Book Review - Not in the Heart by Chris Fabry

NOT IN THE HEART
by Chris Fabry

Truman Wiley is not the most likeable character.  He’s been an absentee father while he has pursued his journalistic pursuits around the world.  He’s addicted to gambling and is not above stealing money from family members to pursue this passion.  People to whom he owes big gambling debts are violently pursuing their money.  His son, Aiden, is extremely sick,  his only hope being a heart transplant, and Tru can hardly force himself to visit Aiden in the hospital.  Truman looks with skepticism and sometimes, mockery, on anyone who expresses his belief in God or prayer.  Yes, Truman has a lot of dysfunction in his life, but the positive part of this novel surrounds Truman’s desire to “fix it.”

 Truman’s estranged wife, Ellen,  has stood by her children while her husband traveled for his job and gambled away his money.  When Aiden has his latest near death episode, Ellen swallows her pride to contact Truman.  A friend from her church, Oleta, has a husband on death row and a deal is in the works for Terrelle to donate his heart to Aiden after Terrelle’s execution.  Terrelle, a former drunk, who has found religion in prison, sees this as a way to do some good in this world.   Truman is to write a book about Terrill from the accused’s point of view. This, in a sense, was the price to pay for the heart that could save Aiden’s life.

 When his daughter, Abigail, asks to help with the writing of Terrelle’s story, thankfully, the reader begins to see a breakthrough in Truman’s own heart.   As we follow the journey of this family, we experience the pain addictions of any kind can bring and the searching for forgiveness and acceptance.  But this book is not only a book about relationships with family and with God, it is also a novel of suspense and mystery, and moral decisions.   I had to keep reading to find out if there was any hope at all for Terrelle, for Aiden, or for Truman. 

 At first, I thought Truman was so despicable, I didn’t think I wanted to hear his story.  That’s often the way with addicts.  We don’t care how they got there, just that they are there and what they are doing is hurting themselves and others.  We’d rather close our eyes to it because it wears us out.  Truman was a much greater man in my eyes by the end of the story.

I gave this book a 5 STAR on my Amazon.com review because of the depth of character given to Truman, the discussion of the moral choice he faced with Terrelle, and the riveting suspense created as the story unfolded. 

You can read more about the author
and this book at www.chrisfabry.com

My thanks to Tyndale Publishing for providing this book for my review.  The opinions are my own and were not influenced by Tyndale.

John Emery of Newbury

I am lucky to have researched back to my ninth great-grandfather, John Emery, father to Ann Emery who was the wife of James Ordway, immigrant to America.  Much research has already been done on this family, so I am just going to give you the history as presented by Dorothy and Gerald Knoff in their book, Thirty-One English Emigrants Who Came to New England by 1662.  The book was published in 1989 and included both the Emerys and Ordways.

The Emery family motto, according to the Knoffs, was "Fidelis et suavis."  My high school Latin held up for "fidelis" - faithful - but I needed help for "suavis."  Translated, their motto was "Faithful and Sweet."  The family crest is very elegant and there is quite an old history with the Emery name, going back to the Domesday Book in 1086.  More information here.

p. 99+ of the Knoff book:
"John Emery was baptized at the Abbey Church of Saint Mary and Saint Ethelflaeda of Romsey, Hampshire, the 29th of November 1599.  His brother, Anthony, was baptized the 29th of August 1601.  They were sons of John Emery.
The Romsey parish registers begin in 1569 and have been searched through 1634 for entries of parishioners named Emery.  The name does not appear until 1594, so it seems that the family came to Romsey from another parish at a time somewhat earlier than that date.

John and Anthony, both carpenters, were emigrants to Massachusetts.  Leaving Southampton the 5th of April 1635 on the ship James of London, they arrived in Boston the 3rd of June.  Both had married in England and had their families with them.  They settled in Newbury, Massachusetts.  Anthony, after a few years, left Newbury and removed to Dover.  He later settled in Kittery, Maine.

We continue with John.  He was made freeman the 2nd of June 1641 (Paige, Freeman, p. 18).  He held many civic offices in the following years.  In 1644, he was on a committee of three to put a value on town lands.  He served on county trial juries for seven years; on grand juries for three years; as constable, as clerk of the market and as selectman.  He took the oath of allegiance in 1677.  During King Phillip's War, he contributed a new saddle and bridle, powder and bullets for a younger man who was able to take up arms.

His name is frequently found in Currier's History of Newbury, Mass., as he signed petitions for and against causes that he considered right or wrong.  More than once, he argued with the authorities for what he believed was right.  He had the courage of his convictions and his convictions sometimes caused him to pay a heavy price.

