Ethel A. Weatherwax pages 411&603 in my book corrections provided by my Cousin Linda Wilbur of MI.
Ethel A. Weatherwax dau of Levi J. Weatherwax (1838-1909) and Caroline Beaman (1839-1903)
she married George Hawkins on 26 Oct 1898 in Hudson,Hillsdale co.,MI. They only had two children:
George was the son of: James Hawkins and wife Elizabeth Ambrose of Hillsdale MI.
1. Carl J. Hawkins b: 15 Jan 1901 in Wheatland Hillsdale MI
2. Vena Hawkins b: 22 Nov 1902 in Wheatland Hillsdale MI she m: Verdzel Cassada
Ethel d: 6 May 1906 in Lafayette,Boulder,CO and is buried in Lafayette Cemetery same location.
Thanks to Linda's tireless efforts this will be corrected in the next Edition of the Weatherwax Genealogy, estimated to be 2020!.

Kenneth Patrick Weatherwax 1955-2014
Ken Weatherwax more famously known for his role of Pugsly in the Adams Family TV Series died at his California home.
 Son of: William M. Weatherwax (1904-1986)  and wife Margaret  M. Keeler. Both the Keeler and Weatherwax families were in various parts of the entertainment industry. Margaret's sister Ruby Keeler was a well know dancer and movie actor. Ken's family were of course famous TV and Movie animal trainers, and his Grandfather Walter S. Weatherwax was in the early motion picture industry in California. It appears from published obits online that his mother had a prior marriage and a son named Joseph Donald Vieira who is listed and Ken's half brother. I know Ken had a website that I used to check on every once in awhile, don't know if it is still active. I don't know if Kens mother is still living, but did find death and burial records for his father. Always a loss for even distant family members passing.

Weatherwax family ancestral  land search in Rensselaer County New York.

Previous research by Arthur Johnson a descendant of Isaac Johnson husband of Betsey Weatherwax identified the location of the Land purchased by Andreas (Andrew) Weatherwax in 1765 as lying under the existing  Tomhannock Reservoir in Rensselaer county  NY.

This research is not supported by sources in Johnson's limited published work. He only sites several geologic maps without reference to why they were selected.. There is little or no correlation with the Known published Will of Andrew Weatherwax (the immigrant's son) or known locations and deed of other family members

The Will of Andrew Weatherwax probated in 1784 and found in Fernow's Calendar of Wills states the following regarding the disposition of lands and deeds granted to his children.

1. "To my son Hannes- 231 &3/4 acres of land wheron he now lives in Tamhanick." "He having a deed for the land from me already."

2. "To Martin Widderwax- the farmhouse whereon I now dwell in Tamhanick at the extent of a farm surveyed for Alexander Widderwax containing 235 & 1/2 acres."

Although Andrew's Will gives further disposition of lands to his other children these two provisions of the Will provide sources that lead to the identifying the current location of the lands in Question.

Clearly based on #2 Martin Widderwax (Weatherwax) inherited his father Andrew's farm of 235&1/2 acres of land. Subsequent land records will show the location of this property today.

It must be remembered when doing land searches in New York that most land was in one huge county called Albany county. Rensselaer County NY was not broken off from Albany county until 1792. So when researching land that was purchased or deeded prior to 1792 the Land records of Albany county must be consulted to provide a continuous chain of ownership for lands being searched.

Hannes Widderwax (Weatherwax)

Johannes or Hanes Weatherwax was the first born son of Andrew Weatherwax by his 2nd marriage to Jo Anna Edeli. His exact date of birth is not found, but other documentation indicates a dob of 1740. He married Anna Premmer abt 1761. He died 11 Mar 1818 in Schaghticoke, Rensselaer co. NY. He had seven known children. The son Andrew Weatherwax b:9 Sep 1766 provides the chain of land ownership from his father Hannes to Andrew's son John A. Weatherwax b:1794. His son was John A. Weatherwax b:4 Sep 1841

Additionally the approved S.A.R. application of John P. Weatherwax clearly indicates the land in question remained within the family until  the last parcel was sold by him in 1972.

