Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1925-09-04
HOTEL REUNION
AT FISHERS HILL
Member of HOttel-Fravel-keller Fam.
lily Gives Readers Interesting Facts

Who are you? Whence came you /!
Genealogy up to the advent of the
Holy Nazarene was a very particular
feature in the history of Abraham
Isaac and Jacob. the founders of the
Israelite race that they might know
surely if the promised Messiah came
in the prophetic line.
Since the Christian era, genealogy
has become very much neglected I'M
til in these later days, a majority of
the present generation can hardly
trace their forbears back further
than to grandparents. and the conse-
quence appears that marriages are
becoming frequent among American
people indifferent about the natural
and enacted laws forbidding marri-
age within certain degrees of consan-
guinity
mes (John) Hotel arrived with Mar
garet. his wife, and their three grown
children. Karl (Charles), George and
Barbara. who emigrated from near
Philadelphia. Pa, in Berkes County,
where they had lived since 1892. Two
sons John and Henry had remain
ed in Pennsylvania. and from these
come the Hotels in the Keystone
State.
John Hotel located over near the
North Mountain, out from Toms
Brook. and built home-the old log
house is still standing and in good
repair. 1t is now owned by Mr.. NJ.
w. Barbe and adjoins the farm of
Mr. j. w. Keller. Here the faithful,
industrious family labored, saved and
became prosperous The two young
men. Charles and George married and
reared prosperous and progressive
families, from whom all the residents
of the Shenandoah Valley branch
bearing the name Hotel, Hottal,
Huddle and various other spellings
came. Barbara Ann married George
Keller. from whom come Kellers,
travels, Rinkers, wilkins Saums'
and many other well known families
in Shenandoah County are generated
Some six years ago. two gentlemen,
one the Rev. w. d. Huddle of Wester-
vile. Ohio; the other. Mr.. ]. K Hot
tel. attorney-at-law at Spartanburg,
S. c., both descendants of the origi-
nal emigrant, appeared in the Valley
searching musty old records in the
Court House and churches and in old
Bibles, endeavoring to get an anthem
tic line of genealogy on the many
families, descendants of Johannes
Hotel. The effort has developed
task. They have enlisted the cooper
alton of a number of our leading and
well-known citizens, among them Mr..
Milton H. Hotel, Samuel Rhodes, w.
j. Keller, ]. c. Hotel, H. C. Rosen-
berger, Mrs. Eli Splitter, Misses Luz
ellie Hotel, Mrs. Charles Coffman,
>
ID. H. Keller, Harry Funkhouser.
Mrs. George Boyer, Mr.. George Pal
mer and Miss Janice Palmer of Steu-
benville. o.; Mr.. Elmer E. Huddle,
of Tiffin, Ohio and his son. ]. Klahr
Huddle of the Consular Service, State
Department, Washington. who have
linz hi Rnh nd I
tributed literally valuable material
for the forthcoming book.
Among the other descendants of
the family who have been interested
in the genealogy and have assisted in
the work are Mr.. and Mrs Welch of
Steubenville. O.; Mr.. and Mrs. Floyd
O.; Rev Benz Hotel, of Coopers-
vile, Pa; ]. A. Hotel. of Hellers-
town, Pa. and numerous other men,
bers of the family in the Shenandoah
Valley and other sections of the State.
Also in Indiana, Illinois and other
states into which the generations
have emigrated.
Four annual family reunions of
these people have been held in the
past four years, and as published in
the Herald of last week, on the 9th
of August, the fifth reunion was held
at the historic grounds of Fishers
Hill, where fully 600 relatives met
in celebration.
The principal address was made by
the Rev. w. L. Hutton, Phi. D., d. D..
of Philadelphia, whose father at one
time lived at Huntsville, Shenandoah
County. Dr. Hutton is a descendant
of Johannes Hotel. He spoke along
lines emphasizing education and fam
lily discipline and parental response
bility in fitting the rising generation
to meet the impending issues that
must be heroically met and the main
tenance of true Americanism and
American liberty
Rev. w. d. duddle, of Westerville,
O., the historian of the families, adj
dressed the reunion along lines of
the work required in assembling the
historical material for an accurate
history of the families, descendants
of Johannes Hotel and the impor-
lance of every one who knows them
selves in any way connected with this
great and important family to get in