The Hirschy Newsletter

for descendants of Philip and Julianne (Frey) Hirschy
July 1995 No. 7

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TIME TO RENEW SUBSCRIPTIONS

  For most of you it is time to renew
your subscription. If you have a 7-95
behind the number in back of your name on
the address, this indicates your
subscription runs out with this issue.
  Persons who have already renewed their
subscriptions are:
Margaret Fleming 2.7.3.2
Virginia Deutscher 2.8.2.1
Ruth Johnson 3.2.1.1.1
Letty Wilhelm 3.2.1.2
Edna Lauby 3.2.1.3
Mildred Vogel 3.2.5.1
Luther Hirschy 3.9.2.1
Christine Moser 4.5.4.2
Neva L. Basey 6.1.4.1.2
Maver Roth 9.1.5.2
  New subscribers are
Elsie Rigdon 1.2.4.8.1 of Lutz, Florida
and Rose Smith Hirschy 3.9.2.1 of
Aberdeen, Maryland.

LETTERS
  Here are letters that have come to the
editor.
  Dorothy Lugibihl Lehman 1.1.3.2 of
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan wrote in
January. "Thank you for the Hirschy
Newsletters. I enjoy them. As for the
Newspaper account (of the fire in Chris
Hirschy's home) there are some errors.
This is not about Leonard Augsburger's
grandfather as I was his only living
grandchild. My brother Robert died at 14
years of age. My three children: Joy,
Judson and Jon (not Jonathan) are Chris
Hirschy's only great grandchildren.
  "When there was a household sale after
Grandpa died at 102 my mother didn't buy
the walnut kitchen dropleaf table because
of the damage from the fire. How many
times I wish she had. We could have
replaced the burned part.
  "If you want a true story about my
Grandpa, Chris Hirschy, here is one.
Every summer Convention of The Missionary
Church Association at Fort Wayne, as long
as he lived, he delighted in putting a
$100 bill in the offering. The family
knew about it, and he got great pleasure
in hearing in the next service how
wonderful the offering was because of the

$100 bill some unknown one had put in. He
was a great giver, lived simple, ate
chicken feet and sauce (he made), potatoes
and soft boiled eggs for breakfast.
  "All my holidays and vacations were
spent with my grandparents in Berne
(Grandma died when I was 8) until I was
married in 1941. My life has been blessed
by my godly heritage and my only desire is
to serve our Lord Jesus Christ as my
ancestors did.
  "On Jan. 16, the Lord willing, I will
start my 25th year teaching music at
Midwestern Baptist College.
  "Gratefully to God for his mercies."

*    *    *
  From Leonard Augsburger 1.5.2.3.2.3
"John Hirschy (1) held 160 acres (not 80
as the book says), the whole NE 1/4 of
section 2 Hartford township. This can be
seen on the 1874 plat map of Adams county.
According to a land abstract I saw of the
property, John Hirschy purchased 239 acres
for $700 from Christian Lugibull
(Luginbill] (who had homesteaded the
property) on May 20, 1847. This property
was the NE 1/4 and east half of the NW 1/4
of section 2. The east half of the NW 1/4
was then sold to John Augsburger on
5/9/1861 for $1400, leaving John with 160
acres. The children of these two (John
Augsburger and Verena Hirschy) who then
grew up on adjacent farms, later married.
Later, the 1896 plat map shows that the
160 acres are in the name of Christian
Hirschy (presumably John Hirschy's oldest
son)."
  Note from editor: Corrections and
additions to the history as it is found in
The Hirschy Genealogy, and this
newsletter, are welcomed.

