Roots!
By Judy Elting
Birth Announcement:
A boy, Patrick Lynn Elting, born October 11, 1941 to Russell
LeRoy and Edna Ellen Coons Elting of Bushnell, IL Maternal grandparents Winona
Coons and the late Edward Coons.
Obituary:
Russell
LeRoy Elting, (photo) age 36, died May 20, 1942 at St. Francis Hospital, Macomb
Illinois. He is survived by his wife Edna, daughter Donna Jean, aged 3, and son
Patrick Lynn aged 7 mos.
The 1998 Reunion of the descendants of James and Cora Beere
Elting was the first Elting Reunion that we had ever attended. Sure, there were
other Eltings in the area, but as far as we knew, none were related to us.
Elting Street? Had to be named after "the other Eltings". We were soon
to discover that nothing could be further from the truth! Pat's Elting history
consisted of a birth announcement, an obituary. No tales of Russell's childhood,
no Elting holiday dinners, no celebrations of joyous Elting family occasions, no
visits from Elting grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, no Elting history,
no survivors except the widow and two small children. The children grow, marry
and have children, the lineage continues, but still, for as long as can be
remembered, the question remains; Who are we and where have all the Eltings
gone?
Then comes a fateful phone call from a gentleman in North
Carolina seeking to answer the same question. He speaks of New Paltz, the
Patentees, the migration west, the proud heritage of the Eltings of McDonough
County, IL. Could there really be a connection? His burning desire to discover
our heritage takes root in the hearts of the Illinois Eltings one by one. Search
the courthouse records, then the library, the MCGS publications, city
directories, phone books. The pieces start falling into place. We have lived in
McDonough and surrounding counties all of our lives never giving thought to the
personal history and proud heritage in our midst. To suddenly discover that we
are immersed in Elting history, and that we are a part of a proud heritage
dating back to 1632 and beyond is incredible. To actually attend an Elting
reunion, get to meet and mingle with our cousins, no matter how many times
removed, is an unparalleled experience.
Thanks to James Wallace Elting's persistence and his vast
knowledge of the Elting history, we too have been able to begin to answer the
question. Patrick Lynn Elting, born October 11, 1941 to Russell LeRoy and Edna
Ellen Coons Elting, grandson of William Lagerstadt Elting, great grandson of
Charles Marion Elting, great great grandson of Phillip Henry Elting 7th
generation descendant of Jan Eltinge born July 29, 1632 in Swichtalaer, Beyla
Drenthe! ROOTS!
To Jim and Edie we are forever grateful.
-Pat and Judy Elting
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