Finley Ong (1839-1864) and letters from the American Civil War

Your Editor inherited his interest in family history from both his father and his grandfather, Louis Brosee Ong (1911-1986), for whom genealogy was an important hobby (the others being music, specifically drumming, and carpentry).  One manifestation of his work was that in the late 1960's he had arranged along the main staircase wall of the family home in Uhrichsville, Ohio a series of photographs of the Ong family members of our line, starting from Jacob Ong (1760-1849) all the way through eight generations to a grade school photo of the Editor at around age 10.  Aside from the direct ancestors, and some photos of old Ong houses and furniture, there were two other photographs of honor, both brothers to the Editor's great-great-grandfather Harlan Ong (1850-1919) likewise sons of Moses Harlan Ong (1810-1890) and Mary Cain Ong (1814-1875): The first was my great-great-great uncle, Dr Albert R. Ong, (1846-1906), the author of "The Ong Family of America" (published posthumously in 1906), and the other was a Civil War-era portrait of their older brother, Finley, in military uniform (above).

The entry for Finley Ong in Dr. Ong's book is as follows:

FINLEY ONG was born on the 2nd day of January, 1839.  He was a soldier in the Civil War, a member of Company H, 126th Regiment, O.V.I.  He was wounded in the battle of the Wilderness on the 26th day of May, 1864, and died on the following day.  He was also a faithful soldier of the Cross, and died with these blessed words on his lips as he sang:

                                           "Jesus, lover of my soul.
                                                Let me to Thy bosom fly;
                                           While the nearer waters roll,
                                                While the tempest still in high.

                                           "Hide me, Oh my Savior, hide,
                                                Till the storm of life is passed;
                                            Safe into the Haven guide,
                                                Oh, receive my soul at last."

He was twenty-five years of age at the time of his death and was unmarried.

--- 

This romanticized account of his passing is undocumented of course, but the date of death here - May 26, 1864 - is problematic as the Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5th through 7th, 1864,  But the date for his death on the side of his family's group tombstone (in Northern Cemetery, Smithfield, Ohio) is given as May 6th, which fits the narrative precisely. 

,

This also matches the relevant entry for "Findley Ong" in John Gibson's "History of the 126th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry" (1883):  "Wounded and captured in battle  Wilderness, May 6, 1864.  Died in hands of enemy from wounds received in battle  Wilderness,  May 6, 1864."

The Editor's branch of the family has preserved a group of letters relating to Finley Ong which makes fascinating reading over 150 years later.  One letter relating the news of Finley's loss to his father gives yet another date for his death.  (All the letters are presented here without any corrections.)

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(Letter from Pvt. J.B. Moore to Moses Harlan Ong)

Spottsylvania Heights

May 17, 1864

Mr. Ong,

Sir with grief I seat myself to give you the sad news of your true son Finly  he is missing from our ranks  He was wounded May 16th  We charge and we were drove he was left on the field consequintly he fell into the hands of the rebles  He was wounded in the hip or the leg we could not tell but he seamed to sufer very much but we are in hopes he aint dead  as fore me to give you any corect account I could not at this time but will at the earliest peariod posible.  I received several letters fore him to day and as I could not send them to you I opened them and found but one of them frome home fore with I enclose with this ---- I also found one with one dolars worth of postage stamps and as the boys wer out I gave them to them and-----worth in money I will be glad to doe anything in the way of information I can for any of you  I was a bunk maitt of Finlyes and I feal it my dieuty to doe what I can in this way  I will close is hast as we have to move  believe me to by your friend

J.B. M(? -illegible)

Company H (126th)

Brig G

Via Washington

G,W Paxson is mising  John Hooper is wounded  William Ford is wounded  I will give you a longer detail 

---

Based on the regimental Muster Roll, the author is undoubtedly J.B. Moore, and the events described in the postscript occurred between May 9th and May 12th.  As for May 16th vs May 6th, the two possibilities are that the letter has the date wrong, or Finley was wounded and died in the subsequent engagement at Spotsylvania Court House in which the 126th OVI was also deployed, suffering heavy casualties, and the regimental records confused the facts.  That is understandable given that in these two weeks of battle in early May over half of the regiment was killed, wounded or went missing.

