| Number 2 | Online Web Edition | Summer '93 |
- About this addendum
- Recent marriages
- Recent deaths
- New arriva
- Whisnants visit Europe
- Just a reminder
- Computer software
- The will of Jacob Isaac Whisennand
- The will of William Michael Whisonant
- Swiss newspaper article
- Swiss castles
- The Castle of Oron
- Book sales
- From the Swiss archives
- Our Swiss connection
- W.T.T.A. additions & corrections
Return to Whisnant Family Newsletters
This is the last free issue of W.T.T.A. Addendum you'll be receiving. It has been distributed free to all members of the family who purchased my book Whisnants Through The Ages. If you're interested in receiving future issues of W.T.T.A. Addendum, please let me know by August 31, 1993, by sending me your subscription fee of $10. (This is not the same as The Clan Quarterly published by Gary Whisnant.) The subscription will be good through 1994. If enough people subscribe, a new addendum will be published twice a year. If I don't get enough subscribers, your money will be returned to you by October 1993.
I would like to continue with this publication, but I must have your participation. Start collecting facts about the Whis... family and send them to me. If you know something about a Whis..., and it's not in my book, let me know. I'll try to publish what you send, space permitting, in future editions of this addendum.
Information and your subscription fee should be sent to: Raymond C. Whisnant.
- Terri Lynn Whisnant, daughter of Frank Whisnant of Morganton, married Lewis Scott Carlton, 24 Oct 1992. (Identity of Frank's parents are not known to me.)
- Charoan Elizabeth (Cindy) Brown, daughter of Joan E. Goldsmith, of Fredrick, MD, married Samuel Eugene Hallyburton, 14 Feb 1993, in Elkton, MD. Samuel is the son of Ethel McFalls Hallyburton and Sam Hallyburton, (Family 801vi).
- Rebecca Denise Whisenant, (Family 1967i), and Larry Duane Kiser, married 13 Mar 1993, at Marion, NC. Larry is the son of Mr. & Mrs. Vernon Kiser of Morganton, NC.
The following is a list of cousins who have died since the last addendum was published.
- Mabel Laura Whisnant Spake, (Family 1553), died 18 Oct 1992, in Cleveland Co., NC. Burried at Elizabeth Bapt. Ch. Cem. She was a retired practical nurse.
- Joseph Lenand Toney, died 21 Oct 1992, in Morganton, NC. He was husband of Gracie Whisnant, a daughter of Charles Presley Whisnant, (Family 879).
- Carrie Marie Ramsour Williams, (Family 1417), died 31 Oct 1992, in Morganton, NC.
- Noble Jackson Whisenant, of Charlotte, NC, a son of Walter L. Whisenant, (Family 325i), died 16 Nov 1992. He was born 5 Dec 1922.
- Billy Leo Whisnant, (Family 2188), died 15 Dec 1992, in Hickory, NC.
- Robbie Alice Whisenant Lawing, (Family 349vi), died 31 Dec 1992, in Hickory, Catawba Co., NC.
- Mattie Miller Whisnant Lovelace, (Family 1482), died 21 Jan 1993, in Rutherfordton, NC.
- George Luther Whisenant Jr., (Family 821), died 2 Feb 1993, in Hickory, NC.
- Mabel Elizabeth Whisenant Fleming, (Family 1923), died 10 Feb 1993, in Granit Falls, NC.
- Sue Benfield Norris, (Family 344iv), died 17 Mar 1993, at Morganton, NC. She was the daughter of the late E.M. and Hattie D. Whisnant Benfield. She was born 29 Jul 1912, in Roan Mountain, TN.
- Ralph "Pete" Whisenant, (Family 381vii), died 22 Mar 1993, in Hickory, Catawba Co., NC. He was born 15 May 1913, in Catawba Co., NC.
- Vera Nancy Hardin, (Family 1624iv), died 1993. She was a descendant of Rachel Whisenant & Abraham Hardin, family 145. Vera had published a book on the Antioch Baptist Church Cemetery, at Blacksburg, SC. Many Whisenant ancestors are buried there.
- Edna Cleo Durham Jeager, (Family 1631i), died 27 Apr 1993.
- Emma Laurice Westbrook Whisonant, family 1618, died 7 May 1993, in Gastonia, NC. She was the wife of Daniel Fulton Whisonant.
- Preston Cull Whisenant. Born 10 Nov 1992, in Liberal, Seward Co., KS. He is the son of Tony Ray Whisenant (W.T.T.A., Page 384, Family 13) and Maria Elena Hidalgo.
From March 25 to April 4, 1993, we set out to explore the birthplaces of our ancestors in Germany and Switzerland. We visited Switzerland and saw some of our Visinand cousins still living in the area where our ancestors lived. We saw the Matterhorn and rode the Swiss railways into the Swiss Alps. We explored several beautiful castles in Switzerland, including the Chillon Castle on the shores of Lake Geneva. We visited Rhine Falls, near Schaffhausen, Switzerland, described as the "Niagara Falls of Europe." We visited the German towns of Edenkoben and Haßloch (pronounced Hasslock) where some of our European ancestors were born. We went to Heidelburg to see the Castle. We went to Strasbourg, France to see the beautiful cathedral there. We dined on interesting German and Swiss culinary delights.
