‘bee’ in Egyptian hieroglyphics pronounced bīt
Melissa (Μελισσα) means “bee” in Greek. This was the name of a nymph that cared for young Zeus in Greek mythology. It is also the name of the fairy who helps Rogero escape from the witch Alcina in Ludovico Ariosto’s poem ‘Orlando Furioso’ (1516). As an English given name, Melissa has been used since the 18th century.
Lending Support, Specific Interests & Hobbies
“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
About me:
I live in Somerset County, New Jersey (U.S.A.), but I grew up in Santa Monica, Brentwood, Westwood, Hollywood, and the Los Feliz Hills in Southern California.
I moved to New Jersey to have new experiences and explore the rich American history and culture of the Northeast. Soon after arriving, I was amazed to learn that my ancestors were among the early English and Dutch settlers of the area. One branch founded Rhode Island and New Jersey in the 1630s, while the others made their home in Bushwick, New York, in the 1640s. Those from Bushwick moved to Somerset County, New Jersey, by 1699. I have uncovered baptismal and homestead records from the Dutch Reformed Church showing that those who emigrated were instrumental in populating and developing the area, this beautiful place they called “a glistening river that meandered through meadows and fields of corn.”
Subsequent generations born and bred in New Jersey fought in the Revolutionary War (1775-1783). And though my research is ongoing, discovering my family’s historical roots has been nothing less than exciting. Living only miles from the Rockingham Historic Site, where General George Washington (Founding Father) had his last military headquarters, gives me a new perspective on what it must have been like so many years ago to be among the first settlers of this great country. I am excited to learn more about how these men and women led their lives.
“The strongest action for a woman is to love herself, be herself, and shine amongst those who never believed she could.” – Unknown
Current Passion Projects:
(1) Research: Book: Donna M. Matson: A Pioneer and Trailblazer Ahead of Her Time
(Forthcoming)
I am writing a biographical sketch on the life of Donna M. Matson, a female international correspondent who, in July 1960, was the last Western woman to leave Élisabethville (now Lubumbashi) after Moïse Kapenda Tshombe, president of the secessionist State of Katanga (1960-1963), proclaimed independence for the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Matson’s story scooped all other reporters of the United Nations Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold’s landing and his meeting with Moïse Kapenda Tshombe, leader of the Katanga province. This would also launch Matson’s career as a correspondent, where she then wrote for Arab Week magazine. Matson would go on to become one of the first female directors in Hollywood and first on-air educator.
Donna was the first American woman to summit Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in 1954. Following in Donna’s footsteps forty-six years after she reached the top, I would become the 11,626th person to reach the highest peak in Africa at 5,895 meters (19,340 feet).
(2) Research: American Transcendentalism (ongoing) A study of American Transcendentalism and the connections between Middle East religions and beliefs, with a particular focus on how transcendentalist ideas may have influenced the intellectuals of the era. By following in the footsteps of Thoreau, Emerson, Alcott, and Fuller across the Northeast region of the U.S., I am gathering research data to show the convergence of ideas.
3) Research: Sacred Spaces (ongoing) With my never-ending insatiable curiosity to understand humanity, the human condition, and the meaning of life, I am conducting independent research touring historical, cultural, religious, and spiritual sites of importance. My research has taken me from Catholic cathedrals and abbeys to medieval synagogues around Europe to the newly built mosque in Oxford, England, to Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim sacred manuscripts housed at the Bodleian Library, the British Library, Cambridge University Library, Library of Congress, Longleat Library, the Vatican Apostolic Library, and the University of Sydney Fisher Library. My research has led me to look through the myriad lenses of religious and spiritual beliefs and ponder the history of ideas, politics, philosophy, and psychology to find threads and answers.
4) Research: Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) (ongoing) I am working to uncover my family’s history in the United States. I only recently discovered that my ancestors arrived in 1644 from Amsterdam to Bushwick, New York, and then moved to New Jersey in 1699. Many sons were born after the family’s settlement in Somerset, N.J., all of whom were baptized by the Rev. Theodorus J. Frelinghuysen of the Dutch Reformed Church, and founder of Queen’s College in New Brunswick, (NJ), renamed as Rutgers University.
5) Nature Photography: Inspirational notecards and coffee table book (ongoing) As an amateur photographer, I take photos of the amazing array of wildlife along the Raritan River and the Delaware and Raritan Canal Towpath in New Jersey. I add inspirational quotes to these photos by philosophical, political, spiritual, and religious leaders. My photos highlight the diversity of fauna and flora in Middlesex and Somerset County. The hidden beauty of the Nature in New Jersey will astound you. Lending Charitable Support to the Following Organizations:- School lunch programs w/Kids of Kilimanjaro — providing sustenance to children at the base of the mountain;
- Water wells with The Samburu Project — a nonprofit organization providing clean water in Africa;
- Rebuilding Haitian schools with Operation USA — a nonprofit humanitarian organization;
- Raising awareness for animal welfare with Farm Sanctuary — an animal rescue and education organization;
- Raising awareness for AIDS Project Los Angeles by running the Los Angeles Marathon 2010 (completed 26.2 miles);
- Raising awareness for Primary Immunodeficiency by completing the Breath of Life Triathlon (Swim: 1.5 km, Bike 40 km, Run: 10km);
- Raising awareness for plant and animal conservation by summiting Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa with the nonprofit, Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA). At 5,895 meters (19,340 feet) above sea level, Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest peak and the world’s highest free-standing mountain.
- Adult Education
- Ancient History and Civilizations
- Ancient Sacred Sites of the World
- American Transcendentalism
- Community activism
- Community outreach
- Conservation (ethic)
- Creating fresh and innovative projects
- English History & 16th, 17th, 18th Century Religion
- Environmentalism and Sustainability, living in a green, sustainable community
- Genealogy
- Habitual Prayer
- Local and social history
- Natural landscapes
- Organizational development
- Promoting healthier and more sustainable communities in the world
- Socio-Cultural Anthropology
- Veganism & Vegetarianism — compassion towards all sentient beings
- World Religions
- A lifelong student
- International travel
- Cycling, Sauntering, Hiking, Tennis, Yoga, Martial arts
- Triathlon, Marathon, Skydiving, Trekking
- Non-partisan retreats for innovative leaders
© 2023, Melissa A. Rendsburg
England's Mountains Green 