Meeting of Haston Cousins in the Pacific Northwest

Meeting Our Cousins in & from the Pacific Northwest

As Well as Others from Around the USA

Contact Carol Haston for information and to register: CarolHaston@gmail.com

Descendants of Daniel Haston spread all throughout the United States. Many of them moved into the Pacific Northwest. As the Family dispersed, unfortunately, branches of Daniel Haston’s Family became disconnected. The Daniel Haston Family Association hopes to reconnect these branches and twigs.

Our original name, going back to at least 1401 in Switzerland, was Hiestand. Daniel’s immediate family adopted “Haston” while they were living in East Tennessee around 1800. But as his offspring moved west, some branches spelled their family names “Hasting,” “Hastings,” “Hastin,” “Hastain,” and etc. Two of Daniel’s sons who settled in Missouri, Jeremiah and Jesse, kept the “Haston” spelling as did David and Joseph back in White County, TN, and Daniel Haston, Jr. in South Central Kentucky.

In recent years, research has uncovered a lot of historical information about the Daniel Haston FAMILY. We now know:

Our European ancestors were from Zürich, Switzerland. They became Anabaptists (Mennonites) and were forced to flee Switzerland and settle on the Rhineland of southwest Germany.
Our immigrant ancestor, Henrich Hiestand, came to America in about 1727. He settled in Lancaster County, PA for about 15 years and then moved to and permanently settled in what is now Page County, VA in about 1743.
Soon after Henrich Hiestand died, Daniel (his youngest son and our ancestor) moved to what is now East Tennessee, formerly the western wilderness of North Carolina.
A couple of years before the Cherokee Indians sold the rights (to the United States) to their portion of Middle Tennessee, Daniel moved his family onto Cherokee land in about 1804–they were squatters (preemptors).
Daniel purchased 150 acres on the Big Spring Branch in what became White County, TN (now Van Buren County, TN) where he lived the remainder of his life. He was one of the petitioners to create White County in 1806.
Daniel died in 1826 and is buried in the Big Fork Cemetery, about a mile from his house.
There were nine now-known and documented children of Daniel Haston: David, Joseph, Daniel, Jr., Isaac, Jesse, Jeremiah, Loucinda (Mitchell), Elizabeth (Roddy), and Catherine (Austin). There were probably a few others that we do not know about.
Only the two oldest sons, David and Joseph, and their sister Catherine remained in Middle Tennessee.

The Formal Program, In Between Times of Getting Acquainted and Some Fun Activities

Presentation 1: An overview of the history of the Daniel Haston Family, from the southeast shore of Lake Zürich in Switzerland to Rhineland Germany, and on to Pennsylvania, Virginia, Western North Carolina, East Tennessee, and eventually, White County, Tennessee…then spreading out all over western USA.

Presentation 2: The story of Isaac Haston and his family, including his War of 1812 service, his life and family in two areas of Tennessee, Greene County, Missouri, and the 1857 ox wagon journey to and remaining life in Sonoma County, California

Presentation 3: The story of how we connected Jeremiah Haston to the Daniel Haston family, as well as his move to and life in Dallas County, Missouri by way of Gallatin County, Illinois, including information on all of his children.

Q & A sessions to discuss any of your questions about Daniel Haston, his family or any of its various branches.

The Story of the Daniel Haston Family book will be available for purchase. $50

The mission of the Daniel Haston Family Association is to reconnect the various branches and twigs of the Daniel Haston Family TREE and to...

Rescue from oblivion the history and stories of our early Hastons and related ancestors.

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Hiestand Kids Discover Marengo Cave

Daniel Haston's GG Grand Niece and Nephew Make Amazing Discovery

Indiana's Most Visited Natural Attraction!

Marengo Cave text from www.marengocave.com/

Marengo, Indiana

The two kids were Hiestands, from the very same family as Daniel Hiestand/Haston–his great-great-grandniece and nephew!

For more of the story about Blanche and Orris’s story of the discovery of the cave, see 1883 on the timeline found in the Marengo Cave website (link below).

12:23 Minutes Video

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Maggie Chandler’s Stories

Maggie Chandler's Stories

Two sets of hearings and trials were planned, one set in the juvenile court for Ida’s daughter Thelma and another hearing and trial in the circuit court for Mrs. Ida Haston. But accusations and defense testimonies were a major part of Thelma’s juvenile case.

Maggie Chandler's Witness Stand Stories

This case started with a story told by Maggie Chandler, as a response to being caught in a lie about having a job with the telephone company. As the case continued, Maggie became the focus of much of the witness stand activity in the trial.

09-24-1917 – hearing over and trial of (four) girls started; 12 men on the jury; one girl [Maggie Chandler], “That statement is true–every word of it” but she later repudiated it and said she had spoken falsely about the entire matter; said the girls had later agreed to say they had lied – because Thelma chose to keep her mother out of prison; names of jurymen; Dan Nee, Warren L. White, and Val Mason = prosecutors; first case is that of Thelma Haston;

09-25-1917 – Maggie Chandler boldly and w/o trace of shame admitted the improper conduct at the Haston home every day for a month before she was caught – testifying against Thelma; admitted that one man with black hair and gold teeth came to see her about every other day but she did not know his name (but Judge and next witness thought she knew the man’s name); the girls joked about the case in the witness room–about being sent to the Girls’ Industrial Home in Chillicothe; Maggie was on the witness stand for about five hours and looked straight into the eyes of the people in the courtroom; said she did not remember crying and asking her to forgive her for lying when she met Ida in the corridors of the courthouse; Attorney Neville who represented Thelma tried to prove that Maggie confess to Judge Johnson that she made the false confession because her parents had accused her of improper conduct and she wanted to throw the blame on someone else; she said her original confessional statement was true even though she later repudiated it; Judge Johnson (as a witness) said he didn’t know that Ida had three other children at the time she was arrested, said he was under the impression that as many as 15 men per day were visiting the girls in the Haston home; Johnson didn’t know that the parents of the Chandler girl had charged he with delinquency before she was questioned and made her confession implicating Mrs. Haston; Johnson said Maggie told him that one woman at the Haston house displayed a large razor;

09-28-1917 – the trial settled into a contest of veracity of the girls implicated; three of the girls have denied Maggie Chandler’s story but Maggie insists it is true, even though she later repudiated it; a boy accused by Maggie was on the witness stand, and said he knew the girl who was on the witness stand but she denied every word of his testimony; he told a story of taking this girl and Maggie home one night after a picture show, which the girl denied, even denied of ever seeing him; Maggie’s mother took the stand and told how Maggie had falsified about working for the phone company and said Maggie was never a bad girl and she had never been whipped by her parents; mother admitted that Maggie had been nervous from the time she started working for phone company; Maggie’s sister (who began the investigation) took the stand after her mother and said that Mrs. Haston had come to her to tell her that Maggie had been coming to her house to eat dinner on the porch; the sister said that Maggie was very nervous and seemed to be carrying a mental burden; Mrs. Chandler said that Thelma had spent one night at their house and seemed like a good girl; three implicated boys were called to the stand and all denied visiting the Haston home;

How does Maggie Chandler's stories affect your opinion of this case and the possible outcome?

The Case Against Mrs. Ida Haston - Guilty or Not Guilty?

Links activated one at a time, August 13 through September 3, 2023

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Witnesses Come to the Defense of Mrs. Ida Haston

Witnesses Come to the Defense of Mrs. Ida Haston

Two sets of hearings and trials were planned, one set in the juvenile court for Ida’s daughter Thelma and another hearing and trial in the circuit court for Mrs. Ida Haston. But accusations against Ida and defense testimonies in her favor were a major part of Thelma’s juvenile case.