The European trip included eight people: Gary Whisnant, the organizer, is from Conway, Arkansas; Linda Durham Hamilton and her husband Robert "Bob" Hamilton from Bentonville, Arkansas; Arlis and Alice Motley from Gordonville, Texas; Audrey J. Motley Eggers, from Stillwater, Oklahoma; and Stephen M. Curry and Raymond C. Whisnant from Dallas, Texas.
All of us met at the airport in Atlanta, Georgia on March 25. We flew to Frankfurt, Germany aboard Lufthansa airline. The flight from Atlanta to Frankfurt left at 5:12 p.m., Atlanta time, and arrived in Frankfurt, Germany 8½ hours later. I don't think any of us slept very much during the flight.
It was early the next morning when we arrived, the weather was partly cloudy and it was a cool 45º. We were all pretty tired after the flight, but very excited about the adventure that lay ahead for us.
March 26, Friday: Gary had rented a 9-passenger Ford van for our transport wherein we were seated closely but comfortably. We, loading the van with our suitcases, then set out for the first destination, the small village of Kirchwilder, Germany, near the town of Idar-Oberstein, about 60 miles southeast of Frankfurt. On the way we drove alongside the Rhine river through the Mosel valley, one of several famous wine regions along the Rhine river. As we drove along that first day, it amazed us to see old castles or fortresses on what seemed to be almost every hill.
About 2:00 p.m. we reached our first destination, Kirchwilder, Germany. We checked our luggage into the hotel, and were introduced to two of Gary's friends, Heinz & Petra Laubenthal, who lived there in Germany. Those of us who were still up to more sightseeing drove to Trier, Germany, about an hour's drive east of Kirchwilder. Trier is a beautiful city with many old Roman ruins. We returned early that evening to Idar-Oberstein. The next day would be a long one.
March 27, Saturday: Departing Kirchwilder the next morning, we headed for the Autobahn (interstate highway). We all thought it odd that Germany had no houses in the countryside. They all seemed to be in villages or towns. We learned that this was the result of strict urban planning in the last century. We saw no farm houses in the country. There was much farmland though, so the farm houses must have been in the villages. I guess the farmers commuted to work. The fact that there were no houses in the country made the countryside look very pretty. There were no billboards along the roadside either. This arrangement of houses was not the same in Switzerland. Houses were everywhere.
Our first stop after leaving Idar-Oberstein was Heidelberg, Germany. We visited Heidelberg Castle for a short while before getting back on the Autobahm moving on southward toward the Black Forest. Heidelberg Castle, built high on a hillside, offered a beautiful view of the old city below.
We left the Autobahn near Offenburg, Germany and headed into the Black Forest. Our destination was the "Zum Pflug" hotel, in Triberg, Germany. The town of Triberg is nestled in the middle of the Black Forest. It seemed to be right in the middle of the area where all the famous cuckoo clocks are made.
March 28, Sunday: We were expected in Maracon, Switzerland around noon to have lunch with Bluett Visinand and several of her relatives and friends, but we didn't arrive until around 2:30 p.m. Several members of the group had trouble reading road maps so we were delayed several hours while we sorted that out.
Bluett Visinand still lives on the family farm there in Maracon. I understood the house was constructed in the early part of the last century. It was the typical style house of that region of Switzerland, house with attached barn. The living quarters were on one side and the barn was the other half of the house. Bluett had no animals, except for a dog. Her last animal, a goat, had died last December. Bluett's family had been farmers, but she works in the accounting department of Nestle's Chocolate.
We had a nice Swiss style luncheon at Bluett's with wine, cheese, potatoes, chocolates, etc. We then took a tour of her home. It was very interesting with the old stone heater, farm equipment, old photos, etc. Bluett and her relatives and friends were very hospitable to us. I think they enjoyed our visit as much as we did.
Additional American relatives joined us for the day in Maracon. They were Robert H. Whisenhunt, his wife Carla, and their son Craig. Robert is in the Army, and currently stationed in Italy. They drove the six hours from Italy to Maracon for the family gathering.
There are no hotels or guest houses in Maracon, so we stayed in Semsales at the Hotel du Sauvage. Semsales is a small village about 3 miles east of Maracon. We were to spend two nights in Semsales during our stay in the area.
March 29, Monday: Today was to possibly be the most interesting day of the trip. We visited the archives at Lausanne and looked at the old Visinand documents they had there. The oldest document in the archives mentioning a Visinant had a date of 1242. It was an agreement between two people. In the agreement, "P son of Wion Visinant" is listed as a witness to the agreement.
