Our 6th Great Grandfather's Signature. Hans Georg Friedrich Phlegar (Pfluger)

The Signature of Hans Georg Pluger
August 17, 1731

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello Williamsons,
Tonight we see the actual signature of our 6th Great Grandfather Hans Georg Friedrich Phlegar. He was required to sign a register and swear allegiance to the United States when he arrived in Pennsylvania in 1731. This was done when they disembarked from the ship Samuel.

Relationship Chart

Hans George Frederick Pfluger (6th Great Grandparent)
to
George Frederick Plieger
to
Abraham Pfleger married Margaretha Goodykoontz
to
Anabella Phlegar married Jonathan Willis
to
Margaret Ann Willis married George Matthew Williamson
to
William Jonathan Williamson married Effie Helen Victor
to
Vennie, Ima Della, Inez, Lillie Ethel, Josie, Emmett, Walt, Charles, Maurice.
to
Their children, Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren


The Samuel's Register, dated August 17, 1731. Pennsylvania

Our Grandfather's signature is the last of the passengers on page two.

Simply,
Victor

Christmas 2010. Video and Slides

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
The Fortress is shrouded in fog today. The gazebo's dark wood comes through the white but that's about as far as you can see. What better day than to spend putting together the photos and video shot during Christmas.

We begin with a slide show of the still pictures, followed by all the short video clips I captured with my regular photo camera. I didn't use my video camera because hauling two cameras around is a pain in the neck, leaving you little time to eat massive quantities of delicious holiday cuisine and pepper the air with clever and witty comments. So, the video quality is poor but I'm not bothered. At least it was captured for posterity's sake. Besides, nobody watches those feature length videos people shoot with their expensive video cameras anyway. They sit in a drawer somewhere for decades, unwatched and unloved. Having short 5 to 30 seconds clips, edited together with the latest in iMovie technology (for 2007) with skillful transitions applied between each clip will do the job.

So, enjoy these memories of our latest Christmas past. Or don't enjoy them. I'm really not bothered one way or the other at this point. I'm just glad the editing and uploading are complete so I can move along with other projects.

Yes there was a bit of bah humbug in that last paragraph. I'm in one of those "boy I'm glad Christmas is over" moods. Time to get to work because some of us have to work for a living........

First the slides, accompanied by Libera singing that holiday song some claim to be their favorite. It isn't mine, but it goes well with the slides - so one does what one must do to get the job done.



Secondly, the poor quality video. If you wanted something nicer then you should have brought a camera and done in yourself :)
Oh and pay close attention the Bodily's dancing to their new XBox game. Brock wants you to admire his skill.

And let me be the first to wish you all a Happy New Year 2011 (2012 is next and you know what that means so ....... eat, drink and be merry for next year we may die!)

Simply,
Victor

Come by the Hills to the Land which is Fancy and Free. Family Culture. Celtic

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Today a moment to enjoy a Celtic song about the old country. This is another post to the family history blog which celebrates the culture of the land our ancestors left behind.

I like to think that a bit of that old culture still exists deep within each of us as a shared memory.

Simply,
Victor

Pictures from the 1970's. Rapid City, South Dakota

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove,

Merry Christmas!
A Very Merry Christmas from the Fortress to you. It's a bright, sunny, almost warm Christmas Day in Pleasant Grove. What a blessed relief from the tomb we've existed in for the last week. Gray, thick clouds, drizzle, snow - all in an endless cycle broken only by the blackness of night.

Last night many of us gathered at Jilane and Kevin's home for our yearly white elephant gift exchange and overindulgence of Christmas Confectionery. The thirty or so of us moved in unison from her living room (where the gift exchange took place) to the kitchen to graze on everything from chips and artichoke dip to home made chocolate ice cream to the ever present and never welcomed chocolate covered cherries - the bane of Christmas Celebrations (along with the gift of the unloved - fruit cake).

Today we opened gifts and watched Chaz, Brayden, Brock, Brooklyn and Kennedee contort themselves across the family room floor to the music of their new visual XBox attachment. Its the one that allows you to play without a controller (you use your body to control the game - kind of like the Wii).