Here is the account of May 6th in Gibson's history:

Here are the other letters in the collection: 

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(Letter from Elthiza M Cuppy to Finley Ong)

Home

September 6th 1863

Mr. Ong

I was very agreeably surprised afew weeks ago on receiving a letter from you  Now I will try to answer but I will not promise you much for I cannot write an interesting letter but perhaps it will serve to amuse you in some of your lonesome moments  We have been having avery hard rain here this eavening it was needed very much for it has been the dryest this summer I ever saw it  I just came home from yearly meeting in time to escape the rain  it was crowded hot and dusty there so you know it would not be very pleasant at least it was not to me  Brother John came home afew weeks ago  he is not well and I am afraid never will be  There was a picnic at the mouth of Piney Fork yesterday I thought it was not going to pay and would not go I am sorry now that I did not for I guess they had a tolerbly good time  But as this is my first letter I will close  I will be pleased to hear from you if you think this worth answering  Excuse all mistakes and poor writing.

Your friend

Elthiza M Cuppy

---

Notes: 

Elthiza M. Cuppy (1846-1939) wrote this from Mt Pleasant, Ohio, just before her 17th birthday.  Like many in the Quaker community she was also kin:  Elthiza was the niece by marriage of Finley's great uncle, John McGrew Ong (1799-1877), who married Mary Jane Cuppy (1797-1877).  Elthiza married Marion Strong McGrew (another cousin to the Ongs) in 1875.

"Brother John" was John Worrall Cuppy (1827-1891), who served as a Hospital Steward in the 104th Illinois Infanty

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(Letter from George W. Paxson to Finley Ong)

Sept. 26th 1863

Camp near Culpeper Va.

Mr. Finley Ong

Sir by good luck a detachment of the 110 Ohio camped in and near Camp Tyler started to join their regiment in the army of the Potomac on the 23rd and we were sent with them.  we arived in Washington at midnight  we remained in Washington untill 1 P.M. when we went to Alexandria, where we stayed untill dark when we were put aboard a hay train, and arived in Culpeper about 12 A.M.  slept in a car loaded with oats, untill morning eat a piece of dry bread and balogna for breakfast, slung my knapsack and marched out about two miles to the camp of the 126th where I arrived about 10 A.M.  the regt is very small at present there is 38 men of co H at this place and 35 are reported for duty  a number (including Lieut McKinney) were left at New York, Stonebrook died at that place, a number are also at Alexandria.  Col Smith is in command of our brigade.  The 11 and 12 corps have gone to Tennesse  We keep 8 days rations by us all the time, independent of what we draw for present use  Waddle has been promoted to orderly and Conway to Segeant again.  direct Co. H 126th Ohio 3 Brigade 3 Division 3 Corps  army of the Potomac.  Jos. Deyarmon and Wm Ford are well  Yours.  Geo W. Paxson

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Notes:

The author, George W. Paxson (1840-1864), was a Private in Co. H, 126th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was listed as missing in battle at Spotsylvania Court House May 9, 1864.  The circumstances of this letter are interesting as Finley Ong must not have been in active duty in the regiment in Sept 1863.  The regiment was recruited from Harrison County in the summer of 1862 as a volunteer unit with a three year commitment, so Finley either was a late joiner or was on furlough, the latter being more likely since the writer makes it sound as if Finley knows the various people mentioned.

The detachment to New York refers to the effort by the Union Army to enforce the draft in New York City.  2nd Lt. Thomas W. McKinnie was subsequently wounded at the Wilderness on May 6, 1864.  He re-entered active duty and was eventually promoted to Lt. Colonel of the regiment in Jan. 1865.  Private John Stonebrook died of disease in New York City on Sept 9, 1863.

The regiment's commander, Col. Benjamin F. Smith, was an acting Brigadier General (as referenced in the letter) and had been a Captain in the regular Army.

Benjamin N. Waddle, was promoted to Sergeant on Sept. 1, 1863, captured at the Wilderness on May 6, 1864, and was exchanged and died in January 1865.

Sergeant Moses Conway was killed the Battle of Flint Hill, Sept. 21, 1864.

Private Joseph Deyormond died of disease on Jan. 6, 1864 at Brandy Station, Virginia, the regiment's winter encampment.

Private William Ford was wounded on May 12, 1864 and again on Sept. 19, 1864.  He was transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps in March 1865.


