The Fonda Blog

Church to be Demolished to Expand Store

170-yr-old Church in Fonda to be Demolished

Fonda, NY – For the first time in about 170 years, there will no longer be a place of worship at 42 W. Main Street in Fonda.  In 1842, a group of methodists built a small wooden church at that address.  It was so popular, they had to expand a year later.  “Then on April 12th, 1912 there was a fire that started in the drug store next door,” said Fultonville Village Historian, Ryan Weitz.  He’s also the unofficial Historian for the village of Fonda.  Weitz is putting together a piece on the history of the old church.  At 18 years old, he’s the youngest Historian in New York State.  He was appointed to the position when he was 15 years old.

After the fire, Weitz says the church was built again, this time it was brick.  The building was vacant from 1967 to about 1986, when the Village Bible Church bought it.  Then in 2005, the House of Zion moved in.  Today, the stained glass windows on the historic structure are gone.  Tarps flap in the wind, covering the openings.  The doors are locked.  And the sign displayed, letting everyone know what kind of church this is, is gone.

On Monday, the entire building is expected to come down.  “It’s a shame to see an old building like this be torn down for the expansion of a gas station and small convenience store,” said Weitz.  The Stewart’s store two doors down at 38 W. Main street is often congested.  The parking lot is small and gas pumps cramped.  Stewart’s approached the land owners of 40 W. Main Street, and 42 W. Main Street, which is where the church is located.  Both agreed to sell the land.

The most recent congregation at the old church, was Messianic Christianity, lead by Pastors Richard and Denise Allen.  For the past five years, they’ve rented the building.  “It’s such a beautiful building, and it still had some life left in it,” said Pastor Denise Allen.  Messianic Christianity combines the teachings of both Christianity and Judaism.  “We had 3 pastors ordained as Messianic Rabbis in that building, and that’s historic,” said Pastor Allen.  She will continue to hold services at a church she built on her property at 580 Dillenbeck Road in Palatine Bridge.  The small white building has a blue border, and the letters are decorated with glitter.  Flowers surround the entrance.  No more than 30 people can fit inside the church at one time.  “Some people say gee, we never met anyone like you, I say thank God, it’s ok to be different.”

If you want to find out more about Pastor Denise Allen’s church, email her at Deniseallen01@aol.com

written by admin \\ tags: Churches, News, Village of Fonda

Photo album from family of Hamilton Giles Fonda of DuQuoin, IL:

Album Cover - 4" x 6" - 26 pages - purple velour with gold trim	Enclosed letter from Charles to family from Camp Reynolds, Angel Island, CA written in 1867	Hamilton Giles Fonda and Elizabeth Steele
Wesley H. Fonda and Florence Donnell	Frank and Charles Fonda	prob. Charles A. Fonda
Wesley H. Fonda	Frank L. Fonda	prob. Julia C. Fonda
Hamilton Fonda?	Elizabeth Steele Fonda?

written by admin \\ tags: History, Midwest, Migrations, Portrait

The Fonda Family of Chattanooga, Tennessee

Obituary from Chattanooga Times, 10 Jun 1922 – Jeremiah D. Fonda, 89, died yesterday morning at 8:10 o’clock at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. Sue Fonda Scholze, at 1017 St. Elmo Ave, St. Elmo. Mr. Fonda leaves two daughters, Mrs. Sue Fonda Scholze, and Mrs. Lottie I. Boyce, both of Chattanooga, and one son, Henry J. Fonda.  Mrs. Vernie Spencer, of Chattanooga, and Leonard T. Boyce, of Macon GA and other grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.  Mr. Fonda was born in Fonda, NY (correction: Beakmontown, NY), but moved with his parents to Burlington, VT in his boyhood days, and spent his young manhood there. He was of a hardy, rugged disposition, and in the early fifties went to the Cripple Creek gold mining regions, where he spent two years.  About the year 1875, Mr. Fonda, together with his family, moved to Chattanooga and entered the contracting and building business, which he followed up to the time his strength failed, and was well known to the contractors and builders of the early days of the city.  Mr. Fonda was a loving husband and father, a splendid citizen, and won the love and respect of a large circle of friends.  Funeral services will be held at the funeral parlors of the Jack O’Donohue company, Monday morning at 10:30 o’clock, Dr. J. W. Bachman officiating.  The following are requested to act as pallbearers: Ernest Spencer, Herbert Spencer, Rov Blevins, Richard Fry, David Jones, and Edward Birdsell. (Note – Sandra Stuart wrote, on 3/3/2010: I will attach a copy of Jeremiah D’s obit. There are some questionable items in it. I think the family had moved to Chattanooga by 1873, instead of 1876, because the youngest child is listed in the 1880 census as being born in 1873 in TN. Also the Cripple Creek gold rush didn’t happen until the 1890s! Perhaps fifties is a typo. I find it strange that Charlotte is not mentioned but, since she died in 1888, I guess not many people would have remembered her.)