When we left the Lausanne archives, we drove along the shore of Lake Geneva to Montreux, where we visited Mason Visinand. This old home was once owned by a Visinand cousin and is now a museum. From Montreux we drove to the little village of Oron Le Chatel, located about 7 miles northwest of Maracon.
There we had lunch at an Italian restaurant, then toured the Château d'Oron. Bluett's friend Stella Bonnet-Evans, who is a Swiss tour guide, arranged for us a private tour of the castle Château d'Oron. This castle was important to the Visinand family because it is where they lived before moving to Maracon. They were not actually residents of the castle, but most likely just subjects of the lord of the castle. I would say personally that this tour was probably the highlight of our trip. When we left Château d'Oron we drove over to the castle at Gruyères. You may have heard of the famous Gruyère cheese. It is said that once a year all the people in the surrounding villages, including Maracon and Oron Le Chatel, would come to the castle at Gruyères to celebrate, probably the harvest.
March 30, Tuesday: The next day we would visit the famous Chillon Castle, along the shore of Lake Geneva, south of Montreux. From there we would travel to Zermatt, see the Matterhorn, and cross the Alps by rail to our destination at Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland where we would stay two nights.
In 1816 Lord Byron visited the Chillon Castle, and commemorated the captivity of De Bonivard in a poem that helped to make the castle the most popular monument in Switzerland. We saw where Byron had inscribed his signature on one of the pillars in the dungeon.
After leaving Chillon Castle we traveled eastward toward Zermatt. We would leave the van at a car-park in the small village of Tasch, and ride the train to Zermatt where we were able to view the Matterhorn. Tasch lies about 6 miles north of Zermatt. There are no cars allowed in Zermatt so you have to park your car in Tasch and ride the train into Zermatt.
After leaving Tasch we traveled north to Gampel where the van was placed on a train and taken through a tunnel to Kandersteg, Switzerland. This train trip through a tunnel under the Alps was about a 30 minute journey and was the quickest way to get to our destination for the evening, Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland.
We spent two nights in Lauterbrunnen, a small village high in the Alps, surrounded by 2,000 foot cliffs with waterfalls all around. As we lay in our bunks at night several times we could hear thunderous sounds rumbling off the sheer mountain walls all around us. During this time of year the snow was melting. The sounds we heard were of avalanches caused by the snow breaking up. We were in no danger of being buried by an avalanche.
March 31, Wednesday: The next morning after we arrived in Lauterbrunnen we took the train and tram trip up the Schilthorn mountain. To get to Schilthorn we rode the incline railway from Lauterbrunnen to Grutschalp. Grustschalp is about 2,200 feet above Lauterbrunnen. We then transferred to another railway line that took us to the village of Murren several more miles over the mountains. From Murren we rode the air tram to the top of Schilthorn mountain, an elevation of 10,000 feet.
That afternoon, several of us took the 5-hour train ride to Kleine Scheidegg, and on up through the tunnels inside the Eiger mountain. The train stopped several times inside the Eiger to let you get out and look through openings carved in the cave to the outside. The view of the ice fields below was breathtaking. The train went from Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfraujoch station. Jungfraujoch station is the highest train station in Europe at 11,333 feet in elevation. The following day we would leave the beautiful Alps and head back to Germany.
April 1, Thursday: On our trip back toward Germany we stopped at Rhine Falls. The Rhine Falls are the most powerful in Europe. The Rhine here plunges 70 feet. Rhine Falls is located just south of Schaffhausen, Switzerland. We spent the night in the small town of Balingen, Germany, just to the east of the Black Forest region.
April 2, Friday: We had come back up through Germany this way for several reasons. We wanted to see the Hohenzollern Castle nearby and visit the village of Simmozheim, the hometown of Stephen Curry's Musser ancestors. Unfortunately we only got to see the guard tower at Hohenzollern Castle because the mountain top was shrouded in fog and it had started snowing as we approached the Castle. We thus continued our journey toward Edenkoben.
We arrived in Edenkoben late that afternoon and checked into the hotel Pfalzer Hof. The hotel Pfalzer Hof is located in the middle of town.
April 3, Saturday: We met Mr. Alfred Kuby at the hotel that morning for breakfast. Mr. Kuby resides in Edenkoben and was willing to give us a personal tour of the town. He rode the few blocks with us from the hotel to the winery Kloster Heilsbruck where François Visinand once lived and worked. Mr. Kuby gave us a tour of the winery and wine cellar. Then we were permitted to purchase several bottles of wine from the current owner of the winery.
After leaving the winery, Mr. Kuby gave us a walking tour of town from the winery back to the hotel. The tour was very interesting. We were shown many homes that dated back to the 16th and 17th century. He said that the home in which our Visinand ancestor had probably lived was torn down not too many years ago and replaced by a new home. He said that was too bad, because the old home was such a nice one because of its age.
