Friday, November 29, 2013

Russell Baker

What greater gift to have than a good book!?  Fleta left me a good book at Erin's months ago and Erin forgot to give it to me until my Turkey visit.  Should I be sad that Erin neglected to give me my read or be glad that Erin saved it for me to read later? The book was about Russell Baker.  You can google him and read all about him.  His biography of growing up is very good.  Mr. Baker makes light of himself and all his failures.  His father died when he was about 5.  The Dad had diabetes before the days of insulin.  It killed him at a young age.  His Mother gave up her 10 month old daughter to this Dad's brother and sister in law.  She struggled though the depression eking out an existence for herself, Russell and his sister, Dora..  At one time they took "relief" as Russell called it--a low point of his life.  Betty (yes, his mother) wanted Russell to "amount to something" and she took that as a life mission.  Often she told him to "have a little gumption".  The book is full of "terrible with raisins in it", but Russell makes it all into a comedy.  Thanks to Fleta and to Erin...Fleta for sharing it and Erin for waiting to let me have it.
The facts below tell of Russell in a short history.  In 1930, he is with his Dad in VA living the life of a child and by 1940 he is in the big city of Maryland trying to make it by hawking papers in the streets and taking the money home to his mother.  The household is minus the little sister his mother Betty have to his father's brother.  Russell said Betty did not cry when they took Audrey but sit in the kitchen and stared blankly out a window before asking him if he wanted some "jelly bread" something she thought was frivolous containing far too much sugar.
Name:Russell W Baker
Gender:Male
Birth Year:abt 1926
[abt 1925] 
Birthplace:Virginia
Race:White
Home in 1930:Lovettsville, Loudoun, Virginia
Map of Home:View map
Marital Status:Single
Relation to Head of House:Son
Father's Name:Benjamin R Baker
Father's Birthplace:Virginia
Mother's Name:Lucy E Baker
Mother's Birthplace:Virginia


Household Members:
NameAge
Benjamin R Baker32
Lucy E Baker32
Russell W Baker4
[4 7/12] 
Doris J Baker2
[2 7/12] 
Audrey L Baker0
[3/12] 


Name:Russell Baker
Age:14
Estimated Birth Year:abt 1926
Gender:Male
Race:White
Birthplace:Virginia
Marital Status:Single
Relation to Head of House:Son
Home in 1940:Baltimore, Baltimore City, Maryland
Map of Home in 1940:View map
Street:W Lombard Street
House Number:1439
Inferred Residence in 1935:Baltimore, Baltimore City, Maryland
Residence in 1935:Same House
Sheet Number:8B
Attended School or College:Yes
Highest Grade Completed:Elementary school, 6th grade

Household Members:
NameAge
Lucy Baker42
Russell Baker14
Doris Baker12

A Pill Will Fix You Right Up

One of the things that I notice about the world today is the belief...this little pill will fix that little problem.  People watch the pill pushers ads on TV and tell the Dr. just what they want.  Did they hear the end of the ad where 300 words are crammed into 30 seconds about all the things that pill also does.  Often many include the danger of death.  Worse than this little pill will fix you right up is this little surgery will fix you right up.  Often these ads are by those who push the fake products or better yet the man who profits from the procedure.  You see them more in the magazines than on TV...fix your knee, fix your back, fix your heart, fix your .....!  Most of our problems we create and most we could do some about fixing.  But instead we dream of that little pill or that little surgery.  Or maybe even that person causing all our trouble.  Look in the mirror and there is the perpetrator.  Oh, woe to me for my biggest enemy is inside me.  I pray today I can do a little to fix me.  If I could only stop thinking of me and think about others, I would be a lot better off.  When one thinks only about one's misery Dorothy Parker said it best!!
This wasn't just plain terrible, this was fancy terrible. This was terrible with raisins in it.” 
― Dorothy Parker

Best Turkey Recipe

Erin said to make the best Thanksgiving turkey you should chill the bird a few hours before you roast it.

Great Feast

Astrid was so thankful.  She finally got her braces off.  She has had them since 5th grade.  She was pretty before and is still the same!