Ida's Neighbors and Others Testify of Her Good Character and Deny the Allegations

09-18-1917 – Neighbors defend Ida, none saw or heard anything like she was accused of and paid high tribute to her character and believed she was a victim of a great wrong, said it would have been impossible without their knowledge; Irvin and Ida and family lived on the NW corner of Broad and Orchard Avenues; “Mr. Haston was very particular about how his children conducted themselves”; one neighbor who witnessed on behalf of Ida had lived there three years, which was “much longer than the Haston family had resided in this neighborhood”; Ida – “Without anger or indignation she denied the charges…”

09-22-1917 – Mrs. Haston’s (Preliminary) Hearing is Set for Wednesday; before Judge Thomas R. Gibson, justice of the peace; Attorney J.T. Neville represented Ida; [Acting] Judge Guy D. Kirby tried the cases of the girls in the juvenile court

09-26-1917 – 3rd day of testimony; 24 witnesses attempted to prove the good character of Ida; Maude Gibbons (15-year-old high school freshman) made and signed a statement of confession (“last Friday”); said she, Maggie Chandler, Lula Wresche, and Thelma Haston had repudiated their confessions to protect Thelma’s mother from prison; Maude made the statement in the court house one day and went back the next day to repudiate it; Miss Retha Goodman presented an alibi for Maude that she had not missed a day at work in two weeks; Maude said conversations were always moral and no men other than Thelma’s father were ever in the house; said she lied to avoid being sent to Detention Home or reform school; said she didn’t know why she made the last statement (about fear of reform school?); 24 character witnessed from Orchard Avenue neighborhood, all testified of her good character; Myrtle Needham said her mother told her to stay away from the Haston home and Thelma but had never heard anything bad about Thelma; Policewoman Margaret Hull took girls to doctor for physical examination and that the girls had told her their statements were lies; the State tried to impeach character of witnesses; Miss Hull testified about a previous complaint about Maude’s conduct;

09-25-1917 – Preliminary Hearing of Mrs. Haston Tomorrow; would be held in the criminal courtroom instead of Justice Thomas R. Gibson’s courtroom because of crowds;

09-26-1917 Springfield News-Leader, p. 1 – seven or eight neighbors testify they say nothing wrong at the Haston house; a 14-year-old girl told of frequent visits to play with Thelma and other girls [including Maude Gibbons and Maggie Chandler] at the home (“she won the courtroom by her innocence”) – said she “saw nothing improper, nor did men visit the home while she was here”; said she never saw the black-haired woman whom others mentioned; one of the accused girls said this little girl was a companion with them in their misconduct; she told “what appeared to be a straight-forward story of her visits to the Haston home and denied that her playmates ever hinted that their conduct was not proper; a department store manager of a local store said that one of the accused girls worked for her every day during the week until school started and could not have been at the Hason home during the day; Mrs. Haston took the stand and denied anything improper went on in her house and said the girls’ stories were false from beginning to end; Ida’s husband, R.I. (says “L” but it’s “I” for Irvin) testified that Ida had spent some time in an asylum in Texas and that her mind was affected when she worried; courtroom was crowded and a number were high school students; “Indications are that the Haston girl will be convicted of delinquency for the parents admitted yesterday that she went on a fishing trip against their will. It was said that a married man went with her but they did not know that this was true, they said.”

09-27-1917 – Thelma (age 15) on the stand, says the State threatened to send her to reform school – she denied her previous confession; said Ida refused to let her (with Maggie) go riding with two men in a car; boys who were accused were called to witness stand – they denied the truth of the accusations; Thelma went to the river fishing on Sunday morning; Maude said she fainted four times while talking to officials but later said she lied about fainting; Lula Wresche admitted that during the trials “threats” to get Maggie Chandler had been made in the hall on the 2nd floor of the courthouse;

09-27-1917 – postponement of the preliminary hearing of Ida Haston until next Wednesday morning due to the fact that the preliminary hearing of the girls was not completed.

09-28-1917 – (5th day of trial) Judge Johnson said nothing was done to frighten the girls to make confessions; Nellie Ackridge testified that Ida had remarked about her body and clothes and asked her to come to see her; Nellie had a piece of paper with Mrs. Haston’s name and address on it, written by Ida’s hand; Mrs. Grace Meyers lived in the same house as the (Nellie) Ackridge girl; Mrs. Meyers and John, her husband, were known to have “fits” but Nellie said she didn’t think they were real; Mrs. Meyers was charged with the same alleged offense as Ida; Nellie was a ward of the juvenile court; defense said that the name and address paper was about trying to get work at Armour’s, same place Nellie had worked; Nellie testified that she never knew anything wrong about Ida and thought she was a good woman;

If you were sitting in this courtroom now, what would your thoughts about the case be at this point?

The Case Against Mrs. Ida Haston - Guilty or Not Guilty?

Links activated one at a time, August 13 through September 3, 2023

Verdicts in Thelma and Her Mother’s Cases

Verdicts in Thelma and Mrs. Ida Haston Cases

Two sets of hearings and trials were planned, one set in the juvenile court for Ida’s daughter Thelma and another hearing and trial in the circuit court for Mrs. Ida Haston. But accusations against Ida and defense testimonies in her favor were a major part of Thelma’s juvenile case.

The hearing and trial for Mrs. Ida Haston NEVER HAPPENED because the Judge heard enough in Thelma’s trial to realize that Maggie Chandler had created and spread the entire story as a lie. The judge even decided to not send the case to the jury and to spare Ida Haston from having to go through a hearing and trial for what was obviously just a huge lie by Maggie Chandler!

Thelma's Trial Comes to an Unusual Ending

09-29-1917 Springfield Leader and Press pages 1 and 5 – Mrs. Haston Freed of Accusations by Trial of Daughter, Girl Thelma, Acquitted; defense attorney (Judge Neville) trapped Maggie Chandler in false identification of the black-haired man with the golden teeth she claimed to have had improper relations with; “then came the realization that Mrs. Haston was not guilty as charged and that her daughter was not delinquent as was charged”; the attorneys met with Judge Guy Kirby in a brief recess and told him to the take the case in his hands and do as he thought best;

Judge Guy Kirby concluded: “This is one of those cases where judgment ought not to take place. The court won’t permit the jury to brand this little girl a delinquent. Furthermore, I want to say that some of the girls who were connected with this case are as innocent of any wrongdoing as Caesar’s wife”; “A conviction of the Haston girl would put a stigma on her character that she perhaps could never live down”; toward the end of the trial John Meyers was brought into court from jail to tell of a fishing trip he and his wife and Thelma and another man had taken, but John Meyers admitted of going to the front door but never was inside the Haston house; his wife was mentioned in the case as the “woman in black.”; Maggie Chandler never said she was frightened into making her confession;

The judge stated, “It is “far better to let 99 guilty persons go free than to convict one innocent one.” Judge said he was “not passing innocence or guilt on Thelma and Mrs. Haston but was going to dismiss the case.”

Blackstone’s ratio = “It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer.” (a maxim in early English law)

“Congratulations from many persons in the courtroom, for Thelma and Mrs. Haston and her husband followed. Crowds shook hands with them and wished them success.”

09-29-1917 Springfield News-Leader pages 1 and 2 – Haston Girl is Held Innocent, Charge Against Mother Will Also Be Dismissed and Two Held in Jail Released; Maggie Chandler story discredited; Judge Kirby would not permit the case to go to the jury and “the entire investigation of the alleged ‘house of depravity’ went up in smoke’”; charge against Ida will be dismissed and John Meyer and his wife will be turned out of the county jail; Other three girls will be tried for delinquency and Maggie’s admission of guilt will be used against her; courtroom was filled with high nervous tension; Maggie was called into courtroom and identified a boy as the man with the gold teeth but he came to the stand and he said, “I was taken before her during the investigation and in the presence of Mr. Nee she positively denied that I was the man.”; Thelma’s attorney looked at the jury and smiled and rubbed his hands; Sheriff Webb was called to the stand and testified that he heard Maggie tell John Wren, her brother in law that this boy was not the one who visited her at the Haston home;

The biggest mystery is why Maggie Chandler would tell such a horrible story about herself, repudiate it, and then go back to her original statement on the witness stand.

