Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Thoughts on Inauguration Day 2009

Being very interested in the Shaker religious society, it was a pleasure hear the SHAKER HYMN, not once but three times during the inauguration of Barak Obama and Joe Biden as our new President and Vice President today, January 20, 2009. The US Marine Corps band played it first in pre inaugural ceremonies below the podium where Obama and Biden were sworn in. During the ceremony, a musical interlude with a quartet playing a version of the Shaker Hymn, also known as Simple Gifts. While watching the inaugural parade, a band from where I don't recall, played it as they passed the reviewing stand.

It is also a pleasure to say the new President is a distant cousin through our mutual Demarest lines. Don't ask, its complicated..just say the Demarests made sport of intermarrying and it appears he and I are related more than once. This same family made me a ninth cousin to my own dad by all the intermarrying.

I've begun preparing for the Gathering of Dutch Cousins reunion this coming September. If I don't start now, nothing will be ready when the time comes. I look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones. I am hoping to get a better representation of Montfort and Banta ancestors each time we get together.

At the moment I am working with two Montfort cousins..one is working on papers for Sons of the American Revolution and have sent proof he can use on the early generations. I think he has about got it all gathered up and is in touch with a mentor from SAR who will guide him through the membership steps. The other is finding out WHICH Montfort line he descends from and by process of elimination of all the Henry Monforts in Ohio...we think we may have found his line and now to find proof we are correct. I feel he is from the Henry, son of Jacobus and Leah Banta Montfort...Leah being the sister of Charity Banta Montfort [Francis Sr] and daughters of Hendrick Banta 3rd and his first wife, Rachel Brower. Jacobus is an uncle to Francis Montfort Sr....why not...they liked to keep it all in the family...just to confuse us.

My husband, Tom, and I celebrate our 47th anniversary tomorrow and have added to our family lineage with two daughters and five grandchildren. Maybe one of them will keep up the family history, I sure hope so.

Barbara Whiteside
Jan 20, 2009