I joined Luella and Charles afterwords to help Luella with her "presenting of the gifts" to Charles. Dad never was one much for Christmas, so getting him to stay put long enough to open gifts can be a two man job.

In the end, and about one hour later because of the length it took to open one gift and then the time required to discuss its price, material, size, color and whether or not its collar stood up or layed down) it was decided that he would keep one of the gifts (a baby blue golf shirt) and the others would go back.

This afternoon we will be trekking to Highland to enjoy Kim and JD's company (but mainly to enjoy JD's yearly spaghetti with homemade DelGrosso sauce). Before leaving I'd like to post a few pictures from our time in Rapid City, South Dakota. These were taken in the 1970's.

Lisa Williamson about 1976. This picture was taken from a picture frame which once belonged to Grandma Elda.

The opposite picture in Grandma Elda's frame was this picture of Kim and her first born, Forrest. I found the pictures in the garage while I was looking for a garbage bag. I'm afraid the sun robbed them of their color.

Lisa and Annette in the late 1970's. Halloween. This picture was taken in front of our neighbor's home (the Holtzes).

Annette Williamson

Lisa with our two neighbor boys (Glenn and David) in our living room at 38th Street.

The following pictures were taken in the chapel of the Rapid City Mormon church before the church was remodeled and a new chapel was built (1978). As children, we spent countless hours in Sunday School, Sacrament, Primary, Seminary and Priesthood meetings sitting on those blond benches. Each of us took our turns standing on the pulpit giving our first public speeches. Aw, good and bad memories..........

Have a Great Christmas!

Simply,
Victor

Christmas 1970. The Voices of Christmas Past. Merry Chistmas from Victor.

Home of the Williamsons on 38th Street. Rapid City.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
I've spent hours and hours and hours working on a special gift to my Mattson cousins, aunts and uncles. This gift is available online for you to enjoy at the top of the right side bar ----------------->

Recently, I found three tapes made in 1970. The first tape is a recording the Charlies and Luella Williamsons and John and Beverly Mattson families made for our Grandpa Walter Mattson. It's priceless. It contains my dad Charles singing with my Aunt Bev. It has Grandma Violet Mattson singing. We all join in for several songs. Including are the voices of very very young Gina and Kirk Mattson.

The second tape was made by Marvin and Pam Mattson, again for Grandpa Walter in 1970. Included on this tape are their voices along with Shane Mattson babbling and Shelley Mattson singing and talking. Pam mother also has a few words for Walter.

The last recording is Grandpa Walter Mattson reading a story he wrote about something that happened in his life on he plains of Eastern Montana. As far as I know it is the only recording we have of Grandpa. Again, priceless.

All three tapes are on one recording now (about ten hours of work). The hardest part was figuring how to get the recording onto the blog - no easy task. It's 48 minutes long and YouTube won't handle things like this.

Anyway, its done and I'm hoping you all enjoy these voices from 40 years ago. Again, look to the top of the right side bar ----------------->
to see the link. It will say "Christmas 1970. Voices from the Past"

Merry Christmas to All.

Simply,
Victor

Christmas Card Greetings to All for 2010

Relationship Chart for the Bodily Family

Relationship Chart for the Belnap Family

\

Relationship Chart for the Peterson Family

Relationship Chart for the Walker Family

Chaz Williamson Bodily Dances on ABC Television

Chaz Williamson Bodily Performing with LeAnn Rimes on ABC Television
Chaz is second in from the left

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
In yesterday's post we read about the Dancing Delgrosso Sisters. Well, they aren't the only dancers in Our American Dynasty. Jilane and Kevin Bodily have two dancing sons. Brock is a senior at Pleasant Grove High School. He's a good student that will graduate with a High School diploma and an Associates Degree from Utah Valley State University. He plans to study engineering.

Chaz is a student at Utah Valley State, studying sports journalism. Both Chaz and Brock are expected to perform in an upcoming television show (more information to follow as soon as it is available).

