Belgian Laces http://www.carnavaldebinche.org/ Volume 20 # 76 September 1998 BELGIAN LACES ISSN 1046-0462 Official Quarterly Bulletin of THE BELGIAN RESEARCHERS Belgian American Heritage Association Founded in 1976 Our principal objective is: Keep the Belgian Heritage alive in our hearts and in the hearts of our posterity President Pierre Inghels Vice-President Micheline Gaudette Assistant VP Leen Inghels Treasurer Marlena Bellavia Secretary Patricia Robinson All subscriptions are for the calendar year. New subscribers receive the four issues of the current year, regardless when paid. Opinions expressed in Belgian Laces are not necessarily those of The Belgian Researchers or of the staff. TABLE OF CONTENTS BAHS - West Virginia, Vickie ZABEAU-BOWDEN 2 A Summer-trip Discovery, Jack LECHIEN 2 Northwest Corner, Leen INGHELS 2 Verviers, Micheline GAUDETTE 3 Emgrants from Verviers to America, Florence VANDERHAEGEN 4 Wisconsin Corner, Mary Ann Defnet, 5 Belgians on board the Titanic, Kassandra PICAVET 6 Susan DEOM-STILES Reminiscences, Susan STILES 7 Gleanings 7 The Priest with the "Midas Touch", subm by Dolores DE YOUNG-FALLON 9 Muskrats threaten Dikes, subm by Jean DUWEZ 10 Carnival and Ommegang, Leen INGHELS 11 In Memoriam 13 The Saga of Isadore De MAN, Alice DE MAN-HAWKINS 14 In Search of Constant FORTEMPS, subm by Regine BRINDLE 15 Important Websites for Genealogical Research 19 Allegheny Co Naturalizations, Charlotte ROGERS 20 List of Emigrants from Verviers, Florence VANDERHAEGEN 21 Belgian Laces Vol 20 #76 49 August 1998 Dear members, Where has the summer gone??? After a wet, ccool, yes even rather cold spring, that didn’t know when to quit, the summer came on late and strong! Temperatures in the 100 degrees is not really what we, nor our flowers like. So, we’ll just have to take it as it comes and feel fortunate that we ONLY have heat to conquer and not the inundations and tornadoes as some of our members have to endure. Pretty soon vacations will be over, company gone, schools will start again and we’ll al settle in for our “normal” routines. We had our share of company this year (and more to come), but we love to see and host our relatives from Belgium and friends from the States. The membership continues to grow at a satisfactory pace and we have the pleasure of welcoming 16 new members. We hope they will participate enthusiastically in the activities of the association and find the help they need from the members. We want to thank those of you who inform us timely about a change of address. There are still quite a few of our members who move between mailings. Please inform our office on time because the post office charges $1.00 per return or change of address of which we were not informed on time. We operate on a minimum budget and even every penny counts… We hope to be able to keep our membership fee at $15.00 a year but that menas that we need the cooperation of everyone of the members! Good luck to all and greetings from Pierre and myself! Leen WELCOME NEW MEMBERS 752 - Walter J De Waele De Pere,WI 753 - Franz Castin Rixensart, Belgium 754 - Cheryl W. Bolten Melbourne Beach FL 756 - Georges De Pooter Guelph, Ont. Canada 768 - Calvin Venedam New Glasgow, NS. Canada 757 - Karen M. deMeurisse Bothel, WA 758 - Randy & Gail Lindsey Bunker Hill. IN 769 - Clara Bristow St Albert, AB. Canada 780 - Kathleen A Race Brookfield WI 761 - Nicole Massez Brussels, Belgium 762 - Marion Van Tornhout Mishawaka, IN 763 - Jack Beque Elk Grove Village, IL 764 - Carol L. Page Rockland, MA 766 - Calvin E. Levis Lancaster, PA 766 - Audrey F. Smale Edmonton, AB., Canada 767 - Robert L. Palmer Helena, AL Belgian Laces Vol 20 #76 50 Belgian-American Heritage Society “green place” because, other than the Belgique signs at both of West Virginia - 7th annual picnic entrances, spaced about a quarter-mile apart, no population by Vickie Zabeau Bowden count noted, there are only two farmhouses, no ~4llage mail, The Belgian-American Heritage Society of West Virginia not even a stop sign. Just thousands of acres of dark green held its 7th Annual picnic on Sunday, July 19, 1998 at the corn and soybeans, vigorously erect in the late-July sunlight.. Clarksburg City Park in Clarksburg, WV. The event began at And a small oPen-ak” chapel, built like a carport on a church 12:00 noon and began with an opening prayer and Pledge of graveyard. Allegiance given by Board of Director, Paul Bastin. A Some of the names on grave markers are Verstringel, moment of silence was given in memory of all deceased CisseIl. Fuyntnick, Marten., Steinbecker, Onderdonk, members arid family members. Our president, Marlene Lhote, Modde, Bert, Bishop, Brent, Kerkhove, Charvaux, Fontaine