Now, honestly, after reading Part 1 of the story, what did you think about Mrs. Ida Haston?

How do you think about her now that you've heard both sides of the story?

What can we learn from this case?

The Whole Story - Good, Bad, and Ugly

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Tragic Death of William Carroll Haston, Jr.

Tragedy at the Tennessee State Capitol Building

A shudder passed through the convention hall last night when the announcement was made that a man had fallen from the second story of the Capitol and killed. The Chairman of the White County delegation was called for, as the victim was one of his men, and a crowd immediately hurried to the scene. The man was lying on the northern esplanade just in front of the door. He was unconscious, and a broad puddle of blood surrounded him. In spite of the entreaties of his friends, the curious mob crowed close around him, and many turned sick at the ghastly sight. One man fainted dead away. -Nashville Tennessean

William Carroll Haston, Jr. was a great-grandson of Daniel Haston. His father was William Carroll Haston, Sr. –
the youngest son of David Haston, Daniel’s oldest son.

Correct name: William Carroll Haston, Jr. – Age: 33 – Born February 8, 1857 — Died July 17, 1890

William Carroll Haston, Jr. is buried in the Old Union Cemetery in White County, Tennessee.

The Story of William Carroll Haston, Jr.'s Tragic Death

The Tennessean (Nashville, TN)
18 Jul 1890, Fri · Page 1

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Ida Haston’s “House of Depravity”?

Mrs. Ida Haston Charged With Prostituting Teenage Girls

Who Was Mrs. Ida Haston?

Mrs. Ida [Gattis] Haston was the wife of Richmond Irvin Haston, apparently often known by his middle name as Irvin Haston. Richmond Irvin Haston was born on June 13, 1874 in Tennessee. According to the 1880 census for District 7 of Van Buren County, TN, he was six years old and a son of Richmond [T., not J.] and Regina (sic, Rejorney) Riddles Haston. The senior Richmond (born 1838) was adopted (officially or unofficially) into the David and Peggy Roddy Haston family. His birth name was Richmond Jones, but he took on the Haston surname. So, by formal or informal adoption Richmond Irvin Haston was a Great Grandson of the then-deceased Daniel Haston.

Irvin and Ida were married on December 30, 1900 (license issued December 28) in Franklin County, TN, about 60 miles southwest from where he was born in Van Buren County. In 1910, they were living in Cleburne, Texas, where they were living in 1903 when their oldest daughter Thelma was born. In 1920, they were living in Kansas City, Missouri. From information provided by a Greene County (Springfield), Missouri archivist it appears that these Hastons only lived (as renters) for a brief time in Springfield, MO.

Ida Haston Arrested in Springfield, MO on September 13, 1917

On a Charge of Operating a "House of Depravity" With Young Girls

Two sets of hearings and trials were planned, one set in the juvenile court for Ida’s daughter Thelma and another hearing and trial in the circuit court for Mrs. Ida Haston. But accusations against Ida and defense testimonies in her favor were a major part of Thelma’s juvenile case.

Seven girls had made confessions of a revolting nature to the juvenile authorities. Mrs. Haston was charged with running a “house of depravity,” essentially prostitution orgies, in her house. It was called “the most revolting condition of vice and depravity in the history of Springfield, MO.” The investigation began on Wednesday, September 12, 1917. Ten to fifteen girls, all under age had allegedly been involved. Mrs. (Ida) Haston was accused of enticing girls to her home through her daughter Thelma, for at least six weeks (later, it was estimated to be at least three months). Ida was being held under a $2,000 bond in the Greene County, MO jail. Warrants had been issued for six men, with at least five more to be issued.

The investigation started when 15-year-old girl (later we learn it was Maggie Chandler) told her family a story about working at a telephone office, but her suspicious brother-in-law followed her and learned that she was going to the home of the Hastons.

Thelma Haston, Ida's Daughter Informs ("Confesses") Against Her Mother

Thelma, Ida’s 15-year-old* daughter “broke down and confessed everything,” including a signed confession. She said she had been “familiar” with men in boys in the house while her mother looked on. She told of participating in orgies with her own mother laughing and talking in the room. Previously, she had denied that anything wrong had occurred in the house and that the girls just came to play. Additional confessions were made by other girls who have been visitors in the house.

*Says “13-year-old” but she was born April 22, 1902.

In her cell, Mrs. Haston (age 45) denied the entire story, except saying that the girls came to her house to play with Thelma. “Lies, all lies,” Mrs. Haston responded.

One 15-year-old girl (Maggie Chandler?) said that “Thelma persuaded me.” The girl said that many she was intimate with many men in the Haston house and gave the names of other little girls. She said that no men gave her any money but she guessed they paid Mrs. Haston. She stated that “Every day, or every other day, for six weeks, men visited” her at the house and Mrs. Haston paid her $1.00 every two weeks, but the men gave Mrs. Haston $5.00 every two weeks.

Another girl said that she was sent to a bedroom where there were three little girls and four men. One man grabbed her and started her on a shameful life. She spoke of the brutality of Mrs. Haston.

The Case Against Mrs. Ida Haston - Guilty or Not Guilty?

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Schedule Your Personal Haston Heritage Tour

A Haston Heritage Tour Based On Your Family Line Back to Daniel Haston

Now that we are living back in the Haston Homeland...

We would love to guide you on a tour of sites that were important to the early Daniel Haston Family.

Let me know about your family line back to Daniel and I’ll customize a tour based upon your Haston ancestors who lived in White and Van Buren County, TN. And, if you don’t know your Haston ancestral line, some of our Daniel Haston Family Association members will help you discover it if you contact us early enough.

Some of the more common sites of interest to descendants of Daniel Haston are…

The Big Fork Cemetery and site of the Big Fork Primitive Baptist Church
The original home site of Daniel Haston that remained in the Haston family for more than 150 years
The Isaac T. Haston family cemetery
The William Carroll Haston family cemetery
The Old Union Cumberland Presbyterian Church building and cemetery
The Haston Big Spring
The Gamble-Haston Century Farm
The Montgomery Greenville Haston Century Farm, now in the Haston family for more than 150 years
Burritt College in Spencer, Tennessee
The Spencer Church of Christ, continuing in ministry for more than 150 years (on a lot purchased from David Haston)
The Spencer Town Cemetery
The historic Van Buren County, TN Courthouse and Van Buren County Historical and Heritage Museum
The Haston Block Building and other Haston-significant buildings in Spencer, TN

And there may be other local historical sites of interest to your specific family! I’ll help you visit those sites as well, if possible.

And the tour is free. A contribution to the Daniel Haston Family Association would be appreciated, but that would be totally up to you.

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We Are Moving Home

Back to the Soil of Our Haston Family Roots

We are now officially homeless people.

As I write this, it’s Friday, July 14, 2023. We closed on selling our house in Pennsylvania today. And we close on the purchase of a house in White County (Tennessee) on July 31, so temporarily we are homeless people, living for almost two weeks in a house that is no longer ours. Signing those papers today was a bittersweet experience. It’s a house we have loved and put a lot of time and money into, but it’s not in Tennessee–where we want to be for the remainder of our lives. We are looking forward to being much closer to lots of old friends and relatives. And, frankly, I look forward to living where people recognize the name “Haston.”

Our home in Pennsylvania for 27 years.

Sharon and have been busy packing for several weeks. We can’t believe how much stuff we have accumulated while living here. We still have much more to do before the truck is loaded on Wednesday, July 26. And we hope to be unloading at 11979 Old Kentucky Road–a just-finished new house–in White County on Saturday, the 29th of this month (July).

We are looking forward to beginning this new chapter of our lives. For me, it’s home. It has always been “home” even though I haven’t lived there since 1966. I grew up in Sparta and White County and graduated from White County High School in the class of 1965, a tight-knit group. Sharon has spent lots of time there too, since we married in 1970, especially when my parents were still alive and living there. And she enjoys the warm reception that she knows awaits her there.

