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Groundhog Day Letter

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Groundhog Day Letter
Uncle Butch
Hibben Here! And so is the 2010 edition of the Groundhog Letter! ANNUAL HIBBEN LETTER We decided to be like the proverbial groundhog this year & promptly retreated to our little hole when Feb. 2 arrived. So we waited out the rest of those 6 weeks of winter and are now peeking out to see if the world is still there and, more importantly, is spring here yet? Well, not exactly, but almost! As usual, here is the background about the “cast members” . . . The fam: Patty & John Pitterle – daughter and son-in-law, residents of Overgaard, AZ – they are hooked on country living. Patty is still the Postmaster there, in a 5-person Post Office. She also works as an EMT in the nights and on weekends. John has started working as a custodian and maintenance man at the local school, allowing him to work while the girls are in classes and home when they are. Patty's blog is Pitterle Postings and is an uplifting read! Their children (yours, mine, & ours) are: Kirbi Dawn (nee Hinchey) and her husband Joe Mason – now living in Cape Girardeau, MO where Joe is teaching drama and music at a local college. Kirbi is doing some work at home for the insurance company that employed her back in Massachusetts. They are proud parents of Lillabeth, who just turned six, and Sadie, who turned one in early 2009. Louis (Hinchey), living in the Mesa area of AZ. He is a school bus driver. D.J. (Hinchey) and his wife, Amy Jo, also in the valley; D.J. has recently been promoted to general manager of Larry Miller Volkswagen! Amy spends most of her time keeping track of David Cole (4), Jacob Nelson (just turned 3), and Ellie Joy, who turned one in spring 2008, and the latest, Lyla Ann, born January 29, 2010. Lori (nee Hinchey) and her new husband Victor Tanori, living in the valley; they are the proud parents of Nora, born in July 2008. Adam (Hinchey) is still living in the valley in AZ and keeps busy with his various interests and his many nieces and nephews. Emily (nee Hinchey) and her husband Matt Allphin, still living in Orem, UT, where Matt will be graduating this spring with a major in computer engineering – he was chosen to be valedictorian of the College of Technology and Computing at Utah Valley University and we are looking forward to being in the audience to see him awarded this honor and hear Emily give a speech. Both enjoy running marathons, and Emily works with a computer company. Her blog deals with the many areas of her interest, from her family to her various clever creations. Amy (nee Pitterle) and Preston Foster living in Mesa, AZ where Preston works for a medical delivery service and has recently been promoted in his job; Amy takes care of their, Chloe Lynn, who turned one this past November. Their two dogs – Charlie & Claire – love having a person their size to play with. Amy's blog is Foster Features and she discusses all sorts of things of particular interest to young mothers. Josh (Pitterle) is living in Overgaard where he is seriously considering a career in the military. Miracle – the oldest of John & Patty's "joint" efforts – turned 13 this year; she loves going to dances and enjoying the active life of a teenager. Mikayla – now 11– continues to enjoy school and an active social life. Anya – age 9 this past New Year’s Day – loves school and seems to always smile. Quentin and Mary Jane Hibben – son and daughter-in-law, living in Elburn, IL where Quentin is still employed by Simpson Anchor and Mary Jane continues in her job with Velspar. They are kept on their toes by Derek, now 4, and Robert Kyle, who turned one this past summer. Their dog Pandy (short for Pandemonium) rules the back yard. Whenever possible, they get together with Quentin's older two: Jeni, living in Rockford, IL, where she works part-time and attends community college. James, now living in Missouri to be near his girlfriend, also named Jennifer. Sandi and Greg Dodge – daughter and son-in-law, living in McDonough, GA where Sandi, the mathematician, continues to be involved with her children's schools and Greg continues to work for General Dynamics as a National Guard trainer. Sandi, who still takes time to work on genealogy, reports that her children are also busy folks: Matt (Hicks), Sandi’s first born, is serving in the US Navy, stationed in San Diego but scheduled to deploy to Japan. Chris (Schmidt) continues in his service to the United States as Specialist in the US Army, currently serving in Washington state, having spent much of 2009 in Iraq. Brad (Schmidt), now in his third year of college at Georgia Tech where he is earning top grades and has set his sights on becoming a dentist. Kati (Schmidt), now a junior at Georgia Tech where she continues to make good grades and is studying Polymer Engineering with an emphasis in Chemistry. Singing continues to be a major part of her life. Drew (Schmidt), a high school senior, continues to love music but also finds time to attend Georgia Tech concurrently; he’ll graduate from high school this spring. Tyler, the youngest in the Dodge household, now 10, continues to be active in Scouts and has school at the center of his life. Greg’s two children from his previous marriage prefer not to be listed here. Max and Jessica Hibben – son and daughter-in-law, married this past October, living in Austin, TX where Max was one of the casualties of the recession, but, as we went "to press," we got word that he is starting a new job at AMD in Austin. Jessica works in retail, which she loves and has an amazing knack for. They have part-time custody of Jessica's son from her first marriage, Zachary, age 5. Max continues to work as a DJ in the evenings and on weekends. Here’s the annual recap . . . It was a year of traveling, and most of it related to music and my genealogy business. The organization Family History Expos was a frequent venue where I did presentations, did some banquet programs, and we had a booth devoted to music and our ancestors. Our travels took us to Loveland, CO (where I was asked to come up to do their banquet program and we were able to see an amazing double rainbow on the trip); Sandy, UT; St. George, UT; and Mesa, AZ. I served as a “blogger of honor” for the events and also developed my blog to focus on ancestors and their music and instruments. In March I was installed as the new president of the Southern California Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists. I have a great board to work with and we have focused on increasing membership. March also found us performing and running workshops at the Glendale, AZ folk heritage festival in March. In May, I attended the National Genealogical Society Conference in Raleigh, NC in May where I was installed as the new secretary for the Genealogical Speakers Guild. I was traveling with another genealogist and we made a “side trip” to the Washington, D.C. area where I got to meet up with some friends in the area. With one of the friends I had a chance to go on a little excursion to Mt. Vernon where we went on the “National Treasure 2 Tour.” It was a fabulous experience. While I was there, Butch presented a saw workshop at the Topanga Banjo & Fiddle Contest at Paramount Ranch near Calabasas, CA. In June, while I presented at the Southern Calif. Genealogical Society Jamboree in Burbank, CA, Butch ran workshops at the Flagstaff, AZ Folk Festival. I flew to AZ to meet him and we went up to Overgaard to attend the celebration for Patty’s 50th birthday. All of her children were able to attend and it was great to see everyone. The celebration was marred by a small accident: Kirbi’s daughter Sadie took a fall and blacked out so Kirbi, Patty, and Sadie ended up spending part of the weekend at the hospital. Sadie is OK, but sure gave everyone a scare!
Lillabeth, Zach, & Anya on trampoline
Overgaard, AZ, July 2009
Max, Jessica, and Zach met us at Patty’s celebration and then followed us back to our place in CA. We had fun getting to know Zach and Max and Jessica introduced him to Disneyland (not sure who had more fun on that visit). And Max and Jessica set the date for their marriage: October 1, when we would be able to attend (we thought that was wonderfully considerate of them). Our little puppy turned one year old in June and ended up in the doggie hospital for a patella luxation, which, apparently, is a congenital problem for his breed (Alaskan Klee Kai). He did a great job of letting his little leg heal and we know that another surgery, on the other knee, is in his future (we’re not telling him that yet, though).
The Crew: Buddy & Klondike
During the summer we were able to finish another CD in my series of music and ancestors, this one on Songs of the American West. The cover photo was done by photographer friend Pam McComb-Podmostko, who did a number of photos for the shoot that I have been using on my website and promotional materials.
Family portrait by Pam, July 2009
In September we attended the 50th anniversary of BONANZA (yup, the TV show). We provided a PA system and projector for videos so ended up staying a little longer than initially planned. We conducted the square dance and led some of the music, I moderated a panel, and we had a great time visiting with old friends (and making new ones). It was a great weekend.
Butch & Jean with Mitch Vogel, Pam McComb, &
Rick Drown (stuntman); Dixie, September 2009
Panel: with Jay Jones, Bonanza stunt man & extra
Lake Tahoe, September 2009
We left to head east, stopping at Salt Lake to do some more genealogy research, then continuing on to Wisconsin. In Wisconsin I did some research in Madison at the Historical Society and we spent a day at the House on the Rock in Spring Green. Then I did a presentation in Waukesha where I impersonated my great-grandmother. My brother and sister-in-law attended the program and enjoyed seeing what I do. It was fun to show off for them!
Butch & Jean with Bob & Jaynie Wilcox
Waukesha Gen. Soc., September 2009
From Wisconsin, we went to spend some time with our granddaughter Jeni and her brother James. We went to Church with Jeni (who was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints last April) and got to meet her friends at her ward. Jeni and James and a couple of their friends came to see us present at an Illinois Stake, doing a program of Mormon pioneer songs. It was nice to see our grandkids in the audience. Illinois was also where we attended my 40th high school reunion. On the day of the event, we attended a little folk music gathering with some of my former classmates. It was a lot of fun and made the reunion extra special. At the actual event, I reconnected with an old friend who was also hoping to see me there. We had a fabulous visit, reminiscing about old times and catching up with where we are now (ironically, we both have masters degrees in speech communication). Of course we also got in visits with Quentin, Mary Jane, and the boys and with my brother and sister-in-law. It was wonderful to have the reunions with family. From Illinois we went to Michigan where we were able to visit with my 4th cousin, George Koppers. We camped in his driveway and George and I lost little time pulling out all the genealogy materials. Then it was off to cemeteries. We had a great day together, then I was scheduled to do a presentation at the Van Buren Regional Genealogical Society in Decatur, MI, where I impersonated my great-great-grandmother. George attended the program and it was great to have my cousin, with whom I share 3rd great-grandparents, in the audience.
