Old Watkins News (something new 11/7/2007) New News (updated June 28, 2008) All the Watkins News That Fits 2000 KK & Tillie Watkins ReunionWatkins in America: Jamestown Colony |
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June 28, 2008: Johnny Dale Upshaw and Brittany Adel Morris were married in Fresno, CA, on June 20, 2008. Johnny is the oldest great, great, great grandchild of K.K. and Tillie Watkins, and is a great, great grandson of Opal Watkins Mason, great grandson of Hazel Mason Watkins, and grandson of Dick Estel. His parents are Tim and Teri Estel Liddle of Fresno. Brittany is the daughter of Tim and Jennifer Dennis Morris. Brittany will be teaching at a school in Sanger, near Fresno, while Johnny will start the master's program in forensic anthropology at California State University, Fresno. |
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All the Watkins News That Fits December 17, 2007: Roy Henry Wittekindt was born April 4, 1914, and passed away December 11, 2007, in Glendale AZ. He had been in poor health for some time. Roy worked for many years as a chemical engineer for the Quaker Oats Company, traveling throughout the world in the course of his work. Roy and Jeannette (daughter of Earl and Junice Watkins) traveled extensively following his retirement, spending four months a year in Texas and Mexico. In 1987 they sold their home in Downers Grove IL and lived full-time in their travel trailer, visiting many areas of the US, Canada and Mexico. In 1991 they bought a home in Glendale AZ, and eventually "retired" from trailer travel. Roy is survived by Jeannette, his wife of 66 years; three sons, John, Neil and Alan and their families; and many grandchildren, nieces, nephews and other friends and relatives.
During the first 20 years of their marriage she was a homemaker, the first seven years without electricity. She and Bob helped start 4-H clubs in Mariposa County, and were founding members of the Bootjack Stompers Square Dance Club. They were still dancing when the club celebrated its 50th anniversary! Bob In retirement Hazel
and Bob spent many summers in Ohio, renewing their acquaintance with friends
and extended family. About 1985 they began spending winters in Mesa AZ,
where three of Hazel's Ohio-born cousins had relocated. During their early
retirement years they were also active in raising money for and helping to
build the Senior Activity Center in Mariposa. When cooking lost its joy, they
visited the center for lunch nearly every day. Following Bob's passing in March, 2005, Hazel was able to remain in their home in Mariposa, going to the center for lunch, participating in the activities of the Mariposa United Methodist Church, and other social activities with her many friends in the area. Hazel was preceded in death by her husband Bob in 2005,
and by three sisters and two brothers. She is survived by two children,
Richard Estel of Fresno, and Linda Estel and her partner Anne Tellett of
Duluth MN; two granddaughters, Theresa and husband Tim Liddle of Fresno, and
Jennifer and husband Rod Neely of Oakhurst; two great grandsons, A private burial service was held at the Mariposa
A tribute to Hazel will be found at http://www.dickestel.com/hazelestel.htm
May 1, 2007: Jo Ann Watkins, daughter of Herb,
advises us that he is living in an assisted living home in McAllen, Texas. It's called Biltmore Assisted Living. If people would like to contact him, they could do so by sending their letter (card, etc.) to
her, since she goes to visit him every day.
April 29, 2007: We have received word that Ron Watkins passed away March 27, 2007, in Thailand, where he has lived for a number of years. Ron was born April 30, 1920, and practiced as a chiropractor for many years in Canada, the United States, and Thailand. He is survived by his son Ryan of Thailand, daughters Ellen and Lois of Ontario, Canada, son Robin of Idaho; a brother, Herbert; and by a number of grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Pauline, and his parents, Ross and Fern Watkins.
January 24, 2007: (From Darlene Drefke Elston, daughter of Carl & Lnora): We have welcomed two more to the Elston crew! On November 6, 2006, Analiese Elizabeth Bellows, 8 pounds, 7 oz and 21 1/2 in long, was born to Kristen and Christopher Bellows. On December 9, 2006, Joshua Elston married Kristi Kay Pernell of Hickory, NC. Joshua is getting his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of North Carolina and will graduate in May of 2007. He then will enter the air force in June, where he will be for the next three years.
