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Hibben Here! And so is the 2010 edition of the Groundhog Letter!
ANNUAL HIBBEN
 We decided to be like the proverbial groundhog this year & promptly retreated to our little hole when Feb. 2 arrived.
So we waited out the rest of those 6 weeks of winter and are now peeking out to see if the world is still there and, more
importantly, is spring here yet? Well, not exactly, but almost! As usual, here is the background about the “cast members” . . . The fam:
Patty
& John Pitterle – daughter and son-in-law, residents of Overgaard, AZ –
they are hooked on country living. Patty is still the Postmaster there, in a 5-person Post Office. She also works
as an EMT in the nights and on weekends. John has started working as a custodian and maintenance man at the local school,
allowing him to work while the girls are in classes and home when they are. Patty's blog is Pitterle Postings and is an uplifting read! Their children (yours, mine, & ours) are:
Kirbi Dawn (nee Hinchey) and her husband Joe Mason – now living in Cape Girardeau,
MO where Joe is teaching drama and music at a local college. Kirbi is doing some work at home for the insurance company that
employed her back in Massachusetts. They are proud parents of Lillabeth, who just turned
six, and Sadie, who turned one in early 2009.
Louis
(Hinchey), living in the Mesa area of AZ. He is a school bus driver.
D.J. (Hinchey) and his wife, Amy Jo, also in the
valley; D.J. has recently been promoted to general manager of Larry Miller Volkswagen! Amy spends most of her time keeping
track of David Cole (4), Jacob Nelson (just turned 3), and Ellie Joy, who turned one in spring 2008, and the latest, Lyla
Ann, born January 29, 2010.
Lori (nee Hinchey) and her new husband Victor Tanori, living in the valley; they are the proud parents
of Nora, born in July 2008. Adam (Hinchey) is still living in the valley in AZ and keeps busy with his various interests and his many nieces
and nephews. Emily (nee Hinchey)
and her husband Matt Allphin, still living in Orem, UT, where Matt
will be graduating this spring with a major in computer engineering – he was chosen to be valedictorian of the College
of Technology and Computing at Utah Valley University and we are looking forward to being in the audience to see him awarded
this honor and hear Emily give a speech. Both enjoy running marathons, and Emily works with a computer company. Her
blog deals with the many areas of her interest, from her family to her various clever creations. Amy (nee Pitterle) and
Preston Foster living in Mesa, AZ where Preston works for a medical delivery service and has recently been promoted in his
job; Amy takes care of their, Chloe Lynn, who turned one this past November. Their two dogs – Charlie & Claire –
love having a person their size to play with. Amy's blog is Foster Features and she discusses all sorts of things of particular interest to young mothers.
Josh (Pitterle) is living in Overgaard where
he is seriously considering a career in the military.
Miracle
– the oldest of John & Patty's "joint" efforts – turned 13 this year; she loves going to dances
and enjoying the active life of a teenager. Mikayla – now 11–
continues to enjoy school and an active social life.
Anya – age 9 this past New Year’s
Day – loves school and seems to always smile.
Quentin and Mary Jane Hibben
– son and daughter-in-law, living in Elburn, IL where Quentin is still employed by Simpson Anchor and Mary Jane continues
in her job with Velspar. They are kept on their toes by Derek, now 4, and Robert Kyle, who turned
one this past summer. Their dog Pandy (short for Pandemonium) rules the back yard. Whenever possible, they get together
with Quentin's older two:
Jeni, living
in Rockford, IL, where she works part-time and attends community college.
James, now living in Missouri to be near his girlfriend, also named Jennifer.
Sandi and Greg Dodge – daughter
and son-in-law, living in McDonough, GA where Sandi, the mathematician, continues to be involved with her children's schools and
Greg continues to work for General Dynamics as a National Guard trainer. Sandi, who
still takes time to work on genealogy, reports that her children are also busy folks:
Matt
(Hicks), Sandi’s first born, is serving in the US Navy, stationed in San Diego but scheduled to deploy to Japan.
Chris (Schmidt) continues in his service to the United States as
Specialist in the US Army, currently serving in Washington state, having spent much of 2009 in Iraq.
Brad (Schmidt), now in his third year of college at Georgia Tech where he is earning top grades and has
set his sights on becoming a dentist.
Kati (Schmidt), now a junior at Georgia Tech where she continues to make good grades and is studying Polymer
Engineering with an emphasis in Chemistry. Singing continues to be a major part of her life. Drew (Schmidt), a high school senior, continues to love music but also finds time to attend Georgia
Tech concurrently; he’ll graduate from high school this spring.
Tyler,
the youngest in the Dodge household, now 10, continues to be active in Scouts and has school at the center of his life. Greg’s two children from
his previous marriage prefer not to be listed here.
Max and Jessica
Hibben – son and daughter-in-law, married this past October, living in Austin, TX where
Max was one of the casualties of the recession, but, as we went "to press," we got word that he is starting a new
job at AMD in Austin. Jessica works in retail, which she loves and has an amazing knack for. They have part-time custody of
Jessica's son from her first marriage, Zachary, age 5. Max continues to work as a DJ in the evenings and on weekends.