George Koppers & Jean Hibben, Decatur, MI
Van Buren Regional Gen. Soc., September 2009
We went from Michigan to Missouri (with a side-trip to visit friends in Illinois). We stopped at Cape Girardeau to see Kirbi and Joe’s new house and have dinner and visit our great-granddaughters. We had a lovely visit, though short, as we had to head to Texas for Max’s wedding. We went straight to Austin to attend the family dinner on the eve of the wedding. Most of the family was there and we got to meet Jessica’s family, which was very nice. The next day, we went to the Church to start decorating for the wedding. All of Max’s siblings were there: Patty, John, and the girls drove over from AZ; Sandi drove from GA; and Quentin flew in from IL. It was great to have all the “kids” there, even though they couldn’t bring all family members. It was the third time in their lives that we had all Butch’s children in the same place:
Patty, Max, Quentin, Sandi
Austin, TX, October 1, 2025
The wedding was lovely and Max and Jessica make a beautiful couple.
John,Patty,Max,Jessica,Jean,Sandi,Butch,Quentin
bride & groom with all parents
I continue to serve as president of the Corona Genealogical Society and it continues to be a fulfilling experience and a great group of people to work with. We have over 90 members now and continue to grow. Our holidays were marred by the H1N1 virus and other illnesses that laid us up from the end of October through the middle of December. We spent those months being quiet and relaxed and I didn’t even decorate the house! Music continues to be a focal point of our lives. I still serve as the membership and meeting coordinator for the Riverside Folk Song Society in January of this year we celebrated its 50th anniversary with a huge gathering in Riverside. Nearly 100 people attended and a great time was had by all!
Riverside Folk Song Society 50th Anniversary
Riverside, CA, January 16, 2026
Church also is a major part of our lives. I continue to serve as the trainer for the Family History Center in the Corona Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Butch continues to serve as the computer tech for the same auxiliary. We are kept busy with the various needs of the FHC and enjoy serving in those capacities. I also enjoyed being the featured speaker for a seminar for the San Diego Genealogical Society the beginning of this year. Butch joined me for a musical program as the last “class” of the day:
San Diego Genealogical Society, January 2010
The end of January brought much sadness into our lives, one of the major reasons I postponed writing this year’s letter until now: the passing of our dear friend Pernell Roberts has created a void in my life that will never be filled. We participated in his memorial at the end of February – helping with background music (Pernell’s recordings) and running DVDs of his achievements – which helped to keep my mind off the loss. I put a tribute to him on my blog, which also was therapeutic for me. To read it, go to my blog. So now we are about to launch into spring, with new growth and lots of new opportunities for my family history business combined with folklore and music. My proposal to the Soboba Indian Reservation in Riverside County was picked up and I am about to begin a 15-week genealogy class for their Career Development Center. In early March I did two interviews for the Inland Empire news/information cable and Internet program "Southern California Life" on NewsNet. Both of these are (as of this writing) archived on their website. (To view: click on the NewsNet link just provided, go to "Watch us" and then "Southern California Life" to get to the archives. The interview, complete with song, about the Riverside Folk Song Society was aired on 031510 and is about 10 minutes into the program; the one for the Corona Genealogical Society was aired on 032210 and is about 14 minutes into the program.) To read about our various experiences as they take place, check my blog or add us as friends on Facebook (to add Butch, enter Lynn (Butch) Hibben; to add me, put http://www.facebook.com/Circlemending in your web browser). Here are some of the latest photos of the clan: Patty's group:
John & Patty Pitterle, Louis Hinchey
Miracle, Anya, Mikayla Pitterle. Easter 2009
Lillabeth & Sadie Rose Mason
Adam & Louis Hinchey
The Hincheys: Amy, Ellie, Jake, DJ, & Cole
Hallowe'en, 2009
Jake, Cole, & Ellie Hinchey
Newest leaf on the family tree:
Lyla Ann Hinchey, January 2010
Emily & Matt Allphin
Chloe Foster, September 2009
Josh with Dad, John Pitterle
Quentin's group:
Jeni Hibben & maternal grandfather, Osmond Call
April 2009 baptism
James Hibben & girlfriend Jennifer
Kyle & Derek Hibben
Sandi's group:
Greg & Sandi Dodge
Kati Schmidt with boyfriend Nathan
Brad Schmidt, Tyler Dodge, Drew Schmidt
Tyler Dodge & older bro, Chris Schmidt
butch@hibben.org jean@hibben.org jean@circlemending.org Please do not use any of our email addresses to send forwarded jokes, stories, petitions, "warnings," etc. However, we love to get information on your family members, so do send those!! Thanks!!
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