I’m looking forward to settling down and getting back to work on my Daniel Haston Family research and writing. I’ll be closer to some of important research facilities, such as those in the local area as well as the Tennessee State Library and Archives in Nashville.

And as many of you know, it’s the roots-soil of the Daniel Haston Family.

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Devil’s Bridge – Einsiedeln, Canton Schwyz

Devil's Bridge - Canton Schwyz, Switzerland

The world our early Swiss Hiestand lived in was filled with legends of witchcraft and devilish interactions with humans. Located a few miles from where our Hiestand ancestors lived was a bridge that they surely would have known about–the Devil’s Bridge. Our June 2023 Hiestand-Haston tour group visited this bridge. Here’s the story of this old bridge, supposedly built by the Devil himself.

Text from pages 21-25 of Legends Overlooked, by J. Ross Baughman. Images from Wikimedia Commons.

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Pacific Northwest Daniel Haston Families Reunion

First Ever - Pacific Northwest Reunion of Our Family

Meeting at the Wichita Avenue Evangelical Church

Friday evening, September 29 (5:00-9:00 p.m.) and Saturday, September 30 (9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.)

The Agenda

Thursday & Friday – September 28-29 (or earlier) – Optional, come early and visit some of the local tourist sites. Organize your own touring adventures.
Friday, 5:00-9:00 p.m. September 29 – Desserts, coffee, tea (etc.), and meet and greet.
Everyone bring a dessert to share, homemade or purchased. Coffee, tea, and water will be provided.
Saturday, September 30, 9:00 a.m. – Noon

- Presentation by Wayne on the overall story of the Daniel Hiestand/Haston family
- Break
- Presentation by Wayne on Isaac Haston/Hastings/Hastin and his family
Noon to 1:00 p.m. – Lunch
1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Presentation by Wayne on Jeremiah Haston and his family
- Follow-up activities, discussions, and Q&A
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – Cleanup

Wayne Haston, Family Historian

Registration

“The Daniel Haston PacNW reunion will not be available on Eventbrite as previously stated. Instead you may mail checks to:

Carol Haston
8720 James Raul Ave
Las Vegas, NV 89143

Pay cash at the door.

Adults $27.00
Children 4-12 $12.00

Call or email Carol with questions or concerns.

760-696-5434
carolhaston@gmail.com”

Contact Carol Haston (carolhaston@gmail.com) if you have questions about the event or the registration process.

Come Earlier in the Week and Enjoy Some Spectacular Scenes from God's Creation

All Three of the Most Popular Tourist Sights in the Pacific Northwest

Mount Saint Hellens – Multnomah Falls – NW Pacific Coast

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A Hidden Yankee Sword Found on a Confederate Haston Farm

The Mystery of the Civil War Yankee Officer's Sword

I wish there was more I could say about this sword, but pretty much all that is known in the Haston family is that at some point after the Civil War, a Federal officer’s story was found in a hollow tree on the farm where Confederate soldier, Montgomery G. Haston, lived during and shortly after the Civil War.

The sword has been kept in the family, but the stories of who found it, when it was found, specifically where on the farm it was found, and how it got there have been lost over time. However, I will offer one theory:

Perhaps M.G. Haston Took It Home as a Souvenir

Just a Theory, Not a Proven Fact

Montgomery Greenville (M.G.) Haston was a grandson of Daniel Haston, through an illegitimate birth by Polly Haston, daughter of David Haston. He became a prominent citizen and civic leader in Van Buren County, TN. On June 4, 1861, twenty-seven days before Tennessee was admitted to the Confederacy, M.G. was appointed to be Captain of the Home Guard for his district of Van Buren County. According to the following 1862, a Confederate camp (probably a training ground) was established on the M.G. Haston farm.

In April 1863, M.G. resigned his office of Justice of Peace for his 4th District, as well as his position as Tax Collector for Van Buren County. He joined Company C of the 35th Regiment of Tennessee’s Confederate Infantry, as a private, on June 16, 1863. Later that month, he was fighting in the strategic Tullahoma (TN) Campaign, only about 60 miles SW of his home.

In the spring of 1863, M.G. Haston and other citizens of surrounding counties knew they were facing the possibility of a Federal Army occupation. And they knew what occupation by enemy troops would mean. Pro-southern guerilla fighters–some of whom were nothing more than thieves, robbers, and murderers–were dangerous enough. But a massive occupation by Federal troops would be devastating to farms and their families.

The only thing preventing that occupation was the Army of Tennessee under the leadership of General Braxton Bragg. But Bragg’s army had fought to a draw in Murfreesboro’s Battle of Stone’s River and retreated to take a stand at Tullahoma. Bragg, and all of western Middle Tennessee, were facing the realities of (1) a win at Tullahoma and a forced retreat of the Union Army, or (2) a surrender of south-central Tennessee to a swarming army of enemy soldiers.

After a few days of positioning and fighting in miserable rain, General Bragg chose to retreat to Chattanooga. Much to the disappointment of many of his troops, especially those recruited from southcentral Tennessee, Bragg left businesses, farms, and families (especially pro-Southern families) wholly unprotected.

Immediately, many of the Confederate volunteers from that local area began to desert, to go home to protect their wives, children, and property. The defensive mode became personal to many of them, the dike had burst and the flood of enemy raiders was at hand.

M.G. Haston remained with Bragg and the Army of Tennessee in the retreat to “Tanner’s Station” (Tyner), east of Chattanooga. He reported for the July 17, 1863 muster there. But deserted on July 31.

If you study the life of M.G. Haston, you will know he was not a coward. He, no doubt, deserted because he knew the “dam had burst” at Tullahoma and his home area was now flooded with Federal soldiers. His farm, his wife, and his children, most of whom were very young, were vulnerable to abuse by swarms of Yankee soldiers, some/many of whom had no qualms about raiding, robbing, raping, and destroying–especially anything or anyone belonging to a Confederate soldier. And M.G.’s farm and family were no doubt high priority targets. And M.G.’s farm was sitting in a major crossroad that would have been heavily traversed by Yankee predators, as well as unscrupulous Rebel guerrillas.

So, perhaps M.G. took possession of the sword somewhere in his battle experiences and brought the sword home with him. If so, maybe he hid it in a hollow tree, knowing that if he had been discovered with it (during or even after the war) he would have been hanged or shot. He died a few years after the war (December 20, 1869). Maybe the hiding place of the sword was unknown to anyone else, thus it remained hidden for years following his death.

Other Possible Theories

Perhaps a Federal officer stuck his sword in the hollow tree and forgot it? Not likely. Perhaps someone other than M.G. Haston hid the sword in the tree and forgot it? Maybe, but it’s doubtful. Perhaps someone stole the sword from a Federal officer and hit it in the tree so the officer couldn’t find it? Again, not likely. Any other ideas – Leave a Reply (below).

More About Montgomery Greenville (M.G.) Haston

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Your Ancestors Wanted to Be Remembered

Your Ancestors Wanted to Be Remembered

"Will I be remembered?"

Our daughter, Carissa, passed away on March 22, 2023. She had suffered for 29-nine years with a paralyzed digestive tract, a medical condition known as gastroparesis. She was a remarkable girl-young lady-45-year-old woman in the way she fought through pain and multiple surgeries, including a five-organ transplant–stomach, small bowel, liver, pancreas, and duodenum–in order to live a normal-as-possible life and leave a positive impact on the many lives she touched.

Carissa was a very committed Christian. As a young girl she put her faith in Jesus Christ to be her Savior. In spite of many challenges in life, she lived for Jesus. After her transplant, she committed her life to Jesus more deeply than ever. She was well aware of her mortality and was determined to live her life to the fullest for God’s glory.

Carissa was very bold with her faith. Her physical conditions limited her social interactions somewhat, but wherever she went she had friends and strangers she met immediately were attracted to her friendly smile and quickly learned to admire her. But she never shied away from letting them know she was a Christian, a believer in and follower of Jesus Christ.