Here’s the annual recap . .
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It was a year of traveling, and most of it related to music and my genealogy business. The organization Family History
Expos was a frequent venue where I did presentations, did some banquet programs, and we had a booth devoted to music and our
ancestors.
Our travels took us to Loveland,
CO (where I was asked to come up to do their banquet program and we were able to see an amazing double rainbow on the trip);
Sandy, UT; St. George, UT; and Mesa, AZ. I served as a “blogger of honor” for the events
and also developed my blog to focus on ancestors and their music and instruments.
In March I was installed as the new president of the Southern California Chapter of the Association
of Professional Genealogists. I have a great board to work with and we have focused on increasing membership. March also
found us performing and running workshops at the Glendale, AZ folk heritage festival in March.
In May, I attended the National Genealogical Society Conference in Raleigh, NC in May where I was installed as the
new secretary for the Genealogical Speakers Guild. I was traveling with another genealogist and we made a “side trip”
to the Washington, D.C. area where I got to meet up with some friends in the area. With one of the friends I had a chance
to go on a little excursion to Mt. Vernon where we went on the “National Treasure 2 Tour.” It was a fabulous
experience.
While I was there, Butch presented a saw workshop at the Topanga Banjo & Fiddle Contest at Paramount
Ranch near Calabasas, CA. In June, while I presented at the Southern Calif. Genealogical Society Jamboree in Burbank, CA, Butch ran
workshops at the Flagstaff, AZ Folk Festival. I flew to AZ to meet him and we went up to Overgaard to attend the celebration
for Patty’s 50th birthday. All of her children were able to attend and it was great to see everyone. The
celebration was marred by a small accident: Kirbi’s daughter Sadie took a fall and blacked out so Kirbi, Patty, and
Sadie ended up spending part of the weekend at the hospital. Sadie is OK, but sure gave everyone a scare!
| Lillabeth, Zach, & Anya on trampoline |
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| Overgaard, AZ, July 2009 |
Max, Jessica, and Zach met us at Patty’s celebration and then followed us back to our place in CA. We had fun
getting to know Zach and Max and Jessica introduced him to Disneyland (not sure who had more fun on that visit). And Max and
Jessica set the date for their marriage: October 1, when we would be able to attend (we thought that was wonderfully considerate
of them).
Our little puppy turned one
year old in June and ended up in the doggie hospital for a patella luxation, which, apparently, is a congenital problem for
his breed (Alaskan Klee Kai). He did a great job of letting his little leg heal and we know that another surgery, on the other
knee, is in his future (we’re not telling him that yet, though).
| The Crew: Buddy & Klondike |
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During the summer
we were able to finish another CD in my series of music and ancestors, this one on Songs of the American West. The cover photo
was done by photographer friend Pam McComb-Podmostko, who did a number of photos for the shoot that I have been using on my
website and promotional materials.
| Family portrait by Pam, July 2009 |
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In September we attended
the 50th anniversary of BONANZA (yup, the TV show). We provided a PA system and projector for videos so ended up
staying a little longer than initially planned. We conducted the square dance and led some of the music, I moderated a panel,
and we had a great time visiting with old friends (and making new ones). It was a great weekend.
| Butch & Jean with Mitch Vogel, Pam McComb, & |
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| Rick Drown (stuntman); Dixie, September 2009 |
| Panel: with Jay Jones, Bonanza stunt man & extra |
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| Lake Tahoe, September 2009 |
We
left to head east, stopping at Salt Lake to do some more genealogy research, then continuing on to Wisconsin. In Wisconsin
I did some research in Madison at the Historical Society and we spent a day at the House on the Rock in Spring Green. Then
I did a presentation in Waukesha where I impersonated my great-grandmother. My brother and sister-in-law attended the program
and enjoyed seeing what I do. It was fun to show off for them!
| Butch & Jean with Bob & Jaynie Wilcox |
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| Waukesha Gen. Soc., September 2009 |
From Wisconsin, we went to spend some time with our granddaughter Jeni and her brother James. We went to
Church with Jeni (who was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints last April) and got to meet
her friends at her ward. Jeni and James and a couple of their friends came to see us present at an Illinois Stake, doing a
program of Mormon pioneer songs. It was nice to see our grandkids in the audience. Illinois
was also where we attended my 40th high school reunion. On the day of the event, we attended a little folk music
gathering with some of my former classmates. It was a lot of fun and made the reunion extra special. At the actual event,
I reconnected with an old friend who was also hoping to see me there. We had a fabulous visit, reminiscing about old times
and catching up with where we are now (ironically, we both have masters degrees in speech communication). Of course we also
got in visits with Quentin, Mary Jane, and the boys and with my brother and sister-in-law. It was wonderful to have the reunions
with family.
From Illinois we went to Michigan where we were able to visit with my 4th cousin, George Koppers. We camped
in his driveway and George and I lost little time pulling out all the genealogy materials. Then it was off to cemeteries.