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(Letter likely from Anna Eliza Ong to Finley Ong)

Direct to Hopedale
Harrison Co
in care of Mr. Hill

Dumphery Hall
Hopedale O.
Nov 25, 1863

Friend Finley,

I intended to have answered your long and interesting letter ere this by I have had so much to busy myself about before coming that I thought I had better wait for a good opportunity than to scrach off something in a hurry.

So I come again to greet you with a kind good evening.  It has been a very gloomy and unpleasant without  But with the curtains drawn in room No. 20 and a cheerful fire and surroundings to muse by we forget the unpleasantness of without in the quiet within  Nature is indeed seldom a sympathizer with our inner life.  It has light heed of human suffering.  But I must give you a few preliminaries of our school.  I have been her 2 weeks and so far I like the school and its several teachers enceeding well it and they are all and even more than expected all that I anticipated has been fully realized.  Mr. Regal the principal is one the nicest men I have ever met in other words he is a gentleman.  There's about 50 studence in attendance and more expected  there are 8 gents boards in the hall including Mr. Brinkerhoff (one of the proff.)  all of the cottages ar taken up with club boarders  the room we are in is capable of accomodating 4 has at present only 2 in persons of humble servant and Corrie Madill we are expecting 2 other ladies next.  There is two good societies call the ?diadark? lions and the percleaians.  both societies are flourishing  I have not united with either.  I shall join the formor the anniversary comes off on the 18.  The members are preparing for a grand time  the members of said societies must perform something every Friday evening the can know what it is by refering to the program which is made out and hung up in the assembly room.  I only have six studies arretrrhmetic Grammar Geography Nat. philosophy elecution orthography an penmanship.  That is as meny as Mr. Regal allows us to have in addition to belonning to a society which is considered equivalent to a study for it is no small task to belong and be a good member.  I have only recited 2 since I cam here for I was ill the first of this week last they did nothing but organize classes.

I had almost given up hop of hearing from you  Ah! like the faint flowers of Sommer which the vanity finger hath plucked friends has gone in natures domain.  Gone foreve like the gorgeous summer we may never welcome again.

Friends has gone from us to strike a blow for the good old starry banner and to die and before it is all over how many will be silent beneath the green grass sleeping the loving sweet sleep of the glorious saints and heroes; these martyrs of holy truth some in the honorable ?scors? some great and glorious all sutfering(?) either from the silent land beyond through the echoing hall of memory or from every place of honor in our land  how great a thing it is to die for freedom  "Oh! God of battles" steel the souldiers heart  I fear I have been talking too serious for you have been joking with your fellow souldiers so much you will like shewghing this around

But I will have to close do excuse this miserable scribling I write.  is great how the boy will soon start to this office  this is Thanksgiving and there is no school

write soon
ever your Annie



*************
(Letter likely from Lemuel W. Ong to Finley Ong)

Richmond Ohio
Dec 1 1863
F. Ong

Cozy Friend

Time with untiring wings in hurrying on to its destined goal.  Eternity's mighty ocean swerving in his path the wrecks of empires the tombs of nations and no chain not even nights deep darkness can bind his rushing pinions.  How time flies.  Nearly one year has rolled away to join the boundless chain in the eternity of the past since last I looked into your eye grasped the hand of friendship and bid you adieu.  Last night autumn died today chilling winter is seated on his icy throne and rules the world.  All nature bears the visage of the cold spring bare and desolate.  the murmuring brook lies hushed in its icy fetter the feathered songsters have gone to carol their melodies in more genial climes.  The gentle breeze shrunk before the northern blast which now is howling dismally around while your friend cozy and comfortable is seated beneath the homestead rook scribing a few thoughts for your edification perhaps and in response to your long-looked-for and very kind epistle which now lays before me.  Fin, why this long silence?  If my memory serves me justly it occurs to me that you promised to open a correspondence with me soon after you returned to the field.

I have been reproved more than once from not writing to you by venerable advisers saying that you are a soldier and hence opportunity don't come on golden wings every day for writing friendships to everyone.  I could not see the philosophy in such an argument acknowledging however that soldiers do battle with many privations but letters from your own hand have been received time and again by others whom perchance you considered more worthy.  But let us drop that and enter upon something more important  "Let the past dead bury its dead and think only of promptness in the future.

