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Oct 20
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The book, “Famous Frisians in America” is now available for purchase. There are 8 pages on the Fonda Family which detail the history of Jellis Douw Fonda, who emigrated from Amsterdam to New Amsterdam in about 1650. It provides some ideas on his origins in Holland including some new angles on how he came to live in Eagum (Friesland) near Leeuwarden, ending up in Amsterdam, marrying Hester Jans, and then taking the voyage to America with a young family of five. It goes into the colorful life of Hester Fonda, long after Jellis passed away, and the plentiful progeny they created, including many modern-day Fonda’s talented in acting and the arts.
My father and I were honored to be present at the Friesland Day ceremony on New York City’s Governor’s Island on September 12, 2009, which unveiled the book. We were very pleased to meet the book’s editors, Peter de Haan and Kerst Huisman, as well as the Queens Commissioner of Friesland, John Jorritsma, and also many others from the Frisian Provincial contingent and fellow Frisian-American descendants. The book is a wonderful accomplishment, providing the history of Friesland’s support of United States sovereignty, based on a solid basis of exchange between the two regions which continues to this day. There are many prominent Frisian families in the US including such names as Stuyvesant, Douw, Jansen, Banta, Fonda, Isaacs, Dykstra, Hyma, De Vries, Fridsma, Hofstra, De Jong and Hageman.
The book is available on Amazon and is highlighted on-line at the New Netherland Institute, US Embassy The Hague, and Calvin College Dutch Department.
Albert Mark Fonda, admin
(12th Generation Descendant of Jellis Douw Fonda)
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May 10
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Some interesting information on our Anneke Jans connection…
(connection verified through references in “Dear Cousin”; A Charted Genealogy of the Descendants of Anneke Jans Bogardus (1605-1663) to the 5th Generation“)
This is an e-mail I recently responded to regarding this topic:
MessageOn Fri, 08 May 2009 17:32:02 -0600, <mark@fonda.org> wrote: Hello Ronald, Yes, Fonda vs. Trinity… interesting case. I believe many have tried to latch onto the Anneke Jans estate, but few, if any, have succeeded. There are plenty of stories on the internet about those who have tried, which you have most likely seen. John H. Fonda (1828-1915) and wife Mary tried to stake their claim based on speculation/wishful thinking and fell flat… in fact their lawyer was brought up on fraud charges. I think the Fonda/Trinity case got a lot of notoriety in the newspapers because of the scandal. Funny thing is, according to my research, John was not even a descendant of Anneke Jans. There is a connection to our line from Neeltje E. Briese (1739-1820) who was a g-g-granddaughter of Anneke. Neeltje married Adam Douw Fonda (1736-1808) in 1759, but John’s branch takes off well before that point. I am connected to the famous Fonda’s through this very marriage, about five generation up, but we don’t know each other. So, in other words, both the Hollywood Fonda‘s and my Fonda line are both descended from Anneke Jans, but John H. Fonda‘s line is not. Either way, none of us stand to gain anything from the connection, except maybe bragging rights… ha ha. Regards,  Bogardus Farm on west bank of (now) Manhattan Island On Thu, 07 May 2009 13:55:22 -0400, wrote: > Mark; Some of my daughters clan claim claim their |
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Anneke and HesterSome interesting similarities between Anneke Jans Bogardus (1605-1663) and Hester Jansz Fonda (1615-1690), the wife of Jellis Douw Fonda, our American patriarch:  Anneke Jans in New Amsterdam (1630-1657)
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Apr 27
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Fonda couple leaves strong legacy
Gazette Reporter, April 27, 2008
Wemples set up scholarshipsFonda, NY – This year’s high school graduation at the Fonda-Fultonville school district will mark the start of a unique legacy left by a village couple known for hard work and community service. About a dozen students unlikely to afford college on their will have opportunity to continue their studies with free tuition with a new scholarship named after its donors, William Barent Wemple and Elizabeth Ashley Burton Wemple. School officials have said the gift of $1.83 million is remarkable in its size alone.
W. Barent Wemple and Ashley Burton Wemple left a $1.8 million bequest for scholarships for Fonda-Fultonville school graduates. Copy photograph from his obituary dated Aug. 24,1978 from the Mohawk Valley Democrat.
The Wemples stipulated in their will that the scholarship would be active once their heirs were dead; school officials learned about it last fall following the death of the Wemples’ son, Frank Wemple, in 2006. But some who knew the prominent, upper-class family are not surprised that the donation, spelled out in the Wemples’ last will and testament, went unheralded for more than 30 years. “Today , people seem to be more interested in saying they did something,” said Rose Aversa, who grew up next door to the Wemples on Montgomery Terrace in Fonda. “The old way was you don’t talk about what you do. You just do it.”
