WORDS TO LIVE
BY
“I HAVE DRUNK FROM WELLS I DID NOT DIG, I HAVE BEEN
WARMED BY FIRES I DID NOT BUILD.”
Anonymous
Our oldest living Kalloch, Mabel C. Rollins, died on January 16, 1988, at the age of 105, having spanned almost all of the 121 years of Kalloch Reunions. A former teacher, she was the daughter of Frank and Almeda Thomas Kalloch, Aunt to Eleanor Richardson and Dorothy Pearson, and Great Aunt to Peter Richardson, to whom she passed her devotion to family. I met Mabel when I first started coming to reunions 14 years ago and remember clearly her defending the reputation of the Rev. Isaac Kalloch. She still remembered stories of Isaac complaining to family members that the papers were maligning him. Jim Skoglund, devoted St. George historian, remembers Mabel telling him of how she was sent to sit by the side of The Rev. Joseph Kalloch, who founded the reunion, to sing hymns to him during his final illness. She did just that and came back to report that Grandpa had “just let go.” It was an incredible gift to have Mabel Rollins with us so long, for she most certainly helped to dig the wells and build the fires for our Kalloch family. |
|
121st Reunion |
August 20, 1988 at Noon |
St. George Grange |
The 120th Reunion in 1987 was attended by 33 members at Beaver Lodge. The oldest attending was Capt. Ralph Kalloch, age 87; the youngest, Rebecca Mayhew, age 13. Catherine Olson traveled from California and Lloyd and Glennie Gross were the longest married. There were positive reports about the list of Bed & Breakfast establishments and a suggestion that someone should compile the medical history of Kallochs. New officers are Anita Fernald Johnson, President; Hazel Hills, Vice President; Donna Perry, Secretary; Paul Merriam, Treasurer.
The St. George Grange Hall is an historic spot for Kalloch reunions. You
find it by going to Thomaston on Rte. 1 and turning at the Knox Memorial onto
Rte. 131 which will take you directly to Wiley’s Corner, St. George. Bring
your own food as we have done at Beaver Lodge. If you wish to plan on a
meal at the Craignair Inn nearby, the number is 207-594-7644. If you
have last-minute questions, call Donna Perry in South Thomaston: 207-594-4186.
Bring an extra something for those who are traveling from a distance.
And do make the effort to come support the Clan.
100 Years Ago
The Kalloch Reunion for the year 1888 was held at Crescent Beach the last Wednesday in August. The first business was clearing the long tables of the many good things with which they were loaded; having been performed to the satisfaction of all, the president called to order and the regular business of the association was as follows. Interesting remarks were made by Mr. Miller of West Camden, by Rev. Mr. Holman and by Mr. Hawthorn. A poem, appropriate to the occasion, by Miss Buzzel, was read by the president. (Note: Miss Buzzel was the mother of Edna St. Vincent Millay.) Prayer was offered by H.F. Kalloch and a pleasant hour then spent in signing and renewing acquaintances. This was one of the largest reunions we have ever had, it being estimated that five hundred or more persons were present.
Scholarship Fund
We have $125.81 in the Kalloch Scholarship Fund which was originally established for Sam Kalloch. We still need someone in the area to contact the principal at St. George High School to find a recipient, preferably someone with connections to the Kalloch family.
Using Phone Books
When you travel, please look up Kallochs, Kellocks, etc. We have “discovered” new people for our mailing list in this fashion. Last year I found a review of a Boston recital by one Judith Kellock, called her when I was in town and was put in touch with her father, John Kellock of Barnegat Light, New Jersey. The modern name for all this is networking.
Obituaries
Marjorie Johnson Utterstrom, niece of Flora Peavey, died at
Maine Medical Center on August 4, 1987.
Elmer Rising of Reading, Mass., died in Danvers on November 29, 1987. He
was the son of Laura Kalloch Rising and cousin of Doris Merriam.
Vital Statistics
The Rev. Peter Richardson married Eleanor Motley Billings on
June 20, 1987, in Concord, Mass. to the accompaniment of a 40-voice choir
consisting of friends and choir members from Eleanor’s church.
Flora Peavey’s daughter, Madeline, married Dr. Wally Wing July 18, 1987.
Faustina Spring of St. George and Mabel Wilson of Tenants Harbor were honored
for their 90th birthdays this past year.
Colby Kalloch was 89 in October and my mother, Lee Kalloch, was 85 in
February.