Henry J. Fonda - Chattanooga, TN - 1888

Family of Henry J. Fonda - Chattanooga, TN - 1897

The pictures: The single of Henry J. was around the time of his marriage to Suzie Mae, 1888. The one of all the Fondas is 1897, or early 1898. Maude is the baby being held by Suzie Mae in front. Ruth is on her left and Henry is on the edge two rows back. So many women in this family! I wish I knew who the others are. (Sandra Stuart)

written by admin \\ tags: History, Migrations, Portrait, SouthEast

Olga Fonda Finally Arrives

September 2011 Interview in Melroze Magazine.

Casting Bits: Hope Davis, James Rebhorn and Olga Fonda Join Real Steel

slashfilm.com – June 1, 2010 – Hope Davis (About Schmidt), James Rebhorn (Independence Day, The Game) and Olga Fonda (Love Hurts) has been cast in Shawn Levy’s futuristic robot boxing movie Real Steel. No word on what roles they will play.

General Information (Olga Fonda)

tvrage.com – Olga Fonda was born Olga Tchakova on October 1, 1982. She is 28 years old. She was married under the name Olga Fundamynsky until 2008. Born and raised in Moscow, Olga came to the United States at 14 years of age. She has been seen in several small uncredited upcoming roles in films including Little Fockers, Crazy Stupid Love, and Reel Steal.

Former Winthrop exchange student takes on Hollywood

Olga Tchakova has made it to Hollywood and adopted one of its famous last names: Fonda.

Olga Tchakova has made it to Hollywood and adopted one of its famous last names: Fonda.

Some people might remember her as a 14-year-old exchange student at Winthrop High School in 1996-1997 who came from Uhtka, just above the Arctic Circle in Russia. She later returned to attend the University of Maine at Augusta. Now she’s in a much warmer place and making her way as an actress and model as Olga Fonda. “Living in Los Angeles has given me an opportunity to pursue my dreams and has been able to open the doors to unlimited possibilities,” she said recently via e-mail.

Fonda’s introduction to America began with the Auclair family in East Winthrop. “Well, first of all, I was able to learn English,” she said. “I was also introduced to the beauty of the American culture through my lovely host family, my teachers and all of my friends in Maine. They believed in me and encouraged me to always follow my dreams.”

Fonda now speaks English with a hint of a Russian accent. “Her English is really great,” said Debora Hillier (formerly Auclair), who was her host mother. “From the third month she was a chatterbox; she has such a wonderful command of languages.” Several members of her former host family joined her recently in Boston for the East Coast premier of the movie “Love Hurts,” where she appears as Valeriya. “Olga plays a Russian ballerina love-interest of the young star,” said Hillier said. “She very convincingly breaks his heart as she did to a few of the Winthrop boys.”

“Love Hurts” premiered at the Strasbourg International Film Festival, the Temecula Valley International Film and Music Festival in California, the 15th Annual Boston Film Festival, La Femme Film Festival in Los Angeles, and the Savannah Film Festival. Fonda said it will be screened at the Orlando Film Festival and the Big Apple Film Festival and has a theatrical opening in Los Angeles on Nov. 13. More info about “Love Hurts” is at www.lovehurts-movie.com .

Hillier, her husband Jim Hillier, and her son, Paul Auclair, attended the Boston Film Festival where the movie won Barra Grant the best director award and took the best comedy award at the Boston Film Festival. “Lovely Olga wanted to be a model,” Hillier said. “It was her aspiration and she never lost sight of that goal.”

At the UMA admissions department, Kristen Duplessis recalled Fonda as a bubbly, outgoing work/study student. “She was very successful doing student tours,” Duplessis said. “She’s such a sweetheart.” At UMA, Fonda majored in financial management. “I want to thank everyone at Winthrop and at UMA for letting me become a part of the exchange program and welcoming me into their schools, community, lives and hearts,” Fonda said. “It was an unforgettable experience and I will cherish the memories and friendships I have made in my heart forever.” When she’s back East, Fonda tries to visit her friends in Winthrop and Augusta. Hillier is hoping she can make it to Maine for a visit this year, and Fonda, too, said she hopes to be back soon.

Fonda still models for television and print commercials. She stands about 5-foot-8, and spent time modeling in Japan, Italy and the United States. She has appeared in “Nip/Tuck,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “Melrose Place,” “Entourage,” and in many television commercials and advertising campaigns, including print ads in “Vogue,” “Bazaar,” and “Cosmopolitan.” “I am looking forward to continue working with creative and dedicated directors and actors,” Fonda said. “There is so much that I want to do, people to meet, places to visit. I want to do it all! As an actress, I would love to take the audience through the journey of a story in the most believable way.”

links: Olga Fonda on IMDB, Facebook, Wikipedia

written by admin \\ tags: Entertainment, Hollywood, West Coast

A moment in history…

Fonda, NY Train Wreck

“The wreck occurred on July 18, 1947 at Fonda, NY.  My grandfather was the engineer operating engine number 2775, an L2a Mohawk I believe. He was the only one injured.  It tied up all four tracks of the mainline for quite some time. He said the tower man switched his train into the back end of a work train sitting on a siding.  He also said they never saw the tower man again after the wreck.”  Don Relyea, May 2010

Also shown at Railroads of Madison County

written by admin \\ tags: Events, History, Roads & Railroads, Village of Fonda