In 1654, with others, he and his son, John, signed a petition in favor of Lieut. Robert Pike,
'which so irritated the authorities that they appointed a commission to examine...the signers.  John Emery demanded (to see) their commission and a sight of the petition before he would answer.  He said that the commissioners had no power to demand who brought the petition to him.'
In 1657, he signed a certificate of William Titcomb's good character.  In 1658, he opposed the vote in favor of a school and a schoolmaster.
The court admonished him and his sons, John Jr. and John Webster for heading an agitation about the local military company. 

'The grand jury on the 31st of March 1663, presented John Emery for entertaining Quakers and for inviting neighbors to come to hear them.'
Again, he claimed his individual right to supply them with food and lodging.  This was a serious offense since Quakers were held in very low esteem and, indeed, were considered criminals.  They were called 'blasphemous hereticks,' 'a cursed sect,' and their books were burned.  Any person entertaining or concealing Quakers and their books was subject to a fine of forty shillings.  'The master of a vessel bringing any knoune Quaker...into any town or harbor within the limits of the colony was to pay a fine of one hundred pounds for each offense.'
The records of Ipswich, Salem and Boston do not give a verdict for this case.  On the same day, March 31, 1663, John Emery was fined four pounds for entertaining Dr. Henry Greenland, 'a stranger,' (one who did not have a legal residence in the town).  Greenland was entertained for four months in Emery's home.

John Emery was married in England and three of his children were baptized there.  His wife's name may have been Alice Grantam, as Davis writes: 'An interesting possibility is the marriage of John Emorye and Alice Grantam on June 26, 1620, at Whiteparish, Wiltshire, about eight miles from Romsey.'
...We do not know the date of death of his first wife, but he married in Newbury probably the 29th of October, 1647, Mary (Shatswell) Webster, widow of John Webster of Ipswich."

(There follows an explanation of the confusion of the marriage records and a discrepancy between the original Newbury records and the town record and different interpretations of each.)

"John Emery died the 3rd of November, 1683.  He wrote his will on the 11th of May 1680 and it was proved the 27th of November 1683.  The inventory amounted to 263 pounds.  Mary (Shatswell, Webster) Emery died the 28th of April 1694.  Her will was dated the 1st of April 1693 and proved the 11th of November 1696.
Known children of John Emery at the time his will was written:
Children by his first wife -
1. Eleanor, baptized at Romsey as Helena on 7 November 1624, married before 1641, John Bailey Jr of Newbury...
2. Alice, married John Chater. 'Either she or an unidentified child was living in 1683 when her father made his will.'
3. John, baptized at Romsey on 3 February 1628/9, his will was made 3 August 1693 and proved 26 September 1693.  His widow died 3 February 1709.
4. **Anne, baptized at Romsey 18 March 1632/33, married at Newbury 25 November 1648, James Ordway.  She died 31 March 1687, aged 56.

Children by his second wife, Mary Shatswell Webster Emery:
5. Ebenezer, daughter, born at Newbury 16 September 1648, married 21 April 1669 to John Hoag
6. Jonathan, born at Newbury 13 May 1652, married 29 November 1676 to Mary Woodman.  Both died in September of 1723, she on the 13th and he on the 29th."

A very interesting article on the Emery family and the Emery house in Newbury may be found here.  It gives differing information on dates and wives of John Emery.  All must be recorded and considered as we research.

Tony Dungy Book Giveaway Winner!

Well, I used the Random Number Generator from Random.org and had it inserted here once, but then it disappeared and I have not been able to successfully get it into the post again!  You'll just have to believe me that the magic number was 4.

Congratulations, Tommie, it's you! 

I don't have your mailing address, so please contact me on FB with that info.  Thanks for entering everyone!

My Top 5 Best Books List for 2011

 As I glanced back at my Shelfari bookshelf on this blog, it was fun to remember those books that really made an impact on me or enticed me to stay up way too late, reading away.  The books I’ve chosen as my favorites weren’t necessarily best-sellers or candidates for a college literature course, but each of them kept my attention and drew me into their stories.

1.       Unbroken by  L. Hillebrand.  You will never forget this book. Ever. You may find it difficult to believe everything you read in it, but it really is a true story about war and man's will to survive.  The story revolves around the life of Louis Zamperini, Olympic caliber runner before World War II intervenes.  He "joins up" and becomes an airman, eventually stationed in the islands of the Pacific.  Sometimes I had to put the book down to regroup and digest the superhuman feats accomplished by our servicemen, especially Louie and his cohorts. The atrocities imposed by the Japanese captors on our prisoners of war was just past inhumane.  This is the story of an American survivor, Louis Zamperini, one who could not be broken.  This is not a military strategy book - this is Louie's story. Unforgettable. 

