Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Reunion Update

[photo above, l-r: Alan, Robert, Edward Radding and Dave Nappi]

If you think nothing has happened since the August reunion, you are mistaken. Various Raddings have been expanding the connections they made at the reunion on their own. For example:

David Nappi learned at the reunion that his mother had a half-sister. The daughter of this half sister, Judie Pearson, flew to Massachusetts, where a number of visits to family took place. Edward and Linda Radding hosted a visit from David Nappi, Kathy Cragin, Judie Pearson and Cathy McGilligott.

A week later, Joe Radding and his wife Marilee from Ann Arbor, Michigan came out to San Francisco. They contacted Herb and Bonnie Radding and met for dinner. Circumstances kept other West Coast Raddings from joining them.

Also, Andrew and Bonnie Radding visited Andrew’s daughter Judith in New York City in late August. It happened that Ed and Linda Radding were visiting their daughter Jennifer in New York at the same time. The two families got together. It turns out the daughters live only four blocks from each other.

More recently, Steve and Teri Greenfield attended the UC Davis Aggies football game. There they bumped into Emily Ault, the great niece of Bernhard Radding, who Pearl found living in Davis. Her brother, Scott Radding Bland from Sacramento, was there with Emily. He and Steve had never met. Both families headed off to The Graduate for dinner together after the game. There now are rumblings of an early mini-reunion in Northern California.

More than rumblings, the direction coming out of the August reunion was that the next major family gathering will be held in California, probably in 2009. Stay tuned for more details. A survey to ascertain everyone’s various preferences is in the works.

Steve reports that he is putting on the finishing touches on that survey. He apologizes for the delay, which was due to a crashed computer and a very busy schedule. It will be on its way shortly—he promises. Keep the faith.

On another note, Pearl has recovered nicely from her knee replacement and is now bopping around Davis, no cane in hand. She is grateful for this second chance to be mobile again. We’re expecting her here to run the Boston Marathon in April. Herb Radding, in the meantime, is recovering from recent back surgery. We wish him well.

Meanwhile, Eva Radding continues to pursue Raddings around the country and back in time, pouring over various online database records, directories, and historical archives. She is hot on the trail of some descendents of the third patriarchal brother, Berre Racusin. She just needs a couple of pieces of corroborating data.

If you have Radding family news, fire it off to me in an email message (alan@radding.net) and I will add it to the next blog update, which hopefully won’t be another four months in coming.

Friday, August 17, 2007

Radding Reuinion attendees


Hi,


Here is the photo of the Radding Reunion attendees from Saturday afternoon. A small handful of people did not make it into this photo. I don't know how this happened; I thought Steve flogged everybody to get into this photo. Maybe they were in the bathroom. If you want to get the IDs of everybody in the photo, contact Steve or Pearl for the ID set of 2 files (a b&w photo and list of names), stgreen@omsoft.com or pearl@omsoft.com. DOUBLE CLICK THE IMAGE TO SEE IT LARGE


Sunday, August 12, 2007

It happened!

The first Radding Family Reunion actually did happen Aug. 2-5 at the Interlaken Inn in Lakeville, CT, and it was great. Thanks to everybody who made it happen, including Pearl Radding Carpenter, Fay Radding, Cathy Radding McElligott, Eva Radding, Steve Greenfield, and Edward Radding. My apologies in advance to anyone else I should have named but inadvertently forgot.

We initially thought 50-60 people might show up. A week before the event, it looked like 75-80 people would come. By Saturday afternoon, 95 people had arrived! The sudden rush did cause a few logistical complications, but everything was resolved.

Mark your calendar for the summer of 2009, the likely date of the second Radding Family Reunion. A survey will be circulating to determine preferred dates and locations. Judging from the preferences expressed at the breakfast on Sunday morning, it looks like it will be held on the west coast. Those who want to volunteer to help organize the event—and help definitely will be needed—please contact Steve Greenfield (stgreen@omsoft.com).

For those who couldn’t attend, here is a brief and highly subjective recap. Feel welcome to add your own impressions of the reunion in the comment section directly following this posting. To post a comment you will be prompted for your name (your email address) and your password (give yourself a password and remember it).

