Department. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home. Terre Haute, Indiana Tribune-Star, Thursday, November 8, Louise Thomas Louise Thomas, 89, of Farmersburg died at 9 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2002, in Miller s Merry Manor in Sullivan. She was a homemaker. She was born Oct. 3, 1912, in Vigo County to Homer Kester and Myrtle Turner Kester. Her husband, Loren Thomas, died earlier. Survivors include one son and daughter-in-law, Mark and Karen Thomas of Farmersburg; two stepsons, Gerald and Rosemary Thomas and Garnett Thomas; two grandchildren, Darek and Elaine Thomas and Michael Thomas; and two great-grandchildren Logan Mark Thomas and Spencer Thomas. She also was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers, Hubert Kester, Forest Kester and Vaughn Kester; one sister, Margaret Rittmeyer; and several nieces and nephews. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church and Eastern Star at Prairie Creek. Graveside services are 10:30 a.m. Monday in Farmersburg Westlawn Cemetery, with the Rev. Dick Jones officiating. Cremation is scheduled. There is no visitation. DeBaun Funeral Homes assisted with arrangements Terre Haute, Indiana Tribune-Star, a second Obituary appeared in the Terre Haute, Indiana. Tribune-Star on Saturday, October 5, Shelby County Iowa Vital Records Early Marriages Recorded in Marriage Register A Page 1 to 118 in Shelby County, Iowa 1858 Benjamin Custer Sarah E. Tague 29 Mar Rudy Custer Jane Abinnath 1 May Abram Custer Mary Angeline Roberts 27 Mar Lewis Waterbury Catherine Custer 11 Jun Henry Custer Miss Catherine Wright 20 Jan Lewis Shaffer Caroline Custer 23 Nov Benjamin Custer Catherine L. Moore 19 Feb 1870 DEATH: CUSTER Alice J. 8/05/1888 CUSTER Ira Evert 9/15/1888 CUSTER Alva Floyd 9/08/1967 CUSTER Jasper N. 12/15/1880 CUSTER Clara Opal 10/17/1959 CUSTER Kate 2/27/1969 CUSTER Elizabeth 10/27/1888 CUSTER Laura Alice 2/05/1946 CUSTER Glenn Dale 3/30/1975 CUSTER Lenard 11/19/1901 CUSTER Grace 9/29/1946 CUSTER Leroy 3/18/1962 CUSTER Henry 10/09/1926 CUSTER Rudy Edward 12/02/1962 CUSTER Herbert Earl 11/20/1943 CUSTER

32 NewsCaster June 2007 Volume XXV Issue 2 Page 32 Tobias Castor NC son Bernard L. and grandson Bernard T. 1.Tobias Castor was born 2 October 1840, in Ashland County, Ohio. He was the son of Tobias and Sarah (Miller) Castor. At the age of fourteen, in 1855, he accompanied his parents in moving from Ohio to a farm near Vinton, in Benton County, Iowa. Tobias married Catherine M. Hunt on 22 October 1858 at Vinton, Iowa. Catherine was born 2 June 1843, in Coshocton, Ohio. She was the daughter of Jacob S. and Susan Ann (Christy) Hunt. Tobias and Catherine settled on a quarter section, on 3 November 1862, in Saline County, Nebraska. They farmed under adverse conditions, and Indians raided their farm I 1864, burning everything. In 1873, C. D. Wilber and Tobias laid out the town of Wilber, Nebraska. In 1877, they moved to Wilber. Tobias was active in community affairs, and served as county treasurer, and later as county clerk and surveyor. Tobias also worked for the Burlington Railroad Company, in securing right-of-way, and became head of that department in He also engaged in the mercantile business in 1879, and opened a store in Wilber, followed by stores at Indianola, in 1880, and Benkelman, in He divorced Catherine sometime after 1879, and re-married Mary Ann Mollie (Remington) Cooper, on 24 January 1889, at Sioux City, Iowa. They then, located in Lincoln, Nebraska. Tobias was a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions of 1876, 1884, 1888, 1892, and He died on 12 December 1901, near Lincoln, Nebraska. He is buried at the Castor homestead, on the Big Blue River, near Wilber, Nebraska. 1.Bernard L. Castor was born 14 October 1859, in Vinton, Iowa. He married Katherine A. Grimes on 14 October Bernard died at Denver, Colorado, on 6 January Bernard Tobias Bud Castor, the son of Bernard L. and Katherine A. (Grimes) Castor, was born 26 January 1894, at Wilber, Nebraska. (The headstone shows b. 24 January). He served in the US Army Air Force (part of the Signal Corps at that time) during World War I, and was trained as a pilot. He married Alice Labuzan on 7 June 1919, at Galveston, Texas. During World War II, Colonel Castor was in command of the air base at Savannah, Georgia. Near the end of the war, he served for a period n China. In 1948, he returned to Washington D.C. to be processed for retirement. Bernard and Alice divorced shortly thereafter. Alice died on 11 September 1971, at Lexington, Kentucky. He married Mrs. Julia Rogers Lipscomb on 27 March 1950, at San Antonio, Texas, and they lived in San Antonio. Bernard died on 19 June 1969 at Fort Sam Houston, and was buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio. Julia was born on 6 November 1902 and died on 17 May She was buried next to Bernard, in Section 25, grave

33 Volume XXV Issue 2 Page 33 NewsCaster June 2007 Custers Victimized by Counterfeiter Thanks go to Alexander Hall for sending us this wonderful document. November Session 1856 Montgomery County, The Grand Inquest Of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania inquiring for the County of Montgomery upon their matter and affirmation respectively do present that David Hampton late of the County aforesaid yeoman in the first day November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-six at the county aforesaid and within the jurisdiction of this court unlawfully did pass alter and publish and attempt to pass alter And publish as true a certain false forged and counterfeit note purporting to be issued by the Girard Bank for the sum of ten dollars signed by C S Baker president and W L Schafer cashier payable to J Reeves or bearer on demand and dated the eight day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-six. The Girard Bank aforesaid then being a bank within the commonwealth Incorporated in pursuance of an act of the General assembly which said false forged and counterfeit note partly written and partly printed is in the words and figure following to wit The said David Hampton then and there well knowing the said note to be as aforesaid false forged and counterfeit with intent to defraud one Mary Custer contrary to the form of the act of assembly in such case made and provided and against the peace and dignity of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania And the Inquest aforesaid Upon there oaths and affirmations aforesaid do further present that the said Francis M Lewis and Charles Moore afterwards to wit on the first day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-six aforesaid at the county aforesaid and within the jurisdiction of this court unlawfully did pass alter and publish and attempt to pass alter and publish as true a certain alter false forged and counterfeit note purporting to be issued by the Girard Bank for the sum of ten dollars signed by C S Baker president and W L Schafer cashier payable to J Reeves or bearer on demand and dated the eighth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-six The Girard Bank aforesaid there being a bank within this commonwealth incorporated in pursuance of an act of the General Assembly which said false forged and counterfeit note partly written and partly printed is in the words and figures following to wit The said David Hampton then and there well knows the said note to be as aforesaid false forged and counterfeit with the intent to defraud one Peter Custer contrary to the form of the act of Assembly in such case made and provided and against the peace and dignity of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Geo W Roger Dist Atty Witnesses: Mary Custer Sarah Custer Peter Custer Wm L Oakford 49 November Session 1856 Commonwealth v David Hampton A Passed Counterfeit Money Who are Mary Custer, Sarah Custer and Peter Custer? I was not able to find them in the archive files. Patricia True bill John Wood Foreman Nov Deft plead, Guilty Geo W Roger

34 NewsCaster June 2007 Volume XXV Issue 2 Page 34 Return to Custer s Grove By Alton Sissell Two years ago, I traveled to Iowa, trying to locate Custer s Grove and Hacktown. (See NewsCaster, Vol XXIV, Issue 4, Winter issue, page 1). The communities did not survive the pioneer s westward journey. Fairview township had absorbed the communities which eventually became Corley, Shelby County, Iowa. I stopped at the Corley General Store and asked about Hacktown and the proprietor did not recall that community. He suggested that I go to the Harlan public library and search their genealogy collection. I asked him if there was a cemetery located nearby. He said yes, the Corley cemetery was located just behind the store, across the Nishnabotna River. Take the dirt road on your left, follow the curvy road up the hill and look for the boots on the fence posts. They will lead you to the cemetery. I followed his instructions and found my third great grandparents Henry B. Custer and Elizabeth Burkett, buried there in the Custer family plot. Henry had donated the land for the Fairview Henry Custer Sr. Tombstone Alton Sissell Darlene Hanson Township cemetery, later renamed the Corley Cemetery. It has also been referred to as the Custer cemetery. The following Custer s are buried there: Allie J , Cinthia , Clara , Elizabeth , Henry , Jane , Jasper N , Mary A , Perry B , and Rudy The adjacent family plot, to the west, was my Hack family. The daughter of my second great grandparents was buried there. I took some photographs of the headstones and knew that I had to return and do research in the Harlan, Iowa, library. As I turned to leave, to the north was a view of the Henry Custer Sr. farm. The fields freshly plowed and prepared for spring planting. In October 2006, I had the opportunity to return. I spent six hours in the genealogy research room of the Harlan Shelby County, Iowa, Library. I was able to photocopy county histories on Henry Custer and H. P. Hack. I was also,able to photocopy plat maps of the Custer and Hack farms. There was also an old township map showing the locations of Custer Grove and Hacktown. As I finished my research, I decided to take one last look in the stacks. I discovered a Nishnabotna Genealogy Society notebook, which was full of Pedigree Charts and Family Group Sheets. About ¾ of the way through the notebook, I found a Pedigree Chart, prepared by Darlene Hanson, which listed my 3 rd great grandfather, Henry B. Custer. I had found a cousin. Elizabeth Custer nee Burket I located a local phone book, in the library, and called the Hanson s located in Harlan. Darlene answered the phone and I told her, I think we are cousins. She was having computer troubles and the technician was due at any time and she asked me to call her back. I returned my call about two hours later and she said, I have found your family in my records. She invited me to her home.

35 Volume XXV Issue 2 Page 35 NewsCaster June 2007 I rushed over to her home and she invited me into her kitchen. There on her kitchen table was the results of her genealogy research. Several 3 binders and pictures were on the top of the table. She showed me the Family Group Sheet on my family and I. Also, we reviewed Henry B. Custer s Family Group Sheets. I only had half an hour to visit and spend the time introducing myself to Darlene. As I prepared to depart, I asked Darlene if I could leave some money and have her photocopy the Henry B, Custer binder at the local library. She said, You are my cousin and if you promise to return my binder, you may take it home with you. I was very surprised and extremely grateful that she would consider letting me take her genealogy work. I returned her binder in January Henry Custer s farm and southern acreage 2007 and Darlene invited me to visit the next time that I was in Harlan, Iowa. My wife and I planned a return in March We arrived in late March. Darlene and her husband, Gilbert took my wife and I on a tour of the Corley, Iowa area and to see the Henry Custer Sr. home place. We also saw Benton C. Custer s home place. We then traveled several miles south and west. We were headed for the site of Hacktown, Iowa, located on the Nishnabotna river bottom. There are no farmhouses or barns located on the land where Hacktown was located. There was only plowed farm fields being prepared for spring planting. What a great visit I ve had, from accidentally finding my 3 rd great grandfather s gravesite to visiting his farm. The Fairview (Custer) cemetery is located on the hillside, on the southeastern corner of the Henry Custer farm. Site of Hacktown, Iowa

36 NewsCaster June 2007 Volume XXV Issue 2 Page 36 William Custard Monument By Teresa Nyquist Tucker In the September 2006 newsletter, in the article Document and Preserve, I wrote about William Custard s ( ) grave site in the Oakwood Cemetery, Austin, Texas and the descendants intentions to preserve it. The Custard plat has several tombstones, all in poor condition. We know from old records that William Custard is buried there, but no tombstone marked the grave. The plans were to erect a monument to this Republic of Texas citizen and preserve the other tombstones in the Custard plat. The first phase has been accomplished. William Custard s grave is now marked by an impressive gray granite monument. As William Custard s great, great grandson, David Martin, was digging around in the area where William is buried, he found the base of a tombstone broken off far below the surface. He also found a footstone covered by earth with an engraved C. We feel positive this is the resting place of William. It appears that William s grave originally was marked by a tombstone. Gathering contributions from several other Custard descendants, David arranged to have the memorial made. We put as much history as possible on the monument. In a sense, it is also a cenotaph, since most of William s children listed on the monument are buried elsewhere. The monument turned out very nice. The simply shaped gray granite is aesthetically pleasing and the design appropriate for this old section of the cemetery. The next phase of this ongoing project will be to preserve the broken tombstones that are extant in the plat by piecing them together and bracing them. The original tombstones are made of limestone and are much the worse for wear, so the last step will be to put some kind of clearly engraved markers by the original tombstones. Contributors to the project so far: 2x great grandchildren: William H. Custard of Oak Hill, Texas; David Martin of Spring,Texas; Donald Ray Martin of St. Louis, Missouri; Mary Lee Marx Nyquist of Burnet, Texas. 3x great granddaughters: Sharon Custard Wilson of Seattle, Washington; Kristin Reich Burkland of Austin, Texas ; Teresa Nyquist Tucker of Liberty Hill, Texas; 4x great granddaughter Christie Travelute Ammirati of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. REPUBLIC OF TEXAS SOLDIER WILLIAM CUSTARD SERVED NINE MONTHS WITH THE ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS APR 15 JUN 4 IN CAPT. THOMAS GREEN S COMPANY UNDER THE COMMAND OF MARK B. LEWIS IN SEARCH OF HOSTILE INDIANS AT THE HEADWATERS OF THE COLORADO RIVER JUL SEP 1 IN CAPT. ELI CHANDLER S COMPANY AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR MR. RAYFORD IN AN EXPEDITION AGAINST THE INDIANS MAR WILLIAM CUSTARD AND WILLIAM BELL JOINED CAPT. WASHINGTON D. MILLER/ THOMAS GREEN S COMPANY TO REPEL THE MEXICAN ARMY OF GENL. RAFAEL VASQUEZ DEC 30 WILLIAM CUSTARD AND WILLIAM BELL DEFENDED AUSTIN IN THE ARCHIVES WAR JAN 1 WILLIAM BELL WAS AMUBUSHED SOUTHEAST OF WALLER CREEK BY INDIANS. HE WAS KILLED AND SCALPED. HIS BODY WAS BROUGHT TO TOWN AND LAID TO REST IN THE OLD CEMETERY. NEXT TO WILLIAM BELL IS BURIED HIS WIFE, MARY ANN BELL. ON HER OTHER SIDE IS BURIED WILLIAM CUSTARD, HER SECOND HUSBAND ERECTED BY DESCENDANTS IN Back of tombstone. Republic of Texas military activities of William Custard and his associate, William Bell. William Custard married William Bell s widow.

37 Volume XXV Issue 2 Page 37 WILLIAM CUSTARD NewsCaster June 2007 BORN c IN OHIO DIED SEPTEMBER 12, 1895 IN HUTTO, TEXAS CITIZEN AND SOLDIER OF THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS WILLIAM CUSTARD CAME TO TEXAS ABOUT RECEIVED 320 ACRE LAND GRANT. OWNED TOWN LOTS AND BUILDINGS USED FOR GOVERNMENT AND COMMERCE IN THE HEART OF AUSTIN. SERVED AS A CARPENTER, STONE MASON, AND SOLDIER OF THE REPUBLIC of TEXAS. TEXAS FARMER AND BUSINESSMAN. DEFENDED AUSTIN DURING INDIAN HOSTILITIES, VASQUEZ CAMPAIGN, AND THE ARCHIVES WAR. CHARTER MEMBER OF THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH IN AUSTIN. IN 1882 BEGAN BUYING LAND IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY. FEBRUARY 3, 1844 MARRIED MARY ANN BELL. AFTER HER DEATH, MARRIED CLARINDA CLARA STANFIELD IN x great grandson Jude Tucker standing beside newly erected tombstone in Oakwood Cemetery, Austin, Texas. Jude (9 years old) was participating in an Oakwood Cemetery workday coordinated by the organization Save Austin Cemeteries in March. Front of tombstone. Wood braces hold tombstone in place as cement foundation dries. William & Mary William & Clarinda Known Children: Known children: Dan c Susan c Charles c William c Daughter c Hiram W. c Mary c Catherine 1857 Clark c Walter Allen c Clara Cornelia 1859 Lula 1871 Son 1854 Betty c Ellen 1873 Daniel c Samuel c Seth 1864 Who is William Custard s Father? William Custard was born about 1810 in Ohio. William left Ohio before 1839 to settle in Travis County, Texas. William married 3 February 1844 Mary Ann Bell. They had four children. After Mary died 1 October 1851, William married 22 May 1855 Clarinda Stanfield in Travis County, Texas. Clarinda was born in 1838 in Tennessee. William was a farmer, a carpenter and stone mason. He died 12 September 1895 in Williamson County, Texas, and is buried in the Oakwood Cemetery, Austin, Travis County, Texas. There is a story that part of a Custer family in Ohio broke away from the others and started using the name Custard. There may be some truth to it since it is reported that Lula E. Custard and Hiram Custard started using Custer before they died. [from former CAOA Member Alice M. Maxwell] A DNA test of a descendant matches the Paulus; Conrad; Arnold DNA Family. If you are from the this Paulus line please check your files for a William who might be this William.

38 NewsCaster June 2007 Volume XXV Issue 2 Page 38 Biographies: Shelby County Custers HENRY CUSTER PK Henry Custer (deceased), late of Fairview Township, was one of the pioneers, having come to Shelby County in the spring of He was born in Ash County, North Carolina, April 22, 1807, and is a son of Emmanuel Custer, who was also a native of North Carolina. When Henry was fourteen years of age his parents removed to Ohio and settled in Clermont County, where he grew to manhood. At the age of twenty-one years he went to Putnam County, Indiana, where he was afterward married to Miss Elizabeth Burket, who was born near Salem, North Carolina, and was a daughter of Abraham Burket, who came with his family to Indiana when Mrs. Custer was eighteen years old. Mr. Custer resided in Indiana until the spring of 1852, when he emigrated with his family to western Iowa, which a short time before was an unexplored prairie, and at the time of Mr. Custer's settlement was occupied by a few hardy pioneers. They made the journey with horses and oxen, fording streams, and picking their way across the country, as there were but few roads laid out at that early day. Mr. Custer first located in Mills County, where he remained until the following March, when he came to Shelby County and entered 360 acres of government land in section 3 of what is now Fairview Township; there he began the task of making a home in the new country when there were but six families in the south part of Shelby County. He first erected a log house, assisted by his son Rudy and son-in-law Leander Hack, who had settled two miles south of Mr. Custer's place the preceding fall. Mr. Custer and his family passed through all the hardships and privations incident to frontier life. During the severe winter of 1857, owing to the impassable roads and streams, they were unable to go to mill. Their breadstuff giving out the family ground ten bushels of buckwheat in an ordinary coffee-mill, at the same time having 300 bushels of wheat in the granary. They were obliged to travel a distance of 110 miles to mill. During the early days when the country was sparsely settled, the friend or stranger received an equally cordial welcome at Mr. Custer's home. As the country grew and improved the log house was replaced by a substantial frame dwelling, a portion of which was removed from the old town site of Simoda. Mr. and Mrs. Custer lived upon this farm to the end of their days. They were the parents of eleven children -- John and Mary Ann died in childhood; Jonathan died while serving his country in the late civil war at Helena, Arkansas; Catherine, (deceased); Rudy, Elizabeth, Benjamin, Abraham, Henry, Caroline and Benton C. still survive. Politically Mr. Custer was formerly an old-line Whig, and on the organization of the Republican party he cast his vote in support of its issues. He departed this life August 27, 1885; his wife survived him until October 28, Source: 1889 Biographical History of Shelby County, Iowa, pp Contributor: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs HENRY CUSTER, Jr. PK Henry Custer, Jr., is a genuine pioneer of Shelby County, having come here in He was born in Fountain County, Indiana, May 26, 1844, and is a son of Henry Custer, whose sketch will be found on another page of this volume. He was nine years old when his father removed to this county, settling at Custer's Grove; here he grew up on the frontier, spending his youth in driving an ox-team and breaking prairie, both in Iowa and Nebraska. His education was very limited; he attended six weeks of a term of school taught by John Davis. During the late Civil War he was one of the first to go to the defense of the nation; he enlisted in the fall of 1862 in the Twentyninth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and served ten months. He was in the line of battle at Columbus, Kentucky. He was honorably discharged and returned to his home in Shelby County. Mr. Custer was married January 22, 1865, to Miss Catharine Wright, a native of Putnam County, Missouri, and a daughter of Thomas and Mary (Cochran) Wright, natives of Virginia and Kentucky respectively. Thomas Wright settled on Honey Creek, in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, in 1851, and died in His widow came to Shelby County in 1862, and died here in After his marriage Henry Custer lived in Fairview Township one year, and then came to Harlan Township. He settled on his present farm in 1881; this place contains 160 acres of land which Mr. Custer has greatly improved. Mr. Custer and wife are the parents of eight children, two of whom are deceased -- Samantha, Dewey, Mary, Carl, Leroy, Jesse, Pearl. Jasper N. and Perry are not living. Mr. Custer votes with the Republican party, and is a member of the G. A. R., Harlan Post, No He is a member of the Anti-horse-thief Association of Fairview Township, No. 27. He owns a pair of mules he has worked twenty-one years; one animal is twenty-six years old and the other is thirty-three. Mr. Custer is a wide-awake, energetic farmer, and all his surroundings show his thrift and wise management. He is plain of speech and manner, is a close observer, and is honored and respected by all who know him. Source: 1889 Biographical History of Shelby County, Iowa, pp Contributor: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs

39 Volume XXV Issue 2 Page 39 NewsCaster June 2007 BENTON CLEMONS CUSTER PK Benton C. Custer is one of the successful and enterprising citizens of Fairview Township. He was but a babe when his father, Henry Custer, whose history will be found on another page, came to this county; here he has lived for thirty-five years; his youth, spent amid the wild surroundings of pioneer life, was occupied in farm work and in attending school. Arriving at the age of manhood he was married January 1, 1879, to Miss Laura McGee, who was born at Big Grove, Pottawattamie County, Iowa; she is a daughter of William and Eda (Huff) McGee; the father is a native of Indiana, and the mother of Illinois. Our subject came to his present farm, which is a portion of the old homestead farm, in 1879; he now owns 320 acres of well-improved land, consisting of rich bottom lands and timber. Custer's Grove is on this farm. He built his present house in 1878; it is a fine frame building of modern style, and well furnished; it is well located on an excellent building site, surrounded by a grove of native trees. Mr. Custer is engaged in general farming, making a specialty of the better breeds of stock. He and his wife are the parents of five children -- Grace E., Gertrude G., Eva E., Eda Inez and Glen Dale. He is a Republican, and a strong one. Though but a young man he has gained an enviable reputation in the county, and is one of her best citizens. Source: 1889 Biographical History of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 440 Contributor: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs Pennsylvania Vital Records Baptised Parents Child Witnesses Where Vol- 7 May 1836 Jacob Custer Catherine (Wenz) Custer Sarah b.7 Feb 1836 The parents Menallen Township, Adams Co. II April 1819 Daniel Custard Magdalena Custard Male child Midwife records, Montgomery Co. III May 1710 Kornelis de Wees Margret Loftes (Koster) Johannis Selle, Maria wife of Gerret ten Huerin Dutch Reformed Church Bensalem, Bucks Co. I Mar 1773 Kester Samuel 1 st Child Diary John Dyer II-13 Plumstead, Bucks Co. 4 Sep 1711 Kornelis de Wees Margriet Koster Catrina At Shepack I-115 Source: Pennsylvania Vital Records, Baltimore, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc Alonzo Milton Custer PK Alonzo Milton Custer, son of Mark and Mary Elizabeth (Morehead) Custer Jr., was born on 11 April 1857, in Sandyville, Jackson County, West Virginia or Virginia. He died 28 July 1927 in Sheridan Lake, Colorado. Their children: 1. Nellie Mae Custer was born Sep She married a Mr. Copenhaver. 2. George Henry Custer SR. was born 4 Aug Hollie W. Custer, was born 6 Nov Alonzo s brothers and sisters were: 1. Leander S. Custer born about 1851 in Virginia. 2. Theodore Custer born 30 Aug 1853 in Virginia. 3. Commodore Custer born 30 Aug 1853 in Virginia. 5. Mark Henry Custer born 7 Oct Selina Custer born abt 1861