2.       The series by Linda Castillo – Sworn to Silence, Pray for Silence, Breaking Silence.  These are murder mysteries that I didn’t want to put down.  An ex-Amish woman who has been shunned by her community, becomes a cop in Holmes County, Ohio, the center of Amish country.  How does it work when a horrific crime takes place there and she has to work with the Amish there who really like to take care of their own problems?    Some graphic descriptions of the crimes, but also a good look into the Amish community a short distance from my home in Ohio.  Thoroughly enjoyable.  I was often surprised by the plot twists.

3.       The Book Thief by M Zusak.   It took me a few chapters to get into this book, set in Nazi Germany, but then…wow.  Such interesting, beautiful writing.  When the Nazis insist on collecting books and burning them in order to keep the people ignorant, how does the book thief survive?  How do any of the people survive?   They have their ways.

4.       Sarah’s Key by T. daRosnay .  I guarantee you will be hooked by the  first chapter.  Another book set in Nazi Germany.  The Nazis are coming and taking away the Jewish families.  One boy hides and is locked in the cupboard. His sister swears she will come back for him when she gets away.  But can she get away?   Fast forward a generation.  What are the implications of that boy in the cupboard?  Someone decides to investigate and it leads to a family revelation.

5. A tough choice with a few other contenders, but I'm going with All Other Nights by Dara Horn, the story of a Jewish soldier in the Civil War who becomes a spy.  As a spy, he's ordered to kill one of his own relatives and then he is ordered to marry someone who is thought to be a spy for the Confederacy...and he does.  History, romance, mystery, suspense...oh, yes, it has it all.

Yesterday, I picked up the new Stephen King novel, 11/22/63.  I'm on page 50 and am finding it so interesting.  I am not normally a reader of anything Stephen King, but I can so relate to the era in which this story will take place.  The main character teaches high school English - ah, that fits. So far, he has a little time travel going on, and I think I know where it will lead, but so far he is only in 1958.  I know the title of the book is the date of the Kennedy assassination.  I was in high school at the time and heard the announcement of the shooting on the school intercom. We all watched Oswald and Ruby shot on tv, Johnson sworn in as president, the funeral procession.  But, the premise of this book has to do with stopping all that from happening.  What if Kennedy had NOT been killed?  Oh, Stephen, where are you leading me?  Maybe this book will make my top 5 for next year...



Don't forget my Tony Dungy book giveaway - drawing on Sunday, January 22! 



Book Review and Giveaway - One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge

The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge
by Tony Dungy and Nathan Whitaker

I have always viewed Tony Dungy, former coach of the Indianapolis Colts, as a man of integrity and faith and that is surely confirmed in this, his newest book.  The Uncommon Life Daily Challenge is a series of 365 devotions, all dated with month and day, but not year, so that they can be reread over many years.  The concept of this type of book grew from Coach Dungy's own Bible study group.  Each member would read the same devotion and then they could discuss it on the day indicated - if not in person, than via phone or some other device. 

The devotions follow a seven day rotation focusing on these themes: Core, Family, Friends, Potential, Mission, Influence and Faith.  One can start reading on any day.  When I started reading on December 13th, the theme was Potential and the devotion centered around knowing that God is a safe place to hide in any storms of life, when "conditions begin to deteriorate and everything seems to be spinning out of control."  We've probably all experienced that feeling.  Each devotion is based on a Scripture reading, in this case, Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God."  And best of all, each reading has an Uncommon Key, an application to our own lives.  On December 13th, we are reminded to quiet our hearts and let God show us how mighty He can be. 

I found the devotions to be very conversational, scripture-based, and full of true story examples from Dungy's life experiences as a coach and a father to seven children. His faith surely shines through every page.  It is a perfect book for informal groups or friends to share.
Listen as Tony Dungy explains his Uncommon Life Daily Challenge.

One might think that these writings would only be directed to and interesting only for men, but that is not true.  The topics are not gender-specific, and the applications can surely be used by anyone.

Read more about Tony Dungy and his Uncommon
Life Daily Challenge at
www.coachdungy.com
and
www.tyndale.com

***Now, listen up, Tyndale Publishing
has provided a FREE copy
of The One Year Uncommon Life
Daily Challenge by Tony Dungy
to give away.  Just post a brief comment
and I'll draw for a winner two weeks from
today on January 22!  Make sure you note
a name or email, so I can name a winner!

