. . .WHERE WE HAVE GOTTEN TO
Dad and Mother
Here we see Mother and Dad in later life (see left), and our family
at that time (see right). Dad had been working in the US Civil
Service in Washington, when he was hired to open a civil service
office in Philadelphia several years prior to my birth. He then
transferred to the Post Office Department and traveled all over
Pennsylvania as a postal inspector. Later he became secretary to the
Civil Service Commission of the City of Philadelphia. The pay was
good, and mother had a maid to do the housework while she applied
herself to her two daughters (Marion Nazro Mitchell (born Dec.
15, 1906) (bottom, far left) and Margaret Phelps
Mitchell (born Nov. 27, 1908) (bottom, near left). I (Herbert
Francis Mitchell, Jr.) was born there on Oct. 19, 1913
(bottom, near right). Dad named me after himself, to establish
a new line. But Dad resigned in early 1914, when he was directed to
hire (for political reasons) a person he considered unqualified. A
friend, George McCeney, got him the position of principal of the high
school in Laurel, Maryland, based on his one year as teacher at
Mercersburg Academy, where his great-grandson Robbie Caruthers later
attended. Laurel thus became the place where my earliest
recollections are centered. When the US got involved in World War 1,
Dad took a position in the Navy Department in Washington, in the
office of Franklin Roosevelt, then the Assistant Secretary of the
Navy. That started an almost life-long adulation of Roosevelt on the
part of Dad, until Roosevelt’s performance in World War II
disillusioned him. While working there during the day, Dad began
teaching mathematics at night at the McKinley
Technical High School, and was able after the war to get a permanent teaching position in the day
school, from which he retired nearly 40 years later. Mary
Josephine Mitchell (bottom, far right) was born on August
19, 1918, right after we had moved from Laurel to Riverdale, 11 miles
closer to Washington. Dad served as trustee and elder in the
Riverdale Presbyterian Church. Dad died Aug. 26, 1962, and Mother
died Nov. 24, 1976.
Marion and Her Families
Marion attended McKinley High for her final high school year, and led her
class academically. She eloped with George Wynn Huff (see left)
(born Nov. 25, 1905) on Dec. 6, 1925, incurring Dad’s wrath and
ostracizing, but soon returned to his good graces. After giving birth
to Morgan Wynn Huff on Dec. 3, 1926, and Margery Teresa
Huff on Feb. 3, 1928, she became Mother’s business secretary
during her Vacuette days, with George as the top salesman. Marion
divorced George in 1943. She became a secretary in the office of
Democratic Senator Tom Connally, then chairman of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee, and as such typed the declaration of war against
Germany and Japan. She also took part in the formation of the United
Nations at Dumbarton Oaks CA while working for Senator Connally. When
Senator Connally retired, she took a similar position with Republican
Senator Prescott Bush, father of ex-President George Bush. When he
retired, she did also. In 1952, she married Florine Walter Miller
(shown as the person in the upper left in the photo at the right;
in the picture also are Morgan and first wife Joanne (to Walter's
right) and Margery (lower right) with husband Tom behind her and some
of their children: Billy, Genie, Mike, Mary, and Patty). Marion
died from congestive heart failure Aug. 26, 1985, just two weeks
after our second family reunion. George died Jan. 20, 1978, and
Walter died Nov. 20, 1975.
MORGAN became one of my first programmers in Philadelphia in 1950. He
participated in all our early computer triumphs, as described in
chapters 9-11, and served with distinction as a programmer and
systems analyst. He eventually became VP of Data Processing at the
Life and Casualty Insurance Company in Nashville TN. He married
Joanne Hammett (born Aug. 4, 1929) on Sep. 15, 1948 (see left), and they have
three children: Lisa Wynn Huff , born Sep. 23, 1949, who
married Glenn Eason (born Aug. 14, 1947) on Nov. 27, 1971; they have
two daughters: Rachel Elizabeth Eason (born Aug. 31, 1980),
and Emily Wilder Eason (born Apr. 14, 1982); Gregory
Wynn Huff, born Aug. 31, 1952, married to Katarina Trpis (born July
10, 1965) on Dec. 3, 1994 (see right), having one daughter, Madaleine Wynn
Huff (born Nov. 19, 1996); and Kelly Ann Huff (not
shown), (born Dec. 1, 1961), and married to Richard Johnson III
(born June 23, 1954) on Apr. 8, 1978; they have five children:
Jennifer Ashley Johnson (born Oct. 10, 1983), Richard
Parker Johnson (born July 1, 1985), Jessica Wynn Johnson (born
Dec. 22, 1986), Benjamin Carter Johnson (born May 28, 1988),
and Morgan Douglas Johnson (born Nov. 22, 1889). Kelly
divorced Richard Johnson and married Michael S. Parker on April 12,
2003. They have one daughter, Kimberly Anne Parker, born
August 24, 2001.