December 12, 2005: Herbert John Hall Sr. died on Friday, November 4, 2005, at his home in Lake Elsinore CA. The cause was heart failure. He was preceded in death by his wife, Vivian Mason Hall, in 1990. Herb was born in Ohio on July 20, 1917 to Ralph and Marion Clark Hall. He served in the Navy as an aircraft mechanic in World War II, and survived the sinking of his ship, the USS Hornet. Herb is survived by his daughter, Diane, of Lake Elsinore; son John; son Don and his wife Diana of Oregon, and son Jim and his wife Gayle of Missouri. He is also survived by 15 grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. He was buried at National Cemetery in Riverside CA., on November 14. See the Hall family genealogical descendant chart at: http://www.dickestel.com/Watkins/dec_herb&viv.pdf
Bob
is survived by his wife, the former Hazel Mason (daughter of George &
Opal); two children, Richard Estel of Fresno, A tribute to Bob will be found at http://www.dickestel.com/bobestel.htm
Karen Loar, daughter of Phil and Amy Loar (granddaughter of Rachel and great granddaughter of Orrie) graduated from high school in Falls Church, VA and will be attending James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA. Tim Watkins, son of Herb,
grandson of Ross, writes: "My oldest son, Joshua, auditioned with his
euphonium (baritone-type horn) and placed in the Sound of America honor
band and chorus. They have traveled all over Europe in the month of July.
He gets back to the US on July 26th. The group played 11 or 12 concerts in
some of the best-known halls in Europe (Austria, Germany, Italy,
Switzerland, Luxembourg, and France). He will be a senior this year
at Sharyland High School. Also of note about Joshua, he is the first
male student from Sharyland to place in the Texas All-State Choir ever.
There was a girl back in the 80s that made it, but never a male." July 23, 2004: A mini-reunion took place July 3 at the home of Kim and Donna Watkins in Brian OH. Aside from Dick Estel and grandson Mikie Liddle, who were on a cross-country trip from California, those attending were mainly descendents (and their spouses) of Dorr and Opal Watkins. They included Jim & Meredyth Nott, Dick & Evelyn Watkins, Louella Makula, Greg, Tami, Graham and Andy Nott; Peg Watkins, Bob & Eloise Griteman, Kim & Donna Watkins, Ruth Schiming (Donna’s mother), Dennis, Dawn, Levi & Josiah Makula; Ann Short, and Doug & Jeanne Makula (click here and here for photos). Erica Balazs, daughter of Peg Watkins, and granddaughter of Dick and Evelyn Watkins, graduated from Rutherford B. Hayes High School in Delaware OH in June. Christopher Brendan Enrick, son of Robert and Pat Watkins Enrick and grandson of Dick and Evelyn Watkins, graduated from Kent Roosevelt High School in June.
Also in May, Jennifer Neely completed work for a teaching credential. Jennifer is the daughter of Dick Estel, granddaughter of Hazel (Mason) Estel, and hopes to teach 5th grade.
January 28, 2004: Our cousin Anna (daughter of Dick & Evelyn Watkins) publishes a monthly newsletter.
To subscribe or see back issues, click here. January 21, 2004: We received
the following from Tim Watkins: "I probably ought to let you know that my Mom
(Carolyn Jean Beach Watkins) passed away Monday
morning (1/12/04). The best thing was that all her kids that live close were able to be with her when she did pass. Her brother, Jerry Beach, from up in Michigan was also here. We are saddened, but also happy for her. She had been diagnosed a couple of weeks ago with her 4th type of cancer (the 6th occurrence of cancer -- two of the cancers came back and had to be treated a second time). Hospice came in last week and took really good care of her, making sure she was not in pain. I think it would have been much harder for us to see her last week had she been in pain." March 1, 2003: Only
ten days after his wife June (Mason) died, Jim Noever passed away on Thursday, Feb. 13th,