The children liked the ice cream social on Thursday evening while many adults avoided the extra calories. But it kept the children busy while the adults talked and mingled. Jacob Knop, Julia Radding Knop’s son, took on the much appreciated task of assembling name cards and badges; at that time there were about 85.

Friday was an unusually hot and humid day for the Berkshires, even in August—a perfect day for relaxing in the shade, at the pool, on the lakefront, or in the water. In the evening we switched ice cream for alcohol and had a cocktail party which flowed right into a buffet dinner. We all shook so many hands we must have looked like a pack of presidential candidates campaigning in New Hampshire. The cocktail party also provided an opportunity for those who wanted to gather and welcome Shabbat (the Sabbath) with candle lighting, wine, Scotch, and challah.

The hot and humid weather moderated a bit by Saturday. It turned out to be a great morning at the lakefront. By mid afternoon everyone had gathered for the genealogy session led by Pearl and Cathy. With the arrival of the day trippers our numbers may have climbed past 95. Earl Radding, the oldest Radding present at 95, drove up from Delaware with his son Peter from South Carolina. As it turns out, every family there was descended either from Joseph or Jerome Radding, both of whom arrived in this country around the turn of the 20th century. Eva Radding had tracked down an earlier common ancestor to them—Wolf Rakishki, from Zagare, a small town in what is now Lithuania. We can refer to future reunions as the gathering of the Wolf pack.

The centerpiece of the genealogy session was the Radding family tree produced by Edward Radding on two long strips of vinyl, one representing the line of Joseph and the other of Jerome. The strips were spread, side by side, across five tables, allowing people to view each tree. A PDF file of the family tree will be sent to everybody on the mailing list once Eva makes the corrections collected at the reunion.

After the genealogy session people gathered for a group photo and later assembled in a tent for a cookout. This was followed later still by a bonfire at the lake. Fire toasted marshmallows and Smores (toasted marshmallow, chocolate, and graham crackers) were the fare for that event. The sky over the lake was crammed with stars, which provided the opportunity for those who wanted to end Shabbat with a brief Havdallah program including more candles, the sweet smell of spices, and wine.

The next morning those who weren’t dashing off to catch an early flight enjoyed breakfast together followed by the family meeting that recommended the summer of 2009 and the west coast for the next gathering of the Wolf pack.

Check out some photos from the reunion in the following blog posting.

Photos from the reunion





Here are some photos from the reunion. More will be coming. Stay tuned.
Click on the photo to view it in a larger size.
Top left--Earl Radding, the oldest Radding at 95 (Edward and Peter Radding behind, l-r)
Top right--two beautiful women, each named Lisa Radding
Lower right--Yes, those are assorted Radding cousins on the float on the lake
Lower left--Dustin Peters, Sue Peters, Melanie Greenfield, Josh Greenfield view the family tree


Monday, July 23, 2007

The Latest Numbers

Pearl Carpenter sent over the latest tally and it looks like quite a crowd of Raddings will be converging on Lakeville CT and the Interlaken Inn the first weekend in August. Here is Pearl's latest count:

Thursday 20 adults, 9 children
Friday 48 adults, 11 children
Saturday 68 adults, 13 children

On top of that, I expect (hope) to see some unannounced daytrippers showing up, probably on Saturday. For people living in New England and New York, Lakeville is within range of a reasonable day trip. You are most welcome even if you are showing up with little or no notice.

Eva and I will be arriving on Thursday evening after hiking to the summit of Mt. Greylock during the day. Our children, Lisa (21) and Amy (18), will be arriving on Friday evening.

Watch this blog (bookmark it in your browser as a favorite place) for the latest news or interesting tidbits received up until I leave for Mt. Greylock. After the reunion I plan to keep the blog up and running with a recap for those who didn't make it to the event. And maybe it will evolve into an on-going discussion among what appears to be a far flung family--something to discuss Sunday morning at the reunion.

Feel welcome to add your own comments to any post. Just click the comments link at the end of each post. (You will be asked for your email address and password--whichever password you choose to give yourself. This is a family reunion blog; it doesn't accept anonymous postings.)

