Shenandoah Legacy Genealogy Services

10/19/2022

I am in search of some ancestral photos for a wall art family tree project I am doing in my foyer and stairway.
I was blessed to inherit literally hundreds of family photos and papers, many VERY old. BUT... There are some for whom I do not have a picture.
My goal is to have photos of our linear ancestors 6 generations back.
In many cases I have a photo of the individual's spouse, parent or sibling so I feel certain there is a photo floating around in someone's keepsakes.
My goal is to have a photo of each of our linear ancestors 6 generations back. To do this, There are 40 individual's photos I
Please look over the list and see if you recognize any
names.
Those for whom I need a photo, I have listed full name, their relationship to Me or Kenny, birth and death years, and their spouse's name, birth and death years. If you need more information please ask. I have full dates, places, etc. for most individuals as well as their children, parents', and siblings' names and info.
I have over 8600 individuals in our Ancestry tree and a connection to most of the common, established families of Shenandoah County.
I'll be glad to help you fill any missing leaves or branches of your tree.
You can text, private
message, or email me at [email protected]

Photos needed
KENS SIDE

Ken's Great grandparents (GGP)
JAMES K. POLK (1845-1913)
And his wife
SARAH ELIZABETH HEPNER
(1843-1913)

Ken's Great Great Grandparents
(2ndGGP)
WILLIAM C. LUTZ (1823-1863)
and his wife
DIANNAH KAUFFMAN (1824- 1880)

Ken's Great Great Grandparents
(2ndGGP)
DAVID BOWERS (1840-1904)
And his wife
CAROLINE SHIPP (1835-1914)

Ken's Great Great Grandparents
(2ndGGP)
PATSY ELIZABETH BOSWELL
(1800-1856)
Wife of JOHN JACOB HEPNER (1803-1887)
**I have John Jacob's photo.**

Ken's Great Great Grandparents
(2ndGGP)
MARY CATHERINE SHERMAN/SHIREMAN
(1839-1905)
Wife of JONATHAN R. HAMBLETON
(1820-1898)
**I have Jonathan's photo**

Ken's 2nd Great Grandparents (2ndGGP)
Diane's 3rd Great Grandparents (3rdGGP)
(Yeah, we are 3rd cousins once removed LOL)
SIMON POLK (1822-1864)
And his wife
DOROTHEA DELLINGER (1821-1882)

Ken's 3rdGGP
JOHANNES HEINRICH (JOHN HENRY) LUTZ (1791-1872)
And his wife
LYDIA BARB (1793-1852)

Ken's 3rdGGP
JOHANNES KAUFFMAN (JOHN COFFMAN)(1782-1867)
And his wife
NANCY SMITH (1784-1868)
**I have Nancy's photo**

I am posting this to my personal page, my Shenandoah Genealogy page, and a few other county history pages. I've also tagged a few family members who may have a stash of photos.

10/19/2022

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10159238611158269&id=729978268

05/05/2022

Hello folks, I am home and on the mend but not quite ready for any big projects. Appreciate all the thoughts, prayers, and good energy that was sent my way.

03/13/2022

U.S. Genealogy Records Directory

Im recovering at home and building my strength after 3 months in the hospital.
Not at full steam yet but progressing every day.
Thought I would share this link with all of you to help with your research.

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fldsgenealogy.com%2Fdir%2F&h=AT30hpZw9ojMSzB8BUTfZNetdOllCQy4ItWNravB5abV2gVZBB89b1fgupzswn2QE6wScMl_hY5fHCC8zuzqrXwJ0O1D3ylLuIOnoC5fC4B1AkkaHR5-EFW_K4arPALZGA&s=1

Extensive U.S. genealogy records directory with more than 1.1 million record sources organized by state, record type, county, and city

01/21/2022

We are temporarily closed. I have been hospitalized with covid since November 4.
I will post when I'm back up to researching