Later that morning we drove to Haßloch, Germany, a small village about 10 miles northeast of Edenkoben. This is the village where Philip Peter Visinand's children were born. We visited a museum, the old church, and the market square at the center of the village. We returned to Edenkoben after several hours.
That afternoon we drove to Strasbourg, France, about 50 miles southwest of Edenkoben. We saw this very large magnificent cathedral there. We walked around a while then headed back to Edenkoben.
Our last night in Germany was spent in Edenkoben. We had dinner at an Italian restaurant just around the corner from the hotel, then settled in for the night. We would have to get up early the next morning for the 1½ hour drive back to the airport in Frankfurt. Our plane left Frankfurt at 10:00 a.m. the following morning, so we would have to be at the airport no later than 8:30 a.m.
April 4, Sunday: We were all sad that our journey was almost at an end. We were all pretty tired from rising early every morning, running from place to place all day, and getting to bed late at night. We had seen where our Visinand ancestors lived and marveled at how beautiful the villages and countryside were, and how nice the people we met were. The 8½ hour flight back to Atlanta would be uneventful. The plane flew northwest over the northern edge of Scotland, across the southern edge of Greenland, then down across Labrador, Lake Erie, and back into Atlanta. From Atlanta we all said our goodbys, some heading back to Arkansas, others to Texas and Oklahoma.
To continue receiving this addendum, you must subscribe by August 31, 1993.
Several people have asked me what computer software I used to produce Whisnants Through The Ages, so I thought I might mention something about that.
I use Roots III genealogy software, by Commsoft, Inc. to maintain the name and information files on the computer. I used WordPerfect to format the printed pages. WordPerfect, for those of you who don't know computer things, is a popular computer wordprocessor.
An IBM PC compatible computer is used to maintain the Whisnant database. Typesetting for the book was done with the HP LaserJet II printer.
The will of jacob Isaac Whisennand
The following is the last will and testament of Jacob Isaac Whisnant (Family 54).
- his
- Jacob Whisennand (Seal)
- mark
- Z. K. U. Hoge (Seal)
- John Fiffe (Seal)
- State of Indiana, Monroe County
Last Will & Testament of Jacob Whisennand deceased.
I, Jacob Whisennand of Monroe County, State of Indiana, do make and publish this my last will and testament, hereby revoking and making void all former wills by me at anytime heretofore made. I direct that all my just debts and funeral expenses be paid as soon after my decease as possible. I will and bequeath to my beloved wife Rebecca Whisennand in lieu of her legal part as follows -and to my son Jacob Whisennand and to my daughter, Elizabeth Whisennand, to them jointly, during their natural lives the tract of land on which I now reside together with all my stock of every description - and also all my personal property of every kind whatsoever. I will and give to my wife and son and daughter equally, share and share alike, during each of their natural life time - and that the survivors, and last survivor is hereby bequeathed all and any remaining part of the estate - real and personal - as above given to the above named persons of which I may die in possession of and after the death of the last survivor of the aforesaid wife, son and daughter, - It is my will that said tract of land, and all or any part of said personal estate be sold and the money equally divided to each of my children - Towit Isaac, Sarah, the heirs if any of Elizabeth - one of the legatees above named, Polly, John K., William, Rebecca, Solomon, Michael and Catharine, share and share alike - I further declare that this share of my real and personal estate, thus bequeathed to my said wife shall be in lieu of her dowry if she shall so elect.
In witness whereof I Jacob Whisennand tho testate have hereunto set my hand and seal this eleventh day of September in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and forty-three.
Signed, sealed, published and declared, by the above named Jacob Whisennand, as his last will and testament in the presence of us, who have hereunto subscribed our names and witness thereto in the presence of the said testator and in the presence of each other.
Be it remembered that on this the 21 day of October 1843, the forgoing will and testament of Jacob Whisennand late of said county, deceased, was duly proved by one of the subscribing witnesses thereto towit - John Fiffe, after being duly sworn according to law - declared that he saw said Jacob Whisennand, subscribe his name to said last will and testament - that he was in his sound mind - that he believed he signed the same on the day of the date thereof given under my hand as clerk of the Probate Court of said county, the day and year above written.
David Browning ,Clerk, P.C.
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This Will has been furnished by Phyllis J. Kumler, Bellflower, IL
The will of William Michael Whisonant
The following is the last will and testament of William Michael Whisonant (Family 429).
- his
- Wm. Whisonant (Seal)
- mark
- W. B. Duncan
- Elijah Hardin
- Ira Hardin
South Carolina, York County
Know all men by these presents, that I William Whisonant of the State & County aforesaid, considering the uncertainty of this life & being of sound mind & memory, do make declare and publish this my last will & testament.
