About this Writer
My name is CJ Aderman and I have been fascinated with my family’s history for many years. This site is a place to share the stories I learn and pass on to others the stories of our ancestors. Some things I have discovered have good historical records to support them, some will be family stories. If we wander into my own wonderings, I promise I will distinguish those.
I have chosen to delineate the family stories by the birth surnames of my grandparents. Because of the amount of genealogical work done by others, there are many stories from the Blue family from which my paternal grandfather descended; there are also many stories from the Munson family, from which my maternal grandmother descended. I am grateful to all of those who have done their research and shared it so generously.
If you have stories to share, please send them my way. I would love to include them as I am able and give you credit for your work.
Enjoy reading!
Email: CJAderman@gmail.com
Whence We Come 
I happened upon this site and enjoyed your article about my dad — Harry Durheim — and his
baseball career. I was the only child of Gertrude (Budde) and Harry Durheim. Mother died 3 yrs.
ago in Altamont, and I live in the St. Louis area, Webster Groves, MO.
Sharon Durheim Rose
Sharon, how lovely to hear from you. I have read your name in the family tree and am pleased to make this contact with you. I am a great-granddaughter of Carl and Floy (Bates) Aderman (your father would have been their nephew); a great-great granddaughter of Ferdinand and Mary. I live between northern Wisconsin and Omaha, NE.
If you have stories to share, I would love to add them to the mix. While I have you, would you be willing to share birth, marriage, and death dates for your mother? I had her name but do not have that basic data. I would be grateful if you are willing.
Thank you so much for sharing your comment! CJ Aderman
Hi, Just to let you know, I am the grt/grd/dtr. of John W.Blue, whose father was Solomon Blue who married Mahala Kerney…Solomon’s brother was Major Uriah Blue. I am registered with the NBFA, and realize that the Blues had a colorful and rich history militarily and professionally. My paternal grd/mtr. was Martha Blue Evans.
Janice Evans
Thank you for the introduction, Janice. I am profoundly grateful to the Blue Family genealogists who have done SO much work previously and made it available to the likes of you and me. I have only begun to mine the great stories in our shared heritage and have had lots of fun doing it. With this being the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, I enjoyed poking around in some of the stories I could find last summer about Blues in the north and the south. That, of course, led to other stories, and I suspect I could spend the rest of my life’s genealogical hours just on the Blue Family!
I appreciate you making contact. It is a joy to find a new cousin!
CJ
What a wonderful site! We lived on S. R. 15 in Jefferson Township north of Goshen from 1980 to 1990 when our children were small. At that time we never knew that one of the Freedom Trails was right out in front of our house. As a second grade teacher in the Middlebury Community Schools of which Jefferson Township was a part, we three 2nd grade teachers taught a large unit on the Under ground Railroad especially as it went right through our school district. After I retired I wrote a book for young children about Abner Blue – fiction but based on fact. A few of us interested in this part of history including the Elkhart County Historical Society visited the brick house – probably built in the 1880’s or 1890’s – which still stands today on the old S. R. 15 route. We saw Abner Blue’s name on the deed as the first owner. We learned that his son – in – law owned (or worked at) a brick factory not far away. We know that Abner Blue was a joiner, and we wonder if the beautiful wooden staircase in the home was built by him. The present owners of the house have adopted two black boys from Ethiopia so, in a sense, history has come full circle. Black people now are living on the property where black people used to have to risk their lives for freedom. Joan Trindle Stiver
What a delight to hear from you, Joan. I ordered a copy of your book from Amazon but was so excited to read it, I also downloaded the Kindle version. It is a great read–thank you! Teach me what you know about this, please . . . would they have hidden the freedom-seekers in the house where the children would have known about it? If so, I need to correct my post.
I love to hear that the boys from Ethiopia, now Americans, are living in that home! We are making slow but steady progress toward being a better nation.
Thank you so much for sharing this, Joan. It is an absolute joy to make contact with you.
