January is a time of beginnings. It's also a time to celebrate the anniversaries of beginnings. This month, four of our kinfolk are celebrating birthdays: Jenny Joyner was 37 on January 3rd (see her posted comment below). Elijah Doerr, son of Hans and Christy, will be six on January 19th. Liz Doerr will be 21 on January 24th, a date she shares with her younger cousin Sam Strickland, who will be five on the same day. Be sure to remember them on the anniversary of their natal day by sending a card, letter, or email. You are also invited to leave a comment on this post remembering a shared occasion or offering an encouraging thought for them. I will try to remember other important dates within the Doerr (and allied) families throughout the year.
Jenny's address is 4440 Miley Road, Plant City, FL 33565. Liz is still at home with her mom and dad at 270 Elm Avenue, Satellite Beach, FL 32937. Elijah resides with his mom and dad at 1605 Gayle Terrace, Fredericksburg, VA 22401. Sam lives with his mom and dad (Susan Doerr and Eric Strickland) at 4733 Blaisdell Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55418.
We share each other's joys this month. Be joyful always. Love one another as the Lord loves you!
Grandpa Doerr (Uncle Dan)
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Doerr "Founders' " Important Dates
The founders of this "branch" of the Doerrs are Daniel and Marguerite Hammond Doerr and William Rufus and Bess Broaddus Herndon. Great Grandpa Doerr was born 5/14/1913 in Youngstown, Ohio. Grandma "Great" Doerr was born 12/20/1918 in Alma, Oklahoma. Great Grandpa Herndon was born 6/9/1920 in Ona, West Virginia. Great Grandma Herndon was born 10/20/1923 in Huntington, West Virginia. The Doerrs were married in Amarillo, Texas, on 4/1/1943. The Herndons were married in Huntington, West Virginia, on 12/31/1945. The two great grandfathers are now at rest in the Lord, Great Grandpa Doerr dying on 7/31/1993 and Great Grandpa Herndon on 3/3/2001. Great Grandpa Doerr was laid to rest in the National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida, while Great Grandpa Herndon is at rest in Florida Memorial Gardens in Melbourne, Florida. Great Grandma Herndon still lives on her own in Melbourne; Grandma "Great" Doerr resides roughly half of the year with son Dan and daughter-in-law Dianne (fall through spring) in Satellite Beach, and half of the year with daughter Vonceal and son-in-law Barry (spring through fall) in South Port, North Carolina.
We thank the Lord for the many blessings He has showered on them and on us through them.
I invite all other married couples in the Doerr family (including Kublers, Rooks, Joyners, and Reeders) to identify the "founders" of their families and provide important dates and places in their founders' lives.
P.S. Grandma "Great" Doerr just handed me a note addressed to all family members:
"Many, many thanks to my wonderful family for the fabulous 90th birthday celebration. God bless all of you. You are the best! I love you dearly,
Grandma Great Doerr"
Post your responses to Grandma Great and I will make a hard copy to give her.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Stay faithful: remember the Crown of Life!
We thank the Lord for the many blessings He has showered on them and on us through them.
I invite all other married couples in the Doerr family (including Kublers, Rooks, Joyners, and Reeders) to identify the "founders" of their families and provide important dates and places in their founders' lives.
P.S. Grandma "Great" Doerr just handed me a note addressed to all family members:
"Many, many thanks to my wonderful family for the fabulous 90th birthday celebration. God bless all of you. You are the best! I love you dearly,
Grandma Great Doerr"
Post your responses to Grandma Great and I will make a hard copy to give her.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Stay faithful: remember the Crown of Life!
Saturday, January 3, 2009
2008 in Review
The last year has been very full: In April Eric and Heather (Perry) were married. The wedding ceremony took place at Faith "Viera" Lutheran Church with the reception at the Tortoise Island Community Center here in Satellite Beach. Everybody had a great time. I invite those of you in attendance to post your favorite memories of the event as comments below.
In May, Grandma (Dianne) and I flew out to Iowa for the first time in our lives so I could walk in my graduation ceremony at Graceland University. I received my Master of Education degree which I had earned online during the last two years. I was proud of my achievement. I feel it has made me a better teacher.
In June, we gathered at Bonclarken Presbyterian Camp in Hendersonville, N.C. to honor Grandma "Great" (Marguerite Doerr) on her 90th birthday. Again, all present had a great time. I welcome your recollections of our time together at the camp. Post your highlights in comments on this entry. My favorite times were the breakfasts and the closing fireside gathering. I was amazed by Grandma Great's memory for the birthdays of those who were sitting around the campfire. I don't remember the exact number of people, but there had to be more than thirty names and dates that she rattled off. Not bad for for a ninety-year-old.
During our return from Bonclarken, Grandma Dianne and I stayed at some historic hotels in Black Mountain, N.C. and Washington, GA. Later in the summer, we did the same thing on Cedar Key, FL. I'll try to post the names of the hotels later. I can't remember the names at the moment. It was an interesting and strange experience to stay in a place that has been receiving visitors for over a hundred years.
