RESEARCH FINDINGS

This begins the seventh year of the Wiser Newsletter.  Thanks again for any comments and suggestions.

The website, www.thompsonhistorical.org/early.html gives an excellent early history of the Nipmuck Indians.  From “An Early History of Thompson”, by Wendy St. Jean; “The English referred to the Indians of northeastern Connecticut and western Massachusetts collectively as Nipmucks, a native word meaning "fresh water." As their name indicates, most Nipmuck villages were concentrated along rivers, principally the Quinebaug and the Blackstone. Although the English called the Nipmuck bands by a common name, there is little reason to believe that they were united in a single confederation. The English found no grand sachem who governed all Nipmucks but rather a number of lesser sachems who lived at distinct localities within the Nipmuck region. Since the Nipmuck bands were relatively autonomous of each other, it is not surprising that they had conflicting attitudes toward the English, the Christians, and other Indians as well.

Despite all their differences, Nipmucks shared traits that were obvious to most English observers. These characteristics generally apply to most southern New England tribes. Nipmucks spoke a dialect of the Algonkian language, a language which was common to all the Indians of the region. Like their neighboring tribes, the Nipmucks were "semi-migratory" people. That is, they occupied the most favorable location depending on their needs of the season of the year. Nipmucks passed most of the year in wigwams along the fertile headwaters of the rivers. Here Nipmuck women cultivated corn and other vegetables which Nipmuck men fished and hunted deer, moose, and small game. In the summertime, Nipmuck men and women went to the Connecticut shore to enjoy lobsters, oysters, and clams and to smoke a supply for winter. With shore tribes they swapped deer meat for fish. Summer gatherings also offered an occasion for contest in markmanship, foot racing, and swimming.

Wherever the Nipmucks camped, they organized work along gender lines. Women had primary responsibility for raising the children and feeding the family. They prepared and stored food for the winter. When they had time, they made themselves beads and other articles of jewelry. Women also wove baskets and brooms and gathered wood for the fire. To Englishmen's astonishment, Nipmuck women built and transported their families' wigwams from place to place. Englishmen felt sorry for Indian women, but Englishwomen protested that they worked just as hard. Although native men enjoyed more leisure time than Englishmen, the former took ample care of their families' needs. In addition to hunting and fishing, Nipmuck men fabricated the tools associated with these occupations, as well as other ceremonial objects such as pipes and totem poles. Nipmucks usually buried men and women with the implements they made and used during their lifetimes”.

This article has a reference to our ancestor, New Moon Nanapashemet, great grandfather of James Quanahpohkit, Rumneymarsh, Wiser.  Ms. St. Jean continues, “Aside from spiritual concerns, the Nipmucks who settled on Thompson hill probably had self-defense in mind. In 1615 most of Nipmucks were members of the Massachusetts' Indian Confederacy over which Naepashemet ruled as Great Sachem. After Nanepashemet was killed in 1619, the Massachusetts' confederacy quickly disintegrated. Tarratine Indians from Maine raided Nipmuck villages and killed or captured Nipmuck Indians.

Along with Tarratines, the Plague swept Nipmuck country. Fishermen at Plymouth Bay introduced the pestilence in 1616 at just about the same time that Pilgrims were deciding to come to America. Because the Indians lacked immunity to European diseases, many thousands succumbed to the Plague. The Massachusetts were nearly completely exterminated. Since Nipmucks lived inland, more of them escaped the plague's transmission. When colonists found the Indians dead and their lands uncultivated, the new settlers believed that God had cleared the country for them.” 

Additionally, Ms. St. Jean says, “A seventeenth century traveler John Josselyn described the Nipmucks as generally black haired "both smooth and curled." He said that they had flat noses and darker skin than Englishmen. Those who were Christians, Josselyn noted, went clothed like the English. At that time, there were around five hundred Nipmucks in Connecticut and Massachusetts.”  This physical description is not unlike early members of our family, the enlistment records of Samuel Wiser, son of Benjamin Wiser in 1814, gives the following information: Enlistment Records; p.123; Samuel Wiser, 23 USI, 5 feet 11 inches tall, black eyes, dark hair, dark complexion, age 30, farmer, born Haverhill, Coos, NH, 8/13 Apr 1814, Ft.Oswego, by Lt. Rt Goodell.

A review of this history by all members of our family would be of interest.  There are descendants of the Nipmucks who still live in the Thompson, Connecticut area. Please refer to the above website to learn more.