Hello, Thank you for the kind comments about my book. The main reason I wrote the book was to help teachers and parents begin to teach small children about prejudice and discrimination using the UR as a background as I wrote on page 33 of my book, THE DOOR IN THE FLOOR. Please understand that I am not in any way an expert on the UR – just a retired elementary teacher who wants to continue to teach but in a different way. You are right in thinking that most freedom seekers were hidden in barns, sheds, or outbuildings.and some in basements. I used literary freedom in this fictional account by having the two girls, the main characters, meet and begin a forbidden friendship. We know where Abner Blue, his mother, and his daughter are buried. My husband and I saw the graves which are located in a cemetery behind Pleasant View Mennonite Church in Jefferson Township north of Goshen, IN. I have been told that the part they are buried in is a township cemetery but the part of the cemetery closer to the church is owned by the church. When Abner Blue was living it is thought that the church most everyone attended was a Union Church rather than any one denomination, but I don’t believe that has been documented. Of cocurse the church building standing there now on the corner of C.R. 20 and C.R. 23 is not the same building that was standing back in the 1850’s and 60’s. The more I learn about Abner Blue the more I think of him almost like Charles Ingalls in LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE. I saw his signature on a petition to build a new school for the children. I read that he helped his neighbor build a barn in a “barn raising” not far from where he lived. On that day a heavy wooden beam fell from above and landed next to him just missing him by inches. This is all so fascinating to me. Thanks again, Joan
Thank YOU, Joan. I have been blessed by our conversation.
Hi, my Name ist Christa, and i life in Gaulsheim, Rheinhessen, Germany. My granfrather was Heinrich Börner, he was the Brother from Hildegard. I was surprise That you have maked this side.
What ist with the Childs of John und Hildegard. And with the Grand children. I would like that you Write me back.
I can Not Good read and Write englisch, i Hope That wie will Stay in contact.
Thank you
Greets from Gaulsheim Germany
Christa
Hi Christa. Thank you for writing me. It is exciting to meet a cousin from Gaulsheim. My grandmother spoke of having relatives living in Gaulsheim and I am glad that you wrote so we can stay in contact. I have learned some German and hope that between your English and my German, we will find ways to share. I have a friend here who is from Germany, so I can ask him to translate some of your emails, too.
My father knew John and Hildegard and their children. He gave me their names. I will send some of that information to you in your email. Do I use the address connected to your comment or to a different one? Please send your best email address to cjaderman@gmail.com.
Thank you. I would like to keep writing with you.
Carmala
Happy New Year Carm! I can tell I’ll have to keep an eye on your endeavors! Love to all!
Happy New Year to you, too, Sheryl. I hope you enjoy some of this research. It sure is a fun hobby. Please greet all your boys for me.
Hi, I’m a descendent of Clement Bates, too! My mother’s mother was a Bates. From Clement, through my mother, my Bates bloodline stayed in Cohasset, until after WWII, when my mother moved to Florida.
It’s always fun to meet a cousin. Thank you!
Hello cousin ! My GGrandfather was Edward Fralick, and my Grandmother was Sylvia Fralick Stewart.
I am grateful to have a last name for your grandmother. Thank you, Martha (A great Fralick name!).
Hi -I had an article I located that might help you with Rolland Woodington regarding his death and I’m not sure your email is working/checked. I’m happy to send it again if you are interested.
Lori, I just checked again and did not see it. If you would be so kind as to resend it, I’d be most grateful. Let’s try this address: carmala@icloud.com. Thank you! Carmala
Hi, I am Mary Mickschl Werner. My GGGrandfather was Jonathon Woodington, brother of Moses. I happened upon a reference to your Blog. I also have a tree on ancestry, and on Family Search. Family Search has connected our Woodington side to early pioneering Mormans , including Brigham Young. Family Search also has a site called “relative finder” and following the same Woodington line to the Fitch line, and back farther, they connect us to many Presidents, celebrities, a catholic saint, the Mayflower, signers of the declaration of Independence, and the constitution. But like you I have many questions. I have seen the page from the family bible on ancestry. It does not give the maiden name of Sarah Ann, and I can not find a marriage record for them.
Thank you for the contact, Mary. I would like to check out your site on Ancestry and Family Search. It sounds like you have been able to go back further in our Woodington tree than I have. It’s always great to meet a cousin and have another researcher to share with!
Thank you for the contact, Mary. I would like to check out your site on Ancestry and Family Search. It sounds like you have been able to go back further in our Woodington tree than I have. It’s always great to meet a cousin and have another researcher to share with!
Interesting family histories, I too am a descendant of Thomas Munson(9th G-Grandfather), Thanks for the stories.