Looking forward to seeing and, in some cases, meeting for the first time all of you.

Alan

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Updated Radding reunion schedule

Radding Reunion Agenda

August 2nd – August 5th, 2007

Thurs. 8/2 , 7 pm , Ice Cream Social (A relaxed social evening of meeting and greeting)

Fri. 8/3, before 6 pm, Enjoy the Resort/Area on your own to explore, swim, relax, visit town, etc.

6 pm, Cocktail Hour (cocktails not included, purchase individually from the Inn or bring your own)--mix, mingle, and meet additional family arrivals

7 pm, Buffet Dinner--Eat and be merry

Sat. 8/4, before 2 pm, Enjoy the Resort/Area, swim, hike, enjoy, etc.


2–4 pm, Genealogy


  1. Introduction – Tracing the Two Family Lines

  2. Genealogy Book

  3. Visual Family Tree & Interactive Activities

  4. Where We Grew Up & Live

  5. Trivia Game

5 pm, Group Pictures (Bring on the Cameras)

6 pm, Family Barbecue (Chew the Food, Chew the Fat)

9 pm, Lakeside Bonfire, Dessert Around The Fire

Sun. 8/5, 9 am , Breakfast Wrap Up, discuss future reunions/goodbyes


The above is the official schedule. In addition some unofficial, optional events are being planned. In fact, you are welcome to plan something of your own. For example, Eva and I are planning to host a Shabbat kiddush (challah, wine, candle lighting) on Friday evening. On Saturday evening, we are planning to host a Shabbat havdallah under the stars. These are both brief and will not interfere with scheduled activities. Anyone is welcome to join us.


Pearl and her planning crew have put together a great reunion program. I'm looking forward to meeting so many of you there.


Alan

Thursday, July 12, 2007

How Many Raddings are There?

Many of you have been very helpful in forwarding information about your families to Pearl Carpenter, Cathy McElligott, or me. I have compiled an extensive family tree that will be available to all at the reunion, and by email for those who can’t come. In the meantime, just how many of us are there?

The earliest known ancestor that we share is Wulf (Zev) Rakishki, who lived near Riga, Latvia. As far as we know he had three sons and probably two daughters. The children of his sons Joseph and Jerome—seventeen cousins in all—emigrated to the U.S. in the early years of the 20th century, taking the name Radding, and eventually brought their parents (Joseph died before he could come, but his wife Ida, and Jerome and his wife Dora, came). There was a third brother who came to the U.S. and took the name Racusin, and we don’t know what became of the sisters.

From the information we have been able to gather so far, here’s the count of Wulf’s descendents, through Joseph and Jerome:

Original immigrant generation: 17 Radding cousins
Their children: 54
Their grandchildren: 104
Their great-grandchildren: 128
Great-great grandchildren: 58
Great-great-great grandchildren: 2

Grand total, from Wulf, Joseph and Jerome through the latest generation: 366!

That count, which includes only descendents (not spouses) will surely grow as more and more cousins are identified. We know there are more out there!

See you in August,

Eva Radding

Sunday, June 24, 2007

What to do at the Radding reunion

Down toward to bottom of this blog is a preliminary schedule for the Radding reunion. Most of the action, it appears, is happening on Friday and Saturday afternoon and evening. The inn also is a mini-resort in itself, so it has stuff to do. What else is there to do? Lots.

If you are not familiar with the area, there is much in the Berkshires generally near where our inn is located. We live in the Boston area and like to hike in the Berkshires. So, here are a couple of short hikes we like (although climbing is sometimes involved).

My all time favorite in this area is Monument Mountain in Great Barrington. You will probably drive past it if you come via the Mass Pike. The hike to the summit is about 1.6 miles and involves a 1600’ elevation gain. The hike up takes Eva and me about 1.5 hours (coming down is always faster). The reward, besides beautiful views, is wild blueberries. Early August is peak blueberry season and the wild blueberries are ripe and easy picking. They grow among the rocks on the summit and high ledges. Enjoy! Just make sure to leave some for the animals too.