09/03/2021

One of the most confusing and frustrating things about doing family history is dealing with the traditional naming patterns of the Germans, English, and Irish. Other countries and cultures have them as well, but these can be particularly confusing. Every generation will have children with the same names.
So this post is dedicated to those who have shared this delimna and is about naming children and not using any suffixes.
My grandmother, Margie Jane Fadeley Polk (1904-1990), raised me. She always said she hated when people named their children Jr, Sr, etc. because it was so confusing. She never elaborated on that opinion.
When I started delving into her mother's side, the Shipp, I understood.
Her mother (Maggie Jane Shipp) was one of 10 children born to Godfrey Shipp (1832-1913) and Sarah Jane Wetzel (1835-1913). Maggie's father, Godfrey (1832), was the only son borne to, you guessed it, Godfrey Shipp (1805-1845) and Mothani Magdalena Miller (1810-1833). Godfrey (1832) was an Infant when his mother died. His father, Godfrey (1805), remarried within a year to Elizabeth Litten (1810-?). They had 1 child, a daughter, Mary Catherine, born in 1835.
Godfrey (1805) died in 1850 when Godfrey (1832) was only 8 and his step mother remarried to a Samuel Hill.
Godfrey (1805) was one of 8 children born to (you guessed it) Godfrey Shipp (1772-1829) and Elizabeth Catherine Bowman (1787-1829)
I discovered this when building out my tree. I had initially only had a list of names of children for my great great grandparents, Godfrey and Sarah Jane Wetzel Shipp with no dates except for my great grandmother Maggie. I came across a tree that had 16 children credited to the couple, again with no dates for the children.
I started researching each child and adding dates. When I found children of Godfrey Shipp who were born after his death, I realized there was more than one Godfrey.
It took quite a bit of digging to get the children attached to the correct Godfrey. In my tree, I have added the suffixes, I, II, and III for clarity. When writing about them, I follow the name with the birthdate since they were not actually named "Sr., Jr., or III."
It is important to remember that back in the day, it was a common occurrence for children to be raised by relatives or a trusted friend or if a bio parent became sick, died, or went off to war, or if help was needed care for a family member or on the family farm... hence the term "farmed out." Grandparents also would raise an illegitimate grandchild as their own to limit embarrassment and shame on the family.
Formal adoptions or guardianships were seldom done and often even close friends and neighbors were unaware the child was not the biological child of the family.

06/11/2021

Who is the "chosen one" in your family?

03/26/2021

11/22/2020

A Unique gift for anyone on your list...and perhaps for yourself. A Gift Certificate for Genealogy Services from Shenandoah Legacy Genealogy!

Ancestral Research Gift Packages:
All packages include a personal consultation to review known information and determine research goals.

PACKAGE 1 -
Getting Started with Ancestry.com - $75
I will spend a morning or afternoon with you at your computer or laptop one on one (safely masked for Covid Compliance where needed) helping set up your personal account and start your ancestral tree on Ancestry.com. (Subscription to Ancestry.com is required and I can help you choose the plan that best suits your goals.)

PACKAGE 2
Find Your Roots - $150
3-4 hours dedicated research. Formal Report, flash drive, and link to online tree.

PACKAGE 3
Dogwood Package - $350
8 hours dedicated research. Formal Report, flash drive, and link to online tree.

PACKAGE 4
Maple Package - $500
12 hours dedicated research. Formal Report, flash drive, and link to online tree.

Other Genealogy Research packages available.
Payment accepted by Cash or PayPal

11/22/2020

🎄 🎅 CHRISTMAS 🎅 🎄
IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER! Looking for a unique gift?
Digitize your heirloom Photos!
Do you have heirloom, one-of-a-kind family photos or documents you would like to share with family members, preserve digitally, or incorporate into an online page, blog, or document? What about those negatives and snapshots sitting in boxes?

