By Charlene Shields
Notes from the White County Historical Society as they appear in "The Carmi Times."
Copyright ©2000 by "The Carmi Times" Permission to reprint granted to Cindy Birk Conley and the ILGenWeb by Tammy Knox, editor, "The Carmi Times."
Descendant of German immigrant needs help 2/22/00
SHERE, SHERER, SHEAR, and other spellings--Billie Shere Rodgers, 405 E. Sycamore, Ridgway, IL 62979, is stumped in trying to find information about her ancestor: Joseph Shere. It is known that he served in Co. I, First Illinois Cavalry in the Civil War, and he is buried in the Old Graveyard in Carmi.
However, she can't find him in any census, and she doesn't know who his parents were. He is believed to have been born in Germany. She is especially interested in what boat the Sheres came over on and when. Thinking that White County had a heavy German population, she wonders if others around here know about the port of entry, time of arrival and names of their German ancestors who made their way to White County.
Has anyone come across any Sheres in your German research? Rodgers
needs
help; do you have any info. for her?
........
Buds erupting on trees and early-morning birds' songs point out that
spring must be on the way. I hope this is a signal to our dedicated
volunteers
to start reading tombstones in the cemeteries again. And we still need
lots more volunteers. If interested, call me at 966-3744.
........
With President's Day having been earlier this week, I remembered some
items about George Washington which were in a book, "Hail To The
Chiefs,"
by Barbara Holland. Unlike other prominent men of his day, Washington
refused
to wear a wig. He had a lot of hair which he powdered with chalk daily
so it looked as if he wore a wig. However, when he rode, the wind blew
out all the powder, so Washington would have to fix his hair upon
arrival
at his destination.
Martha Washington, being a loving and devoted wife, enjoyed serving
Washington's favorite foods: cream of peanut soup, Smithfield ham with
oyster sauce, mashed sweet potatoes with coconut, and whiskey cake.
Much has been told of Washington's dentures. The first set was made of wood, the second molded from a pound of lead and the third (Washington's favorite) was carved from hippopotamus ivory.
Washington invented a drink called a "loggerhead." The troops would take a pitcher of beer, stir in sugar and molasses until sweet, and add a gill (5 oz.) of rum. A poker was then heated in the campfire and used to stir the foamy liquid until it came to a boil and had a burnt taste. Washington said his troops would never strike while "at loggerheads."
In December 1799 Washington contracted what was probably strep
throat.
His doctors bled him several times to allow the infection to escape and
made him gargle with molasses, vinegar and butter. In spite of
their
frantic efforts to save him, George Washington died in the early
morning
hours of Dec. 14, 1799.
........
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