The children of Israel had a concern for
the preservation of history for they saw
it as a recital of how God had related to
them. When Joshua led them across the
river Jordan, he gave the people this
word: "In the future, when your children
ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' tell
them..." Joshua 4:6-7

THE CURRENT
GENERATION
Swiss Village Retirement Community of
Berne, Indiana began featuring a
"Volunteer of the Month" early this year.
The first volunteers to be recognized in
this way were Richard 3.11.1.2 and
Margaret Beitler of Berne. The Berne Tri-
Weekly News reported: "Richard and
Margaret were chosen because of the way
they treat the nursing care residents
while feeding them. Richard and Margaret
are known for their friendliness and
pleasant smiles. They make it a point to
greet each resident in the dining room.
The staff enjoys the way they take
initiative to visit with the residents.
Richard and Margaret received a gift
certificate from Foxy's Pizza House as a
token of appreciation"
We can also give a word of appreciation
for their help in selling copies of The
Hirschy Genealogy. They have copies
available for persons in the Berne area
who desire to purchase one.

Kelly Fox 3.1.3.3.2.3, the daughter of
Roger and Marilyn Spranger Fox, was
featured in the May 19 issue of the Tri-
Weekly as one of the South Adams High
School honor students. Kelly served as
class secretary for all four years. She
was an active member of SADD and the
National Honor Society. She also
participated in Tennis. Honors include

All-American Scholar, National Leadership
and Service Award, and named to Who's Who
Among American High School Students, She
received an Academic Honors Diploma.
Kelly has been very active in the
Evangelical Mennonite Church and in
various service projects in the community.
She has been active in the youth group and
was on the Bible quiz team, where she was
a co-captain. She has served as Sunday
school teacher and sings in the youth
choir.

*    *    *
  Darrell Paul Zehr 6.1.1.3.2.2,
Middletown, IN, was married to Melisa
Joanne Lehman of near Linn Grove, Ind. on
June 3 in Grace Bible Church, Berne, Ind.
  Darrell graduated from South Adams High
School, Mt. Vernon Nazarene College, Mt.
Vernon, OH and Belmont University,
Nashville, TN. He is employed by the BMG
Music Service in Indianapolis, IN.
  Melisa graduated from South Adams High
School, Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA
and is attending Ball State Graduate
School of Psychology/ Counseling, Muncie,
IN. Her parents are Winston and Vicki
Lehman.
*    *    *
  Christina Augsburger 1.5.3.4.2.2 was on
the Grand Cayman Islands May 11 through
June 1 as part of an underwater archaeology
field school through Ball State
University, reported the Berne Tri-Weekly
News.
  This program, created by anthropology
professor John Dorwin, is one, of three in

the United States. Students are taught
the techniques and procedures necessary to
protect artifacts while learning about
past cultures.
The program includes field study
experience which allows students to learn
first-hand techniques for inventory
methods that meet with cultural resource
management program guidelines. The clear
Caribbean water helps students learn such
underwater techniques.
Christina is the daughter of Steven and
Sandra (Habegger) Augsburger.

IN MEMORIAM
  We have learned of the deaths of three
of our Hirschy relatives.

  Ellis J. Hirschy 3.2.2.3 died May 14,
1995 at the age of 85. His wife, Rhoda
Baumgartner, died Sept. 20, 1992.
Surviving are a daughter, Arlene Scruggs
of Fort Wayne; a son, Maurice "Moe" of St.
Paul, MN, three grandchildren and one
great-grandchild. He was employed by
Central Soya for 39 years. He was a
member of First Mennonite Church, Berne.
*    *    *   Magdalena Hirschy Johnson 3.9.7 age 89,
died May 21, 1995. Her husband, Harry E.
Johnson, died Jan. 14, 1953. Magdalena
was a school teacher and librarian in Van
Wert, Ohio and in Hartford City, Monroe
and North Adams schools in Adams County,
Indiana. In recent years she joined the
Monroe United Methodist Church.
  Magdalena was the last surviving
grandchild of Philip Hirschy who settled
in Adams County in 1847.
  Magdalena was helpful with The Hirschy
Genealogy for she was acquainted with the
Williman family of Van Wert.
*    *    *   Delbert L. Augsburger 1.5.3.3 died June
17, 1995 at the age of 82. He was married
to Fern Lautzenheiser. They had two sons,
James and Michael; 6 grandchildren; two
step-grandchildren; and 3 great - grand-
children. He had retired in 1975 after
working 37 years at Central Soya. He was
a member of the Decatur Wesleyan Church.