What We Learned Soon After Carissa Passed

On the night after Carissa’s Celebration of Life service in her hometown of New Cumberland, PA, her mother, sisters, and one very special friend (who had been an aide to Carissa for several years) went to Carissa’s apartment to begin the process of sorting out her personal belongings. Her friend discovered a little notebook that none of us had ever known about. It contained several pages of thoughts that she had jotted down about her life. In one section she made a list of fears. One of those fears really made me think. And I believe it’s a fear that almost every person has when he/she thinks about death. “Will I be remembered?” That’s why some people give millions of dollars to have a building or other public structure named for them.

I hope that, from heaven, Carissa was able to look in on the two Celebrations of Life that were held for her, one in PA and the other in TN, at a church near where she was buried. The crowds were large and many spoke about her impact on their lives. “Yes, Carissa you were and will be remembered for many years to come!”

"Will I be Remembered" - A Common Human Fear

I fear being forgotten too. Death is a weird thing, and I know sometimes it may seem selfish that all I am most worried about is being forgotten. Someone close to me passed a couple years ago and on most days I feel anger and resentment to all those who have forgotten her.

Anonymous Statement from an Online Site

Fear of being forgotten is common. Some people fear it to an extreme–an irrational and debilitating phobia known as athazagoraphobia. But the common fear of being forgotten is something almost everyone experiences. I certainly don’t want to be forgotten, do you?

Your Ancestors Also Feared Being Forgotten

I can’t say that I feel anger and resentment when a deceased friend or loved one is forgotten, but I DO feel sad and disappointed. I love it when someone shares a pleasant memory about my father and mother–or Carissa. Don’t you hope fond memories about you will be shared after you pass–even into future generations. Don’t you hope someone will care enough about you to keep your memory alive?

I must say it disappoints me when I hear that people have forgotten their grandparents, great-grandparents, and earlier ancestors. These are people who made it possible for you to have a life. And doubtless, they feared that they would be forgotten.

Genealogy and family history are all about preserving memories of those who preceded us, even in spite of their flaws in some cases. That’s what the Daniel Haston Family Association is committed to do–keep our family heritage and history alive for this and future generations to celebrate.

And there are Biblical reasons why we should honor our ancestors by keeping their memories alive. But that’s a topic for another article.

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White County, TN Early Tax Lists for Caney For – Cane Creek Districk

Early Land Owners & Occupants - Caney Fork & Cane Creek

White County, TN (Later, Van Buren County)

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William Lester Haston, Sr. – Part 2

William Lester Haston, Sr. - Victim of WWI Poison Gas Warfare

Part 2 - Post-War Death

The Story of a WWI (Haston) Veteran Who Ultimately Gave His Life for Our Country

We were told he was gassed while in the military and it damaged his heart. He had some hogs get lost during a big snowstorm and went looking for them. His heart was too bad to walk so far but he got lost in the snowstorm. A search party went looking for him. When they found him he was dead. He was 31 years old. Mary (his wife) was 7 months pregnant with his 2nd son at the time.

Margie Haston Roberts-Johnson (Granddaughter of Lester Haston, Sr.)

1820 - Lester Was Back at Home in His Father's Home

Grandpa's property (and where he grew up on his father's farm) was what was once owned by Sam Gamble and is located across the road from [what was] the James Robert Haston (Bluebird Lane) place. My brother said they had a lot of land.

Margie Haston Roberts-Johnson (Granddaughter of Lester Haston, Sr.)

Bluebird Lane – Van Buren County, TN

1821 - August 22 Marriage to Mary Miller

The "Killer Snowstorm" - December 4, 1923

We were told he was gassed while in the military and it damaged his heart. He had some hogs get lost during a big snowstorm and went looking for them. His heart was too bad to walk so far but he got lost in the snowstorm. A search party went looking for him. When they found him he was dead. He was 31 years old. Mary (his wife) was 7 months pregnant with his 2nd son at the time.

Margie Haston Roberts-Johnson (Granddaughter of Lester Haston, Sr.)

Intersection of the Spencer-Herbert Domain and Sparta-Pikeville Roads

The Herbert Domain was located in the Lonewood Community of Van Buren County, TN where the Taft Youth Center (formerly, the so-called State Farm) now is. It was such a prominent estate that the portion of Route 30 that goes from Spencer to Pikeville was known locally as the Herbert Domain Road. The Sparta-Pikeville Road is Highway 285, known informally as the Cane Creek Road. So, Lester Haston was found at or near the intersection of Route 30 and Route 285, very near what we know as the M.G. Haston (Century Farm) farm.

Daddy told my brother he was found about a mile from where he and grandma lived. There was another man with him. Grandpa was dead but the other man was not though he was frozen. The ones that found him [the other man] carried him to the cabin (called the Felton place) and placed him in a tub of water by the fireplace to warm his body. They had used all their matches trying to start a fire but the storm was so bad it wouldn't start up. They were trying to find their way back to the cabin.

Margie Haston Roberts-Johnson (Granddaughter of Lester Haston, Sr.)

I was unable to locate a death record for William Lester Haston. While Tennessee started keeping death records in 1908, it was not unusual to not have a death record during these early years, especially in rural areas. It is viewed that it was not until the mid-1930s that Tennessee was in compliance with its own law. As an example, for the year 1930, 30,000 death certificates were filed in Tennessee. Estimates are there were an additional 3,000 people who died that year that should have received a death certificate but did not. If the person died at home, the funeral home may have taken the body directly to the funeral home rather than to the hospital since the individual was already deceased. It’s possible that since no doctor was involved, no death certificate was issued.

Mon, Jan 31, 2022; TN State Library and Archives - LibAnswers (ask@tsla.libanswers.com)

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Part 2 – The Kin Maynard Murder Trial

Part 2 - The Kin Maynard Murder Trial

After his initial arrest and preliminary hearing in Van Buren County, Kin Maynard escaped and fled to Texas, where he lived for more than a year before being arrested again.

Kin Maynard Was Arrested in Texas

Kin Maynard Was Returned to Sparta and Charged with Murder

What is habeas corpus in simple terms? The “Great Writ” of habeas corpus is a fundamental right in the Constitution that protects against unlawful and indefinite imprisonment. Translated from Latin it means “show me the body.” Habeas corpus has historically been an important instrument to safeguard individual freedom against arbitrary executive power.

Circuit Court Judge Disposed of the Kin Maynard Case in Sparta

The State of Tennessee vs. Kin Maynard, April 1901 - October 1902

Notes Related to the Above Court Record

One – Judge M.D. Smallman

Judge Small presided this session of the State vs. Kin Maynard murder case. Another judge took over the case the next year.

Two – Haston vs. Haston

D.L. Haston and I.S. Haston were brothers of Kin Maynard’s mother, Berthina, and thus, Kin’s uncles. They put up bond money for their nephew in the “murder of Woody Haston” case.

Three – Erb Lewis

In early August of 1898, Erb Lewis was tried and bound over to court for ambushing Newell Troglen with a shotgun on Cane Creek in Van Buren County, TN. (Nashville Banner, August 9, 1898, page 7)

Four – Sophia Mitchell

Sophia Mitchell was called to give a deposition in the case. She would have been 16 years old at the time of the killing of Woody Haston and lived very near where Woody and his family lived.

Kin Maynard's Uncles I.S. Haston and D.L. Haston and the $10,000 Bond

Three Defaulting Jurors

Kin Maynard's "Not Guilty" Plea & Jury Selection

Note: This was the first day that Judge Joseph C. Higgins presided over a Van Buren County, TN court session. He was only 30 years old at the time. The State vs. Kin Maynard murder case was the first murder case Judge Higgins actually presided over (to a verdict) in Van Buren County and probably one of the first murder cases he had ever dealt with as a judge.
See more about Judge Joseph C. Higgins below.

The Jury's Verdict Deliberations

The Jury's Verdict

The Jury's Verdict in the State vs. Kin [Kendrick] Maynard Murder Trial

Nearly five years (1,777 days) after the death of Woody Haston, Kin Maynard was declared to be not guilty.

