Shields Chronology
Chronology of Shields Family - Composed by Steve Shields
1600’s - Ulster plantation established in Northern Ireland. People from Scottish Lowlands and Northern England encouraged to move there. There is evidence of Shields family presence in those area: two towns in Northern England named North Shields and South Shields, and DNA samples show a preponderance of hits in the British Isles…mainly England and Scotland with Ireland coming in third. Shields family are likely to have moved to the Ulster plantation during this time.
1717 through 1770 - Mass migration from Northern Ireland to the Americas.
Mid 1700s in America - Shields family presence in Virginia/Maryland areas.
@ 1774 - William Shields born in western Virginia.
Late 1700 probably around 1785 to 1790 - William Dorrell born probably somewhere in Ohio River valley, maybe in Kentucky.
1803 - Harrison Baker Shields born to William Shields and unknown wife somewhere in western Maryland.
@ 1810 - William Shields family moves to central Kentucky.
Sept., 7, 1825 - Thirteen year-old Matilda Richerson, with her mother’s written permission, marries twenty-three year-old Baker Shields in Bourbon County, Kentucky.
1826 to 1840 - The following children are born to Baker and Matilda Shields: Joan (1826), Harrison (1828), Leonard (1836), Elizabeth (1837), and John (1840).
1828 - George Washington Dorrell born, son of William Dorrell and Nancy Webb, in Boonesboro, MO.
1832 - Frederick Finch (an English shoemaker) his wife Elisa and one year old son, Joseph Hamborough Finch, sail from Liverpool to America.
1855 - Francis Marion, “Frank,” Dorrell born, son of George Washington Dorrell and Kissiah Todd, in Elmer, Macon Co., MO.
@ 1859 - Leonard Shields marries Catherine Chipley (b. 1838) in Nicholas County, Kentucky.
December 1, 1860 - Elvina Frances Hall born, daughter of Lucien Hall and Melissa Fanning.
August 30, 1861 James Minor Rusher born, son of Henry Rusher and Sarah Jane Banning, in Chariton Co., MO.
October 1863 - James Harrison Shields born in Nicholas County, Kentucky.
January 30, 1866 Julia Ann Holt born, daughter of Henry Holt and Susan Swerengan, in Chariton Co., MO.
May 1868 - Rebecca E. Nichols born.
December 28, 1885 Henry Lee Dorrell born, son of Frank Dorrell and Elvina Hall, in Lingo, Macon Co., MO.
1886 - James Harrison Shields marries Rebecca E. Nichols in Kentucky.
September 15, 1889 - Second child to James and Rebecca Shields born in Kentucky. The child’s name was: Hadie E. Shields.
Early 1890s - James and Rebecca Shields move to Ohio river near Cincinnati on the Kentucky side in a town called Dayton. Three more children are born while living in the Ohio area: Earnest in 1894 and Elsie in 1898, and Melvin in 1902.
September 25, 1890 Vina Gertrude “Gertie” Rusher born, daughter of James Rusher and Julia Holt.
1904 - James and Rebecca Shields move west to Peoria, Illinois where two more children are born: Walter (1905) and Henry Mearl (1907).
1912 - Joe Katzman (about age 6) immigrates to America from Sweden. He his Polish father and Russian mother go to England for the crossing but little Joe gets lost on the docks somewhere and they miss their scheduled sailing on the Titanic’s maiden voyage!
1915 - The James Shields family moves to Leeds, Missouri just to the east of Kansas City. Elsie marries a man called Gossett.
1916 - James and Rebecca’s oldest son, Hadie, meets and marries Alice Mae Finch (born 1901).
January 26, 1917 Wallace Joseph Shields born in Leeds, Missouri--son of Hadie and Alice Shields.
1919 - Elsie divorces, moves in with James and Rebecca, and works as a laborer at a shoe factory.
January 19, 1922 Helen Elizabeth Dorrell born, daughter of Henry Dorrell and Gertie Rusher.
January 26, 1923 Gertie Dorrell, Helen’s mother, dies of pneumonia. Gertie’s brother, Otto Rusher, had passed away some time before leaving a widow, Eva (Teeters) Rusher, and their five kids. After Gertie’s death, Henry remarried Otto’s widow, Aunt Eva.
1926 - Elsie (Shields) Gossett marries Joe Katzman.
1933 - Wally Shields goes to Kansas City to live with his Aunt Elsie and Uncle Joe Katzman. Uncle Joe is a foreman at a printing shop and he gets Wally a job there teaching him the printing business. He will work as a printer for the next 45 years.
Summer 1935 Helen, at age 13, leaves the farm to live with her brother Orb in Kansas City, MO.
Summer 1937 Wally’s Uncle Frank Finch introduces him to Helen and they begin dating.
November 6, 1937 Wally and Helen get married.
November 7, 1937 Wally and Helen move into their 1st apartment on corner of Hardesty and Independence Avenue in Kansas City.
November 15, 1938 Larry Wallace Shields born.