We had a great Thanksgiving at Erin's.  I think she is threatening to quit being the hostess, but Greg says she secretly loves it.  Laura is doing Christmas Eve.  Oh, happy days for old Momma as I love my girls taking charge of the holidays.

I wish you all a happy Thanksgiving.  Hope we all have health and happiness upcoming!

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Sight For Sore Eyes

 The walls in this house are framed with cedar.  Larry has hung part of the sheet rock and you can see so much better.  My camera does not take good indoor photos.  It puts a yellow cast on everything, but just image being in a dark hole and finally seeing light.  I can already tell that it is going to be so much lighter in the kitchen.



Catholic Mass Today

I attended Catholic Mass today.  My friend's husband passed away and they are of that faith.  Bill was 86. He had a good long life.  The service was very formal and I liked it.  I do not like the new wave movement in Protestant Churches.  Patsy's friend Donna said all the songs were 7 / 11 songs.  They are like chants and say the same words either 7 times or 11 times.  The old hymns that I love are gone.  Today one song was Amazing Grace.  My friend Mary is in her 80s and lives high in the Mts.    Erin says she will stay there.
Larry is hanging sheet rock and pulling old nasty "paper" paneling in the kitchen.  It is not even painted it and still is so much brighter in there.  He will do this side of the kitchen and then move to the other side and re do it.  I am just watching in awe and wonder as it all comes together.  I will be at Erin's tomrrow at noon, Fleta, if you come to Harrison shopping.  

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Cold and Icy

It was cold and icy here today.  My mums are gone but I remember how pretty they looked.  Sigrid skipped school and stayed with us.  High today was 34 degrees/

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!


Happy Birthday, Erin!! I hope someone makes you a cake!  Laura is making plain cheese cake for you for Thursday!  

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Apricot Perserves

 I am putting this recipe here so I can search my Blog and find it.  I adapted it from one I found in the Heloise column.  I made them once but scorched them and still the jam was good but this will be better.
16 oz. of dried fruit
I used the box of apricots and added enough dates to make 16 oz.  Dates are very sweet and will sweeten anything like this you want to cook.
then add half a cup of sugar
slice one lemon as thin as you can and add it
4 cups of water

Boil with the lid off until it is thick.  Take a potato masher and smash it all up.  Be careful not to let it scorch like I did my first try.  It has very few calories and is sooo good.


Pecan Harvest

 This is my pecan tree and the pecans I have harvested so far.  I have to pick them up daily.  Pecans rot quickly if you leave them on the wet ground and varmits like to eat them, too.  Larry's Mom planted it about 1994 so it is about 20 years old.  It would bear some before but I think now it has enough age that I can expect lots of pecans.  I will buy the beyer stuff and pour around the trunk again in the spring.



 I got these this morning plus some that were in hulls.  I put the ones in hulls in my big green bucket and will knock the hulls off later.
 Here are the walnuts Sigrid picked up and Larry is hulling them with the truck.

Thinking

Too much thinking will give you a headache.  My pecan tree is loaded.  I know nothing about pecans but I am picking them up.  They have to dry after you pick them up.  Pecans are sort of wet.  I have cracked some and they are good.  They are not huge but easy to pick out.  It will be easier than the walnuts Helen is going to pick out when she comes home.  Home to Arkansas...back where she started!  Not a bad thing at all.

I have been thinking about Kennedy.  We think of him as we do because he was snuffed out.  If he had lived, he might not have been such a hero.  If a person does not have any morals in their personal life, I can not think of them as a hero anymore.  I have read several bios of Martin L. King.  His life would make one want to throw up and he wore the tag, Reverend.  Look within the small circle of you life for your heroes and you will find them, hopefully.  If you can't find a hero, woe to you.  We all need heroes and we need folks like Kennedy.  We need to think that someone will do the right thing and so can I, too!  Maybe it is better not to read so much and not to know about people.  The more you know the more you are disappointed in them.  Ignorance is bliss!

