It’s a holiday so I’m taking a break from airplanes, poetry, politics and angst. FAMILY is the word for today.
Maxine Leonard of Waverly, Iowa published a newsletter entitled Conger Confab for 25 years. Her voluminous research into the family made her a legend among Congers and Conger kin privileged to know her. The torch of her work was passed to me because she believed I had the ability as a writer, a person who understood graphic design and as a Conger to continue in her footsteps. I told her more than once — would you believe half a gazillion times? — I was NOT a genealogist, but she consistently replied, “Don’t worry; you don’t have to be.” I made two trips to Waverly: the first to bring home most of the Conger genealogical records Maxine had gathered, and the second, to bring home the rest of it and to say goodbye. By the time of the second trip, her husband Larry, a terrific fellow, US Army veteran and every bit as convivial as his wife.
For several years I continued to publish Conger Confab in Springfield and corresponded with hundreds of Congers in the US, Canada and Mexico. The effort stopped when I became unemployed, the money ran out, and I found I had some apparently insurmountable concerns about Maxine’s stalwart belief, not unlike a Jesus canon, which she had devoted so much of her busy life to perpetuating.
It was her resolute contention that all Congers in North America descended from John Belconger who arrived in what would become Woodbridge, New Jersey in 1640. John changed is name to Conger, and had six sons by marriage. One, named Job, was born in 1694. There were many Jobs in the Conger family since then, including Job, the father of my father’s grandfather, also named Job, my father’s father and my father, who coincidentally died in 1994.
I want to resume interfacing with Congers and Conger kin, and I want to do it through the internet. I already have several Conger web pages at the CIVAG domain, but I want to create a separate Conger domain if there appears to be sufficient interest to support one. I also want to establish a Conger Family blog here at WordPress.com.
If you are a Conger or Conger kin, look for a Blogroll link to my Conger Family web site, visit and respond with your thoughts.
Happy Independence Day to you!
Live long . . . . . and proper.
My name is Niechelle Jeffery Feeney. My grandfather Milton “Pete” Conger attended family reuniuns in Waverly, IA. He lives in Burlington, Co. His daughter Nancy Conger is my mother. I wanted to inquire about the Conger family books? Do you know where I could get a copy? I would appreciate any information. Thank You!
In my email response to Niechelle — terrific first name, btw — I explained I still have some of the Conger Family of America, Volume 1 available for purchase. Since the purpose of this blog is NOT to feed you, through your eyes, more unsolicited advertising, let’s leave it at that. Visit the Conger site noted in the Blog Roll to the right of this column, and write or call if you have additional questions.
I am the daughter of a (Finis T. Conger - and my uncle Bob Conger in MO was at one time working on the CONFAB (if that is the name).
I would like to get on the mailing list if possible.
Please let Pete’s Grand Daughter that I have a copy of vol I and Vol II that my parent’s had. My dad was Melvin E. Conger, b. 1918 in Burlington, Co. and was Pete’s cousin. I was out in Burlington last year ( jul 2007 ) and had a two day visit with Pete and Marge. Also, I have an approximately 50-60,000, name database of Nichelle’s Conger ancestry way beyond anything Pete is aware of. I would be delighted to share any of this with her or any other Conger “Cousins”.