I am hearty as usual still able for full rations and hope when this reaches its destination it may find you basking in the sunshine of good health.  Allow me to say that Angel in calico over at the white cottage is in fine spirits and blooming waiting perhaps till this "Cruel War is over" when some one of America's brave sons may take her blushing from the Hymen's altar  Fin, today the storm which drives our ship of state out upon the shoals and quicksands of discussion is not so terrible as in times gone by.  Dare we to hope that the tempest is almost over?  Dare we to say that the Goddess of Liberty bearing in one hand the emblem of peace in the other noble and beautiful "Stars and Bars" is about to emanate from the dark clouds and dispense the gloom?  Hope it may be!  Anna has gone to Salem to school this winter.  Excuse this writing and all errors for I am in a hurry.  Write soon without fail and I will try and be more interesting in my next.

PS Fin get a furlough and come home during the holiday

Yours
Lemm

---
Note:
The authors of these two letters - "Lemm" and "Annie" - are not properly identified, but there are enough clues to indicate that these are likely Finley Ong's first cousins, Lemuel W. Ong (1844-1877) and his sister Anna (Annie) E. Ong Simpson (1849-1929), both children of Lewis Ong (1816-1898) and Elmira Purviance Ong (1820-1901).  Lemuel Ong, age 19 at this time, was a student at Richmond College in his hometown of Richmond, Ohio.  He later received a Masters degree from Allegheny College in Pennsylvania, and returned to Richmond to take charge of the College and became its President in 1868, an office he held until his death in 1877,  His sister Annie, 14 at the time of this writing, was educated at the Friends School in Salem, Ohio and then Richmond College, and in 1871 she married Prof. Samuel S. Simpson, who was subsequently President of Richmond College from 1878 to 1886.  Their brother, Lindley H. Ong (1841-1862), had already died from illness while serving as a hospital nurse in the 40th Ohio Voluntry Infantry, then posted in Kentucky.

The love interest obliquely referred to in the third paragraph remains a mystery.


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(And finally, a letter from Finley himself to one of his several aunts.)


Camp in the Mud
Army of the Potomac 
April 5th 1864

Dear Aunt,

     For the first time and with plascure do I imbrace the over whelming oppertunity of pening afiew simple thoughts for your perusal and perhaps edification  Not being gifted with nack of letter writeing like some others I have alwais failed to interest my my relatives or from there actions I could not come to eney other conclusion.  but I feel that I am now writeing to one who will not look for prafection but will hail with plasure afiew lines pened by unworthey me.

     Aunt I left home on the morn of the 17th October  Landed at my rgt on the eavning of the 23rd distance about 550 miles found the regt encampt nie Brandy station on the Orange and elanandria RR found the boys in good health with one or two excseption.  they wer very snugley fixed in there little log huts which had been built by the rebs.  Ar boys drove them out of there winter quarters.  Steped in took posation whare they have been fairing sumtiousley all winter  I nevor saw ar regt. injoying as good health and looking so well as they ar at presant  But when I come to look round over my Co. meney faces which was familliar and aquaintance dear was missing the pail messenger death had been thair and had sumoned them home.  I could not help but feel bad.  but the words came huring across my mind.  The Lord giveth the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord.  Sweet consolation is it not to those who love his coming.  But I have allmost lost the run of my subject.  I am now one that constitute apart of the galent yet unsucsesfol Army of Potomac.  in a day or two after I arrived ar Brigade was ordered out on Picket  I with the rest of them packed and slung knapsack three days rashions in haversack and away we go it was 8 miles from camp to ar pickt line.  we stayed out three days one of them being easter Sunday on Tuesday 29th we was releaved then had 8 miles to tramp to camp the mud being very deep and rain falling in perfect torants made it rather adisagreeble trip  got to camp found orders awaiting us.  ar new commander and hero of the western Army front is here reorganiseing this Army to suit him self so we was trasfered from the 3rd Corps to the 6th the largest corps in the U S Army the 5 origonal corps has been consolidated in to three.  Namely 2nd 5th and 6th Commandid by the three galent heroes namely Hancock Com. 2nd Warren Com 5th Sedgwick 6th Gen. Grant Commander in Chief  we had to move ar camp.  Marched about 3 miles took the quarters of the 17th Main got as good quarters as we left was it no but better  Aunt we ar exspecting a grand and earley move of this Army and I hope to acheive that which will make eny loyal hart rejoice.  But it has been raining and snowing hear ever since I joined my regt consiquently the roads ar geting very bad and amove at preasant would be out of the question.

