Purpose and Acknowledgments

The primary purpose of this website is to make available the Schoonover Mastertree.  This large file of Van Schoonhoven, Schoonhoven and Schoonover family tree information was begun and assembled by Roger Schoonover. He sent out surveys to over 2000 Schoonovers all across America and many responded and generously shared their family trees.  Roger combined this data with information gathered for decades by Glen Schoonover. Glen eventually asked Roger to continue his work. The Schoonover Clearinghouse of over 20,000 names connected to Schoonover descendants was created and the work started on the Schoonover Mastertree. It was posted and maintained on the Internet initially by Kristen Schoonover. When other demands on her time intervened, she forwarded the file to me. I sent that 1999 Schoonover Mastertree file out to anyone who requested it, until I finally figured out how to create a simple website. Having the Mastertree posted online again will give researchers much greater access to its goldmine of information and, indeed, the size of the tree has grown so large that it’s now in two parts.

People report errors in the tree.  Although, Schoonover researchers have made a significant number of corrections, use the tree with caution. Bear in mind that much of the tree has been gathered from various sources. It is filled with family members' memories, recopied family records, early Schoonover genealogies, efforts of well-intentioned family genealogists and Federal and State Census records. Errors may appear in all these sources. Even Census records may include Census takers' errors, unreadable penmanship, variations in the spelling of names, the use of names commonly used instead of the names on birth records, innocent or purposely made mistakes in birth dates, confusion about the names of people living in the same house who may or may not have been children, etc. Schoonovers, as other families do, frequently name children after older relatives, making it hard to distinguish exactly which son or daughter or cousin is listed. Gradually many of these errors are being corrected with more people interested in genealogy and more resources available. I have updated entries with added information provided on message boards, websites, cemetery records, and additional Schoonover trees sent to me.

I have tried to improve the appearance of the Mastertree and its growing size has made it necessary to divide it into two sections. Because the Mastertree was already so large when I got it, I chose to work with its original format. This Decimal system is a little confusing. The names have been added chronologically; the higher the numbers, the closer the names are to the present day.

Thanks go to Bob Schoonover for sending the large ged file which provided many more descendents of Nicholas Schoonover, b 1775 Walpack, NJ.  I also owe sincere thanks to Ward Elliott Schoonover and Jay Schoonover who, with meticulous research, are still working to untangle the large families of Richard and Christopher Schoonover, sons of Jonas Van Schoonhoven and Engeltje Van De Water. Patty B. Myers kindly sent a draft of her first-rate research on the Ancestors and Descendants of Thomas Henry Bedford and His Wife Susan Rosina Schoonover, with related families. I am making updates on this line in the Mastertree crediting Patty's work where she has provided background on individuals in these Tioga County, NY and New Jersey lines of Schoonovers. I have added information I've discovered about my line and my cousin Jason Schoonover, writer extraordinaire, has added more. Just recently, I have met via email Norwood Barris, author of Dutch Cousins: 784 Descemdants of Geurt Hendrickse Van Schoonhoven of Albany and Half Moon, NY. The Van Schoonhoven line is being corrected and updated largely through his kind offer of assistance.

PLEASE write to me if you can correct or update the Schoonover data here.  With your help, corrections can made and Schoonover lines can be added. Try to note the source of your information.  If you have new information you are willing to share that is not included in this website, especially on Schoonovers born prior to 1920, please send to Mary Schoonover, mschoo @milwpc.com.

IMPORTANT! Remember to check with living relatives to see if you have their permission to include their names on the Internet!  I can only add trees that can be linked to an ancestor on the Mastertree. In your message, please indicate which Schoonover you are updating or adding further generations by noting the number assigned to him or her preceding the name on the Mastertree. To keep the Masterfile a manageable size, I am adding descendents with the Schoonover name only. I have extended this to include the generation with a Schoonover daughter's husband and children, but not her grandchildren, etc.

Other purposes of this website are to offer interesting information about Schoonovers and the Schoonover name, and to provide references and resources that may further assist researchers. For example:

NEW!  Just added are these records transcribed by Jay Schoonover:

· Schoonover Baptisms & Marriages--Kingston

· Schoonover Baptisms & Marriages--Minisink Valley

NEWS! On Sale! Jason Schoonover is the author of several fiction and non-fiction novels, including the Bantam international adventure/thriller bestseller Thai Gold.  His 870 + page genealogical book--Westward From New Amsterdam--in the making since 1968, at over 165,000 words and with 100-200 images--is on sale for only $25.00 + $3.00 postage! It includes a wealth of early information and modern day images of interest to all Schoonovers from his 2001 Odyssey following the route of his line from Lower Manhattan and up the Hudson River to Albany and Kingston, including Kit David’s actual waterfront property, and down the Minisink on Westward during the Great Migration. It includes a link to Peg Leg Derrick’s line, a rich one that includes Mayor John Lindsay, General James Van Fleet of Battle of the Bulge fame and actress Jo Van Fleet who played James Dean’s mother in East of Eden. Find out more about this remarkable work, including excerpts, and how to order it here. Check out his new website, too: www.jasonschoonover.com

Mary Schoonover, mschoo @milwpc.com (to thwart spammers, I put a space in my email address after mschoo--when you contact me, remove that)