THE SOCIETY O F M AYFL O WER DESCENDANTS IN TH E STATE OF AR KANSAS
The Arkansas Pilgrim
V O LU ME 28 , I SSU E 1
S PRIN G 2 010
The Governor’s Greeting Plymouth
After a long, cold, icy, snowy, winter...sunshine, warm temperatures and spring have fi- Rock
nally arrived! Can you imagine how grateful our ancestors must have been to feel that first Were it not for the
warm day in the spring of 1621? Maybe I won’t complain about our winter after all! memory of one old
Our Annual Meeting & Luncheon will be at Trio’s Restau- man, Plymouth Rock
rant at 8201 Cantrell Road in Little Rock on Saturday, April and its symbolism
10, 2010. Our Compact Day meeting for November will be
would be a nonexistent
in Hot Springs at the Hot Springs Country Club on Saturday,
November 13, 2010. element of our Pilgrim
Meeting attendance has dropped off some in the past few
background. In 1741,
years. I would like to encourage you who are able to make at age ninety-five,
an extra effort to attend these meetings. Remember how ex- Elder Thomas Faunce
cited you were about getting your membership application told the people of Ply-
approved? I can remember that feeling myself and that of mouth how he had
many of you, as I’ve worked with over 50 members on the
application process. Without membership involvement, the
talked to John
AR Society, like any organization, can’t sustain or grow. Howland and his wife,
Please mark these dates on your calendar and make plans to John Alden, George
Gale Markley, Governor
attend a meeting. Soule, Francis Cooke
and Mary (Allerton)
Cushman; all of these,
Gale Markley he said, told him that
they had stepped
Annual Meeting and Luncheon ashore upon that rock,
and that John Wins-
AR Society of Mayflower Descendants
low’s wife, Mary
Saturday, April 10, 2010 (Chilton), had come
Trio’s Restaurant there on her seventy-
Pavillion In the Park fifth birthday and
stepped on the rock,
8201 Cantrell Road saying she was the first
Little Rock, AR 72227 woman to have stepped
(501) 221-3330 on to it.
(taken from the Arizona
Luncheon Menu: Mayflower Log, March
Chicken Marsala, mashed potatoes, asparagus and your choice of coffee,
tea or soft drink and dessert bars. Luncheon price is $25.00 per person,
inclusive.
Checks should be made payable to the AR Mayflower Society and
mailed to Virginia Frost, 1070 Choctaw Ave., Camden, AR 71701 by
April 7, 2010. Please include names of those attending.
Everyone welcome!
P AGE 2 V O LU ME 28 , I SSU E 1
Compact Day Meeting & Luncheon Minutes
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Hot Springs, Arkansas
The Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of Arkansas met on Saturday, Novem-
ber 21, 2009 at the Hot Springs Country Club in Hot Springs, AR for the annual Compact Day
meeting and luncheon. There were 34 members and guests present.
The meeting was called to order at Noon by Governor Gale Markley. Elder Ruth Oberhel-
man gave the invocation. Captain Freda Paxton called for the advance and posting of the colors.
She led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States. Governor Markley
led the group in The Pilgrim Pledge. Introductions were made, table by table. Governor Markley
acknowledged members of the DeSoto Trail Sons of the American Revolution Chapter, with Larry
Averill, President, as special guests.
After lunch was served, the meeting was reconvened. Elder Ruth Oberhelman presented a
special “In Memoriam” moment to recognize and honor the memory of Lael Finch, former Gover-
nor of the AR Society and other members that had passed since the last meeting.
Governor Markley led the reading of The Mayflower Compact and Ruth Oberhelman gave The
Elder’s Prayer. Historian Gale Markley read the roll call of passengers and wives. The minutes of
the last meeting were not read, as they had been printed and distributed to members in the Society
newsletter.
