Updates to the Hilyard Family Gathering Page
Please report any bugs, additions, or corrections to Vonda Heverly.
21 March 2004
· I posted an update to the Jacob Hilyard (son of Thomas and Elizabeth Haught Hilyard) page. I have heard from two descendants of a Jacob and Martha Eviston Hilyard, and we are trying to figure if our Jacobs are one and the same. See what Bruce Hilliard and Jeff Genet have shared.
18 March 2004
· We’ve got some new cousins to welcome, and they’ve given me some great additions to the page! Thanks to Rose Marie Hilyard Almaraz, who identified several family members: #8, 77, and 64, and is trying to confirm others with family members; and also to Bobby Becker, who identified #42, 57, 54, 55, 82 and 131. See these names on the Reunion photo page.
9 December 2003??
- Can it really be that long since I touched this page? Wow.
- My deepest apologies to Bronson Hilliard. Just today I added the final two pages to his "Hilliards Out West" tale. It's taken *ahem* some time to do it, but worth the wait, I hope! Read it from the beginning if you haven't already. Please note, I do not have the final two pictures for the last page.
10 February 2002
- A few new names have *finally* been added to the mailing list. My apologies for the delay. I can't believe it's been a whole year since we added anything here!
- I received an email from Lenore Hilliard Palmer adding some information to our "Unconnected Hilyards" page. You can see her letter here.
16 January 2001
- I have three new cousins to introduce: Betty Sue Spaulding, who descends from Jeremiah and Mary Ann Hilyard through their son Ephriam; and Lee Hilyard Fogt and her mother Linda. Lee descends from Jeremiah and Mary Ann through their son David. Welcome!
- Cousin Betty Sue has identified some new faces on the 1926 Hilyard reunion picture. So far, we have Nancy Jane Stemen Hilyard (#6), Leroy Grover Hilyard (#106), and possibly Andy (#117) and Anna Begelow (#101) Hilyard, though we are still conferring about those two
- I've finally started a page for my own branch, Thomas Hilyard, son of Jeremiah. This includes a page for my great-grandfather Jesse John Hilyard including a family portrait. Several of us on the list are descendants of this line, so if you have any pictures or stories to share, I'd love to add them.
- Dave Koester and Barb Lyall have a personal family page that includes lots of information on the Stemen family. The Stemens were closely linked with the Hilyards for some generations. You will find the Stemen info about halfway down the page.
- One more addition to the Unconnected Hilyards page. This one has a Fayette County, PA connection! It is the final one on the page.
9 November 2000
- I found a picture of Ephraim Hilyard on my computer. I have no idea where this came from; if you sent it to me, please let me know so I can give you proper credit. Apparently when I received it, the identity wasn't certain. But it looks just like the picture we already have posted of Ephraim. See the front side and the back.
4 November 2000
- I added an email from cousin Bronson Hilliard explaining some of the early practices of the German Reformed Church, and how it points to our roots as being German or possibly Alsace-Lorraine.
- I started a new page containing unconnected Hilyard lines.
20 September 2000
- Welcome to a new cousin, Julie Thurman-Wisecarver. She descends through Thomas and Elizabeth's son Enoch.
- Eldean also reported a bad link to the unnumbered Frank and Lottie photo. Thanks Eldean! Please report any other bad links to me at vheverly@hotmail.com
12 September 2000
- Eldean Kreitzer added/corrected some names on the Frank & Lottie Hilyard photograph. Her additions are in italics. Thanks Eldean!
- Cousin Bronson Hilliard's updated email is brhilliard@uswest.net.
11 April 2000
- For some wonderful information on the Valentine family, check out Thad Taylor's site.
- Please welcome two new cousins, Maxine Kimmel and her son Evin Kimmel. Evin descends from Jeremiah's son Thomas, through Thomas's daughter Henrietta.
15 August 1999
- Cousin Carl Troyer notes a change in his email address to CWTroyer@cs.com.
- We have a new cousin to welcome, Rosanne Baldwin. She is a descendant of Louisa Hilyard Howard.