     Aunt this mutch nicer country than I excspected to find But bares evry mark of the desolation of war  the once snug little cotage that was once inhabited by perhaps ahappy couple surounded as it may of been by some of earths fair daughters is now deserted  the boken flore split doors and the wind whistling through the broken windows speaks plainley that it has been changed from that what it was built for to the dwelling of some of Uncle Sams Boys  to sum al up in afiew werds the whole country is layed at wast and nothing to be scene or herd but clash of arms and tramp of the war horse.

Finley

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According to the Regiment's records, Finley Ong died of his wounds in Confederate hands 31 days later.

The Editor especially thanks John Doyle Ong for these transcriptions.

More information on Ong family members who served in the Civil War may be found at: http://ongfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2016/01/ongs-in-american-civil-war.html

Jimmy Carter is 1/128th Ong!

The White House portrait of James Earl ("Jimmy") Carter, Jr., 39th President of the United States 

Thanks to an overnight message from our cousin Lois Odatay, the Editor is reminded of the fact that all American Ongs are cousins to the 39th U.S. President, Jimmy Carter.  One of President Carter's 5-great grandmothers was Esther Ong Duckworth (1719/20-1769), the daughter of Jacob (1672-1743) and Elizabeth Ong from the Quaker community of Little Egg Harbor, Burlington County, New Jersey (now Tuckerton in Ocean County), making Jimmy Carter officially 1/128th Ong!  As far as we know all the Ongs in America are descended from Esther's older brother Jacob (1702-1729) and his son Jeremiah Ong (1724-1767?).  Sometime after Esther Ong and Joseph Duckworth were married in Burlington County (on 1 June 1737), they moved to a Quaker settlement in North Carolina, and the next generation of Duckworths moved to Wrightsborough, Georgia on the eve of the Revolution where a daughter married a Carter.  The rest is history....

The descent of President Carter from the Ongs is as follows:

Jacob (1672-1743) & Elizabeth Ong's 9th (of 11) child Esther (1719/20-1769) marries Joseph Duckworth in New Jersey in 1737.
Their 4th (of 6) child Jeremiah Duckworth (1740-1809) marries Christiana Ramsey in North Carolina in 1760.
Their 14th (of 19!) child Eleanor ("Nellie") Duckworth (1780-1820) marries James Carter in Georgia in 1798
Their 1st (of 10) child Wiley Carter (1832-1873) marries Ann Ansley in 1821
Their 5th (of 11) child Littleberry Walker Carter (1832-1873) marries Mary Ann Seals in 1851
Their 3rd (of 4) child William Archibald Carter (1832-1873) marries Nina Pratt in 1885
Their 4th (of 5) child James Earl Carter (1894-1953) marries Bessie Lillian ("Miss Lillian") Gordy in 1923
Their 1st (of 4) child is James Earl ("Jimmy") Carter, b 1924, 39th President of the United States

President Carter's son Jeff Carter has written a very nice account of his family's ancestry, "The Ancestors of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter" (McFarland & Co., 2012) which includes a narrative history of many of the various families from whom the Carters are descended, although Esther Ong's origins are not covered, unlike the Duckworths.

President Carter receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway in 2002.  In the audience was his 6th cousin, 2x removed, John Doyle Ong, US Ambassdor to Norway, 2002-2006

John Nathan Ong, Jr., Ph.D. (27 May 1927 - 6 March 2017)

I am sorry to report the death last month of another of our distinguished cousins.  RIP.

From the Fairfield (IA) Ledger:

FAIRFIELD, Iowa --  Dr. John N. Ong, Jr., age 89, of Fairfield, passed away on Monday, March 6, 2017 at his home.

Memorial services will be held on Tuesday, March 14, 10:30 A.M., at St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.

John was born May 27, 1927, in Minas de Rio Tinto, Huelva, Spain to Lucille Bristol and John Ong, Sr.  As a teenager, from 1941 until 1945, he attended Plumtree School in Plumtree, Southern Rhodesia, Africa.  After serving honorably in the United States Army, he attended the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, conferring his Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering (BSChE) in 1952, and his doctorate degree in metallurgy (PhD) in 1955.

John worked at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri from 1956 until 1961, Aerospace Industries from 1961 until 1966, and the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee from 1966 until his retirement in 1990.

He was united in marriage to Dian Whitney Marker on July 27, 1996.