*This book was provided to me by Tyndale Publishing for my review.  The opinions expressed, however, are my own and were not influenced by the publisher.

The Immigrant Ordway - James

The story of James Ordway, the immigrant to America, and his wife, Ann Emery, is well documented in many sources, some of which will be used here to tell his story. 

Genealogical and Family History of the State of New Hampshire, Vol. II, Lewis Publishing Company, 1908, p.832
"ORDWAY
The family of this name came early to Massachusetts, and did yeoman service in preparing the way for future generations.  The same pioneer work was repeated by later members in New Hampshire.  An ancestor of the Concord family fought in the Revolution, and many of the Ordways have been prominent in war and peace.
Tradition says that James and Abner Ordway, supposed to be brothers, and probably a sister, Sara, came to this country between 1635 and 1640 from England or Wales."
(Abner was presumably the older brother.  Sara married in 1654 Richard Fitz/Fitts and died in 1667 without having children.  When her husband, Richard, died, he left legacies to his brother-in-law, James and James' daughter, Jane.)
"James Ordway went with other pioneer settlers to Cocheco,now Dover, New Hampshire, in 1641, but afterwards returned to Newbury, Massachusetts.  He was a farmer and the owner of several boats employed in lighterage service in Newbury for many years, and was, after the death of his wife, with one of his children, as late as 1704, mention of his being made in that year in the diary of Rev. Samuel Sewell. 
In 1648, he married Anne Emery, daughter of John Emery, from Romsey, England, but then of Newbury, Massachusetts and from James and Anne Emery Ordway probably descended nearly all now bearing that name in this country.  Anne died March 31, 1687.  Her gravestone is still standing in the old cemetery at Newbury port.  The eleven children of James Ordway were as follows: Ephraim, James Jr., Edward, Sarah, John, Isaac, Jane, Hannah, a child unnamed, Anne and Mary."

From New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial, Series 3, Volume IV, Lewis Publishing, New York, 1915, p.1660.
"ORDWAY - James Ordway, the immigrant ancestor of all the Ordways of early New England, was born in England in 1624.  He himself deposed that he was about forty-five years old in 1669.  He settled in Newbury, Massachusetts, of which he was a proprietor in 1648, and his descendants have been numerous in that town and adjacent towns in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.  He married November  25, 1648, Anne, daughter of John Emery, another pioneer of Newbury.  She died March 31, 1687. Children: Child died June 18, 1650; Ephraim, born April 25, 1650; James, April 16, 1651; Edward, September 14, 1656; John, November 17, 1658; Isaac, December 4, 1660; Jane, November 12, 1663; Hannah, December 2, 1665; Ann, February 12, 1670; Mary, April 5, 1671."

Dean Smith, in The Ancestry of Samuel Blanchard Ordway, 1990, thoroughly studied the Newbury records and the parish registers in England to flesh out the story of James Ordway.  Smith found the baptismal record of 5 August 1621, for James in St. Peter, Bengeworth, Worcestershire, England. 
In Newbury, MA, James was a land owner, a participant in many public meetings and he held a bench in his church.  He did some farming, owned livestock, served on the jury and various committees, was a witness in several court trials, and in general, was a good citizen of Newbury.  He could not read or write and used a "JO" as his mark.

p. 83 - "James Ordway served in the militia with Captain Gerrish.  His allowances for a gun, horse, powder and horn, cheese and bread, ammunition, saddle, bridle and cloth were paid and the records survive.

After Ann died in 1687, James married the widow Joanna Davis Corliss, who had lost her husband, George, just one year prior.  No record has been discovered for James' death although it is thought he lived to be at least 91. 

 Located in the First Burial Ground, Newbury, MA - memorial stone to James and Ann Ordway, although they are not buried here.

Ann Emery Ordway appears very seldom in the records except for when she appeared as a witness in the witch trial of Elizabeth Morse.  Ann had lost a child just after neighbor Morse had been in the house and touched him.