Prosecutorial Evidence Supporting Kin Maynard's Murder Charge

And Perhaps More That We Are Not Aware Of

Kin and Woody had been arguing before they left the event at the school.
Apparently, Kin Maynard was the only person with Woody Haston, when Woody was killed.
Kin confessed to the two Mitchell boys that he killed Woody.
Kin fled from the area in the morning following the killing.
Kin fled to Texas after his preliminary hearing at the Cummingsville Church. He lived in Texas for more than a year before he was located and returned to Tennessee for a trial.

Now, YOU Be the Jury

Judge Joseph C. Higgins - Circuit Court Judge for Kin Maynard Murder Trial

Judge Higgins was a 30-year-old “rookie” judge, with only about a half-year of experience on the bench, when he held trial for the State of Tennessee vs. Kendrick (Kin) Maynard murder case. Did his lack of experience influence the outcome of the trial? Or not? We’ll probably never know.

The October 1902 Circuit Court session held in Spencer (Van Buren County), Tennessee was the first session of that court in which Judge Joseph C. Higgins presided. That’s the session in which Kin Maynard was declared “not guilty” by the jury. (Page 269 of Van Buren County, TN Circuit Court, Tuesday morning, October 28, 1902)

Mr. Higgins was raised on a farm with only the opportunities of a “three months district school.” The greater part of his education was acquired by home study, without the aid of a tutor. A age seventeen, he mapped out a course of study, including Latin, German, English, and mathematics which he diligently pursued for four years.

He was never known to resort to sharp practices, nor to have given countenance to a questionable act. By his studious habits and untiring application, he stood among the leaders of his bar.

Mr. Higgins enjoyed the distinction of being the youngest judge ever elected in this state of Tennessee, as he attained his thirtieth year on the 13th day of May 1902.

He was the son of Judge George W. Higgins, a valiant captain in the Confederate army, and the nephew of George W. Stone, chief justice of the supreme court of Alabama.

One hundred representatives of Lincoln County (TN), from every vocation and profession, stood by “Little Joe” in the Tullahoma Convention.

Kin Maynard, After the Murder Trial

Postscript - Kendrick Maynard, Senior's Big Bootlegging Bust in 1873

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Ground Penetrating Radar Project – Big Fork Historic Cemetery, Inc.

February 2023 Ground Penetrating Radar Project

One of the first major efforts in a renewed and enhanced plan to restore and preserve the historic Big Fork Cemetery was a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) mapping project (February 2023) to determine how many burials occurred in the cemetery and where those burials are located. In 1936, approximately 118 graves were thought to be in the cemetery. Between 1936 and 1965, some additional burials were conducted there but probably not nearly enough to make up the gap between 118 and the 179 discovered there prior to the 2023 GPR mapping. So, even in 1936 some of the older graves must have been undiscoverable by the WPA (Works Progress Administration) researchers. Thanks to ground penetrating radar, we now know the remains of at least 389 people are interred in the Big Fork Cemetery.

The 1936 cemetery researchers reported that the oldest grave was marked 1853. While that may have been true of graves with marked dates, we now know that the oldest burial in the cemetery probably occurred there prior to 1810, given what we know about the 1807 origin of the Big Fork Baptist Church with which the cemetery was identified.

The February 2023 GPR Project

The Big Fork Historic Cemetery Corporation employed GPR expert, Len Strozier, President of Omega Mapping Services, to locate previously unknown burials in the cemetery and map the site. At the time Len mapped the Big Fork Cemetery in February 2023, he had already evaluated 900,000 burial spaces of which more than 175,000 unmarked burials were discovered, marked, and mapped.

Summary of the GPR Findings

210 formerly unmarked and unknown graves discovered by GPR
Approximately 90 of these are graves of children below about age 10
40+ corpses buried in caskets and one in a vault; all others buried in shrouds such as quilts or blankets, etc.
Previously known graves = 176 + GPR located graves = 210 = Total of about 386 burials in the 0.9-acre historic cemetery
More than half of the 386 graves in Big Fork Cemetery have no markings of any kind and were discovered by ground penetrating radar

Some Common Questions Answered

In the following video (14:31 minutes), Len Strozier explains:

How Ground Penetrating Radar works.
How he can determine if the person buried in a grave was a child or an adult?
How he can determine what the person was buried in – wooden casket, metal casket, or a shroud (blanket, sheet, etc.)?
In what direction graves are arranged in Bible-influenced cultures? And why?

The 389 Graves in the Big Fork Historic Cemetery

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Big Fork Historic Cemetery – Incorporation

Incorporation of the Big Fork Historic Cemetery

Along a dead-end road in northern Van Buren County, an area of White County until the 1840 formation of Van Buren County, lies Big Fork Cemetery, a historic burying ground that is out of sight and mostly out of mind, even to people who live near it. Among the other trees in the mostly wooded cemetery are several holly trees, traditionally planted in old graveyards. The spiny holly leaves historically represented the crown of thorns placed on the head of Jesus and the deep-red berries symbolized the drops of blood He shed for our salvation.

The name “Big Fork” likely originated from the nearby junction of Cane Creek with the upper Caney Fork River. The cemetery was so named because of its connection to the Big Fork (Primitive) Baptist Church, which was founded there in 1808 or earlier. The site of the old log church is known, but nothing remains of the building. Doubtless, the Big Fork Cemetery is one of the oldest church cemeteries within the early limits of White County. And the church was probably the first Baptist church in the county.

A recent (February 2023) ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey revealed that there are 389 burials at the old graveyard, most unmarked, with some being outside the 0.9-acre fenced area. Previous attempts to determine the number of graves produced varied results, with the highest prior count being 236 graves. Of the unmarked graves found by GPR, approximately 90 are graves of children below about age of 10; forty-plus corpses were interred in caskets, one in a vault, and the remainder buried in shrouds, such as quilts or blankets.

Numerous tent graves are still intact in the cemetery, but many of the graves are crudely marked, at best. More than half (210 of 389) burials have no markings at all and were only discovered through ground penetrating radar. The remains of ancestors of such families as the Cummings, Mitchells, Hastons, Stipes, Shockleys, Whitleys, Reedys, Huddlestons, Wilsons, Denneys, Moores, and Madewells are known or suspected to be resting in these graves. But we can assume that several other unknown local families are also represented within the graveyard.

Some of White County’s earliest pioneers, such as Daniel Haston and some of his southern White County peers, are buried there. But for the most part, the identities of the deceased are unknown. For many years cattle and wild animals roamed destructively through the property. And erosion has wiped out identifying markings on the primitive gravestones.

In order to preserve this historic cemetery for all descendants of the original pioneers and other early families interred in this old burial ground, on October 12, 2022, the Big Fork Historic Cemetery, Inc. was formed as a 501(c)(7) tax-exempt non-profit organization. At that time, an EIN (Employer Identification Number) was assigned and IRS tax exemption became effective. As a “historic cemetery,” it is closed as an active burial site. The last known burial (Liddie Shockley) took place there in 1965, more than 50 years ago.

The cemetery corporation is currently under the leadership of Terry “Max” Haston, retired Major General and former Adjutant General of Tennessee, as well as a slate of additional board members.

In addition to regular maintenance of the cemetery, The Big Fork Historic Cemetery Corporation plans to make numerous improvements to the property. Earlier this year, acreage surrounding the cemetery was purchased to create a driveway to the cemetery and potentially around it, as well as adequate parking space. The property will soon be completely enclosed with a fence, gated on Double Bridges Road in the Cummingsville Community of Van Buren County. Various other enhancements, such as a facility for group gatherings, will be considered for future development.

Descendants of any of the cemetery’s represented families, as well as others who are interested in the preservation of White or Van Buren County history, are urged to join these efforts. Tax-exempt donations can be made by contacting Jean Ann Haston Hall at 776 East McMurry Boulevard, Hartsville, Tennessee 37074, or (615) 633-6225, or BigForkHistoricCemetery@gmail.com. Contact Max Haston at hastontm@gmail.com for questions about the Big Fork Historic Cemetery, Inc.

