Category: Uncategorized

May always had a great influence over me.  No, not the lady, the month.  It was the beginning of life for another year when everything was fresh, green and young.  It somewhat reminded me a little of myself – another chance for a new beginning in trying to do something right or at least a…continue reading »

Before making the decision to explore your genealogy, take into consideration that if you go back far enough, you more than likely will encounter information that can be disturbing, eventful and surprising. For me, a surprise discovery is that way out on one of the branches on our family tree, (a twig actually) you find…continue reading »

We always took all of our meals, breakfast, dinner and supper, in the dining room.  Our kitchen wasn’t large enough to allow the seven members of our family to sit around the “Old Oak Table.”   We always sat in same chairs and same place.   I was always seated beside my mother.  The table was round,…continue reading »

One lonely tree was planted in the pasture, about a quarter of a mile from our house.  The only water it got was when it rained.  While my father not only thought of his family with a garden and orchard near the house, the mulberry tree was planted to provide shade and shelter for the…continue reading »

You have all heard of General George Patton, but how many of you have heard of Private Henry “Pat” Patton? Even though he was about ten years older, I got to know “Pat” while we both were working as spike pitchers with a threshing crew.  At that time, it appeared to me, many of the…continue reading »

“Years wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.”   Traces of blood on the neck from fingers tips that were bleeding were not a pleasant sight. The callouses on my hands, should have been hardened from the manual labor they had performed in those early years.   Once I picked up the…continue reading »

Are there dogs in Heaven?  I can only imagine. We always had farm animals; cats we never fed, or they wouldn’t catch mice and working dogs to tend the livestock and even a pet pig.  However, I had never had a pet dog, one whose only job was to eat, sleep and be my friend….continue reading »

When my paternal grandmother passed away in 1920,  at the age of seventy eight, I was still nine years away from making my appearance on this earth.  What I know about her has come from what I have been told, have read and pictures I have seen.  What appears to be the most striking, there…continue reading »

In preparations for their voyage to America, police reports and inspections were necessary as well as physical exams to make sure there would be no spread of infectious disease that would be carried to their destination or even brought aboard ship that might affect other passengers. The latter was very important as living conditions aboard…continue reading »

New York and the sight of land  was so welcome, a place to lose the sea legs and relax momentarily if you can call going through customs relaxing.  With four little children in tow and even though their belongings were few, getting to the train station for the next long journey required their bodies to…continue reading »