Richard Baker was born in England and died about 1646 in Bocking where he married Mary Whipple 9 May 1625.  His will, dated in Nov. 1637 and probated in Bocking 16 Jan. 1647, refers to him as a “Bocking Wheelwright.”  He mentions Mary, eldest son Richard, sons John and Matthew, and daughters Mary and Sarah.  The rest of the details are found in my book on 15 Generations of Whipples.   Click on Buy Now to order through Pay Pal.

Two-hundred-and-thirty-two years after we declared our independence from England in July 1776, the election of Barack Obama erased my long-held conclusion that the U. S. would not elect a person with black ancestry to its highest office in my lifetime.

Our Declaration of Independence said that “. . . all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” (more…)

Researchers in the Department of Neurology at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey have determined that some members of the Whipple family suffer from a disease known as Machado-Joseph Disease (MJD). MJD is also known as Spinocerebellar Ataxia 3 (SCA3), so named because it was the third of many such ataxias to be identified. “Ataxia” is a general term referring to lack of muscle control.

Characteristics:
MJD is characterized by clumsiness and weakness in the arms and legs, spasticity (continuous, uncontrollable muscle contractions), a staggering lurching gait (easily mistaken for drunkenness), difficulty with speech and swallowing, involuntary eye movements, double vision, and frequent urination. Some patients have ystonia (sustained muscle contractions that cause twisting of the body and limbs, repetitive movements, abnormal posture, and/or rigidity) or symptoms similar to those of Parkinson’s disease. Others have twitching of the face or tongue, or distinct bulging eyes. Almost all MJD patients experience vision problems, including double vision (diplopia) or blurred vision, loss of ability to distinguish color and/or contrast, and inability to control eye movements. (more…)