We had a great day together, then I was scheduled to do a presentation at the Van Buren Regional Genealogical Society in Decatur,
MI, where I impersonated my great-great-grandmother. George attended the program and it was great to have my cousin, with
whom I share 3rd great-grandparents, in the audience.
| George Koppers & Jean Hibben, Decatur, MI |
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| Van Buren Regional Gen. Soc., September 2009 |
We went from
Michigan to Missouri (with a side-trip to visit friends in Illinois). We stopped at Cape Girardeau to see Kirbi and Joe’s
new house and have dinner and visit our great-granddaughters. We had a lovely visit, though short, as we had to head to Texas
for Max’s wedding.
We went straight to Austin
to attend the family dinner on the eve of the wedding. Most of the family was there and we got to meet Jessica’s family,
which was very nice. The next day, we went to the Church to start decorating for the wedding. All of Max’s siblings
were there: Patty, John, and the girls drove over from AZ; Sandi drove from GA; and Quentin flew in from IL. It was great
to have all the “kids” there, even though they couldn’t bring all family members. It was the third time
in their lives that we had all Butch’s children in the same place:
| Patty, Max, Quentin, Sandi |
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| Austin, TX, October 1, 2009 |
The wedding was
lovely and Max and Jessica make a beautiful couple.
| John,Patty,Max,Jessica,Jean,Sandi,Butch,Quentin |
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| bride & groom with all parents |
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I continue to serve as president
of the Corona Genealogical Society and it continues to be a fulfilling experience and a great group of people to work with.
We have over 90 members now and continue to grow. Our holidays
were marred by the H1N1 virus and other illnesses that laid us up from the end of October through the middle of December.
We spent those months being quiet and relaxed and I didn’t even decorate the house!
Music continues to be a focal point of our lives. I still serve as the membership and meeting coordinator for the Riverside
Folk Song Society in January of this year we celebrated its 50th anniversary with a huge gathering in Riverside.
Nearly 100 people attended and a great time was had by all!
| Riverside Folk Song Society 50th Anniversary |
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| Riverside, CA, January 16, 2010 |
Church also is a major part
of our lives. I continue to serve as the trainer for the Family History Center in the Corona Stake of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints and Butch continues to serve as the computer tech for the same auxiliary. We are kept busy with
the various needs of the FHC and enjoy serving in those capacities. I
also enjoyed being the featured speaker for a seminar for the San Diego Genealogical Society the beginning of this year. Butch
joined me for a musical program as the last “class” of the day:
| San Diego Genealogical Society, January 2010 |
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The end of January brought
much sadness into our lives, one of the major reasons I postponed writing this year’s letter until now: the passing
of our dear friend Pernell Roberts has created a void in my life that will never be filled. We participated in his memorial
at the end of February – helping with background music (Pernell’s recordings) and running DVDs of his achievements
– which helped to keep my mind off the loss. I put a tribute to him on my blog, which also was therapeutic for me. To
read it, go to my blog.
So now we are
about to launch into spring, with new growth and lots of new opportunities for my family history business combined with folklore
and music. My proposal to the Soboba Indian Reservation in Riverside County was picked up and I am about to begin a 15-week
genealogy class for their Career Development Center. In early March I did two interviews for the Inland Empire news/information
cable and Internet program "Southern California Life" on NewsNet. Both of these are (as of this writing) archived on their website. (To view: click on the NewsNet link just provided,
go to "Watch us" and then "Southern California Life" to get to the archives. The interview, complete
with song, about the Riverside Folk Song Society was aired on 031510 and is about 10 minutes into the program; the one for
the Corona Genealogical Society was aired on 032210 and is about 14 minutes into the program.)
To read about our various experiences as they take place, check my blog or add us as friends on Facebook (to add Butch, enter
Lynn (Butch) Hibben; to add me, put http://www.facebook.com/Circlemending in your web browser).
Here are some of the latest photos of the clan:
Patty's group:
| John & Patty Pitterle, Louis Hinchey |
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| Miracle, Anya, Mikayla Pitterle. Easter 2009 |
| Lillabeth & Sadie Rose Mason |
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| Adam & Louis Hinchey |
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| The Hincheys: Amy, Ellie, Jake, DJ, & Cole |
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| Hallowe'en, 2009 |
| Jake, Cole, & Ellie Hinchey |
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| Newest leaf on the family tree: |
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| Lyla Ann Hinchey, January 2010 |
| Emily & Matt Allphin |
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| Chloe Foster, September 2009 |
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| Josh with Dad, John Pitterle |
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Quentin's group:
| Jeni Hibben & maternal grandfather, Osmond Call |
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| April 2009 baptism |
| James Hibben & girlfriend Jennifer |
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| Kyle & Derek Hibben |
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Sandi's group:
| Greg & Sandi Dodge |
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| Kati Schmidt with boyfriend Nathan |
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| Brad Schmidt, Tyler Dodge, Drew Schmidt |
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| Tyler Dodge & older bro, Chris Schmidt |
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butch@hibben.org
Please do not use any of our email addresses to send forwarded
jokes, stories, petitions, "warnings," etc. However, we love to get information on your family members, so do
send those!! Thanks!!
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