Don't think that I did not see Robert Kennedy as a hero too.  Oh, I did.  I have a huge thesis I wrote about him.  It is full of photos from life magazine and one I sent to him for and he sent me a real photo of himself.  When he was murdered, the eternal flame in many died.  As I have aged and read more and more about the Kennedy's I no longer think of them in that hero mode.  More than anything, I feel so sorry for the entire bunch especially all those children of the Kennedy's.   Makes one realize how lucky one is to grow up in a home with some real heroes--Willis and Hazel Powell!  

Today I hope I don't disappoint anyone.  Hope I can be a hero in my small circle of life.  Hope I can do the right thing.

Astrid is playing basketball.  We have beaten Atkins and Clarksville.  Next Monday we play Harrison.  Erin wishes it was at Harrison so she could go, but it is here.  Ingrid is going to play volleyball for the AR Tech 12 year olds.  Sigrid is going to play basketball with the Boys and Girls club.  Clayton is taking taekwondo lessons and Greta tumbling.  Everyone is busy.  I finished Ingrid's throw and want to make one for Sigrid next.

My good girls--Erin is doing Thanksgiving and Laura Christmas eve!  What a gift!  If I could give my sisters a gift--Patsy I would send you a day where you could skip and walk briskly.  I would send Fleta a day filled with good books and no family or friends to interrupt her.  I would send Helen a day of visits from all her children and grandchildren each letting her know how they appreciate all her hard work for them and how they love her more they can express!

Sigrid's Photo

Sigrid took this picture of the trees across the way.  She called Wed. evening asking if I would bring her lunch Thursday.  Roast beef sandwich, curly fries and a jamocha shake.  I took it and she ate it all.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Green Forest Tigers

The University of Mo is suing poor little Green Forest.  They say our Tiger is too much like their's.  I sure hope Green Forest gets to keep our Tiger.  U of MO should stay in their state and leave little schools alone!
Maybe Steve Vowell will represent us!

CARROLL COUNTY, AR -- The University of Missouri is asking a Carroll County school district to change its logo.

"We're looking to do everything we can to retain our logo," says Dr. Matt Summers, superintendent of Green Forest public schools. They're different colors, but two Tigers' growls are coming in a little too close to the same pitch, according to the University of Missouri.

"They're asking us to cease usage of our logo in its entirety," Summers says. Green Forest public schools received a letter last month from the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) representing Missouri and making the request.

"The issue is with Green Forest's use of a design of a tiger head that looks very similar to the university's protected trademark," says Jim Aronowitz, a CLC representative.

"I disagree," Summers says. "If you look at the two side by side, you don't confuse them."

Monday night the Green Forest school board voted to move forward with challenging the change. Multiple lawyers have already offered to help fight the case for free, if it got to that point.

Summers says this type of controversy could be costly, as it's not covered in their liability insurance by the Arkansas
School Board Association.

"The university is not looking for Green Forest to stop using the logo tomorrow or the next day," Aronowitz says. "Missouri is very open and very willing to allow the high school to phase out this particular design over a period of time."

"We'd just like to have our logo," Summers says. "It's something we've grown fond of.

One Cabinet Done

 Larry has finished one cabinet.  He will cover that paneling and he is pulling it out in the room and putting sheet rock.  He is going to tile the floor.  It will take a long time, but he loves doing restoration and it really looks better than the photo.  Laura had to go to Lowes and pick the counter top as the one I wanted that was very plain I decided probably did not match and she said it did not.  The bottom photo is more the color of the cabinets.  The top one looks more red and they have a gold cast.  She said with this counter top the floor can be a lighter color giving more light.  Larry also pulled one light though and put a new one in that really lights up the room.  My camera does not take good pictures indoors, but I don't care because the outdoor ones are fabulous.
 Old cabinet finish.  Larry put 5 coats of finish on the restored ones.  They have new knobs and new hinges.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Hand Me Down

Greta's sweater was hand knit for Laura in 1974 by my vice principal.  It is truly a hand me down, almost 30 years old.
Uh ho, almost 40 years!  Wow, Laura is getting younger.

Clayton Sings Of Deer

Trailing At the Trail

 Three of my girls went to the Bona Dea Trail with me today.  I trailed behind.  Astrid was at olympic training in Little Rock for soccer.  Siggie would ride ahead of me and then wait for me to catch up.  She did a lot of waiting.  I can not walk very fast.  I am a lot slower than a year ago.