40 NewsCaster June 2007 Volume XXV Issue 2 Page 40 Custer Deaths in Chester County, Pennsylvania Thanks to Jean White for sharing the url of for the following information. (LIDDID's added by the CAOA Archive Coordinator.) PK Custer, George W. a white male died at age 40. He was born in the USA and was married. He worked as a stove moulder. He died on 26 February 1895 in Spring City (Queen & Cedar Sts.) from diptheria. He was ill for 3 weeks.(register of Deaths for Chester County ( ) Vol 1, page 38). Possible son of PK Custer, Ira B., a white male child born on 4 April 1907 in Spring City (Main Street). He died 1 hour later from pressure on brain. (Register of Deaths for Chester County ( ) Vol 3, page 35). Is he the child of Ira B. and Sara A. (Matz) Custer? They married in July of 1905 at St. Paul's Reformed Church in Pottstown. Reverend Frank P. Lares officiated. They lived at 50 North Main Street in Spring City, Chester County, Pennsylvania. Ira B. Custer (1882) was the son of George W. and Sarah (McFarland) Custer. PK Custer, Clarence a white male child died age 5. He born in the USA. He died on 24 February 1895 in Spring City (Queen & Cedar Sts.) from diptheria. He was ill for 2 weeks. (Register of Deaths for Chester County ( ) Vol 1, page 38). PK Custer, Naomi a white female child died at age 2. She born in the USA. She died on 31 January 1895 in Spring City (Queen & Cedar Sts.) from diptheria. She was ill for 1 week. (Register of Deaths for Chester County ( ) Vol 1, page 38). Who is Custer, George a white male. [No other information given.] (Register of Deaths for Chester County ( ) Vol 2, page 47.) Where in the World have you been? Bonnie and I drove the Alaskan Highway and continued past Fairbanks to cross the Arctic Circle on May 14th, Our trip totaled 47 days and 13,195 miles from our home in Orlando and back. Buck Custer Past CAOA President

41 Volume XXV Issue 2 Page 41 NewsCaster June 2007 Early Ohio Settlers Survey Range Township Section Caster, Benjamin (A) 1818 May 21 Montgomery Caster, Cornelius (C) 1811 Sept. 14 Champaign Caster, William (A) 1811 Dec 11 Preble Custard, Abraham (C) 1818 July 08 Champaign Custard, William (C) 1805 July 24 Kentucky Custer, William (C) 1810 Dec. 12 Champaign Custor, Arnold (C) 1810 May 23 Champaign Kaster, Conrad (C) 1804 Sept. 03 Montgomery Kaster, Conrod (A) 1812 Aug. 21 Preble Kastor, Conrad (C) 1804 Sept. 03 Montgomery Survey (A): Miami River Survey, Ranges I-VIII: Land lying east of a meridian drawn from the mouth of the Great Miami River. Hamilton, Butler, Shelby, Warren, Montgomery, Miami, Preble, Logan and Darke Counties (may be all or only apart of each county) all in Ohio. Survey (C ): Between the Miamis, Ranges IV-XV: Lands lying north of the northern boundary of Range III. Greene, Clark, Champion, Shelby and Logan Counties (all or a part of each county) all in Ohio. Purchasers of Land in Southwestern Ohio, ; Compiled by Ellen T. Berry & David A. Berry; Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc Obituary: Geraldine Gerri Custer Geraldine Gerri B. Custer, loving wife, mother, and grandmother, went to be with Our Father in Heaven on June 28, She passed away in her home with her family present. She was born in Pine City, Minnesota on March 13, 1934 to Raymond and Hilma Galles. She was raised in Minnesota and graduated college from Hamline Univesity in St. Paul, Minnesota. She is survived by her devoted husband of 46 years, Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Leslie L. Custer and children, Tracy Custer-Cervantes and husband Joe, Bradley Custer and wife Luz, Blake Custer and wife Denise, Gerri is also survived by her seven grandchildren, Katlynn, Kendall, Cody, Caleigh, Cole, Megan, and Luke. Geri will be remembered most for her extraordinary love and commitment to her family and friends. She always lived her life being faithful to the Lord and showing great care and generosity toward others. Her personal courage and her willingness to accept even the unexpected events that happened in life will always be cherished. She and her husband met in Yellowstone Park, Wyoming and have always shared fond memories of that area. She dedicated her life to being a supportive Officer s wife and mother, which took her many places in the United States and Europe for over thirty years. A Private Graveside Service will be held to celebrated (sic) Gerri s life on Monday, July 3, 2006 at 11:15 AM at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC), 7979 Wurzbach Rd., San Antonio, TX Many thanks to all the individuals that expressed continued prayer, support and care to both Gerri and her family. Gerri will be forever remembered and loved. Please visit to leave the family a tribute. Sunset Funeral Home. San Antonio Express-News Sunday July 2, 2006 Thanks to Sandee Lacy for sending us this information. Even though we are following 200+ lines only 38 of them are represented by our members. We would like to feature a story, query, tidbit, picture or idea about those 38 lines. If you have an idea for a story please contact the Editor at editor@caoa-gen.org and let us know them.

42 NewsCaster June 2007 Volume XXV Issue 2 Page 42 Custer/Crater/Wagner Grist and Merchant Mill David Y. Custer bought ten acres from his father, Jacob Custer, in It had been the home of Jacob Shantz, deceased, until that year. Since Jacob Custer was identified as of Limerick Township and did not move to the property, it would seem that the purchase was made explicitly for David. There was no know mill or commercial use of the property before that time. David was of Coventry Township [PA] in the deed recital and had a property adjacent to the Shantz land. Taxes do not show a mill on this property until 1856, but an 1854 deed from Jacob S. Worman to Custer mentions a race and dam on Custer s property and gives Custer the right to raise the waters of Pigeon Creek one foot to gain power for the said Grist and Merchant Mill. A newspaper clipping written in 1969 sets the date of the building at Being called a merchant mill indicates that it had the capacity to store large amounts of ground grains, unlike a custom mill that milled on demand. Little information was Custer/Wagner Mill, Miller post-card found for the Cutser years of operation. By the time the 1883 Breou Farm Atlas was printed, the mill, listed as a grist and saw mill, is accounted to Henry Crater. Since Henry Crater is found on the 1873 map in a house very near to the Custer mill, and in 1883 is owner of a larger portion of land with the mill, it is highly possible that he was the managing miller before he owned the property. The Crater family is found in Montgomery County before coming to East Coventry and a kinsman. Levi Crater, had been a miller in East Pikeland Township before the Civil War. Henry Crater operated the mill until 1898 when it was sold to Samuel Thomas Wagner. As Coventry Mill, it operated on both a custom and merchant basis until 1921 when Keith Morrison bought it and turned it into a poultry operation, hatching and raising chicks for sale. He sold it to Paul Detwiler in 1956 who continued the broodery sixteen more years. The Custer Merchant Mill is near Parker Ford village, but before the Keizer/Parker Mill. The general store in the village was at one time operated by a Custer, possibly of this same family. The mill building was demolished in 1979 for the widening of Bethel Church Road. Source: Estelle Cremers and Pamela Shenk. Coventry The Skool Kill District: A Basic History of the Three Coventry Townships (Morgantown, Pennsylvania : Masthof Press 2003)

43 Volume XXV Issue 2 Page 43 NewsCaster June 2007 David Y. Custer PK David Y Custer was born on 16 January 1815 in Limerick Square, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. He is the son of Jacob and Catherine (Yerger) Custer. David married 10 December 1837 Esther A Rambo at Trappe, Rev J Warpole officiated. Esther was born 29 January 1815, daughter of George and Ann (Fox) Rambo. In 1840, they were in Coventry Township of Chester County, Pa. In 1843, David sold land for the Brethren Meeting House at Parkerford, Pa for $110. They lived in Lower Pottsgrove Township in David was a miller. He also was a surveyor, and served the community at Justice of the Peace. He was very active in civic affairs. David died 19 February Esther died 18 December They were buried at Trappe Lutheran Church Cemetery. Their children: 1. Joseph Warren Custer born 12 September 1838 in Chester County, Pa; married 10 March 1863 Elizabeth Buckwalter; died 2 May 1887 in Pottstown, Pa. 2. Elizabeth Ann Custer born 21 August 1841; died 25 November 1856, buried at Trappe Lutheran Church Cemetery. 3. Jacob Rambo Custer born 27 November 1845 in Chester County, Pa; married 1 December 1879 Ella A White; died 22 February 1915 in Chicago. Sources: 1. Descendants of Hermanus Kuster\by Donald M Custer, p census Pa, Chester Co, Coventry Twp, p census Pa, Chester Co, E Coventry Twp census Pa, Chester Co, E Coventry Twp census Pa, Chester Co, E Coventry Twp census Pa, Montgomery Co, Lower Pottsgrove Twp, # Notes of Vivian F Taylor, Norristown, Pa 8. Bauern Freund; 27 December David Custer and Miss Esther Rambo both of Limerick were married 10 December 1837 at Trappe by Rev J Warpole. 9. Augustus Lutheran Church; Trappe, Pa married 7 December 1837 David Y Custer and Esther Rambo, both of Limerick Twp baptized Joseph Warren Custer, son of David and Esther born 12 Sept 1838 baptized 16 June sponsors: parents baptized Elizabeth Ann Custer daughter of David and Esther born 21 August 1841 baptized 16 May sponsors: parents 10. Montgomery County Register of Wills # Esther Custer, Pottstown, died 18 December Elizabeth Custer, executrix. Montgomery County Deed Book 124, p 34 - Indenture 20 May 1861, Abel Rambo, David Y Custer and Abraham Reiner, executors of will of James F Rambo late of Upper Providence, to Englebert Perxotte of Upper Salford Twp, land in Boro of Trappe, Upper Providence Twp...whereas James Rambo died leaving a widow, Rebecca, and two minor children Emma M and Abraham R... recorded 23 May Chester County Historical Society - Obituary in Pottstown Ledger dated 20 Feb 1895: David Y Custer, aged 80 years and 24 days, died this Tuesday morning at 11:15 at his home on 888 Queen St, Pottstown. He had been ill over three weeks with pneumonia resulting from a cold which it is supposed he contracted in making a trip to Augustus Lutheran Church, Trappe, of which congregation he was a member, on Sunday a few weeks ago. Deceased was a son of Jacob Custer, a prominent citizen in his day who resided near Limerick Square, Montgomery County, where his son David Y was born. Of the family, there is yet surviving Peter Y Custer of Canton, Fulton County, Illinois. David Y Custer was a miller by trade and conducted his occupation successfully many years at Lawrenceville (now Parker's Ford), Chester County. He was also Justice of the Peace two or three terms and acted as surveyor and conveyancer; also held other positions of trust and honor, and was generally a useful, honorable and highly esteemed citizen. His wife, a sister of the late professor, Abel Rambo, of Trappe, survives him. She was 80 years old in January. They were parents of three children - the late Professor J Warren Custer of Pottstown whose widow Mrs Elizabeth Custer still resides there, Elizbeth who died young and Jacob R Custer Esq an eminent lawyer of Chicago. Squire Custer moved to Pottstown about 26 years ago. He made the survy for the expansion of Pottstown which was accomplished in 1888 a great deal of the credit of that important step in the progress of the town was due to his efforts, in preparing plans made and securing names of children of citizens to petition to court asking for the...

44 NewsCaster June 2007 Volume XXV Issue 2 Page 44 From the President Teresa Tucker Hello fellow Castor Association of America Members. It has been a quiet quarter for the Association. Personally, I have been watching the cycle of life and death, ancestors and descendants in the making. In May, my granddaughter celebrated her first birthday. At her party were various other adorable little people, wide-eyed, sucking contentedly on pacifiers. When they got tired of toddling they would hold up their arms to be picked up, wiggling down when they wanted to wander. Fortunately for them, the crowd consisted of doting friends and relatives between the ages of five and eightyseven so they wanted for nothing during the extravaganza. Any banana, toy, or piece of cake was theirs for the asking, whether by grunt or gesture. New little buds on the family trees. I also experienced the laying in the ground of two admirable men, pillars of their families. Both in their eighties, I d known them since I was a teenager. Each had been influential at some time in my life, though in very different ways. Each had lived full lives and died loving and loved. Then there were the unexpected deaths. One was a genealogy cousin who simply collapsed and died at the age of 37. Another died suddenly in the hospital within two weeks of her husband s death. Both were in their sixties. Their children had come to grips over the past year that their father had terminal cancer, but their mother s death was swift and stunning. And so, I ve been witnessing the growth of family trees and unalterable final history. As genealogists, whether formally or casually, we remember ancestors and descendants. They are a part of a personal family tree, a community forest, an even bigger ecosystem of county, state, and country. Each person shapes the tree and ecosystem they are part of, making each entity what it is. As genealogists, we set out to understand, to see, and to preserve the origins and history of each little bud, leaf, and branch. We research, record, and share. A good example of that is the project the library in Burnet, Texas is doing. A list of World War II veterans and civilians was compiled, and then each person on the list was contacted and asked to give an interview. Specific questions asked by the interviewer are answered, and the session is recorded on cassette tape. Then a volunteer transcribes the interview. The transcription is put into booklet form, and a copy is given to the interviewee, a copy stays at the library, and a copy goes to the Admiral Nimitz, National Museum of the Pacific War ( in Fredericksburg, Texas. As my small contribution to the project, I set up interviews for my parents-in-law and my husband s uncle and aunt. Now, I will transcribe their recorded interviews. Unlike the grand scale of WWII depicted in history books, these fascinating stories share the attitudes and daily lives of those who lived it, those who were a small piece of the grand scale. The Castor Association of America does its part to preserve the histories of our families. Our Archivist, Patricia Castor, has been working to achieve our goals of preservation and sharing. Through her hard work, CAOA has published our first workbook, Isaac William Kester Sr. c Workbook. It is available at the website She will soon have two more workbooks ready for publications, one on Frederick Keister and one on Benedict Custer. Lulu.com allows these publications to be bought as a book, a CD, or as an e-book. Patricia also reports that she has returned recently from Salt Lake City where she spent a week of researching our CAOA lines. She gathered information that she feels might tie some families together. I look forward to her report on that! We have received the test results back for another CAOA member who descends from John Caster Sr. that is one marker off matching Paulus. This test helps define the different sons of John Caster Sr. One last thought on doing our part to preserve family history. Last year I heard a speaker give a talk on writing your own obituary. At first, this might seem rather morbid, but after reading the obituaries in the funeral programs of those who passed on this spring, I can see the wisdom in it. Some of those left behind to write the obituaries and funeral programs were inexperienced, too devastated or busy with funeral preparations to think clearly about what to say about their loved one s life. The results were that major life events and things that the deceased would have wanted to be remembered were left out. How many times have we as genealogists read an obituary that we know is inaccurate or misspelled? Writing your own would help set facts straight and it just might be your last chance to put in your two cents worth! Writing my obituary is on my to do list. Teresa Tucker, CAOA President New Members - Member Updates - Corrections Correction on page Membership Directory: Marjorie Lampley JD Catherine Custer Burke PK katiecbur@verizon.net

45 Volume XXV Issue 2 Page 45 INDEX to the June 2007 Issue Bernard Abinnath, L. 32 Jane 30 Bernard T. 32 Adams, Bernard Tobias Bud 32 Amelia 25 Bud 32 Elizabeth 25 Catherine M. Hunt 32 William 25 Charles Wilson 28 Allan, Annie 29 Fletcher Charles 28 David 29 Frances A. Wilson 28 Frank 29 Julia Rogers Lipscomb, Jeannie 29 Mrs. 32 Martha 29 Katherine Grimes 32 Nelson 29 Marvyn Samuel 28 Sarah 29 Phillip 43 Ammirati, Ruth Joan 28 Christie Travelute 36 Samuel B. 28 Andrews, Sarah Miller 32 Jim 26 Tobias 32 Anstine, Cervantes, Francis Marion 28 Joe 41 Arnold, Tracy Custard 41 Byron 26 Chase, Baker, Albert 27, 28 C.S. 33 Clark, Bateman, Henrietta Mae 28 Gladys 28 Chandler, Beatty, Capt. Eli 36 Margaret Jane 26, 27 Cheek, Bell, Dr. Daniel 30 Mary Ann 36, 37 Reeva 30 William 36 Christy, Boucher, Susan Ann 32 John 29 Cochran, Boyd, Mary 38 Sarah Elizabeth 29 Cooper, Thomas 29 Mary Ann Remington 32 Brown, Copenhaver, Audrey Sandra 28 Mr. 39 Robert House (West) 28 Crater Burke, Henry 43 Catherine Custer 42 Levi 43 Burket, Custard, Abraham 38 Abraham 41 Elizabeth, Miss 38 Amelia 29 Burkett, Arnold Allan 29 Elizabeth 27, 34 Betty 1861 Burkland, Catherine 37 Kristin Reich 36 Charles 37 Buckwalter Clara Cornelia 37 Elizabeth 43 Clara Stanfield 37 Carter, Clarinda Stanfield 37 Maude 26 Clark 37 Mrs. 26 Dan 37 Caster, Daniel 37, 39 Benjamin 41 Delinda 29 Cornelius 41 Ellen 37 John, Sr. 42 Fannie 29 Patricia 42, 43 George 29 William 41 Hiram W. 37 Castor, Josephine 29 Alice Labuzan 32 Kreasy 29 Audrey Roberta 28 Lula 37 Magdalena 39 Mary 37 Mary Ann Bell 37 Richard 29 Samuel 37 Seth 37 Sharon 30 Susan 37 Walter Allen 37 William 36, 37, 41 William H. 36 Custer, Abraham 38 Abraham Lincoln 25 Abram 31 Alice J. 31 Allie J. 34 Alonzo Milton 39 Alva Floyd 31 Amelia 25 Benedict 47 Benjamin 31, 38 Benton C. 35, 38 Benton Clemens 39 Blake 41 Bonnie 40 Bradley 41 Buck 40, 43 Carl 38 Caroline 31, 38 Catherine 31, 38, 39, 42 Charles 25 Cinthia 34 Clara 34 Clara Opal 31 Clarence 40 Commodore 39 David Y 42, 43 Denise 41 Dewey 38 Eda Inez 39 Elizabeth 26, 27, 31, 34, 38 Elizabeth Ann 43 Elizabeth Burkett 27, 34 Ellen J. 25 Emmanuel 38 Eva E. 39 Flora 25 Florence 25 Gary 43 George 40 George Henry Sr. 39 George W. 40 Geraldine Galles 41 Gerri 41 Gertrude G. 39 Glen Dale 39 Glenn Dale 31 Grace 31 Grace E. 39 Henry 27, 31, 34, 35, 38, 39 Henry B. 34, 35 Herbert Earl 31 Hollie W. 39 Ira B. 40 Ira Evert 31 Jacob 39, 42, 43 Jacob Rambo 43 Jane 34 Jasper N. 31, 34, 38 Jesse 38 John 38 Jonathan 38 Joseph Warren 43 Kate 31 Laura Alice 31 Laura McGee 39 Leander S. 39 Lenard 31 Leroy 31, 38 Leslie L., Brig. Gen. (Ret.) 41 Luz 41 Mark Henry 39 Mark Jr. 39 Mary 33, 38, 39 Mary A. 34 Mary Ann 38 Mary Elizabeth 25 Naomi 40 Nellie Mae 39 Pearl 38 Perry B. 34, 38 Peter 33 Peter Y 43 Rudolph 28 Rudy 31, 34, 38 Rudy Edward 31 Samantha 38 Sarah A. Matz 40 Sarah 33, 39 Sarah McFarland 40 Selina 39 Theodore 39 Tracy 41 William 25, 41 Custor, Arnold 41 Davis, John 38 Detwieler Paul 43 De Wees, Catrina 39 Johannis 39 Kornelis 39 Margret Loftes (Koster) 39 Margriet Koster 39 Dickinson, Darlene 28 Diehl, John 26 Dishon, NewsCaster June 2007 Jackie 31 Dyer, John 39 Ray, Rev. 30 Fischer, Rev. John 30 Fox Ann 43 Flynn, Martin E. 28 Galles, Geraldine 41 Hilma 41 Raymond 41 Gillette, Mrs. Kate 26 Gould, Joe 26 Green, Capt. Thomas 36 Grimes, Katherine A. 32 Hack Ann 28 Elizabeth Custer 27 H. P. 34 Harriett Hattie 28 Jonathan Perry 28 Leander 38 Leander Alexander 27 Leander Johnathan 26 Lewis Andrew 27 Louis Andrew 26 Lydia 27 Mabel 26 Nevada 28 Oscar 28 Rosella 28 Susan Penner 27 Wade Alonzo 26, 27 William 27 Hampton, David 33 Hanson, Darlene 34, 35 Gilbert 35 Harlan, Dennis 30 Emma 30 Flora P. Kester 30 Jared 30 Joy Laybold 30 Loretta 30 Otto V. 30 Spence 30 Vernon 30 Vicki S. 30 Warren W. 30 Hanson, Darlene Dickinson 28 Harrington, Dr. 27 Hawn,