John enjoyed playing bridge, solving puzzles, and studying metaphysics.  He was a member of St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Mt. Pleasant.  He was also active in Phi Delta Theta Social Fraternity, Tau Beta Pi Engineering Scholastic Society, Sigma Xi Scientific Scholastic Society, and ISSS (Systems Professional Society).

He is survived by his wife Dian: four daughters: Susan (Douglas) Dapo of Westerville, Ohio; Sarah (John) Schmitkons of Lorain, Ohio; Rachel (Tom) Kilbourn and Ruth McCurdy both of Vacaville, California; step children, Kimberly Marker of Pleasant Valley, New York, and Jason (Sara) Marker of Denver, Colorado; sixteen grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and siblings Polly Ingram of Raleigh, North Carolina, Sandra Ong of Blairstown, Iowa, and Richard Ong of Evanston, Wyoming.

John was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife Elaine Egbert Ong; grandson, Hudson Marker; and son-in-law, Steve McCurdy.

Memorial donations in John's name may be made to Planned Parenthood of Southeast Iowa or The Nature Conservancy of Iowa.

-----

Here is Dr. Ong's micro-autobiography from "Being Our Own Heroes; Our Stories and Other Myths" by The Timeless and Transcendental (TNT) Bunch (1st World Library: 2003):


MEET JOHN ONG

Residences (in reverse order): Iowa, Wisconsin, California, Missouri, Utah, Military Service, Northern Rhodesia (Zambia), Spain.
Name (Ong): Origin Viking, out of England (means "respected old man" in Chinese).
Dharma: Integration (I want to know everything).
Progeny: Four daughters, fifteen grandchildren.

Cover photo of "The Timeless and Transcendental (TNT) Bunch"

How various American Ong families are related

Your Editor has had a very busy period in the last few months due to changing jobs, and among other failings I did not manage to publish a year-end letter to the family for end-2016 as I did for end-2015. However I do intend to make amends in the coming months!

One of my projects for preparation for a Grand Ong Family Reunion in 2018 is to map out how the various clusters of Ong family members I am in touch with via this blog and the related Facebook page are related to one another.  As you know I have not used the blog to go into very much detail on the family tree so far, but I think many of you will find this chart interesting.  I have used my own nicknames for the various family branches or clusters I am aware of, and hopefully family members will recognize where they fit.  There are 12 clusters here which capture almost every American Ong I know, although I have a few "loose ends" among my contacts.  (My cluster is the "Uhrichsville OH Ongs", named after the Ohio town where my Ong great-grandparents and grandparents lived.)  If you don't see your cluster clearly here, or you see an error, contact me at ongfamilyhistory@gmail.com and we'll figure it out together.  And if you have a better suggestion for the name of your part of the family I will be happy to adopt it!

-The Editor


Access chart via this link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By5W18WsUQDuN0Q0aVBXcDdEMUU/view?usp=sharing

William Armitage Ong (28 December 1902 - November 1979)

William A. Ong, known to all as Bill, was one of the first Ongs I heard anything about as a child, of course excluding my immediate family, my Ong grandparents and various other uncles and aunts.  We knew of him as the "Ong Airlines" man, since indeed that was one of his many ventures.  It was amusing to us that our obscure family name had an airline named after it, even if Ong Airlines was not exactly a household name.  My father had somehow procured a timetable which he had tucked into one of his copies of "Ong Family of America.

Much later I acquired two of his books and learned more about his fascinating career in and around airplanes, especially in his memoir, "Ride The High Wind - An Adventure Story of Flying in the 1920's" (1979, Pilot News Press).

Bill Ong was born in Lacon, Illinois on 28 December 1902, the child of Judson W. Ong, Jr and Mercedes E. Armitage Ong.  He was apparently named after his maternal grandfather William Armitage.  Here is his "About the Author" biography from the dust jacket of his WWII study "Target Luftwaffe - The Tragedy and the Triumph of the World War II Air Victory" (1981, The Lowell Press):

"Following his first solo flight in 1927, Ong won recognition by barnstorming and air racing throughout the Midwest.  From 1929 through 1936, he held the position of sales manager for Rearwin, Inland, Waco and Beech, all manufacturers of civil aircraft.  Charter member of the Professional Racing Pilots Association, he flew in six Thompson Trophy Races during the '30s , and in 1946 returned to Cleveland to win a trophy in a P-51D.