Wayne Haston, Ph.D. (University of Tennessee), a White County, Tennessee native, is the author of The Story of the Daniel Haston Family, a narrative account of the Haston family’s journey from the Canton of Zürich in Switzerland, to the Rhine River Valley of Germany, and eventually to the waters of Cane Creek near its confluence with the Caney Fork River in about 1803. Dr. Haston is the historian for the Daniel Haston Family Association and Big Fork Historic Cemetery, Inc.

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Swiss Legends Overlooked – Pagans vs. Christians

Swiss Legends Overlooked - But Fascinating To Read

A Special Publication for the 2023 Haston/Hiestand Historical Tour in Switzerland & Germany

By J. Ross Baughman

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Carissa Renee Haston – Her Story of Suffering and Faith

The Life of Carissa Haston - Her Joys, Sufferings, & Faith

Carissa Renee Haston, age 45, of New Cumberland, PA passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, surrounded by her Mom and Dad, two sisters, Faith and Celeste, and Faith’s husband, Ben. She was born on October 28, 1977, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Wayne and Sharon (McCoy) Haston. She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Boyd and Mary Ruth Haston and Ralph and Katherine McCoy.

In addition to her parents, she is survived by her sisters, Faith Barrett (Ben) of Manheim, PA, and Celeste Martzall (John) of Mableton, GA; nieces and nephews, Kyrie, Davis, Katrina, Truett, Nolan, Ezri, and Ember; many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends who loved her dearly.

Carissa's Joys

Carissa was always a very active fun-loving girl. She loved this old three-wheeler. Look at those tires!

Her big sister Faith loved Carissa from the time she was born until she breathed her last breath. Boots, our German Shepherd loved her too. I sure hope our pets will be in heaven with us! Boots was a remarkable–very intelligent and loving dog. The photo on the right is of Carissa at age 5. Isn’t she cute?!

Because she became ill as a mid-teen, Carissa never married and did not enjoy the blessing of motherhood, but her cabbage patch doll was very special to her. Later, she became “Mommy” to a sequence of guinea pigs. Here she is in the third grade with her first little furry pet. I (Dad) will never forget how heart broken she was when this little piggy passed away. But she soon cheered up when she very quickly found another guinea pig to love on. Unfortunately, our dear Carissa can never be replaced here on earth. But we will see her sweet smiles again.

Little girls grow up to be big girls. Although our family moved to Pennsylvania as Carissa was going into her senior year of high school, her previous school–Grace Academy–in Chattanooga made it possible for her to graduate with her senior class in 1996.

Carissa enrolled in Messiah University (Grantham, PA) in the fall of 1996 as an art major. By that time, she was on nutritional support through a J-tube into her small intestine and was carrying a feeding pump, but she finished college in four years and graduated with her Class of 2000.

Here we are (Mom, Celeste, Carissa, Faith, Davis, Kyrie, and Dad) at Carissa’s college senior art show. She poured many hours into her show–a display of artwork she created to highlight health struggles and physical limitations of young people that she admired for their perseverance in spite of their physical limitations.

A year after her graduation from college, she was the recipient of Messiah University’s Young Alumnus of the Year Award, for her work founding a non-profit organization, Gastroparesis Patients Association for Cures and Treatments (G-PACT).

Carissa loved stuffed animals and had dozens of them.

She met Mike and Darla Johnson while working as a volunteer in the Kid’s Ministry Department of LCBC (Lives Changed By Christ) Church. She was one of the 200 or so seed members sent out by the main campus in Mannheim, PA to start the Harrisburg, PA campus. That was the first campus extension of LCBC. Now there are more than a dozen other campuses. She helped pioneer the extension of LCBC Mannheim, PA through multiple campuses.

Carissa put in a lot of time helping the group prepare for its Harrisburg campus opening, as well as special events early in the ministry of LCBC Harrisburg. She enjoyed the ministry of LCBC as long as she was able to drive across the city to attend there.

She was a funny girl. She got in a tugging war with this local cow, but I think the cow eventually won.

Here she is with Mom, Dad, and her nephew Nolan when he was just a tot. Her friends hosted this special G-PACT Day for her.

Carissa loved being outside on pretty days. Her friend and caregiver, Wendy, would take her to the local parks so she could get some exercise and enjoy God’s creation.

Carissa was an excellent writer and often shared her stories of suffering and medical experiences through writing. Some of her articles were published in medical magazines. She also was invited to medical conferences to share her experiences as well as medical insights. She enjoyed meeting Joni Eareckson Tada.

Carissa loved her lapis blue Jeep. She called him “Blue Lightening.” She enjoyed having the top down on the Jeep and driving the backroads near our home and along Yellow Breeches Creek while blasting Christian songs and music by Enya.

See! I told you she was a fun-loving girl. She charted her own course in life, sometimes causing Mom and Dad to roll their eyes occasionally, but we were just happy to see her happy. But within her bounds of enjoying life, she kept her focus on Jesus Christ, her Lord and Savior. More about that coming up.

Sufferings

Prior to her junior year of high school, she began to experience a loss of appetite which was highly unusual for her. Digestive problems then began to affect her. Eventually, her Mom found a physician who was able to diagnose her problem. It was determined that her stomach was paralyzed, a condition known as gastroparesis. The root cause was never determined, but her condition continued to worsen. In 1996, she was patient number eight in an experimental stomach pacemaker study with the hopes of stimulating her stomach to function more appropriately, however, it failed to produce desired results. Not long after that, she experienced a couple of “out-of-body experiences” in which she may have temporarily died. In between those two experiences, she passed out while opening the garage door and quit breathing for several minutes. Her breathing did not begin again until after the paramedics arrived, but remarkably the experience left no permanent damage.

For many years, Carissa survived through feedings administered either intravenously or directly into the small intestine by a jejunostomy tube (J-tube) and a feeding pump. But when that became an inadequate solution, only one option remained. Carissa learned that the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center had developed a fairly new stomach transplant surgery and so she pursued it.

Here Carissa is with Dad and Mom in a pre-transplant orientation. We were told then that she would be tethered to the transplant department of Montefiore Hospital (part of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) for the rest of her life. Little did we know how true that was. It was there that Carissa passed away. Many of the doctors and nurses knew her well, after treating her for nearly 20 years. She was special to all of them.

While Carissa and Mom were living in Pittsburg, waiting for organs, they met Karis Kornfield and her mother, Debbi. Carissa and Karis were about the same age and were both committed followers of Jesus. Karis had already gone through one multiple organ transplant that had failed. Carissa and Karis became close friends. Unfortunately, Karis passed away several years before Carissa.

Sharon and Carissa waited in Pittsburgh for about 15 months before suitable organs became available from a nine-year-old boy.

Here she is a few months or so prior to her transplant. From her usual 110 pounds, she was down to 62 pounds. Her liver was beginning to fail and she was turning yellowish-green. The above photo was published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. One of the reporters of that newspaper, who had medical problems himself, took an interest in Carissa and published a couple of stories about her. He was planning to publish a post-transplant story, but he died before creating and publishing the third story.

She needed five organs: stomach, liver, pancreas, small intestines, and duodenum. All five of those organs came from the same donor. But we were never allowed to know the name of the donor.

Compare this pre-transplant photo (above) with the two post-transplant photos below. Hopefully, it will convince you to become an organ donor. That little boy’s life gave Carissa seventeen more years of life. Donate Life

But, post-transplant life had its ups and downs. She was rushed to a hospital many times over the past 17 years, with numerous extended hospital stays and countless (to us) nights in the Emergency Department of Hershey Medical Center. But by God’s grace, she enjoyed many days, weeks, and even months of relatively normal life. And God used her greatly to help other gastroparesis patients, as well as to be a bold witness for Jesus.