Reed announced our events of the day and that our Nods, Bras, Gibber, Bauwens, Steyns, Nuyt, Wilt, Layton, plot was to begin. There were many Belgian dishes serjed Cattour, and Van Vooren. One grave marker read “Bugler such as Vittales (Belgian meatballs). Belgian Greenbean and Dries Petet, born in France 1839, died in Belgique, Missouri potatoes, red cabbage, Roast Beet with prunes, Belgian tarts 1906.” Another marker provided these details Engeibert (Rice, Prunes, Apricot. and Sugar), Pain d’amandes, Gallets, Martins, born 1843, St. John, Ereme, Belgium, died Belgique and others. There were also plenty of American dishes. Missouri, 1916.” A small monument noted Rev.. 0. L. Each year it has become a tradition for us to have a White DeCeunynck, pastor 1885-1907; born 1836, died 1910. Most Elephant gift drawing and everyone brings in something of the graves listed births in the mid-1800’s through the late wrapped and marked for male, female, or child everyone’s 1800’s. There was no remaining evidence of a church; the number is then drawn and they pick the gift of their choice. chapel is the only structure in the graveyard. Them are many nice gifts and also some funny ones too. The Belgique, Missouri is a very quiet, peaceful, green place that children had plenty of activities such as water balloons, races, speaks loudly about immigrant dreams of owning productive and others. farm ground. These had to be the most successiul twmers in Most importanthj though, we are able to visit with people that the area because of the fertile “American Bottoms” river we sometimes only see once a year, there are many out of channel. The early 1700’s French settlement of Kaskaskia, state peop~e that come as well. Many tribes use this time to lllinois, is a few miles north of Belgique, MO, and is within get together for the weekend and wrap their family reunions an hour’s drive of the French colonial district which included up with our Belgian Picnic. St. Louis and Ste. Genevieve, MO and Cahokia, ILL. We were delighted to have with us Andre Loiseau from Virginia who is actually in the Belgian Import business and NORTHWEST NEWS brought with him his samples of Belgian chocolates, coffee, by Leen lnghels waffles, pickled onions and shallots and believe it or not Our North West Picnic had to be canceled this year! Belgian pasta. Mr. Loiseau is originally from Brussels, Pearl Vanden Heede had a family emergency which meant Belgium. The Belgian Embassy sent with Mr. Loiseau some that she was unable to host the Belgian picnic this year. No, it very nice gifts, flags. etc. for our annual picnic, they were was not Don, Thank God, but her mother, vho now requires very much appreciated. 24 hour care after a debilitating stroke. We all know what that Our club has been very happy with the success of our represents and we wish Pearl to be of good courage and hope cookbook to many of the Belgian Laces readers and it has that her mother will not suffer any pain.. been a pleasure to receive so many wonderful letters from We immediately contacted some of the leading forces behind everywhere, we would love to hear from you and to tell us of the picnic in the Portland area, who searched frantically for a your Belgian Heritage as well. Our Belgian members iove solution for this year, but to no avail we were too late to hearing from you and are familiar with many of the Belgian reserve space in a park or secure any other place able to names that have come in. Please feel free to write us at receive up to 100 participants. BAHS of WV. P.O. Box 195, Clarksburg, WV 26302 or E Thus, we found ourselves in the difficult and unpleasant mail us at: BAHSofWV@AOLcom. I hope that all of you situation of having to cancel “our” event at very short notes. that ordered cookbook have received them by now, I was so In the meantime, our valiant little group of Portlanders s sorry for the delay, we had to make second printing. Thank coking for a solution for next year. If you have any you very much. suggestions please contact Louis and Marleen Looyens A Summer-trip Discovery 3634 NE 6th Ter. by Jack LeChien (Belleville, IL) Gresham, OR 97030 I thought you might be interested in a visit to Belgique, Tel. 503 6675709 Missouri, a “green place” of fertile Mississippi River bottom We need everybody’s input to find a solution for next year! farmland, located 10 miles west of Chester, Illinois. It. is a Belgian Laces Vol 20 #76 51 VERVIERS By Micheline Gaudette http://www.verviers.be/ http://home.scarlet.be/~tor-4517/si/Monument.html Writing a companion article about Verviers worthy of Florence Vanderhaegen’s research on emigrants from that city is a challenge.