President’s Greeting

Greetings to WMS Members and Friends,

"Looking Ahead" is the theme of this message to Wisconsin Manx Society members and friends. There are two major events that will take place in the next few months. Each of them is important.

First, our WMS will hold its Spring meeting on April 14 at Midvale Lutheran Church in Madison. Following lunch, our guest speaker, Norman Standish, will present an account of the early settlement of our country and the part that his forefathers played in the events of that historical time. Norman’s portrayal of Myles Standish is enhanced by his authentic costume of the pioneers who came to the New World on the Mayflower.

And we can expect an up to the minute report on plans for Convention 2002.

That brings me to the second important event of the summer, the NAMA Convention. Details of the gathering have been printed in earlier NAMA publications. See more about the convention on page 5 of this Newsletter. For those of you who have attended Manx Conventions in the past, you know how different each one is from the other. This one will offer new experiences, introduce us to a new locale and teach us about some of our interesting kinfolk.

I am looking forward to attending the convention, renewing old friendships, and meeting more Manxmen. I hope many of you will be there and share these experiences with me.

Joyce Benjamin

Web Sites

www.Manxscenes.com (Photos recommended by Laurence Skelly)

www.ralphcourtie.com (Manx artist)

www.IOM.localwebguide.co.uk (Interesting information source according to Joyce Benjamin.)

www.isle-of-man.com/interests/genealogy/nama

www.celticwomen.org/manx

www.oocities.org/wisconsinmanx

Membership Secretary Report

There are times in your life when you really can't claim to have any control over what is happening to you, and the imminent arrival of a child is probably pre-eminent among them. I am extremely conscious of this fact, being about four weeks from the expected arrival of our second child. I don't think I have much to tell the recipients of this newsletter about what that means, so I will simply beg your indulgence if I arrive at the next meeting looking very tired and with a babe in arms.

That both of my children are born American, and are also born with a claim to Manx heritage, is a great source of pride and comfort to me. That they will grow up with an awareness of from where their ancestors came, and also an awareness of the principles on which the country into which they have been born was founded - life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – is a happy accident which I hope they will appreciate, and which I will do my best to instill in them. It is also one of the main reasons why societies like ours exists.

Our Society only continues to prosper with the addition of new members, and while I can shortly claim to have added two new members during my time in Wisconsin, I can truthfully say that adding new members to the society by adding new members to your family is probably the slowest to grow the membership!

I therefore would like to invite you all to continue to bring to the Society anyone you know who has an interest in the Isle of Man, and to encourage them to join with us in celebrating the happy marriage of our ancestral home and the country in which we all live.

Andrew Ravenscroft

In Memoriam

The Wisconsin Manx Society lost a valuable member and friend in January when Paul Rabenhorst died peacefully at home in Madison, Wisconsin.

Paul was 71 years old and had retired from a 38-year career as a high school science and biology teacher. He belonged to the WMS for over ten years and was one of those members who quietly shared his skills and expertise when needed.

He’ll be remembered in our organization as the fellow who surprised us when he donned an apron and proved to be an excellent "grill cook" at a fund-raiser back in ’94.

Those who attended the ’96 NAMA Convention in Madison, Wisconsin may recall him as the excellent tour guide who was able to explain the terrain of Southwest Wisconsin as we bussed to Mineral Point and the Laxey Cemetery.

Although not of Manx descent, he became a "member by marriage" when he joined with his wife, Ellen whose grandmother, Isabelle Cannell Way immigrated to Wisconsin as a young bride. He and Ellen were among our Wisconsin Manx representatives at the 2000 Convention on IOM.

All who knew him will sadly miss his enthusiasm and cooperative spirit and we extend our sympathy to Ellen and their sons, Paul Timothy and Jesse.

Dorrie Alff

Spring Meeting - April 14

Guest Speaker

"The title of my talk will be "Standish Family in America - Persistent Settlers".

Although Myles Standish agreed to come to America for one year, he actually spent the rest of his life working for the development of Plimouth Plantation and never did return to England. Information available on following generations indicates that this pattern of dedication to new frontiers has carried on to today.

The March 2000 (v. 30, no. 12) issue of Smithsonian Magazine carried an article "Myles and Me" by David Standish which contains some of my thoughts and theories on the various activities of Myles. I worked with David and on the article, and he has included some of my thoughts on Myles.

Standish family members are spread throughout the United States. However, descendants from the two sons of Myles were prominent in logging and in ship- building for many years. When the call in America was "Go West Young Man" they were on the leading edge, meeting these challenges and contributing to the development of our country.

History my wife, Ingrid, and I have collected will be reviewed."

Norman Standish

Soup, Salad and Sandwich Buffet

T J’s Catering from Sauk City will be providing our lunch buffet.

The cost is $10.00 per person, payable at the meeting.

Make your reservation by March 30 by email to andrew_ravenscroft@hotmail.com

NAMA Convention

Lanark IL - July 19-20, 2002

(Madison is about 70 miles from Lanark IL)

A series of events are planned for the meeting and registration forms will be available by March 1st. Friday, July 19 the NAMA Board Meeting will be held at the Heritage Center in Lanark IL. Following the board meeting there will be a reception at Standish House Bed and Breakfast which will include square dancing, Celtic Dancing and an old time barbecue. Tours of the "living museum" of Pilgrim History will be available.

Saturday, July 20th will be a bus tour covering Manx History in Northwest Illinois and Southern Wisconsin. A presentation on the Fargher family at Freeport, stagecoach stop at Lena, box lunch at Winslow Paradise Cove, Elizabeth stockade from the Black Hawk Indian War, lead mine at Shullsburg WI and stage coach rides at Apple River with a trail side barbecue like the original passengers enjoyed.

Sunday, July 21st will be a bus tour to Galva IL where a picnic will be held in the park and a speaker will review the Manx contribution to the coal mines in Illinois. On the way we will stop at Aleto to see the dress that Rose Standish wore when she married Myles Standish on the Isle of Man before the came to America on the Mayflower in 1620.

Monday, July 22nd will be the General Convention and Banquet at the Masonic Temple, Freeport IL.

Tuesday, July 23rd will be an extra event if at least 40 people sign up. This will be a tour of the Black Hawk Indian War battle fields, history of Bandities, and Dixon Ferry-gateway to the lead fields to the north and will following the Rock River Valley. Lanark is located in the center of these historic sites.

A partial list of hotels/motels/bed and breakfast in the area was included in the NAMA Newsletter. It is advisable to make reservations early. This list is available from Dorrie Alff.

Norman Standish

standish@aeroinc.net