- I believe I fixed the bug that was causing problems accessing certain pages, this update page in particular. Please inform me of any pages you try to reach that don't work properly, or any images that won't load.
- You can stop trying to figure out who the latest mystery picture is. It is from my Cremean branch of the family, NOT the Hilyards. Sorry about that!
- I added a second copy of the Frank and Lottie Hilyard anniversary picture. This one doesn't have numbers on it, and *should* be in a printable format. Thanks to Matt and John Burnett for providing this (some time ago, I might add...). Also, Eldean Kreitzer added a little background info about the photo.
- Thanks to Raymond Howard for sending me a picture of Edwin Howard, husband of Louisa Hilyard (daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Haught Hilyard). Great old photo!
- Thanks to Jim Winters for supplying the end of a story on the Noah Hilyard page about a Duroc pig. Read all about it!
- Continuing on Bronson's "Hilliards Out West," I have completed the segment on Sandy Hilliard, and added one on Tuff Hilliard. Still more to come!
31 Jul 1999/1 August 1999
- Quite a bit of new stuff to post! First, cousin Eldean Kreitzer notes a change in her email address to Eldeank@aol.com. Eldean recently mailed to me several photos and a family Bible record from her branch of the Hilyard tree. Her ancestor was Ephraim Hilyard (see photo), son of Jeremiah. All these items and photos can be found on Ephraim's page.
24 April 1999
- I believe I fixed the bad link to the new mystery picture. Thanks to those who reported it. If you see any bad links, typos, or whatnot, please let me know!
- I started posting cousin Bronson's excellent history of the Hilliards Out West. I would encourage you all to read it, even if it isn't your line. The writing is entertaining, and Bronson touches on several characteristics of his branch of the Hilyard family that had me nodding and saying, "My family does that too!" More to come on this as time allows.
22 April 1999
- BREAKING NEWS! MYSTERY PICTURE IDENTIFIED: Nancy Spallinger informs me that the picture incorrectly identified as Jeremiah and "Annie" Hilyard has been positively ID'ed. Take a look and see who we really have here!
- Our cousin Vicki Wornath asked me a good question. She was looking over the reunion pictures, and wondering if there are any Hilyard reunions still taking place. As for my family, no. How about anyone else? If you know of any Hilyard get-togethers (or someone wants to have one...) let me know and I will post the info.
- Everybody, let me introduce a new cousin, Debbi Cheek. She is the granddaughter of Gladys Hilyard, who was the daughter of Ephraim H., son of George B., son of James Wilson, who was the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Haught Hilyard. This is the first descendant in our clan from James, and I hope we can learn a lot from each other. Debbi hopes to help us identify some people in the reunion pics after the first of May. Welcome to the family!
- And, since we all love a mystery, here is a double one for you: Someone sent me a scan of an old daguerrotype photo. I can't remember WHO sent it, or what info they had on it! Anyway, everyone take a look while I wait for someone to email me my memory back...
- Thanks to Jim Winters, who sent 3 snapshots of his family in. These include Noah Hilyard's son Adam and his wife in 1929 and 1940, and Adam and Delila's children in 1942. Surely you all have some photos to share?
- Cousin Eldean has promised me some photos via snail mail, and Bronson Hilliard sent me several to post along with a great narrative. Thanks to Bronson for his extreme patience with my sloth!
14 April 1999
- Matt Burnett sent me an obituary for Jerry Lowe, whose mother was Clara Hilyard, who, if my calculations are correct, was a great-granddaughter of Jeremiah and Mary Ann. If you would like to take a look at the obit, click here. If you have any obituaries, old or new, please scan them and send them in. I'll include them in the photos section until I get a page up on the specific family.
- Matt also would like you all to know his family web site is up and running, and would like you all to take a look, sign his guestbook, and let him know about your lines of interest. Anyone else have a web site?
13 March 1999
- Cousin Matt Burnett has created a Burnett Genealogy Page with family information and some photos. Take a look! If any of you others have web pages you would like me to link to, just let me know!
