April 2011 Newsletter (Vol #2 Issue 1)

WINTER SOCIAL
January 8, 2011 was our Winter Social, which we held at Pauley's Pub in Panama, Iowa.

We started our social at 12:00.

We had a drawing for items that Craig & Nancy bought for give-a-way's, we watched the video from our FMCTC friends that provided the recording of some of our cemetery cleanups, and it was publicized on the public channel. It was about a half hour overall presentation.

We then had a mini membership drive, and reminded everyone who signed up that day that they would be charter members of WIPCA.  We had a good response and we now have 8 lifetime members, 29 individual members, 4 honory members, 7 Family members, and 1 Organizational membership for a total of 61 Charter members.  Congratulations and thank you everyone for joining and making our association stronger.

A petition was created for getting a road back to the Doyle Cemetery, and was signed and passed out to ones that wanted to mail it to out of town relatives.

We had a nice buffet dinner and everyone was happy and full when we left.


FROM THE SACRAMENTO BEE, 11/01/07
Here is why you should visit a local cemetery. The first time I wrote about finding in a cemetery was in 1980 when my article "Seventeen Reasons For A Field Trip To A Cemetery" was published in the May-June issue of California English, a professional magaizne for elementary, secondary and college teachers of English.  Here are the 17 reasons-and they are as still as valid today as they were 27 years ago.

1. The cemetery is a real part of history.
2. A cemetery can help you set up a chronology.
3. A cemetery can tell you why people came to this place.
4. The cemetery is a record of people who once lived here.
5. You find relationships among the people buried there when you study the tombstones.
6. The cemetery is a place rich in symbols.
7. A cemetery is a connection between yesterday and today.
8. The cemetery is full of real stories.
9. The cemetery is full of potential stories that haven't been told.
10. Bring your own sketch pad and camera to the cemetery.
11. A cemetery map is a tool for research.
12. Bring the cemetery home with you in rubbings.
13. You can learn a lot about respect in a cemetery.
14. The cemetery can help children learn about death and dying.
15. You can find peace and quiet in a cemetery.
16. A forgotten cemetery is a good community service project.
17. Cemetery research can develop community interest.

ABRAHAM "ABEL" GALLAND
Abel Galland was born March 9, 1789 in NJ, the son of Matthew and Hannah Fenno Galland. He married Amy Furby Nov. 28, 1808 in Marietta, Washington Cnty, OH. and had 7 children that we know of.  David, Polly, Mary Elizabeth, Benjamin Furby, Hannah, an infant daughter, and William.

David married Druzilla Dragoo, Polly we have no info on, Mary Elizabeth married William Jordan, Benjamin married Mary Louisa Allen, Hannah married Reuben Willam Strong, and William married Melvina Amanda Allen.

With just Abel and Amy's generation, they had 48 grandchildren that we know of.

Abel passed June 22, 1857 "in a cave" in the Galland's Grove area, and Amy passed July 30, 1877 in Milford Twnship, Crawford Cnty, IA.

When the Historical Pioneer Research Group came out in late Oct 2010, and did a probing of the area, there were 9 graves located in the area of the RLDS church.  We know that one of them is Abel Galland.

Linda Smith Dickman and Elaine Smith Ehlert are direct descendants of Abel & Amy, and they have his service records, and we are currently working with them and David Burkett, on getting a headstone/monument to put up and dedicate.

We will keep you posted on when this will be.

If there are other descendants of Abel Galland out there in our group, please submit any family history you have on the family for future publications.  Thank you.

Article by:
Alvin Craig Poole, Abel is my father-in-law of my 3rd great grandparents, Druzilla Dragoo Galland and Absalom Kuykendall. Absalom was also the first elder of the 1860 branch of Crescent City, Iowa RLDS church in Pottawattamie county Iowa.


GALLAND'S GROVE RLDS CHURCH
Oct 21, 1859 with 13 members. Harlan (called Union Branch) was organized May 23, 1869, the Salem Branch was organized Dec. 27, 1869 in Leleand's Grove; Pleasant Ridge in Lincoln Twp. was organized Aug 3, 1876 and united with Harlan Dec. 23, 1877, the Shelby branch was organized in 1883 but was disorganized in 1886; the Earling branch was organized July 12, 1883 but disorganized in 1887 with members joining other branches. A log church was built in Galland's Grove in 1855 and used for both school and church purposes but it was destroyed by fire in the early 60's. A larger log building was built and used until the frame church was built in 1881.  The Galland's Grove District celebrated its 50th anniversary at the Galland's Grove Church on Oct. 17, 1913. Some time after this, the use of the church building was discontinued and members went to other RLDS churches. It is still standing and has been used for storage purposes. There has been some rather indefinite plans to restore it somewhat and make a park at this site.

Families who live in the township now attend church in one of the nearby towns.


UPDATES

• Phyllis and Craig are almost done with  getting the 501(c) 3 finished.
• We are working with David Burkett on getting a veteran's headstone for Abel Galland.
• We have the Magnolia branch of the Boy Scouts that are possibly going to be helping us this year with cemetery clean-ups for their service awards.
• Thoughts and prayers of well wishes go out to Phyllis and Ron who have been ill and under the weather the last couple of months. Keep on getting better!!