My family has been in this area for a few years. And by a few years, I mean generations. I proudly tell anyone with even the tiniest interest that my dad’s grandpa was a mayor. The last mayor of the 19th century in fact. That’s just his paternal side though since his mom hailed from New York state. My mom’s roots however, are a little more plentiful. Both sides on her maternal side came to the area due to coal mining. Coal was the lifeblood of this community after all. Mom’s paternal side, took a more circular route to get here. Ranching outside of town brought the family to the area before eventually moving into town. So, whenever I read a book about local history, I always hope to bump into some family history. It’s true what they say, be careful what you wish for because you just may get it.
Continue readingfamily history
Other Things I Know
Monday is my grandma Tommie’s 101st birthday. Even though she has been gone for 59 years (long before there was a ck in the works) I still try to remember the day. Out of my four grandparents, her story always seemed the most tragic. Not that any of the others had it easy, mind you, they all experienced their fair share of life’s vicissitudes. But hers just always hit me a little harder. Last month, I shared what little I know about my paternal grandma. Now I’m going to share what I know about my maternal grandma.
Continue readingThings I Know
Today is my grandma’s 123rd birthday. No, she is not here to celebrate. She passed away 40 years ago this August. Though I turned 12 just a few days before her passing, I have relatively few memories of her. She was placed in a nursing home when I was about 9 and spent the last few years of her life there. Though the facility was actually within walking distance of my home, I let one traumatic experience keep me from visiting as I should have. I regret that but also acknowledge I did the best I could at the time. This story isn’t really about that though. I have written quite a lot about my grandma – perhaps out a deep sense of guilt for not visiting – I am going to map out a rough sketch of the things I know.
Continue readingThe Unknown Hero
Caledonia
The Sacrifice
In a war I read about in history books
an ancestor’s name falls between the lines.
The war is history to me
but life for him.
Continue readingSpend a Moment
Spend a moment,
writing it down
because you will forget –
thoughts don’t hang around.
Continue readingRemember: your family name is for future generations, too
I’m proud of my family name. Both my paternal and maternal names that make up, well, me. While my ancestors were not perfect by any means I always enjoy encountering a family name in a history book. It doesn’t happen often but occasionally with local history books I do bump into an ancestor. It got me thinking, what would it be like to share a family name with a notorious figure from history?
Continue readingBroken Table and Broken Dreams
I finally conceded I needed to give the table away. It is a big (by today’s standards) kitchen table probably built in the 1940’s. All wood, it is heavy and cumbersome. Not really designed for today’s compact modern world. But for me giving it away was a difficult decision because it represented a dream unfulfilled. Although I have lived long enough to know the importance of plan B’s in my life, giving up on a long held dream is not an easy thing to do. I took comfort in the fact that the table not only represented a plan B in my life, but it must have also been similar for my grandma nearly 55 years earlier. We are connected with this broken table and broken dreams. At least, that’s what I tell myself.
General Conference thoughts: “Let This House Be Built unto My Name”
What is a house for? I visited Mesa Verde in southern Colorado and learned about that area’s Native Americans and their move to houses. I was surprised humans learned how to dwell in houses. It seems like an instinctual process to build a shelter. But apparently, it’s not. At least, not for some. Once this particular group of people moved to shelters they left some pretty hardy dwellings behind.
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ck's days 