- I just received over 150 pages of info on the family of Mary Ann Valentine Hilyard! Wow! It will take some time to process all this. To get you started and whet your appetite, I put together a pedigree chart for Mary Ann.
14 February 1999
- Eldean Kreitzer sent in some updates to the Benjamin Franklin Hilyard 50th wedding anniversary picture. She has made additions to people #6, 12, 13, and 18. Please take a look!
15 Jan 1999
- There! That didn't take me so long. The Benjamin Franklin Hilyard 50th wedding anniversary pic is up. Sounds like Eldean may be able to ID some more people, so look for updates to the list of identified folks. Eldean recalls this couple as "Uncle Frank and Aunt Lottie".
- Eldean also sent in a few memories from her childhood spent with her aunts and uncles. Very interesting! Please share anything you all have like this! These are all on the Ephraim Hilyard page.
- Nancy Spallinger also sent in a photo, of the Andrew and Hannah (Hilyard) Stemen family. Hannah was the daughter of David (new page--more info to come), son of Jeremiah. Keep these pictures coming guys!
13 Jan 1999
- Well, time to do the first update of 1999! Please welcome cousin Judy Hilyard Cobb, sister of Bev Bazaire, to the online cousins group.
- In addition to introducing her sister to us, Bev Bazaire has recently obtained copies of her ancestor Hilyard's Civil War pension file, and has promised me copies. That should make for an interesting update!
- And lastly, cousins John and Matt Burnett sent me a wonderful picture of Benjamin Franklin Hilyard's 50th wedding anniversary. I have promised to post this as soon as possible, but give me a little time! Worth the wait.
29 Nov 1998
- Take a close look at the "front page". I have subdivided into sections for Hilyard, Hilyard women (for collateral lines like Haught), Photos, and Misc.
- More additions to the Haught page, including family group sheets, descenancy chart, and info on Jacob Haught, our second generation, as well as Carl Troyer's recent email on his Haught research..
- Thanks to cousin Raymond Howard for his infinite patience and a gentle reminder. I have FINALLY posted his family info! Raymond descends from Louisa Hilyard, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Haught Hilyard. Take a look at Louisa's page for updated descendancy chart and Raymond's info!
- Eldean Kreitzer pointed out some time ago that segments 2 and 3 of the 1926 reunion picture were not displaying properly. I think I have fixed that problem.
22 Nov 1998
- Finally! Here is a Thanksgiving treat for you all. I started a page on the Haught family, with information provided by cousin Carl Troyer. There is much to add, but take a look so far.
2 Oct 1998
- Well, it's been slow growing here on the Hilyard site! Carol has poked me into action by adding another cousin to our group, Vicki Wornath, a grand-daughter of Noah Hilyard. Welcome Vicki!
9 Sep 1998
- From John Spangler, a follow-up on the work of Ted C. Hilliard on the Where From page. Lots of good research going on guys! Keep it up.
- From Rita Sloan, a possible Dunker connection? Take a look!
30 Aug 1998
- Updates Page created.
- Several broken links corrected. Please report any others to me!
- New entry under Facts/Support on the Where Did We Come From page, from Cousin John Spangler.
- John also notes a correction to the Enoch Hilyard family Bible record posted last week. It had stated Enoch was born in Fayette County, OHIO, when in fact it should be Fayette County, PENNSYLVANIA. Sorry about the mix-up, and thanks to John for catching that.
- Jim Winters sent in a little more info on the picture of his siblings posted last week. Do you have a picture that you would like posted? It can be old or new, as long as it has a Hilyard connection!
- Bronson Hilliard believes the date on the Jack Hilliard family portrait should be about 1930, based on the fact that the two boys graduated high school in 1932, and appear to be of high school age, and sister Dorothy appears grown up.
- Thanks to John Burnett for his patience while waiting for me to post his family information. He descends from Jeremiah and Mary Hilyard's son Ephraim, who now has a page.
- And finally, for you hard-core researchers, an update to the Conrad and Catharine Hillegas page. This is still under construction though!