Saturday, November 16, 2013

Train With Table---For Fleta


Family Fall Fotos

Fall Family Fotos

Above is link to the cd of pictures of Laura's family.  No html ..so hit back button.  The above picture is by the drive way of the Galla Creek house.

Grandpa

 Cecil Meek's Grandma and Grandpa Jesse.  His father was Henry Grover Cleveland Meek.  I can see Jeanne in this photo. Bill Meek looked just like this Grandpa!

Friday, November 15, 2013

Explosion Snowball 1879

From a history of Searcy County, Arkansas, pages 143-146:

SNOWBALL, ARKANSAS
Recollections of the Past

Early in the year 1870, about one mile from Snowball, a post office was named Calf Creek. The mail came by horseback from Jasper (in Newton County) to Calf Creek, then on to Marshall, back to Calf Creek, and on to Jasper the third day.

In 1875, Captain Ben F. TAYLOR installed a mill at Calf Creek to grind wheat and corn for the inhabitants. At this time mills were scarce and the grain had to be hauled along way. In its third year, the boiler exploded. In the scrap pile was a large piece of scrap iron from the boiler that killed four men: Bert WOODARD, Andy CANEDA, Wade "Dock" GRIFFIN and Wade CAMPBELL, father of L. E. and B. T. CAMPBELL.

Snowball, AR

Grandpa Renfroe was born on Calf Creek Snowball, AR
On the back it says
Snowball 1937
Post Office Lee Drewry, Postmaster
Frank Gray Store
Will Perry Store
Alvis Jaco Store
Old Church
Says this photo was originally owned by Charlie Campbell of Witts Spring

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Gerritsen Beach Gerritsen Mill Gerritsen Creek Gerritsen Avenue

Found these photos of the Gerritsen Beach Gerritsen Mill Gerritsen Creek Gerritsen Avenue
 Gerritsen Ave 1920 and below houses along Gerritsen Creek from the water

 Above Gerritsen Avenue 2013 and below Gerritsen Beach Bus 1925
Gerritsen Mill about 1890
 Gerritsen Farmhouse about 1890
Gerritsen Mill mainly ground Flour!
Contrary to what many say on the internet--Gerritsen Beach Gerritsen Mill Gerritsen Creek Gerritsen Avenue were all named for the Samuel Gerritsen family who owned this Mill and the grounds for over 200 years!
Gerritsen Mill, Beach, and Creek were not named for Wolphert Gerretse. Wolphert's last name was Couwenhoven. The Gerritsen's who owned the Mill and lived on the Beach for almost 300 years were the descendants of Gerrit Remmersen. Dutch children of this era took the first name of their father for their surname. Gerrit's sons Rem and Samuel used the surname Gerritsen. Rem moved to Cape May, New Jersey, and died there. Samuel Gerritsen lived in Gravesend and Samuel owned the Tide Mill. Hugh Gerritsen held title to some land in this area in 1645. His relationship to Samuel Gerritsen, if any, is not proven. Documented proof of the passing of the Tide Mill exists in the land record's of Kings County. The Mill passed from Samuel Gerritsen (1671-1763) to his son Johannes (1716-1766). In the New York Surrogate's office, Liber 25, page 232, is the will of Johannes Gerritsen, miller, of Gravesend, who gave to his son, Samuel Gerritsen, all his real and personal estate, subject to certain legacies, which he (Samuel) was to pay. In this will he names his widow, Jannetie, and a daughter, Ida. His executors are named as his brother-in-law Michiel Vandervoort, and Rem Williamson and his cousin Jacobus Rider. The date of this will is December 20th, 1765. Johannes first wife and mother of Samuel was deceased. Her maiden name was Elizabeth Vandervoort (Michiel was her brother). Ida was the daughter of Jannetie Williams Gerritsen. Samuel Gerritsen, of Gravesend, recorded his will in the Kings County Surrogate's office, in Libel 2, probated in 1822. In this will he leaves the grist mill and farm to his son, John S., and names daughters, Jane and Elizabeth. He appoints his son-in-law, John Lott, and grandson, Van Brunt Magaw, executors. Van Brunt Magaw was born September 7th, 1783; died March 18th, 1831. He was a son of Colonel Robert Magaw, an officer of distinction in the Reyolution, and Marritje, daughter of Colonel Rutgert Van Brunt. Van Brunt Magaw, married November 2nd, 1811, Adriana, daughter of Louwrens Voorhees and Jannetie,his wife, daughter of Samuel Gerritsen. This Samuel Gerritsen (grandson of the elder Samuel, born 1671) was the miller during the Revolutionary War,who dumped the grind stones into the Harbor rather than to mill for the British! John S. Gerritsen continued to operate the Tide Mill. The will of John S. Gerritsen, miller, of Gravesend, was probated September 2nd, 1864, and is recorded in Libel 28. He leaves his farm, meadows and mill to his son, Samuel J. Gerritsen, and another farm which he had bought of the Stillwells, to his other son, Simon C. Gerritsen. Samuel J. Gerritsen'S will was recorded on October 31st, 1876, and was made May 4th of the same year. He leaves all his property, both real and personal, to his two daughters, Mary C., widow of Abraham Ditmas Polhemus, and Helen B., wife of Stephen H. Herriman, both of Brooklyn. In 1899, the estate was sold to the Honorable William C. Whitney, who rebuilt, laid out, refitted and restored the premises, making one of the most magnificent country seats around New York. On his death his son, Harry Payne Whitney, came into possession of the properly. 

