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  • Fall 2007, NO. 31 - Contents

  • Harlan Family Reunion a Success!

    After 320 years, the Harlan Family in America is still going strong! Family members met in Reno, Nevada, July 12 – 15 for the latest national reunion. Over 400 people, many of them first-time attendees, took part in the festivities, held at John Ascuaga’s Nugget Convention Center. This is the same number of Harlan-kin at the 2002 reunion in the Pennsylvania.

    The reunion officially began with a reception Thursday evening, but there was a steady stream of Harlans registering throughout the day, and the constant hum of voices in the registration/reception area as previous reunion attendees caught up and new friendships began.

    The reception area was in a large, sunny, open room, with plenty of space for visiting, purchasing souvenirs, and looking at the displays brought by various cousins, with topics ranging from photos of past reunions, details of particular family lines, family scrapbooks, articles about individuals Harlans, a model of Joel Harlan’s El Nido House in San Ramon, and more. On Friday morning, attendees could choose from a list of workshops, lounge in the hotel pool or hot tubs, or go on a tour to either Donner Memorial Park or Virginia City.

    The trip to the Donner memorial fit well with the reunion theme, which focused on the westward trek of the first Harlans to reach California. The Donners, who started out from Missouri traveling with the same wagon train as the Harlans, made different route choices than the Harlans, and were a week and a half behind when they reached the final barrier – the Sierra Nevadas. Their fate is infamous. The memorial marks the site where many of them died after being trapped by a blizzard on the east side of the Sierras.

    The Harlans had just made it across the mountains when that weather arrived, and they experienced a heavy rain as they descended the western slopes. A week and a half made all the difference. They were the last group to successfully cross the mountains that year.

    Virginia City is famous for its silver mines, and it is a well-preserved, old-fashioned western style town with connections to the Harlan family.

    On Friday afternoon, the reunion group enjoyed a western-style picnic in a nearby park. The younger crowd enjoyed playing at the water park there, while others found more time for chatting.

    The general family association meeting was held Friday evening. New officers were elected, and the site for the next reunion was discussed. By consensus, the group agreed that the board will research the possibility of holding it in Texas.

    On Saturday morning, there were more workshops and a repeat of Friday’s tours. That evening, there was a banquet with recognitions and a keynote address, “One Family’s Defining Moment,” presented by William K. Harlan, a descendant of wagon master George Harlan (#852). One remark was, “The banquet was really great, and Bill’s talk on the Great Trek was a winner.”

    Mary Ann and Dan Harlan


    On Sunday morning attendees enjoyed a buffet breakfast and/or attended a nondenominational worship service to complete the event. The worship service, led by C. J. King, honored our Quaker heritage. Dan Harlan, who first envisioned a national gathering in 1987 – Celebration 300 – led the meditation and offered the closing prayer. Mary Ellen Black played music for the service. One who attended said, “The worship service was one of my favorite events ... it really put a wonderful feeling of family to the reunion.”

    There were 11 different workshops to choose from. These included: Chuck Knuthson on the Donner tragedy; Marjory Sgroi on the Harlan Heritage tours; Junior Harlan on genealogical research; Dale and Estle Harlan on the Quaker influence; and Bruce Mowday on the life of Jacob Wright Harlan, whose 1886 autobiography Bruce reissued for the reunion. Also, Judi Sommarstrom on making a family scrapbook; Steve Harrison on the history of the family in early California; Mike Fluetsch on Harlans who were Supreme Court justices; C.J. King on the Harlan women who were also Lincolns; Nancy Davenport on the Harlan DNA Project; and Carlene Crossman and Ann Averill on Josiah Harlan, the first American to visit Afghanistan.

    Most workshop presenters had handouts, some of which may still be available for those who were unable to attend.

    Liz Sly received several enthusiastic notes from people during the preregistration process, saying they can’t wait for the next reunion. “Everyone enjoyed the workshops they attended. The subjects were all very intriguing, and folks wanted to go to more, but there were schedule restraints,” she reported.

    In response to those comments, the organizers will try to schedule future bus trips and workshops so they don’t overlap and to run some of the workshops more than once. There were so many great offerings at Reno that some were disappointed they couldn’t do more.

    Pat Harrison Fluetsch and William K. Harlan were coordinators for the reunion, assisted by core committee members Joe and LaRena Hannon, and Robert R. Harlan (“California Bob”).