Morgan divorced Joanne in 1965 (?) and married Evelyn Elisabeth Sullivan
(see left) (born Apr. 22, 1922) on June 20, 1966. Evelyn had
three children from her first marriage (see right): Sandra
Faye Sullivan was born Jan. 14, 1940, and married Willis Pharris on
Feb. 1 1959, later divorcing him. They have three children: Martie L.
Pharris (born Jan.22, 1963, and married to Vickie Williamson; Melanye
Pharris (born July 12, 1965) married Donnie Scott on May 24, 1997,
with one child, Megan Scott (born July 15, 1998)); Larry Sullivan
(born Feb. 19, 1951), married Pamela Evans on June 11, 1978, having
three children: Ashley Sullivan (born Dec. 24, 1981), Rebekah
Sullivan (born Dec. 27, 1983), and Alicia Sullivan (born Jan. 1,
1987); and Harry Sullivan (also born Feb. 19, 1951) who married
Marcia Bond on Aug. 16, 1986, having two children: Harrison B.
Sullivan (born Nov. 3, 1988) and Elisabeth M. Sullivan (born Dec. 28,
1991).
MARGERY married Charles Thomas (Tom) Henney (see left) (born Aug.22,
1925) on Oct. 25, 1952, and proceeded to raise a family of nine (see
right, for an identification of these people, see Henney)
She served for 26 years as a secretary in the National
Institutes of Health. Tom served for 41 years in the US Government
using his law degree from Georgetown Univ. Law School. Most of her
children and some grandchildren are shown in the photo on the right:
Catherine (Kathie) Patricia Henney (born Aug. 22, 1953) who
married Lee Hummel (born Jan. 4, 1953) on Nov. 1, 1980, having one
child, Isaac Jonathan Hummel (born Feb. 11, 1983), but are
divorced; Margaret (Margie) Teresa Henney (born Nov. 23, 1954)
who has never married; Barbara Jean Henney (born Feb. 28,
1956) who married Dana Wright (born Oct. 6, 1956) on Aug. 25, 1979,
having two children: John Michael Wright (born May 24, 1983)
and Thomas Scott Wright (born Dec. 27, 1987); Michael (Mike)
Thomas Henney (born May 1, 1957) who married Jolene Lowell (born July
24, 1957) on Aug. 29, 1987, having two children: Sarah
Christen Henney (born Oct. 19, 1991), and Justin Ryan Henney
(born Nov. 22, 1995); William (Billy) George Henney (born Nov.
1, 1958) who married Jo Ann Gawler (born Aug. 18, 1960) on April 9,
1988; Charles (Chuck) Thomas Henney, Jr., (born April 3, 1960)
who married Patricia Ann Stewart (born Dec.20, 1957) on April 25,
1991, and are now divorced; Mary Jane Henney (born Aug. 9,
1961) who married Yancy Holmes Garner, Jr. (born July 29, 1959) on
Dec. 4, 1984, having two children: Yancy Holmes Garner III
(born May 4, 1985), and Jonathan Brent Garner (born Sep. 6,
1988); Regina Marion Henney (Genie) (born Apr. 8, 1963) who
married Glenn Scott LaRouche (born Dec. 25, 1962) on Oct. 19, 1991,
having three children: Nathaniel Scott LaRouche (born Aug. 5,
1994), Alexandra Christine LaRouche (born Mar. 3, 1996), and
Kirsten Annika LaRouche (born May 16, 2004); and Patricia
(Pattie) Maureen Henney (not shown in the photo) (born
Apr. 1, 1967) who married Gunnar Edward Hempel (born Jan. 10, 1962)
on May 12, 1997, having two children: Melanie Christine Hempel
(born Feb. 11, 1998), and Alison Elisabeth Hempel (born Sept.
28, 1999). Tom Henney died of prostate cancer Jan. 8, 2002. John
Michael Wright died in an automobile accident in Pennsylvania May 6,
2003.