Another favorite is Bash-Bish Falls (that's right, not bish-bash as you might expect). There is an easy path to the base of the falls, a great place for sitting out on the rocks or wading. The water is cold. I like to follow the trail up the gorge to the top of the falls. This isn’t a terribly long trail, less than one mile, but it can get pretty steep.

These two trails are reasonably near to the Inn. Somewhat farther afield is Mt. Greylock, the tallest mountain in Massachusetts, which, at 3110’, admittedly isn’t saying much. There are many trails in the Greylock reservation. The Roaring Brook Trail is the shortest route to the summit and is moderately steep. Between the drive from the inn and the hike itself, this pretty much constitutes a full day trip.

If you just want great views of Mt. Greylock without the work of a climb try the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, which starts right off Rt. 8 at the Berkshire Mall in Lanesboro. This trail is wide, generally flat, and paved. An easy stroll. Walk as far as you like until you get tired of the view and then double back. The trail runs along water so the views across the water with Greylock in the background really are beautiful.

Between what’s available at the inn and the Radding reunion events—don’t miss the genealogy stuff on Saturday, 2pm—this should keep you pretty busy. If you want to stroll around cute towns filled with the typical Yuppie candle and sandal shops you can also visit Stockbridge, Lenox, and Great Barrington.

My choice: Monument Mt. on Fri. or Sat. morning, which will get me back in time for the genealogy stuff. If you have other suggestions, please add them as comments.

Friday, June 15, 2007

Raddings near and far

Reunion is attracting Raddings from near and far

Here is the latest list of locations where Raddings are coming from for the reunion:

Davis, CA
New York, NY
Saratoga, CA
Hamden, CT
Seattle, WA
Maplewood, NJ
Newton Highlands, MA
Louisville, KY
Grass Valley, CA
Baltimore, MD
Sharon, MA
Longmeadow, MA
Carmel, Indiana
West Springfield, MA
Williston, VT
Portland, ME
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Keego Harbor, Michigan
Los Gatos, CA
Syracuse, NY
Woodbridge VA

And remember how we were looking for living descendents of Moses Radding? Well, Cathy and Pearl tracked one down—Alan Kaliski, step-grandson of Moses Radding. He lives in Charlotte, NC.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Who is not coming to the Radding Reunion?




Who is not coming to the Radding Family Reunion?

The first week in August promises to be a momentous time for the Radding family. Of course, we have planned a major family reunion—the first of its kind as far as we can tell. But two other terrific events are happening for Raddings at about the same time.

First, a young man, David Samuel Mann, is becoming a Bar Mitzvah in Fresno, California on Saturday, the 4th of August. Mazel tov, David! He is the son on Jennifer Radding Mann. So, we do not expect David and his family to be at the reunion, as much as we’d love to have them.

Second, the other great event for the Radding family will be the launch of the next space shuttle in early August. On board is expected to be astronaut Barbara Radding Morgan. Needless to say, we all wish her the best and safest of trips and don’t expect her to attend the reunion either. Not many families, however, can point to an astronaut on their family tree. The Raddings have come a long way from the shtetl in Latvia.

We expect to do Havdallah on Sat. night after three stars have come out to mark the end of Shabbat. When we look up at the stars and marvel at God’s creation maybe we will catch a glimpse (or imagine catching a glimpse) of the space shuttle with one of our own aboard passing by. So, David Mann and his family and Barbara Radding Morgan will not be at the Radding Family Reunion. For the rest of you, what’s your excuse? It had better be good.

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Where in the world is...

Where in the world is...

It looks like there will be a surprisingly large turnout at the Radding Family Reunion. [See posts below for details]. There is still time to make reservations. In the meantime, Pearl and Cathy are busy tracking down Radding descendents as fast as they can, but they can use your help.

For instance, Jerome (Rakishki) Radding had ten children. They have found the descendants of six of those children. Three of those ten children were females, so the Radding name did not carry forward. As a result they haven’t started to trace the names that were not Radding, although you can bet they will (especially with your help). The only male child whose descendants they have NOT found is Moses Radding, our ancestor who had the foresight to make a written family tree of the entire Radding family. His wife, Daisy Deitz Radding, was the widow of Edward Radding in the Joseph (Rakishki) Radding line. There were two children, Eleanor and David.