GENEALOGY EFFORTS TO BE
COORDINATED
  Persons using a genealogy
computer program to collect in-
formation will be happy to learn of
the OMII Genealogical Project.
This project will begin to gather
the data on Swiss and South German
Mennonite and Amish ancestors who
settled in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana
and Illinois (thus OMII) along with
all their descendants. With the
arrival of the personal computer
this has become a possibility.
  The Berne community has begun to
work on this project and will
cooperate with other centers and
individuals. The Berne Public
Library received a matching grant
of $2,500 from the Indiana
Historical Society to make it
possible for them to accomplish
their project. Karen Adams,
librarian, and Claren
Neuenschwander, local historian,
are guiding this effort.
  The Kidron, Ohio community has
already entered some 40,000 names
in their computer. They are
gathering information on the
ancestors and descendants of all
Swiss and South German immigrants
who lived for a time in Wayne
County, Ohio.
  Several persons have already
been identified who have been
working with genealogy programs.
They are interested in sharing what
they have done so that their efforts
do not need to be duplicated.
  David Habegger, (the editor) is
serving as the coordinator of the
OMII Genealogical Project.
Materials have been prepared that
will help those entering the data
use a common system. This will make
it easier to merge the data of the
various centers and the individuals
submitting their disks. He will
put persons who are working with a
particular family in touch with
others having the same interest.
  If you, or any person you know,
is interested in cooperating with
this effort, get in touch with
David.

  Aaron William Hirschy 4.6.2.1.2
of Orange, California is the only
living child of Charles Odell
Hirschy and Emma Johnson. This
past winter he underwent heart by-
pass surgery and is receiving
treatment for cancer. He wrote the
following tribute to his mother
August 30, 1986, the day she died.

"A TRIBUTE TO EMMA HIRSCHY"

Dear Mom:
  Thank you, first, for wanting a
family. And then, thank you for
your patience and understanding
while I was growing up.
  My first recollection is Enid,
Oklahoma where we lived when Dad
was attending Southwestern Bible
School; and I was age 3, 4, and 5.
I remember the good times when you
and Dad took me to the park where I
saw an elk for the first time. I
remember the little green waitress
uniform you wore where you worked
at the restaurant. Those were
difficult, but happy days.
  From Bible School Dad took his
first pastorate in a ranching area
called Mesquite, New Mexico. I
remember the DIRT floors in the
living quarters, and your efforts
to keep the floors "clean." It was
so hot in Mesquite that the walls
of the church swung up on hinges,
in an effort to keep the
congregation from "over-heating."
  My next remembrance (after a
wonderful visit with grandparents
and other relatives in Arkansas)
was the year we lived in El Paso,
Texas. I attended the 1st grade
there. It was in El Paso that, at
my insistence, you allowed me to go
to see a picture show. I can still
remember sitting there in that
darkened theater watching the
screen, but fearful that the Lord
would return while I was there and
I would be left behind!
  I well remember Dad working at
the upholstery shop and you selling
Avon products to keep things going,
in preparation to go as
missionaries to Alaska. Remember
on Christmas eve when Dad gave me a
dollar which I put on the table