I offer Scanning and digitizing services for photos and documents up to 9"x12", 135 film/35mm negatives and 35mm slides to Digital JPG files up to HD 22 MP. Your digitized images are downloaded onto a USB flash drive and your original items returned to you.
Images are scanned and downloaded individually, by hand, not stacked and auto-fed through a machine. Great care is taken with your fragile, one of a kind heirlooms.

Digitizing prices are dependent on quantity with a $30 minimum purchase, and are as follows:

Up to 10 images $3 each
11 to 20 images $2 each
21 to 50 images $1 each

Gift Certificates are available, and I accept payment by Cash or PayPal.

11/21/2020

Looking for a unique gift?
Consider the gift of Family History and give a Gift Certificate from Shenandoah Legacy Genealogy Services.

11/02/2020

Genealogy question... well maybe a few.. please take a moment to read and let me know if you have any information that might be able to scale my brick wall.
I'm Researching a collateral branch of my Polk/Lutz ancestors.
John M. Polk is the individual I am stuck on.
Here is what I know.
John M Polk
B 20 April 1847
Possibly in Jefferson Co. (W)VA
D 22 May 1908
Jerome, VA
(Dates are from "Find a Grave" as no birth or death certificates are found online)
John married Barbara Ellen Weatherholtz (1859-1900) on 26 Dec 1867
In Shenandoah County.
Their son, Samuel Henry Polk, is the linear ancestor for this branch.
On their marriage record, John has no father listed. His mother is listed as Rebecca V.
I believe he possibly was born out of wedlock.
The first marriage I can find for Rebecca V Polk is to John Hansberger on 7 Apr 1851 (which was John Hansberger's second marriage).
The affidavit for that marriage was signed by John M Polk's Father in law, Jacob Weatherholtz, Jr.
I cannot find John M Polk or Rebecca V. in the 1850 census.
In the 1860 Census for Orkney Springs, John M Polk is listed as age 12, living in the home of John M Krag (Craig), 67 & Elizabeth S. Jackson Krag (Craig), 72.
Also in the home are Anna Fadely, 17, and Sarah Fadely, 5.
I did not find Rebecca in the 1860 Census.

HERE ARE MY QUESTIONS...

1. Is anyone familiar with the Krags/Craigs? Did they take in Orphans and foster children?

2. I am looking for Rebecca's Parents' names. (She was probably born in the mid to late 1820s)

3. I am looking for John's bio father...
Perhaps a court document listing someone responsible for Rebecca's pregnancy.
I have seen entries in court house records where men were ordered to pay maintenance for the care of a "baseborn child" or for "impregnating" a woman. I couldn't find this on line but not being certain of the birthplace makes it difficult.
John M is the same age group as my 2nd GGF, Ananias Polk, who is the son of Simon Polk and grandson of John P Polk. I have checked the my known descendants of John P and have not found Rebecca nor John M., but I could certainly not have everyone listed.
That being said,
I have a strong gut feeling that John M is a nephew or grandson of Simon Polk (1822-1862) and Dorothea Dellinger Polk (1821-1882). My 3rd great-grandparents.
An additional tidbit of information is this:
In the 1850 census, Jacob Weatherholtz, (Barbara's father) lived beside Simon Polk. So the families knew one another.
Can anyone shed any light on this branch?
Thank you.

10/27/2020

RootsTech.org

WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY!For all who are interested in genealogy and family history, this is an amazing opportunity. I have always wanted to attend this yearly seminar, but had never been able to make the trip. This year it is online and FREE Please register, you won't be disappointed. It states that the sessions will be available to registrants post seminar which is a great reference for future use...a blessing in disguise from Covid.
https://www.rootstech.org/?lang=eng

RootsTech conferences are dedicated to celebrating and discovering family connections, both past and present. With over 150 breakout sessions, an exciting lineup of celebrity speakers, and a gigantic expo hall, we’ve got something we’re sure you’ll love. Get ready to explore your family connec...