Correspondence
Evelyn Kalloch sent me an update on the list of B.& B.'s in
Thomaston, which can be added to last year’s list. The Misty Rose, c/o
Wanda L. Clarkson, 207-354-6532 -- Gracie’s Bed and Breakfast, 207-354-2326 --
Cap’n Frost’s, 207-354-8217.
Thelma Kalloch of Deland Florida thanked me for the Newsletter. She and
her niece Dot went on a Caribbean cruise in February of 1987.
Flora K. Peavey had a poem published in the Senior Signal of North Kingston,
R.l. and sent me an article from the Fort Fairfield Review which told
of my grandfather’s appointment as milk inspector 40 years ago.
Mabel Harris of Columbia City, Oregon, wrote to thank me for the Newsletter,
wishing she were able to come to reunions and meet “other Kallochs.”
Mary Crocker Leno of Yucca Valley, California, wrote that she was not able to
attend the reunion last year but still hopes to make one eventually. She
reports that Isaac Kalloch, one-time Mayor of San Francisco, was her
grandmother’s uncle and that the family had always thought it was son, Isaac
who killed Charles de Young rather than Milton as I had reported last year.
That matter can be cleared up by anyone wishing to re-read The Golden Voice by
M. M. Marberry and letting me know for next year. Mary sent me a list of
Amariah Kalloch’s direct descendants a few years ago which were a wonderful
find for our mailing list.
Alicia Kay Smith of Los Angeles, California, sent a page from an 1885 diary
kept by Melissa Arey Emery (1837-1900). Alicia’s uncle, Fred Merrill
Smith, with his wife, Mary Ruth Emery were the founders of Crescent Beach and
the Beach House. Alicia is the great great granddaughter of Moses
Kalloch, who married Lydia Sayward, and there is a monument for them at Ginn’s
Point, ME. The keeper of the diary, Melissa Emery, would be mother to
Mary Ruth Emery. The excerpt in question reads: “Wednesday, August 26,
1885; Wind N.W. and very cold for the season. John, Mary and myself
attended the Kalloch reunion, holden at E. P. Graves. St. Geo. Fred went
to Warren in the forenoon and arrived at the Graves about noon. Passed a
very pleasant day and got home at 5 p.m.”
My cousin, Charlene Allen Black sent a real estate ad from “Down East” which
refers to a “Kalloch Brook” in Warren, where there is apparently a fabulous
barn and building lot and 13 acres for $9,000. Too bad we cannot hold
the reunion there!
Publications
The Warren Historical Association has published ‘Warren
Cemeteries 1735 to 1985.” There is a photograph of the 1931 monument erected
to Phinley Kalloch and others who helped to establish Warren. Leland
Overlock, the author, has promised to come to our reunion to talk about the
book. There is also a reprint available of an 1888 Warren History.
“St. George Chronicles” from 1605 to 1892 has been reprinted and can be
obtained from Jim Skoglund of St. George -- 1892 Chronicles $7.50; 1932
Chronicles $7.00. I am told that Linwood Moody has written a book called
“Maine Two-footers" -- I believe about railroading.
Peter has written a book, “The Spiritual Founders of our Constitution,” which
he gave me when I visited him in October. It is an excellent account of
the Unitarian beliefs of the founding fathers who shaped our country; i.e.,
Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, Washington, Paine and others.
Cemeteries
I have prepared a sell-guided tour of the old cemetery at the First Baptist
Church at St. George, near the Grange Hall. I did this with the help of
Jim Skoglund and hope to have them available at the reunion for a small fee.
Charlene Black and I went to the Old Settlers Cemetery in Warren, something
that others may wish to do even though it is not very accessible. Most
of the stones have worn away, except for the monument erected in 1931, and
others were originally just field stones. Phinley Kelloch’s name appears
on one side of the large granite monument, erected in 1913, along with names
of other founders of Warren such as Moses Robinson and John Young -- both of
whom happen to be ancestors of mine.
To find the Old Settlers Cemetery go south on Route 1. It is .3 of a
mile south of Reed’s gift shop. Look for Anderson Realty in an A-frame
building set back from the road. Along the south side of this building
is a dirt road that goes down to the St. George River. Be careful
because it is a rutted, and possibly muddy road with no turn-arounds until you
get to the river. I would suggest parking your car and walking down
(less than 1 mile).
While in the vicinity you may wish to go to the site of the original Kalloch
homestead 1.6 of a mile past the Reed gift shop but on the opposite side of
Route 1. The house presently on the site bears the date 1791 over the
door.
