Surname Saturday - Loder

Rosehill Cemetery in Waverly, Nebraska was where I was taking headstone photographs last weekend, focusing on members of the Loder family. At the time, I wasn't sure how they all fit into my tree, but this morning's research on Ancestry.com resulted in quite a few connections. I am not a direct descendant of the Loder family, as I am related primarily via Henrietta Loder Beale, who was first cousin of my grandmother, Sina Harriet Bellinger Kelly. Since Sina's children did not have an aunt, Henrietta said, "Well, then, I'll be your Aunt Etty." And so she was to so many of us - a dear and beloved family member.

I had previously written about the Loder family of Waverly, Nebraska on this blog back in December, 2009. My cemetery outing and today's online research has added even more members to this family.

The family of William Loder and Margaret Maston Loder of Waverly, Nebraska

According to Ancestry.com, the Loder name comes from the English lode, meaning to load, or a derivative meaning path or road. In German, the meaning is either a weaver of woolen cloth or a nickname for a good-for-nothing. Take your pick! Many of the Loders in my research were pioneers and the most common word in their obituaries is "prominent," so I'd say that the good-for-nothing definition doesn't apply here, at least for now.

There was a large distribution of Loders in England and Wales in the 19th century. Top place of origin for Loder immigrants was Germany and England, with a few from Sweden, Bavaria, Switzerland and France.

This Loder family has pioneer roots in Lancaster county, Nebraska and many of the descendants remain in the area today.

The William and Margaret Loder Family of Waverly, Nebraska

The family of William Loder and Margaret Maston Loder
Standing: Martha Loder Sheffer, William Alexander Loder, Rachel Ann Loder Kirker, Samuel Humes Loder, Mary Ellen Loder Laughlin, Edith Seville Loder, Nancy Jane Loder Coleman, John P. Loder; Seated: Lewis James Loder, William Loder, Margaret Maston Loder, Aaron Coffee Loder

I continue to be amazed by the many, many shirt-tail kin in my family. I recently came across this photograph of the Loder Family of Waverly, Nebraska.

My connection to the family is through Henrietta Loder Beale, daughter of William Alexander Loder in the photograph above. To me, to my mother and my mother's siblings, she was always "Aunt Etty." Technically, she was a cousin of my grandmother's (Sina Harriet Bellinger Kelly - her mother was a Landon) via the Landon line. Since Sina had no sisters, Etty told Sina's children, "I'll be your Aunt Etty." And so she was.

Throughout her life, I absolutely adored Aunt Etty. It seemed to me that she had traveled everywhere and seemed so worldly and exotic. I still treasure the beautiful (now antique) turquoise and silver bracelet and matching earrings that she brought back from Mexico so many years ago. She passed them on to my mother who passed them on to me. As a youngster, I loved visiting her and her husband, "Uncle Hub" - Ralph M. Beale. Uncle Hub had these amazing scrapbooks on world events, newspaper clippings, that he started when he was a child himself. There must have been 10 to 15 volumes by the time I discovered this treasure in the early 1960s. Gotta say, I was pretty impressed that his scrapbook included some newspaper clippings about The Beatles. Aunt Etty would tell my mom (Patricia Kelly in the photo below) that Hub loved it when I came to visit because I was the only one of the kids who was interested in his scrapbooks and his stories of the olden days. Hub ALWAYS had to tell a story about when he was in Honduras.

If only..... if only I could visit with them about their memories today....



Henrietta Loder Beale (Aunt Etty), Patricia Kelly Petersen (My Mom), Sina Harriet Bellinger Kelly (My Grandmother), about 1946, Nebraska