First. I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Hannah N. Whisonant the use, improvement & income of my dwelling-house, warehouses, lands and their appurtenances situated in State & County aforesaid on Broad River & Kings Creek, to have & to hold the same to her for in use & benefit during her natural life. Also all of my personal property consisting of household, kitchen furniture, provisions, stock of all kinds, money or any other personal property that I may be in possession of at the time of my death. Requiring her to support our daughter Alice so long as she remains unmarried or until the death of my wife, after which time I will that the whole of my estate, both real & personal be sold & divided among my several children in the following manner, to-wit, that my daughter Lucy Ann Gibson & my daughter Martha L. Gibson receive each five dollars. That my son Wm. P. Whisonant receive fifty dollars in addition to what has already been given him, and that the remainder be equally divided among my sons J. F. Whisonant & Thos. P. Whisonant & my daughters Mary Jane Crosby, Adeline Sheppard, Sallie E. Kennedy, and Alice J. Whisonant, after first paying for all necessary funeral expenses for myself & my wife. And I do nominate and appoint my son J. F. Whisonant & my son-in-law William Shephard to be the executors of this my last will & testament. In testimony whereof I have to this my last will & testament, here subscribed my name and affixed my seal this 15th day of Sept. in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred eighty six (1886).
Signed, sealed declared and published by the said William Whisonant as and for his last will & testament in presence of us, who at his request & in his presence & in presence of each other, have subscribed our names as witnesses hereto.
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This Will has been furnished by Joy Laurice Whisonant Sparrow, Gastonia, NC
This is an article dated April 13, 1993, from the Swiss newspaper "Feuille D'Avis De Vevey, Journal De Montreux"
- The Visinand of America have come to Montreux
- Comeback to the roots and hello to the cousins of Switzerland
Coming from Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas, eleven Americans stayed for a while in the area. The desire to discover the place that bears the name of their ancestors brought them to the Maison Visinand. In fact, they came to meet their cousins Visinand still living in the Switzerland and to discover the country of their roots.
The Visinand of America were in Montreux two weeks ago. Journey across the country to meet cousins left in Switzerland and so being able to look back on generations. Because of phonetic and language problems, the name of the American families changed. They passed from Visinand to Whisnant, and for another branch Whisenhunt. So Whisnant and Whisenhunt families came and stayed a few days in the area and in their original county, Maracon and Oron. The possibility for them to see where their ancestors lived, before they emigrated to South Germany and then to the United States in 1731.
Traces in Corsier
This stay was a real discovery. The American cousins always believed to have German roots. But when Philip Gary Whisnant began to make inquiries he discovered a mention of a Swiss ancestor, born near Lausanne. He then wrote to the Archives cantonales in Lausanne. They gave him the address of a Swiss relation who had already begun to study the Visinand family tree. (See Sylvie Gillot-Visinand in Geneva). Together they found that this famous ancestor, born in 1647, came from Corsier and his ancestors from Maracon.
Souvenir of Montreux
Today the American branch counts about 1500 to 2000 descendants, 250 of them met two years ago in Conway, Arkansas. As for Philip Gary Whisnant, he came back home with an old sofa having belonged to the family of the Visinand house in Montreux. Somebody bought it when the family emptied the house and sold the furniture in the sixties. This sofa will join the personal museum Gary created in his own house. In it is assembled everything the American Visinand could save since the 18th century.
Text of the picture: coming from America, the Whisnant and Whisenhunt have discovered the Maison Visinand which was acquired in 1812 by a relation of their ancestors.
_______________________
Translation by Sylvie Gillot-Visinand, Geneva, Switzerland
The Château d'Oron is located in the village of Oron-Le-Châtel, in the Swiss canton of Vaud. The village on the left bank of the Flon, a tributary of the Broye, is dominated by the imposing mass of its fortified castle, with its keep and moats. Visitors to the castle can still see the cells, the dungeons, the guardroom and the torture chamber hewn out of the rock.
Château d'Oron is of interest to our family because it is where the Visinands lived before moving to Maracon. Maracon lies about 5 miles to the southeast. The Visinands were never actually the lords of the castle, but they were probably subjects of the lord there. Some of our ancestors may have been very familiar with the castle's dungeon and even the torture chamber.
This castle was one of the most beautiful castles I visited while in Switzerland. Surely it was the most interesting because of its connection to the Visinand family. The following story on the Château d'Oron came from material I obtained during my tour of the castle in March 1993.
Oron appeared already on the roman maps as a relay on the main road between Milan and Mainz through the Broye Valley. Its name derives from the Celtic word "Uromagus", cattlemarket or field. During the barbaric conquests, the country was occupied by the Burgundians and the land of Oron, which had become royal property, was given by King Sigismund to the Abbey of Saint Maurice in Valais. The Oron belonged, except for certain short periods, to the famous monastery of Valais which appointed a local administrator to run its estate.
Built between 1190 and 1210, the medieval fortress was erected when political and military fights were shaking the country. It was enlarged and transformed in the 13th century, and in the beginning of the 14th century already it offered grossly the same aspect as today.
Thanks to various favorable circumstances, it escaped the destructions of war and fire throughout the centuries, so its actual outside appearance corresponds to that planned by its builders in the 13th century.
