August 17, 1942, descendants of Jacobus Stoutenburgh submitted papers to incorporate the Stoutenburgh-Teller Family Association in New York State. The Association’s mission in its charter is to collect and preserve information regarding the early history of the Stoutenburgh and Teller families in America; to discover, collect and preserve documents and memorabilia relating to their genealogy and history; to perpetuate the memory and to foster and promote the principles and virtues of the ancestors of its members; to promote social intercourse among its members; to gather and establish by degrees, a museum for the use of the Association; to establish an endowment fund for the upkeep and care of the ancient Stoutenburgh burial ground at Hyde Park; to buy, acquire, hold, maintain, and otherwise deal in real estate or real property in carrying out the objects of the Association. Gilbert Stoutenburgh, Eugene J. Cantin, Maud Stoutenburgh Eliot, and Natalie Stoutenburgh Coote were the original signers.
Forty years later the Association acquired the stone home built by William Stoutenburgh in the 1750s and received the incorporation in 1982 of the William Stoutenburgh Historic Homesite fulfilling the mission of the group. William Stoutenburgh was born in 1722, the third child of Jacobus Stoutenburgh and Margaret Teller. Eric K. Stoutenburgh, James Spratt, and David Ring were the signers. In 2004 the Association received tax exempt status for the Homesite and is still proceeding in following the mission the founding members established so long ago.
Although the Stoutenburgh-Teller Family Association was incorporated in 1942, its history goes farther back–at least a decade. The Family Association was formed in the 1930s and called the Society of Descendants of Jacobus Stoutenburgh. Gilbert Stoutenburgh was president in 1935 when the Society presented a memorial tablet to St. James Church in Hyde Park. Caroline Wells was vice president, but died in 1939, before the Family Association of today was formed. In her will, Caroline bequeathed several items to the City Museum of New York including the portraits of Jacobus and Margaret Stoutenburgh. This may have prompted founders of the Association to include the establishment of a museum in the charter.
Maud Stoutenburgh Eliot was an honorary president. Miss Ruby M. Stoutenburgh and Charles Alfred Ryder were the secretary and treasurer, respectively. The Society had a junior division. Natalie Stoutenburgh was in charge of the junior division for girls and Pieter Van Stoutenburgh, for boys. The Committee to Collect the Military History of the Family consisted of Lt. Pawling Stoutenburgh, Sgt. John Leeds Stoutenburgh and Norman Stoutenburgh, 313 Infantry 79th Division.
The annual dues were $2 for adults and $1 for junior members. The life membership was $25 and included the genealogy chart (the circles). You could purchase the chart for $10. Of course in 1935 a loaf of bread was 11¢. (SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics — www.bls.gov)
Current Officers:
- Lanaii Kline – President
- Kathy Johnson – Vice President
- Barbara Hogan – Secretary
- Barbara Coe – Treasurer