Monday, December 21, 2009

Ludwig Friendley

Well as some of you know I haven't been coming around these parts lately. See, I've been side tracked I must confess to where even my reading has taken a hit. I have been putting together my sons family tree. A hefty challenge since much of my wifes family are unfamiliar to us. To quote my grandfather, "Well if at first you fail get back on that bike before I kick your f***ing ass." Well he didn't say that but if you knew him you would know it sounds just like him.

Upon researching my wifes geneology I found interesting things. On her fathers side it starts with Ludwig Friendley born in 1725 in Pennsylvania. Her grandmothers side are mostly from England and planted themselves in Utah, and many of them were mormon. Her grandfathers side was full of farmers, tanners, and such from Kansas. There was however a Viola C Berry who is my wifes great great great grandmother. Her father was Ludwig Friendley and one record shows Ludwig Friendley as being George Washingtons bodyguard (so to speak) for six years during the revolutionary war. I have to do some searching to double confirm this claim, but given what I've been able to confirm up to this point has been factual. We shall see, and we may never truly know. I would love to be able to tell my son that his distant relatives job was to help general Washington though. I know God calls all men but it can't hurt knowing you have men of courage and integrity in your geneology. It's a confidence thing.

Some of my sons relatives (Ludwigs children and grandchildren) look like they set up a church as well. Now I have to tell you I almost totally abandoned this project based on what I was learning from my side of the family. Lots of drunks and scam artists. My great uncle Odean pushed his sister Elaina out a two story window just because he wanted to. She developed seizures from it and later died at the age of 35 from having a seizure in bed. Her head got caught in the bars and she broke her neck. My great uncle Odean also helped my great aunt Opal hang herself in a cemetary bathroom. She had cancer from what I hear and wanted to end it. Odean was promised money if he helped her. My great uncle Norman was said to have robed a couple of banks. My great aunt Alys was a Jehovah Witness at one point but also a Quaker. She charmed snakes in some of her religious practices. During world war 2 Alys was in Europe and went blind. She was in Greece and told my mother that she saw something so horrible that she developed hysterical blindness and never saw again.

Getting back to Odean!!! This guy was a true scam artist. He used to pretend to preach the word of God I was told to rob people of their money. A couple of his sons were murdered early in life as well. My mothers cousin Patricia told me, "You could see the devil in his eyes. He was pure evil." My great grandmother Hannah called my aunt mary (her grandaughter) to take her to the hospital after Odean did something to her when she wouldn't give him money. My great uncle Robert (whom they called mud turtle) once got so mad he picked up a shot gun and started firing through the floor when he knew the family was below. He was called mud turtle because if you visited the bars in Sterns Minnesota you would eventually find a drunk named mud turtle. My grandfather was the sane one and he beat his children with crow bars. My family for the most part are a long line of trailor trash straight out of Norway. Things look more promising from my grandmothers side. I'm traveling down that road next but from what I have so far is great. Real God fearing and great people.

2 comments:

Stephen T. McCarthy said...

`
Hmmm... Interesting stuffs, Br'er.

My maternal Grandpa, late in his life, became intensely interested in researching our geneology, particularly where it stretched back into Germany. He came up with lots of "stuffs", but I never paid much attention to it.

I myself never had any interest in putting together a family tree thang. For one thing, I will be leaving this world with no children, so I don't know who I'd be doing the research for. But I know I wouldn't be doing it even if I did have children because all of this world is just going to roll up like a scroll someday and disappear, so I ask myself: "What does my geneology really matter when someday even the name William Shakespeare will be forgotten?"

But I think I can understand why some folks find researching their family's history so fascinating. And it sounds like you're digging up some wild stuffs, Bro. Good job!

Well, in case this is our last exchange until after Christmas or the New Year, I wish you a very Merry one, and a Happy Margarita Day, Brotherman!

~ Stephen
<"As a dog returns to his own vomit,
so a fool repeats his folly."
~ Proverbs 26:11>

mousiemarc said...

Stephen,
I used to feel the same way. However, having researched my tree and the individuals in it I have come to some conclusions. An uncle of mine acted very much in the same manner as his uncle (my great uncle) who was a total scam artist loser (his name is Odean in the story). Looking back at my dads side I see people making the same mistakes of their fathers (who they never met or knew anything about). I remember Eli in the old testament and what happened to his sons and future generations. Understanding where you come from can help you stay away from things that will get you into trouble. Of course there is no greater family than the spiritual family we belong to, and that one over powers any biological weakness we may have. We all have certain weaknesses were born with and I'm convinced some of this is in the genes (from sin). If anything geneology will do nothing short of convince anyone how much we all are really lost and desperately need our father God and our big brother and savior Jesus Christ.