Reports were given by officers and chairman. Governor Markley announced the resignation
of Secretary Jeanne Kleinschmidt, due to health reasons. She has asked Ashley Flint-Bain of Fort
Smith to serve as Interim Secretary to finish out the remainder of Kleinschmidt’s term. Governor
Markley gave a brief summary of the Board of Assistants (BOA) meeting which preceded the
luncheon. In the BOA meeting, a motion was made, voted on and passed, to change the meeting
dates to the second Saturday in April and November to help stimulate attendance. The meeting
dates for 2010 will be April 10 & November 13.
Virginia Frost gave the Treasurer’s Report. The balance of the general account as of 16
Nov 2009 was $2028.78. The balance in investment accounts were: Stephens, Inc. as of 20 Oct
2009, $6916.17 and Alliance Bernstein-Growth B Fund as of the same date, $5570.06.
Gale Markley gave the Historian’s report. The AR Society membership is 173. Nine new
members have been approved to date, with one application pending approval in Plymouth. The AR
Society has had consistent growth in membership in the past 3 years. Membership as of 31 Dec
2007 was 150; Membership as of 31 Dec 2008 was 165; and it appears membership for 31 Dec
2009 will be 174. Melrose Bagwell, Jr. Membership Chairman, was not present, but sent her report.
Total Junior membership in 2008 was 118. One new member was added and two members aged
out. Total Junior Members as of 21 Nov 2010 is 117.
There being no further business, new or old, a short break was taken before the program
was presented. When the meeting resumed, Speaker Beverly Vlassek, presented an educational and
interesting program entitled, “The First Thanksgiving”.
Following the program, the invitation was issued to attend the April 10, 2010 meeting in
Little Rock, AR with the venue to be determined at a later day. Captain Freda Paxton called for the
colors to be retired. Elder Oberhelman gave the benediction, and the meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully submitted,
Freda Paxton, Acting Secretary
T HE A R KAN S AS P ILGR IM P AGE 3
MAYFLOWER
The Mayflower was used primarily as a cargo ship, involved in active trade of goods (often wine) be-
tween England and other European countries, (principally France, but also Norway, Germany and
Spain). At least between 1609 and 1622, it was mastered by Christopher Jones, who would command
the ship on the famous transatlantic voyage, and based in Rotherhithe, London, England. After the
famous voyage of the Mayflower, the ship returned to England, likely dismantled for scrap lumber in
Rotherhithe in 1623, only a year after Jones's death in March 1622. The Mayflower Barn, just outside
the Quaker village of Jordans, in Buckinghamshire, England, is said to be built from these timbers,
but this is likely apocryphal.
Details of the ship's dimensions are unknown, but estimates based on its load weight and the typical
size of 180-ton merchant ships of its day suggest an estimated length of 90–110 feet (27.4–33.5 m)
and a width of about 25 feet (7.6 m).
The ship had a crew of twenty-five to thirty, along with other hired personnel; however, the names of
only five are known, including John Alden. William Bradford, who penned our only account of the
Mayflower voyage, wrote that John Alden "was hired for a cooper [barrelmaker], at South Hampton,
where the ship victuled; and being a hopefull yong man, was much desired, but left to his owne liking
to go or stay when he came here; but he stayed, and maryed here."
THE SECOND MAYFLOWER
A second ship called the Mayflower made a voyage from London to Plymouth Colony in 1629 carry-
ing thirty-five passengers, many from the Pilgrim congregation in Leiden that organized the first voy-
age. This was not the same ship that made the original voyage with the first settlers. This voyage be-
gan in May and reached Plymouth in August. This ship also made the crossing from England to
America in 1630, 1633, 1634, and 1639. It attempted the trip again in 1641, departing London in Oc-
tober of that year under Master John Cole, with 140 passengers bound for Virginia. It never arrived.
On October 18, 1642 a deposition was made in England regarding the loss.