    Key committee chairs included: bus tours, Joe and LaRena Hannon; children’s activities, Becky Shavel; workshops, William K. Harlan and Steve Harrison; mailings and printed material, Ruth Harlan Lamb; clothing pre-sales, Sue and Jim Harlan; publicity, Bruce Mowday; preregistration, Liz Harlan Sly and Bob Sly; on-site registration, Becky Hines; name tags, Mary Harlan Murphy; signs, Katherine Harlan; hospitality/store, Gerry Harlan Lundgren; greeters, Holly Harlan and Janice and Gene White; displays, Junior Harlan; patrons and special gifts, John R. Harlan; picnic, Robert A. Harlan (“Pennsylvania Bob”); and worship service, C.J. King.

    Bill Harlan and Pat Fluetsch offer thanks to all who volunteered to help out during this special time together.

    Get ready for 2012!


    The youngest at the reunion – 2 mon. old Steven Quinn Uszynski, with mother, Tiffany Quinn Uszynski (NV)


    Betty Harlan Harrison (CA), oldest at the reunion, is the mother of reunion co-coordinator, Pat Harrison Fluetsch.
    She is a great-granddaughter of wagon master George (#852).


    HARLAN FAMILY IN AMERICA OFFICERS

    OFFICERS
    President: Robert R. Harlan
    1716 Clark Ave, Yuba City, CA 95991
    Vice-President: Junior F. Harlan
    6218 E. Betty Elyse Ln, Scottsdale AZ 85254
    Secretary: Gerry Harlan Lundgren
    2517 - 190th, Stanton, IA 51573
    gerrylun@myfmtc.com
    Treasurer: John R. Harlan
    422 Aumond Rd, Augusta GA 30909
    BOARD OF DIRECTORS
    Pat Fluetsch (CA)
    Joe Hannon (CA)
    Katherine M. Harlan (PA)
    Robert A. Harlan (PA)
    William K. Harlan (CA)
    Becky Hines (FL)
    Ruth Harlan Lamb (MO)
    Mary Harlan Murphy (PA)
    Liz Harlan Sly (VA)
    BOARD MEMBER EMERITUS
    Dan Harlan (NC)


    The Harlan Record
    is published semi-annually by

    The Harlan Family in America
    P. O. Box 1654
    Independence, MO 64055

    a permanent organization established to document the historical contributions made by Harlans in America. Submissions of articles are welcome. They are subject to editing and may be held until a future issue if space is limited.

    E-mail to: C. J. King, Editor
    joking@sover.net

    or Ruth Harlan Lamb, Layout/Mailing
    harlamb@aol.com

    or mail to the organization’s address shown above.


    If you want an electronic version of The Harlan Record, e-mail your request to: harlamb@aol.com
    The e-mail newsletter will be sent close to the time that printed newsletters are mailed. The Harlan Record is also available on the Harlan Web site: www.harlanfamily.org under the link “Newsletter


    Elevator Talk at the Nugget

    • While waiting for an elevator at the reunion, a small child – seeing all the Harlan nametags – asked his mom, “What’s a Harlan?” She answered, “It’s a motorcycle.”

    • A good looking man in an elevator at the hotel asked, “How can I get in the Harlan Family?” A Harlan attendee offered her single sister in marriage, but he got off on the next floor!

    FINANCIAL REPORT- August 1, 2007

    CASH IN SAVINGS ACCOUNT 2/1/06

    $24,804.13

    INCOME

     

    Contributions since 2/1/07

    1,742.00

    Contribution honoring
    Ridge L. Harlan

    10,000.00

    Harlan Genealogy Book Sales

    1,900.00

    Jacob Wright Harlan book
    sales percentage

    280.00

    Reunion raffle

    2,157.00

    Merchandise Sales

    2,053.50

    Reunion preregistrations

    29,099.00

    -- TOTAL INCOME

    $47,231.50

    DISBURSEMENTS:

    2007 Reunion

    26,491.21

    Printing and Postage

    1,170.40

    Book Shipping Expense

    127.84

    Chester Co. Historical Soc'ty

    125.00

    Iowa Wesleyan College
    Donation

    2,400.00

    Newsletter Printing/ Mailing

    1,300.00

    Reunion Refunds

    1,285.00

    Blue Ridge Cemetery

    250.00

    Merchandise Purchase

    891.83

    --TOTAL DISBURSEMENTS

    $34,041.28

       