2003. Stepdaughter Katie reports: "Shauna and I had a wonderful visit with him the day prior. He asked a million questions about how everyone was doing and he looked so peaceful. All the stress was gone from his face and he had stopped crying over my mom. He was not eating and after the news of my mom, did not want to live. I have never seen anyone in so much pain over a broken heart than him. It was the saddest thing that I have ever witnessed. February 27, 2003: Alice June Mason Noever died February 3 at age 74 in Florida at around 11:20 AM EST, 8:20 AM PST. She died of a sudden abdominal aneurysm. She was in the hospital for about 14 hours and was given morphine to ease her pain. She drifted in and out of consciousness during her last hours. Her daughter, Mary and son-in-law, Lou were with her the whole time. Over the last week, she mentioned to Mary that she loved her husband Jim and had had a very good life with him. Mary said she was a real sweetheart this last week as she moved away from Jim for the first time in 40 years to begin an assisted retirement in the Palm Beach, Florida area, 10 minutes from Mary's house. Mary said that she was very happy and optimistic about the move. In addition to her husband Jim, who is in an assisted living facility in southern California, June is survived by three daughters, Mary of Jupiter FL, Patti of San Diego, and Katie of Aliso Viejo, CA; two granddaughters, Elizabeth DeFilio (Mary's daughter) and Shauna Leary (Katie's daughter); her sister, Hazel Estel of Mariposa CA, and a number of nieces and nephews. June was the daughter of George and Opal Watkins Mason. December 5, 2002: Richard (Dick) Watkins returned home shortly before Thanksgiving after suffering a stroke in October. He spent several weeks in a rehabilitation center in Montpelier, OH. He is in good spirits and his speech is close to normal, but he has trouble with his balance. The entire clan sends him our best wishes. November 24, 2002: The following report was received from Linda Insley: My daughter Heather passed the Ohio bar exam and is now a practicing attorney with Drake, Phillps, Kuenzli, and Clark and Assoc. of Findlay, OH. Also my oldest son, Jason got married Oct. 5, 2002 to Kendra Glauser. (Linda is descended from K.K.'s cousin Nancy, and is also related by way of the Blake and Richardson line.)
January 27, 2001: Robert John Meister married Kristen Elizabeth Welch in Colorado Springs, CO on January 27, 2001. They currently reside in Odenton, MD. Robert is the son of Margaret Miller Meister, and a grandson of Gloria Watkins Samuelson.
September
23, 2002: Maxwell Scott Wilson was born today at 1:30 p.m.
Mother (Julie), baby and Dad (Scott) who delivered the baby, are
doing well! Max weighed in at 10 pounds, 12 ounces, and 23 inches
long. He's a whopper! Already too big for newborn sized
clothes! Max
is the grandson of Margaret Meister, great grandson of Gloria Samuelson,
and great great grandson of Earl and Junice Watkins. July 6, 2002: Karina Grubb and Phil Nott, son of James and Meredyth and grandson of Dorr and Opal Watkins, were married today in Angola, Indiana. The ceremony was followed by a buffet dinner at a lodge in a nearby state park. Phil is a deputy sheriff and lots of his co-workers were there, a few in uniform, so everyone was well behaved.
(Items below here were posted 7/28/01) Peg Watkins has a new job, as Director of Admissions & New Student Recruitment at Methodist Theological School in Ohio, in Delaware OH. Megan Rae Reeson, granddaughter of Gloria Samuelson, was married to Scott Kristian Kvols in West Point, NE, January 6, 2001. Ishbel Hall (daughter of Don, granddaughter of Vivian) and her husband Kin Lane welcomed a daughter, Khia Mhairi Lane, born September 7, 2000. She has a six year old brother, Jaden. Watkins descendants who have escaped from winter enjoyed a couple of mini-reunions in Arizona. In mid-February Dick Estel, daughter Teri and grandson Michael Liddle visited Bob and Hazel Estel in Mesa for a week. They were joined for an afternoon visit and lunch by Roy and Jeanette Wittekindt, Gloria Samuelson, and Margaret Meister. The following week Jim & Meredyth Nott arrived, after visiting friends and relatives in California.
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Introduction: Sorting through the many cards, letters and newspaper clippings that my mother, Hazel Mason Estel, left behind, I often find items about other members of the Watkins family. Those that are of greatest interest will be posted here: From the Delta Atlas of 1968 "From Our Files – 40 Years Ago (1928)": O.L. Watkins, county auditor; G. W. Lee, deputy auditor; W.A. Tappan, Edwin Russell and M.A. Batdorf, county commissioners, escaped death when the front end of their car was hit by a B&O train in Haskins, dragging it along the tracks. 11/17/07 Update from Don Watkins: I was an infant in 1928, a little more than a year old when the train hit the car. I remember even from that early age that something very bad happened. There was much crying. Of course, we heard about it more than once in the following years and drove past where it happened.