April 1939 family moves to 918 Van Brunt Blvd., in Kansas City.
October 22, 1941 Judith Ann Shields born.
December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor attack. Helen’s step-brother, Lester Rusher, is among the crewmembers aboard the Arizona to die. Helen’s full brother, Tony, had also been a crewmenber of the Arizona but was transfered to the USS Houston before the attack.
December 8, 1941 Helen and Wally receive a Thank You letter from Lester for all the time they spent showing him around Kansas City before he left for the Pacific.
January 1942 family moves to the first floor in Aunt Madge’s house at 2644 Wabash in Kansas City.
February 28 1942 cruiser USS Houston is sunk by the Japanese in the Battle of Sunda Strait killing Helen’s brother, Tony Rusher Dorrell.
October 1942 Aunt Madge buys a new house and the whole clan move to 3615 Wabash.
January 1943 Wally proudly buys his first car.
May 1943 to find better work, Wally and Helen decide to move to Southern California seeking jobs in the booming aviation industry. To get the money to make the move Wally sells his car. He finds work at Douglas Aircraft and buys a 1937 Chevy--Helen joins him and the move in to 2209 1/2 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica, California.
April 1945 turmoil in the country and our family. War ended in Germany but continues with Japan. On the 12th of this month FDR dies putting Harry Truman in charge. Also this month, Wally receives draft notice. He moves the family back in with Aunt Madge in Kansas City.
May 1945 family rents a house at 2544 E. 26th St. in Kansas City from Uncle Orb. Wally departs for induction in the armed forces.
June 1945 although Helen told Wally to try for the Navy, when Wally called her from the induction center telling her he would be a Marine. Shortly he departed for boot camp at Camp Lejune in North Carolina.
July 1945 Wally writes Helen about Marine boot camp saying, “I’ve died and gone to Hell!” He finishes training near the end of the month and is shipped back to California.
August 1945 With orders to the Pacific, Wally boards ship and heads out to join the war effort. Meanwhile one million Russians are invading Japanese Manchuria and we drop two atomic bomb on Japan. On August 14, 1945 the Japanese accept the Potsdam Declaration and unconditional surrender.
September 1, 1945 Japan signs the formal surrender aboard the battleship Missouri and Wally who was about 200 miles out to sea returns to California.
September 1945 uncertain about the deployment of occupation troops, Wally is prohibited from taking any leave. Frantic Helen begins an ordeal to see him before he is shipped out again.
October 1945 Wally’s unit will be stationed in Hastings, Nebraska. Helen had no money to travel on her own so Wally asked his Captain if she could travel part way with them. They drop her off in Kansas City on their way to Nebraska. Once home she discovers Judy had aches in her legs and she takes her to Mercy Hospital.
November 1945 Wally still in Nebraska, Judy still in the hospital so Helen gets a job at the Ranch House restaurant.
April 1946 Judy released from the hospital--doctors never found anything wrong.
June 1946 Wally discharged from Marines. He left the service with enough money to buy a car and with what Helen saved from working at the restaurant, they bought their first house. The tiny house was located at 701 E. Hereford in Independence, Missouri on part of the old Jackson County Fairgrounds.
Larry and Judy attend McCoy Elementary school--both had Mrs. Jones for Fourth Grade.
1948 Wally enlarges the home: 2 rooms and a second floor with 2 more rooms.
February 17, 1949 Pamela Susan Shields born.
Fall 1949 Wally and Uncle Mayo Wilkerson and occasionally Uncle Bob finish the expansion of Hereford house.
June 24, 1950 North Korean troops invade South Korea. Wally recalled to active duty shortly thereafter but avoids being deployed due to number and age of his children.
August 11, 1952 - Steven Ray Shields . . . at 8:11 PM.
March 1954, family sells Hereford house and buys home at 4704 Farley Road in Raytown, Missouri.
October 1954, Henry Lee Dorrell, Grandpa Dorrell, dies.
Spring 1955, Helen and Wally decide to sell house at 4704 Farley Rd. and buy the vacant lot at 4702 Farley Rd. and build a new house.
Fall 1955, Wally breaks his leg while mowing the lawn.
August 1956, since Wally lost work due to his leg...they had to rent their new house to someone else and move to Aunt Hazel’s (Dorrell) house in Butler, Missouri. Larry, newly graduated, goes into the Air Force.
Fall 1956, Wally able to return to work in KC--family still has to live in Butler.
December 1956, family moves in with Aunt Ruth and Uncle Mayo on Jennings Road in Independence, Missouri.
February 1957, move back to “red house” at 4702 Farley Road.
May 29, 1959 Larry marries Lowanda Sue R???.
March 27, 1960 Jeff Admiral Shields born, son of Larry & Sue.
June 1960, sell Farley house and buy and move to 5901 E. 102nd Street near Grandview. Helen goes to beauty school. I learn to ride a bike.