    Balance (8/1/07)
    Less outstanding checks
    Balance
    Certificate of Deposit

    $37,994.35
    $1,430.64
    $36,563.71
    $30,000.00

     



    Remembrance Fund
    ... in memory of

    Eva Jane Harlan Burlin
    by her son, Charles W. Burlin - MA

    Dessie Harlan Gilmore
    by her daughter, Sara Jo Reynolds - FL

    Earl C. Harlan
    by his wife, Lois D. Harlan - OH

    Pat McCurdy
    by Sarah Surratt - GA

     

    – N O T E –

    For the Harlan Record, send postal and e-mail address changes to
    The Harlan Family in America
    P. O. Box 1654
    Independence, MO  64055
    or e-mail harlamb@aol.com

    If you’d like to be on the Harlan e-mail registry, send your address and any changes to Junior Harlan
    harlanjay@cox.net

    Addresses are kept confidential unless permission is granted.

     

    Contributors to the
    Harlan Family in America

    Donations received from Feb. 1, 2007 - Aug. 1, 2007

    CA - Joel Geldermann
    Yvette Hammar
    Robert & Robyn Harlan
    Mike & Ingi Harlan
    Carol J. Matthews
    Maxwell & Kirk Miller

    IA - Harlan H. & Ruth Giese

    IL - Ellen L. Davis

    IN - Ray & Melba Harlan King

    LA - Timothy & Morgan Harlan

    MA - Charles W. Burlin

    MI - Marna S. Ignagni
    Virginia G. McKinley

    MN - Jill K. Hall

    MO - James & Dorothy Harlan
    John L. Harlin
    H. R. & A. M. Pennington

    NJ - Roy & Kathleen Mirabella

    NM - Ellabell Eker

    OH - Lois D. Harlan
    Bob & Peggy Hewitt
    Marjorie A. Ritchey

    OR - E. M. Crow
    Bruce B. Harlan

    PA - Bob & Cindy Harlan
    Stephen J. Harlen
    Jean Miller Jacoby

    UT - David & Katrina Harlan

    TX - Durene Harlin Crouch

    VA - Juanita G. Creighton

    WA - Ann M. Averill
    James & Cheryl Boldt
    Carlene Crossman

    Many thanks for your support.

     


    Harlan Cousin Witnessed Kristallnacht

    Bob Harlan and the Sterns, April 1996

    The late Robert Harlan, who retired to Freeport, Ill., after a 30-year diplomatic career, was a college exchange student in Germany in 1938 and saw firsthand the destruction caused by the infamous event known as Kristallnacht. As a result, he helped a Jewish couple who were among the victims, and he found them a way to escape.

    Kristallnacht translates as “Crystal Night,” or “Night of the Broken Glass,” a name that aptly describes the streets of many German villages after a night of rioting destroyed thousands of Jewish homes, synagogues and businesses in November 1938. Soldiers and citizens alike took part in these hateful acts, clearly exposing to the world the depth of anti-Semitic feeling, and what the Nazi government would tolerate.

    In fact, evidence suggests that the government encouraged its officers to organize these riots as retribution for the murder of a German diplomat in Paris. Shot by an irate Jew, the diplomat had ignored the man’s repeated pleas to help his relatives and 17,000 other Jews imprisoned at a refugee camp. Two days later, on November 9, 1938, the diplomat, Ernst vom Rath, died. The riots began that night and lasted for several days. Adding insult to injury, the Nazi government then fined the Jewish communities one billion marks for causing the riots.

    Of course, this is but part of a continuing story. But it is the part that Bob Harlan witnessed firsthand, through his friendship with Doktor and Frau Stern, of Wurzburg, Germany, parents of William, Bob’s German-Jewish boss at the Law Library of the University of Chicago. Bob had promised William to visit them while he was in Germany.

    His first visit was in early September 1938. He intended to stay for a few hours and ended up staying 10 days. During this time, he hiked and biked with Frau Stern’s cousin, whose factory made large crates for the many Jewish emigrants shipping their possessions out of the country. From Herr Doktor he learned about politics, law, and other topics, and Frau Stern tutored him in German.