"In 1937, Ong founded his own company, Ong Aircraft Corporation.  When World War II began, Ong, a Captain in the Army Air Corps Reserve, was operating flight schools at seven Kansas and Missouri locations under the Civilian Pilot Training Program.  By war's end, his company had trained approximately 10,000 Army, Navy and Air Force students without a fatality.

"In 1940, Ong was the principal founder and first president of the National Aviation Trades Association, general aviation's most respected voice in Washington.

"After the war, Ong was elected to the presidency of virtually every aviation-oriented organization in the Kansas City area and helped to found the national organization, Silver Wings Fraternity.  In 1960, he was designated "Aviation Man of the Year" by the Midwest Region of the Air Transport Association.  He then became active at the national and international levels, serving as U.S representative to the Federation Aeronatique Internationale, and as Vice-President, received its Paul Tissandier Diploma.

"Ong's love of speed, which took him into dirt track racing in the early '20s, surfaced again in the middle '50s when. his air racing days completed, took up sports car racing.  Winning numerous trophies, he was elected Regional Executive of the Sports Car Club of America, Kansas City Region.

"Ong served two years as President of the National Aeronaticcs Assocaition and two years as Board Chairman, during which time he edited and published National Aeronatics magazine.  He served on both the Collier Trophy Committee and was appointed to the College of Elder Statesmen of Aeronautics.

"During this time, he continued to operate Ong Aircraft Corporation, founded Ong Airlines, a Chicago-based feeder line, and turned his attention increasingly to writing.  He became Associate Editor of the prestigious Flight Magazine and in 1963 was made a member of the Aviation/Space Writers Association.  a prolific reviewer of aviation books, he also served as Contributing Editor to Pilot News, where his "Prop Wash" column appeared regularly.  The Kansas City Star frequently carried his articles on many subjects.  His account of flying in the '20s, Ride the High Wind, was published in 1979.

"In May of 1975, Ong was inducted in the Aviation Hall of Fame at Hammondsport, New York, as a outstanding aviation pioneer, statesman, and author."

The NATA, which now stands for the National Air Transportation Association and is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, honors the memory of its co-founder and first president through the annual granting of the "William A. "Bill" Ong Memorial Award" for extraordinary achievement and extended meritorious service to the general aviation industry.  A list of recipients can be found here: http://nata.aero/Awards/Ong-Memorial-Award.aspx.

Bill was married for over 57 years to Esther Louise Hunter Ong, of whom he wrote:

"I do not think any other woman would have shared my erratic life with her understanding, her gentle consideration, and her unselfish devotion to me.  She hated airplanes; well she might, for one of them took the life of one of her two sons.

"Yet never once did she protest or complain although dread uncertainty was a heavy cross for her small body.

"I have never won anything of importance in aviation, or in motor racing which I was doing in dirt track cars at country fairs when we met in Illinois.  But no man has won a greater prize than her assent to marry me that hot summer day of August 18, 1921."

Bill and Esther's son Donald Hunter Ong also became in turn a prominent Kansas City businessman and many descendants of this branch of the family tree still live in the area.

Another website on aviation pioneers has a page on Bill Ong found here: http://petersonfield.org/people/ong_wa/index.php

Albert R. Ong, M.D. (9 October 1846 - 22 September 1906)

Ong Family History is once again grateful to our London correspondent for sharing some of his recent discoveries.  Below are letters to the editors of two English newspapers which Albert R. Ong, M.D. (1846-1906), the author of "The Ong Family of America" (published posthumously in 1906), wrote in November 1905.  The timing is interesting:  The grand Ong Family Reunion had just been held in Smithfield, Ohio in August 1905, and presumably it was the culmination of many years of research and outreach to various branches of the extended American Ong family, the results of which are found in his book with its 201 biographical entries.

Dr. Ong must have been inspired by that event to start or intensify an effort to find out more about the family on the other side of the ocean.  So he turned to writing newspaper editors in the hope that they would publish his letters and stimulate a response from any English cousins.  He succeeded to a great extent, and here are these two instances:

Our correspondent observes that it is interesting that Dr. Ong cites "Thomas", incorrectly, as the American Ong forebear. He also relates a family story that his great-grandfather Ong had received a letter from an American named "Arthur Robert Ong" seeking relations in England.  This was undoubtedly Albert, the name mis-remembered.