Gerritsen Beach

Gerritsen Mill, Beach, and Creek were not named for Wolphert Gerretse. Wolphert's last name was Couwenhoven. The Gerritsen's who owned the Mill and lived on the Beach for almost 300 years were the descendants of Gerrit Remmersen. Dutch children of this era took the first name of their father for their surname. Gerrit's sons Rem and Samuel used the surname Gerritsen. Rem moved to Cape May, New Jersey, and died there. Samuel Gerritsen lived in Gravesend and Samuel owned the Tide Mill. Hugh Gerritsen held title to some land in this area in 1645. His relationship to Samuel Gerritsen, if any, is not proven. Documented proof of the passing of the Tide Mill exists in the land record's of Kings County. The Mill passed from Samuel Gerritsen (1671-1763) to his son Johannes (1716-1766). In the New York Surrogate's office, Liber 25, page 232, is the will of Johannes Gerritsen, miller, of Gravesend, who gave to his son, Samuel Gerritsen, all his real and personal estate, subject to certain legacies, which he (Samuel) was to pay. In this will he names his widow, Jannetie, and a daughter, Ida. His executors are named as his brother-in-law Michiel Vandervoort, and Rem Williamson and his cousin Jacobus Rider. The date of this will is December 20th, 1765. Johannes first wife and mother of Samuel was deceased. Her maiden name was Elizabeth Vandervoort (Michiel was her brother). Ida was the daughter of Jannetie Williams Gerritsen. Samuel Gerritsen, of Gravesend, recorded his will in the Kings County Surrogate's office, in Libel 2, probated in 1822. In this will he leaves the grist mill and farm to his son, John S., and names daughters, Jane and Elizabeth. He appoints his son-in-law, John Lott, and grandson, Van Brunt Magaw, executors. Van Brunt Magaw was born September 7th, 1783; died March 18th, 1831. He was a son of Colonel Robert Magaw, an officer of distinction in the Reyolution, and Marritje, daughter of Colonel Rutgert Van Brunt. Van Brunt Magaw, married November 2nd, 1811, Adriana, daughter of Louwrens Voorhees and Jannetie,his wife, daughter of Samuel Gerritsen. This Samuel Gerritsen (grandson of the elder Samuel, born 1671) was the miller during the Revolutionary War,who dumped the grind stones into the Harbor rather than to mill for the British! John S. Gerritsen continued to operate the Tide Mill. The will of John S. Gerritsen, miller, of Gravesend, was probated September 2nd, 1864, and is recorded in Libel 28. He leaves his farm, meadows and mill to his son, Samuel J. Gerritsen, and another farm which he had bought of the Stillwells, to his other son, Simon C. Gerritsen. Samuel J. Gerritsen'S will was recorded on October 31st, 1876, and was made May 4th of the same year. He leaves all his property, both real and personal, to his two daughters, Mary C., widow of Abraham Ditmas Polhemus, and Helen B., wife of Stephen H. Herriman, both of Brooklyn. In 1899, the estate was sold to the Honorable William C. Whitney, who rebuilt, laid out, refitted and restored the premises, making one of the most magnificent country seats around New York. On his death his son, Harry Payne Whitney, came into possession of the properly.
New Amsterdam--First Settlement
 Garretson House 1800s Long Island
 Gerritsen Avenue, Gravesend
 Gerritsen Creek
 Early Long Island Map
 Gerritsen Creek
 One of the first maps of New York
 Gerritsen House
 First Map of Gravesend drawn by James Hubbard.  James Hubbard's daughter, Rebecca, married Rem Gerritsen.  She was a Quaker.
 Old Gerritsen Mill--early 1900s