The Lords of Oron, issued from the administrators of the monastery, lived in the castle for 200 years. Then, it was inherited by the Counts of Gruyères and became a barony in 1457. After the defeat of Count Michel, last member of this famous family, the castle was bought in 1555 by Hans Steiger, chief treasurer of the Land of Vaud for their Excellencies of the City of Berne. The following year he sold the castle to his city.
Since then the castle became the residence of the 43 magistrates who governed Oron one after the other. During the Waldensian Revolution of 1798, it was declared national property and was used as a military prison during the occupation of Switzerland by the French troops.
In 1801, the castle was bought by the Roberties, a family from Moudon. They kept it until 1870, when it was sold to a French citizen, Adolphe Gaiffe, who transformed it into a beautiful secondary residence. Finally, it was bought, in 1936, by the Association for the Conservation of the Castle of Oron who maintain and restore it.
Solidly standing on the crest of a rock-step, the castle of Oron looks down upon the wide valley of the High Broye in the Canton of Vaud. Thanks to its irregular and oblong structure it harmonizes with the lie of the land on which it was built. Natural escarpments surrounded it formerly, except for the southwest where a deep ditch, still visible nowadays, protected it.
The castle of Oron remains one of the most authentic testimonies of our history, for it escaped the damages of the war and the fire, so that it has kept most of what the centuries imprinted on its stones.
There are still some Whisnants Through The Ages books for sale. If you would like additional copies, they can be purchased for $65 each. Send your check or money order for books to: Raymond C. Whisnant.
Per a letter from the Archives Cantonales Vaudoise, Rue de la Mouline 32, Switzerland, to Gary Whisnant, of Conway, Arkansas: François Visinand was baptized on January 18, 1647, and not on February 26, 1645. The godfather was François Neyrod and the godmother Jeanne Taverney (ACV, Eb 34/1,408).
The following family tree was compiled by Sylvie Gillott-Visinand, of Genève, Switzerland. She obtained the information from the archives in Lausanne, Switzerland, and elsewhere. Philip Peter Visinand, who came to America in 1731, is listed in the François Visinand, family #5 here. Corsier is located at Vevey, Switzerland.
FIRST GENERATION
1. Guillaume, from Maracon, Swiss canton of Vaud.
His children:
i. Jacques Visinand. He married Esmaz Hansonnet, daughter of François Hansonnet, of Moudon, 25 Nov 1607, in Corsier, Swiss canton of Vaud.
2 ii. Jean Visinand.
SECOND GENERATION
2. Jean Visinand (Guillaume, 1). He married Eve Mellin, 7 Feb 1608/9, in Corsier, Swiss canton of Vaud, Born, 20 Oct 1583, in Corsier. Children:
- 3 i. Estienne Visinand.
- 4 ii. Elie Visinand.
- iii. Daniel Visinand. Born, 18 Apr 1614, in Corsier, Swiss canton of Vaud.
- iv. Claude Visinand. Born, 29 Aug 1616, in Corsier, Swiss canton of Vaud.
- v. Jeanne Visinand. Born, 2 Apr 1618, in Corsier, Swiss canton of Vaud.
- vi. Antoine Visinand. Born, 18 Jun 1620, in Corsier, Swiss canton of Vaud.
- vii. Jean Visinand. Born, 24 Feb 1621/2, in Corsier, Swiss canton of Vaud.
- viii. Françoise Visinand. Born, 27 Oct 1625, in Corsier, Swiss canton of Vaud.
THIRD GENERATION
3. Estienne Visinand (Jean, 2). Born, 13 Jan 1609/0, in Corsier, Swiss canton of Vaud. He married Andreaz Daunet, daughter of Jacques Daunet. Children:
- i. Esther Visinand. Born, 13 Dec 1645, in Corsier, Swiss canton of Vaud.
- 5 ii. François Visinand.
- iii. Jean Pierre Visinand. Born, 26 Apr 1651, in Corsier, Swiss canton of Vaud.
4. Elie Visinand (Jean, 2). Born, 16 Feb 1611/2, in Corsier, Swiss canton of Vaud. Died, 1660. He married Marquerite Dunez, daughter of Jacques, of Ecoteaux, 25 Apr 1646, in Corsier Children:
6 i. Pierre Visinand.
FOURTH GENERATION
5. François Visinand (Estienne, 3). Born, 18 Jan 1645/6, in Corsier, Swiss canton of Vaud. He married, first, Jeanne Ramus, daughter of hon. David, of Sullens, 3 Feb 1665/6, in Corsier. Children:
- i. Marie Visinand. Born, 3 Feb 1666/7, in Corsier, Swiss canton of Vaud.
- ii. Anne Visinand. Born, 15 Jan 1668/9, in Corsier, Swiss canton of Vaud.
- iii. Marguerite Visinand. Born, 13 Mar 1670/1, in Corsier, Swiss canton of Vaud.