"Ann came forward to testify against her neighbor: 
Ann Ordway, Aged about 50.  This Deponent saith, I had a childe aged about 7 or 8 years taken suddenly sick: So continued about three weeks and then I perceiving amendment in ye childe because hee could turn himself in ye bedd after this time, goody Morss came to visit him.  She stroak't upp his head, presently after I did apprehend ye Child grew worse and could not turn him in ye Bedd and in a Sore and Solemn condition continued untill hee dyed and this thing have laide heavy upon mee ever sinse.  Taken on oath, Jan. 7th, 1679."  (Suffolk Files #1870) 

Elizabeth Morse was reprieved by the governor, but again brought before the general court two years later.  William Morse, her husband, petitioned the court, answering all the sundry charges against his wife and responding to Ann Ordway thus:
...To goodwife Ordway.  Hir child being long ill, my wife coming in and looking on it, pitting of it,  did feare it would dy, and when it dyed Israell Webster, our next neighbour, heard not a word of it, nor spoken of by others, nor any of ye family, but hir conceite, now brought in...(dated 14 May 1681, History of Newbury, p. 128." 
Luckily for Elizabeth Morse, governor Bradstreet saved her life and Newbury did not give up its first victim to the witch hunts of the time. 
Ann Emery Ordway is buried at the First Parish Church of Newbury.

James Ordway's burial place is unknown.  One theory claims he was lost at sea.  Thanks to J. Ordway Lamourex for these photos, 1999.

                                                       

More Travel Back into the Ordway Line

In previous posts, I've traced down the Ordway ancestry from my grandfather down to Moses Ordway of Tunbridge, VT. 
One can see how the migration has gone so far from Vermont to Ohio and Michigan.  In the next generations, the migration will go from England to Massachusetts to New Hampshire to Vermont.  Much of this history is well-documented in New England vital records and historical books and manuscripts.  My plan here is not to document all of these in this blog, but rather just to trace the ancestry and to tell some of the stories of the ancestors

Moses Ordway Jr, father of that record-breaking family of 22 children in Tunbridge, VT, was the son of another Moses Ordway, my gggggg-grandfather and his wife, Hannah Hadley.  Moses Sr. was born in Newbury, MA, on 20 Sept 1714 and Hannah in Gloucester, MA, on 8 Nov 1714.  The couple were married in Newbury on 29 Nov 1735.  (Newbury has an excellent collection of vital records from the times.) 

Moses Jr was the second son of eleven children they had, all born from 1736 - 1764, just prior to the Revolutionary War.  At the time of his death on 28 May 1792, Moses Sr. lived in Plaistow, Rockingham County, NH which was very near to Newbury and was probably part of MA at one time.

Map pins: On the Atlantic coast is Newbury, Massachusetts and directly west of that in the corner of New Hampshire is Plaistow.  Moses Jr. traveled west to Tunbridge, Vermont.

The earliest generations of our Ordway line have been documented in the book, The Ancestry of Samuel Blanchard Ordway, 1844-1916, by Dean Crawford Smith and published by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1990.  The stories that follow were referenced in that book and were not researched personally by me beyond that.

Moses Sr. was the son of James Ordway (Jr.) and his second wife, Sarah Clark.  James, born 16 April 1651, first married the widow of Thomas Bartlett, Tirzah Titcomb Bartlett in 1690.  Tirzah died in 1695, after having two children with James Ordway - James and Lydia.

  James Jr. then married Sarah Clark who was born 7 Sept 1675 in Rowley, Essex County, Massachusetts.  Together, they had four more children: Johanna (Joanna), John, Mary, and my ancestor, Moses.  James and Sarah Ordway lived in Newbury, MA, and all their children were born there.  In a 1688 survey of the town, James was noted to own 2 horses, 4 oxen, 4 cows, 30 sheep, a dwelling house and a malt house.  It is also known that he owned a Negro man named Jupiter because Jupiter's ownership was passed on in James' will.  Records in Newbury also name James as a member of Captain Thomas Noyes' company of a local militia in Essex County as one who owned "snow shoos and megginsons." (Snowshoes and moccasins)  James's three brothers were also named as snowshoe men.
The date of James' death is murky, but was probably in 1721 or 1722, based on his will which has survived.  In the will, he gave his wife Sarah 1/3 ownership of Jupiter, a life tenacy of 1/2 of his new home, 1/2 the produce from his son, Moses', land and 1/2 the produce of son John's land. 
John received 1/2 the barn and 1/2 the land where one house stood and some other plots of land.  He was directed to manage his mother's estate until Moses turned 21 and to provide 5 cords of firewood each year to his mother.  John also received 2/3 "of my negro man call'd Jupiter."
James died when Moses was but a child of seven or eight, but still Moses gained 1/2 the lands of the homestead, 1/2 of his father's new house and the other half of the house when his mother died.  He inherited his father's farming tools and some other miscellaneous plots of land.  When he turned 21, he was to take over from his brother, John, in supplying five cords of firewood to his mother each year.


So, our Ordway line from my grandfather back would be: Frederick,
Lemuel, Richard, Harrison, Aaron, Moses Jr, Moses Sr, James Jr, and now the immigrant to America, James Ordway Sr.