46 NewsCaster June 2007 Volume XXV Issue 2 Page 46 James 29 Sarah Elizabeth Boyd 29 Hedley, Fenwick Y. 29 Hoffman, Vickie 31 Huerin, See: Ten Huerin Huff, Eda 39 Hunt, Catherine M. 32 Jacob S. 32 Susan Ann Christy 32 Hurley, Rev. Curtis 31 Jewel, Elen 27 Jones, Chas. W. 26 Rev. Dick 31 Judson, Jamie Woll 30 Stephen 30 Kaster, Conrad 41 Conrod 41 Kastor, Conrad 41 Keister, Frederick 42 Kester, Betty 31 Bill 31 Charles Jr. 30 Charles Sr. 30 Delores 31 Dora Bell Moore 30 Dorothy Rose 31 Ernest 30 Ernestine Snell 30 Flora 30 Forest 31 Gerald 31 Goldie Shaw 31 Harold 31 Helen 30 Homer 31 Hubert 31 Isaac William 47 Jackie 31 Jo 30 John 30 Lonnie Joe 30 Loraine C. 30 Louise 31 Margaret 31 Myrtle Turner 31 Ray 30 Reeva 30 Robert L. 30 Rudolph B. 31 Ruth 30 Samuel 39 Sandra Kay 30 Sharman 30 Shari 30 Shirley 31 Valda 31 Vaughn 31 Wayne 30 William Isaac, Sr. 42 Kiester, Martha 29 Mrs. John 29 Kimberlin, Salinda Jane 28 Koster, Margret Loftes 39 Margriet 39 Krape, Jeannie 29 Mrs. William 29 Krejei, Mary Frances 28 Krews, Sandra Kay 30 Labuzan, Katherine A. 32 Lacy, Joe 43 Lampley, Marjorie 42 Lares, Frank P., Rev. 40 Laybold Kester, Joy 30 Leutz, Leonard 28 Lewis, Francis M. 33 Mark B. 36 Litzel, Dr. 29 Lowe, David C. 28 Main, Frank 26 Musa 28 Martin, David 36 Donald Ray 36 Matz, Sarah A. 40 Marx, Mary Lee 36 Maurey, Ruth 30 McCadden, Martha 29 McCoy, Bertha 26 McFarland, Sarah 40 McGee, Eda 39 Laura 39 William 39 McGranahan, Joseph 25 McHenry, Charlie 26 Tom 26 Miller, Sarah 32 Washington D., Capt. 36 Moore, Catherine L. 31 Charles 33 Moore Kester, Dora Bell 30 Morehead, Elizabeth 39 Morris, Charlie 26 Morrison Keith 43 Nyquist, Mary Lee Marx 36 Teresa 36 Oakford, Wm. L. 33 Orr, Audrey Roberta Castor 28 Robert III 28 Robert Jr. 28 Patrick, Helen 30 Penner, Susan 27 Pennington, Aaron 30 Jennifer 30 Pierce, Frank 26 Poole, Mrs. Niram Snow Post, Beverly Joyce 25 Price, Dorothy Rose 31 Francis 31 Russell 31 Rambo Abel 43 Abraham 43 Emma M 43 Esther A 43 George 43 James F 43 Rebecca 43 Rayford, Mr. 36 Reich, Kristin 36 Remington, Mary Ann 32 Reiner Abraham 43 Reeves, J. 33 Rittmeyer, Margaret 31 Roberts, Mary Angeline 31 Roger, Geo. W. 33 Royal, Roscoe 26 Schafer, W. L. 33 Shaffer, Lewis 31 Caroline Custer 26, 31 Shantz Jacob 43 Shaw, Goldie 31 Sissell, Alton 34, 43 Snell Kester, Ernestine 30 Snow, See: Poole. Sparks, Delores Kester 31 Kermit 31 Robert 31 Staggs, Jo Kester 31 Stanfield, Clara 37 Clarinda 37 Steele, Greg 30 Janie 30 Kimberly 30 Rachel 30 Stephen 30 Stetson, Gene 26 Straw, Proffesor Benjamin 29 Tague, Sarah E. 31 Ten Huerin, Gerret 39 Maria 39 Thomas, Derek 31 Elaine 31 Garnett 31 Gerald 31 Karen 31 Logan Mark 31 Loren 31 Louise 31 Mark 31 Michael 31 Rosemary 31 Spencer 31 Thurman, Geri 43 Travelute, Christie 36 Trittipo, Grace H. 28 Salinda Jane Kimberlin 28 Samuel L. 28 Tucker, Jude 37 Teresa 42, 43 Teresa Nyquist 36 Turner Kester, Myrtle 31 Vasquez, Rafael, Genl. 36 Voeltz, Donnie 30 Shari 30 Ward, Mary-Margaret 43 Warpole Rev. J. Waterbury, Lewis 31 Weaver, George W. 25 Wendt, August 26 Ferd 26 Wenz, Catherine 39 Wees, See: De Wees White, Ella A 43 Jean 40 Wilbur, C. D. 31 Wilson, Frances A. Sharon Custard 36 Winters, Allison 30 Brye 30 Jacob 30 Tim 30 Wohler, Henry 26 Woll, Jamie 30 Julie 30 Sharman Kester 30 Shari Kester 30 Wood, John 33 Worman Jacob S. Worthington, Ira 25 Joseph George Jr. 25 Joseph George Sr. 25 Wright, Catherine, Miss 31, 38 Mary Cochran 38 Thomas 38 Yerger Catherine 43

47 Volume XXV Issue 2 Page 47 NewsCaster June 2007 Editor I apologize for the delayed delivery of this issue of the News Caster. This had been a busy time for me, and I got a late start in developing the story lines. I do encourage all members to share their family stories and genealogies of their Casters, with all various spellings, with the Castor Association. We want to provide you with the latest genealogies and updated family stories. I am on the road doing Custer/Kuster family history research and will publish the results in future issues. This includes visits to Fort Hays, Kansas, where General Custer was stationed for three years and a visit to Custer, South Dakota. I appreciate the support that I have received from Patricia Caster and Teresa Tucker and hope that I am providing you with the newsletter that has value to you. Alton Workbooks available Two new workbooks are available online at search on Castor and look for Castor Association of America IK.0 Isaac William Kester Sr. Workbook Isaac William Kester Sr. was born c 1775 in Tennessee or Kentucky. He died in Lawrence County, Arkansas in 1843 BT.0 Benedict Custer Workbook Benedict Custer was born in 1640 in Switzerland. Three if his ggg grandsons arrived in New York in They were Stephen Custer, Ursus Custer and Johannes Custer. *FK.0 Frederick Keister will be done very soon. Surfing the Web The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints is revising its web site: to allow much more data to be accessed. The have added: World Vital Records, Kindred Konnections, Godfrey Memorial Library, Heritge Quest and Revolutionary War records to the free access sites at your local Family History Center. The Castor Association of America is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the preservation of family history for all variations of the family surname. Caster Castor Coster Custard Custer Gerster Kaster Kastor Keister Kester Kiester Kistard Kister Koester Koster Kuester Kustard Kuster Kusterd Küster Officers President Teresa Tucker Vice President Gary Custer Secretary. Mary-Margaret Ward Treasurer.....Joe Lacy Appointed Positions Archives Coordinator Patricia Caster Editor......Alton Sissell Publications Manager..... Buck Custer Historian....Phillip Castor Web Site Coordinator......Geri Thurman Library....Patricia Caster CAOA Queries president@caoa-gen.org Teresa Tucker, President 5050 CR 236 Liberty Hill, TX Membership and Change of Address membership@caoa-gen.org Gary L. Custer, Vice President, Membership 438 Hiway 74 Twin Falls, ID Secretary secretary@caoa-gen.org Mary-Margaret Ward, Secretary PO Box 1205 Sonoma, CA Membership Dues treasurer@caoa-gen.org Book Purchases-News-Caster Issues Joe Lacy, Treasurer 302 County Road 6720 Natalia, TX Articles/Suggestions for News-Caster editor@caoa-gen.org Alton Sissell, Editor 9491 Lake Natoma Drive Orangevale, CA Archives and Lineage Questions archives@caoa-gen.org CAOA Library Books library@caoa-gen.org Patricia Caster, Archives Coordinator PO Box 955 Windsor, CA CAOA DNA Project caoa-dna@caoa-gen.org The News Caster is published quarterly by the Castor Association of America. Past issues may be ordered from the Treasurer for $5 an issue.

48 In this Issue Abraham Lincoln Custer Elizabeth Custer s Grandson travels to Nebraska Charles Wilson Castor Biography of Arnold Allan Custard...29 Obituaries: Loraine Kester - Robert Kester - William Harlan...30 Dorothy Rose Price - Louise Thomas...31 Shelby County Vital Records...31 Tobias Castor, son Bernard L and grandson Bernard T Custers victimized by Counterfeiter...33 Return to Custers Grove William Custard s Monument Biographies: Shelby County Custers Pennsylvania Vital Records...39 Alonzo Milton Custer...39 Custer Deaths for Chester County Pennsylvania...40 Where in the World have you been?...40 Early Ohio Settlers...41 Obituary: Geraldine Gerri Custer...41 Custer/Crater/Wagner Grist and Merchant Mill David Y. Custer From the President...44 New Members Member Updates Corrections...44 Note from the Editor...46 CAOA Contacts...47 Please ask before you use it All material published by the Castor Association of America including the News Caster, information on the CAOA web site, books, or materials in any other form, including materials developed from the CAOA Archives, may be used only with the express written Permission of the Castor Association of America. The Castor Association of America 1815 Billingshurst CT Orlando, Florida USA NONPROFIT ORG U.S.POSTAGE PAID ORLANDO FL PERMIT #422 Dated Material

49 Volume XXV Issue 3 September 2007 Who is William Custer? News The Caster News Caster Castor Association of America Born in Garrett County, Maryland circa 1850 William Custer is a mystery. He and many of his descendants lived in and around Barton for many generations.. His DNA shows that he is not from the Paulus Kuster DNA Family. He and his wife Elizabeth Broadwater are not found in the census records. Only one child is known, a son, Charles William Custer. Patricia archives@caoa-gen.org Descendants of William Custer Generation One 1. William 1 Custer was born about 1850, probably in Garret County, Maryland. He married Elizabeth Broadwater before Children of William 1 Custer and Elizabeth Broadwater were: + 2 i. Charles William 2 Custer was born on 20 Feb 1868 in Garrett County, Maryland. He married Mary Catherine Clark on 28 Oct 1891 in Barton, Maryland. Generation Two 2. Charles William 2 Custer (William 1 ) was born on 20 Feb 1868 in Garrett County, Maryland. He married Mary Catherine Clark on 28 Oct 1891 in Barton, Maryland. He died on 13 Apr 1934 in Frostburg, Maryland, at age 66. Children of Charles William 2 Custer and Mary Catherine Clark were as follows: + 3 i. James William 3 Custer was born on 8 Nov 1890 in Moscow, Maryland. He married Carrie Viola Klipstein on 25 Aug ii. John Harrison Custer was born on 4 Oct 1892 in Maryland. He died on 30 Nov 1902 at age 10. He was buried at the Laurel Hill Cemetery, in Moscow, Allegany County, Maryland. 5 iii. Archie Thomas Custer was born on 11 Mar 1895 in Maryland. He died before 15 Dec iv. Bessie Elizabeth Custer was born on 9 May 1897 in California. She married William Taylor about She died on 28 Sep 1993 at age v. Alice Lulu Custer was born on 7 Oct 1899 in California. She married (--?--) Riley about vi. Virginia Amandy Custer was born on 2 Jun 1902 in Maryland. She married (--?--) Schmeig about vii. Clinton Rosevelt Custer was born on 17 Jul He married Evelyn Fazenbaker viii. Ralph Edgar Custer was born on 28 Oct He married Lena Inella Smith in Apr He and Lena Inella Smith were divorced on 2 Apr ix. Ethel Jane Custer was born on 14 Jan 1908 in Reynolds, Allegany County, Maryland. She married Stanley Fazenbaker about x. Katie Ellen Custer was born on 29 Jul She married Buck Miller about xi. Charles David Custer was born on 25 Jul 1912 in Barton, Allegany County, Maryland. He married Ollie Ellen Tichnell on 30 Apr 1936; He was living in Barton, Allegany County, Maryland at the time. He died on 2 Jul 2005 in the Sacred Heart Hospital, in Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland, at age 92. He was buried on 6 Jul 2005 in the Rest Lawn Memorial Gardens, in LeVale, Maryland xii. Daisy Rosella Custer was born on 29 Jul 1918 in Mill Run, Allegany County, Maryland. She married James William Thomas about 1936.

50 News Caster September 2007 Volume XXV Issue 3 Page 42 Generation Three 3. James William 3 Custer (Charles 2, William 1 ) was born on 8 Nov 1890 in Moscow, Maryland. He married Carrie Viola Klipstein on 25 Aug He died on 14 Dec 1979 in Keyser, West Virginia, at age 89. His wife, Carrie died at age 67 on 23 Jan Children of James William 3 Custer and Carrie Viola Klipstein were as follows: 15 i. William Raymond 4 Custer was born on 17 Oct 1913 near Barton, in Allegany County, Maryland. He married Dorothy Ball circa They had three daughters. He died on 4 Jul 1952 in Chesapeake Bay at age ii. Harold Vernon Custer Sr. was born on 18 Feb 1915 in Barton, Allegany County, Maryland. He married Ruth Naomi Washington, daughter of Richard Madison Wash ington and Martha Belle Morgan, on 17 Aug 1940 at 980 Mass Avenue NW, Washington, D. C. They had a son and a daughter and three grandchildren. He died James William Custer and Carrie Viola Klipstein April 1943 on 22 Oct 2005 in Sunrise, Mount Vernon, Alexandria, Virginia, at age 90. He was buried on 25 Oct 2005 in the Fort Lincoln Cemetery in Brentwood, Maryland. 17 iii. Earle Courtney Custer was born on 25 Jun 1916 in Morrison, Allegany County, Maryland. He married Elsie Rowe about They had two sons and two daughters. He died on 5 Nov 1971 in Clinton, Maryland, at age iv. Wilber Wesley Custer was born on 26 Feb 1918 in Morrison, Allegany County, Maryland. He married Jean (--?--) about v. Elwood Cecil Custer was born on 11 Mar 1920 in Morrison, Allegany County, Maryland. He married Mildred Arlene Brinkman on 10 May 1848 in Leesburg, Virginia. They had one son and three daughters. 20 vi. Carrie Madeline Custer was born in She died in She was buried in the Laural Hill Cemetery, in Moscow, Allegany County, Maryland. 21 vii. Elbert Ellsworth Custer was born on 31 Dec 1925 in Morrison, Allegany County, Maryland. He was baptized at the age of five. 7. Alice Lulu 3 Custer (Charles 2, William 1 ) was born on 7 Oct 1899 in California. She married (--?--) Riley about Children of Alice Lulu 3 Custer and (--?--) Riley are: 22 i. (--?--) 4 Riley was born about Virginia Amandy 3 Custer (Charles 2, William 1 ) was born on 2 Jun 1902 in Maryland. She married (--?--) Schmeig about Children of Virginia Amandy 3 Custer and (--?--) Schmeig are as follows: 23 i. Adeline 4 Schmeig was born about ii. Thelma Schmeig was born about iii. Jenny Schmeig was born about Clinton Rosevelt 3 Custer (Charles 2, William 1 ) was born on 17 Jul He married Evelyn Fazenbaker. Children of Clinton Rosevelt 3 Custer and Evelyn Fazenbaker were: 26 i. John Gilbert 4 Custer was born circa He married (--?--) (--?--) about They had one son and two daughters. He died on 21 Feb 1977 in Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland. 10. Ralph Edgar 3 Custer (Charles 2, William 1 ) was born on 28 Oct He married Lena Inella Smith in Apr He and Lena were divorced on 2 Apr He died on 3 Nov 1977 at age 73. Children of Ralph Edgar 3 Custer and Lena Inella Smith are as follows: 27 i. Delores Ellen 4 Custer was born on 7 Sep 1938 at Ethel Custer Fazenbaker's house in Barton, Allegany

51 Volume XXV Issue 3 Page 43 News Caster September 2007 County, Maryland. She married Rollin Edwin Garrett. They had one son and two daughters. 28 ii. Rachel Marie Custer was born on 24 Sep 1940 in Westernport, Allegany County, Maryland. She married Weltie Melvin Minnich on 11 Oct 1958 in Maryland, Virginia. They had one daughter. She married James Rhinehart on 31 Dec 1963 in Timberville, Virginia. They had one daughter. She married Steve Eckard on 1 Oct 1988 in Harrisonburg, Virginia. 29 iii. Ralph Edgar Custer Jr. was born on 9 Aug 1942 in Mill Run, Barton, Allegany County, Maryland. He married Linda Lewis on 22 May 1964 in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He married Carolyn Burner on 19 Jun 1977 in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He also went by the name of Buck. In 2005 he was living in Harrisonburg, Virginia. 30 iv. Judy Ann Custer was born on 20 Sep 1944 in Keyser, West Virginia. She was raised by Fred and Pearl ["Sister"] Spitzer from the time she was 6 months old. She married Donald Lee Whitman on 25 Aug 1967 in Amherst, Ohio. They had two daughters. In 2005 she was living in Amherst, Ohio. 11. Ethel Jane 3 Custer (Charles 2, William 1 ) was born on 14 Jan 1908 Reynolds, Allegany County, Maryland. She married Stanley Fazenbaker about She died on 6 Dec 1996 at the Moran Manor Nursing Home, in Westernport, Allegany County, Maryland, at age 88. She was buried in the Frostburg Memorial Park, in Frostburg, Maryland. Children of Ethel Jane 3 Custer and Stanley Fazenbaker were as follows: 31 i. Stanley W. 4 Fazenbaker was born about ii. Dorothy Fazenbaker was born about She married (--?--) Foutz about iii. James O. Fazenbaker was born on 27 Oct 1927 in Firm Rock. He married Phylis Spiker about They had one son and three daughters. He died on 18 Feb 1998 in the Egle Nursing Home, in Lonaconing, Allegany County, Maryland, at age Daisy Rosella 3 Custer (Charles 2, William 1 ) was born on 29 Jul 1918 in Mill Run, Allegany County, Maryland. She married James William Thomas about They had three daughters and four sons. She died on 27 Mar 2001 in the Sacred Heart Hospital, in Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland, at age 82. She was buried on 30 Mar 2001 in the Laural Hill Cemetery, in Moscow, Allegany County, Maryland. Endnotes 1. Membership application of Lauran Custer, Castor Association of America, File: WCus.0.0?.0?.0?.0?.0?, received 16 December US Census 1900 Maryland Allegany County Barton T623_604 p12a ED Custer Charles W Self M Feb 1867 MD MD MD Custer Mary C Wife F Nov 1872 MD MD MD Custer James W Son M Nov 1891 MD MD MD Custer John H Son M Oct 1893 MD MD MD Custer Archie T Son M Mar 1895 MD MD MD Custer Bessie E Dau F May 1897 MD MD MD Custer Alice Dau F Oct 1899 MD MD MD Charles was a coal miner. They have been married for 8 years and have 5 of 5 children living. unknown repository. 3. Castor Association of America, Custer, Application. 4. Lauran Custer, "Ancestor File of William Custer WCus.0", Received July Held at (Castor Association of America Archives, Archive Coordinator, PO Box 955, Windsor, California ). 5. Custer, "Ancestor File of William Custer WCus.0." DNA Project News Ancestry.com is taking over the Relative Genetics DNA Projects. After reading everything I could find I have decided to wait and see what happens. Ancestry has said that the DNA Project database will be open and free to the public and that personal information will remain hidden. If someone wants to contact you they will need to go through them. This is to protect your privacy. It is yet to be known if I will still be able to be the project manager. I hope to know about that soon. Ancestry will be offering DNA testing in the future. For those who would like to have their DNA tested you will be able to test through Ancestry or Family Tree DNA (FTDNA). Contact me at caoa-dna@caoa-gen.org for further details. A while back Relative Genetics changed the I1c Haplogroup to E3a, E3b and G Haplogroups for our Paulus Kuster DNA Family. After several discussions with their technical support people, I decided to see if one of our members would take the test that determines the Haplogroup. One member did and it has proved that the Paulus DNA Family is from the I1 Haplogroup. The Haplogroup defines what part of the world your DNA Family had it roots. A good site to view each Haplogroup along with a map is Click on the I for the I1 group and the R for the R1 group.

52 News Caster September 2007 Volume XXV Issue 3 Page 44 The Story of the Dining Fork by Alton Sissell I was given a book this past month that was going to be discarded by our local library. The librarian told me that I might be interested in the book, as there were Custer s mentioned in the index. The title intrigued me, how did the Dining Fork and the Custer family get connected? I discovered that the Dining Fork was the name of a river valley created by the Tuscarawas River, in the southern part of Carroll and northern part of Harrison Counties, Ohio. The following vignettes are extracted from Joseph T. Harrison s book, The Story of the Dining Fork, published in 1927, by C. J. Krehbiel Company. The boys of the Dining Fork had an honorable record in the Civil War. The most conspicuous was General George A. Custer who fell in 1876, in the last of the Indian battles, with his entire command, including his brothers Thomas and Boston, his nephew, Reid, and his brother-in-law, Lieut. James Calhoun, who had married his sister Margaret, or Emma, as we knew her at school. As an adventurous and dashing cavalry officer he ranked perhaps next to General Phil. Sheridan at the close of the war, when he had attained the rank of Major General, and was accredited with taking more guns, prisoners and colors than any other officer of equal rank in the Civil War. While the General was born in New Rumley, Ohio, located at the head of a valley (Irish Creek) next east, and almost parallel to the Dining Fork, his father Emanuel Custer, a blacksmith, resided on the ridge between the two and his children, Nevin, Thomas, Boston and Emma all attended the Creal School, where I attended, when a small boy. George A. Custer, or Armstrong, as he was called among the neighbors, and my Uncle William C. Harrison, were room-mates at Hopedale College in Harrison County, and he had several letters from him during his career a West Point and during the war, but none of them seem to have been preserved. The only time I ever saw him, which must have been shortly before he left for West Point, was in New Market, where I was with my Mother, and she called to my attention a young man who rode his horse to the residence of John Giles, whose family were relatives, and dismounted, tied the horse and went into the Giles home. Mother said, That is Armstrong Custer, I remember his uniform and the shining buttons which seemed to me the finest suit of clothes I had ever beheld. During the war he was our hero among the boys at home. We took pride in the fact that he had been brought up in our neighborhood and that we knew him and his family. We read eagerly everything we could find about him. His brother Tom saw service in the Civil War and I think was a Colonel at its close. Following the war he achieved distinction in Indian campaigns, and was at one time the captor of Rain-in-the-Face, a warrior, who after his escape, was one of the chiefs in the last Custer battle. Harrison s book also has a discussion of the hair length of General Custer, worn in his last battle. The historic painting by Cassily Adams, entitled Custer s Last Fight, is depicts General Custer wearing long, curly, reddish blonde hair. The author had purchased a photograph taken of General Custer, during the Philadelphia Centennial of 1876, which showed General Custer s short hair. There is also a photograph of General Custer in the frontispiece of the book, Boots and Saddles by Elizabeth B. Custer, showing the General with short hair. She further states, I lost a little wig that I had worn at a fancy dress ball, made from the golden rings of curly hair cut from my husband s head after the war, when he had given up wearing long locks. There is also a discussion of the color of the horse that General Custer rode into battle. The only survivor of the battle was a large bay horse named Comanche. In perhaps the best account ever published about the battle, in Century magazine, (1892), volume 43 at page 369, Lieutenant Edward S. Godfrey, of the 7 th Calvary battalion commanded by Major Reno, states, During this march on the left we could see occasionally the battalion under Custer distinguished by the troop mounted on gray horses, marching at a rapid gate. Thomas Custer and Nevin J. Custer were bigger boys when Joseph Harrison attended the Creal School. Tom Custer easily comes to my mind as the leading spirit among them, for he always had a kind word for the little boy, and it is pleasure to remember him. He was the adventurer who climbed the trees in the late autumn season in the Creal orchard and shook off the apples for us. He also took care of the small boy in the toboggan slides in the lane to the south of the schoolhouse. His device was a long

53 Volume XXV Issue 3 Page 45 News Caster September 2007 board, of tolerable width, which turned up slightly at the front end, and with him at the head to steer; the other boys sat behind him in the order of their sizes, and at the extreme rear end sat the smallest of the boys. The grade was steep enough to cause the board with its freight to go down the hill with great velocity, but as the mid-roadway was lower than the sides, there was no way for it to get off the track, but it frequently caused a spill at the foot of the hill. Such exercise was pretty hard on clothing, and Tom kept within his desk an old pair of trousers, which he pulled on over his others for such sport. In the old game called town-ball, Tom s feats as a batter, frequently drove the ball clear off the only level ground there was to play upon, and it would be occasionally found at the foot of the hill or in the woods. In those days it was the custom to bar the teacher out at the holiday season if he did not treat the scholars. On one of these occasions, Tom Custer called the scholars together when the teacher was not present, and commenced preparations for the ceremony. The first thing was to secure the door from the inside so that it could not be opened from the outside. To accomplish this the long bench seat was lifted so that the upper end fell below the cross piece at the top of the door, and at the lower end it was held from being pushed down by the poker, which had been heated in the old cannon stove, and burned through the floor. As a preliminary to all this, he had asked the small boys to sit still in their laces at the side of the room, with the promise that if they did so, they would all get candy. Then when all the windows had been fastened, but one on the lower and highest part of the house, Tom got out first and helped the small scholars down to the ground. No key could then open the door, and the teacher had to capitulate before he could resume teaching. Nevin J. Custer had difficulty in making the signs on the blackboard, used in Apothecaries weight, to the satisfaction of William Foster, teacher, and he was called upon frequently to describe what he meant by the rude figures which he drew, some of which looked like pictures of bugs. Boston Custer was the youngest of the boys and was frequently the envy of other boys of his age in his ability to stand on his head or execute a handspring. Custer and His Indian Scouts Photo found at: custer22.htm Change of Address / New Members #187 Richard Keister Sun City Center, FL Where in the World have you been? Alton Sissell and General Custer (Mark McLain) in Custer, South Dakota June 2007 New Members: #680 Coleen R. Pullen Fayetteville, NC #684 Mary Jane Troegel Houston, TX #682 Jo Lee Potts Bradenton, FL #691 John P. Caster Springfield, MO #683 Adelia Hanson Stillwater, OK Reinstated: #681Darlene Hanson Change: Michael Gallagher Paula Hubbard Harlan Iowa arbregen@gmail.com pnrhub69@earthlink.net

