A Remembrance: Marianne Frey

Photo from Dick Rees

Marianne Ruth Durand was born about 1936 in Maplewood, New Jersey, to Albert and Caroline Durand. Marianne attended Swarthmore College, graduating with a degree in biology in 1957. She later earned a graduate degree from Yale.

Marianne married Walter C. Frey on 2 September 1982 in Alameda County, California. They lived in Kensington, California for many years, and were avid members of the “Berkeley Folk Dancers” club. On top of her many talents, Marianne also played the oboe.

Marianne joined the California Genealogical Society in 1995. She jumped right in as a volunteer. Early in her membership, Marianne assisted with one of our “Genealogy Fairs.” Her friend, Dick Rees, recalled “I first met Marianne when I was in charge of registration for the Genealogy Fairs we used to have. Rick Sherman introduced us and Marianne immediately asked if I would like a program for my Mac that would help with the pre-registration. Would I! Not only was I amazed at the ease of using the program, I was equally amazed that someone of my generation could write a program for a computer.”

In addition to her participation in the fairs, Marianne was also on our Board of Directors as Membership Chair, she assisted with mailings, organized shelf-reading days in our library, and was a member of the Book Repair Committee. Early in her tenure, Marianne created the database for our “Look-Ups” committee and even entered most of the data. Her work ethic and dedication didn’t stop there. Marianne trained many of our volunteers in using the Library of Congress system.

 

Photo by Kathryn Doyle

Lavinia Schwarz said, “Marianne was here so often, helping in any way she could. She was a delight.”

Through their research at the California Genealogical Society, Marianne, Dick Rees and Lavinia Schwarz discovered that they were cousins, many times removed, through the Kitchel and Sheafe families from 15^th Century Kent, England. You can read about their discovery in this 2008 blog post by Kathryn Doyle. 

"Cousins" Marianne Frey, Lavinia Schwarz, Dick Rees
Photo by Kathryn Doyle

Marianne Ruth Durand Frey passed away early this year. Her warmth and gracious work ethic will be missed. 

Memorial gifts in her name may be sent to the California Genealogical Society, 2201 Broadway, LLS, Oakland CA, 94612-3031.

Copyright © 2016 by California Genealogical Society

Wordless Wednesday

Book Repair Committee
California Genealogical Society Library

Photograph by Kathryn Doyle, Oakland, California, 8/14/2012.

Copyright © 2013 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Wordless Wednesday

 Book Repair Committee Luncheon
Tuesday, December 13, 2011

 Bill O'Neil, Lorna Wallace, Marianne Frey, Judy Bodycote and Dick Rees

Photographs courtesy of Lorna Wallace and Dick Rees, 12/13/11, Oakland, California.

Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday
Website Committee Meeting
Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Photographs courtesy of Kathryn M. Doyle, Oakland, California.

Shelf Reading: A Top to Bottom Review

Wednesday, July 22, 2009 was Shelf Reading Day at the California Genealogical Society Library. Marianne Frey organized the event and provided a review of the Library of Congress call number system so volunteers could check their shelving skills.

Every book on every shelf was examined to insure its proper placement by the fourteen volunteer members who donated their day to the cause.

The industrious volunteers were: Diana Demeter, Mary Beth Frederick, Marianne Frey, Sandy Fryer, Evelyn Gray, Steve Harris, Arlene Miles, Kirsten Netterblad, Dick Rees, Craig Siulinski, Pat Smith, Laura Spurrier, Betty Walker and Bill Whitson.

CGS President Jane Lindsey wanted to publicly thank all the volunteers who came forward and sent this:

I am so pleased we got all the shelves read – a huge project done and all in one day. It was nice to see some new faces and some long-time members, too!

CGS Library cataloger Laura Spurrier added this:

I want to thank everyone for turning out too. Each time we do this, fewer cataloging problems turn up. That is not to say we're anywhere near perfect, but I can see a difference. It takes dedicated people like yourselves to identify problems so I can fix them. You're an integral part in making the books more and more findable and the library catalog more and more accurate. Thank you!

Photographs courtesy of Jane Knowles Lindsey, 7/22/2009, Oakland, California.

CGS is Going Green

The California Genealogical Society entered a new era of paperless communication after mailing the last official issue of the CGS News to members in December. Following the lead of many other societies, the CGS Board of Directors made the decision to "go green" and use electronic means as the major way to communicate with membership. The society will use four online avenues to stay in touch with members: the CGS e-News, the CGSL blog, the CGS website and the CGS Google calendar.

The CGS e-News, e-mailed to members and friends on the first of every month, is in its third year of publication. (I took over as editor in January 2008.) The monthly electronic newsletter features news about upcoming society meetings and events, suggested links, timely announcements and "CGS Ancestors" – a member-submitted photograph with accompanying family story. Up-to-the-minute society news is always available here at the CGSL blog. CGS member volunteers Larry Youngman and Marianne Frey are working hard to keep the CGS website updated with the latest information on upcoming events and program offerings. CGS Events volunteers Carolyn Steinberg and Tim Cox keep the online CGS Google calendar up-to-date. Detailed information about each entry is just one click away.