Well, I could titled this Hillbilly tried to correct errors at Wikipedia or Galla Creek VS New York Times.  My sisters know I love learning about dead people and seeing pictures of them.  Larry uses the name Renfroe but his father was Eugene Garrison and his mother was the Renfroe.  He lived with his Grandparents most of his life and took their surname.  When we dead ended on researching the Powells.  I started with my children's ancestors--Standridges, Garrisons, Satterfields, Dilbecks, Humphreys, Blevins, Jones, etc.  Each of these I dead ended on also.  To find the Garrisons, Larry and his brother Roger Garrison submitted DNA to the family treemaker organization.  Their results matched the Gerritsens who owned Gerritsen Mill for over 200 years and lived on Gerritsen Beach and Gerritsen Creek and operated Gerritsen Mill.  Y DNA is the most awesome tool for someone interested in genealogy.  Over 100s of years the Y strand can be passed from father to son with no changes, but some times there will be some number changes on certain genes.  The most unstable ones are where the mutations often occur.  Roger and Larry's Y strand and the Samuel Gerritsen, Garretson, Gerritson, Gerrittson descendant's were almost the same.  I was able to contact him in Florida and ask if he would pay for additional testing to check the strand farther.  He did and we paid for Larry's to be checked.  There was no need to pay for Roger's as he and Larry's Y are absolutely identical.  The extensive test markers were all identical.  Armed with this information I began looking for my children's Gerritsen ancestors.  I could not fit our ancestors into any of Samuel's children or his many sons children.  I posted a comment for help at rootsweb.  And low and behold someone from Samuel's brother Rem Gerritsen's family came forward to assist me and our connection was made NOT through Samuel but through Samuel's brother Rem.  Samuel and Rem were sons of Gerrit Remmerson of New Amsterdam.  They belonged to the Dutch Church.  Rem married a Quaker and moved to Cape May, New Jersey.  He was a whaler and whaling off Long Island was exhausted.  His little brother, Sameul stayed at Gravesend, New Amsterdam (later New York).  He was a miller and owned the Gerritsen Tide Mill.  The Tide Mill passed from father to son until the late 1800's when a Gerritsen had only 2 daughters.  The Mill went to them.  One of their sons (Herriman) operated the Mill but eventually sold the estate to the wealthy Whitney family who developed the property farther.  Gerritsen Beach, Gerritsen Creek, Gerritsen Avenue and Gerritsen Bay are all named after Samuel's family, but the New York Times wrote an article about the area in 2002 stating that the area was name for Wolphert Gerrtse Couwenhoven.  Then, this was added to Wikipedia.  Well, I signed up as an editor at Wikipedia to correct the mistake, but I am not as esteemed as the New York Times.  I fixed the mistake 3 times and 3 times they deleted my edit for different reasons, but one said it was not "helpful".  So I take it that correct information is not really important to Wikipedia and I would not place much faith in what is posted there.