for Santa Claus? On Christmas
morning you said, "Aaron, Santa
Clause sure was good to you." To
which I replied, "Santa Clause
should be good to me, after all I
gave him a dollar!" Before leaving
for Alaska you sent me, at age 6,
all alone on a train to visit my
grandparents in Arkansas. you
said, "Now Aaron hang on to this
little red claim ticket for your
luggage." Well, I did. In fact I
never once let that ticket out of
my grasp all the way to Arkansas.
To her dying day Grandma Hirschy
laughed about me handing her that
ticket with all the information
worn off.
  Mom, June of 1938 was the start
of a great adventure for our
family. This was the time when
Dad, with $10 per month income
pledged (from his mother), hitch-
hiked to Seattle, Washington, en
route to the mission field of
Alaska. Upon calling upon the
pastor of a prominent church in
Seattle Dad was advised, "Go back
to Arkansas, young man, you'll only
go to Alaska and back-slide."
Having no funds (and no offer of
lodging) Dad slept in the park for
three nights before boarding ship
and sailing for Wrangell, Alaska.
Dad ate his meals with the ship's
crew and slept below decks to
conserve money.
  In August of 1938, you and I
journeyed to Wrangell to be with
Dad, and "We traveled in style."
We rode from Arkansas to Seattle,
Washington in a stranger's
automobile, in return for helping
with expenses for gas and oil. We
then boarded ship and sailed for
Wrangell, and we got to be in a
stateroom, "above deck."
  I remember you and Dad helping
to renovate a butcher shop where
the Assembly of God church services
were conducted. I was 7 years old
at the time and I am sure you
remember the day that two of my
friends and I rowed a boat out into
the bay, scaring you half to death.
It was that same day that these
friends and I took a hike up the
mountain behind the town and got

lost. Until we found our way and
got back to town you were just
certain we either had been eaten up
by the bears, or gone out in a row
boat again and had drowned. You
sure were glad to see me safe, but
I still got a deserved spanking for
going off without permission!
  From Wrangell our family sailed
north on the steamship to the port
of Valdez and from there took the
bus on to Fairbanks, traveling the
famous Richardson "Highway". At
that time the Richardson Highway
was a dirt trail that was so narrow
that each 1/2 mile a wide place in
the road allowed two vehicles to
pass. We arrived in Fairbanks,
Alaska on October 1, 1939. That day
shall always 6e remembered as the
day that: (1) the river froze over;
(2) Fairbanks' first radio station
opened for business; and (3) the
Hirschys arrived in town!
  My recollection of that first
winter includes: (1) learning to
ice skate; (2) making new friends;
(3) living in a converted one car
garage; [It was so small that when
the wall bed was put down you could
not walk around the foot of the
bed]; and (4) worshiping with the
Nazarene congregation pastored by
Dr. R.G. Fitz, who along with his
family, became our closest friends.
The following summer Alaska's 4th
Assembly of God church was started,
in our log cabin home. During the
2nd World War, Mom, I remember
literally hundreds of servicemen,
fellow missionaries and others
eating at your table.
  In the "mid forties" Dad cut
down over 300 spruce trees from
which the log church, known as
Fairbanks First Assembly, was
built. I can still see you, Carol
Vehmeier, her children and I
peeling the bark off those logs!
No small task. This unique and
beautiful church became known as
the most photographed building in
town. While Dad was busy building
the church you saved the day by
flying south to the Assembly of God
headquarters in Springfield,
Missouri and talking those in
charge to approve a $16,000

construction loan.
  I remember you bringing a young
lady named Ethel Nelson (Andrus)
from North Central Bible School to
live and work with us at Fairbanks.
She met and married a handsome
young man who was a missionary in
the area. They raised four sons,
and Ethel is still in Alaska
teaching at the Bible School that
her husband founded. (In the 1982
annual report by the Fairbanks
church I see their 1981 Missions
Giving was $64,000 with church
assets at one and a half million
dollars!)
  In the fall of 1947 we traveled
south to your home state of
Arkansas where you were admitted to
Booneville Sanatorium for
Tuberculosis patients. As it
turned out, you didn't have T.B.
You were simple physically
exhausted from the work load you
had been under.
  In the spring of 1948 our family
headed back to Alaska, this time to
beautiful Petersburg, where once
again you and Dad pioneered an
Assembly of God Church. It was at
Petersburg that I graduated from
High School, and, shortly
thereafter, not knowing how well
off I was, left home and struck out
on my own. Petersburg should
always remember your impact on the
town. (In August of 1986 the
Petersburg Assembly of God Church
dedicated a spacious new church
facility.)
  Your next adventure in the far
north was when, in 1955, you and
Dad journey to Kodiak, Alaska and
pioneered yet a third Assembly of
God church. During this time you
sold Stanley Home Products to help
out. With the big Navy base nearby
you were able to minister to, and
be a "Mother away from home" to
many service people.
  Upon Dad's retirement one of the
highlights of your life also was
those few years you lived in the
Lomita, California area and
attended Calvary Assembly, pastored
by Rev. Thomas Grams. Dad had
taken a custodian position with the
Los Angeles Unified School District