- iv. Jean Pierre Visinand. Born, 24 Nov 1672, in Corsier, Swiss canton of Vaud.
- v. Françoise Visinand. Born, 25 Aug 1678, in Corsier, Swiss canton of Vaud.
He married, second, Anna. Children:
vi. Philip Peter Visinand. Born, 10 Apr 1684, in Edenkoben, Germany. Died, circa 1744, in Old Lancaster, PA, U.S.A.. He married Anna Helena Neff, daughter of Conradt Neff, 9 Jul 1710, in Edenkoben, Germany. (See the book Whisnants Through The Ages for additional information on the descendants of Philip Peter.)
6. Pierre Visinand (Elie, 4). He married Françoise Lavanchy, 1688, in Corsier, Swiss canton of Vaud. Children:
7 i. Abraham Visinand.
FIFTH GENERATION
7. Abraham Visinand (Pierre, 6). Born, 1689. He married Barbille Pinguele, 1714, in Corsier, Swiss canton of Vaud. Children:
8 i. Jean Pierre Visinand.
SIXTH GENERATION
8. Jean Pierre Visinand (Abraham, 7). Born, 1724, in Corsier, Swiss canton of Vaud. He married Jeanne Marie Bulloz, 1754, in Dénézy. Children:
9 i. Jean Pierre Visinand.
SEVENTH GENERATION
9. Jean Pierre Visinand (Jean Pierre, 8). Born, 1767, in Villette. He married Marie Holtz, 1796, in Prilly. Children:
10 i. Jacques Louis Samuel Philippe Marc Visinand.
EIGHTH GENERATION
10. Jacques Louis Samuel Philippe Marc Visinand (Jean Pierre, 9). Born, 1811, in Pully. He married Henriette Regamey, 1844, in Lausanne. Children:
11 i. François Louis Visinand.
NINTH GENERATION
11. François Louis Visinand (Jacques Louis Samuel Philippe Marc, 10). Born, 1845, in Mezéry. He married Henriette Renaud, 1872, in Coppet. Children:
12 i. Louis Jules Visinand.
TENTH GENERATION
12. Louis Jules Visinand (François Louis, 11). Born, 1877, in Genève. He married Jeanne Caroline Guillaume-Gentil, 1904, in Genève. Children:
13 i. Charles Louis Visinand.
ELEVENTH GENERATION
13. Charles Louis Visinand (Louis Jules, 12). Born, 1906, in Genève. He married Georgette Louise Bonard, 1929, in Genève. Children:
14 i. Jean François Visinand.
TWELFTH GENERATION
14. Jean François Visinand (Charles Louis, 13). Born, 1940, in Genève. He married Marcelle Paulette Janine Berset, 1962, in Genève. Children:
i. Sylvie Visinand. Born, 1963, in Genève. Resided, 1993, in Genève, Switzerland. She married Eric Pierre Louis Gillot, 1989, in Carouge.
W.T.T.A. Additions & Corrections
Since the book Whisnants Through the Ages was published, I have received additional information. I do not have enough room here to include all the new information I've obtained. Therefore, in many cases only part of the information is included. The rest will be saved for some possible future publication. I suggest that you either make the corrections in your book, or keep this addendum with the book for future reference.
Please send me any corrections/additions to the book you have. I will try to publish them in a future issue of this publication. (Note: Family numbers refer to the number of the family as listed in Whisnants Through The Ages.)
Family 54, Jacob Isaac Whisnand: Jacob had only one wife, her name was Mary Ann Isley. Remove the reference to the second wife named Elizabeth.
Family 56x, Laura Caroline Whisnand: Laura's husband, Joseph Parks, was a son of Albert Parks & Elizabeth Daugherty.
Family 105, Harvey Philip Whisenant: Harvey is the son of James William Whisenhunt (family 29). Source: The estate file for James William Whisenhunt. Located in the archives in Raleigh, NC. (Courtesy: Nancy Puckett)
Family 201, Rebecca Whisnand: She married William Claman, not Clayman. William was born 27 May 1811, died 17 Feb 1868. Rebecca and William were married, 9 Feb 1836.
Family 210, William Franklin Whisnand: Rebecca C. Parks, William's wife, was the daughter of Albert Parks & Elizabeth Daugherty, not Rebecca Daugherty.
Family 212, Emanuel Whisnand: He was born 18 Dec 1836, in Monroe Co., IN, died in 1898, in Scott Co., AR. He is buried at Pilot Prairie Cemetery, probably in or near Waldron, AR. His wife Nancy Parks was a daughter of Albert Parks & Elizabeth Daugherty. She was born 15 Jan 1843, in Bloomington, IN, and died 1884, in Scott Co., AR. She is also buried at Pilot Prairie Cem.
