Click
HERE
for the page for the Hoedle get-together on April 17, 2005!!!!

to a family chronicle.

........the home pages of the Hoedle and MacMillan family, which will begin with Thomas MacMillan and Josephine Hoedle.   On this page, I will touch on their background and photos, before moving on to the MacMillan children and their families.  Then I will branch out into the Hoedle families, as I have knowledge of them, and photos. I do not intend to be the official family keeper, but I would like to start building a family history, and pass it around to those in the family who are interested in reading and seeing it, and who might also be interested in adding to it.  Please, any of you who are connected to the family, please feel free to send pictures and information to add, and if you would like, I will build a page for your family and link it here. I would also be happy to start a *news* page with any information on family which you want to share....where you are or where family live, additions to family, travels, get-togethers, whatever. If anyone in the family would like a copy of a photo on this site, email me and I will scan it in at a higher resolution and size and email it to you. Just click HERE or on the e-mail link on each page. What I place here I have gathered from family - parents, aunts and uncles, from whomever I could gather information.  If you have knowledge which will confirm, add to or correct any information on these pages, I would be delighted to add or correct.  Please feel free to join in.  I am looking forward to this being fun and interesting, and I urge anyone of you to send in information, anecdotes, photos.....whatever!!! If you do not wish to have photos of you or your family posted here, please e-mail me and let me know, and I will remove them.  There is an e-mail link on each page.

This is the only picture I have of Grandmom and Grandpop Hoedle. Aunt Elsie gave me a copy of one she has. Below are the only later two I have of Grandpop. John George Hoedle, born in Bern, Germany on February 6, 1871.  Jumped ship in Baltimore, MD. to immigrate to America.  Died in Philadelphia, PA. in 1959.  Father - Joseph Johann Ho'dl of Dorfen, Germany, who was a stagecoach driver. Mother - Katherina (Kermer) Ho'dl. Margaret Grau Hoedle, born in Germany on December 18, 1881.  Died in Philadelphia, PA. in 1930.

My Dad's stepmother was Florence Cadwallader Collins MacMillan.  His father was William Collins, who died about 1915.  Florence was his Dad's sister, and raised him.  She died about 1954.

My Dad had a step-brother, William, who married Agnes, both of whom died childless.  He knows of no other kin. My Dad died in September of 2003. My mother had 10 siblings, to make 11 in all.  There were two brothers. Joseph was born in 1909 and died in 1995, married Thelma, and had two boys, Kenneth and Douglas. John was born in 1913, married Sue, had one daughter, Joan, and died September 22, 2006. There were 9 sisters in my mother's family. There was one sister, Elizabeth, who was born in Germany before Grandpop immigrated to America, and stayed in Germany with family. Mary was born in 1906, married Bill Raudenbush, had two daughters,  Jean and Evelyn, and died in 1964. Margaret was born in 1907, married Ernie Allen, had one son, Carl, and she died in 1974. Amelia (Milly) was born in 1909, married Tom Ferris, had one son, Tommy, and died in 1972. Catherine was born in 1911, married Henry Schaefer, had a son, Henry, and two daughters, Carol and Catherine.  She was divorced and later had two sons by Russell Crouch, Russ and Chuck.   Aunt Catherine died in 1999. Ida was born in 1916, married Joe Paskill, and had two sons, Joe and Elwood.   My Mom, Josephine, was born in 1917, married Tom MacMillan; had five children: Joelene born 12/37 and passed on to be with our Lord in 2002; Tom born 6/39, Joyce born 10/40, Odell born  10/45, and Bonnie born 8/48 and died in 1997 . Our Lord took my Mom home to be with Him on August 15, 2000. My Dad passed on in September of 2003. Florence (Floss) was born in 1920, married Bob McIntyre, and had two sons, Bob and Franny. Aunt Floss passed on in October 2005. Elsie was born in 1922, married George Krier, and has one son, Bruce, and two daughters, Evelyn and Wendy.   ;

This first photo is, I believe, Aunt Ida left, cousin Jean in front of her,
cousin Evelyn beside her, Aunt Margaret, and my Mom, Josephine.  
I am guessing the year as about 1927.

Left - My Mom under the loungechair, then Aunt Ida, Aunt Floss, and Aunt Milly - 1958.  
Second, Aunt Floss, Aunt Margaret, Aunt Milly, Aunt Elsie, and Aunt Thelma on top,
Aunt Ida, Aunt Catherine, and cousin Evelyn bottom - 1959.  
Right - Aunt Elsie, Aunt Catherine, Aunt Floss, Aunt Ida, my Mom at bottom - 1976.

THE PAST

From where do I originate?
How do my genes derive their fate?
Do my light-hair, tall-frame, stubborn traits
march down from long-gone ancestors late?
Does my tendency to always debate
and sometimes attempt to mediate
flow through my genes from my great-great-great,
or come from my Libra stars and fate?

Am I stubborn from my German stock?
Argumentative from my Celtic flock?
Is the reddish tint in my brownish hair
from my Welsh great-grandparents' tresses fair?
Do my blue eyes' smile from my face come down
from my great-great-great GrandDad renown
who drove a stagecoach over roads untold
from the town of Dorfen, in Germany old?

And does proud, unrelenting blood now dwell
in my veins from the wild ones known as Celts?
If we wanted to do so, could we quell
the genes and blood that the ages foretell,
that bide in our bodies, impel and compel,
and give us pause to rebel or excel?
Or would the long-ago feelings swell
in our blood until we know them well?

We search for the previous and before
to pore over now and evermore;
to learn of beginnings, Karma and lore,
and what of ourselves dates back to yore.
© Joyce P. Hale