"Going green" freed up funds in the society budget to allow the reintroduction of a more scholarly journal. Newsletter editor Jane Hufft will turn her attention to the launch of The California Nugget which will be published twice a year beginning with the spring 2009 issue. Hufft has announced that her "goal is to provide a quality publication that will have something of interest for every member." The California Nugget will carry in-depth articles about California genealogy, contain help and guidance for those just beginning their research and provide book reviews. Hufft gave this list of the type of content she plans to feature: "Brick-wall stories, Hispanic research connected to California families, unique unpublished indexes, research highlighting early Bay Area settlers and 'cite-your-sources' articles."

Jane is soliciting manuscripts for The California Nugget from members. Precise submission guidelines will be made available in the first issue. Contact CGS or email Jane Hufft directly with a description of your manuscript.

Wordless Wednesday

California Genealogical Society Library
Book Repair - Second Tuesdays
Marianne Frey, Richard Rees and Lorna Wallace

Photographs by Kathryn Doyle, Oakland, California, September 9, 2008.

Finding Cousins in the Library

Genealogists are always on the hunt for cousins – it's what we do. But imagine finding them in the next chair at your local genealogical society library!

That's what happened to three active volunteers at the California Genealogical Society. Book repairers Marianne Frey and Dick Rees were chatting one second Tuesday and realized that they had both attended Yale and both had New Haven, Connecticut ancestors. When they started comparing surnames, they zeroed in on KITCHEL (an original settler) and his SHEAFE wife.

On another day at the CGS Library, Lavinia Schwarz referred to an upcoming visit to her daughter in New Jersey and some family research time in nearby Morristown. Marianne's ears perked up at the mention of the ancestral home of "hordes" of her ancestors and, as she tells it "we started tossing names around and found several in common, including KITCHEL."

Seventh cousins: Marianne Frey, Lavinia Schwarz and Richard Rees.
[Photograph by Kathryn Doyle, January 19, 2008]

Marianne provided this background:

"The KITCHEL clan was part of a large group of colonists who didn't like the way things were being run in their part of Connecticut. They got a charter to start a settlement (now Newark) in New Jersey, which was Dutch when negotiations began but became English before they were finalized. Expansion meant moving inland, westward over the low "mountains" into what is now Morris county.

Some of the Kitchel-Sheafe tribe moved to New Jersey while others stayed in Connecticut. There's been lots of research, including articles in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register and The American Genealogist in the early 1900's and two books on the Kitchel family -- a slim volume from the 1800's and a nice thick one from the late 1900's.

I discovered the latter volume when a Jane Kitchel appeared on the roster of my folk dance club. She owns the book, which enabled us to figure out that we are seventh cousins, not removed! (During the 1800's someone in my line started spelling our name "Kitchell" with two L's.)"

In July 1983, Dick had the opportunity to visit Cranbrook, Kent, England, the home of their common SHEAFE ancestor. Dick sent this photograph of the monumental brass rubbing he did of the Thomas Sheafe (ca. 1470 - 1520) tomb in St. Dunstan's Church. The oval on the right is made up of Sheafe's initials (T.S.) with his merchant mark in the center.

Dick provided this account:

"Cranbrook is not easy to reach. I had to take a train from Canterbury to Ashford, then one from Ashford to Staplehurst and a bus from there to Cranbrook. I bought the last stick of rubbing wax in the town, along with black paper and a huge roll of masking tape. I made three rubbings of the brass (my brother has one of them and I don't know what became of the third.) I had time one evening and the next morning to walk around Cranbrook. There are several buildings still standing that belonged to the Sheafe family, as well as some windmills and a school named for Mary (Harman) Sheafe, the wife of Thomas Sheafe II."

Besides sharing New England ancestry, the cousins have lived for a time in the New England states while pursuing their education (Lavinia received her M.A. at Tufts) and all three have worked as educators. Marianne taught junior high (two years) high school (seven) and community college (twenty-three). Dick started his teaching career in public schools in Connecticut, moved to private schools in Shaker Heights, Ohio; in Montecito, California; and finally in San Francisco. Lavinia, better known as Vinnie, worked for a time as a preschool teacher.

At CGS, Marianne Frey was membership chair for a few years and set up the Lookups project on the Web site. She and Dick Rees are members of the Book Repair Committee. Dick wears several other hats at the society. He regularly teaches the class for beginners on Free First Saturdays, does occasional desk duty, manages some special projects and handles the mail. Lavinia Gilbert Schwarz is a member of the CGS Board of Directors and handles Lookups (with Pat Smith) as part of the research department. Vinnie is currently also overseeing a research project for the Peralta Hacienda.