Margaret and Her Families
Margaret earned a scholarship as top girl in the graduating classes of all
Washington high schools, and used it to attend Barnard College
(Columbia Univ.), where she earned the Phi Beta Kappa key. She
married Robert (Bob) Surguy Caruthers (see left) (born Sep.
19, 1904) on Apr. 25, 1929, and they had four children (see
right): Robert (Bobby) Phelps Caruthers (on the right
in the back row) (born July 28, 1931), Blake Gilder
Caruthers (on the left in the back row) (born Nov. 1, 1934),
Lynne Pleasant Caruthers (on the left of Mother) (born Dec.
11, 1938), and Caroline Colgen Caruthers (on the right of
Mother) (born Jan. 6, 1944). Margaret earned a master’s
degree in counseling and guidance, and the degree of Educational
Specialist at Stanford Univ., and with that training formed a nursery
school and guidance center, which she operated for many years while
living in northern New Jersey. Bob earned his master’s at MIT
and served as a communications engineer for Bell Labs (23 years),
Lenkert (3 years), and ITT. He died Dec. 3, 1978. Margaret died Mar.
7, 2004.
BOBBY earned the PhD degree at Univ. of Southern California, and became
professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky. I think this
picture (see right) belongs here. The young boy in front of
Marion is probably Bobby and the child in Uncle Wilbur's arms is
probably Lynne. Margaret and Bob Caruthers are shown as well as
Mother, Dad and Mary Charlotte. Bobby married Christine Elaine Rohrer
(see left) (born Dec.21, 1931) on Dec. 21, 1953. They have a
son, Robert (Robbie) Rohrer Caruthers (born Apr. 4, 1955) who
married Donna Joy Caprila (born Oct. 5, 1954) on Apr. 27, 1985,
having two children: Robert Benjamin Caruthers (born Feb. 21,
1986), and Lauren Renee Caruthers (born Jan. 21, 1989).
Divorcing Christine, Bobby married Nan Welton (born Apr. 15, 1932) on
Sep. 1, 1960, having a son, Scott Welton Caruthers (born May
1, 1962). Bobby was killed when his car ran off the road on Dec. 21,
1968.
BLAKE earned a BS degree from Stanford Univ. and served as a computer
specialist for Honeywell. He married Adele Gerard Scott (see
right) (born Sep.4, 1937) on Mar. 23, 1963, adopting two
children: Susanna Clark Caruthers (born April 28, 1968) who married
Michael Frederick, having a son, Caighin Blake Frederick (born June
6, 1998); and Robert Bruce Caruthers (born July 9, 1969). Blake
divorced Adele and subsequently died of a heart attack on Feb. 2,
1983.
LYNNE received her BA degree from State Univ. of New York and MS in
Computer Systems Management from Rochester Inst. of Technology in
1974. She has worked most of her life for Merrill Lynch and Morgan
Stanley as a computer systems consultant. She married James (Jim)
Devereaux Shaw (see left) on December 27, 1958, having three
children: James Frederick Shaw (born Oct. 8, 1959) who married
Rebecca Bieber, having two children, Elliot James Shaw (born
Nov. 22, 1998) and Morgan Shaw; Gregory Devereaux Shaw
(born Jan. 30, 1961) who married Jeanie Lariccia (born May 1, 1955)
having one son Michael Devereaux Shaw (born Jan. 10, 1996);
and Kerry Lynne Shaw (born Dec. 30, 1962) who married Matthew
Parsons Hare (born June 14, 1961) on May 5, 1990. Lynne was later
divorced.
CAROLINE received her degree from Centenary College. She married Frank
(Speedy) Henry Fee (born Oct. 2, 1943) on Apr. 4,
1964 (later divorcing him), having two sons : Timothy Edward Fee (see right)
(born Nov. 24, 1964) who married Joanne Minako Creech on May 5, 1990,
divorcing soon after; Timothy married Cheryl Lynne Warner (born Dec.
18, 1954) on May 23, 1992 (Timothy adopted Cheryl's two children from
a former marriage: Jennifer Fee (born Dec. 22, 1987) and
Benjamin Fee (born Dec. 5, 1988)), they were divorced and then Timothy
married Stephanie Seran Scott on May 12, 2002, having one son Timothy
Peyton Fee (born April 21, 2004; and Michael Morgan Fee (see left) (born
July 26, 1966) who married Susan Hedrick (born Apr. 23, 1968) having
two children: Michael Austin Fee (born Feb. 25, 1999) and
Julia MacNeil Fee (Born Oct. 20, 2002.