Family 267iv, William T. Whisenhunt: This is William Thomas Whisenhunt. He was born 4 Mar 1858, in AR. Died 24 Jul 1943. Buried at Shady Cem., Polk Co., AR. You'll find information on his family on page 369, family 3. I mistakenly placed him in the family of Christopher Columbus Whisenhunt. William can be found in the 1860-70 Pike Co., AR census with his parents. He is also in the 1900-20 Polk Co., AR census.
Family 276, Peter Walker Whisenhunt: Peter died 30 Jan 1884, in Scott Co., AR.
Family 401v, John Whisnant: This is John Morgan Whisnant. He is the John M. Whisnant I have listed in the Lost Relation section of W.T.T.A., page 381, first column. He married Rachel Cordelia Murray.
Family 519, George Wesley Whisenand: George died 17 Apr 1952.
Family 594, John Adam Whisenhunt: John is the son of Henry J.N. Whisenhunt, Family 287, individual ix. Adam F. Whisenhunt, Family 292, did not have a son named John Adam Whisenhunt.
Family 930, Martha Della Whisenant: Her correct name is Mattie Della Whisenant. She married, second, Sterling Price Shipley, 31 Jul 1901. Born in 1862, Died in 1948. All seven of the Shipley children were born at their farm home south of Frederick, Tilmann Co., OK. Their first son was named Price Shipley, not "Sterling". Born 17 May 1902. Died 20 Apr 1976. Charley Shipley died 1 Feb 1982. He married Mary Ann Tisdale, 23 Dec 1924. Della May Shipley, died 23 May 1940. She married Everett H. Buck. Lora Shipley's middle name was "Irene". She married, first, Ernest LeRoy Kendall. She married, second, Charles Howard Edwards, 30 May 1957. Lura Shipley's middle name was "Iva". She married Ralph M. Crall, 24 May 1931. Lura has always been considered the eldest of the two twins. Woodrow Shipley, died 14 Mar 1986. He married Lueva Frances Horton, 7 Mar 1930. Bennie Shipley's name is "Benny P". He married Loretta June McCarty, 24 Dec 1945.
Family 956ix, Edward Lewis Whisnant: He died in Jan 1990. He married Donna Irene Jones, daughter of Chester Ray Jones and Lonnie Fay Sysk, 3 Dec 1976. She was born 18 Sep 1953, in Kansas City, Jackson Co., MO. Children:
- Adrian Lamar Whisnant [Adp]. Born 14 Jan 1973.
- Tina Irene Whisnant. Born 31 Jan 1977, in Conyers, Rockdale Co., GA.
- Julie Lynn Whisnant. Born 3 Sep 1980, in Dekalb Co., GA.
(Author's note: It is said that Edward had been murdered.)
Family 1032, Laura Ellen Whisenand: According to the Rose Hill Cemetery records, Laura was born 6 Jun 1857, died 28 Dec 1928. This may be in error because it would make her two years older than her father, John C., who was born 21 Dec 1859.
Family 1084, Charles H. Harper: Peoria is in Peoria Co., IL, not Tazewell Co., IL.
Family 1084i, Merridee Joe Harper: The correct spelling of Merridee's middle name is "Jo".
Family 1216i, Rachel Simpson Paschall: Rachel and James have the following children:
- Debbie Christine Marler. Born 20 Nov 1964. She married Henry Eugen Deal, 23 Jan 1983. They have one child: Derek Michale Lee Deal. Born 7 Dec 1986.
- Dennis Grady Marler. Born, 30 May 1971. He married Hope Fine Franklin, 18 Aug 1990. They have one child: Dennis Blake Marler. Born 23 Dec 1991.
- Gregory Simpson Marler. Born 18 Feb 1974.
- Kimberly Vivian Marler. Born 3 Jul 1974.
- James Michael Marler. Born 12 Nov 1976.
Family 1216ii, Randall Lee Paschall: Randall and Myra have the following children:
- Jeffrey Mark Paschall. Born 31 Jan 1969.
- Timothy Wayne Paschall, Born 18 Aug 1971.
Family 1814, Merridee Joe Harper: The correct spelling of Merridee's middle name is "Jo".
Family 2524, David Carlsworth Whisnant: His middle name was "Courtsworth", and he was born 18 Sep 1851. His marriage to Semelia Ann Galloway was on 7 Jul 1879.
W.T.T.A., page 369, family 1, Christopher Columbus Whisenhunt. Remove the number 3 from in front of his son William Thomas' name. This William Thomas Whisenhunt is a son of Thomas L. Whisenhunt, family 267. Christopher's son William was born circa 1858, in AR. He is with his parents in the 1860, 1870, and 1880 censuses. I haven't found him anywhere after 1880.
W.T.T.A., page 371, colum 2, family 1, Fred (Ferdie E.) Whisenant: This is Ferdie Earsel Whisenant. His parents were William Jackson Whisenant & Minnie Mary Ann Barber. They are on page 89, family 367.
W.T.T.A., page 381, column 1, family 1, John M. Whisnant: This is John Morgan Whisnant. He is a son of John Oliver Whisnant, family 401, page 95.