Contained in the holdings of the Rensselaer county Historical society is the family Bible of John A. Weatherwax this Bible provides a clear consistent line of descent to John Peer Weatherwax b:23 Sep 1904, d:28 Jun 1991. These papers containing over 15 boxes of documents, photos and family records provide a chain of land ownership that points to the location of this land in present day Schaghticoke, Rensselaer co. NY.

Deed found, Albany co. Deeds, Book 9, page402 for lot "H" containing 233 acres and 3 rods.

Deed dated 2 Dec 1772 and recorded on 25 Apr 1774

Granter: Andrew Weatherwax  (the original immigrants son)

Grantee: Johannis Wederwax

original record was examined by myself in Albany County Clerk's office on April 19,2013. This record  does not specify anything that would indicated the present day location of the land in question.

Deed found, Rensselaer co Deeds, Book 267, page 6

Deed dated: 17 Apr 1899

Grantor: John  A. Weatherwax b:1794

Grantee: Freeman C. Weatherwax b:31 Aug 1868

140 acres of land located in Schaghticoke

Another Deed found Book 330, pg25 indicates that Freeman Cooper Weatherwax and wife Edith sold some of this land to his brother William M. Weatherwax on 22 Oct 1910.

Upon Freeman C. Weatherwax's death on 3 Feb 1953 the remaining parcel of original land passed through inheritance to his son John Peer Weatherwax and his sisters Louis W. Austin and Esther W. Sykes.

Utilizing the 1976 Rensselaer County New York Tax maps for the town of Schaghticoke  indicated   a parcel of property on "Weatherwax Lane" , at the junction of Gunbadt Road. A cross reference to property sales indicated that John P. Weatherwax sold property in 1972  A surveyed plot map with information confirmed  that the property at this location was sold by John Peer Weatherwax and his sisters. The  Schaghticoke  Tax Map #041.00 clearly indicates the property in question and also indicates that the 10.66 acres sold was part of the original 231+ acres of the original patent. This last parcel of land owned by Hannes Weatherwax's decendants was sold  based on a land survey dated  26 Jun 1972 and registered on 11 Jul 1971. The land was sold to James A. and Caroll Jennison of Schaghticoke.

This then confirms along with other documentation that Andrew Weatherwax's purchase of 1/3 of a parcel of land  encompassing 8602 acres on the East bank of the Hudson which was transacted in 1765 was in fact located in present day Schaghticoke, not Pittstown NY. It appears that the Northern boundary was along Tomhannock creek. Some indications are that the patent continued southward to the Deep Kill. In total on his death Andrew parceled out a total of  about 2800 acres of land, reserving 800 acres to pay for anything due on the whole patent.

Andrew Weatherwax's original farm of 235 1/2 acres which was deeded to his son Martin Weatherwax 1741-1813.

Martin Weatherwax bap:13 Jan 1741; d:27 May 1813.

Martin Weatherwax and his brother David Weatherwax (1747-1831), both these brothers sold their Rensselaer county farms and moved to Peru, Clinton county NY by 1794. Clearly in 1796 both appear in Road tax lists for the town of Peru, Clinton co. NY. No record of the sale or transfer of David's property has yet been found. But evidence exist based on land purchases in Clinton co NY that both bought 300 acres farms in Peru on the Western shore of Lake Champlain

Deed found: Rensselaer county Deeds Book 1, pg.44 (First Deed book of new Rensselaer co. NY)

This deed date 29 Nov 1792 clearly indicates that the

Grantor Martinus Weatherwax

Gratee: Benjamin Holt

purchased land on 185 1/2 acres on 29 Nov 1792

then on 23 May 1811 Rensselaer county deed book 5, pgs.496-497

Indicates that land in possession of Benjamin Holt is conveyed to James Brookins.