54 News Caster September 2007 Volume XXV Issue 3 Page 46 Two of the books, in my Custer library, have color plates in them depicting General Custer and his 7th Cavalry s Battle of the Little Big Horn. Roy Bird s book In His Brother s Shadow has Custer s Last Fight, painted by Casilly Adams. Evan S. Connell s book Son of the Morning Star has four plates: Custer s Last Fight, 1876 by FTeodore Fuchs; Custer s Last Fight, 1896 by Otto Becker; Battle of the Big Horn,1889 by Kurz and Allison; and Custer s Last Stand, 1899 by Edgar S. Paxon. I wanted to include these paintings in our newsletter. To view them, type the URL shown below the picture. The painting of Casilly Adams The original painting was made by a Civil War veteran, Cassilly Adams, in It was financed by others, including John C. Furber, a St. Louis bar owner; a tour with the painting flopped, and all 16 feet 9 inches by 9 feet 6 inches of it painted on a wagon canvas, ended up back in Furber's saloon. Even there, the rather crude, rawboned work proved no match for the opulent celebrations of female anatomy found in most contemporary bars. Furber's saloon failed, the creditors pounced and, in 1890, Cassilly Adams' painting of the Little Bighorn was either bought or seized as a creditor's asset by the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Association. The painting was given to the 7th Cavalry during a ceremony at Fort Riley, Kansas in It was moved to Fort Grant, Arizona, briefly and then placed in storage. In 1934, Adams painting was discovered, badly damaged, in storage at Fort Bliss, Texas and was sent to the Works Progress Administration for restoration. In 1938, the painting was returned to Fort Bliss. A fire at the Fort Bliss officers mess destroyed the Adams painting. 1 Battle of the Little Big Horn History in Paint By Alton Sissell In 1889, one F. Otto Becker of Milwaukee was hired to paint a smaller, 24 by 40, version of the Adams work for a color lithograph. It is in Becker's canvas that the strange shields appear and Custer gains something of a beer drinker's paunch. Yet Becker based his background on an actual photograph taken from the ridge where Custer and his men were found by burial parties. The completed painting was cut into eight sections to allow several lithographers to work at once on preparation of color plates. In 1936, Becker reassembled the eight pieces of his painting and painted over the seams to restore it to its original state. 2 Research by artist, Harold von Schmidt, points out Custer s Last Fight by F. Otto Becker display=rednews/2002/06/22/build/local/62-custer.inc Custer s Last Fight by Casilly Adams rrr-71b.html The painting of Otto Becker flaws in the paintings, which shows that the artist was not at the scene of the battle. I felt it was important to give the viewer a sense of what the troopers were experiencing as their individual deaths pressed in upon them. The Red Horse drawings, so illusive before, became in an unexpected way a revelation. All those drawings of tepees, row after row, page after page, had at first been confusing, annoying. Now, considering the fight from the troopers' viewpoint, their cumulative image filled me with an awesome sense of the size of that village. It had been fully visible to Custer and his men on the ridge, stretching out for more than three miles and in some places bellying more than a half-mile wide one of the biggest encampments ever assembled. Details of dress and equipment turned up elsewhere. The first big surprise came in discussions at the Military History Division of the Smithsonian. It turned out that cavalrymen were not issued blue shirts during this period, though virtually every applicable painting and literary work mistakenly assumes that they were. Civilian blue shirts seem to have been worn by nearly all officers of the 7th Cavalry, and "hickory" shirts of fine blue or brown checks were sometimes worn by men of all ranks. The issue shirt, however, was a loose-fitting, light-gray pullover, with three metal buttons. Uniforms in general were of inferior material, and

55 Battle of the Big Horn Lithograph by Kurz & Allison 1889 go to Volume XXV Issue 3 Page 47 equipment was outdated. Trousers in those penny-pinching days had suspender buttons but no suspenders. The issue headgear, a bizarre black hat that could be rigged up to present a Napoleonic appearance, was described by one officer as "the most useless, uncouth rag ever put on a man's head." Troops often bought civilian hats, black or gray, of felt or straw, found on the march from traders. The men altered or improved on basic issue in many ways. They would reinforce the inside and cuff of their pants legs with canvas. They would fashion homemade cartridge belts of canvasmore efficient than the issued leather pouches. Old Civil War gear was also used: jackets, vests, forage caps. Regulations of 1877 at Fort Lincoln, Nebraska, forbade use of civilian clothing for the 7th Cavalry. Before that, just about anything went in the way of clothing. Regimental officers, right up to Custer, were even more casual in their dress than enlisted men. They were a jaunty, self-confident lot, and favored buckskin suits, often double breasted, or just the jacket alone worn over blue, wide-collared civilian shirts with bibs, white trim and a mess of buttons. The notion that the Indians rode in a huge circle pumping lead into a knot of troopers becomes absurd after a visit to the battlefield. Most Indians must have ridden within a short distance of the ridge, then fought, on foot. Except for occasional individual dashes up the ridge, the Indians said they did not move up it in force until they thought all the troopers were dead. 3 The painting of Feodor Fuchs Feodor Fuchs gave the world its first color lithograph of the event in It is a splendidly Teutonic show, with soldiers all at full gallop, firing a perfect volley at only slightly less disciplined Indians. Fuchs featured an isolated figure of an unruffled Custer, omnipresent saber about to split the skull of a feathered chieftain, in full gallop across the foreground while behind him his troopers charge and fall in precise military formation. News Caster September 2007 The painting of Kurz and Allison "There are many little incidents connected with this fight, but I don't recollect them now. I don't like to talk about that fight. If I hear any of my people talk about it, I always move away." The "fight" that the Sioux warrior Red Horse referred to was the defeat of the 7th Cavalry, led by Lt. Col. George A. Custer, by assembled bands of Sioux and Northern Cheyenne camped along the Little Bighorn River on June 25, Red Horse's statement was made to military authorities eight months later. Battle of the Big Horn by Kurz and Allison from the Library of Congress It had already become uncomfortable for an Indian who had fought that battle to remember those "many little incidents." So subterfuge has clouded the events of that bloody Sunday in the wilds of what is now southern Montana. Indians feared reprisals. Survivors of the elite 7th Cavalry groped painfully for excuses, scapegoats, anything to salvage their shattered pride. It is sometimes assumed that there were no white survivors. There were none in the five companies that rode north with Custer after he divided his command, but though the other seven companies who fought four or five miles south of Custer suffered heavy casualties, most lived to describe what went on in their section and to speculate about what went wrong with the campaign. Custer s Last Charge by Feodor Fuchs at Library of Congress The painting of Paxon Edgar S. Paxson's large painting, 5 by 9 feet, some 20 years later, shows six identifiable officers and virtually every Indian leader in the fight, all miraculously converging in the same place at the same time. Paxson did all later students of the battle a large favor by writing General Edward S. Godfrey, a survivor and member of the burial parties, to ask what arms, uniforms and equipment were actually used in the battle. Godfrey's reply is the best and most concise information on this subject that we will probably ever have. The earliest paintings place Custer smack-dab in the middle of the scene, often in the foreground. This is naive, poster

56 News Caster September 2007 Volume XXV Issue 3 Page 48 like treatment is forceful and dramatic, putting a large event on a small stage. Around the turn of the century, as reproduction and printing techniques improved, the old frontal approach began to look out of date. Correspondingly, as the reality of the Custer fight dimmed to legend, its graphic image shifted, too. The gallant figure, with his short barreled pistols and handful of brave, gore-splattered troops, began to recede into the distance. A more sophisticated, more nostalgic concept of the battle appeared. The wild, swirling Indians became foreground figures, as Custer and his men faded in a soft blue haze. There are estimates that more than 1,000 depictions of the fight have been made. Custer s Last Stand by Edgar Samuel Paxon The terrain offered the Indians excellent concealment, and there is every indication that they used it. The position of Custer and his men, scattered up the slope, was totally indefensible. It is unlikely that anyone would have been standing, except to get somewhere else fast. The troopers' only chance for cover was to shoot their horses for breastworks. The theory that the soldiers were outgunned does not hold up. The whole Indian village contained only a small number of repeating rifles and little ammunition. That the cavalry's defeat was caused by the malfunction of their Springfield '73 carbines is equally dubious. Some did jam, but these same weapons, taken from fallen troopers, gave the Indians their most effective firepower. But it was here that the arrow, as in the time when the Akkadians first used it to defeat the Sumerians around 2500 B.C., was again the deciding weapon. This was the last time it won a historic battle. Metaltipped Indian arrows rained on the desperate men and animals struggling on the ridge. The soldiers, exhausted from hard marching and little sleep, sweat-stained and covered with alkali dust, looked out at massive clouds of dust and gun smoke rising in the heat. These clouds became so dense that an eerie and unnatural. twilight fell over the field. The Indians swarmed in the distance like stinging ants. They said afterwards that they couldn't see more than ten feet, and several times Indian killed Indian in the smoke and confusion. Custer was not killed by arrows. According to Lieutenant Godfrey, "He had been shot in the left temple and left breast. There were no powder marks or signs of mutilation." This emphasis on the lack of powder burns and mutilation was meant to dispel rumors that Custer had committed suicide and had been horribly mangled by the Indians. We'll never know for sure, but it must be kept in mind that the Indians did not know whom they were fighting, and that any mutilation would have been a random thing. Most of the dead troopers, some 212, found with Custer, were mutilated, however, for Plains Indians believed that an enemy arrived in the spirit world in the same physical condition he left this one, and so the dismembering of the freshly killed implied a special vindictiveness. Aside from scalping and the shooting of bullets and arrows into the bodies by the warriors themselves, most ritual mutilation was done by women who had lost family relatives in recent combat. Mention of suicide among the troopers is almost as taboo today as 127 years ago. But one old western cavalryman has said, "It was understood by every soldier, trapper and mountaineer, who knew the habits of the wild Indians that he should save the last shot for himself and take his own life rather than be captured." Custer's troops did just this, according to several Indian accounts. The Northern Cheyenne warrior, Wooden Leg at first thought it was whiskey found in some canteens that explained why soldiers "...went crazy. Instead of shooting us, they turned their guns upon themselves," he noted. Custer's command was under strength, as were many units in those days. A number of enlisted men were recent recruits, often German and Irish immigrants who had never fought Indians and had trouble staying on a horse. The average age of a private was almost 30, but experience was lacking. Many officers openly despised each other. Some fought bravely right to the end, but they were facing a total force of up to 2,000 Sioux and Northern Cheyenne. The noise alone must have been overwhelming: shrill blasts of eagle-bone whistles carried by most of the warriors, high-pitched war cries, shouts, the dull roar of horses' hooves, shrieks of wounded men and horses, the rattle of gunfire and the ceaseless deadly whirr of arrows - a dissonant cacophony of death. Custer's fight was probably over in little more than half an hour. Two days after the death of Custer and his men, burial parties attempted to identify the dead. 3 Sources: 1, 2. Custer s Last Fight, Billings Gazette by Ed Remmick; billingsgazette.com 3. Smithsonian Article, Appeared in June, 976, by Eric von Schmidt

57 Volume XXV Issue 3 Page 49 News Caster September 2007 John Caster Sr. DNA Family Update The DNA Family of John Caster Sr. now has results from five DNA tests. These tests are for descendents of four of his seven sons. Two of the tests have different values for the marker DYS 635 than the other three tests. These differences help us to identify the DNA of each line. The chart below shows the marker DYS 635, one out of forty, which is a mismatch to the DNA Family of Paulus Kuster. Only four John Caster Sr. descendent lines shown because two of the men tested are brothers and are a 100% match. Line Sons & Descendents of John Caster Sr DYS 635 # of mismatches Line 1 Line 2 Line 3 Line 4 Base Paulus Kuster George 1784 / Thomas 1817 / Harvey Thomas 1792 / John 1836 / Charles Sampson 1805 / 07 George 1841 / John Sampson 1805 / 10 John 1859 / William Looking at the column for DYS 635 you can see that lines 2 and 3 match the Base DNA Family of Paulus. You can also see that lines 1 and 4 are not the same as each other and not the same as the Base DNA Family of Paulus. When comparing one line against another you can see that they are either a perfect match or they have one mismatch. With one mismatch it is most likely that they have a common ancestor from one to seven generations back. You can see from this chart that all of the lines are six or seven generations apart. # of Generations to Line 1 Line 2 Line 3 Line 4 John Caster Sr How do these mismatches help us? Without more testing, there is no way to know when the mutation occurred. Let s take a look at Sampson and his descendents. From the chart on the right you can see that Sampson, his son George, his grandson John, his g-grandson and his gg-grandson all have the same value of 22 for DYS 635. This indicates Sampson there were no mutations found in this line. George John John William Son of John Son of William GSon (22) GSon (23) The same does not hold true for his son John. The mutation may have occurred with John. If it did not occur with John, it would have had to occur with John s son William. The only way to prove it would be to find descendants of John s other son s Homer, James or Virgie and see if they have the value of 23 for DYS 635. If they all had a value of 22 for DYS 635 it means that the John and his sons did not have the mutation and that it had to occur with one of their sons. New DNA Family for Custer Lines A New Custer DNA Family has been identified. A descendant of William Custer s test results establishes a new DNA Family. This line designated as WCus.0 is in the R1b Haplogroup giving us 3 Haplotypes from this group. See the article about William Custer in this issue for more details on this family. The darkest areas in the chart on the right, indicate where the R1b Haplogroups are most prevalent. They arrived in Europe from West Asia about 35,000 to 40,000 years ago.

58 News Caster September 2007 Volume XXV Issue 3 Page 50 News from Yesteryear From: St. Louis Globe-Democrat (St. Louis, MO) Wednesday, July 12, 1876; pg. 2; Issue 53; col B A DEATH SONNET FOR CUSTER BY WALT WHITMAN I. From far Montana s canons, Lands of the wild ravine, the dusky Sloux, the lonesome stretch, the silence, Haply, to-day, a mournful wail---haply, a trumpet note for heroes. II. The battle-bulletin, The Indian ambuscade---the slaughter and environment, The cavalry companies fighting to the last---in sternest coolest heroism. The fall of Custer, and all his officers and men. III. Continues yet the old, old legend of our race! The loftiest of life upheld by death! The ancient banner perfectly maintained! O lesson opportune---o how I welcome thee! As, sitting in dark days, Lone, sulky, through the time s thick murk looking in vain for light, for hope, From unsuspected parts, a fierce and momentary proof, (The sun there at the centre, though concealed, electric life for ever at the centre,) Breaks forth a lightning flash. IV. Though of the sunny, flowing hair, in battle, I erewhile saw, with erect head, pressing ever in front, Bearing a bright sword in thy hand, Now ending well the splendid fever of thy deeds, (I bring no dirge for it or thee---i bring a glad, triumphal sonnet;) There in the far Northwest, in struggle, charge and saber-smite, Desperate and glorious---ay, in defeat most desperate, most glorious, After thy many battles, in which, never yielding up a gun or a color, Leaving behind thee a memory sweet to soldiers, Thou yieldest up thyself. * * * From: Independent Statesmen (Concord, NH) Thursday, September 14, 1876; pg.407; Issue 51; col C An Ex-Confederate s Story about Custer The Washington Star relates the following interesting estimate of General Custer from a Confederate stand-point: At Brandy station, Pleasanton, after retreating slowly all day, made a stand, and there was very sharp and stubborn fighting all the day. In a charge made directly at the station upon a light battery that was cutting up our men with shrapnel very severely, I was unlucky enough to be cut off from my command, and discovering my misfortune too late to remedy it, I put spurs to my horse and galloped, through mistake, directly into the ranks of a squad from a regiment whose troops were made up of deserters from the confederate army. I was treated outrageously, literally stripped of everything, and was about to be shot, when General Custer rode up with his staff and body-guard. Seeing him in his gaudy hussar jacket with the Austrian knot of rank on the arm, I supposed him to be one of our officers, and hailed him. He came up to me, and seeing my pitiful condition and being informed that my captors had threatened to shoot me, called his orderly, saying, Here, orderly, this man is a fellow-being and not a brute; have him put under guard at headquarters. And then turning to an aid, he said, Put those men under arrest. I remained under guard at Custer s headquarters during the whole of the retreat, and was treated most nobly and kindly by the general and all around him. I never met a man so young who, to my mind, bore the stamp of the hero so visibly impressed on his countenance, and though daring and dreadful in a charge and in the heat of combat almost merciless, his mild, gentle, kindly, manner to me when the fight was over plainly shows what a vast amount of human kindness, beat beneath that brave dragoon s breast. To him, I owed my life, while still an enemy, and to his memory I humbly add my testimony to these noble attributes which those who have ever met him know he possessed to so remarkable a degree.

59 Volume XXV Issue 3 Page 51 From: The Liberator (Boston, MA) Friday, September 25, 1863; pg. 155; Issue 39; col B A story was published some days since, representing a Col. R.C. Hill of North Carolina, as telling Gen. Custer, under a flag of truce at Fredericksburg, that there would soon be peace, adding certain reasons in support of this prophecy. The whole of this statement turns out to be false. The Richmond Sentinel of the 16th inst. Publishes a card from Col. Robert C. Hill, of the 48 th North Carolina Regiment, in which he says that he had an interview with Gen. Custer, as stated, on the 18 th of August, but that it had reference to picket firing opposite Fredericksburg, and nothing at all was said as to peace. Col. Hill adds: I am opposed to peace on any terms short of a submission of the federals to such terms as we may dictate; which, in my opinions, should be Mason and Dixon s line as boundary, the exclusive navigation of the Mississippi below Cairo, full indemnification for all the Negroes stolen and property destroyed, the restoration of Fortress Monroe, Jefferson, Key West, and all other strongholds which may have fallen into their possession during the war. If they are unwilling to accede to these terms, I propose an indefinite continuance of the war until the now existing fragments of the old Union break to pieces from mere rottenness and want of cohesion, when we will come in as the only first-class power on the Western Hemisphere, and take possession of the pieces as subjugated and conquered, provinces. * * * From: The Natchez Courier (Natchez, MS) Tuesday, October 06, 1863; Issue 3; col B General Custer s Peace Story Refuted. As we have previously published the peace article alluded to, we give the following last Ditch reply: [From the Richmond Sentinel, Sept 10.] LETTER FROM COLONEL HILL. Taylorsville, Va., Sept. 13, Editor of the Sentinel: -- I observe in your issue of Saturday an extract from the New York Triune, in which the correspondents of that villainous sheet represent Colonel R. C. Hill as telling them, under flag of truce, at Fredericksburg, that there would soon be peace. The whole of this statement is false. On the 18 th of August I held an interview with Brigadier General Custer, of the Michigan Cavalry with reference to picket-firing opposite Fredericksburg, my design being to spare the inhabitants of that ill-fated city the annoyance of being fired at, whenever they made their appearance, and, perhaps, the more serious inconvenience of being shelled. This was accomplished. Much was said that had no connection with the business which caused the meeting; some of the officers accompanying General Custer said much that they had better retain; all of which was noted and preserved for future use. The officers of my staff, as well as myself, were very reticent, and observed unusual caution in our conversation. On the contrary, General Custer and staff, all mere youths, branched out extensively, and tried to show us how much they knew. I must request that you will not copy extracts concerning me from the paper which represents Beauregard as frantic on the retreat from Corinth; Price as having resigned with a view to taking the oath; Holmes as having died of delirium tremens, and Jeff. Davis as being under guard in Richmond, to prevent him from running away; and, last of all, representing me as entertaining peace sentiments. I had not intended before to make a declaration of my sentiments on this subject, but this occurrence forces me to declare myself. I am opposed to peace on any terms short of a submission of the Federals to such terms as we may dictate; which, in my opinion, should be Mason and Dixon s Line a boundary, the exclusive navigation of the Mississippi below Cairo, full indemnification for al the negroes stolen and properly destroyed, the restoration of Fortress Monroe, Jefferson, Key West, and all other strongholds which may have fallen into their possession during the war. If they are unwilling to accede to these terms, I propose an indefinite continuance of the war until the now existing fragment of the old Union breaks to pieces from mere rottenness and want of cohesion, when we will step in, as the only first-class power on the Western Hemisphere, and take possession of the pieces as subjugated and conquered provinces. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Robert C. Hill Colonel 48 th North Carolina Regiment. * * * News Caster September 2007 From: The Wisconsin State Register (Portage, WI) Saturday, August 05, 1876; Issue 23; col F WHAT THE SIOUX SAY. Their Story of the Custer Slaughter. St. Paul, Minn., July 31. Brevet Lieut. Co. J. S. Poland, captain of the Sixth Infantry, commanding the military station at Standing Rock agency, under date 24th July, reports to Adjat. Gen. Ruggles as follows: Sir I respectively report the following as having been derived from seven Sioux Indians just returned from the hostile camp, July 21, some of whom were engaged in the battle of June 25, with the Seventh Cavalry. Their account is as follows: The hostiles were celebrating their greatest of religious festivals, the Sun Dances, when rumors brought news of the approach of cavalry. The dance was suspended, and a general rush followed, mistaken by Custer perhaps for retreat, for the horses, equipment, and arms. Major Reno first attacked the village at the south end and across the