    Harlan described the doctor as a “prominent lawyer, once regarded as a leading citizen, formerly holder of several important and honored municipal positions, winner of numerous military honors during the war [WWI], and [an] extremely able, educated and cultured gentleman.” But by 1938, Jews were already being segregated from German social and political life. The last day of the visit was “marred by a communication received by Herr Doktor Stern at his office.” The note, sent by some petty official, instructed the doctor that he must immediately sell his house and inform the officer of the price and the purchaser’s name. The note concluded by threatening, “If you do not do as I ask, I may be forced to take further steps.”“It was with the contents of that foreboding note ringing in my ears that I pedaled away next morning, heading south for Munich and Gemutlichkeit,” Harlan recalled.

    The Sterns visited him in Munich, and he visited them again in early October. Frau Stern said they had not sold their house as instructed, but a few days earlier, they’d been informed that the house had been transferred and was no longer theirs. The doctor was also told to close his law office by December 1.

    Harlan soon left feeling “anything but happy about the plight of my friends, but not knowing what, if anything, I could do. … Just a month later, on Friday, November 11th, a telegram from Wurzburg shocked me from my complacency.” Translated, it said, “Please come at once to William’s mother.”

    He did not know why he was being summoned, only that something very bad had happened. He wrote, “The day before, the Marburg synagogue had burned down, but the general feeling in Marburg seemed to be that it was an accident. It was not even in the paper. And the day before, vom Rath ... had died. For some reason, I failed at the time to connect these three events - the death, the fire, and the telegram - or if I did it was only hazily.”

    He boarded the first train to Wurzburg. Arriving around 10 p.m., he was greeted by an overwrought, young woman, who asked his identity and had him follow her to an apartment to meet Frau Stern, who wept as she explained that her husband had been taken away the night before and their house ransacked. She was hiding in this apartment of a relative.

    “Feeling helpless but knowing something must be done, if only to calm this frantic woman, I began to formulate telegrams and cables with her,” Harlan wrote. “She had three sons in America, one of them about to become a citizen. There was her ray of hope. If definite evidence as to Doktor and Frau Stern’s certain departure from Germany could be secured, the treatment accorded them would doubtless be less harsh.”

    The next morning, they visited the Sterns’ apartment. “Never had I seen such methodic diabolic destruction,” Harlan wrote. “Every door was smashed, the furniture splintered to nothing, each picture ripped from the wall and torn from its frame; books emptied out of bookcases, torn and despoiled; dishes tossed and crashed in all directions; mirrors shattered systematically; the wonderful grandfather’s clock, generations old, crushed upon its face …

    They spent the day cleaning up. Some things were repaired; others packed for shipping. The next day, the paper announced the billion-mark fine and reported on the “spontaneous uprisings” of people acting from “righteous wrath” against the Jews.

    Harlan left the next day, feeling he’d done all he could. To stay more than three days, he would have to register with the police. He told Frau Stern to keep in touch with the nearest American Consulate and promised he would write them as well. Less than two weeks later, he visited the consulate in Stuttgart, the main office for processing emigration applications.

    “The sight that met my eyes that morning … was far from encouraging. The stairway, from top to bottom, was filled with faces, patient, waiting faces, eager yet despairing, hopeful yet distrustful, waiting, hoping, waiting. And I knew even then that for most of them, with very few exceptions, America was at least four years distant. There were simply too many thousands of applications ahead of them.”

    The main problem for anyone wishing to move away from his/her country was finding another country to accept him/her. This was especially difficult for the Jews.

    American passport in hand, Bob was allowed into the office upstairs, which was also filled with applicants. Eventually he spoke with a “harassed overworked” vice-consul, who told him the Sterns could do nothing but wait their turn. When their son became a citizen, though, they could get a visa to visit.

    He decided to wander into the English Consulate, where he discovered an “unconsidered means of escape.” The Sterns could get a transit visa to England if they could prove they were headed elsewhere within a couple of months. The Sterns had friends in England who could help.

    Harlan rushed to Frau Stern with the happy news and found another reason for rejoicing – the doctor had been released. A few days later, their English visa came through, and a few weeks later, in late December, after shipping as many possessions as possible, they departed safely.