10/10/2020

This cute little girl is my aunt, Annabel Lee Polk (26 April 1926- 13 September 1979.
Yesterday I found a very neatly folded piece of paper in my Grandparents Family Bible. Although I had kept the Bible up to date with births, deaths, and marriages, andhad found other papers and newspaper clippings tucked in its pages, this treasure was somehow missed. It was a common custom to save a clipping of a baby's hair in that time.
Today I open the NVD and find her picture in the "keep this going" corner.
I so love Family History!

10/06/2020

The Dellingers were among the first Settlers to the County. For this particular branch of the Dellingers, Johannes Georg Dollinger (1697-1769) was the immigrant patriarch, landing in the Port of Philadelphia, traveling west to Lancaster County then migrating south through the Valley around 1727 and settling in Shenandoah County. He was the 3rd GGF of Ananias Polk (bottom left) and Sevilla Dellinger Vetter (bottom right).
The Polks, Dellingers, and Vetters had large families and many marriages among the offspring were celebrated.

Top left
Aquilla B Dellinger, Christena Baker Dellinger, and Noah T Dellinger

Top right
John W. Dellinger (on left) and Noah Aaron Dellinger (on right) their mother Noda Catherine Vetter Dellinger. Noda was the sister of Annie Elizabeth Vetter Polk, my Great Grandmother. Noah Aaron who is 105 is my Granddad Lester Polk's first Cousin.

Bottom Right
William Frederick Vetter and Sevilla Dellinger Vetter, (my 2nd GG parents) parents of Noda Catherine And Annie Elizabeth.

Bottom center. Charles William Polk and Annie Elizabeth Vetter Polk (my great grandparents)

Bottom left Gideon Hepner Family. (Labeled for names)
Ananias Polk and Polly Anna Hepner Polk (my 3rd GGP) are the parents of Charles William Polk

10/06/2020

A friend posted this and I had to share. Life is truly all about the journey.
THE TRAIN:
At birth we boarded the train and met our parents, and we believe they will always travel by our side. As time goes by, other people will board the train; and they will be significant i.e. our siblings, friends, children, strangers and even the love of your life. However, at some station our parents will step down from the train, leaving us on this journey alone. Others will step down over time and leave a permanent vacuum. Some, however, will go so unnoticed that we don't realize they vacated their seats. This train ride will be full of joy, sorrow, fantasy, expectations, hellos, goodbyes, and farewells. Success consists of having a good relationship with all passengers requiring that we give the best of ourselves.
The mystery to everyone is: We do not know at which station we ourselves will step down. So, we must live in the best way, love, forgive, and offer the best of who we are. It is important to do this because when the time comes for us to step down and leave our seat empty we should leave behind beautiful memories for those who will continue to travel on the train of life.

I wish you a joyful journey for the coming years on your train of life. Reap success, give lots of love and be happy. More importantly, thank God for the journey!

Lastly, I want to thank you for being one of the passengers on my train! ❤️

10/06/2020

To all my teacher friends. This is a tremendous opportunity.
My suggestion if you do not wish to continue the subscription after 6 months is to link your tree you create to Familysearch.org which is a free service. I use both in my research.
https://bit.ly/2F2rzau

09/24/2020

For all my Civil War soldier descendants ...
I found this article in my grandparent's keepsakes.
The Fadelys listed are all my grandmother's uncles/cousins. Lorenzo Dowe Fadely, listed in the first column, is pictured with his wife, Barbara Ann Will (22 May 1840 - 8 Jun 1881.

09/14/2020

I found this on another Geanology site. It really touched my heart.

09/14/2020

Photos from Shenandoah Legacy Genealogy Services's post

09/08/2020

A few more from the archives. Markwood, Dorothy, and Margie. Click each photo for full information.

09/08/2020

Grand children of Charlie and Annie Vetter Polk and first great grandchild Gary Douglas Cornwell photo is circa 1950. My mother is the first young lady on the back row. She is standing beside her cousin W.L. "Sonny" Myers who was home to visit from the military.

