Westerman Bible

WESTRMAN.tba

Rev. Nathaniel Westerman's Personal Bible

Transcribed 4 April 1997, by the Rev.'s great-great-great granddaughter,
Sandra Lake (Newton) Lassen
1499 Lakeside Drive,
West Jefferson, NC 28694

Internet: slassen@infoave.net

The Westerman Bible was given to me on 3 April 1997 by Roger Alan Zebold of
Ohio, also a descendant of Rev. Nathaniel Westerman. Roger and I are third
cousins, once removed.

My line goes from Rev. Nathaniel and Sarah Westerman to their son
Nathaniel Harvey Westerman and wife Rachel Nell Yates; to their daughter
Deborah Elisa Westerman, who married Frank Leslie Newton; to Frank and
Deborah's son Jason Westerman Newton, who married Ida Priest; to Jason and
Ida's son Frank Edward Newton, my father.

I also have information on earlier Westerman generations; anyone interested
can write or email me.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF BIBLE:

Dimensions
(which would be slightly different from the Bible when new, as it has been
repaired and is worn)
Length: 10 33/8 inches
Width: 6 11/16 inches
Depth: 2 5/16 inches

Condition:
The original black leather cover and back are quite worn and at some point
have been repaired with some kind of tape, that also looks quite old and
has held the pages fairly well. However, the back has separated from the
binding. The pages are worn on the edges, but none are torn, just dogeared
a bit from much use and age. Stains that appear to be water damage are
throughout the Bible.

A few pages appear to be missing from the very back of the book; a few
pages are actually attached by straight pins. However, no other pages are
missing as far as I can tell at this point. There are 768 pages at the
present time.

The first part of the book has come loose from the binding and too much
handling will result in further damage. Therefore, my goal is to look at
every page in the Bible only once and transcribe anything found; then, not
to handle the Bible further.

The Bible was published by Collins and Hannay, New York, 1834.

Surnames found in this record:
MAGILL
MEAKIN
PEARCE (clergy)
SIMMONS (clergy)
SNIFFEN
WESTERMAN
ZEBOLD

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[Inside the front cover is written the following:]

N [a very fancy "N"!] Westerman
Mainsville
[This is my best interpretation of a hard to read place name]
Hamilton Co
Ohio
Feb 5th 1850

[and below, in another hand:]
"Rev. Nathaniel Westerman
[The writing above is his]
Anna Sniffen Zebold
My mother was Eliza A. Westerman
Rev. N. Westerman's daughter
[Sept. 12-1866] June 1950"

[There follows one thin separating blank page and then the following
writing, which is in dark ink and a bold hand:]

Nathl Westerman
Laurall [very bold "L"]
October 1835

[There are two blank pages in the Bible between the Old and New Testaments
on which Rev. Nathaniel Westerman has made entries of family names, dates,
and events. It is definitely the same handwriting as the 1835 hand on the
inside front cover. Rev. Nathaniel makes his number "8's" two different
ways: open at the top and open at the bottom.]

[On the left blank page:]

Father died aged 74 years Sept. 29. 1838
Mother died " 80 " Jan. 29. 1848
My brother Francis died in 1845.

[On the right page:]

Nathl Westerman and Sarah Meakin were married by the Rev. Marmaduke Pearce
on the 23rd May in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and twenty nine

Deborah Westerman born June 4th 1831 in Baltimore MD.

Sarah born July 2nd. 1833 in Balt.

Mary Jane Mar. 30. 1838 " "

Eliza Ann Feb. 8. 1841 " "

Nathl Harvey Aug. 17.1846 at Cheviot Ohio

Francis Meakin Oct. 1. 1850 " Laurel "

Deaths

Mary Jane July 9th. 1839

Sarah Magill. April 17th. 1859

Charles N. Magill May 30. 1858 in his fifth year

Thomas T. Magill " 27. 1859 in his fourth year

_________________________________________

Within the pages of the Bible were tucked several items:

between pp. 230-231:
(1) A color postcard "Official Souvenir Postal World's Columbian
Exhibition" with the added notation "U.S. Naval Exhibit. Battleship
'Illinois'" and a sketch of the ship, a sailor and a Naval flag. This one
cent postcard was never written on or mailed.

(2) An 8 page publication with photos, "The Insurance Review," Vol. 1,
Number 4, Chicago, July, 1915. This publication was printed quarterly for
the National Mutual Church Insurance Company, with Henry P. Magill, Editor.
Henry P. Magill also has an ad in the publication for Henry P. Magill and
Company, Investment Bankers; also, a full page ad naming him as Secretary
and Manager of the National Mutual Church Insurance Company of Chicago,
Ill. "organized by direction of the General Conference of the Methodist
Episcopal Church in 1896."

On pages 3 and 6, there is a lengthy article about Rev. Nathaniel
Westerman, written by Henry P. Magill, a grandson of the Reverend. He also
refers to his father, Rev. Henry T. Magill, and to Rev. T. J. N. Simmons,
both of who married daughters of Rev. Nathaniel Westerman.

At two places within the Bible's pages were two old pieces of fabric, which
appear to have been used as book marks.

There is also a torn piece from some printed publication or newspaper used
between pages 28 and 29, possibly as a book mark. It contains one short
anonymous poem ; an inspirational paragraph by C. H. Spurgeon; and a short
verse from Book of Sun-Dials, as follows:

Time goes, you say?
Ah, no!
Alas! Time stays;
We go.

Many pages have faint check marks at various Biblical verses in faint pencil.

This Westerman line came from England to Baltimore in 1822, living there
for a number of years before heading to the midwest. Family alliances
include: Meakin, Sniffen, Zebold, Teegardin, Newton, etc. Rev. Nathaniel
Westerman and wife Sarah Meakin were married in Baltimore, MD. Rev.
Westerman was a circuit-riding Methodist minister in MO and later OH. Rev.
Westerman died 29 Feb. 1884 in Columbus, OH; his wife Sarah died on 17 May
1889. Both are buried in Columbus.

I have photos of the couple and would like to trade info will any
descendants of this couple.

Sandra Lake Lassen
Certified Genealogical Records Specialist
1499 Lakeside Drive, West Jefferson, NC 28694
Internet: slassen@infoave.net
Researching in Ashe, Wilkes, Watauga,
& Alleghany Cos., NC and in Grayson Co., VA
"In the Heart o' the Blue Ridge Mtns."

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