    After a stay in England, the Sterns settled in State College, Pa., where their youngest son was in school. They struggled to adjust to their new life, and they stayed in touch with Bob and his wife Lois, whom he married in 1942. Both Sterns died in 1957, after 18 years in the U.S.

    Lois shared her late husband’s story with Freeport, Ill., Journal-Standard columnist Harriett Gustason, who printed the full version of his seven-page memoir in three installments published in October and November 2005.

    Gustason concluded the final installment with the following recollection from Lois:
    “Lois Harlan said … the Sterns sent them something ‘very special’ as a wedding gift. It was a ‘charming small bronze figure of a little boy playing the flute, while lizards crawl at this feet.’ … ‘A lizard and part of the flute is missing,’” Lois told Gustason.

    This “was one of the art pieces Bob had rescued from the living room floor after … the terrible destruction of Kristallnacht,” Lois said. “They knew he would remember it. As you can guess, I cherish it.”

    Editor’s note: Bob Harlan’s full seven-page story is posted on The Harlan Family in America Web site, or Lois will send you a copy. Contact her at: 1727 W. Church St., Freeport, IL 61032 815-235-1910.


    Bob Harlan - 1938

    Bob’s Harlan ancestry:
    George #3,
    James #11
    John #44,
    John #208
    Aaron #799
    Jacob #2728
    Elzephus #6849
    Noah Robert Harlan
    Robert Hammel Harlan



    In Memory of . . .



    New Book Edition Was a Hit at Reno

    A new edition of the popular, and previously out-of-print, book by Jacob Wright Harlan is available for purchase for holiday gifts. The book was popular at the recent Harlan Family in America reunion in Reno.

    Jacob Wright Harlan’s California 1846-1888 is published in its entirety. Also included in the book are additional sections on Harlan family history. The repackaged book is titled Eyewitness to the Settlement of the West: Jacob Wright Harlan’s California 1846-1888.

    The book was published by Squire Cheyney Books earlier this year with the cooperation of the Harlan Family in America. Part of the proceeds of each sale of the book through the Harlan family organization will be donated to The Harlan Family in America.

    Jacob Wright Harlan was born in Wayne County, Ind., on October 14, 1828, and died on March 7, 1902, in San Leandro, Calif. During his seven decades of life, Jacob took part in many of the historic events that led to the settlement of the West, including the gold rush and the fight for California independence. He was also a member of the Harlan/ Donner party. His eyewitness accounts of the settlement of the West are an important part of our nation’s history.

    Orders are being taken by Squire Cheyney Publishing. Make sure to include your mailing address. The cost of the book is $19.99, and shipping and handling is an additional $3.01 for a total of $23.00.

    A check for $23.00 for each book should be sent to:

    Squire Cheyney Books
    P.O. Box 439
    Downingtown, PA 19335

    Sales benefit The Harlan Family in America


    Other Books Featured at Reunion

    * Four Marys and a Jessie

    Reunion workshop presenter C.J. King shared stories about our Harlan – Lincoln cousins from her book, Four Marys and a Jessie: The Story of the Lincoln Women.

    The book traces the connections between Mary Todd Lincoln and her daughter-in-law, Mary Harlan Lincoln; her granddaughters, Mary and Jessie; and her great-granddaughter, Mary, known as “Peggy.”

    Set in the context of changing social expectations for women, the book focuses on the private relationships of these women. Abraham Lincoln’s reputation always overshadowed their lives; nevertheless, he is a minor character in the book.

    C.J. sold copies of the book at the reunion, but they were sold out before the reunion ended. Those still wishing to purchase the book can order them directly from C.J. with a check for $24 each, to 2791 Turkey Mountain Rd., Jamaica, VT 05343; or from the publisher, Hildene, the Lincoln Family Home, via
    their Web site: www.hildene.org . Hildene has signed copies; books ordered from C.J. can be personalized.

    * The Man Who Would be King

    Carlene Crossman and Ann Averill presented a workshop at the reunion titled “Josiah Harlan: The First American in Afghanistan,” based on the book, The Man Who Would be King — The First American in Afghanistan, by Ben Macintyre.

    The book is based on Harlan’s old, tattered autobiography, found by Macintyre in the Chester County, Pa., archives. This is the true story of the man who inspired Rudyard Kipling's fictionalized tale.
    Macintyre’s book describes Josiah Harlan as “soldier, spy, doctor, naturalist, traveler and writer.” Harlan spent 20 years in central Asia. After leading native soldiers to the summit of the Afghani Hindu Kush, he declared himself Prince of Ghor, then proceeded to carve out his own kingdom, only to be expelled later by the invading British.