Source: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
P AGE 4 V O LU ME 28 , I SSU E 1
The Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of Arkansas
Compact Day Meeting & Luncheon
November 21, 2009
Hot Springs Country Club
Left to Right: John Jones, Kaye Mitchell and Mr. & Mrs. Larry Averill of Hot Springs. Mr. Averill is
member, Marjorie Jones of Pine Bluff, AR. President of the DeSoto Trail Sons of the American
Revolution Chapter, who were guests at the meeting.
Dr. Caroline Luck of Arkadelphia, AR Beverly Vlassek of Hot Springs Village, AR was
the speaker .
received her membership certificate.
T HE A R KAN S AS P ILGR IM P AGE 5
Genealogy…
Genealogy: Tracing yourself Being pretty sure your family
back to better people. is a few branches short of
I trace my family history so I full bloom.
will know who to blame. Research: What I’m doing,
Genealogy: A hay stack full when I don’t know what I’m
of needles. It’s the threads I doing!
need! Shake your family tree and
Genealogy: Collecting dead watch the nuts fall!
relatives and sometimes a live Am I the only person up my
cousin! tree...sure seems like it.
Genealogy: Where you con- All family trees produce
fuse the dead and irritate the some lemons, some nuts and
living. a few bad apples!
(taken from Fall 08 TheBuckeye May-
flower)
NEW FACEBOOK PAGE
FOR JUNIOR MEMBERS
The National Society Junior Chairman has created a Face-
Ann Sporer Smith, book page for all Junior Members. The name of the group is
GSMD#81461 AR#352, Mayflower Jr Members (2009). To find the site, search for
was approved on 30 Nov “Mayflower Jr Members” not Junior. All junior members to
2009. Ann is from Fort participate in the discussion group and to hear from other jun-
Smith and is a 12th genera- ior members.
tion descendant of William
Brewster. Ann was our 10th
new member approved in
2009. No new members
have been approved to date
in 2010.
Arkansas Society Officers In Memoriam
2008-2011
Margaret “Meg” Schank
Governor Gale Markley
Deputy Governor Linda White
Secretary Ashley Flint-Bain
Treasurer Virginia Frost
Historian Gale Markley
Captain Freda Paxton
Elder Ruth Oberhelman
Surgeon Melrose Bagwell
Counselor Randall Peters
Margaret “Meg” Schank, GSMD#61944 and AR#243 passed away 6
March 2010. Meg was born 19 April 1925, in Forestsville, NY. She
and her husband William “Bill” Schank moved to Hot Springs Vil-
2010 membership dues were due lage, AR in 1974. She was active in many organizations. Meg was a
on January 1, 2010. If there has
been an oversight on your part, 30-year member of the National Society Daughters of the American
checks in the amount of $25.00 Revolution. She became a member of the General Society of May-
should be made payable to the AR flower Descendants in the State of Arkansas in July 1995. Meg was a
Society of Mayflower Descendants 10th generation descendant of Myles Standish.
and mailed to:
Virginia Frost, Treasurer
The Best of the Past of the Mayflower Quarterly
1070 Choctaw
During the past 75 years the General Society has issued a quarterly news-
Camden, AR 71701
letter starting with four pages in 1935 and now a magazine with 100 pages.
The editors have been responsible for providing information four times a
year to the general membership of the activities of the Mayflower Society
with interesting historical and genealogical data.
To celebrate these achievements we have compiled the best of the MQ arti-
cles, many of which our current members have never seen, and put them in
a book that should be interesting to read and useful as a reference. It will be
a hard cover book 8 1/2” x 11” and contain about 288 pages with 16 pages
in color.
The Arkansas
Due to the size and quality of this book, the sale price will be $50.00 +
Pilgrim
$12.00 shipping.
Gale Markley, Editor
4109 Stephanie Lane Make checks payable to GSMD and mail to:
Jonesboro, AR 72401
GSMD - Jubilee
Email: rgmarkley@yahoo.com PO Box 3297
Posted bi-annually in March/April Plymouth MA 02361-3297
and October/November
1935-2010
Mayflower Quarterly
DIAMOND JUBILEE