BINNEY---GOW---HANMER---MEISSNER---POMNITZ

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

  1.  Purpose of this Newsletter
  2.  Family Stories, Events and Biographies:
       »  Art Meissner remembers
         "Charles Edwin Pomnitz" (1893-1954)
  3.  "Passages": Births, Anniversaries, Deaths, etc.
  4.  Family T-Shirt
  5.  Pomnitz Family Fund Report - Ed Pomnitz, Sr.
  6.  Family Chat Room Now Open
  7.  Newsletter Mechanics:   
       »  Format & Layout of the Newsletter
  8.  Contact Information:
       »  How to subscribe/unsubscribe
       »  Where to send articles & news
  9.  Notizen Aus Dem Ziegenstall
       (Notes From the Goathouse)
10.  Next Newsletter Date
11.  Final Quote

THE PURPOSE of this newsletter:  to note and share items of possible interest for the "greater Pomnitz Family".  The 149 family names mentioned in the Family Tree are listed at http://www.pomnitz.net/history/surnames_list.htm.   Please do send me suggestions or ideas for future newsletters:  they will be taken seriously.

PLEASE SEND US FAMILY STORIES, BIOGRAPHIES and notes of interest for future newsletters.  Questions about any aspect of the Family Tree or history?  We’ll track down answers for you.  Jot down a bio-note about yourself, one of your parents, or one of your immediate family.  They will be shared and saved in the Archives.

CHARLES EDWIN POMNITZ (1893 - 1954) - Grandfather of our Webmaster, Edwin Charles Pomnitz, Sr.; Twin to the Father of our PRESENT FAMILY HISTORIAN "Chuck" (Charles Edwin Pomnitz).   (Is this a family or what??) - A Remembrance by Art Meissner, Registered Nephew to Charles.

I visited Uncle Charlie near Christmas, 1953, about a month after my mother, Celia Pomnitz Meissner, sister of Charlie, died.   It was to be only a month before Uncle Charlie himself was to die.

I stopped by his home in northern New Jersey, on my way back to school after Christmas vacation in Detroit, with my Father, John.  Uncle Charlie and Aunt Mary were always gracious and warm toward me, and this was no exception.  A beautiful feast was served, in the days when I seemed to be able to eat all I wanted and still be thin.  Among other things, Uncle Charlie showed me the invention he had been working on for several years:  A perpetual motion machine!

I could not believe it:  I had been taught that perpetual motion machines were fine in theory, but could not work!  Uncle Charlie had worked for years for Timkin Roller Bearing in New Jersey.   All those roller bearings got him to thinking:  "What if..."   The thought came to him that these bearings just might be able to continuing rolling and rolling IF they were put in the right environment.  And he thought he was pretty near to building it.  In fact, he showed me a model he had built:  a tooled metal object, about 10 - 12 inches high, 2 inches wide, 6 inches deep.  He took a metal plate off the side which revealed channels inside which reminded me of a spiral conch shell sliced in half; but these channels formed a continual loop.  He showed me how five metal roller bearings (about 1 inch diameter) could roll in a serpentine-like circle, in a light oil bath, with three of the bearings always coming down and pushing up the remaining two bearings.  He seemed excited as he told me how a huge version could propel great ocean liners, and other right-sized models could power airplanes through the sky.

I came away a changed young man.  With all the terrors and traumas of life lying ahead, I knew that my Uncle could dream in ways I had not thought possible.  It buoyed me up.  The fact that the 'perpetual motion machine' would never come to be did not bother me.  It was "ok" to dream and to think big.  How absolutely lovely, I thought.  And it is innate in our family.

PASSAGES:  EVENTS REPORTED SINCE THE LAST NEWSLETTER (births, graduations, marriages, deaths, careers):

Birth:  September 16, 2001 - David Robert Meissner, son of Daniel and Elizabeth Meissner.  Meet David at http://meissner.fws1.com.

THE POMNITZ FAMILY FUND REPORT - (A Note from Ed Pomnitz, Sr.):  Thanks to the generous contributions of our family members, our Pomnitz Family Web hosting has been paid through the end of 2001.  We received the equivalent of $171.14 USD at the 2001 Family Reunion and a have had a total of another $25.00 USD mailed in.

Let us not forget the many other ways that people have contributed.

All those, starting with Pat and Jim Kusiak, who helped make the 2001 Family Reunion a complete success!  And all those who have contributed their time and homes for all our past wonderful reunions.

I want to thank Art Meissner and Associate Editor Nan Meissner who has provided time and effort for the ongoing publishing of this fine newsletter.  Take a moment to help them out with a little encouragement:   Perhaps a note of thanks... and ALSO help them by contributing a story or biography of your own to be published in the next newsletter.

The importance of our Family Reunions, our Family Newsletter, our Family Tree Database and our Family Web is most significant in two areas, understanding our rich heritage and staying in touch with one another.  My most deeply felt gratitude goes to all of those who have made this a GRAND FAMILY, one in which I'm proud to belong!