(Herbert, Jr.) Francis and His Families
Herb (Francis) earned the PhD degree from Harvard Univ. in 1948, in the
brand new field of computer science. He married Mary Charlotte
Chapman (see left) (born Sep. 21, 1916) on June 20, 1936, and
their two children (see right, with Mother) are William
Montgomery (born Sept. 16, 1943) and Mary Francis (born Sept.
17, 1944). He served in World War II as captain to colonel of
antiaircraft artillery. His employment included the US Government
Printing Office, Webb Institute of Naval Architecture, Univac
(Remington Rand), Honeywell, Collins Radio, Teleregister
(Bunker-Ramo), and NASA. After retirement, he traveled extensively
for Christian organizations speaking about the space program and the
Christian testimony of the astronauts and himself. This included a
3-year term as senior lecturer in computer science at the University
of Cape Town, South Africa. He has served as elder in four
Presbyterian churches. Mary Charlotte graduated in 1937 from Virginia
State Teachers College (Mary Washington) in Fredericksburg, and was
briefly employed at the Harvard Library and long lines telephone
companies in California and Pennsylvania.
WILL received his education at Maryville College, University of Tennessee
at Knoxville, and Peabody/Vanderbilt in Nashville (where he received
his PhD). He married Judith (Judy) Ann Wasson (born July 13, 1943) on
Aug. 28, 1965 (see left). They have two children (see right): Edward Mark
Mitchell (left foreground) (born Sep. 16, 1970) who married
Cristina Rizen (behind Mark) (born Sept. 17, 1975) on July 25,
1998, having one daughter, Agatha Rizen Mitchell (born Aug. 2,
2005); and
Emily Margaret Mitchell (extreme right holding
daughter Brynn with husband Mike behind her)(born
July 17, 1972) who married Michael Rohde on July 25, 1998, having two
children: Brynn Ellen Rhode (born Sep. 7, 1999) and Evynn
Anne Rhode (born May 14, 2002). They divorced in 2003.
Emily
married Kyle Clayton on May 5, 2005 (see left), and they have one child Merynn
Deborah (born May 24, 2006). Will taught college mathematics before
getting his PhD, then focused on computer science, holding
professorships at Anderson Univ., Univ. of Evansville, Louisiana
State Univ. (Shreveport), and as a dean at the Univ. of Arkansas in
Little Rock. He served as Presbyterian elder in Blair (NE), Evansville,
and Shreveport. Judy received her MS in Social Work from
the Univ. of Chicago, and has worked extensively in that area most of
her later life. She also has served as a Presbyterian elder. When Will
failed to have his contract renewed at the Univ. of Arkansas on July 1,
2004, they moved to Shelbyville IN where Judy grew up and where her mother,
Mary Ann Wasson, still lives.
MARY split her college career between Maryville and Whitworth Colleges.
She had two unsuccessful marriages (Howard Doran on Sep. 15, 1966,
and William Spears on Feb. 21, 1970) before marrying Paul Henry
Aguilar (see left) (born Dec. 1, 1946) on May 1, 1983.
Although not having children of her own, she has had the pleasure of
being step-mother for Paul’s three children (see right):
Paul (Indie) Marcus Aguilar (born Nov. 22, 1970) who married Carol
Sawyer on Nov. 22, 1999; Nicole (Nikki) Aguilar (born Feb. 13, 1972)
holding son Sebastion Brice Aguilar (born Jan. 31, 1991) and married
Carlos Alberto Valasquez on Aug. 15, 1997 with one child Fabriana
Alicia Valqsquez (born Jan. 21, 1999); and Alicia Monique Aguilar
(born Aug. 10, 1976). Mary's employment for most of her adult life
has been in the field of human services, retiring in 2007. Paul worked in the Colorado
State Employment Service for many years, retiring in 2006.
Mary Jo and Her Families
Mary Jo was educated at George Washington Univ. in Washington (D. C.),
on a scholarship she won as the best student in her graduating class
at Tech High. She won multiple honors at George Washington Univ.
before graduating in 1939. She married Clyde Wilkinson Balch (see
left) (born June 11, 1917) on Apr. 13, 1940. Mary Jo’s work
experience was 3 years in the public library of Toledo (OH) while
Clyde was on the faculty of Toledo Univ. She received her degree of
master in library science at that time. She also served as reference
librarian at the Medical College of Ohio for 3 years. Clyde earned a
degree of MS in chemical engineering from Maryland Univ., which he
put into practice at Dupont in Wilmington (DE) during World War II.