We do know that between that time and his death in September 1906 Dr. Ong collected a lot of material.  He summarizes his English research in his preface to his book, which mentions his newspaper outreach:


"After this discovery [of early family records in Boston, Mass. showing that Ongs immigrated from England -Ed.], I determined to make another effort to locate the Ongs of England.  This time I appealed to the press of England, and wrote to several editors of leading newspapers asking their assistance.  At the hands of these gentlemen I received the most courteous and liberal treatment.  The Pall Mall Gazette, of London, kindly published my letter, with liberal comments, and asked other papers to copy.  This effort was successful.  Letters written by persons bearing the name of "Ong" were received from different parts of the Kingdom, one mail bringing me as many as ten letters, so that I soon found myself in correspondence with half a hundred persons in England, who bore the name, or were the descendants, of an "Ong."  ("Ong Family of America", page 11)


How much harder it was to build family trees before the internet!

It was tragic that Dr. Ong passed away amidst all this research and before he could finish the final editing his book, although his brothers and other family members made sure it was completed and published soon after his death.  The dedication at the beginning of the volume is as follows;

IN MEMORIAM

On the morning of the 22nd day of September, 1906, Dr. Albert R. Ong, editor and compiler of this book, died.  Dr. Ong was seemingly in the very best of health up to within an hour of his death. While his decease was sudden, those who knew him and were familiar with his upright life felt that he was thoroughly prepared to meet his maker.

The principal facts of Dr. Ong's active and very successful life appear in their proper place in this volume.

He was a devoted husband and father. As a public-spirited person he was all that could be desired. In his profession he stood high. As a Christian and scholarly gentleman Dr. Albert R. Ong has the well merited respect and admiration of all who knew him. 

Dr. Ong's entry in "Ong Family America" (pp 67-68):


Dr. Albert R. Ong was born on the 9th day of October, 1846, near Smithfield, Ohio.  He was educated at Richmond College, Richmond, Ohio, and Allegheny College, Meadville, Pennsylvania.  From the latter college he received the degree of A.B. in the spring of 1872.  During his year he was elected Vice President of Richmond College, in which institute he filled the chair of Mathematics and Astronomy for three years.  (His cousin, Lemuel W. Ong, was the college's President.  -Ed.)  In 1875 he entered the Ohio Medical College at Cincinnati, Ohio, and in 1877 graduated from Columbus Medical College, at Columbus, Ohio, as the first honor man.  After graduating he entered the practice of his chosen profession in Smithfield, Ohio.  In 1882 he located in Martins Ferry, Ohio, where he resided until the time of his death and enjoyed a lucrative practice.  He was an elder of the First Presbyterian Church, a member of the Board of City School Examiners, and held numerous other positions of honor an trust for eighteen years.

The following estimate of Dr. Ong's character and standing in the community in which he lived is taken from an article which appeared in "The Weekly Times" of Martins Ferry, Ohio on September 27th, 1906:

"In the death of Dr. Ong, Martins Ferry and vicinity sustain a distinct loss.  It was one of his characteristics to hew the line, let the chips fly where they would, and this, in itself served to mark him as a man among men.  True to himself, at all times, he could not be false to others, and the friends he attracted to himself and who knew him best will consider themselves honored, for all time, in having been intimately acquainted with him.  He will be missed more perhaps than any other citizen of Martins Ferry.  To say nothing of the place in the home which can never be filled, he will be missed in the fire department, so near and dear to him, on the various boards he served so faithfully, and in the hundreds of homes in which he was a trusted adviser.  Dr. Ong was a clean, polished, courteous, courageous Christian gentleman, more than which may be said of no man."

In 1884 he was married to Mary Kathryn Anderson, daughter of James and Fannie E. Anderson, who survives him.

John McGrew Ong (1799-1877) (?)

Here are two interesting old photos shared by a cousin-in-law (the wife of my fifth cousin once removed to be precise!):

This one is marked "great-grandfather Ong" and given the provenance we are guessing they are both photos of John McGrew Ong (1799-1877), one of the sons of Rev Jacob and Mary McGrew Ong, and the husband of Mary Jane Cuppy (1797-1877).  (And he is also my great-great-great-great-great uncle!)  The other seems to be the same person, marked "an Ong":

John McGrew Ong was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, just a few years before the family of Jacob and Mary Ong moved to Ohio.  John and Mary (Cuppy) Ong raised their family in/around the Ong homestead in Jefferson County, Ohio but moved to LaSalle County, Illinois sometime in the 1850s.

Thanks for sharing the photos!