Here it gets fuzzy because the Court of Common Pleas took a certification of this transaction by Martin Weatherwax who was then living in Peru NY. Possibly he traveled to Rensselaer county, but he would die within 2 years and it appears he would not have traveled that far but provided a written certification to the court.

So further research is needed to identify the land held in 1811 by James Brookins. It is noteworthy that Peter Weatherwax 1752-1805 is buried in the Brookins Family cemetery on rte 41 along with several James Brookins family members. Peters property is rumored to be located near this site again in Schaghticoke.

So why was Peter Weatherwax buried in the Brookins family cemetery? I suspect this was a small Weatherwax family cemetery before the land  was purchased  by James Brookins. That would logically allow Peter Weatherwax to be buried there in 1805. Peter had no known relationship to the Brookins family.  Two separate visits to this cemetery show only a marker for Peter who is listed in the D.A.R. Patriots marker listings. All other possibly Weatherwax markers could not be found.

copyright Wayne E. Weatherwax Nov.16,2014.

I have missing from my blog due to computer cookie errors and hopefully am now ready to resume posting. My local Genealogy Society had an interesting meeting online last night with Dear Myrtle. Utilizing Google Plus and computers we had an interactive experience with Myrtle who was in Salt Lake and or society which was in Agawam,MA. Additionally another person from NJ who is Myrtle's cousin was on line as well. We went through 12 items that all of us need to do to improve and preserve and share our Genealogical research etc. This was our 2nd interactive meeting previously we did one on Photographs and Genealogy erc.

Lets have a scavenger hunt.
Which Weatherwax was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal for service to the U.S.?
Which Weatherwax worked as a member of the U.S. Secret Service and then as a member of the C.I.A.?
Which Weatherwax is credited with the sinking of a Russian Submarine during the Cold War?


Answers will be posted next week.

Hazlett P. Weatherwax Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy

A Brief Bio of Hazlett Paul Weatherwax.


Born 25 Oct 1907 in Honolulu Hawaii (Territory) to Charles S. Weatherwax and Agnes M. Bookstover. His father migrated to Hawaii (Territory) on 7 Nov 1891 traveling from San Francisco CA onboard the S.S. Australia. The passenger manifest indicates he was a Photographer.
Hazlett grew up in Hawaii and attended St. Louis College in Honolulu prior to his appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy in 1927. He attended Annapolis and graduated in June of 1931 with the Commission of Ensign U.S. Navy.
His first duty station was on the Destroyer USS Childs. In 1932 he was transferred to the USS Leary.
Then reassigned to the Battleship Mississippi as a Division officer. From 1937 through 1939 he studied Ordnance and Engineering at the US Naval Postgraduate school at Annapolis, MD. When World War II broke out he was stationed aboard the USS Alexander Dallas.
In March of 1942 he was assigned to the Fore River Yards of Bethlehem Steel Company in Massachusetts. He reported to assist in the fitting out and commissioning of the Battleship USS Massachusetts (BB-59) As a member of the original crew he became what is know in the Navy as a "Plankowner" After shakedown operation Massachusetts departed for French Morocco, where "Mamie" participated in the action at Casablanca. After being damaged Mamie returned to the U.S. for repairs and was then reassigned to the Pacific Fleet and took part in operations against the IJA/IJN at Russell Island, Munda, New Georgia, Solomon Islands and the Gilbert Islands.


Hazlett served in many other Commands and positions in the U.S. Navy. He is the highest ranking member of the Weatherwax family within the U.S. Military. He was promoted to Rear Admiral on July 18,1958. He would continue to serve in many different capacities until July 1,1966 when he retired from the U.S. Navy. He retired to his home on the Potomic River in Alexandria,VA. Less than a year later he would die of a heart attack while working on his boat.
From 1711 when our immigrant ancestor Johan Henrich C. Wiederwach volunteered for the Militia in the Palatines to Canada campaign until present day our family  has fought and died for future generations to preserve our nation for all Americans. In every Armed conflict of War there have been Weatherwax family members ready to defend and protect our nation, and today many still serve proudly preserving our family heritage in service to our country.