OBITUARIES

GERMAINE E. MERRIMAN; Detroit, MI paper, 9 Mar 2001. Age 66 of Keego Harbor. March 6, 2001. Dear mother of Michael (Dawn), Joanne Sparrow, Martin, Brian (Deborah), Paula and Mollie. Loving grandmother of Richard, April, Samantha, Alexander, Travis, Carley and Haley. Dear sister of Carol (Jim) Bastas, Delia (Ken) Rightmier, Mary (Gerald) Durak and Patricia (John) Downs. Preceded in death by her brother, Joseph Barton and sister, Margaret Michel. Also survived by many nieces and nephews. She was a beloved friend, neighbor and mother to all. Friends may visit Thursday 2-5 and 6-8 pm with evening Rosary. Funeral Friday 11 am at the Godhardt-Tomlinson Funeral Home, 2904 Orchard Lake Rd. (W. of Telegraph) Keego Harbor, (248) 682-0200. Interment All Saints Cemetery, Waterford. Memorials to the Michigan Kidney Foundation are appreciated.

EDWARD CLAIR BUCHMANN; Chicago Tribune; Chicago, IL; 27 Jul 2001. Edward C. Buchmann (Margaret Alice Moran Buchmann, Matilda Ann Gregory, Matilda Ann Wiser, Samuel Wiser, Benjamin Wiser), age 88, served as an officer in Europe during WWII, loving brother of the late Catherine (late Cornelius) O'Brien; loving uncle of Mary (Homer) Rothfusz, Thomas, Conway, Margaret, William (Noma) and Julie (Richard Goldstein) O'Brien, Therese (Thomas) Beach, Ellen (Patrick) Ronan and Rita (Robert) Kraft; also loving uncle of many grandnieces and grandnephews. Funeral Saturday, July 28 at 9:30 a.m. from Colonial Wojciechowski Funeral Home, 8025 W. Golf Rd., Niles, to Our Lady of Ransom Church. Mass 10 a.m. Interment All Saints. In lieu of flowers, memorials to Little Brothers of the Poor, 355 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago, IL 60607 appreciated. Visitation Friday 4 to 9 p.m. Info, 847-581-0536 or http://www.colonialfuneral.com/.  (Picture is of Edward with his mother, Margaret Alice Moran Buchmann).

 NEIL S. KARREN; Logan, UT Herald-Journal, 9 Jan 2002; LAS VEGAS — Dr. Neil S. Karren, 72, of Las  

 Vegas, died Sunday, Jan. 6, 2002, in Nathan Adelson Hospice. He was born Dec. 10, 1929, in Lewiston, Utah,

 to Fred V. and Mildred S. Karren.  An Army veteran, he practiced dentistry in Roy, Utah, for 14 years and for

 29 years in Las Vegas. He is survived by his wife, Valerie (Marjorie Wiser Titensor, Samuel Frost Wiser,

 John  McCormick Wiser, Samuel Wiser, Benjamin Wiser); one son, Douglas Karren; one daughter, Susan 

 Lemmon, Las Vegas; six brothers: Ves (Karen) Karren, Sheral (Diane) Karren, Thayne (Jewel) Karren, Jay 

 (Adelle) Karren, Ron (Marcene) Karren and Keith (Kathy) Karren; and six grandchildren. Funeral services will be held Friday, Jan. 11, 2002, in Las Vegas at Bunker’s Mortuary, 925 N. Las Vegas Blvd. Interment will be at Memory Gardens, Las Vegas.

MARJORIE WISER TITENSOR; Logan, UT Herald-Journal, 16 Jan 2002; DOWNEY, Idaho — Marjorie Wiser Titensor (Samuel Frost Wiser, John McCormick Wiser, Samuel Wiser, Benjamin Wiser), 91, passed away peacefully, Jan. 12, 2002, in the Downey Care Center in Downey, Idaho. She was born Sept. 1, 1910, in Lewiston, Utah, to Samuel Frost Wiser and Rebecca Ann Telford. She had three sisters and five brothers who preceded her in death.  She married Lowell C. Titensor in the Logan LDS Temple and he passed away Oct. 11, 1997. They were parents of one son and three daughters: Kay (Kaye) Titensor, Preston, Idaho; Valerie (Neil, deceased) Karren, Las Vegas, Nev.; Helen Lawrence, Burbank, Wash.; and Carolyn (Larry) McKnight, Lewiston. They had 15 grandchildren, 41 great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren. They lived in Cove, Utah, Lewiston, Preston and spent their retirement winters in Mesa, Ariz.  Marge was a faithful member and active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and served in many positions in the various auxiliaries. She was kind and caring to all who knew her. She made many things for her children and grandchildren using her sewing skills. She was blessed with a natural talent to play the piano and was still able to play through the last years of her life. She had a quick wit and sense of humor and loved to tell stories.  A special thanks to all the people who helped care for our mother at the Heritage Home and the Downey Care Center. We so appreciate your love and kindness to her.  Funeral services will be held at 12:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 18, 2002, in the Preston 1st Ward Chapel, 213 S. 200 East. There will be a viewing that morning from 10 a.m. to noon at the church house. Interment will be in the Richmond City Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Allen-Hall Mortuary. In lieu of flowers, those who wish may make a contribution to the Preston Public Library.