    Back in his native country, he led troops during the Civil War and tried introducing camels as a viable means of transportation in the American West — that idea failed.

    These and other details of Josiah Harlan’s life are told in Macintyre’s book, published in 2004 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux of New York. It is available in bookstores and by special order.


    Alpheus Harlan’s Genealogy Book

    A reprinted copy of Alpheus Harlan’s book, History and Genealogy of the Harlan Family, is available by ordering from:

    Peggy Harlan Talley
    104 Fern
    Poteau, OK 74953


    The book, first published in 1914, contains historical information about early English Harlands in the 1600s, the move of some to Ireland, the arrival of brothers George and Michael Harlan in America in 1687, and their many descendants. Over 10,000 kin are listed and numbered in the book.

    The charge for the 1,000-plus-page book is $60, postage included. Make check payable to The Harlan Family in America.

    Note: If you have updated your family line since Alpheus Harlan’s book, you may submit it to Fred Harlan who is keeping a database of ancestral lines. Contact him at: fredharlan@verizon.net


    A True Fish Story
    By John G. Nickum

    Editor’s Note: Harlan cousin John G. Nickum will be inducted into the Fish Culture Hall of Fame, in Spearfish, S.D., next May. Because he’s the expert, we asked him to explain his profession to Harlan Record readers.

    Fish Culture Hall of Fame? What’s that? For that matter, what is fish culture; and why should we be interested? Explanations are required, so let’s provide some background information.

    I am the great-grandson of Elizabeth Harlan Nickum and Peter Nickum. My Harlan lineage is George, Aaron, Aaron, James, Elihu, Elizabeth. This explains the connection between the Harlan Family and the Fish Culture Hall of Fame, but it does not answer the question, “What is this Hall of Fame?”

    The Fish Culture Hall of Fame was established in 1985 at the D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery, located in Spear-fish, S.D. It was established to recognize and honor individuals “who have made a difference” in the development of the art and science of fish culture. I will be the 50th person in the Hall of Fame when I’m inducted next May. Inductees include individuals who served as the “founding fathers of fish culture” during the late 1800s, up to a few recently retired scientists and practical fish farmers who have been deemed worthy by their professional peers.

    Fish culture includes all of the activities, practices, and systems used to rear fish under controlled conditions. In general, fish are reared, or cultured, or propagated, so as to produce greater numbers and more predictable numbers than in the wild. Literally hundreds of species are propagated worldwide, primarily for use as human food, but also for managing and restoring natural, wild populations of fish.

    In the United States, fish culture is dominated by State and Federal hatcheries that produce fish for use in fisheries management, while most foreign countries rear species that are desired for human food. If fish are cultured appropriately, they are excellent human food and look and behave very similarly to wild fish.

    Fish culturists need to be both practical farmers and resourceful scientists to manage all the conditions required to rear fish under controlled conditions. Fish culturists must understand and manipulate myriad variables to not only keep their fish alive, but to do so in a manner that is efficient and profitable. They have to be able to “think like a fish” in order to understand how different life is for a fish.

    For example, fish cannot control their body temperature, so the water has to be the right temperature for each species. There are unique food requirements for each species. And yes, fish do have diseases, caused by parasites, bacteria, viruses, and fungi. This is just one more concern for the fish culturist.

    Fish live on extremely low levels of oxygen dissolved in the water. Water usually contains less than 10 parts per million of dissolved oxygen. In contrast, our atmosphere is approximately 200,000 parts per million. Fish culturists must be constantly alert for any decrease in dissolved oxygen in the tanks, raceways, and ponds that serve as rearing units.

    Fish are also unique in the way in which they get rid of nitrogenous metabolic wastes. We excrete such products as urea, commonly called urine. Fish excrete nitrogenous wastes as ammonia through their gills, the very structures they use to extract oxygen from their environment. (Think of it as peeing through your lungs!)

    I worked primarily as a researcher and a teacher, but also served as program manager in the Federal government. I taught and conducted research at South Dakota State University, Cornell University, and Iowa State University. My students and I conducted research that improved rearing practices for rainbow trout, channel catfish, and centrarchid bass, as well as developing techniques for rearing such species as walleyes and black bullheads.

