This New Year brings both happy and sad tidings. It seems that often our musings devolve into a yin yang reporting of births and obituaries, which of course is simply in the nature of things, and this first posting for 2012 proves no exception. To save the happy news for last, we first report the passing on January 3rd of Amie Taney, born Amie Robertson Hollingsworth, in Darien CT. Her brother, Rodger Hollingsworth, was a cousin and close friend of Grizelda Skinner. Amie married J. Charles Taney II, a descendant of Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger B.Taney, the author of the majority ruling in the Dred Scott vs Sanford case of 1857. Here is a photo of Amie giving her toast at the Taille de Noyer wedding of Grizelda Polk and Lemoine Skinner in July 1941. Cal Gatch, 2nd person to right of Amie, is attending more closely than the unidentified reveler next to Amie.

A NYT obituary for Amie can be found here.

Now let’s turn to the bright (i.e. yang) side. Here is the recent, official announcement card, complete with specs, for Henry Polk Easthope – a home run photograph of the new clansman, another reveler deep in thought, clearly a first rate product.

Job well done Anne and David! I for one would like to know what wine David selected to celebrate Henry’s arrival….

LC

OurRumpian Odds ‘n Ends for your perusal.

First, the long anticipated Farm Vehicle Policy is out. This anxiously awaited must-read can be found in the Library section of our sidebar, under ‘Policy’ (see below).

In a recent post (La Cerise sur le Gateau), we sponsored a very competitive photo caption contest. Here is the winner!

Cousin Burnell Chatfield

Note – Burnell sports the EMpattern Tee-Shirt awarded the clan member with the best caption for our contest. Bet you wish you’d entered! Click on the image to see a blow up of the design…. If you would like one of these shirts, contact the Chamberlain for pricing. They go quickly, especially the wife-beater style shown above.

BTW, Burnell’s winning caption: “Happy Easter from The Screamin-Demon Tattoo Parlor Staff, Sullivan Mo.”

Ataboy Burnell!!

LC

The Cromie family is planning a memorial service for Jack at St Vincents Church in Albany New York on Saturday Nov 28th at 10am. The Cromie children will do readings at Mass, and the Pie Jesu will be performed by Dan Cromie as well. Family and friends are welcome.

At Moone Athy, Charlie Judy is organizing a Jack Cromie Trailblazing Day. This will be held on Sunday November 15th, at 10:00AM. Charlie has posted an evite to the family for this event. We are looking forward to this day in the woods in memory of Jack.

Finally, at the suggestion of Helene Tatum, we have included William Cromie’s beautiful memorial for Jack in our Library’s Encomia section (‘My Brother Jack’, in sidebar, on right). You can read it here.

Onboard The France, June 1974. Jack, Clare, Cynthia and Dan
Jack already a source of wonderment for his sister Clare