So, here is our where in the world is question for this posting: Does anyone know where the descendants of the Moses Radding family are today? If you have any information let Pearl (pearl@omsoft.com) or Cathy (cbm12345_2000@yahoo.com) know.

If you have anything to add or questions or whatever, feel welcome to post comments below.

Then, watch this blog for more Radding genealogy tidbits and questions.

Sunday, May 6, 2007

Radding ancestors


Ida and Joseph Radding were the parents of the siblings in the picture on the left. Here they are with three of their children. That’s Florence in the middle, of course. Which brothers are these? When and where was this picture taken? If you have more information about this picture, please let us know.

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Who are the Raddings?

The name Radding was given to a large set of cousins who came to the United States in the 1890s and early 1900s from the area around Riga, Latvia. (A few may have arrived earlier than that.) The name was created here in the US, probably at Ellis Island, when the first of the cousins arrived. Most likely the Anglicized name derived from the name of village they left.

The cousins probably didn’t think they were from Latvia. If you asked any of them they might have said they came from Russia, the Czarist power that dominated the area. As these young cousins grew up, the story goes, and approached the age when they would be conscripted into the Czar’s army, their families sent them off to the United States.

The various cousins settled around Hartford, CT and Springfield, MA. If you are descended from one of these cousins (or married to one who is), you are a Radding. The photo on this blog portrays one set of Radding siblings that initially settled in the Springfield area. Among the cousins who settled in Harford, Louis Radding appears to have played the patriarch role.

My grandfather was Morris Radding, and I grew up in Springfield. The Raddings, however, didn’t stay put. Within a generation they had spread across the country.

The cousins were Jewish when they arrived in this country. But like other immigrants, some assimilated and intermarried. Today you will find non-Jewish as well as Jewish Raddings. Hey, that’s America.

Pearl Carpenter, the daughter of Morris Radding, with the help of Cathy Radding McElligott, is compiling as much genealogical information as she can. They will present the results at the reunion. Genealogy is like a giant jigsaw puzzle; each piece of information makes the picture that much clearer. Come to the reunion, see what Pearl and Cathy have found, add what you know (whether a little or a lot) and help fill out the family picture. This is your legacy too.

Hope to see you in August.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Preliminary Schedule of Events

Preliminary Schedule of Events


Thursday, 8/2 Arrival (3:00 pm check in)
Evening informal gathering and
Ice cream Social

Friday, 8/3 AM On your own to enjoy the resort!
6:00 pm Family Gathering
Genealogy and Connection
Group Buffet Dinner

Saturday, 8/4 AM On your own to enjoy the resort!
2:00 PM Geneology and Connection
6:00 PM Family Backyard Barbeque
9:00 PM Evening Lakeside Campfire

Sunday, 8/5 AM Breakfast Together Wrap Up
Plans for Future Reunions

Room Reservations: Rooms must be reserved by
May 1, 2007, after which rooms will be available
on a first-come, first served basis.
Rooms with 2 queen beds starting at $179.00/night
$15.00/day additional to add a cot
Upgrades, Two Connecting Rooms also Available

To make reservations, call 1-800-222-2909
Remember to specify ‘Radding Family Reunion’

Nearest Airport: Bradley International, Hartford/Springfield
Driving distance from airport is 51.4 miles, time 1 hour, 27 mins.

Other Incidentals
A nominal fee per family will be requested to cover
reunion materials, packets, copying, etc.

In addition there are all the attractions and pleasures of the Berkshires.

Please plan to join us.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Welcome

Welcome to the Radding Family Reunion Blog

The Radding family reunion--the descendents of a large set of cousins who arrived from the area around Riga about the turn of the 20th century (1900)-- is currently being planned for Thurs., Aug. 2 through Sun., Aug. 5, 2007 in Lakeville, CT.

In subsequent posts, you will find more details on the event and more comments from those planning to attend and those who are still thinking about it.

For now, if you have any questions or want more information, contact Fay, faysplace@aol.com or Pearl at pearl@omsoft.com

Looking forward to seeing as many Radding as possible in August.

Alan