    I served as the Director of the Cornell University Interdepartmental Aquaculture Program before moving on to positions as National–International Fish Health Coordinator and National Aqua-culture Coordinator in the Department of the Interior. I also served as vice-chair of the federal Joint Subcommittee on Aqua-culture. I’m fortunate to have had a varied and extremely interesting career in which I could mix pure science, practical farming, and the use of propagated fish in fisheries management.

    An interesting sidelight is another connection between Harlans and fish from the “Fish Care Era,” a time in which cultured fish were hauled, literally, from coast-to-coast in modified railway cars manufactured by the firm of Harlan and Hollingsworth.

    But that is a tale for another time; perhaps the next issue of the Harlan Record.


    2008 Annual Harlan Board Meeting

    The next annual board meeting of The Harlan Family in America will be held Saturday, April 19, 2008, in Independence, Mo. Board meetings are open to all Harlans, and you are welcome to attend.

    One of the items on the agenda to be discussed is the site for the 2012 National Harlan Reunion. If you are interested in being a part of next national reunion planning, please make an effort to attend.

    In order for us to make the necessary arrangements for the board meeting, we need to know how many plan to attend. We will then inform you of the final plans.

    If you plan to attend, please contact Junior F. Harlan either by e-mail, by phone or regular mail.

    Please notify me by December 1, 2007, so we can make arrangements in a timely manner.

    Junior F. Harlan
    6218 E. Betty Elyse Ln.
    Scottsdale, AZ 85254
    (480) 991-4337
    harlanjay@cox.net



    This Fall, You’ll See a Cousin on Television

    Kiana Yager became an actress by accident, but she’s discovered that she loves it! This eight-year-old Harlan cousin from western Kansas will be featured in the upcoming mini-series Comanche Moon, airing on CBS this November.

    She has no lines to speak, but she’ll be clearly recognizable as one of two sisters kidnapped by Indians the first night of the series.

    This western drama is a “prequel” to Lonesome Dove, part of Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove series that follows the lives of several Texas Rangers. Kiana worked with some well known actors, including Steve Zahn, Val Kilmer, Karl Urban, Linda Cardellini, and Elizabeth Banks.

    Still, she’s low-key about it all. When people make a big deal about her success, she’s apt to say something like, “Yea, that was cool.”

    It was Kiana’s older brother Chantz who first had acting aspirations. Their mother, Jodi, wrote to 30 agencies in surrounding states, and three invited him for an interview. When Jodi asked if she could bring all four of her children to an audition, rather than hire a babysitter, she was told yes. The agent signed them all up, and they began getting different kinds of jobs.

    Jodi and James Yager’s four children include Colten, age 12; Chantz, 10; Kiana, 8; and Hunter, 5.

    Chantz was Guy Pearce in a movie called First Snow, but since then, he and his brothers are focusing on other things.

    Kiana’s interest, on the other hand, is growing. She was an extra in the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, In From the Night. Though it was just a small part, Jodi says, “That’s when we realized she really loved this.”

    Kiana is pursuing acting in a big way. In 2006, she won the Miss Colorado Princess title; she was runner-up the year before. At the National American Miss competition last fall, she won the “National Spokesmodel” title for the best speech of all the contestants. She has also won numerous other titles, such as Most Promising Model and recently won first place as the state’s Best Actress in her age group.

    Before all of this, Kiana’s parents worried that she was too shy, but it turns out that on stage, “Her poise is awesome,” Jodi said. “She’s not scared at all.”

    Kiana won a scholarship to a weekend acting school in Colorado Springs, where she attracted the attention of a California agent. And depending on the results of acompetition this coming January, she may take up acting full time.

    Doing so may cause some logistical challenges to her family, but they’ll cross that bridge when they come to it. Her father is a chiropractor starting to practice is hishometown, Scott City, in west-central Kansas. But her family is excited for her, and they’re determined to find a way to support her talent.

    The Harlan Family has many notables on its family tree, and Kiana is stepping up to make her mark. Check your local listings and watch her this fall!

    P.S. Kiana’s maternal grandmother, Shirley Stoner, attended the Reno reunion. Her parents are Leon and Virgil Harlan.


