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Historian's Report December 2002

"My Love Affair with the Thayer Family"

I am Patricia Thayer Muno, and I have a love affair with the THAYER family that borders on obsession. Over 30 years ago, I set out to find my fatherís Thayer connection. Great grandfather Thayer's mortal pathway left few clues for me to trace. There is a reason this information has been withheld from me. Had I found our connection early on, I likely would have been content and stopped this obsessive behavior. The compilation of the genealogical data of over 60,000 Thayers is the result and the inspiration for the Thayer Families Association was born.

In today's world of chaos, as I am trying to make sense out of that chaos - the one word that comes to light is FAMILY.

I am grateful for kind and loving parents who taught values of kindness, compassion, service, and the courage to stand up for what is right and just. Their love lives at the very heart of this moment, and I have greatly benefited from their efforts. I was taught to love all people, regardless of color, creed or religion. It is amazing how one person can make a difference against the odds. I am thankful for the example of my devoted stepmother who provided unwavering care for my beloved father during his last years.

There has come down to us an inheritance of respect and honor to our Thayer family. We must grasp the torch and run. We have a special responsibility to pass to our posterity a knowledge and love for their rich heritage. To be in THIS place (Braintree), the site of our inheritance is a wondrous thing.

The organization and carrying on of the TFA has been such a successful undertaking. I hope with all my heart each will cherish our times together and return again.

Our Thayer ancestors were so entwined in the history, commerce and politics of America that the presence of our family is inescapable.

By joining TFA we have gained an extended family and life long friendships. To those who have no close families, TFA members can be like uncles and aunts, sisters and brothers. We enjoy a more intimate sense of brotherhood and sisterhood within our family focused community. I count these friendships among my greatest blessings.

Many times in my work, I have encountered situations where family members have been estranged one from another. The family is the single most important unit in life. After the recent attacks on our country, all of us have been left with a heightened awareness of the preciousness of family ties.

At times we seem to have taken opposite views, occasionally to the point of being contentious. There is no peace in contentiousness. I hope that none of us will ever be party to stirring up contention.

Loving our ancestors is the first step of joining the Quest. As our exuberant reunion attendees trade handshakes and hugs, renew friendships, kinships, and make new friends, we are strengthening family ties. If we have ill feelings towards any of our family members, let us resolve to change the patterns of personal hurt. Let us make a commitment to reconnect with our family members and forgive.

If there is a single impression that our Thayer Family has made on the world, it is that we have a reputation for love, kindness, consideration and pride for this family. We can each be a manifestation of our ancestors' abilities to endure adversities, rise in triumph and overcome life's obstacles.

We believe that the stories of our ancestors' lives will carry on long past 2002 and that their passion and pride, their humanity and dignity will live on through the members of this family. Through our efforts their stories will endure for years and even generations in the hearts and minds of all the descendants.

I am grateful for this work that I have been given to do and pray that I will be blessed in the performance of my labors. If I live long enough to complete, it will be a great accomplishment for the entire Thayer family. The peace I find in my service energizes me. Let us all be peacemakers by creating a patchwork of peace.

It is my prayer that we will be mindful of our responsibilities to our children and future generations. I sincerely hope that we will elect people to our government who care about the people. May God help us to live peaceably one with another.

My love and my thanks to my wonderful husband and children for all their years of sacrifice and support to me in this meaningful project. The publishing of the story of this remarkable family is my contribution to society.

I would like to pay tribute to Jerry Thayer for his dedicated work in helping me with the unending correspondence and gathering of information for this compilation. My appreciation to each of my Family Representatives for their grand collaboration of help, and my heartfelt thanks to all who have made the incredible effort to raise the funds to help with the publishing of my Comprehensive Genealogy of the Thayer Family of America

As you may know, I have had to pull back from online correspondence so that I might get the next volumes of my Comprehensive seriesDescendants of Richard Thayer, Immigrant to America 1641, formatted. These may consist of about 1,500 pages (3 volumes) and take me at least a year to complete. The formatting is probably my most tedious task, but I feel certain I will have at least the first of these volumes available by our next June gathering. The formatting of Volume III is well on the road at this writing. This third volume in the Comprehensive series will consist of the descendants of Richard3-2-1THAYER and wife Rebecca MYCALL. There will be approximately 50 early Thayer photos in this volume.

The descendants of Nathaniel3, Richard2-1THAYER and wife Hannah HAYDEN along with the descendants of Cornelius3, Richard2-1THAYER and wife Abigail HAYDEN will follow in Volume IV. The descendants of Nathaniel2, RichardTHAYER and wife Deborah TOWNSEND will be in the final volume (Vol. V) on the descendants of Richard the Immigrant. Then on to the descendants of the immigrant, Thomas THAYER, which will likely comprise an additional five or six volumes!

In other areas, I have been asked on occasion to mention some of the other things that I do for the association. In addition formatting my books and caring for the stories, genealogical information and photographs for over 60,000 of our family members, I also do the following:

- Regularly search for new genealogical information from libraries and the Internet.
- Answer genealogical queries.
- Consistently make referrals of new TFA members. - Keep E-mail addresses current.

- Over-see the activities of my 50-plus Thayer Family Representatives.
- Make suggestions for nominations in the leadership - Make recommendations and supply features for our home page updates.

- Keep the TQ supplied with articles of interest to members.
- Make writing assignments to others - watch for some exciting forthcoming articles.

- Maintain correspondence with 1,300 Thayer Families.

- up to 100 a day via e-mail

- up to 10 a day via snail mail
- Maintain dozens of file cabinets of correspondence. - Keep a current correspondence log with hundreds of Thayers.
- Operate the Thayer Pedigree Referral Service.
- Put cousins in touch with closely extended family members.
- Manage the Thayer photography project.
- Scout out new Thayers via the Internet.
- Archive Thayer related items such as family bibles, original works such as Thayer books and Thayer works of art. (I maintain a "Thayer Museum" of sorts here in my North Ogden, Utah home.)

Within this last year many new cousins have come to us - most through finding out about us on the Internet. Almost all express their awe for the work we are doing and the really "cool" web site. How they wish all families were involved in helping this way. Many families in my "Unplaced" files have taken on identity as a result of these new associations.

I have been privileged to have met some of these new cousins personally at our new home in Utah. We live only 40 miles from the World's largest Genealogical library, but unfortunately, I have had little time to go there within this last fantastically hectic year.

I have compiled a partial listing of near 300 Thayers who have died in just the last couple of years. We without our YOUTH are doomed. I challenge each of you to seek out your older family members and record their stories before they are lost. Additionally, it is equally important for each of you to share YOUR stories with the younger family members.

May we all struggle to achieve that which is highest in our nature. God bless you and thank you for this support.

(A portion of the foregoing was presented at the Annual TFA meeting in Braintree 22 June 2002 by Patricia Thayer Muno.)

Announcing a new Family Representative!!Wesley Oliver ("Wes") Thayer of Cheshire, OR has agreed to serve as the representative for the descendants of Albert Ellsworth(Ebenezer Franklin8, William7, Baruch6, Ebenezer5, Uriah4, Ebenezer3, Ferdinando2, Thomas1THAYER and Caroline Adeline KEYES. Albert was born 1846 in Lockport, Niagara, NY and later settled in Calhoun and Branch counties, Michigan. His descendants settled primarily in WA, AZ, MT, OR, and CA.

Interested individuals may contact Wes at P.O. Box 232, Cheshire, OR 97419-0232; e-mail:CharWes@juno.com t