T-Shirts
There are T-shirts available by mail or at the reunion for
$8.00 plus $2.00 postage. I have had a design made and will order the
shirts based on the response I get from this very announcement. The
shirts will be ecru with maroon lettering and consist of an outline of the
State of Maine, within which is an outline of the old Kalloch coffeepot and
the lettering says: Kalloch Family 1735.
The sizes will be standard but keep in mind that repeated washings probably
will result in some shrinkage. Small: Chest Measurement 34-36; Medium
38-40; Large 42-48; Extra Large, suitable for men and teenagers (or others
such as small children) who wear them as night shirts or at the beach, 46-48.
I need to know NOW how many people will definitely ORDER them so I can
determine how many to order. The smallest amount I can order is 12.
If I can order 24, there will be a profit. So. . . . . write back quickly with
the number of shirts you want, the size, a mailing label already written out,
and $10.00 for each shirt (includes postage). You can make out the check
to: Nancy L. Sack. I will then order the shirts and mail one or more to
you. Let me know by June 1st. This is a good opportunity to buy
gifts for the grandchildren which will give them a sense of Family and
heritage.
Treasurer’s Report
Paul Merriam, 72 Mechanic St., Rockland, Maine 04841
As of January, 1988, we have a total of $882.57. This historical account to reimburse the genealogists for expenses is $262.08. Those who have contributed to the general fund, scholarship fund, or historical account since last year are:
|
Raymond Oxton, Lincolnville, ME |
Catherine Kalloch, Concord, NH |
|
Pearl Kalloch, York, ME |
Bonnie Deitz, Lake Havasu City, AZ |
|
M/M Roy Hall, Sedro Wooley, WA |
Dorothy Blackman, Edmeston, NY |
|
Flora Peavey, North Kingston, RI |
Alta Scott, Ansonia, CT |
|
Mitchell Kalloch, Clements, MD |
Mary Leno, Yucca Valley, CA |
|
Thelma Bennett, Deland, FL |
Colby and Lee Kalloch, Eastham, MA |
|
Doris Merriam, Rockland, ME |
Many thanks to all of the above and those who contribute at the reunions when we pass the coffee pot. Last summer we collected $121 from the 33 attending.
Tracing Request
Doreen McCoy, 432 Humbolt St. #4, Santa Rosa, CA 95404 is
looking for any information regarding the people described below. Please
let her know.
Thelma Agnes Knight (Kalloch) married Robert Douglas Kalloch in 1954 in Los Angeles. They met because Thelma’s step mother was a Kalloch and Aunt to Robert. Their child was Karen Louise Kalloch, born in San Francisco in 1955. Thelma’s parents were from Belfast and were Thomas Carter Knight and Wilma Huntington Shattuck. Thelma was born in 1932. Doreen believes Robert Kalloch’s brother James presently lives in Massachusetts. She is anxious to make contact and has written me about it several times.
WE GOOFED! |
“Haste Makes Waste” and here is the proof! |
Genealogy Updates
Dean Mayhew (Fish Pt. Road, Box 75, Orland, ME 04472) reports that no researcher in all of Scotland will
take us on unless we can supply a first name for our Kalloch; then they can take us back to 1500 or so. Dean
reported several years ago that the greatest number of Kellochs seem to come from Fifeshire, near Edinburgh, but there
were some 63 parishes in Fifeshire. His main hope is that the Mormon records being put on fiche will help him
track down a first name. From there he can turn to Hearth Tax files (1690-93); poll taxes (1694-95); land
ownership after 1617; wills, testaments, tax assessments, and indebtedness records. If he fails to come up with
a lead in the 63 parishes of Fifeshire, he will have to go to other parishes where Kellocks were known to have
lived - an enormous job and the reason Dean no longer can be president and continue to do this searching.
Peter Richardson (34 Fletcher St., Kennebunk, ME 04043) calls what Dean is looking for “the big breakthrough:’
We need to know not only the first name but whether the first Kalloch in this country (Phinley’s father) was widowed,
married at the time, where he came from, whether he left Maine for Pennsylvania, etc. The most likely first name
of this Kalloch would be Adam, Alexander, David, John, or Matthew.
Phinley's father landed in the company of neighbors, in-laws, or a congregation; surnames from such a group could have
been Boyd, Young, Gaut or Gault, Cunningham, or Brown. Presbyterian ministers named Adam Boyd served both in New
Hampshire and Pennsylvania in the early 1700’s. One named Alexander Boyd served in Georgetown, Maine, from
1748-1753, the town from which John Kalloch’s wife Isabella came.