    Genealogy Updates

    The following ancestral lines have been extended from Alpheus Harlan’s book and are available through Fred Harlan, keeper of the Family database. The name of the person submitting the update is included.

    Harman Harlan (#3423)
    Sandy Donahue - Lancaster, Ohio

    Joseph Gibbons Harlan (#4707)
    Dan Harlan - Carrboro, NC

    Charles Harlan (#2404)
    Rita Williams - Texas

    Ruth Hayes (#485)
    Sharon Sims - Galesburg, Ill.

    William Harlan (#4510)
    Marjory Harlan Sgroi - New York

    Lydia Harlan (#4485)
    Sue Guerra - Santa Rosa, Calif.

    Bonham Harlan (#819)
    Flossie Owens - Texas

    George Harlan (#823)
    Steve Harrison–Hendersonville, NC

    John “Peg Leg” Harlan (#6828)
    Mike Harlan - Louisville, Ky.

    David (Issac Davis Harlan) (#2700)
    Gene Wheeler - Chatham, Ill.

    If you have updated a family line and wish to submit it, or if you want to inquire about one, contact Fred at:
    fredharlan@verizon.net


    When e-mailing Harlan information or making inquiries, please put “Harlan” in the subject line of your e-mail.


    New 90-Plus Club Members

    James Rogers Harlan and wife, Marjorie Dale More, are now members of the Club. They live in Urbana, Ill.
    James is a retired senior research engineer from the Physics Department of the University of Illinois, and Marjorie is a retired social worker. They have one daughter, Patricia Louise Harlan.
    James’s ancestral line is #6923.3.2.2.


    GENEALOGY CORNER
    Some Genealogy Humor – Can you relate to these???
    1. My family coat of arms ties at the back.....is that normal?
    2. My family tree is a few branches short! All help appreciated.
    3. My ancestors must be in a witness protection program!
    4. Shake your family tree and watch the nuts fall!
    5. My hobby is genealogy. I raise dust bunnies as pets.
    6. How can one ancestor cause so much TROUBLE??
    7. I looked into my family tree and found out I was a sap.....
    8. I’m not stuck, I’m ancestrally challenged.
    9. I’m searching for myself. Have you seen me?
    10. If only people came with pull-down menus and on-line help.
    11. Isn’t genealogy fun? The answer to one problem leads to two more!
    12. It’s 2007.....do you know where your Great-Great-Grandparents are?
    13. A family reunion is an effective form of birth control.
    14. A family tree can wither if nobody tends its roots.
    15. A new cousin a day keeps the boredom away.
    16. After 30 days, unclaimed ancestors will be adopted.
    17. Am I the only person up my tree? Sure seems like it.
    18. Any family tree produces some lemons, some nuts and a few bad apples.
    19. Ever find an ancestor HANGING from the family tree?
    20. FLOOR: The place for storing your priceless genealogy records.
    21. Gene-Allergy: It’s a contagious disease, but I love it.
    22. Genealogists are time unravelers.
    23. Genealogy is like playing hide and seek: They hide, I seek!
    24. Genealogy: tracing yourself back to better people.
    25. “Crazy” is a relative term in my family.
    26. A pack rat is hard to live with, but makes a fine ancestor.
    27. I want to find ALL of them! So far I only have a few thousand.
    28. I should have asked them BEFORE they died!
    29. I think my ancestors had several “bad heir” days.
    30. I’m always late. My ancestors arrived on the JUNE flower.
    31. Only a Genealogist regards a step backwards as progress.
    32. Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.

    Cynthia Rhoades
    Director of Genealogy



    THE HARLAN FAMILY IN AMERICA

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      Harlan Record No. 30, Spring 2007
    Harlan Record No. 29, Fall  2006 Harlan Record No. 28, Srping 2006
    Harlan Record No. 27, Fall  2005 Harlan Record No. 26, Spring  2005
    Harlan Record No. 25, Fall  2004 Harlan Record No. 24, Spring  2004
    Harlan Record No. 23, Fall  2003 Harlan Record No. 22, Spring  2003
    Harlan Record No. 21, Fall  2002 Harlan Record No. 20, Spring  2002
    Harlan Record No. 19, Fall  2001
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    comments or suggestions to Ruth Harlan Lamb harlamb@aol.com
    P.O. Box 1654, Independence, MO  64055