PREFACE TO OUR STORY

I knew my grandparents Mordecai Harvey and Louisa Belle Warner. Even though they are gone, their memory lingers. They taught the children in their family to do what is right. I know that is also true about my parents. The notes, letters and records they kept provide us with a clue as to how they lived life during the early part of the twentieth century. Life was a challenge with both rewards and difficulties, and the kind of love they shared as a family gave them spiritual energy, strength and joy.

When I look at my collection of books and booklets about the Warners written by several of my relatives I wonder if some of us have a kind of gene for genealogy. Perhaps it is the realization that we have come from a good and loving family that makes so many of us want to tell about it. Perhaps because those before us cared and shared we also want to care and share. Many of us highly value family.

Who are we? We know who we are. We are descended from those people who got up and went to work in England over five centuries ago. We know about success and failure; we have known loss and we have survived tragedies. We are family. We are connected. The five boys and one girl that were raised by Mordecai Harvey and Louisa Belle Warner accomplished their desire to provide us with the good life. Life in the later part of the twentieth century was very good.

Many have contributed to the ongoing story of our Warner family. I have assembled this story from the following works: Harold W. Osler, History of the Warner Family, 1935; Esther M. Winget, Descendants of William and Ann (Dyde) Warner, 1954; Fran Kigans, Descendants of John Lewis and Charity Wells Warner, 1979; James Hubert Warner, Autobiography, 1982; Eskham and Ethel Hayes, A Little Bird Told Us, 1995; Harvey V. Warner, The Descendants of Mordecai Harvey Warner and Louisa Belle Gilmore, 2004; Elvira Mae (Warner) Covey ,Memories in the Kitchen, 2004; Shelia Elaine McNamara Graham, Family Cookbook, 2005; and a computer printout compiled by Dorothy (Warner) and son, Mark Stoyer, who listed and numbered our known generations. Some material was collected from interviews, some from memories, and occasionally, a little creative imagination may be apparent.

Our story is unending and I encourage others to gather and record their family stories before they are gone. Print and save the stories and pictures of family!

THE WARNER NAME

Warner is an ancient name whose history on English soil dates back to the wave of emigration that followed the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. The name comes from Warnier, a Germanic personal name. It is composed of two elements: warin, which means guard; and hari, which means soldier. Such militaristic names were popular in the early Middle Ages in Europe, which is not surprising given that Europe was in a semi-permanent state of warfare throughout the Middle Ages. Various spellings of this name are first found in Leicestershire, England, where they were recorded in the Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, as Warnerus and Warnerius. Other variations include: Warnar, Warnere, Warren and others.

Go to Title Page

Go to Table of Contents

Go to About the Author

Go to Introduction

Go to Appendix

Go to Chapter:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17