Aversa, now 79, was one of many in the community who witnessed the generosity of Elizabeth Ashley Burton Wemple and the work ethic of her husband, W. Barent Wemple. She said W. Barent Wemple spent much of his time working, while his wife arranged household affairs and was constantly involved in community service work. Many of Ashley Wemple’s acts went unnoticed, Aversa said, except the fact that she allowed all the neighborhood children to play in their yard on Montgomery Terrace. “She was really gracious,” Aversa said.
community leaderAccording to his obituary, W. Barent Wemple, born on Nov. 30, 1895, was a descendant of one the earliest Dutch families in the Mohawk Valley. His ancestor Jan B. Wemple, who arrived in America in 1640, was one of 15 founders of Schenectady. His name is among those found on the bronze tablet in the First Dutch Reformed Church in Schenectady’s Stockade. W. Barent Wemple went to school at the Albany Boys Academy, lived in New York City, and moved to Fonda when his father, William Barent Wemple, bought the Fonda-based Mohawk Valley Democrat newspaper.
W. Barent Wemple graduated in the Fonda High School class of 1913, went to Union College and graduated in 1917, according to his obituary, published in the Mohawk Valley Democrat, the paper he ultimately took over as its publisher. He served as secretary of the Mohawk-Glen Development Corp., which succeeded in getting the Keymark Corp. to locate in the village. Keymark, which manufactures extruded aluminum products, remains in Fonda today and is one of Montgomery County’s largest employers.
When he was 41, W. Barent Wemple became a director of the former National Mohawk River Bank of Fonda and later, its president. The bank merged with Central National Bank of Canajoharie, where he served as a director, and chairman of its building committee, according to his obituary. He was a director of the former FJ & G Railroad and of the Fulton County Coal and Oil Co. He served as a trustee of the village of Fonda and a member of the former Fonda Planning Board. He was a member of the board of education and a member of the first Montgomery County Economic Development Committee.
She was born on the former McNab homestead on North McNab Avenue and West Fulton Street. That land was later donated to the city of Gloversville by her parents which now serves as the site of the McNab Elementary School, according to her obituary.
Ashley Burton Wemple studied in Gloversville schools and went to high school at The Willard School in Berlin, Germany, later studying at Smith College in Massachusetts and then at the Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing, where she became a registered nurse.
Ashley Burton Wemple was a member of the Nathan Littauer Hospital’s board of trustees, commissioner of the Girl Scouts of Fulton County, president of the Alliance Francaise and the Every Monday Club of Gloversville, according to her obituary. Her activities, described as “innumerable” after she died, included membership on the boards of education of the Fonda School and later of the Fonda-Fultonville school districts once they consolidated. Her memberships included the PTA, the Caughnawaga Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Century Club of Amsterdam, and the Antlers Country Club. Ashley Burton Wemple also served as a trustee and secretary-treasurer of the Frothingham Free Library and as a member of the Mohawk Valley Library Association, according to her obituary.
married in 1930Elizabeth Ashley Burton and W. Barent Wemple were married on July 26, 1930. They had two children; one, William Jr., was struck and killed at age 8 by a sand truck on Park Street in the village. He was on the way to third grade at the Fonda Elementary School, according to genealogical materials. Their son Frank, was born on Oct. 12, 1935, and attended Bard College and Columbia University. He worked with his father at the newspaper, according to his 2006 obituary.
Elizabeth Ashley Burton Wemple died at age 69 in November of 1964, 14 years before her husband, who died in August of 1978 at age 82. Rose Aversa, who still lives in the home next door to the former Wemple home, said she recalls W. Barent Wemple living alone after his wife’s death. “After she died, he didn’t do much. He gave up the paper and he just kind of walked,” Aversa said. “He kept to himself. In fact, he kept the light on at night he just kind of withdrew to himself.”
Though gone for decades, the Burtons will be memorialized through their gift to students, which, though surprising to residents when announced, doesn’t surprise people who knew them. The Fonda-Fultonville School District expects to distribute about 12 scholarships of $7,000, the cost of tuition at Fulton-Montgomery Community College. The family left a request that the scholarships be distributed equally among males and females and based on student financial need. The fund itself requires that at least 5 percent of its value go to Fonda-Fultonville graduates pursuing higher education and, depending on its management, could endure for decades, officials said.
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Feb 01
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Jeanne Ryan Fonda, 87; Raised Her Family Here
Pacific Palisades Post, January 22, 2009
Jeanne Ryan Fonda, a former resident of Pacific Palisades, passed away peacefully in her home in Pebble Beach on January 1, with her beloved husband of 65 years, Bill, at her side. She was 87.
Born in Ashville, North Carolina, Fonda graduated from Stephen’s College for Women in Columbia, Missouri, and later was proud of being one of the original American Airlines stewardesses from World War II, during which time the airline ferried only dignitaries and military leaders. She continued her relationship with her airline colleagues in the Kiwi Club, within which she formed a dance troupe, staging performances for charity that included the famous Ebsen sisters, Helga and Vilma, sisters of Buddy Ebsen.