September 1961, sell house in Grandview and rent home in business area of Independence at 1212 S. Noland Road. Helen opens beauty shop, I go to 4th grade at McCoy school and my teacher is Mrs. Jones (Larry & Judy’s 4th grade teacher).
Grenada theater, magic show, birds in chimney, Mobile CarBoat, picnic rabbit.
January 6, 1962 Judy marries Ed Guffy.
August 29, 1962 Lori Beth VanMeter born, daughter of Judy and Ed.
Dick & Rusty Simmons, Fell Pummel, Raymond Pyle
October 15, 1962 Todd Dorrell Shields born, son of Larry & Sue.
Summer 1963. Vacation. We take the camper and head West. We go to California and visit Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm. We go up North to San Francisco and visit Uncle Martin--his son Mark is my age and we get along pretty good. I remember getting a black T-shirt at Fisherman’s Warf--that black shirt was very hot when you got it in the sunlight! We go to Weed and Shasta to visit Uncle Hank & Aunt Ann and Aunt Naomi & Uncle Fred. We go up into Oregon and see Crater Lake. Craters of the Moon State Park in Idaho. Yellowstone Park in Wyoming. We have a blow out near Cody, Wyoming. Mom says now this didn’t happen, but I have a distinct memory of walking towards the next town. Some people stopped to give them a ride into town and they picked my up along the way. I remember mom saying I had walked far and dad saying I didn’t go very far. I probably only walked a couple thousand yards--but I know it happened.
May 15, 1964 Judy marries Roy VanMeter
Summer 1964 first year camper at Osceola Scout Camp.
September 1964 Sixth grade at Korte. More friends this year.
October 19, 1964 Robin Lynn Shields born, daughter to Larry & Sue.
Summer 1965. Second year at Boy Scout camp. Vacation East. We go to the NY Worlds Fair. Up through Niagra Falls into Canada. Swimming at Rock Creek.
September 1965. Seventh grade with Mr. Guard
October 4, 1965 Larry Douglas Shields born, son to Larry & Sue.
January 21, 1966 Kelly Dawn Van Meter born, daughter of Judy & Roy.
Summer 1966 Osceola Boy Scout Camp.
September 1966 Eighth grade at Nowlin Junior High School. Fight with kid on bus.
Summer 1967. Osceola then Philmont Scout Camp in Cimarron, New Mexico.
Fall 1967 Ninth grade at Nowlin Junior High School.
Spring 1968 Take a speech class and the teacher lets me organize and direct a play “Visit to a Small Planet.” I played Kreton.
Summer 1968 First year on Staff at Oceola--Firebuilder/Tom Tom Beater.
Fall 1968 High School . . . 10th grade at Van Horn. Meet Andrea, play football & wrestle.
Spring 1969 Land stage crew position for the Spring production of “The Rainmaker.”
Summer 1969 Second year on Staff at Osceola--Runner.
Fall 1969 Eleventh grade at Van Horn.
Summer 1970 Last year on Staff at Osceola--Keeper. Doug Meador
August 14, 1970 Vickie Susan VanMeter born, daughter to Judy & Roy.
Fall 1970 Senior year at Van Horn.
Spring 1971 Graduation from High School.
May 23, 1971 Pam marries Richard Doutt.
January 1972 get called down to the Armed Forces Entrance Station for a physical exam . . . classified 1A. I contact the Air Force recruiter and take the entrace exams for enlistment in the Air Force.
Spring 1972 Assuming I’ll get called up for service, I take all fun classes this semester: acting, advanced oral interpretation, childrens theater, speech and I land a role in the production of Romeo & Juliet (Friar John) and chorus.
May 1972 receive induction notice on a Saturday and on the next Monday visit the Air Force recruiter and take the oath of office with a delayed enlistment until September.
September 29, 1972 report for active duty at AFES office in downtown Kansas City . . . Dick and Larry see me off.
September-October 1972 - Air Force Boot Camp, Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas.
Selected in pilot program to send first term, inexperienced airmen, to Sea-Launched Ballistic Missile Detection and Warning site. Normally an assignment only for a sergeant or experienced radar operator.
My first real assignment in the Air Force will be in Tampa, Florida at MacDill AFB. My unit is in the 14th Air Force (Flying Tigers), 14th Missile Warning Squadron, Detachment 7. SLBM D&W!
January 27. 1973 Steve marries Rosemary Johnston. We are married in a catholic church by a catholic priest, but it is not a full mass…just the ceremony.
December 17, 1974 Amy Nicole Doutt born, daughter to Pam & Dick.
January 22, 1975 Steven Scott Shields born, son of Steve & Rosemary.
October 24, 1978 Aaron Thomas Doutt born, son to Pam & Dick.
September 17, 1981 Brian Christopher Shields born, son to Steve & Rosemary.
April 1, 1982 Wally suffers a heart attack while playing golf. He dies on the way to the hospital.
October 4, 1983 Denise Marie Shields born, daughter to Steve & Rosemary.
April 21, 1984 Helen marries Ray Wiseman.
May 7, 1995 Steve marries Mitzi Vinklarek