Archive for May, 2006

Elizabeth Van Pelt’s Bible

Sunday, May 21st, 2006

“Dear Daughter,

In presenting you with this Holy Book, permit me to say, that my heart’s desire and prayer to God, is, that you may read and understand it, that its sacred contents may cause you to walk close with God and that with David you may be able to say my soul panteth after thee even as the Hart panteth after the water brook; remembering that those who lean on him will never be confounded nor dismayed; but, shall go from strength to strength in this nether world, and hereafter, appear in the Skies above, to join the innumerable company around the throne in songs of ceaseless praise.

From your affectionate Mother,
Elizabeth Van Pelt”

This is a letter from Elizabeth Van Pelt to her daughter Maria after the death of her husband and son when she gave her the Van Pelt Bible. A special thank you to Cynthia for copies of all these photos/documents.

The cover of the Elizabeth van Pelt’s Bible. Her name is printed in gold in the middle, but a bit hard to see.

Here is one of the pages with family records.

These two bookmarks were possibly down by Great Grandma Maria, Elizabeth’s granddaughter.

Elizabeth Lasilier Van Pelt

Sunday, May 21st, 2006

I think this is may be a photo of my great great great grandmother.

Elizabeth Lasilier, daughter of Abraham and Mary Webber Lasilier, was born in 1789. She married John van Pelt in 1809. Elizabeth and John had three children, Peter, Anthony and Jane Ann, my great great grandmother. John died in 1820. Elizabeth died in 1859.

Jane Ann Van Pelt Webb Myers

Sunday, May 21st, 2006

This is a closeup (from the photo below) of my great great Grandma Myers, mother of Maria Myers Leavenworth. Great Great Grandma Jane was first married to Henry Cripps Webb and they had two children, Charles and John Henry. John Henry died at age 3 and I will be posting a note that Jane’s mother, Elizabeth Lazilier Van Pelt wrote to Jane regarding the death of her son. Jane’s husband Henry had died several months earlier.

Jane then married Martin David Myers and they had five children, one of those being Maria Louise who married Sherman Leavenworth.

Sherman Styles Leavenworth and his wife, Maria Louise Meyers

Sunday, May 21st, 2006

Sherman Styles Leavenworth, father of Grandma Jenny Leavenworth Austin, and therefore my great grandfather.


Maria Louise Myers Leavenworth, mother of Jenny Leavenworth Austin, and my great grandmother.

Special thanks to my cousin Cynthia for sending me copies of these and the other photos I will be posting on the Leavenworths and their relatives.

Visit from a Crabtree Cousin

Tuesday, May 2nd, 2006

I had an enjoyable evening last night. Cousin Dan Brady and his wife Catherine from Chicago, Illinois, visited us in our Cave Creek, Arizona home.

Dan Brady and Louise Smith.

Dan’s great great grandmother Sarah Crabtree Gill, and my great great grandmother Rachel Crabtree, were sisters.

Dan and Catherine Brady, Louise Smith

Thanks again for visiting!!

The Edward James and Arvie Higginson Family

Monday, May 1st, 2006

When I visited with some of the Higginson cousins, they gave me this photo from their growing up days. Pretty good looking family, don’t you think?