Recently Chaz flew to Nashville and danced with LeAnn Rimes on her holiday special broadcast on ABC television. It's hard to pick him out due to the poor quality of the YouTube video so I put a still frame at the top of the post so you could see his face.

The video is posted below the relationship chart.

Great Job Chaz!

Simply,
Victor

Relationship Chart
Click to Enlarge

The Dynasty's Dancing Family. The DelGrossos.

The Cover Page

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Members of our family were highlighted in a recent national dancesport magazine. The DelGrosso sisters danced with their cousins the Bodilys at our last large family reunion in South Dakota a few years back. Since then they've gone on to perform and teach coast to coast. In addition to their dancing, Amber, Ashley and Autumn are mothers, juggling home, family and dance.



I'm sure their dancing Grandpa Charlie Williamson would have been very proud of his Great Granddaughters.

Also, if you'd like to see a short video of the photo shoot click this link:

dancemedia.com :: Behind the Scenes with the DelGrosso Sisters

Simply,
Victor

RELATIONSHIP CHART

The Article

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Jordan Entertains at the Fortress

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Tonight we sit around the fire enjoying Jordan's cover of Winter Song. What better way to spend a snowy evening then in the company of friends, family and music. Its the way our ancestor's lived. It kept them together through thick and thin.

Quiet now, Jordan is about to sing. By the way, for those new to our virtual family gatherings, Jordan is the daughter of Janice and Steve Burrows (see relationship chart below). She works as a nanny in Los Angeles and loves to laugh.

Simply,
Victor

P.S. Steve did an excellent job with this recording and video. Steve's daughters are number one in his life (beside his awesome and most intelligent and beautiful wife Janice. There you go Janice :)

Relationship Chart

Our Bennett Family Line (Williamsons).

From the Fortress of Solitude

Pleasant Grove

Hello Williamsons,
Is everyone socked in like us? It has either rained or snowed all day. Tonight a short post allowing us to see how far back our Bennett line stretches. This is yet another tie we have to England. The information is accurate as far as I know except for the link between our Great Grandfather Bennett Willis (100% sure our grandfather) to John Willis and Phebe Bennett (almost sure but can absolutely find enough credible sources to say it is 100%).

The Bennett family was centered around Chester Pennsylvania.

We start with the record of marriage of John Willis and Phebe Bennett (Quakers. Yes we come from a strong line of Quakers). The record of their marriage is recorded in the following book.

Click to Enlarge.
This is the typed from handwritten record of the marriage of our 5th Great Grandparents

Now the actual family line to the 1556. You'll see the first Bennett's lived in Sedgley. On a side note, I lived in England for two years and funny enough lived and worked in Sedgley for a couple months during that time.

Sedgley's Location in the UK

You'll then notice in the Relationship Chart the Bennett family moved to Overbury (see map below)

Overbury, England

Overbury's Parish Church

And now the Relationship Chart. I wish I had more information on this line (as in stories) but I can't find anything except for names and years. Regardless, it is interesting to see our family's roots extend across the Atlantic and then to see where they originated from.

Simply,
Victor

Relationship Chart

William Bennett b. 1556 Sedgley, England - Joan Hodgshon b. 1560 Sedgley, England.
to
Edward Bennett b. 1584 Sedgley, England - Alice Eginton b. 1586 Sedgley, England
to
John Bennett b. 1626 Overbury England - Margery Fellow b. 1628 Overbury England
to
Edward Bennett b. 1658 Overbury, England - Sarah Stanfield b. 1663 Overbury, England
to
Joseph Bennett b. 1704 Thornbury Penn. - Rebecca Fincher b. 1704 Penn.
to
John Willis b. 1732 York Penn. - Phebe Bennett b. 1735 b. Brownsville Penn.
to
Bennett Willis - Katherine Nosseman
to
Jonathan Willis - Anabella Phlegar
to
Margaret Ann Willis - George Matthew Williamson
to
William J. Williamson - Effie Helen Victor
to
their children (our parents, grand, great and great great grandparents)
Vennie, Ima Della, Inez, Lillie Ethel, Josie, Emmett, Walt, Charles, Maurice.
to
Us