The earliest church in Boston (1729) to which these Scots-Irish went was the Church of the Presbyterian Strangers, now
the Arlington Street Church - Unitarian Universalist. Dolores McCarthy planned to research leads in Boston, but we
also need volunteers to research in Boothbay, Georgetown, Londonderry, NH, Newburyport, MA, and Harrisburg, Chester,
and Lancaster, PA.
Peter is particularly eager to have an expandable computerized numbering system for the continually expanding
generations. Hundreds of names are added each year. (No wonder he is renovating the house!) He is
hoping that by our 125th year we will be able to publish some hard data. Other chapters would include a history
of the Kalloch reunions. There are 120 years of minutes, clippings, programs, and photographs waiting for
someone with good organizational skills to collate and edit. Another chapter could include information on the
Nova Scotia Kellocks, descended from Hugh and his son Robert (1797-1876).
So please offer your services so we can look forward to printing up a pamphlet or booklet with what we do know about
our history and have it ready for our 125th reunion in four years. This is the sort of thing - along with past
issues of the Newsletter - which should be placed in libraries at Warren, Thomaston, and perhaps Rockland for future
generations.
Special Apology
One of the newer Kallochs we have added to our mailing list is Bonnie Dietz of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, who sent me 8 other Kallochs in her family. I in turn misplaced the letter and the list but have added the names as of this mailing. Bonnie sent copies from a book called “History of Greater Ashland, Maine, Area," in which is an article and picture of her great great grandfather, Rufus Kalloch, who "floated down the Aroostook River” to Ashland, where he represented the district in the state legislature in 1842, built the first church in Ashland, and taught school for 20 years. He died in 1891 having also served as trial justice for 47 years. His son, Alonzo T. Kalloch, was a noted hunter and dead shot, reputed to have once killed a bear with his fist! Bonnie and her daughter are planning a special trip from Arizona to meet their Kalloch kin, for the first time!
Address Updates
Unless someone knows the whereabouts of the following, they are being dropped from the mailing list because the Newsletter cannot be forwarded to them:
James K. Kalloch, Rockland |
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Olson, Sun City, CA |
If anyone was planning to answer Doreen McCoy’s “Tracing Request,” please do not bother. After writing to me many
times about her family history, she has apparently moved and left no forwarding address.
Constitution
Less anyone think spirits did not run high in the field of politics for our ancestors, let them travel to the old St. George Cemetery and read the headstone of Hance Kalloch: “The Constitution it must and shall be preserved.” Jim Skoglund, who is responsible for the restoration of the Cemetery, says Hance was excluded from the St. George Baptist Church for “public railing." It seems he was a Republican at the time when the Church was not in favor of the Civil War. My great great grandfather, Alexander Kalloch of St. George refused to send his son, Deacon Henry F. Kalloch, “to fight a Republican war!” Instead, he paid the necessary bounty and Henry lived on to found my immediate branch of the family.
Further Cemetery Research
If you have the time and inclination and can find an old plot plan, the following cemeteries are likely spots for
Kallochs and need self-directed tours such as the one I have done for St. George:
1. Ashpoint, South Thomaston
2. Warren cemetery in town center. Benjamin Kalloch is here
3. Baptist Church on Rte. 17 in West Rockport
4. Back of the Baptist Church in Warren, Antoinette and Mero Kalloch
5. Old Setters Cemetery in Rockland—Alexander and Charles A. (Son of John III and Betsy Kellar)
6. Rockport Cemetery across from the Samoset Hotel—Alexander III and Joseph
Last Minute Thoughts From Dean Mayhew, who says...
I think Kellock the original was a closet Jacobite. There was a substantial Fifeshire, Aberdeenshire following for
James VIII, the Stuart pretender. Have followed the course of “The Fifteen” as it is called in Scotland. Large numbers
of people were included in the indemnity of 1716. These people were suspected but no proof, so I suspect he left with
his valuables, enabling him to found a business in Portsmouth. Also, since all fisheries were on the Isles of Shoals
(New Hampshire) in 1718, this would give him a head start if he had to flee again. There are just too many Marrs in
the Kellock tribe with nobody knowing how the name fits in. John Erskine, 6th Earl of Marr, led “The Fifteen” for
James VIII.
Dean plans to speak at the Reunion on the technique of Kellock research in Scotland.
If you send me a check for T-shirts, I will hold the check until June 1st, at which time I will either go ahead with
the order (if I have enough by that time) or return your check.
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