60 News Caster September 2007 Volume XXV Issue 3 Page 52 Little Big Horn. Their narrative of Reno s operations coincide with the published account: How he quickly confronted and surrounded; how he dismounted, rallied in the timber, remounted, an cut his way back over the ford and up the bluffs with considerable loss, and the continuation of the fight for some little time, when runners arrived from the north end of the village or the camp with the news that the cavalry had attacked the north end some 3 or 4 miles distant. The Indians about Reno had not before this the slightest intimation of fighting at any other point. A force large enough to prevent Reno from assuming the offensive was left, and the surplus available force followed to the other end of the camp, where finding the Indians successfully. Driving Custer before them, instead of uniting with them, they separated into two parties and moved around the flanks of his cavalry. They report that Custer crossed the river, but only succeeded in reaching the edge of the Indian camp. After he was driven to the bluffs, the fight lasted perhaps an hour. The Indians have no hours of the day, and the time can only be given approximately. They report that a small number of cavalry broke through the line of Indians in their rear, and escaped, but were overtaken within a distance of five or six miles, and all killed. I infer from this that this body of retreating cavalry was probably led by the missing officers, and that they tried to escape only after Custer fell. The last man that was killed, was killed by two sons of a Santee Indian, Red Top, who was a leader in the Minnesota massacres of 62 and 63. After the battle the squaws entered the field to plunder and mutilate the dead. General rejoicing was indulged in, and a distribution of arms and ammunition hurriedly made. Then this attack on Reno was vigorously renewed. Up to the attack the Indians had lost comparatively few men, but now they say their most serious loss took place. They give no idea of numbers, but say there were a great many. Sitting Bull was neither killed nor personally engaged in the fight. He remained in the council tent directing operations. Crazy Horse, with a large band, and Black Moon, were the principal leaders on the 25th of June. Kill Eagle, Chief of the Blackfeet, was at the head of some twenty lodges of this agency. He was prominently engaged in the battle of June 25, and afterward upbraided Sitting Bull for not taking an active personal part of the engagement. Kill Eagle has sent me word that he was forced to fight; that he desires to return to the agency; and that he will return to the agency if he is killed for it. He is reported to be actually on the way back to go to his father and agent and make confession and receive absolution for his defiant crime against the hand that had gratuitously fed him for three years. He is a truly shrewd chief, who must have discovered He who fights and runs away May live to fight another day. The Indians were not all engaged at any one time. Heavy reserves were held to repair losses and renew attacks successively. The fight continued until the third day when runners, kept purposely on the look out, hurried into camp and reported a great body of troops (Gen. Terry s command) advancing up the river. The lodges having been previously prepared for a move, a retreat in a southerly direction followed, toward and along Rosebud mountain. They marched about fifty miles, went into camp and held a consultation when it was determined to send into all the agencies reports of their success, and to call upon them to come out and share the glories that there were expected to be in the future. We may expect an influx of overbearing and impudent Indians, to urge by force, perhaps, an accession of Sitting Bull s demands. There is a general gathering in the hostile camp from each of the agencies on the Missouri river, Red Cloud and Spotted Tail, as also the Northern Cheyennes and Arrapahoes. They report for the especial benefit of their relatives here that in the three fights they had with the whites they have captured over 400 stand of arms, carbines and rifles, revolvers not counted; ammunition without end, some sugar, coffee, bacon, and hard bread. They claim to have captured from the whites this summer over 900 horses and mules. I suppose this includes operations against soldiers, Crow Indians, and Black Hills miners. The general outline of this Indian report concurs with the published reports. The first attack of Reno s began well on in the day, say the Indians. They report about 300 whites killed, but do not say how many Indians were killed. A report from another source says the Indians obtained from Custer s command 592 carbines and revolvers. I have, since writing the above, heard from the returned hostiles, which they communicated as a secret to their particular friends here, information that a large party of Sioux and Cheyennes were to leave Rosebud Mountain, or hostile camp, for this agency to intimidate and compel the Indians here to join Sitting Bull. If these refuse, they are ordered to soldier them (beat them) and steal their ponies. Very respectfully, J. S. Poland, Captain Sixth Infantry, Brevet Lieut. Col., * * * For the September 2008 News Caster Wanted: Stories Pictures Articles Reunion Notices Scanned Documents Queries Obituary Notices Marriage Records Birth Records Data that doesn t add up About: Your Custer/Kuster Coster/Koster ancestors Send to editor@caoa-gen.org or to Alton Sissell, Editor (address page 63)

61 Volume XXV Issue 3 Page 53 News Caster September 2007 From: Daily Evening Bulletin (San Francisco, CA) Monday, July 31, 1876; Issue 97; col D THE GALLANT CUSTER A Talk with his Father Some Interesting Reminiscences His Younger Brothers. This is a pleasant inland town of perhaps six or seven thousand inhabitants, on the river Raisin, at the place made historic by the Battle of the Raisin. In the heart of the little city, on one of its quiet, shaded streets, is a plain brown cottage, of wholly unpretending appearance, the house of the parents of General G. A. Custer. It is like ten thousand little cottage houses in the land, in its simplicity as well as n its rural attractiveness; but to-day it is the point toward which millions of sympathetic hearts are turned in sharing with its inmates a national sorrow. Approaching, I saw sitting on the porch a venerable looking man, whom I readily took for E. H. Custer. As he rose in a dignified and courteous way to receive the approaching stranger, I felt a misgiving at stating the object of my intrusion for such it seemed to me to be. He did not look like one inclined to talk much, even for newspaper celebrity, on an occasion like that which had brought me more than two hundred miles to see him. As he had laid aside a New York paper, in which, a I found, he had been reading the first full and connected account of that terrific struggle on the Little Big Horn River, he said: You already know all that we know. And are there no incidents of interest connected with his boyhood growing out of his military tastes? Nothing that I think of. Have you any sons left except Brice Custer of Columbus? [A well-known railroad conductor, who is the General s half brother, and who was present during a subsequent portion of our interview. Rep.]. I have our other son, who resides on a farm near here. Continuing the interview, Mr. Custer, while seeming reluctant to speak of the exploits of his sons, stated the following facts as to the three sons and the son-in-law who fell in the affair of last week. They were all born in New Rumley, Harrison county, Ohio. George Armstrong Custer, known to his acquaintances always by his second name, Armstrong, was sent to the public schools from the time he was four years old until he reached his teens, when he came to Monroe and resided with a sister, and attended an academic institution here for a while, after which he returned an taught school in his native county, and also attended a select school at Hopedale. When about seventeen years of age his anxiety to go into the army was such that he mentioned it to his father in connection with a wish that he could get an appointment as cadet at West Point. I thought it was a crazy notion, says the old gentleman, for Bingham (Congressman) wasn t of my party, and I wouldn t think of his making the appointment. But young Armstrong was in earnest, and he wrote a letter to John A. Bingham, then in Washington, and gave such a history of himself, his age, tastes and all, that his politics seem not to have been thought of. At the earliest opportunity young Custer called upon Mr. Bingham at his home in Cadiz, and after some conversation, Bingham said, Well, Custer, I think you will pass muster; and so, not long after, the father was taken by surprise to learn that his son had actually received the appointment. Was your son here after his recent visit to Washington? I inquired. He stopped here from the morning train until evening only. How did he appear to feel? He seemed in as good spirits as ever. Did he seem to anticipate any trouble in the approaching war on the plains? None at all. I remember he told me that Bloody Knife had sent him word he was going to take his scalp, and he laughed as he said it. The public has already been made familiar with the fact that there went down in that awful combat two brothers and a brother-in-law along with General Custer. The brother-in-law, James Calhoun, enlisted as a private from Cincinnati during the war of the rebellion, and served with great bravery. He afterward moved to Indiana, where a widowed mother now resides. Three or four years ago he married the only sister of General Custer, and she and Mrs. Custer have been almost constantly with their husbands on the frontier. They are now at Fort Lincoln, and the family are anxiously looking for their return to Monroe. Lieutenant Calhoun was a distant relative of the family of John C. Calhoun. Boston Custer, the youngest of the brothers who fell on that bloody field, was not in the military service, but, being there as a civilian, went into the conflict by the side of his brothers. Captain Thomas W. Custer was 31 years of age when he fell. He volunteered in the was of 1861, when he was but 17 years of age. He served in the Army of the Cumberland, and afterward in the Army of the Potomac, always with the greatest gallantry, capturing several rebel flags, for which he received two or three medals. Once, in getting away with the flag of the enemy, he was shot through the cheek. After the war closed he entered the regular service, where his appointment was the reward of a brilliant military record. Monroe, Mich., Correspondence of the Cincinnati Commercial.

62 News Caster September 2007 Volume XXV Issue 3 Page 54 PK Stephen D. Kester Stephen D Kester was born on 15 September 1826 in Erie Co., New York, son of William and Mary (Southwick)) Kester. Stephen went to Miami County, Ohio with his parents in He moved to Wabash County, Indiana in Stephen worked in a saw mill on Eel River for about four years. On 1 April 1855 he married Eve Lowman. She was born on 21 July 1833 in Clark Co., Ohio. Her parents were John and Cynthia (Hugel) Lowman. About 1856, Stephen and his brother, Alonzo, bought an 80 acre farm, which they farmed. Soon after, Stephen bought Alonzo's interest in the farm. Later, Stephen added another 26 acres. The family lived in Chester Township. Stephen died 9 May 1901 and was buried at Concord Cemetery, Wabash County, Indiana; his age shown on the tombstone was 74 years, 7 months and 24 days. Eve died 4 August 1909 in Wabash Co., IN and was buried at Concord Cemetery. Their children: 1. Sarah S J Kester; born about 1857 in Indiana; married 15 November 1874 Michael H Towey, lived in Pleasant Township. 2. Mary Etta Kester; born 14 Apr 1861 in Wabash Co., Indiana died 23 Mar 1928 in Wabash Co., Indiana 3. Arthur C Kester; born 1865; married 5 January 1890 Emma L Klutz ( ) in Wabash County, Indiana (Marriage Book 11, p 486); died 1910, buried at Concord Cemetery, Wabash County, Indiana. Sources: 1. Letter Mrs. Paul Kester Feb History of Wabash County, Indiana (1884), p Cemetery Records for Pleasant, Chester, and Paw Paw Townships, Wabash County, Indiana; compiled by Lester H Binnie (1970) census Indiana, Wabash Co, Chester Twp, p 367, #953 Stephen Kester 30 farmer New York Eve " 26 Ohio Sarah " 3 Ind census Indiana, Wabash Co, Chester Twp, p 2, #29 S B Caster 44 farmer NY E " 36 (f) Ohio S A " 13 (f) Ind M E " 9 (f) " A C " 4 (m) " census Indiana, Wabash Co, Chester Twp, ED 183, p 1, #8 Stephen D Kester 53 farmer NY NJ RI Eve " 50 wife Oh Oh Oh Maryetta " 19 dau Ind NY " Arthur C " 14 son " " " census Indiana, Wabash Co, Chester Twp, ED 112, p 7, #144 Stephen D Kester Sep 1827 farmer York State NJ RI Eve " July 1833 m 45yrs, 3-3 Ohio Pa Oh CAOA Application of Alan Welch If you can identify any of the people in the group picture, to the right, please let me know. Patricia I was binding up some of the loose papers in the archive when I found the pictures of Stephen, the farm and the reunion with a book of Missouri Census Records. I have bound them together because they were held together with rubber bands. Somehow though I don t think the pictures belong with the book. If anyone knows about these pictures please let me know so that I can properly identify them and put them where they belong. Patricia archives@caoa-gen.org

63 Volume XXV Issue 3 Page 55 News Caster September 2007

64 News Caster September 2007 Volume XXV Issue 3 Page 56 Obituary leads to a name correction I received an obituary for Richard Ralph Kaster from Terry O Connor along with some census records he had found for Virris Kaster and William H. Kaster. I found William Henry in the archive files. Virris was no where to be found. I went online to see the census image enlarged and sure enough Virris was the son of William Henry. His birth information match James who was listed as the fifth child of William Henry and Alice. I looked more closely at the census image and I could see how the name could be interpreted as James. I have corrected the name of James to that of Virris F. William Henry s file is missing from the archives; any information would be greatly appreciated. From the census records I was able to piece together his descendants. Name Born PK h William H Kaster 1859 w Alice M Wickliff 1864 married 17 January 1885 d Lilly J 1885 d Minerva B 1887 d Eltha D 1889 s Horace D 1890 s Virris F (not James) 1893 married Lue Ada // d Unie V 1894 s Floyd Vance 1896 married Hazel Wilfong s William E 1898 PK h Virris F 1893 w Lue Ada // 1895 s h Russell L.(R?) 1917 married Edith Porter d Dorothy M 1920 PK ? h Russell L.(R?) 1917 w Edith Porter 1919 s Richard Ralph 1939 twin s Russell V 1939 twin s Bob 1941 (estimated) d Barbara 1943 (estimated) I was unable to find any of William Henry s family in the 1910 census records. Patricia archives@caoa-gen.org News Caster Scan Project Update Des Moines Sunday Register July 2007 RICHARD R. KASTER Richard Ralph Kaster, age 67 of Des Moines and formerly of Knoxville, passed away on Thursday, July 19, 2007 at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines. Graveside services will be held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 at Greenwood Cemetery in rural Marion County, Iowa. Visitation will be held on Monday at Williams Funeral Home in Knoxville from noon until 8 p.m. with the family present from 6 to 8 p.m. Condolence messages may be sent to the family at Richard was born in Knoxville, Iowa on October 22, He was the son of Russell L and Edith (Porter) Kaster. Richard grew up in Knoxville and lived with his grandparents, Virris V. F. and Lue Ada Kaster. He was a 1957 graduate of Knoxville High School. Richard moved to Des Moines in 1964 and continued living there until his death. He worked as a loan officer for many different loan companies, banks and law firms until his retirement in Richard continued to work part time as a driver for Armadillo Express until his death. Richard attended Highland Park Christian Church in Des Moines. He enjoyed collecting antique automobiles, reading political biographies and watching black & white movies. Richard is survived by his daughter, Julie Estlick and her husband Mike of Fort Collins, Colorado; one son, Doug Kaster of Des Moines, Iowa; his former wife Judith Kaster of Fountain, Colorado; one brother Bob Kaster and his wife Meljean of Marana, Arizona; one sister Barbara Smith and her husband Al of Hendersonville, North Carolina; one aunt Dorist Dykstra of Knoxville; one uncle, Ralph Porter and his wife Dorothy of Knoxville and several neices, nephews and cousins. Richard was preceded in death by his parents, grandparents and twin brother, Russell V. Kaster. Thanks to Wanda Deitemeyer, Alton Sissell and Patricia Caster all of the past issues of the News Caster have been scanned. Almost all have been transformed into pdf format and combined into pdf file for 4 issues per year. Indexing the issues will take quite a while. Patricia archives@caoa-gen.org

65 Volume XXV Issue 3 Page 57 From the President Teresa Tucker News Caster September 2007 Oral history is made of myths, legends, facts, truth seen from a certain perspective, misperceptions, mistakes, and sometimes downright lies. I love oral history because it imparts information beyond just nonbiased facts, revealing an event, place, or person from somebody s personal vantage point - which is also the very reason it has to be carefully verified. In the best case scenario, you ll end up with a piece of factual history as it uniquely affected a particular real live person. When I first began researching my Custard family history, all I had was oral history. Unlike other branches of the family, not one photo or other piece of physical evidence about the Custards had been handed down to us. I suspect that when my great-great grandmother, Susie Townsend Martin, died as a young woman with three small children, any memorabilia she might have had was disposed of by the wicked stepmothers I had heard about. Or perhaps photos and papers had been given to other surviving relatives. Last week I got a call from Custard cousin, Jackie Jackson, who offered to let me copy some letters from a now deceased cousin she had corresponded with in the 1990s. I was thrilled to get the letters which I scanned, saved on my computer, and burned to CD to share with other researchers. I haven t had a chance to even read them yet, but I know they re chock full of facts, truths, mistakes, personal view points, and all of the other things I listed in the first sentence of this article. I can t wait to get at them. As cousin Jackie and I chatted, I took notes. We discussed the fact that little was known about Great Grandmother Clarinda Stanfield Custard s later life and death. No one had found her in the later censuses or, perhaps, no one had looked. Jackie said that Clarinda was supposed to have lived with her youngest son, Clark, who was also called Doc. They supposedly lived in Matagorda County, Texas. She might have been buried there or in Burk-Burnett, Texas. This was news to me. First, according to my records, Clark didn t survive childhood, and, second, I d never heard of anyone called Doc Custard. Nor had I heard of any Custards in Matagorda County. However, I followed her lead and within a few hours found Clara and Dock Custar living in Matagorda County. The census information confirmed that these were Clarinda and Clark. This was exciting. I was still puzzled about why my records said Clark had died young. Going back to my transcribed census records I found Clark in the 1870 census with his family, but not in the 1880 census record. I flipped over to view the original census. Holy cow! Clark was on the original census, and in the transcription process I had left him out of the long list of children. I was guilty of a careless mistake that had hindered my research. Thankfully, I had a copy of the primary source and referred to it. That s an example of how rumors get started! Clark, who would have been 12 years, isn t in the 1880 census, so he must have died Being human we make mistakes, but being good researchers we copy and double check our primary sources! As I wade through my new hints and clues, I ll check out which can be documented and enter them into my records. The things that can t be documented I ll keep separate or clearly labeled Oral History in my genealogy program and records. There are some tantalizing tidbits I can t wait to follow-up on. Yes, oral history is made of myths, legends, facts, truth seen from a certain perspective, misperceptions, mistakes, and sometimes downright lies. As family history researchers, we ve probably run across all of these at one time or another. Like archaeologists sifting through dirt and sand, we have to be able to separate, recognize, and validate the true tidbits of history from the junk. If we don t, we re writing fiction not history. Since we re after a clear picture of who our ancestors were and, therefore, who we are, we want to be diligent in recording and documenting accurately. Jackie called me again a few days later. She had found a letter in the bottom of the box. You won t believe this, she said, but it has William Custard s parents listed in it. I sharply drew in a breath, thinking my brick wall has been knocked down! But, my research experience and cynicism quickly warned me, It s oral history, it s only oral history. You need to find proof. I can t wait to begin excavating! I feel so fortunate that, as a member of the Castor Association of America, I have the resources of the CAOA to aid me in this search. Our archives and newsletters are full of documented research and oral history to help us along the way. Thank you, members, for sharing your information and DNA. Thank you, board members, for the many volunteer hours you spend administering and managing our organization. Here s wishing us all happy digging this fall. Teresa Tucker, CAOA President Online Directory Update I need your help. It has been a long time since I have been able to update the CAOA Online Directory. I have lost track of who needs to be updated. Please check it out and let me know if you have any changes that need to be made to your entry. If you need instructions on how to get to the directory send me an at webmaster@caoa-gen.org

66 News Caster September 2007 Volume XXV Issue 3 Page 58 Ancestors and Descendants of Samuel Howell By George Castor Martin New Jersey 1913 Samuel Howell, fifth son of Jacob Howell and Sarah Vernon was born 6 February He was a hat manufacturer and dealer in general merchandise and sold his wares at the sign of the Beaver on Chestnut Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He married Ann Evans of Chester County, Pennsylvania. Their second child Hugh Howell was born 2 April He manufactured gun powder for the Revolutionary Army. He married Hannah Haydock. Their daughter Mary was born on 2 December 1783 in Westown, Chester County, Pennsylvania. She married Thomas Burrage on 12 December Their daughter Hannah was born on 11 June She married Joseph Mills in Their daughter Mary Elizabeth was born on 19 February She married George Mathias Castor on 12 July He was born on 25 December He died on 16 May 1880 and she died 17 March They had four children. 1. The Honorable George A. Castor 2. Mary E. Castor who married Lemuel Ball of Wissinoming. 3. Morton who died young 4. Nellie Mills Castor who was born on 3 April She married first Dr. Richard Allen Martin on 6 December 1883 first. He was born on 2 October 1858 and died 17 March They had two children. 1. George Castor Martin born 30 March Richard Allen Castor born 14 October Nellie married second William H. Allardyce of Galveston, Texas, New York City and then New Jersey. This is an unidentified line. If you have any information on them please let me know. Thank you! Patricia archives@caoa-gen.org or caoapaac@cwnet.com Jotham E. (Jody) Custer From Barbara Ketels, Eldora, Iowa Visitation and Memorial Services for Jody Custer, 77, will be held today, August 20, Friends are welcome to visit with the family from 4 to 6 p.m. at the home of Roger and Carole Custer, 1115 McDuffie Drive, Jefferson, Iowa. The public is invited to attend a 6:30 p.m. Masonic Service, followed by a 7:30 p.m. Memorial Service, both at Slininger- Rossow Funeral Home in Jefferson. Private burial of his remains will be at a later date in the Jefferson Cemetery. Jotham Edwin (Jody) Custer, 77, a longtime Jefferson area farmer and photographer died Wednesday, August 16, 2006, at the Israel Family Hospice House in Ames, Iowa. Jody was born in Jefferson on March 30, 1929, to William Custer and Mabel (Wolf) Custer. He graduated from Jefferson High School in 1946 and served in the United States Air Force, receiving an honorable discharge in He farmed many years in Greene County s Bristol and Greenbrier townships. Jody also was a professional photographer, specializing in baby and wedding photos. He operated Custer Studios in rural Jefferson for many years. He also was a noted horticulturist in Iowa and a lover of chrysanthemums. He served as the first vice-president of the Chrysanthemum Society in 1964 and headed the chrysanthemum exhibition at the society s 1966 convention. He received the Iowa Horticulture Society s 1973 Certificate of Merit Award in recognition of his efforts, and in 1982 was honored for his outstanding contribution to Iowa horticulture with the society s Honor Award. He also played a key role in the creation and development of the Iowa Arboretum near Luther, Iowa, contributing land, developmental funds and volunteer time. Charles Hall, retired horticulture department chair at Iowa State University and horticulture historian said, Today the Iowa Arboretum as a central Iowa showplace is a tribute to Jody s continuing support. Jody was also known for opening his decorative gardens and ponds at his rural home for public tours, especially during holidays. He was a 50-year member of Morning Star Lodge #159.F. & A.M., Jefferson, York Rite Bodies, and Za- Ga-Zig Shrine. Over his lifetime, Jody was active in the Farlin Christian Church, Jefferson Central Christian Church and Jefferson First Methodist Church. He was preceded in death by his parents; and brother, Jacob E. Custer; sister in-law Lorada Custer; and brother in-law William Dodson. He is survived by his sister, Mary Catherine (Custer) Dodson of Fort Worth, Texas; nephews Billy Dodson and wife Sheryle of Fort Worth, Texas; Roger Custer and his wife Carole, and Tom Custer and wife Laine, all of Jefferson; niece Karen (Dodson) Greene and husband David Crow of Dallas, Texas, and a number of great nieces and nephews. The family suggest memorials in his honor to the Jefferson Bell Tower Foundation for the Mahanay carillon bell purchase program. From Des Moines Sunday Register, Sunday, August 20, 2006, Page 8B

67 Volume XXV Issue 3 Page 59 News Caster September 2007 From the Members These are my GG Grandparents Miles and Miriam Jane (Davis) Kester. The three girls are my G Grandmother Sarah Elizabeth (in the middle) and her two sisters Sylvia Ellen and Emma. Any help locating more pictures or the Miles Kester family bible would be greatly appreciated. Sharon Wise swise@mokancomm.net PK(E).0 Reiner Kuster PK(E).0.0? Johannes Kusters PK(E).0.0?.04 Arnold Kusters PK.0 - PK(E).0.0? Paulus Kusters PK.0.02 Johannes Koster PK Hermanus Kester PK John Kester PK Peter Kester PK Daniel Kester PK Miles Kester A New Direction for the News Caster Since articles that have been submitted by the members have all been published, it will be necessary to dig into the archives. The goal is to include articles on the lines of the current members of the CAOA if possible. Each issue will now have a main theme which will focus on the following: Surnames beginning with Ca or Ka (De Castorer falls into this group) Surnames beginning with Cu or Ku and Co or Ko Surnames beginning with G or Ke or Ki Open Issue The order of each theme determined by pulling them out of a hat is: December: Surnames starting with G, Ke or Ki March: Surnames starting with Ca or Ka or DeCastorer June: Open issue September: Surnames starting with Cu or Ku and Co or Ko The main theme articles will include, in order of priority, photos and articles from the members, biographies from the archives, obituaries, lineages from the archive database and other interesting articles. Each issue will also include items for the other themes that do not fall into the main theme or the main theme articles. This will include items sent in by members and information found in the archives. This may be cemetery listings, indexes for military, birth, death, marriages and other research materials. Remember the News Caster is your newsletter, without you help, suggestions and input it will just be a listing of what is in the archives. If you feel you can t write the article, send in the information, and it will be written. Remember, too, that pictures really help to tell the story. Alton

