What’s in a Name (Anyway)? [April 2008 Message]

Like many of our members, I’ve been asking that question of myself since I was a youngster?  Christened Joseph Frank Purcell in June, 1950 I was raised ‘Joe’ for most of my young adult life.  My older brother Tom, 15 years my senior, whom I nicknamed ‘Tombo’ growing up, said that before I was born my Dad Thomas, in discussions with my Mom Marion were trying to decide what to name me?  My middle name was easy, I was named after my Great Uncle Frank Purcell, who ran a candy store in a small town southwest of Billings called Fromberg.  My middle brother is Richard or ‘Dick’, who is 12 years my senior.  So, my Dad, probably to goad my Mom, suggested Harry… so that he could say he had three sons: “Tom, Dick and Harry.”   Fortunately she would have none of that and I was named after the Father of Jesus, Joseph. 

So ‘Joe’ it was through Catholic middle and high school, but for some reason by the time I was a junior at the University of Montana in the early 70’s, I was ready for a change, but to what?  Perhaps an Ad Manager at The Missoulian newspaper where I worked during college, who used to use “Joe Cool” for a sample name, expedited this change.  When I went to a NW College Programming Conference in 1971 the time was right to shift from “Joe” to: “Joe Frank”.  Why, you might ask?  Well there was a rock band called: Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds who did a song: “Don’t pull your love out on me baby”.  The story goes that the middle member of this group had a long Italian last name and he went by Joe Frank. It stuck…for both him, and for me.  So I adapted Joe Frank in part because I wanted to impress a young co-ed, and Joe, in my mind, just didn’t cut it. 

Fast forward to New York 20 years later and ‘Joe Frank’ in advertising sales was rather Southern, but not accurate for my boss’ determination of what to call me in the NY world of advertising.  So, he suggested ‘J.F.’, and I said with shrugging shoulders….’Okay’.  Clients have asked me what I prefer to be called, and I say, just ‘don’t call me late for dinner.’ 

Now if you are a genealogist, how would research my name?  Joseph, Joe, Joe Frank or J.F.?  All in all, a researcher would probably not have too difficult a time, wouldn’t you agree?  But what if your Dutch last name is Von Weggelum, as my Great 15x Grandmother was called in the mid-1600s?  In research that Aloa Dereta, one of our Board members, did in her research on the early Purcells and Von Weggelums, she discovered there were probably a dozen or so variations of Von Weggelums, which is not surprising especially if you’ve ever studied Dutch names. Too, there was probably not a significant literacy rate in 1665.  Here are some of the variations for that one last name:

      (Bob, it’s up to you if you want to insert some of the Von Weggelum names here.) 

Even Purcell, as simple as it is, has 230+ variations.   So, when researching you have to have a sense whether the person you are looking for has his/her original name or a nickname. 

Don’t Just Call Me Jane  by Johnna Kaplan (Newsweek, March 3^rd, 2008)

“I’m so accustomed to people’s getting my name wrong that I will answer to almost anything.  I have been called practically every name that begins with J, from Joanne, to Jana, to Juana, and even many names that do not, like Shauna and Yohanna.  Sometimes, though I am most certainly not male, I am called men’s names, like Jonah or John.” 

She continues…”When your name is even slightly out of the ordinary, people think they can talk down to you about it. I have been asked with a sneer, ‘What kind of name is that?’  She continued with examples of how Kaplan had been misinterpreted.  In the end she says: “Despite all the hassle, though, I would not want an ordinary name! I would rather keep spelling my name and repeating that my parents did not really want a boy. Even if they’d had one, I doubt they’d have named him something normal.”

Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak

A renowned genealogist, Megan always seems to weave in the history of her family name. Namely, that it is eastern European and that even though she and her husband have the same last name, she has not been able to definitely confirm they are related.  So they got married.

Imagine being named Fanny Allbutt or Hades Fryher, that’s right read it again…These names come from a fascinating article from the March/April ’08 issue of Ancestry Magazine: “How a kooky name can help you find your family.”   It suggests that even ‘when good names go Bad’, this may actually be good for genealogical researchers. “Take for example, the surname Smith.  A search through the historical records at Ancestry.com yields 9,895,391 results.  That’s more than a little daunting.  But once there was a man named Verb Smith.  Be the lucky dog that is looking for him and your Ancestry.com search results are pared down to seven.”