Carissa's Faith and Eternal Hope

Carissa grew up in a Christian home. Dad was a seminary professor and pastor. Mom was a Christian school teacher. She attended church, Sunday school, children’s church, Christian school, and earned awards in the church’s AWANA program for memorizing Scripture, etc. Very early in her life she put her trust is Jesus to be her Savior. Due to some social struggles in junior high and high school and the demise of her health, her spiritual zeal waned.

When she recovered from the transplant, she said, “Dad, I want to sort of restart my Christian walk with Jesus.” Will you take me through The Story of Hope, a book that I (Dad) wrote which has been translated into 40+ languages.. We did those studies and from that point on, Carissa was solidly rooted in her faith in God and God’s Son, Jesus.

After studying The Story of Hope, Carissa said The Story of Hope helped her to clearly understand the overall story of the Bible better even than all of those years in Sunday school, Christian school, and all of the other Bible learning experiences she had participated in throughout her life.

Carissa knew that her earthly life would not extend to a typical lifespan. So, she was always thinking about how she could help her friends know the same eternal hope that gave her peace as she faced the possibility of death and eternity every moment of her life.

She insisted that I (Dad) make you aware of this Bible study book. It was one of her strongest requests. That’s why it appears here.

Be sure to get this 2016 (64 pages) edition.

The following comments came to me this morning (3/26/2023) from a cousin-friend who knows by experience, what she says. At age 3 she was killed by a family member–she was physically abused to the point her back was broken.

She died and went to a blissful place, which she still vividly remembers (as a mother and grandmother) as is described below. She remembers looking down and seeing her broken body lying on the floor. But what she saw and experienced in the place where she was is too wonderful for her ever to forget!

She had never been to church and did not know about Jesus or heaven, but she was lovingly received by a man she later learned must have been Jesus. She was so excited and happy that she wanted to stay with him in this blissful place, but the man (Jesus) told her he wanted her to return to where she came from because he had a purpose for her there.

Her older sister had been riding a church bus to a local church for some time, long enough to know about Jesus and heaven.

When my little cousin told her story to the big sister, the sister told her about Jesus and heaven. The Biblical facts perfectly fit what my little cousin had experienced, even though she had never heard those Biblical truths before.

Later in life, she forgave this family member who was responsible for her death. So, she desires to keep the story anonymous so as not to reflect badly on the way she was treated by this person.

I just saw on Facebook that Carissa has gone home. Wayne, I am so very sorry. My heart is with you and Sharon.
May it help to know that right now she is held in the loving arms of Jesus, healthy and joyful. She can soar with the wings of eagles, and run and not grow weary. She will never again feel so much as a twinge of pain. There is nothing to hold her back from enjoying abundant life.

This I know from experience: Carissa is in a place where the very air/existence/atmosphere around her is love. She is being cradled in a feeling of warmth that conveys a message that she is treasured and loved beyond measure. It feels like you are held in this love wherever you go there. You know that you are home – where you have always belonged.

Praying the Lord will help you, Sharon, and your family through this difficult time. God Bless you all.

I am thankful that I was inflicted with gastroparesis. Otherwise, I probably would not have known the Lord the way I do now.

Carissa Renee Haston

Meeting Our Cousins in & from the Pacific Northwest

As Well as Others from Around the USA

The Formal Program, In Between Times of Getting Acquainted and Some Fun Activities

The mission of the Daniel Haston Family Association is to reconnect the various branches and twigs of the Daniel Haston Family TREE and to...

Rescue from oblivion the history and stories of our early Hastons and related ancestors.

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Daniel Haston's GG Grand Niece and Nephew Make Amazing Discovery

Indiana's Most Visited Natural Attraction!

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Maggie Chandler's Stories

Maggie Chandler's Witness Stand Stories

How does Maggie Chandler's stories affect your opinion of this case and the possible outcome?

The Case Against Mrs. Ida Haston - Guilty or Not Guilty?

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Witnesses Come to the Defense of Mrs. Ida Haston

Ida's Neighbors and Others Testify of Her Good Character and Deny the Allegations

If you were sitting in this courtroom now, what would your thoughts about the case be at this point?

The Case Against Mrs. Ida Haston - Guilty or Not Guilty?

Verdicts in Thelma and Mrs. Ida Haston Cases

Thelma's Trial Comes to an Unusual Ending

Now, honestly, after reading Part 1 of the story, what did you think about Mrs. Ida Haston?

How do you think about her now that you've heard both sides of the story?

What can we learn from this case?

The Whole Story - Good, Bad, and Ugly

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Tragedy at the Tennessee State Capitol Building

The Story of William Carroll Haston, Jr.'s Tragic Death

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Mrs. Ida Haston Charged With Prostituting Teenage Girls

Who Was Mrs. Ida Haston?

Ida Haston Arrested in Springfield, MO on September 13, 1917

On a Charge of Operating a "House of Depravity" With Young Girls

The investigation started when 15-year-old girl (later we learn it was Maggie Chandler) told her family a story about working at a telephone office, but her suspicious brother-in-law followed her and learned that she was going to the home of the Hastons.

Thelma Haston, Ida's Daughter Informs ("Confesses") Against Her Mother

In her cell, Mrs. Haston (age 45) denied the entire story, except saying that the girls came to her house to play with Thelma. “Lies, all lies,” Mrs. Haston responded.

Another girl said that she was sent to a bedroom where there were three little girls and four men. One man grabbed her and started her on a shameful life. She spoke of the brutality of Mrs. Haston.

The Case Against Mrs. Ida Haston - Guilty or Not Guilty?

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A Haston Heritage Tour Based On Your Family Line Back to Daniel Haston

Now that we are living back in the Haston Homeland...

We would love to guide you on a tour of sites that were important to the early Daniel Haston Family.

Some of the more common sites of interest to descendants of Daniel Haston are…

And there may be other local historical sites of interest to your specific family! I’ll help you visit those sites as well, if possible.

And the tour is free. A contribution to the Daniel Haston Family Association would be appreciated, but that would be totally up to you.

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Back to the Soil of Our Haston Family Roots

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Devil's Bridge - Canton Schwyz, Switzerland

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First Ever - Pacific Northwest Reunion of Our Family

Meeting at the Wichita Avenue Evangelical Church

Friday evening, September 29 (5:00-9:00 p.m.) and Saturday, September 30 (9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.)

The Agenda

Thursday & Friday – September 28-29 (or earlier) – Optional, come early and visit some of the local tourist sites. Organize your own touring adventures.

Friday, 5:00-9:00 p.m. September 29 – Desserts, coffee, tea (etc.), and meet and greet.Everyone bring a dessert to share, homemade or purchased. Coffee, tea, and water will be provided.

Break

Presentation by Wayne on Isaac Haston/Hastings/Hastin and his family

Noon to 1:00 p.m. – Lunch

1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Presentation by Wayne on Jeremiah Haston and his family

Follow-up activities, discussions, and Q&A

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – Cleanup

Wayne Haston, Family Historian

Registration

Contact Carol Haston (carolhaston@gmail.com) if you have questions about the event or the registration process.

Come Earlier in the Week and Enjoy Some Spectacular Scenes from God's Creation

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The Mystery of the Civil War Yankee Officer's Sword

Perhaps M.G. Haston Took It Home as a Souvenir

Other Possible Theories

More About Montgomery Greenville (M.G.) Haston

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Your Ancestors Wanted to Be Remembered

"Will I be remembered?"

What We Learned Soon After Carissa Passed

"Will I be Remembered" - A Common Human Fear

Your Ancestors Also Feared Being Forgotten

And there are Biblical reasons why we should honor our ancestors by keeping their memories alive. But that’s a topic for another article.

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Early Land Owners & Occupants - Caney Fork & Cane Creek

Friday, 5:00-9:00 p.m. September 29 – Desserts, coffee, tea (etc.), and meet and greet.
Everyone bring a dessert to share, homemade or purchased. Coffee, tea, and water will be provided.