68 News Caster September 2007 Volume XXV Issue 3 Page 60 News Caster September 2007 Names Index Adams Cassily 44, 46 Allardyce William H. 58 Allison 46, 47 Beauregard 51 Becker Otto 46 Ball Dorothy 42 Lemuel 58 Bingham 53 John A. 53 Mr. 53 Binnie Lester H. Bird Roy 46 Black Moon 52 Bloody Knife 53 Brinkman Mildred Arlene 42 Broadwater Elizabeth 41 Burner Carolyn 43 Burrage Hannah 58 Mary 58 Thomas 58 Calhoun James 44, 53 John C. 53 Lieutenant 53 Caster 63, 64 A. C. 54 Charles 49 E. 54 George 49 Harvey 49 John 49 John P. 45 M. E. 54 Patricia 56, 63, 64 S. A. 54 S. B. 54 Sampson 49 Thomas 49 William 49 Castor 63 George A. 58 George Matthias 58 Mary E. 58 Mary Elizabeth 58 Morton 58 Nellie Mills 58 Phillip 63 Clark Mary Catherine 41 Connell Evan S. 46 Coster 63 Crazy Horse 52 Crow David 58 Custard 57, 63 Clarinda Stanfield 57 Clark 57 Doc 57 William 57 Custer 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 58, 63 Alice 43 Alice Lulu 41, 42 Archie T. 43 Archie Thomas 41 Armstrong 44 Bessie E. 43 Bessie Elizabeth 41 Boston 44, 45, 53 Brice 53 Buck 63, 43 Brice 53 Carole 58 Carrie Madeline 42 Charles David 41 Charles W. 43 Charles William 41 Clinton Rosevelt 41, 42 Daisy Rosella 41, 43 Delores Ellen 42 E. H. 53 Earle Courtney 42 Elbert Ellsworth 42 Elizabeth B. 44 Elwood Cecil 42 Emma 44 Emmanuel 44 Ethel 42 Ethel Jane 41, 43 G. A. 53 Gary 63 Gary L. 63 General 44, 45, 46, 50, 51, 53 George A. 44, 47 George Armstrong 53 Harold Vernon, Sr. 42 Jacob E. 58 James W. 43 James William 41, 42 Jody 58 John Gilbert 42 John H. 43 John Harrison 41 Jotham E. (Jody) 58, 64 Judy Ann 43 Katie Ellen 41 Laine 58 Lauran 43

69 Volume XXV Issue 3 Page 61 News Caster September 2007 Lorada 58 Mabel (Wolf) 58 Margaret 44 Mary C. 43 Mary Catherine 58 Mr. 53 Mrs. 53 Nevin J. 44, 45 Rachel Marie 43 Ralph Edgar 41, 42, 43 Reid 44 Roger 58 Thomas 44 Thomas W. 53 Tom 44, 45, 58 Virginia Armandy 41, 42 Wilbur Wesley 42 William 41, 43, 49, 58, 64 William Raymond 42 Davis Jeff. 51 Miriam Jane 59 Deitemeyer Wanda 56 Dodson Billy 58 Karen 58 Mary Catherine 58 Sheryle 58 William 58 Eckard Steve 43 Estlick Julie 56 Mike 56 Evans Ann Fazenbaker Dorothy Ethel Custer 42, 43 Evelyn 41, 42 James O. Stanley 41, 43 Stanley W. 43 Foster William 45 Foutz 43 Gallagher Michael 45 Fuchs Feodor 46, 47 Furber 46 John C. 46 Garrett Rollin Edward 43 Gerster 63 Greene Karen (Dodson) 58 Godfrey 47 Edward S. 44, 47 Lieutenant 48 Hanson Adelia 45 Darlene 45 Harrison Joseph 44 Joseph T. 44 William C. 44 Haydock Hannah 58 Hill Colonel 51 R. C. 51 Robert C. 51 Howell Ann 58 Hannah 58 Hugh 58 Jacob 58 Mary 58 Samuel 58, 64 Sarah 58 Hubbard Paula 45 Hugel Cynthia 54 Jackson Jackie 57 Kaster 63 Alice 56 Barbara 56 Bob 56 Dorothy M. 56 Doug 56 Edith (Porter) 56 Eltha D. 56 Floyd Vance 56 Horace D. 56 James 56 Judith 56 Julie 56 Lilly J. 56 Lue Ada 56 Meljean 56 Minerva B. 56 Richard R. 56 Richard Ralph 56 Russell L. 56 Russell V. 56 Unie V. 56 Virris 56 Virris F. 56 Virris V. F. 56 William E. 56 William H. 56 William Henry 56 Kastor 63 Keister 63 Richard 45, 63 Ketels

70 News Caster September 2007 Volume XXV Issue 3 Page 62 Barbara 58 Kester 63 Alonzo 54 Arthur C. 54 Daniel 59 Emma 59 Eve 54 Eve Lowman 55 Hermanus 59 John 59 Mary 54 Mary Etta 54 Maryetta 54 Miles 59 Miriam Jane (Davis) 59 Mrs. Paul 54 Paul, Mrs. 54 Peter 59 Sarah 54 Sarah Elizabeth 59 Sarah S. J. 54 Stephen 54, 55 Stephen D. 54, 55, 64 Sylvia Ellen 59 William 54 Kiester 63 Kill Eagle 52 Kistard 63 Kister 63 Klipstein Carrie Viola 41, 42 Klutz Emma L. 54 Koester 63 Koster 63 Johannes 59 Kuester 63 Kurz 46, 47 Kustard 63 Kuster 63 Paulus 41, 43, 49 Reiner 59 Kusterd 63 Kusters Arnold 59 Johannes 59 Paulus 59 Kusterd 63 Küster 63 Lacy Joe 63 Lewis Linda 43 Lowman Cynthia (Hugel) 57 Eve 54 Martin George Castor 58 Nellie Mills 58 Richard Allen 58 Susie Townsend 57 McLain Mark 45 Miller Buck 41 Mills Hannah 58 Joseph 58 Mary Elizabeth 58 Minnich Weltie Melvin 43 Morgan Martha Belle 42 O Connor Terry 56 Paxon 47 Edgar S. 46 Edgar Samuel 47, 48 Poland J. S. 51, 52 Porter Dorothy 56 Ellen 56 Ralph 56 Potts Jo Lee 45 Pullen Coleen R. 45 Rain-in-the-Face 4 Red Cloud 52 Red Horse 46, 47 Red Top 52 Remmick, Ed 48 Reno 52 Major 44, 51 Rhinehart James 43 Riley 41, 42 Rowe Elsie 42 Ruggles Gen. 51 Schmeig 41, 42 Adeline 42 Thelma 42 Jenny 42 Schmidt Eric 48 Harold von 46 Sheridan 44 Sissell Alton 44, 45, 56, 63 Sitting Bull 52 Smith Al 56 Barbara 56 Lena Inella 41, 42 Southwick Mary 54

71 Volume XXV Issue 3 Spiker Phylis 43 Spitzer Fred 43 Pearl 43 Spotted Tail 52 Stanfield Clarinda 57 Taylor 41 Terry Gen. 52 Thomas James William 41, 43 Thurman Geri 63 Tichnell Ollie Ellen 41 Townsend Susie 57 Towey Michael H. 54 Troegel Mary Jane 45 Tucker Teresa 57, 63 Vernon Sarah 58 Von Schmidt Eric 48 Page 63 A Dilemma Has Emerged In the past members names and addresses have been published in the News Caster when they join and when they have a change of address. In the past it was an acceptable thing to do. Due to the current worry of identity theft and other possible ramifications of having the names and addresses made public it was decided not to include them in the News Caster any more. What are your concerns and thoughts It would be very helpful to know what each of you feel about this situation and what the solution might be for members to be able to contact each other and be kept up to date on address changes. Please let us know what you think about this dilemma and how we might solve it. Send an to caoabrd@caoa-gen.org or send a letter to President Teresa Tucker. We would love to hear your comments The Castor Association of America is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the preservation of family history for all variations of the family surname. Caster Castor Coster Custard Custer Gerster Kaster Kastor Keister Kester Kiester Kistard Kister Koester Koster Kuester Kustard Kuster Kusterd Küster Officers President Teresa Tucker Vice President Gary Custer Secretary. Mary-Margaret Ward Treasurer.....Joe Lacy Appointed Positions Archives Coordinator Patricia Caster Editor.....Alton Sissell Publications Manager..... Buck Custer Historian...Phillip Castor Web Site Coordinator......Geri Thurman Library....Patricia Caster CAOA Queries president@caoa-gen.org Teresa Tucker, President 5050 CR 236 Liberty Hill, Texas Membership and Change of Address membership@caoa-gen.org Gary L. Custer, Vice President, Membership 438 Hiway 74 Twin Falls, ID Secretary secretary@caoa-gen.org Mary-Margaret Ward, Secretary 2214 Clay Street San Francisco, CA Membership Dues, Book Purchases, News Caster Issues Treasurer@caoa-gen.org Joe Lacy, Treasurer 302 County Road 6720 Natalia, TX Articles/Suggestions for News Caster Editor@caoa-gen.org Alton Sissell, Editor 9491 Lake Natoma Drive Orangevale, CA Archives and Lineage Questions achives@caoa-gen.org CAOA Library Books library@caoa-gen.org Patricia Caster, Archives Coordinator PO Box 955 Windsor, CA CAOA DNA Project News Caster September 2007 caoa-dna@caoa-gen.org The News Caster is published quarterly by the Castor Association of America. Past issues may be ordered from the Treasurer for $5 an issue.

72 In this Issue Who is William Custer? DNA Project News...43 The Story of the Dining Fork Change of address/new Members...45 Where in the World Have You Been?...45 Battle of the Little Big Horn - History in Paint John Caster Sr. DNA Family Update...49 News From Yesterday Stephen D. Kester Obituary Leads to a Name Correction...56 From the President...57 Ancestors and Descendents of Samuel Howell...58 Jotham E. (Jody) Custer...58 From the Members...59 Index Please ask before you use it All material published by the Castor Association of America including the News Caster, information on the CAOA web site, books, or materials in any other form, including materials developed from the CAOA Archives, may be used only with the express written Permission of the Castor Association of America. The Castor Association of America 1815 Billingshurst CT Orlando, Florida USA NONPROFIT ORG U.S.POSTAGE PAID ORLANDO FL PERMIT #422 Dated Material

73 News Caster The Castor Association of America Vol XXV Issue 4 December 2007 PK Isaac Masters Kester From the Archives Photo s from David C. Kester The photo is of the eleven children of Isaac Masters Kester and his wife Mary Winner. It was taken on 7 July 1896 in Gepburnia, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, the day they buried their mother Mary (Winner) Kester. The people we know in this photo for sure are: Back row, first on the left, my great great grandfather, Jesse Warren Kester. Seated, first on the left, Ellis W. Kester and seated on the ladder on the far right is Samuel Lewis Kester. Seated on the ground first on the left is James Elias Kester. I believe the others are: back row L-R, Jesse, Isaac Moore Kester, William W. Kester and Amos or Benjamin. Seated L-R, Ellis, Susan (Kester) Parker, Mary Ellen (Kester) McCracken, Amos or Benjamin and Samuel. Seated on the ground L-R, James, and John Patton Kester. I am hoping that someone from my branch of the Kester s will be able to help identify their descendant correctly. David C. Kester 25 January 2001 Isaac Masters Kester was born 23 December 1813, in Columbia County, PA. He was the son of Samuel and Sarah (Masters) Kester. Isaac married Mary Winner, about Mary was born 22 March 1819, in Lycoming County, PA. She was the daughter of Abraham and Rachel (Warner) Winner. Isaac and Mary had a farm of 62 acres in Columbia County. In 1847, they located in Bell Township, of Clearfield County, PA. Isaac bought 150 acres near Lumber City and build a home and improved the land. Several years later, he sold this farm and bought 10 acres (later known as the David Young farm), where he lived the rest of his life. Isaac and Mary were members of the West Branch MM in Clearfiled (sic) County. Isaac died 19 October Mary died 5 July They are both buried at Friends Cemetery, at Grampion (sic), PA (West Branch Meeting). Children of Isaac Masters Kester and Mary Winner. 1. Ellis Winner Kester was born 14 August 1840, I Columbia County. He married Mary Jane Young. 2. Samuel Lewis Kester was born 2 November 1841, in Columbia County. He married Alice Wall on 20 October He died 30 January 1927 in Penn Township, Clearfield County, PA. He is buried at the West Brach Meeting. 3. Jesse W. Kester was born 19 October 1842, in Columbia County. He married Mary E. Smith. His 2nd wife was

74 Vol XXV Issue 4 Page 62 News Caster December 2007 Clementine (Hoover) Bell. Jesse died 15 November 1900 in Greenwood Township, Clearfield County, and is buried at the Friends Cemetery at Grampian. 4. William Winner Kester was born 21 October 1845, in Columbia County. He did not marry and died 17 February 1917 in Clearfield County. 5. Benjamin Franklin Frank Kester was born 16 February He married Elizabeth Kester, of Columbia County. 6. Susan E. Kester was born 30 October 1849, in Clearfield County. She married John Kester Parker in 1847_. She died 4 February Amos H. Kester was born 29 July 1851, in Clearfield County. He married Catherine Kate Johnson about Isaac Moore Kester was born 1 November 1853, at Lumber City, PA. He married Lydia Lucinda Bloom 21 August 1879, in Clearfield County, PA. He died 21 April 1923 and is buried at McNaul Cemetery, Pike Township, Clearfield County. 9. Mary M. Kester ws born 2 November 1855, in Clearfield County. She married Daniel S. McCracken on 19 April Their children were Frank and Bessie. 10. John Patton Kester was born 9 March 1859, in Clearfield County. He married Mary Ella Jordan. He died 22 February James E. Kester was born 6 July1862, in Clearfield County. He married Blanche Luther, the daughter of Martin H. and Sarah M. (Brisbin) Luther. He was a photographer and lived in Brockaway, PA. They had a son Luther Kester. MCUS.0 Michael Custer William Webster Samuel Lewis Kester Cynthia Dora (Kester) Webster James Elias Kester 7 July 1896 in Gepburnia, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania Generation One 1. Michael Custer 1 was born in 1795 in Botetourt County, Virginia. He married Rebecca Jones in 1815 in Franklin County, Tennessee. Michael died on 18 May 1869 in Alabama. (He may have died in Tennessee.) Children of Michael 1 Custer and Rebecca Jones were: + 2 i. Hugh Lee Custer 2 Generation Two 2. Hugh Lee Custer 2 (Michael 1 ) was born either in 1825 or 1826 in Tennessee. He married Elizabeth Virginia Franklin Holcomb on 12 Nov 1865 in Cherokee County, Texas. Children of Hugh Lee 2 Custer and Elizabeth Virginia Franklin Holcomb were: + 3 i. Leodosia Alberta Custer 3 Generation Three 3. Leodosia Alberta 3 Custer (Hugh 2, Michael 1 ) was born on 28 Aug 1868 in Logansport, De Sota Parish, Louisiana. She married Julius Caesar Baker on 30 Sep 1886 in Mansfield, De Sota Parish, Louisiana. Leodosia died at age 35 on 10 Jun 1904 in Mansfield, De Sota Parish, Louisiana. Children of Leodosia Alberta 3 Custer and Julius Caesar Baker were: 4 i. Glen Courtney 4 Baker was born on 13 Oct 1895 in Mansfield, De Sota Parish, Louisiana. He married Berta Mae Ferguson on 28 Dec 1920 in Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas. Glen died at age 55 on 12 Jun 1951 in Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas. Source: 1. Membership application of Mary Joan Baker, Castor Association of America, File: MCUS.0.0?.0?.0?.0?, received 15 August I am in the process of trying to identify this Michael Custer for our new member Mary Troegel. So far I have not been able to find him in the archive files. If you have any information please let me know. archives@coao-gen.org or PO Box 955 Windsor, CA Patricia Caster CAOA Archives Coordinator

75 News Caster December 2007 Vol XXV Issue 4 Page 63 W. M. Keister 1840-// George W. Keister 1826-// From: History of Jackson County, Iowa W. M. Keister, retired farmer; P.O. Box Bellevue; born in Virginia in 1840; came to Iowa in 1847 and engaged in farming thirty-two years, six miles from Bellevue; moved into town and built a red brick residence on the bluff back of the town, commanding a fine river view. As a public man, he has the confidence of the people; has been elected to all the offices in the township; is a member of the City Council. His wife was born in Germany and came to America at the age of 1 year; they were married at Andrew, Jackson Co., May , and have two children Hattie C. and Myron B. George W. Keister, retired farmer, Sec. 5; P.O. Bellvue. He is among the leading and enterprising farmers of Jackson County. We find none more worthy of representation in her history than George W. Keister, of Jackson Township. He was born in Rockingham Co., Va., Nov. 24, In early life, he received a liberal education in his native county. In 1847, he removed with his parents to Jackson Co.,; settled in Andrew, where they lived until the following year, when they removed to Bellevue Township, where they resided until their death, April 12, Mr. Keister, in company with four others, started for California overland with an ox team. They arrived in Placerville, August 8, and he went to Beg Bar on the middle fork of the American River, where he engaged in mining, with fair success, until the winter of 1853, when he returned to this county. May 17, 1855, he married in Jackson Township this (Jackson) county, Miss Mary R. McMurphy, daughter of Archibald and Rispa McMurphy, natives of New York, who settled in this county in 1854, and are now honored residents of Rochester, Minn. Mr. Keister and wife are members of the M. E. Church. Their children were Nettie B., born April 1, 1856; (she was educated at Mount Vernon, Iowa; March 15, 1877, she married Richard C. Ross; they live in Bellevue, where he is and has been engaged in the mercantile business several years); Elizabeth, born Aug. 26, 1857; (she is now attending school at Cornell College, Mount Vernon); George W., born Feb. 10, 1859; (he is also attending school at Mount Vernon); Charlotte R., born March ; Charles C., Nov. 20, 1862; Mary A., April 2, 1864; Benjamin B., Oct ; Fannie B., May 15, 1867; Harry C., April 31, 1868; Walter W., April 26, 1870, died Oct. 2, 1876; Nellie May, born Jan., 10, 1875; Archie J., Feb. 9, Mr. Keister is, at present writing, Trustee and Steward of the M. E. Church, a position he has filled about six years. He was Clerk of Jackson Township for over eleven years; is the present School Treasurer in the district wherein he resides, an office he has filled to the general satisfaction of all concerned a number of years. In politics, Mr. K. is a Democrat, though he is no politician, and has never taken part in the personal strife and vituperation so common during political campaigns, and looks to principles rather than party politics. He is a public-spirited man, always ready to assist with the time and money any enterprise that promises to be of advantage to his township and county, and has always taken an active part in the promotion of the religious and educational interests. His farm embraces 280 acres, well located, and possessing many of the natural advantages. In 1865, he completed his house, which is a massive stone structure, and is, without doubt, one of the finest farm residences in Jackson Co. Being a man of study and progressive ideas, he has applied the best practical results of his knowledge to improved methods of farming, and to furnishing his house with the appliances and comforts of the best social life. His parents, William K. and Elizabeth Keister, were natives of Virginia. They came to this county, as before stated, in 1847, and were honored residents until their death, which occurred, his in 1858, and hers in June, They were members of the M. E. Church. Previous to his coming to this county, he was a Captain of a militia company in Virginia. Their children were Martin B., now a Methodist minister at Sioux City, Iowa; George W., whose name heads this sketch; Mary, now deceased; Elizabeth, wife of Joseph Snodgrass, Collins Co., Texas; William M.; Susan, now Mrs. B. Sisler. In addition to his farm, Mr. Keister owns city property in Hutchinson, Kan., and in Bellevue, Iowa. I have not been able to find the above two men in the archive files. I was not able to find George s parents either. William K. and Elizabeth (? ) Keister -came to Iowa in 1847 Their children: 1. Martin B. Keister a Methodist minister at Sioux City, Iowa; 2. George W. Keister -came to Iowa in Mary Keister now deceased; 4. Elizabeth Keister wife of Joseph Snodgrass, Collins Co., Texas; 5. William M. Keister -came to Iowa in Susan Keister wife of B. Sisler I believe the two men are brothers from the information given in George s sketch. Any help would be appreciated. Patricia archives@caoa-gen.org

76 Vol XXV Issue 4 Page 64 CR.0 Christian Keister From the CAOA Archives Christian Keister was born about 1806 in Hesse, Germany. He was orphaned early in life, and had to fend for himself. He came to America when he was still a boy. He first located in Baltimore, Maryland, working in railroad construction. In 1838, he married Catherine Burgin, also an immigrant from Hesse, Germany. Judge Armstrong officiated. Catherine was born about In October 1838, they came to Darke County, Ohio, and bought a farm of forty acres in Washington Township. Only ten acres of the forty had been cleared, and a small, partially erected cabin stood on the farm. Here they farmed for the next forty-five years. Christian took part in in the local school administration. Christian and Catherine were members of the Reformed church. Catherine had been reared as a Lutheran. Christian died 2 February 1882 at the age of 75. Catherine died 13 or 18 December 1886 at the age of 66. They were buried at Snell Cemetery (along State Highway 571) near Hill Grove, Darke County, Ohio. Their children: 1. Catherine Keister born October 1839; married 1858 or 1859 George Wise; died 1921, buried at Greenville Cemetery, Greenville, Ohio. 2. Lewis Keister born about 1842; enlisted 11 August 1862 in Company K, 94th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was taken prisoner 1 September 1862 at Lexington, Kentucky by General Kirby Smith's forces, was exchanged and rejoined his regiment at Christmas 1862, contracted measles in April and died 10 May 1862 at Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 3. Philip Keister born 1 September 1844 in Darke County, Ohio; married 1871 Fannie F Keefawver; died 10 February 1913, buried at Greenville Cemetery, Greenville, Ohio. 4. Louise Keister born 26 January 1847 (or 1846?); married 25 November 1866 William Henry Harrison Martin; died 31 May 1923 aged 76y 4m 5d in Union City, Ohio. 5. Susanna Keister born 1849; married 17 March 1872 Eli Cook; died 1930, buried at New Lisbon Cemetery, Union City, Indiana. 6. Lovina Mary Keister born 18 February 1852; married 14 December 1873 Samuel S Staudt; died 20 September 1926, buried at New Teegarden Cemetery, Darke County, Ohio. 7. Henry Keister born about 1854; died 6 January 1860 at age 5 years, 6 months, 1 day, buried at Snell Cemetery. 8. Amelia "Millie" Keister born 21 December 1858 in Washington Township of Darke County; married February 1891 J Edward Oliver; died 31 January 1927 in Greenville, buried at Greenville Cemetery, Greenville, Ohio. Sources: 1. A Biographical History of Darke County, Ohio\The Lewis Publishing Comapny, Chicago (1900), p Obituary of Louise Keister Martin 3. Obituary of Mrs. Amelia Kester Oliver; Greenville Advocate March 12, Saturday census Ohio, Darke Co, Washington Twp, p 453, # Christian Krester census Ohio, Darke Co, Washington Twp, p 183, # Christian Keister census Ohio, Darke Co, Washington Twp, ED 73, p 25/375, # Christian Kester census Ohio, Darke Co, Washington Twp, ED 73, p 25/375, # Philip Kester 8. letter Mrs Michael Deeter - 24 June & 5 Oct 1987 News Caster December 2007 CR.0.03 Philip Kester From: Biographical History of Darke County, Ohio One of the most progressive and successful agriculturists of Greenville township, Darke county is Philip Kester, who owns a valuable farm of one hundred and thirteen acres pleasantly located a mile and a half west of the city of Greenville. His method of farm management show deep scientific knowledge combined with sound practical judgment and the results show that "high class" farming as an occupation can be made quite profitable. A native of Darke county Mr. Kester was born near Hill Grove in Washington township September 1[?] 1844 and is a son of Christian and Catherine (Burgin) Kester, who were born in Germany, but became acquainted after their emigration to America and were married in this county, the ceremony being performed by Judge Armstrong in The father was left an orphan at an early age and had to depend upon his own efforts to a livelihood. During his he came to the United States and first located in Baltimore, Maryland, where he found employment for a time at railroad building. From that city he came to Darke county, Ohio in October 1838 and purchased a farm of forty acres in Washington township, only ten acres of which had been cleared, while a small cabin had been partially erected on the place.