In October, we (Grandma Dianne and I) went to my fortieth class reunion at Plattsburgh State. We stayed at a bed and breakfast (Trail's End) in Keene Valley, N.Y., adjacent to the school where I started teaching forty years ago. I fondly remember that first year of teaching, during which my first son Hans (now 40) was born. We enjoyed driving on the Northway from Elizabethtown to Plattsburgh each day for the homecoming events. The day before the homecoming, Grandma Dianne and I drove through the chain of lakes from Tupper Lake through Saranac Lake to Plattsburgh. I had a rush of memories as were came into Plattsburgh through Cadyville and Morrisonville. I had lived there for a short time fifty years ago when I first came there as a young teenager with my parents and sister Vonceal and brother David. It felt like a true "homecoming." Before we left the North Country, Dianne and I climbed to the top of a 300 foot waterfall in Keene Valley. Grandma Dianne collected a fistful of leaves, mostly maple, that we brought back to Florida.
In September, we were blessed with the arrival of Aidan, son of Eric and Heather Doerr. He has grown like a weed and now looks like he'd make a great linebacker. We are so happy that we now have at least one grandchild within reach that we can dote on. Eric, Heather, and Aidan live in Suntree, just across the river from Satellite Beach.
In December, we celebrated the actual date (December 20th) of Grandma Great's 90th birthday. We had a small gathering that included Great Grandma Herndon, who celebrated her 85th birthday on October 2oth. We have had a wonderful Christmas break from school. During the holiday I read a couple of Clive Cussler books and saw "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" at the Rave Theater in Viera. I enjoyed the movie, which prompted me to read the original short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald upon which it is based. I just happen to have a copy of Fitzgerald's short stories in my library.
Tell me the highlights of your year just passed. We hope you all had a great year as well. Post your responses as comments below. Also, post any plans you have for the year ahead.
Stay faithful! Press on with your eye on the prize.
In May, Grandma (Dianne) and I flew out to Iowa for the first time in our lives so I could walk in my graduation ceremony at Graceland University. I received my Master of Education degree which I had earned online during the last two years. I was proud of my achievement. I feel it has made me a better teacher.
In June, we gathered at Bonclarken Presbyterian Camp in Hendersonville, N.C. to honor Grandma "Great" (Marguerite Doerr) on her 90th birthday. Again, all present had a great time. I welcome your recollections of our time together at the camp. Post your highlights in comments on this entry. My favorite times were the breakfasts and the closing fireside gathering. I was amazed by Grandma Great's memory for the birthdays of those who were sitting around the campfire. I don't remember the exact number of people, but there had to be more than thirty names and dates that she rattled off. Not bad for for a ninety-year-old.
During our return from Bonclarken, Grandma Dianne and I stayed at some historic hotels in Black Mountain, N.C. and Washington, GA. Later in the summer, we did the same thing on Cedar Key, FL. I'll try to post the names of the hotels later. I can't remember the names at the moment. It was an interesting and strange experience to stay in a place that has been receiving visitors for over a hundred years.
In October, we (Grandma Dianne and I) went to my fortieth class reunion at Plattsburgh State. We stayed at a bed and breakfast (Trail's End) in Keene Valley, N.Y., adjacent to the school where I started teaching forty years ago. I fondly remember that first year of teaching, during which my first son Hans (now 40) was born. We enjoyed driving on the Northway from Elizabethtown to Plattsburgh each day for the homecoming events. The day before the homecoming, Grandma Dianne and I drove through the chain of lakes from Tupper Lake through Saranac Lake to Plattsburgh. I had a rush of memories as were came into Plattsburgh through Cadyville and Morrisonville. I had lived there for a short time fifty years ago when I first came there as a young teenager with my parents and sister Vonceal and brother David. It felt like a true "homecoming." Before we left the North Country, Dianne and I climbed to the top of a 300 foot waterfall in Keene Valley. Grandma Dianne collected a fistful of leaves, mostly maple, that we brought back to Florida.
In September, we were blessed with the arrival of Aidan, son of Eric and Heather Doerr. He has grown like a weed and now looks like he'd make a great linebacker. We are so happy that we now have at least one grandchild within reach that we can dote on. Eric, Heather, and Aidan live in Suntree, just across the river from Satellite Beach.
In December, we celebrated the actual date (December 20th) of Grandma Great's 90th birthday. We had a small gathering that included Great Grandma Herndon, who celebrated her 85th birthday on October 2oth. We have had a wonderful Christmas break from school. During the holiday I read a couple of Clive Cussler books and saw "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" at the Rave Theater in Viera. I enjoyed the movie, which prompted me to read the original short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald upon which it is based. I just happen to have a copy of Fitzgerald's short stories in my library.
Tell me the highlights of your year just passed. We hope you all had a great year as well. Post your responses as comments below. Also, post any plans you have for the year ahead.
Stay faithful! Press on with your eye on the prize.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Welcome to The Doerr Family Blog
Happy New Year!
I hope we can use this to keep in touch with each other no matter where we might be. This is to fulfill my new year's resolution to build better relationships among our far-flung family members.
Check in from time to time to see what's happening.
Grandpa Doerr
I hope we can use this to keep in touch with each other no matter where we might be. This is to fulfill my new year's resolution to build better relationships among our far-flung family members.
Check in from time to time to see what's happening.
Grandpa Doerr
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