My sisters are wondering why I am writing this long drawn out post about Gerritsen Beach, Gerritsen Bay, Gerritsen Mill, Gerritsen Creek, and even Gerritsen Avenue.  My Blog is through google when anyone searches for these names they will find the Wikipedia post but also my correct one.  I am posting what I wrote for the edit to Wikipedia twice.  I really want to words to get out there and hope folks will find my post and the correct data.  Samuel gave the Gerritsen Mill to Johannes; Johannes willed it to Samuel Johannes; the second Samuel passed it to his son, John S.; and John S. passed the Mill to his son Samuel. This last Samuel Gerritsen had no sons, but in 1876 he willed his estate to his two daughters:  Mary C., widow of Abraham Ditmas Polhemus, and Helen B., wife of Stephen H. Herriman, both of Brooklyn. In 1899, the estate was sold to the Honorable William C. Whitney, who rebuilt, laid out, refitted and restored the premises, making one of the most magnificent country seats around New York. On his death his son, Harry Payne Whitney, came into possession of the properly.

The Gerritsen who matched our DNA spelled his last name Garretson.  After the Civil War or recent family spells the name Garrison.  I was amazed to find over a dozen spellings for the name.
Gerritsen Mill, Beach, and Creek were not named for Wolphert Gerretse. Wolphert's last name was Couwenhoven. The Gerritsen's who owned the Mill and lived on the Beach for almost 300 years were the descendants of Gerrit Remmersen. Dutch children of this era took the first name of their father for their surname. Gerrit's sons Rem and Samuel used the surname Gerritsen. Rem moved to Cape May, New Jersey, and died there. Samuel Gerritsen lived in Gravesend and Samuel owned the Tide Mill. Hugh Gerritsen held title to some land in this area in 1645. His relationship to Samuel Gerritsen, if any, is not proven. Documented proof of the passing of the Tide Mill exists in the land record's of Kings County. The Mill passed from Samuel Gerritsen (1671-1763) to his son Johannes (1716-1766). In the New York Surrogate's office, Liber 25, page 232, is the will of Johannes Gerritsen, miller, of Gravesend, who gave to his son, Samuel Gerritsen, all his real and personal estate, subject to certain legacies, which he (Samuel) was to pay. In this will he names his widow, Jannetie, and a daughter, Ida. His executors are named as his brother-in-law Michiel Vandervoort, and Rem Williamson and his cousin Jacobus Rider. The date of this will is December 20th, 1765. Johannes first wife and mother of Samuel was deceased. Her maiden name was Elizabeth Vandervoort (Michiel was her brother). Ida was the daughter of Jannetie Williams Gerritsen. Samuel Gerritsen, of Gravesend, recorded his will in the Kings County Surrogate's office, in Libel 2, probated in 1822. In this will he leaves the grist mill and farm to his son, John S., and names daughters, Jane and Elizabeth. He appoints his son-in-law, John Lott, and grandson, Van Brunt Magaw, executors. Van Brunt Magaw was born September 7th, 1783; died March 18th, 1831. He was a son of Colonel Robert Magaw, an officer of distinction in the Reyolution, and Marritje, daughter of Colonel Rutgert Van Brunt. Van Brunt Magaw, married November 2nd, 1811, Adriana, daughter of Louwrens Voorhees and Jannetie,his wife, daughter of Samuel Gerritsen. This Samuel Gerritsen (grandson of the elder Samuel, born 1671) was the miller during the Revolutionary War,who dumped the grind stones into the Harbor rather than to mill for the British! John S. Gerritsen continued to operate the Tide Mill. The will of John S. Gerritsen, miller, of Gravesend, was probated September 2nd, 1864, and is recorded in Libel 28. He leaves his farm, meadows and mill to his son, Samuel J. Gerritsen, and another farm which he had bought of the Stillwells, to his other son, Simon C. Gerritsen. Samuel J. Gerritsen's will was recorded on October 31st, 1876, and was made May 4th of the same year. He leaves all his property, both real and personal, to his two daughters, Mary C., widow of Abraham Ditmas Polhemus, and Helen B., wife of Stephen H. Herriman, both of Brooklyn. In 1899, the estate was sold to the Honorable William C. Whitney, who rebuilt, laid out, refitted and restored the premises, making one of the most magnificent country seats around New York. On his death his son, Harry Payne Whitney, came into possession of the properly.