77 News Caster December 2007 Vol XXV Issue 4 Page 65 Here he and his wife began housekeeping and it continued to be their home for forty-five year, during which time they were reasonably prosperous, accumulating a handsome competence by years of incessant toil. The father was a man of exceptional character, fully enjoyed life, and was highly respected by all who knew him. He took an active interest in educational affairs and was officially connected with the schools of his district. In politics he was a Republican. Both he and his wife held membership in the Reformed church, though she was reared Lutheran. He died February 2, 1882, aged seventy-five years and she passed away December 13, 1886, aged sixty-six years. In their family were eight children, namely, Catherine who is now the wife of George Wise of Darke; Philip, our subject, the next in order of birth; Louisa, who is the wife of W. H. H. Martin, of Darke; Susanna, who is the wife of Eli Cook; Lavina who is the wife of S. S. Staudt; and Millie, the wife of Edward Oliver; all of these are residents of Darke county; and Lewis and Henry. Lewis enlisted August 11, 1862 in Company K Ninety-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was in active service until taken prisoner by General Kirby Smith s forces. He was soon paroled and sent home, and after being exchanged rejoined his regiment at Christmas 1862, but in April of the following year he was taken ill with the measles and died, in a hospital at Mufreesboro, Tennessee, May 10, 1863, at about the age of twenty-one years. Henry died in 1860 at the age of six years. Philip Kester s educational advantages were such as the common schools of Washington township afforded during his boyhood. He remained under the parental roof until twenty-three years of age, and then he began his life for himself as a farmer, purchasing forty-eight acres of land north of Greenville in Greenville township, which he operated for four years. On selling that place he bought eighty acres of land in Washington township, where he carried on farming for seven years, and when he disposed of that property he moved to Greenville, where he lived for four years. In 1887 he located upon his present farm in Greenville township, to the cultivation and further improvement of which he has since devoted his energies with most gratifying results. In 1871 Mr. Kester married Miss Fannie F. Keefawver, daughter of George and Keziah (Rahn) Keefawver, and by this union were born three children; Lewis Ulysses, Elmer E. and Rolla G. The second son, Elmer E. married Effie Finard and has one child, Esther, and they reside in Jackson township, this county. Politically, Mr. Kester is a Republican, and he gives his support to every enterprise which he believes will prove of public benefit, being one of the most progressive and public-spirited citizens of this community. In the summer of 1900 he made a trip to Europe, visiting all the principal cities and points of interest, including the Paris Exposition. Source: A Biographical History of Darke County, Ohio; Compendium of National Biography; Chicago; The Lewis Publishing Company; 1909 From the CAOA Archives Philip Kester born 1 September 1844 in Washington Township, Darke County, Ohio, son of Christian and Catherine (Burgin) Keister. He bought a 48 acre farm in Greenville Township of Darke County about 1867 and farmed until about He married 27 April 1871 Fannie E Keefawver in Darke County, Ohio. Fannie was born November 1853 in Adams Township of Darke County, Ohio, daughter of George and Keziah (Rahn) Keefawver. Philip sold his farm in Greenville Township, and bought a 80 acre farm in Washington Township and farmed until about He sold this farm and moved to Greenville for four years. In 1887, he located on another farm in Greenville Township. In the summer of 1900, Philip traveled throughout Europe, and visited the Paris Exposition. Philip died 10 February Fannie died 21 May They were interred at Greenville Cemetery, Greenville, Ohio. Their children: 1. Lewis Ulysses Kester born 1873; died 1953, interred at Greenville Cemetery. 2. Elmer Elsworth Kester born 13 July 1875; married 27 June 1897 Effie Finnarn, married Virgie ; died 1947, interred at Greenville Cemetery. 3. Rolla G Kester born 1879; married about 1911 Sadie ; died 1938, interred at Greenville Cemetery. Sources: 1. A Biogrpahical History of Darke County, Ohio\The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago (1900), pp Obituary Mrs. Fannie E. Kester Greenville Daily\May 22, Saturday 3. Obituary Fanny Kester Greenville Daily\May 26, Wednesday 1880 census Ohio, Darke Co, Washington Twp, ED 73, p 25/375, # Philip Kester 1900 census Ohio, Darke Co, Greenville Twp West Pct, ED 55, p 8/143, # Philip Keister 1910 census Ohio, Darke Co, Greenville Twp Philip Kester letter Mrs Michael Deeter - 5 Oct 1987

78 Vol XXV Issue 4 Page 66 Index of Ancestor Lines G..., Ke..., or Ki... Starting with this issue we will be featuring archive data for ancestor lines whose surnames begin with G, Ke or Ki in future December News Casters. It is our hope that you will contribute articles, pictures and information for these future issue. It is also our hope that you will check your records to see if you have any information on these lines that have been featured to help us tie families together. The following index is a list current CAOA members ancestors. On page 69 you will find an index of other G, Ke or Ki lines we have information for in the archives. If you would like to see more information about any of these lines please let the editor know. Member Lines YOB YOD Notes HG.0 Heini Gerster 1688 Left Switzerland in 1736 settled in the Carolinas News Caster December 2007 LK.0 Ludwig Kister Born at Zinswiller near Oberbronn; his descendants came to America FK.0 Fredrick Keister ?born in Palatinate? arrived Philadelphia 1737 age 7 settled in Virginia PH.0 Phillip Kester c1732 b1814 Seems to have lived in Virginia most of his life. HI.0 Heinrich Kister b1739 b1785 Emigrated from Switzerland before 1758; settled North Carolina IK.0 Isaac Kester Born in Tennessee or Kentucky, first found in Louisiana Territory HBK.0 Henry Keister Probably son of George or Peter Keister lived Union Co, Pennsylvania JOK.0 John Kester 1791 Served in War of 1812 in Pennsylvania Militia PT.0 Peter Keister Is he the son of Jacob Kister from Fairview Township in HRK.0 Hiram Keister 1838 Had a brother named Hezekiah JOS.0 Josiah "J. R." Kester Help needed with Unknowns Source: The Butler Family; Albert Wilmot Rook 1901; Seattle Charles C. Kiester married Rosalia E. Butler on 7 October They lived in Traver, California 1.James Armel was born on 25 September Gladys Everil was born on 28 April 1891 and died on 6 June 1891 Rosalie Kiester married second, Frank Hurrell on 4 February 1899 Source: Annals of Tazewell County, Virginia From 1800 to 1922; John Newton Harman, Sr. Tazewell, VA; Vol I; 1922 Florence J. Whiteley (James S., William, David), born October ; married George W. Keister. 1. Louisa G. Keister married C. B. Jesse 1. Vera Jeanette Keister 2. Blanchard O. Keister 3. Margaret E. Keister married T. E. Duncan 4. Virginia Keister 5. Walter J. Keister 6. Gertrude Keister Also found on another page is the marriage of Mary E. Custard to James C. Peery on October 24. (Year not given) Source: German-American Genealogical Research Monograph #6; 1979 Subjects who have applied for emigration from Hessen-Hanau, Germany Name: Henr[ich] Kester from Wachenb[uchen?] to: Carolina year: 1742 Source: KY Court of Appeals; Deed Book Vol III; KY Records Series Vol 8; Michael L. Cook & Bettie A. Cook; 1979 P 121 Indenture. May Elizabeth Guthry. Susan Shepherd and Margaret Hamilton. Of Baltimore. Maryland. To John Kester of Shelby County, Kentucky. For $ a tract of land in Shelby County, on the waters of Elk Creek. Beginning at the most eastwardly corner of Daniel Stark s survey. Thence southwest. And containing 35 acres. Being a part of a tract heretofore conveyed by Adam Shepherd to Daniel Stark. Signed by Robert Wickliffe as attorney in fact for the grantors. Recorded by the Kentucky Court of Appeals. May

79 News Caster December 2007 Vol XXV Issue 4 Page 67 HG.0 Heini Gerster 1688-// Switzerland Heini Gerster was baptized 15 January He is the son of Hans Joggi Garster and Barbara Jausslin. Heini is a familiar form of Heinrich which is equivalent to Henry in English. Joggi is a familiar form of Jacob. Heini married Anna Weissin. Anna was baptized 20 October 1695, daughter of Hans Weis and Anna Buser (Hans and Anna were married Weissin is the feminine version of Weiss or Weis 28 January 1679) of Thurnen. Heini and Anna lived in Thurnen, Canton of Basel, Switzerland. They left Switzerland in 1736 to go to the Carolinas in America. They paid an emigration tax on 1300 pounds of material, and also paid a fee for manumission. It is believed they went to New Bern, Craven County, North Carolina where a Swiss colony had been established in 1705 by Christoph von Graffenried. There is a Craven County record in 1748 of Henry Caster paying taxes. Gerster seems to have evolved into Garster, Caster, or Gaster in America. This is similar to the well known case of Hans Georg Gerster who came from Gelterkinden to Pennsylvania in 1736, and was soon known to be John George Castor. Apparently the English speaking colonists in America were not well equipped to handle German names, and a change in the pronounciation of the name resulted. Henry and Anna had four children in Switzerland before leaving, Barbara, Anna, Verena, and Heinrich. They appear to have had one more child in America, Jacob. We do not know when Henry Caster died. His wife, Anna, appears to have survived him and married Frederick Listler. We suspect that Litsler is a corruption of Lutzler, and Frederick Litsler is perhaps another Swiss immigrant -- Lutzler is a name found in the same area of Basel. The 1759 Rowan County (North Carolina) tax list shows Fredk Letcher in the proximity of the residences of Casters, Treeces, and others associated with the lineage, and it is assumed this is Frederick Litzler. A land grant was made to Frederick Leslier 7 January 1761 on [Dutch] Second Creek, and this further places Frederick in the same area. Frederick died a short time before 14 July 1767, the date that his will was probated in Rowan County. In 1768, Anna conveys the same land grant obtained by Frederick Litsler to her son, Jacob. Anna died a short time before 4 November 1783, the date that her will was probated in Rowan County. Her will names Henry Garster, Barbara Garster alias Care, Annah Garster alias Mills, Frone Garster alias Wallis, and Jacob Garster. Jacob Children of Heini and Anna 1. Barbara Gerster/Garster baptized 20 March 1718 in Switzerland; married Captain Benjamin Beverett, married second Joseph Carr. 2. Anna Gerster/Garster baptized 21 January 1720 in Switzerland; married William Mills of Onslow County 3. Verena "Frone" Gerster/Garster baptized 13 June 1724 in Switzerland; married Andrew Wallace, may have married second Nicholas Rimer. 4. Heinrich/Henry Gerster/Garster/Gaster/Caster baptized 13 April 1727 in Switzerland; married Wilmouth ; died 4 December 1804 in Moore County, North Carolina at the age of Jacob Garster/Caster born in North Carolina; married Christina ; died August 1809 in Rowan County, North Carolina. Source: Over the Mountain Men, Their Early Court Records in Southwest Virginia; Anne L. Worrel 1983 John Custard married in Franklin County, 2 June 1801 Elizabeth Hudson, daughter of Eliza Beth (Elizabeth?) Hudson. David Custer married in Franklin County, 9 December 1799 Zaney Nowini, daughter of Elizabeth Campbell. Page 14 Lodewick Keester (Koster) married in Franklin County, 1 August 1789 Mary Boom, daughter of Jacob Boom. Page 25 David Cress married in Grayson County, 28 November 1815 Deborah Kester. Page 27 Peter Kester married in Grayson County, 25 March 1806 Hannah Davis. Richard Kester married in Grayson County, 3 April 1799 Phebe Brown. Page 56 Eli Kester, deceased, appraisel of estate, June 1841 in Grayson County Dues are due on 1 Janury 2008 Watch for your Renewal Form in the Mail.

80 Vol XXV Issue 4 Page 68 LK.0 Ludwig Kister News Caster December 2007 Ludwig Kister was born 29 November 1688 at Zinswiller near Oberbronn, son of Johannes and Maria Susanna (? ) Kister. He was baptized 3 December 1688 in Oberbronn. He was confirmed at age 14 years. He married 1717 Maria Susanna Schneider at Oberbronn. Maria Susanna Schneider was born 9 November Maria Susanna had been living at Asswiller before her marriage. Ludwig was a shoemaker, as was his father. They lived at Durstel (about 36 miles northwest of Strasbourg, and 6 miles east of the Sarre River), Alsace, France. The area is known as "Crooked Alsace." The people speak German, Lorraine dialect. Ludwig died 12 July 1747 and was buried the 15th. Maria Susanna, widow of Ludwig, died 12 August 1770 and was buried the following day in the churchyard. Ludwig and Maria Susanna had five sons and three daughters. Children of Ludwig and Maria Susanna 1. A first son may have been baptized in Oberbronn (this record has not been searched). 2. Johann Jacob Kister baptized 16 February 1721; married 13 May 1751 Maria Christian Entzmenger in Durstel, Alsace, France. 3. Johann Ludwig Kister born 18 September 1723, baptized 19 September 1723; married 4 November 1748 Eva Christina Antoni at Bettwiller parish Durstel; married second Catharina ; died between 11 December 1786 and 19 January 1787 in Lehigh Township, Northampton County, Pa. 4. Maria Christina Kister baptized 29 December 1728; 5. Maria Elisabeth Kister baptized 31 March George Philip Kister born 25 September 1733, baptized 27 September 1733; married Anna Maria Tetisman Old Goshenhoppen 30 October 1755 Lutheran Church, Montgomery County, PA. 7. Johann Martzloff Kister born 26 August 1737, baptized 28 August 1737; married Rachel Dieter about 1768; died FK.0 Frederick Keister Frederick was born in 1730 possibly in Palatinate. In 1737 he arrived with his parents in Philadelphia aboard the ship Virtuous Grace, when he was seven years old. By 1753 he was living in Rockingham County Virginia. In 1755 he married Hannah Dyer, daughter of Roger and Hannah (Green) Dyer. Frederick served in the Colonial Wars and the Revolutionary War. He died in 1814 Children of Frederick and Hannah 1.James Keister born 1756, married Elizabeth Jane Davis, die 12 June Hannah Keister born c1757, married George Hull c1786, died Sarah Keister born 1762, married Burton Blizzard, December 1780, died 17 March Esther Keister married Adam Hull, died Mary Keister born??, married Gabriel Kyle Frederick Keister Jr. born 1774, married Anne E. Propst 1791; married Malinda Grim 3 June 1851 in Highland County, VA, died George Keister born 5 February 1776, married Susannah Peck 18 February 1800; married Mary Ann Jordon 12 October 1843, died 18 July Elizabeth Keister born??, married Henry Hull.

81 News Caster December 2007 Vol XXV Issue 4 Page 69 PH.0 Philip Kister c1732 b1814 Philip Kester/Custer/Kister born about Philip Custer married Elizabeth Levi 2 January 1776 at Linville Creek Baptist Church, Rockingham County, Virginia. If this is a marriage of this Philip, then she is his second wife and not the mother of his children. Philip is known to have lived in Rockingham County, Virginia. He received a grant of 140 acres in Rockingham County on Mill Creek, a Branch of the North River of the Shenandoah in 17 April It appears that he moved with his children to Montgomery County, Virginia in 1799, and is living with his son, Philip, in Philip left a will in Montgomery County, Virginia, which was proved in November Children of Philip and (? ) 1. Philip Kester/Keister born 7 June 1753; married Maria Catherine (surname unknown) around 1777; died in John Kester. 3. Polly Kester married (name unknown) Bumgardner. 4. Rebeckah Kester married (name unknown) Dedrecks/Deitrick. 5. Peter Kester/Keister born ; married Elizabeth (surname unknown); died after Index of Other Ke Ki G Lines found in the Archives Other Ke-Ki-G Lines YOB YOD Notes ADKE.0 Adam Keister Adam Keister ADK.0 Adam Kester 1791 CHK.0 Charles Kester 1842 CR.0 Christian Keister CKI.0 Christoph Kister CKIST.0 Conrad Kister 1788 DK.0 Daniel Kester 1822 DE.0 David Kester 1799 DAK.0 David Kister FW.0 Frederick William Kister GKE.0 George Kester GK.0 George Kester 1807 HAKE.0 Harold Kester HG.0 Heini Gerster 1688 HKA.0 Heinrich Kaister HKE.0 Henry Keester HEK.0 Henry Kester HY.0 Henry Kister HAK.0 Henry August Kester HK.0 Henry F. Kester JAK.0 Jacob Kester JKI.0 John Keister JKE.0 John Kester JKS.0 John Kister LWRK.0 Lawrence Kister 1784 LKE.0 Lewis Keaster Sr. LEK.0 Lewis Keister MI.0 Michael Kester NK.0 Noah Keister 1818 PKE.0 Paul Kester 1749 PKT.0 Paul Kester PKES.0 Peter Keister 1759 PEK.0 Peter Kester PTRK.0 Peter Kester SK.0 Samuel Kester 1800 SKE.0 Samuel Kester TKE.0 T. Kester

82 Vol XXV Issue 4 Page 70 HI.0 Heinrich Kister b1739 b1785 News Caster December 2007 Henry Kester/Heinrich Kuster\born between 1727 and 1739 in Germany. He emigrated to America from Rothekirch (Rotenkirken near Einbeck) in Hanover (Niedersachen). He married 7 March 1758 Maria Eva "Eve" Rieckertin at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity, Lancaster, Pa. Henry died between 1783 and Eve died prior to Children of Heinrich and Maria Eva 1. Henry Kester. Is this the Henry Kuster who died 1828 in Bainbridge, Lancaster County? 2. Johan Ludwig Kuster/Kister born 19 February 1761 in Lancaster County; married Elizabeth about 1784; died 1799 in Newberry Township, York County, Pa. 3. Adam Kester born 1 June 1765; married 18 March 1783 Margaret Wagoner; died 8 May David Kester born between 1766 and Is this the David Kister who married Elve Epley? 5. John Kester. Is this the John Kuster appearing on the tax rolls of 1772 in Rapho Twp of Lancaster County? 6. Anna Kester born 20 November 1765 ; married Andrew Fertinbaugh/ Fortenbaugh about 1783; died 20 June 1844 in Newberry Township, buried at Millers Burial Ground. 7. Eve Kester married Baker (may have married Samuel Herman - see family group sheet by Marjorie Deal and letter from Nola Marquardt 26 Dec 1991). 8. George Kister born 1759/1762; married Ann/Anna Schenk about 1779; died 10 February Census of 1783, York County - Henry Keester, of Newberry Township, 4 horned cattle, 4 horse, 7 sheep, 150 acres, 1 house, 1 barn; valuation L , tax L he following books are in the Library and can be requested. I will be willing to do a search for information. Send T or letter to the Archive Coordinator at archives@caoa-gen.org Author/Compiler Title Compiled notes from Reunion Castor-Gerster 250th Family Reunion Donald E. Kester Cavalryman In Blue Colonel John Wood Kester Das Gersterbuch N. Stephen Castor Gerster/Castor Family Homeland Tour, A Journal of the Great Rebellion, The (A Kiester Family Chronicle) Heckert/Keister/Dyer Pioneer Families of West VA W. D. Walter Keister Descendants, History of Walter & Keister Descendents. Chart, Frederick Keister Family, Lineage of the Keister Family, Strasburg, VA & The Philip L. Keister Keister Family, The [Phillip] Keister House, Lives & Letters from Donna Kiester Gibson Keister/Kiester Road Jackson Ambrose Kiester Keisters (Kiesters/Kisters) in America, A Gen. Of Some Donald Henry Strale Kester & Ann Wood, Some Ancestors of William Harriet Evelyn Wallace Kester Genealogy, Matthews Utter John E. Hunt Pound and Kester Families 1904 [Folder with copies of pages from the book. Paac taking to Vallejo for repair or discard it.----no need to keep the pages since we have the book] Donald Henry Strahle & others William York Kester & Eliza Jane Buckins of Philadelphia & Roanoke Learn about the CAOA Library by going to our website at: Library books are only loaned out to members of the CAOA. An initial deposit of $25.00 is required. The Treasurer upon receipt of your deposit will inform the CAOA Librarian of your request. You are responsible for the cost of shipping and return of the book. The shipping cost will be deducted from your deposit. You may request a refund of your remaining deposit at any time or leave it until you wish to order another book. Only one (1) book will be sent at a time. If you would like more than one book, the remaining books will follow as each borrowed book is received by the Librarian. Make Checks or Money Orders (please No Cash) payable to The Castor Association of America and send it with your request to the Treasurer. Please feel free to the CAOA Librarian at library@caoa-gen.org

83 News Caster December 2007 Vol XXV Issue 4 Page 71 HBK.0 Henry Keister c1774 b1837 Henry B Keister was born about , probably son of Peter Keister or George Keister. Henry married Catharine (? ). Catharine was born about Henry operated a saw mill. They lived in Hartley Township of Union County, Pennsylvania. Henry died intestate shortly before 20 April 1837: Children of Henry and Catherine 1. George H Keister born ; married Elizabeth (surname unknown); died before Susan Keister born ; married James Clark; died before Jacob born ; married Catherine (surname unknown); died before Peter Keister born about 1805; married Rebecca (surname unknown); died before Henry Keister Jr born about 1809; married Catharine (surname uknown); died Mary Keister born about 1810; died before Samuel Keister born ; married Catharine (surname unknown); died John Keister born about 1813; married Magdalene (surname unknown)died after Elizabeth Keister born about 1815; married Daniel Shively. 10 Noah Keister born ; minor child in Sarah Keister born ; minor child in 1837; married Charles Klingler before Whereas my late husband Henry Kister decd intestate and the Administration of the goods & chattles rights & credits of right belongs to me, but considering the burden of the Administration and selling the Estate, I do release my right of Administration to the same. Witness my hand the 20th day of April Test Samuel Roush her Catharine X Kister mark We the undersigned Heirs of Henry Keister Decd do assign over our priviledge of Being Administrator Of the Said Estate of our Father Henry Keister deseasd that any person may have the priviledge of administering on sd Estate of the Said Deseasd this 28th day of April AD his George X Keister mark Peter Keister Samuel Kister Henry Keister Jr John Kister 20 December 1837 The petition of John Smith administrator of Henry Kister late of Hartley township decd was presented to the Court stating --That the said Intestate left ---- eleven children to wit: George, Jacob, who died leaving a widow Named Catherine & four minor children to wit Jesse, Debby, Noah and Judy; Peter, Henry; Samuel; John ; Susan, now the wife of James Clark; Mary; Elizabeth Shively; Noah and Sarah, the two last whereof is yet in their minority. That the personal estate of the said intestate is insufficient for the payment of his debts as the account and statement herewith appears. And that the said intestate died seized in his domain as of fee, of and in a certain tract of land situate in the township aforesaid, adjoining Penns Creek and land of Brooks, George Kister and land belonging to the heirs of John Williams decd containing one hundred and two acres and five eighths of an acre more or less-- And a certain other tract of unimproved land situate in the twonship & County aforesaid adjoining lands of Michael Gearhart, George Kister & heirs of John Williams containing forty six acres more or less -- And a certain other tract of Mountain land adjoining his other land containing one hundred and three acres and thirty two perches -- Your petitioner therefore humbly prays your honorus to grant him an order to make sale of the said and tracts of land aforesaid with the sppurtenences, for the payment of debts and maintenance and education of minor children of the said intestate -- and he will pray etc. A statement exhibiting a true account of the Inventory and appraisment of the intestates personal and also a Just and true account of all the intestates debts come to his knowledge The land was sold to Daniel Shively and Smuel Kister for the sum of One thousand and five dollars. The final distribution was made at the May 1847 Court.

