Brothertowns Retrace Journey West

Voices raised in song, those who packed into the Deansboro Congregational United Church of Christ for Sunday’s service joined the church’s choir and a guest choir in a loud version of “No Man is an Island.’

Fitting words. Mingling with the usual church goers sat 59 people from the Midwest and West, most of whom can boast of a heritage connected to the Brothertown Indians.

Brothertown Indians, of course, settled in Deansboro in the 1770s through 1830s, led by preacher Samson Occum. Occum led members of seven tribes west from what is now New England to develop and new Indian nation.

Because they were brothers and sisters in Christ, explained Denny Gramentz, the new tribe took the name Brothertown. Oneida Indians, already settled here, gave the Brothertowns land for the new settlement.

When white settlers encroached on the Brothertowns in this area, the tribe picked up and moved further west, to Wisconsin.

Today, most of the 2,700 members of the Brothertown Nation reside in Wisconsin and neighboring states. Fifty-nine of them are taking

part in a 10-day bus trip that retraces the route their ancestors took. Some

members of the trip visited

when the Brothertowns made a similar trip in 1999; for most, this was their first time seeing the origins of the Brothertowns.

Their first stop came Sunday, when they spent the day in Deansboro. The day began by sharing the church service in Deansboro.

Pastor Jim Turturro and music director Janet Dangler included some songs written by Occum. Nine members of the New York State Sacred Harp choir led by Margaret Bornick sang two shape note hymns.

Afterwards, Brothertown guests and Deansboro residents posed for pictures on the church steps. “It’s so good to be here again,” said June Ezold, who recently retired as the tribal chairwoman after 22 years.

For the visitors, the highlight of the stop in Deansboro came on an afternoon tour led by Dangler. As their big tour bus navigated the backroads off route 315, Brothertown Indians caught their first glimpses of the area settled by their ancestors.

One Stop came at Dave Koester’s on Van Hyning Road. There, after a short walk in the woods, Brothertowns viewed the grave of Nancy Welch.

“She’s a great-great-great-grandmother to about half the people on this bus,” said Joan Waldvogel. Welch died at age

56 in 1835; her husband, William, is buried in Wisconsin.

Brothertowns scooped up dirt near the headstone and sprinkled tobacco nearby. Koester said the stone has been leaning against the oldest tree on his property for at least the last 24 years.

“I won’t cut that tree,” he said. “That isn’t going to be moved.

The tour moved down Brothertown Road, where people visited the Brothertown burial site, with three dozen unmarked headstones. Again, they put flowers on the headstones and sprinkled tobacco.

Occum’s grave, and that of early Brothertowns David and Hannah Fowler are on private property and could not be visited.

Since the tribe’s last visit in 1999, the Town of Marshall Historical Society has put up a marker near the sign for Brothertown that designates the burial site. Ezold led the group in prayer to dedicate the sign.

They then sang two of Occum’s songs, The New Birth and Shades of Night are Gone.

“This is a wonderful journey for us,” Ila Randolph said. “To see these places … what memories we will take home with us.”

“Each one is my brother, Each one is my friend.”

By Pat Louise