| Show Standard-Examine- Sunday May 27 1990 r 111 Horizons Researchers say future’s food varied Henson’s death a real loss for children Parents face task of explaining to kids that Muppeteer is gone By MARTHA WOODALL Knight-Ridde- r Newspapers There has been a death in the family — even if some of the y9ungest members do not fully realize it yet The swift and unexpected loss of Jim Henson 53 on May 15 from complications of pneumonia produced an outpouring of accolades and affection for the puppeteer extraordinaire whose gentle wisdom and artistic vision transformed educational television and touched children around the globe But this also left parents struggling to explain his death to children in million American households and in the 79 other countries where “Sesame Street” is broadcast According to some estimates half of all American children between 3 and 5 watch the show For these young viewers Big Bird Bert and Ernie and Kermit the Frog may be as real and familiar as the playmate next door By week’s end officials at the Children’s Television Workshop in New York which produces “Sesame Street” were not sure what impact Henson’s death would have Not only did he create the Muppet menagerie he was the puppeteer who supplied the personalities and voices for Kermit Ernie and Guy Smiley — “America’s favorite game-shohost” Taping of the show’s 21st season has been completed and next season’s shooting will not begin until September Although there were reports late last week that the producers might incorporate old tapes of Henson’s characters into new shows a 1 1 w By ROBERT W KERR Genealogy for Americans with African ancestry is no more different from other genealogy than oh black is from white “Basically what you are looking for is a specific person place and time” explains Fred Jordan a Memphis Tenn pharmaceutical salesman who has followed his family line back to the turn of the 17th century “But in trying to do that eventually you run into some of the specific problems for people of descent The biggest problem is that during the slave era you had no census only the Slave Index It listed slaves only by their age sex and race — no names “So once you get back to 1870 and try to go any farther that’s where most black people get up Afro-Americ- an Here’s a look at the future US Department of Ag- from the riculture: CTW spokesman said that no decisions had been made Death has invaded the “Sesame Street” cozy environs before In 1983 Big Bird learned about death after Will Lee the character actor who operated Hooper’s Store suffered a fatal heart attack Hooper’s Store was transferred to David portrayed by Northern Calloway This season children were told David had moved to Florida to help his grandmother after Calloway died a few months after retiring from the show for medical reasons Mr Hanford portrayed by Leonard Jackson is the latest proprietor John Sargent a child psychiatrist at the Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic said Henson’s death raised special issues for Workers will still take coffee breaks but instead of coffee the beverage may be a coffeelike drink made from okra And when homemakers go to the supermarket they may shop for such things as a cocoa butter substitute made from edible beef tallow citrus juice protein enriched with cottonseed and margarine made from okra USDA researchers say that shoppers also may see the reappearance of a plant that was grown 8000 years ago — the spinachlike aramanth a staple of the Aztec and Mayan Indians The Agricultural Research Service is developing these and other once-popul- foods that ar were abandoned long ago families “The parents need a way to explain who Jim Henson was to children and why his death is sad They need to reassure them that the characters will continue and that they are separate from The Associated Press the man” Jim Henson with his oldest Muppet character Kermit the Frog Because preschoolers are not yet capable of clearly separating their households But Henson’s death struck close to home: Sargent’s daughter Erin 8 showed him a newspaper article about it “I think that sometime around 6 or 7 — and certainly by 8 — most kids differentiate Henson from his puppets My daughter was talking to me this morning about Jim Henson dying” Sargent said Friday “She said the man died She clearly differentiated from his characters” Sargent said that older children and their parents might ac reality from fantasy Sargent says it is unlikely that - and would understand that Henson provided some of the characters’ voices He said parents could explain that the man who made the puppets had died “School-ag- e children can understand more about the tragedy of the sudden death of a gifted and creative person” he 3- said Over the years Sargent 43 has helped families with young children cope with death in Rules different in Scripps Howard News Service The Associated Press tually feel Henson’s loss more keenly than the preschool set who tune in “Sesame Street” every morning “They recognized his genius and respected and admired it” he said “The hard thing about this man’s death is that he was young and it was unexpected” Sargent added that preschool viewers might be upset if drastic character changes were made “One of the things that is so special about ‘Sesame Street’ is that there is continuity of character and that is something that seeking African ancestry and walk out of the library It’s like a brick wall” Jordan’s tips for black genealogists include: Pump your family “Always ask questions of your relatives You never know what they will come up with Be prepared to be patient though the older they are' the more they will tend to ram- ble" Work the library “The history is one heck of a department I have gone back on department some lines of my family to the early 1700s and on one line to the late 600s And every piece of information I’ve gotten so far has been right upstairs in this library” Change directions “Don’t always depend only on the microfilm records (Libraries have) a wealth of other records — marriage records Bible records cem etery records Will abstracts can be very helpful because slaves were chattel property So if their owner died the names of the slaves had to be in his wilL” Find slave owners’ descendants “If you know your people were slaves and you know the family they belonged to you will be surprised how many people will help you by sharing their family records and correspon- dence” Check the flip side “Do not rule out the possibility that your ancestors were free” Review military records “Don’t overlook the possibility of Civil War records Black soldiers even fought in the Civil War the Revolutionary War” Go to church “Prior to the Civil War most Southern families took their slaves to church with them So the minutes of the is important for children” he said “It is hard to know exactly what’s going to happen If Ernie continues then preschoolers may not have much of a reaction to Henson’s death “I think it is an opportunity for parents to talk to children about the fact that death is a part of life and that special people do die” Sargent said “And that it is sad when someone this wonderful and young dies and that being sad about sad things is a part of life” The scientists say that although they expect food supplies to sustain most of America’s eating habits for decades it is wise to be ready for any disaster that might cripple the food chain — such as bad weather or devastation of a staple crop by insect pests or diseases To prepare for such an event scientists are looking for new uses for existing plants and n crops that could help fill tomorrow’s food bins little-know- Among plants being scrutinized is egusi a little-know- n Nigerian seed that could be a super protein source According to ARS administrator Dr Terry B Kinney it is predicted that by the year 2000 the world population will double to 8 billion LOSE WEIGHT — HAVE FUN A MO WITH THIS AD I MAY GOAL LOSE 20 LBS 30 INCHES IN ONE MONTH! nn w Swimming church meetings often mentioned the slaves” Research graveyards “Many cemetery records have been cataloged and indexed The library also has a card file cf local undertakers’ records” Look for funeral programs “I have never been to a black person’s funeral that I didn’t get a program And people will save them forever usually sticking them in a Bible” Steam Nautilus Universal Slim Trim Clstsss Oist Cantar Ftm Babysitting Low Impact Asrobict Audrey Sue 22 Now Sua S Coiostt Size 9 Now Boo S Carts Boo IS Now Sits S Nancy Sits 13 Now Sits 7 Nita Sica 20 Now $uo 7 Check old bank records “The most exciting thing that has happened to me in my research was discovering the records from Freedman Savings and Trust It took me back a full generation" Get out the Good Book “If you are lucky enough to have a relative with an old family Bible get it If they kept a Bible they wrote their family names in it” SftSSr & BODY Ed Director Tami Morgen Gred P C U of 0 WSU will help you 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