09/08/2020

This photo was taken about 1932, judging by the youngest child. The Charles William and Annie Elizabeth Vetter Polk family. They werr my great grandparents. My Grandfather, Lester Earl Polk is the second seated man between Uncle Milt and Uncle Delmar.

08/31/2020

Josephine Amanda "Mandy" Evy Lutz 1855-1936

08/31/2020

Martin Luther Lutz 1854-1927

08/30/2020

This colorized print is of The Lutz Family Homestead, near Cabin Hill, now Conicville, in Shenandoah County. It was gifted to us by our eldest Lutz relative, Harry Lutz. Sadly, according to Harry, the family historian, it no longer stands.
It was the childhood home of my husband's Great Grandfather, Martin Luther Lutz (1854-1927).
It is he who is seen standing in the distance by the garden fence. (One must really zoom in to see him).
I believe the home was originally built by Martin's grandfather, Johannes Heinrich Lutz (1791-1872). Johannes (John), was born in Pennsylvania and traveled to the Shenandoah Valley in the early 1800s. He is the Shenandoah County Patriarch of our Lutz line. In 1812 he married Lydia Barb (1793-1852). They were blessed with 11 children, including 5 sons who served in the Confederacy, including Martin's father, William C.
More Genealogy info will be added in the comments.

08/30/2020

CONVERSATION STARTER...
Did your family have its reunion this year?
Were there less who attended due to travel restrictions and COVID?
This handsome group is the Cooley family. We have had our reunion on the first Sunday of August every year for the last 65 years.
Our numbers this year were slightly lower due to COVID, but we still met and enjoyed one another and had amazing food and fellowship.
THESE are the descendants of Charles Franklin and Maude Jane Didawick Cooley.

04/02/2020

My daughter, Denise and I were talking about how this "Stay at Home" period could actually be a blessing in disguise. You see, it's all about one's perspective. She said we have been given a gift... the gift of time.

We are always saying, "I just don't have the time to do..." wherever project we have put on the back burner. Well, we have that time now.

I'm using this time to build my website, develop an information pack and brochure for prospective clients, and work on some of my own family history.

Here are some other suggestions.

We all have "honey-do" lists of our own or other's making:
1. Finish those craft projects;
2. Complete that home improvement project you have put off;
3. Clean out that junk drawer or closet where things have been stuffed that need sorting, stored properly, or discarded.
4. Start or continue the research on your family tree.
5. Sort your photographs, momentos, souvenirs.
6. Write a journal of your thoughts, experiences, joys, fears, etc. during this unsettled time.
7. Learn a new hobby.
8. Play ball or fix a family meal with your spouse or kids.
9. Start a new family tradition with a Game Night or movie night, read a book together, do craft time.

The possibilities are endless.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, suggested we take advantage of the downtime to send notes, make phone calls, do something "unexpected—but much-appreciated and sometimes truly needed—to brighten someone’s day."

Instead of lamenting over the visit we cannot make or the face-to-face presence we can't provide, turn on your creativity. You may not be able to visit in person, but you can face-time or do a video call. Better yet...sit down with pen and paper and write a letter to them.

Our day to day lives are often filled with concerns about current affairs, work, or family issues. We pass our loved ones in the hall or doorway on our way to meetings, dates, practices, and sports. Meaningful conversations are few and are more often shallow and chatty at best.

This pandemic and the "stay at home" time is, as Denise put it, A gift... the gift of time. It is the opportunity for introspection. It is a time for "soul-searching and self-examination, the kind of personal reflection that refines faith, strengthens character, and “increases our humility before the Lord."

Elder Holland suggested using time alone to think about who you really are and what really matters.”
It is “a sobering exercise to be quiet, to be alone with yourself. The obvious question then is, ‘Do you like the company you are keeping when you are the only one in the room?'" he said.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/shelter-in-place-spiritually-and-physically-elder-holland-says-as-isolation-orders-continue-around-the-world?lang=eng&_r=1