Ancestry Magazine offer

Because the company I work for represents this magazine for ad sales, I have a limited number of copies that are available for sampling to our members.  If you would like a copy, please drop me a line and I’ll be glad to send you a copy.  If you send me a check for $5.00 to cover the cost of magazine and postage, I will donate the full amount to the Purcell Family of America.  My email is: jfpurcell@hotmail.com

My address is: 2962 Moreland Ave., Oceanside, NY 11572

Request for unusual names…

Do you have an unusual name? Do you like it, or perhaps not?  Are you named after a very distant relative with an 18^th century name?  We’d like to hear your story.  Please forward it to our editor Robert ‘Bob’ Purcell: Purcell@bossig.com

Reflections on the January 2008 Purcell Family of America Journal

In my President’s message I mentioned how I located childhood friends, the Lambrechts, who had moved from Billings, MT when I was ten years old to northeastern Connecticut.  Shortly after that article was published, I received word from Cathy Lambrecht Racich that her mother had died about a year ago.  I’d like to remember Bette Lambrecht at this time for the care she provided me when I was in single digits.   

Thanks to contributors: 

1. Cousin James Purcell of Lake Geneva, WI for the Bucks County Pennsylvania Family Stories.
2. Board member Aloa Dereta for her Family Stories, Origins of the Purcell Family
3. Three-dozen PFofA members who donated to the needs of our non-profit Family Association.
4. Vice President Doug Purcell for his work, and article on the PFofA support of *DNA Testing. He is also available via email: dpurcell@eufaula.rr.com
5. Former President Tony Marostica for his sleuthing the Internet for Purcell-related memorabilia.
6. Editor Robert Purcell for his assemblage of our quarterly Journal.

*DNA Testing Links First and Current PFofA Presidents

In the January issue of the PFofA Journal Doug Purcell outlined the DNA Program your Association is supporting.  At that time I indicated that most of the PFofA Board would be taking the DNA test, with the goal in mind to determine how many ancestors might be able to be located from such an effort.  I am pleased to report that the first President of the Purcell Family of America, Todd Yost Purcell and your current President, me, Joseph Frank ‘J.F.’ Purcell are directly related as distant cousins, dating back to approximately 1720. 

Todd and I are 37-marker DNA-related, which is the highest level we tested at.  In simple terms, this means there is a direct, blood/name-relationship to be found.  When Todd and I discussed this, we went back in our family records to the early years of the Thomas Line: Thomas Pursell – Christiana Van Woggelum.  Todd referred me to the October 1980 Journal where his family was profiled.  There , Thomas Pursell (1)and Christiana Van Woggelum had five children:

1. Daniel Pursell
2. B. John Pursell
3. Elizabeth Pursell
4. Peter Pursell
5. Dennis Pursell

The second son, John Pursell (B) , md. Ca 1718-1719 , probably Hanna Hall? Their first son was Thomas Pursell (B1) , baptized at  the Readington Dutch Church, Hunterdon Co., NJ, 9 April 1720, md Mary Van Hook.  They had an unbelievable 13 children.

B1.1 John Pursell, this line was partially covered in the Oct. 1978 issue is Todd’s family, which is profiled in detail in the October 1980 Vol, 9-Number 4.

My line can be traced back to the third child, Thomas Pursell as follows:

      B1.3 Thomas Pursell, Jr, d 1810 in Loudon Co., VA, md. Lydia Vernon.  Portions  of this line were covered in the July 1973 Journal. 

So, DNA Testing allowed us to uncover we are cousins going back an amazing eight generations.  I would encourage all members to be DNA Tested. 

2009 Reunion

Where would you like to have the PFofA 2009 Reunion?

•  
  1. Salt Lake City, UT
  2. Portland, OR
  3. Coeur d’Alene, ID
  4. Long Beach, CA

(Bob, please pick up info from January Journal, thanks.)

Editor Needed…

In order to continue publication of our fine quarterly Purcell Family of America Journal, we need a new editor to take over the role that has been held by Robert Purcell since 2000.  We need to get a new editor in place by the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition to 2009, otherwise the future of the Journal, and the Association, are in doubt. 

Please, if you have the time and/or skills, contact Robert Purcell or me.  Thank you.

Cheers, 

J.F. 

J.F. Purcell

President, PF of A

I have sent an email to Daniel Purcell for an update on our PFofA website.  I’d like to move this along as quickly as possible. 

Could we do an insert sheet with volunteering for committees, ala what Doug created, plus a Help Wanted ad for the Editor’s position?  This could also include a survey form for the location of our next PFofA Reunion.  Your thoughts?  Thanks.

JFP