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2000 KK & Tillie Watkins Reunion Here's the report from the 2000 KK Watkins Reunion, held July 2000 at Moore Park in Bryan, Ohio. It was a lovely day, a nice location, but a small turnout. Here's the whole list: Hal & Evelyn Watkins Gloria Samuelson and her daughter Margaret Meister Jim & Meredyth Nott and their two grandsons, Graham & Andy Dick & Evelyn Watkins, Anna, Peg, Jim, Eloise & Bob Griteman, Amy & Christian Kim Watkins, Ann & Jeff Short, and Courtney Cable Luella Makula, Doug Makula, Dennis & Dawn Makula, and four of their kids The first cousins that were present decided that this should be the last reunion of the KK Watkins family. We suggest that new reunions could be formed for the Earl, Orra, Opal, Ross, and Dorr Watkins families. Our treasurer, Margaret, gave the $50 in the reunion fund to Dick Watkins to send to Dick Estel for his greatly appreciated work in publicizing KK Watkins family news and information. We hope that the cousins can also maintain contact with each other by e-mail, and encourage everyone to take advantage of any opportunity to visit each other when traveling. (Recorded by Dick Watkins) |
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Members of the Watkins genealogical mailing list reported on Watkins place names throughout the United States. A Watkins is found in 14 states (2 in Montana) plus a Watkins Bridge Alabama, Watkins Corner in Arkansas and Virginia, Watkins Ford Illinois, Watkins Gate CA, and Watkins Glen in NY, Watkins Mill, North Carolina and two Watkins Park, one in Indiana and one in Tennessee. There are two Watkinsvilles, one in Georgia and one in Kentucky. Almost as widespread as our family! |
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(The following question and answer appeared on the Watkins Email Exchange List (http://www.watkins.org/) Looking at the copy of the 1841 census from Glamorgan that I have, I came to a question. I hade been looking for names under "Watkins" and found none. That puzzled me. I now noticed that the names I wanted are listed under "Watkin" (no "S"). But all other info I have since that generation on down is spelled with the "S", including info on the names I was looking for on the census. My question is this, did they change the spelling of their name sometime back in the 1800s, or is the way they are listed on the census just not quite correct? And should I always be looking up stuff with and with out the "S"? I'm some what new at this family research stuff, thanks in advance for any help. (Reply from a UK source): According to my Welsh name book, Enwau Cymraeg I Blant by Heini Gruffudd, MA, p. 48 Gwatcyn was the original spelling, then Watcyn. Also there are Watcyn William or William ap Watcyn, the latter being William son of Watcyn. This was and still is to some degree a Welsh naming convention, names reversed from father to son. The president of the St David Society here is Brian Llwellyn ap Dafydd, Llwellyn son of David. |
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Jamestown
Colony 1600's
The Watkins family originated in Wales, UK, migrating to America in early 1600. This old and distinguished name is found on the records in the English colony of Jamestown. James Watkins name is on the list of passengers on the 1st supply ship arriving in Jamestown in January 1608. He is listed as a laborer. His name does not appear in the 1623 census list. Jamestown was situated on a peninsula in the James River. The mortality rate was high due to the unhealthy living conditions produced by the marshy environment Captain John Smith founded the colony in 1607. Smith named Watkins Point (near Jamestown) for James Watkins who accompanied him on the expedition, which had to have been in 1608. According to family lore there were three Watkins brothers that came from Wales to the 1st settlement of Jamestown. Their names are uncertain. The Jamestown census of 1624 showed only these three Watkins. They settled on the Eastern Shore. 1. Daniel Watkins 2. Henry Watkins 3. Peregree Watkins. Peregree Watkins is listed as arriving in 1621 on the ship George. He was 24 and head of his household. |
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For confidentiality reasons, we have not included Email and postal addresses in this file. If you're trying to get in touch with someone, contact the editor and we'll let the other party know; it will then be their decision whether or not to respond. |
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This is essentially an on-line version of Watkins News #14, plus updates every few months. Please send Email to mailto:info@dickestel.com, or snail mail to the address shown on your printed copy of the newsletter. You can also request copies of any previous issue
of the newsletter. Some of them are on line here. --Dick Estel |
K.K. and your editor, February 1940 |
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| Opal, Earl, Orra, Ross, Priscilla (Tillie), Dorr, Kimmel Watkins, 1905 | |||||
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