to build up some retirement income,
and you were energetically serving
as the Sunday School
Superintendent.
  Following Dad's retirement
twelve years ago, on a number of
occasions I saw you and Dad heading
back to Alaska. You went to help
complete some of the construction
work at the Talkeetna church, to
serve as supply pastors at Chugiak,
etc. You just couldn't seem to get
Alaska out of your blood! It was
at Chugiak, in December of 1980
that you suffered a severe stroke
and soon came south and fought a
valiant, and eventually, losing
battle to regain your health.
  Mom, you were also better at
letter writing than me, and more
faithful to write as well; and I
guess I am trying to make up for
lost time. There is much more I
should have said, but will save
some of my thoughts for when I see
you in a most wonderful place
called heaven. I know it is your
desire that all your loved ones
will join with us. Dad's brothers
and sisters have said it pretty
well over the years when they said
you were as precious to them as if
you were their own sister. One
remarkable thing that has impressed
me over the years is that I cannot
ever remember you scolding me, or
in any way criticizing me or my
wife and daughters; tho I'm sure at
times we deserved it. Your
influence has been positive,
uplifting, and above all the
spiritual heritage you have
imparted to me has been of great
magnitude.
  If ever I am judged to be a
success in life, it will be because
of your life. Mom, remember when I
was your little boy and thought you
were the most wonderful Mother in
the whole wide world? Well
nothings changed!!!
    Love, your son.   Aaron.

FROM THE EDITOR

For a person interested in

history, research and study never
end. A major interest of mine has
become the early history of the
Amish community of Adams county,
IN. There has been no awareness of
this history and it has been
largely forgotten since no one has
written about it.
  On June 22 I went to Indiana-
polis with my wife, LaVeta. She
was interested in the State Quilt
Show and I in what I could find in
the State Archives. After leaving
her off at the Coliseum, I found my
way to the Archive. There I
obtained information on persons who
purchased public lands from the
earliest records. A land office
was established in Fort Wayne on
May 8, 1822 and the first sale of
land was made on Oct. 23, 1823.
Land was being sold from the 21st
Prime Meridian on north to the
state of Michigan.
  An Amish, by the name of John V.
Gundy, of Butler Co., Ohio was the
first Amish/Mennonite to make a
purchase in what is now Adams
County. He bought 160 acres on
Oct. 18, 1825.
  Of familiar names today we find
that on March 13, 1837 Jacob
Conrad, Jacob Nofziger, Christian
Moser, Peter Schindler, John
Schindler, Jacob Liechty, Peter
Moser and Peter Schaht (Short) all
came from Wayne County and
purchased land on that one day.
They each purchased 160 acres and
John Schindler purchased 360 acres.
  From this information it is
clear that the Amish were present
in Adams County as early as any of
the first Mennonite families.

PUBLICATION INFORMATION
  The Hirschy Newsletter is published
four times a year. Cost is $5.00 for four
issues.
  The editor is David L. Habegger, 6929
Hillsboro Ct., Fort Wayne, IN 46835-1818.
  If you have material you would like to
submit for publication, send it to the
editor.
  In correspondence please use the number
behind your name to identify yourself.

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