84 Vol XXV Issue 4 Page 72 News Caster December 2007 IK.0 Isaac Kester a Isaac William Kester Sr. was born between in either Tennessee or Kentucky, according to his children on later census. His first child was born between 1800 and He must have married before We do not know her name. He is first found on a petition in the St. Genevieve District 88, Louisiana Territory in He is found on the tax list of Lawrence County, Arkansas in He moved to Union Township, Lawrence County circa 1817 where served on a jury that year. He is listed on the Lawrence County Administrators Notice for 30 August 1822 as the administrator of the estate of John Bradberry, deceased. He married second Nancy Gray 26 September 1833 in Lawrence County, Arkansas. Isaac or Isaac, Jr. bought two parcels of land from the federal government in 1834 and This land combined was about 80 acres and lay in Sections 18 and 20, Township 19-N, Range 4-W, which is now in Sharp County, Arkansas. Isaac Kester, Sr. appears on the Lawrence County, Arkansas tax lists from 1828 to The 1830 Lawrence County, Arkansas census lists him as a male years old. His wife is years old and he has nine children, five sons and four daughters. He died in 1843 in Lawrence County, Arkansas. On 16 December 1843 Lemuel Beasley was appointed administrator. Nancy died 4 October 1845 in Lawrence County. Ferguson Booth was appointed her administrator. Her heirs were listed as: Sarah Jane Winstead, William Gray, Riley Gray, Nelson Gray and (?)(should be Josiah) Kester; all residing on Spring River, Lawrence County, Arkansas. Children of Isaac and (? ) 1. Isaac William Kester, Jr. was born between in Lawrence County, Arkansas. He married circa 1833 Union Everett in Arkansas. They were living Marion County, Arkansas in Isaac died between in Marion County, Arkansas. 2. Frederick Kester born ; married Mary Polly Humphreys 10 December 1831 Lawrence County, Arkansas; died 1833 Lawrence County, Arkansas. 3. Arnold Kester born ; married Dolly (--?--); died February 1843 Lawrence County. Arkansas. 4. Elizabeth Kester born ; married Joseph Brewer 29 May 1841 Lawrence County, Arkansas; living Lawrence County, Arkansas William Kester; living Marion County, Arkansas daughter born duaghter born son born Susan Kester born ; living Marion County, Arkansas Children of Isaac and Nancy 10. Josiah Kester born 1841; fought in the Confederacy; married Amanda (--?--) about 1881; died 1928 Claremore, Oklahoma. Isaac William Kester Sr. c Workbook is available online at Search on Isaac or Kester. he following files are in the archives. They cannot be loaned out. I will be willing to do a search for information. T Send or letter to the Acrchive Coordinator Author/Compiler N. Stephen Castor Gerster/Castor Family Homeland Tour, A Journal of the CAOA Archive Coordinator Keister, Henry B CAOA Archive Coordinator Kester, Henry (Kuster, Henrick) CAOA Archive Coordinator Kester/Keister George unknown Kester/Keister, George of Union Co, Pa CAOA Archive Coordinator Kester/Kister, Henry John G. Kester Weser, Wolf, Winnebago and Westward (The Romberg, Ahlswede, Patzlaff, Kester, Knoke, Giebel and Allied Families of Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest ) Title

85 News Caster December 2007 Vol XXV Issue 4 Page 73 JOK.0 John Kester 1791 // John Kester was born in 1791 in Pennsylvania. He was drafted at Allentown for service in War of 1812 and served from Northampton County from 10 September 1814 to 22 December 1814 in Captain John Shaffer's Regiment Pennsylvania Militia. John married Margaret (? ) (there may have been a previous marriage). Margaret was born about 1790 in Pennsylvania. In 1853 they were living in Briar Creek Township of Columbia County, Pa. John was a farmer and laborer. Children of John and Margaret 1. William Sloan Kester born 6 August 1824 in Columbia County, Pa; married about 1846 Margaret (? ), married about 1855 Rebecca Dietterick, married about 1858 Lucinda Harter; died 8 November 1913 in Laketon Township, Muskegon, Michigan. 2. Margaret Kester born about Adam Kester born about 1828; married Emeline (? ). He died in Michigan. 4. Mary Ann Kester born about Sources: 1820 census Pa, Northampton Co, Lehigh Twp p 249 John Kester 1M F M -10 1F -10 p 250 John Kester 1M F M -10 1F F census Pa, Northampton Co, Lehigh Twp, p 109 John Kester 1M F M F census Pa, Columbia Co, Briar Creek Twp, p 198 John Kester 1M F M F F census Pa, Columbia Co, Briar Creek Twp, p 148, #39-40 John Kester 59 laborer Pa Margaret " 60 " Margaret " 24 " Adam " 22 mason " Mary Ann " 18 " 1860 census Pa, Columbia Co, Briar Creek, Twp, p 615, # Jno Kester 69 farmer Pa M " 71 (f) " James Doyle 4 " Mary Kester 27 " Custard Family Monument Dedication By Teresa Tucker Guest drummer, Gillis Bartles, and descendant, David Martin, dressed in uniform like William Custard might have worn. On October 28, 2007 about 50 guests and descendants of William Custard ( ) and his wives, Mary Ann Bell Custard and Clarinda Stanfield Custard met at the Oakwood Cemetery in Austin, Texas to dedicate a gray granite monument to the family. The United States and the Texas flags were presented by an Honor Guard in Republic of Texas dress. Speakers were descendants David Martin and Teresa Tucker. Guest speakers were John Homman representing the Sons of the Republic of Texas and Dale Flatt representing Save Austin Cemeteries. To commemorate the family as citizens of the Republic of Texas, musket salutes were sounded by the Honor Guard members, Terry Ayer, Texian Legacy Association; Tom Green, Sons of the Republic of Texas member; Marvin Morgan; Steve von Roeder; and David Martin. John Homman of the Sons of the Republic of Texas commemorating the Custard Family at the monument dedication.

86 Vol XXV Issue 4 Page 74 PT.0 Peter Keister News Caster December 2007 Peter Keister was born about 1813 in York County, Pennsylvania, died 5 Nov 1891 Decatur, Macon Co., IL buried at Boiling Springs Cemetery, Hickory Point Twp., Macon Co., IL. Is Peter the son of Jacob Kister who was enumerated in Fairview Township in 1820 and 1830 census? Peter married about 1838 York Co., PA Susana Fetrow born 1818 York Co., PA died 4 Mar 1901 buried at Boiling Springs Cemetery, Hickory Point Twp. Macon Co., IL daughter of Abraham and Mary // Fetrow. They located 1849 in Macon County, Illinois. Children of Peter and Susanna 1. Mary Keister was born in 1839 and died in John F Keister born 16 May 1843 died 12 Jan 1918 buried Boiling Springs Cemetery Hickory Point Twp, Macon Co., IL married Nancy Weaver born 1854 died 26 Dec 1925 buried Boiling Springs Cemetery Hickory Point Twp, Macon Co., IL 3. Julius Keister born 1847 died 4 Dec 1898 Decatur, IL married Matilda "Tillie" Good born 17 Feb 1849 died 11 Dec 1929 daughter of Peter Good (born 2 Dec 1808 died 11 May 1892) and Catherine (Zorger) Good born 5 Feb 1812 died 19 Aug census Pa, York Co, Fairview Twp p 190 Peter Kester 1M F F census Illinois, Macon Co.p131 Peter Kister 35 M Farmer 500 PA Susan Kister 32 F PA John Kister 7 M PA Julius Kister 3 M PA 1860 census Illinois, Macon Co, p 123 Peter Keister 47 M Farmer PA Susan Keister 43 F PA John Keister 17 M PA Julius Keister 12 M PA Also living with them were Mary Reynolds 19 IL; Susan Hollmon 12 O; Jacob Keller 26 PA 1870 census Illinois, Macon Co, Hickory Point p 467 Peter Keesler 57 M W Farmer PA Susan Keesler 53 F W Keeping House PA Martha oo_ 19 F W Servand Girl PA (indexed as Keester) Who is this Peter? 1870 census Illinois, Macon Co, Hickory Point p 467 Peter Keister 57 M W Farmer PA Susan Keister 52 F W Keeping House PA John Keister 27 M W Farmer PA Nancy Keister 21 F W Keeping House PA Charlie Keister 2 M W IL Mary Keister 2m F W IL (unreadable) 35 M W working on farm PA 1880 census Illinois, Macon Co, ED 157, p 12 John F Keister 37 Pa Nancy " 31 wife " Charley " 13 son Ill Mary " 10 dau " Franklin " 3 son " Harriet " 1 dau " Jacob Billett 31 Pa Julius Keller 18 Ill Anna Strope 15 adopted " 1880 census Illinois, Macon Co, ED 154, p 16 Julius Keister 32 Pa Tillie " 31 " John " 10 Ill Emma " 8 " Peter " 6 " Norman " 4 "

87 News Caster December 2007 Vol XXV Issue 4 Page 75 HRK.0 Hiram Keister 1838 // Hiram Keister was born 15 January 1838 in Butler County, PA. He had a brother Hezekiah, who was born 13 August 1830 in "Clarion" (Clarion County was formed in 1839 from Venango and Armstrong Counties) County, PA and later lived in Wisconsin. Hiram moved to Jackson County, IA in Hiram married Jane (surname unknown) about Jane was born in PA. Did Jane die between 1870 and 1880? Did Hiram have another brother, James C. Keister, born Children of Hiram and Jane 1. William Keister born 1863 IA. 2. Millie Keister born 1870 IA Census Brandon Twp., Jackson County, IA; p. 393 Hiram Kiester 1870 Census Brandon Twp., Jackson County, IA; p. 379 Hiram Keister 1880 Census Jackson County, IA; ED312; p.6. Hiram Kiester As you can see by now that for the oldest ancestor of each line we have very little information. I hope to be putting workbooks together for each of these lines in the next year. Any new information would be greatly appreciated. Any help in researching these G-Ke-Ki ancestors would even more appreciated. Speaking of the workbooks, I thought I would have the FK.0 Frederick Keister workbook done by now. As life would have it I found a lot more information. I finally have the information in the workbook and now have to put the finishing touches on it. I hope to have it done by the end of the year. Patricia JOS.0 Josiah J.R. Kester //-// Josiah "J.R." Kester was born 3 October 1840 in Lawrence County, Arkansas. (The 1900 census shows his birth as Nov 1841.)He is found in the 1850 census living with George H. Wells and his family in Union Township, Lawrence County, Arkansas. His age is given as 11 years old. He married Arrena W. (? ) before She was born c April 1869 in Alabama. He and his family are found in the 1900 Census living in Union Township, Lawrence County, Arkansas. He was a farmer and his oldest son was helping him with the farm. There are twelve children and two nieces living with him and Arrena. His parents were both born in Kentucky. Arrena s father was born in Georgia and her mother was born in Alabama. The two nieces were born in Mississippi and their father was born in Georgia and their mother was born in Alabama, which may indicate that they are the children of Arrena s sister, name unknown. He died on 24 October 1929 in Oakwood, Dewey County, Oklahoma. Children of Josiah and Arrena W. (? ) 1. William Isaac Kester was born on 11 July 1881 in Van Buren, Arkansas and he died on 17 February 1966 in Stilwell, Adair County, Oklahoma. He married Bessie Yarbrough before John W. Kester was born c May 1883 in Arkansas. 3. Aerefa A Kester was born c September 1885 in Arkansas. 4. Ada Kester was born c July 1887 in Arkansas. 5. Josiah R. Kester was born c 1880 in Arkansas. 6. Nathaniel J. Kester was born c 1891 in Arkansas. 7. Tempie B. Kester was born c 1893 in Arkansas. 8. Elijah J. Kester was born c 1894 in Arkansas. 9. Nancy J. Kester was born c January or c June 1896 in Arkansas. 10. Susie A. Kester was born c January 1898 in Arkansas. (twin) 11. Arrena A. Kester was born c January 1898 in Arkansas. (twin) 12. Benjamin R. Kester was born c April 1900 Nieces: 1. Mary J. Willix was born c October 1880 in Mississippi. 2. Minnie V. Willix was born c December 1882 in Mississippi.

88 Vol XXV Issue 4 Page 76 News Caster December 2007 Articles in the News Caster for Ke Ki G Mon Year page Given Surname Title Note Apr Kester Family Origins Apr Gerster Family Origins July John Kester Queries: John Caster/Kester Sr. July Johannes Kester Johannes Kester Oct Nathan Kester - Kastor - Caster Oct Hans George Gerster Book: Early German Immigrants Oct Casper Gerster Book: Early German Immigrants Oct Jacob Gerster Book: Early German Immigrants Oct John Gerster Book: Early German Immigrants Oct Samuel Gerster Book: Early German Immigrants Oct Johannes Gerster Book: Early German Immigrants Oct Jacob Gerster Book: Early German Immigrants Oct Johannes Gerster Book: Early German Immigrants Oct Mr. & Mrs. Gerster Book: Early German Immigrants Dec Lewis Kester Wayne Co Ohio Land Jun Lewis Keister - Custard Mar Joseph Kester - Custard Jun Philip Kister Dec Kester Family Pioneer Dec Abraham L Keister Dec Lorne Kester Jun Hans Georg Gerster Jun Kester families Mar Kester Military Pension List Mar Gerster - Castor Reunion Sep Benjamin Kaster Veteran War 1812 Sep Benjamin Kaster Sep Joseph Kester Sep Vaughn Kester Sep Paul Kester Sep Paul Kester Dec Wilhelm Kister Dec Marcellus J. Kester Dec Kiester House Letters Dec Peter Kester Dec Richard Kester Dec Eli Kester Jun Joseph Kester Jun Matheus Kester Jun Leonard Kister Jun Joseph Kester Revolutionary War Jun Sarah Kester - Koster Jun Anna Christina Kester Jun Roy Bernard Kester Jun John G Kester Mar Fredrig Kister Mar Hans George Gerster Mar Peter Kister Mar Conrad Kester purchase Mar Frederick Edward Kester

89 News Caster December 2007 Vol XXV Issue 4 Page 77 Mon Year page Given Surname Title Note Sep Jacob Garster Immigrant List Sep Keister Immigrant List Sep Magdalene Kester Sep William Kester Dec Phillip Kester Dec Johannes Kester Jun Matthias Gerster Mar John William Kester - Kirsten Mar William Kester Mar Michael Kester wire Barbara Sep George Kester will Dec James W Kester Jun William Kester Wedding anniversary Jun William Porter Kester death Mar Jackson Keister Confederate Military Roster Mar Abram Keaster Sep Sarah Wood Kester Dec Kester Land/Marriage Records Dec Gerster - Castor Renunion Jun Keaster Mar Keister Families in PA Mar Benjamin H Kester Mar Phillip Keister Dr. Sep Mary Helen Kester Sep Keister Book-Heckert-Keister Jun Kester Quaker Obits Mar Kester Indiana Land Grants Jun Back issue index (partial) Jun Uriah Keister Mary Mar George Kester Sr Sep Kester Queries Sep Kester Book Review-Calvrymen in blue Sep Isaac Kester Arkansas Dec Rosa A. Kester Dec Benjamin Kester Dr. Mar Isaac Kester Arkansas Mar Joseph Kester Arkansas Mar Emma Kester Mar Kester Land Patents Sep Conrad Kester Dec Conrad Kistard see Mar 2001 p 15 Jan Emma Kester Jun Noah Keister headstone Mar Kester - Custerd - Custard Mar Kessler Mary & her children Sep Keister Kesiter's Survive Dec Kester 1933 Reunion Jun Kester powder horn Mar Kister Pioneers Mar Byron E "Gus" Kester Sep Paul Kester Captain Sep Emma Keister

90 Vol XXV Issue 4 Page 78 Mon Year page Given Surname Title Note Dec Kister Mill Dec Adam Keister Dec Kester saw Mill Dec Elizabeth Kester Jun Isaac Kister Co. K Sep Index? Sep Peter Keister Jun Peter Keister Jun Peter Smoke Kiester News Caster December 2007 If you have any of these issues it would be very helpful if you could look up the articles and provide a small description about what is in the article. Is it a census record; family history; list of tax payers; obituary; or... If you make copies of these pages you can fill it in the Notes column and send it to: Archive Coordinator Patricia Caster PO Box 955, Windsor, California News Caster Issues to be Available at ince all of the issues of the News Caster since 1983 have be digitized and converted into PDF files it is time to make them available S to everyone. Each file will be searchable and will contain one Volume comprised of four issues. Each volume will be available from (search on Castor). [Keep checking Lulu to see what is there] Three shipping options will eventually be available, download the file and save to your hard drive, ship a printed copy or ship it on a CD. The download file is $3, the printed copy is $15 and the CD copy is $15. Since the issues are offered as volumes you will not be able to purchase a single issue. The issues will be made available as soon as possible since one step is left and that is to make each volume searchable. Hopefully this can be completed by the end of the year. At this time there is no index for the any of the volumes. Anyone that provides an index for two or more issues will receive a free volume of their choice. As indexes are created they will be added to each volume and added to a single overall index for all volumes. If you have purchased a volume you will be able to request the index when it becomes available. Not long ago we offered the News Casters free to Libraries of your choice for the cost of postage. As you can see from the chart on the left we still have some hard copy issues left. Now is the time to get those missing issues from your collection just for the cost of postage. Send your list to the Treasurer and you will be notified about the cost of postage. As soon as it is received your copies will be mailed to you. Requests will be filled in the order they are received. Index one or more volumes and receive a free volume of your choice. Indexes are Important How many times have you looked at a book thinking I know I will find something in this book only to find out there is no index. It is the same with newsletters. We just do not have enough volunteers to help us index the News Caster. Please consider helping with this project. Even if you just want to index one or more articles about your ancestors that would be a big start. Please contact me and we can work together to get the News Casters indexed. Patricia Caster archives@caoa-gen.org Vol Year Mar Jun Sep Dec * Available Issues: Lulu soon soon soon soon * In 2003 the June/September issues were combined.

91 News Caster December 2007 Vol XXV Issue 4 Page 79 DNA Project Update By Patricia Caster DNA Project Coordinator My wait and see position on FTDNA vs Ancestry has changed. With approval from the board FTDNA (Family Tree DNA) will be our testing site. Their site is at At this time I do not know if you can view the project results without ordering a test. I have sent a note to find out. Their companion site at allows you to search by surname. At this time it does not group the results by project but by surname. I have sent in a suggestion for them consider it. You can always view the results at our website at where they are grouped by DNA Families. I will be contacting each of our members who have taken the test to discuss whether or not they wish to leave their results at ancestry. For my personal ones I have decided to add them to ysearch and remove them from ancestry. I have several new tests to add the site and hope to have them there by the time you receive this newsletter. Some of them will be from non-members who belong to the FTDNA Custer project. (I have been coadmin there for awhile) If you have any questions please send me a note at caoa-dna@caoa-gen.org Patricia Magdalena Kuster and Philip Firebaugh Query Searching for parents, siblings of Magdalena Kuster, born in Lancaster Co., PA, died 1790 in Elk Lick Twp, Bedford (later Somerset) Co., PA. She married 14 March 1780 in Paxton / Paxtang Twp, near Middletown, Lancaster (later Dauphin) Co., PA to Philip Firebaugh / Feuerbach (Source: Lancaster County Church Records of the 18th Century, Vol 5, page 135. Authors: Robert L. Hess and F. Edward Wright). Children: Jacob Firebaugh b: between 1780 AND 1790 Phillip Firebaugh b: 1782 in Lancaster (later Dauphin) Co., PA John Firebaugh b: June 1785 in Elk Lick Twp, Bedford (later Somerset )., PA Elizabeth Firebaugh b: 1786 in PA David Firebaugh b: June 1787 in Elk Lick Twp, Bedford (later Somerset ) Co., PA An approximate age for Magdalena is not known, but Philip Firebaugh / Feuerbach was born about Assuming that Magdalena would have been at least 15 by the birth of her first known child in 1780, she could have been born anytime between "The Firebaugh-Fierbaugh Family in America" by John Franklin Fierbaugh (privately published, Rocky River Ohio 1981) FHC film # indicates Magdalena died 1790 in Elk Lick Twp, Bedford (later Somerset) Co., PA, where Philip is found on the 1790 census. As there is only one female in the household, which would account for daughter Elizabeth, Magdalena died before the census date of February Philip remarried in 1795 to Barbara Hendricks. The 1800 census of Allegany Co MD indicates Philip Firebaugh was living in Sandy Creek Twp, where he died in His near neighbor was Emanuel Custer, enumerated here as Custin. Philip's descendants married into the Friend, Little and Miller families living nearby. The Firebaugh genealogy indicates Barbara and the children went to Ohio before There is no 1810 census of Ohio. However, the 1820 census shows Barbara Hendricks Firebaugh living in North Township, Harrison County Ohio. Whether or not a coincidence, John and Jacob Custard (sic), were in the same area during that time." Terri Walker terjess@yahoo.com Caoa-gen.org glitch Just recently I became aware of a glitch in our addresses. The s were getting to the inboxes but were not forwarded to the officers. If you have sent to our caoa-gen.org addresses in the last six months please let us know and we will try to answer your questions or take care of address changes. I am truly sorry that I did not catch this sooner. In the future if you suspect we did not receive you please drop the President a note and we will check it out right away. Patricia

92 Vol XXV Issue 4 Page 80 News Caster December 2007 The Christmas Hope In the stillness of the night Their hooves shuffled in the straw. Rough hairy sides raked against the stable wall. Over in the feedbin, cushioned in the hay, Swathed in clean soft blankets The new little one lay. In the midst of stable stock, In shadow of the timber, For base mankind a hope began to glimmer. Creator, creation, bonded by God s might, Firstborn, He d lead from grave To never-ending light. He was weak - a human infant. He was powerful - creator God. He was joyful - to redeem a people. He was sad - not all would follow where He trod. Guiltless from forever, our guilt He took and bore. His flesh destroyed, He rose from death; Perfected flesh He wore. Quiet lay the darkened night, Songs of angels now at rest. Mother Mary held him close to nurse at breast. Joseph watched intently, awed at this newborn. God s love poured out to man, His Word in fleshly form. Teresa Nyquist Tucker Hello, Fellow CAOA Members. First down to business. Dues: January is Membership Renewal time. Please remember to send the Treasurer your dues for Lulu.com: Visit to see and buy CAOA publications. Old newsletters, family line compilations are available there. This is a very convenient way to own your own personal copy of these great resources. For any of our publications on lulu.com you are able to order them as a book or a CD or simply download to your computer. Earn Free Publications: See page 78 to see how you can earn free back issues of the news letter and be of great service to your Association. Write a Synopsis: On pages is a list of past newsletter articles. Please read at least one of these articles and then send a synopsis of it to the Archive Coordinator by or snail mail. A fun volunteer opportunity. Officer & Board Member Reports: Vice President Gary Custer reminds that the new year brings membership renewal time. Treasurer Joe Lacy reports that CAOA continues to be financially sound. Archives Coordinator Patricia Castor reports that the new Frederick Keister Workbook is a little late because she found new information in the archives but it will soon be found on lulu.com. Editor Alton Sissell and Archivist Patricia are collaborating to bring us several newsletter issues chock full of archive records as well as the usual newsletter articles. Publications Manager Buck Custer states everything continues status quo in his department. Project Reports: DNA Project: Until now, we have used the company Relative Genetics for our DNA testing. Recently Relative Genetics was bought by the ever expanding Ancestry.com. To maintain better control over our results, we are switching from Relative Genetics to Family Tree DNA. Patricia will contact those of you who have had testing to explain further or you may her at caoa-dna@caoa-gen.org. Jing, jing, jing. Jing, jing, jing I can hear it faintly as I write this. And as you read this, I can hear it clearly, Jingle all the Way! Christmastime is here with all its busyness and sharing. In this last newsletter of the year, as the holidays fly past, and before the New Year springs into being, I want to say thank YOU for being a member of the Castor Association of America. I wish you joy. Teresa Emily Kaster PK The Castor Association of America Board expresses their condolences to Mary Margaret Ward, Secretary, for the recent death of her Mother Emily (Kaster) Moore. mily Kaster Moore, age 102, died Tuesday, 13 November 2007 in Winfield, Kansas. E Daughter of Clark Kaster and Amelia Buch, Emily was born on April 21, Emily had six siblings: Ann, John, Sleamon, Reuben Fletcher, Hattie, and Press. She was the only surviving family member of her immediate family. Emily married David Earl Moore in 1929 in Newkirk County, Oklahoma. He died in Emily is survived by her daughter, Mary-Margaret (Moore) Ward and her husband, Lauren and their son Patrick and daughter Lindsay. Emily joined the Castor Association of America in 1983 and was a member for 19 years. She had to withdraw in 2002 because of her health. See News Caster Vol XXIII Issue 2 June 2005 for a wonderful article about Emily and her life.