Love to All, Ed Pomnitz, Sr.

FAMILY FUND REPORT - From Ed Pomnitz, Sr.

------------
Receipts
------------
$ 171.14 - Reunion Contributions
     20.00 - Mail-In Contributions
       5.00 - Mail-In Contributions
======
$ 196.14

-------------------
Disbursement
-------------------
$  38.85 - Web Hosting Pomnitz.com & Pomnitz.net  Jul - Sep 2001
$  38.85 - Web Hosting Pomnitz.com & Pomnitz.net  Oct - Dec 2001
======
$  77.70

----------------------
Current Balance
----------------------
$ 118.44

If you desire to make a contribution to the Pomnitz Family Fund, you can mail your check or money order to:

• Myra Pomnitz
  7891 Marlbourough Ave.
  Parma, Ohio 44129

FAMILY CHAT ROOM NOW OPEN:  The family website now offers family members (only) their own 'chat-room', where you can (at no cost to you, except time) chat with others anywhere in the world.  You can find it in the "In Touch" area, http://www.pomnitz.net/intouch/index.htm,   just click on  "Family Chatter"  This area requires a USER ID and PASSWORD.  This area requires a USER ID and PASSWORD which webmaster@pomnitz.net will be happy to give you.

NEWSLETTER MECHANICS:  TROUBLE VIEWING THE NEWSLETTER IN THIS FORMAT??:  Please notify editor@pomnitz.net to describe any problems you are having.  This Newsletter is composed and sent to you in "plain text" since some subscribers may not have computers capable of handling graphics in their e-mail.  For a 'graphic version' of the newsletter, go to the Newsletter section on our family website.  http://www.pomnitz.net/news/newsletter/index.htm.  You can print a copy if you wish.

CONTACT INFORMATION:   To Subscribe, Unsubscribe to this Newsletter, or to correct names and addresses, please go to http://www.pomnitz.net/news/newsletter/index.htm or send a regular postal letter to the address below.

PLEASE DO SIGN OUR GUEST BOOK on your next visit to The Pomnitz Family Web:  http://www.pomnitz.net.

SEND E-MAIL REPLIES TO editor@pomnitz.com.  Replies by regular postal mail may be sent to Art Meissner, Editor, Pomnitz Family Newsletter, 15 Three Oaks Road, Rhinebeck, NY 12572-2675, (845) 876-6407 OR TO OUR ASSOCIATE EDITOR!!, Nancy Meissner, at nlmeissner@aol.com.

NOTIZEN AUS DEM ZIEGENSTALL (Notes From The Goathouse):  By Art Meissner, Editor.  These are 'notes from the Editor's notebook'.  I think I get the best notes when, of all things, I am milking the goats.  Just at dawn each morning, here in the Great Northeast, I walk out with milk bucket in hand and wake up our four lovely Toggenburg Goats.  They all look like the goats in "The Sound of Music" up in the Swiss Alps. For some reason I dare not question, I receive great inspiration both for the day ahead and about life in general and in depth from them.  Why?  The goats.  They love to be with people.   Again, I am not going to question their judgment but merely be thankful for their love, affection and concern for me and my family.  Yet the goats help keep my feet on the ground of reality and remind me that I am part of their animal world.  They rely on us for food, water, health care, grooming, hay, and more.  I've come to rely on them for their ability to make me explain myself, among other things.  The way our milk-room is set up, while I am milking one goat who is eating grain in one stanchion, I can look into the eyes of a neighboring goat also in a stanchion awaiting milking.   This is a great experience.  Goats can easily stare-down any hypnotist and win, never losing eye contact.  So I take advantage of being their center of attraction by telling them about my life, my ideas, and my family.  They seem strangely appreciative of my chatter. Plus they seem to have an uncanny ability to give almost instant, nonverbal evaluation of whatever I am saying.  If they like what I am saying and maybe even agree with my judgments, they respond by burping a gentle "baaaaa".  But if I am spouting nonsense, they just belch in my face, never losing eye contact, with their tongue extended straight out!  But I can never get them to tell me what they say at Midnight, Christmas Eve, when all God's animals can speak out loud.  They seem most fascinated with our Pomnitz Family and its branches of Gow, Binney, Hanmer, McKeown and Meissner....  If you have any question you'd like me to put to them, let me know.  I'll report their response faithfully!

NEXT NEWSLETTER is tentatively scheduled for February 1, 2002.  It will contain a summary of then-current Family news as well as any articles submitted by family members.  Please help by submitting newsletter items no later than January 15, 2002.  You do not have to do a lot of writing: Just list WHO in the Family did WHAT, WHEN, and WHERE.  ("How" and "Why" are optional.)  Our "Crack Editorial Team" will put it together for the next issue.  THANKS!