Jeanne and Bill were wed shortly after his return from piloting 50 combat missions in the Mediterranean theater during World War II. They had three children: Lynne Fonda of Colorado Springs; Robert Fonda, M.D., of Newport Beach; and Laurie Fonda Gile, who predeceased her mother.
After moving to Pacific Palisades in 1954 and raising their children, Jeanne and Bill relocated to Pebble Beach, where they opened a small business. Fonda found joy as an active member of the Jesters Club, the fundraising arm of the Monterey Museum of Art. Her charm, exquisite taste, and joie de vivre were blessings to everyone she met.
Fonda loved and enjoyed her grandchildren, Zoe Dombrowski, Beka Chinery, Jeremy Caraway, Jason Caraway, Scott Gile, Jacob Gile, Zak Phillips, Clark Fonda and Emilia Fonda; and 13 great-grandchildren.
A service will be held at 1 p.m. on January 24 at the El Carmello Chapel in Pacific Grove. Memorial donations can be made to Hospice of the Central Coast, P.O. Box HH, Monterey, CA 93942.
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Nov 23
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Three from Harvard receive American Rhodes Scholarships
The Harvard University Gazette, November 23, 2008
Two Harvard College students and a Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) doctoral student have received Rhodes Scholarships. Thirty-two Americans were chosen from among 800 applicants for the scholarships to the University of Oxford in England.
Kyle Q. Haddad-Fonda
Kyle Q. Haddad-Fonda, Issaquah, Wash., is a senior at Harvard College where he majors in history and near-Eastern languages and civilizations. Well-versed in Mandarin and Arabic, the Pforzheimer House resident conducted research in China and Egypt for his senior thesis on Sino-Arab relations. Haddad-Fonda was captain of the Harvard 2008 National College Bowl Championship team and plays the harp in the Mozart Society Orchestra. He plans to do a doctorate in Oriental studies at Oxford.
“I’m absolutely thrilled at the prospect of studying at Oxford next year,” he said, “and humbled by the caliber of the other students who went through the process as well.”
Haddad-Fonda said an early interest in geography and “the world and understanding other places” led him to his concentration. Current events, like the recent deal between Iraq and China in excess of $3 billion that will allow China to develop an oil field southeast of Baghdad, he noted, point to the increasing importance of Sino-Arab connections.
While at Oxford, he plans to continue his research and explore how this and other connections have developed in recent times.
“It’s a topic that is very current and very important. And it’s something that I want to understand and to understand in a historic perspective as well.” (…)
Elliot F. Gerson, American secretary of the Rhodes Trust, in a press release called the Rhodes Scholarships “the oldest and best-known award for international study, and arguably the most famous academic award available to American college graduates.” The scholarships were created in 1902 by the will of Cecil Rhodes, British philanthropist and African colonial pioneer. The first class of American Rhodes Scholars entered Oxford in 1904; those chosen this weekend will enter Oxford in October 2009.
Gerson said 3,164 Americans have won Rhodes Scholarships, representing 309 colleges and universities. The number of Harvard College students who have won American Rhodes Scholarships is now 323, more than from any other college. That number does not include Rhodes Scholars who were Harvard students who were citizens of other countries, and also does not include scholars who were selected while attending Harvard’s graduate schools.
In addition to the 32 Americans, Rhodes Scholars will also be selected from Australia, Bermuda, Canada, the nations of the Commonwealth Caribbean, Germany, India, Jamaica, Kenya, New Zealand, Pakistan, Southern Africa (South Africa, plus Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, and Swaziland), Zambia, and Zimbabwe. About 80 Rhodes Scholars are selected worldwide each year. Some countries have not yet announced their Rhodes Scholars.
The value of the Rhodes Scholarships varies depending on the academic field and the degree (B.A., master’s, doctoral) chosen. The Rhodes Trust pays all college and university fees, provides a stipend to cover necessary expenses while in residence in Oxford as well as during vacations, and transportation to and from England. Gerson estimates that the total value of the scholarship averages approximately $50,000 per year.
2 from region named Rhodes scholars
The Associated Press, by Dan Robrish, Monday, November 24, 2008
An Issaquah man who is studying history and Chinese and Arabic languages at Harvard University is among this year’s winners of the Rhodes Scholarship.
Kyle Q. Haddad-Fonda joins Mallory A. Dwinal, of Gig Harbor, and 30 other men and women from across the United States in winning the prestigious scholarships for study at England’s Oxford University.
The winners – announced publicly on Sunday – were picked from 769 applicants endorsed by 207 colleges and universities nationwide. The scholarships are the oldest of the international-study awards available to American students. They provide two or three years of study at Oxford University in England, commencing in October.
Haddad-Fonda, 22, grew up in Bellevue and graduated from Lakeside School in Seattle, where he studied Chinese and learned to play the harp. He plays in Harvard’s student orchestra and served as captain of the school’s College Bowl team, for the academic-oriented quiz competition along the lines of “Jeopardy!”
His senior thesis at Harvard focused on China-Arab relations in the 1950s. He plans to pursue the British equivalent of a doctorate in Asian studies. (…)