After the war, he and two former Duponters established a saccharin
plant in Toledo, which was partially destroyed by an explosion in
1962. The business was bought by Sherwin Williams, and Clyde became a
professor and dean of chemical engineering at Toledo Univ., and later
dean of Continuing Education. Clyde’s last job was adviser in
chemical engineering to the university in Suyabaya, Indonesia. They
have three sons (see right): Charles (Chuck) Mitchell
Balch (on the extreme left) (born Aug. 24, 1942), Thomas
Stephen (Steve) Balch (on the extreme right) (born Aug.
14, 1944), and John Randolph (Randy) Balch (to the right of
Chuck) (born Mar. 15, 1952). Clyde died on Feb. 13, 1991, shortly
after their 50th wedding anniversary, and Mary Jo died Oct. 16,
2003.
CHARLES earned his Doctor of Medicine from Columbia Univ.’s College of
Physicians and Surgeons. After serving his internship there, he
joined the faculty of the medical school at the Univ. of Alabama
Medical School in Birmingham, where he became an expert in heart
transplant surgery. Turning to cancer, he became head of surgery and
executive vice president at the famous M. D. Anderson Hospital in
Houston TX. He left the latter post to become president and
CEO of City of Hope Hospital in Pasadena (CA), and most recently
executive vice president and CEO of the American Association of
Clinical Oncologists in Washington DC. He is also a surgeon at the
Johns Hoplins Univ. Ontological Center. He married Carol Lee
Albertson (see left) on July 2, 1966, and they have four
children (see right): Glen Charles Balch (far right
in rear row) (born March 10, 1970) who married Alison Taylor
Smith (at Glen's right) (born June 21, 1970), having
two children: Anna Caroline Balch (born Jan. 20, 2001) and
Lauren (born Dec. 4, 2003); Alan James Balch (far left
in rear row) (born August 22, 1971) who married Valerie Ann Mau
(born Dec. 5, 1971) on March 29, 1997; Laura Lee Balch
(extreme left in front row) (born Nov. 13, 1973) who married
Thomas Sloan (born Nov. 17, 1973) on May 13, 2000, having a son
Colin Robert Sloan (born Jan.30, 2005); and Mark
Daniel Balch (extreme right in front row) (born Aug. 19,
1980).
STEVE also received his Doctor of Medicine
degree torn Columbia Univ.'s College of Physicians and Surgeons, but
he specialized in internal medicine, becoming a national expert in
lupus from his practice in Atlanta GA. He married Lynn Healey
Chesterman (see left) (born Jan. 16, 1944) on June 17, 1967,
having three children (see below): Graham Stephen Balch
(on Steve's right) (born Jan. 19, 1974), Colby Ross
Balch (on Graham's right) (born Apr. 6, 1976), and Ryan Thomas
Balch (on Colby's right) (born Aug. 20, 1978).
After Steve and Lynn were divorced, he married Mary Lyn Reagan (in
center at right) (born May 25, 1943) on Feb. 10, 1996, adding two
more sons, Donald Brenton Reagan II (at extreme left in photo at right) (born
Feb. 4, 1974) who married Lisa Watts on Apr. 21, 2001, and Spencer
Gibson Reagan (to Brenton's right) (born Apr. 5,
1976).
RANDY got an MBA in Hospital Administration before earning his law degree.
He worked with the Health Planning Association and also was president
of Medical Management Group. He is now providing counsel in Cyn’s
law firm, which deals in estate planning, probate, and health care
law. He continues to teach medical ethics at Ohio State Univ. He
married Jacintha (Cyn) Maria Kraft (see left) (born Jan. 21,
1953) on Dec. 21, 1974, having two children(see right): James
Randolph Balch (born Oct. 16, 1987), and Christopher Kraft
Balch (born Feb. 27,1991).
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Contents
The photo on the right was taken on Tom's birthday, August 22, 1998,
and shows many of his descendants. (From left to right,):
(top row) Margie Henney, Minerva Martin, Margery, Glenda Parker;
(next row down) Kathie Hummel, Tom Henney, Barbara Wright Henney
holding Alexandra LaRouche, Dana Wright; (third row down) Bill
Henney, Genie Henney LaRouche, Gunnar Hempel holding Melanie Hempel,
Patti Henney Hempel; (bottom row) Jo Anne Henney, Nathaniel
LaRouche, Chuck Henney. Glenn LaRouche is standing by the left rail,
and Isaac Hummel is standing by the right rail.
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