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Lensman
I just remembered....my maternal grandfather was Canadian by birth...Ontario, I think...left at around 14...very romantic - in tragic terms - tale...wealthy family, mother died...father actually married the governess who had her own children and was mean or something...my grandfather ran away from home.... My mother made a trip several years ago to meet his brother up there...her father died when she was six..he was the inventor who electrocuted himself I wrote about..
posted by
Krisles
on August 12, 2005 at 11:39 PM
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Lensman
I have a booklet that has the family tree back to 1644 and has quite a lot of records on this particular grouping...property records...including, unfortunately but fascinating to read, listings of slaves...wills, marital, death, etc...I haven't sat down and read all of it since getting it at this reunion but it looks really interesting.
posted by
Krisles
on August 12, 2005 at 11:33 PM
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Krisles
This is a fantastic story. A real time capsule. Right down to the weather that day and the particular way they had of speaking back then. You can feel her despondency. I wonder what happened to her sons? I'm a bit of a nostalgic guy and a lover of history, so stuff like this is a real treat for me. Thanks!
posted by
Lensman
on August 12, 2005 at 11:23 PM
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I enjoyed reading your ggmother's letter. I take it her boys were lost in
the war? Very filled with culture of theime and place. Good Texas stuff, good American stuff.
posted by
kingmi
on July 9, 2005 at 1:03 AM
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Kris...lived over on that side of town near Grapevine for years.
We used to ride our motorcycles out there to the lake at night with friends and build a bonfire.
posted by
Passionflower
on June 14, 2005 at 8:33 PM
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Passion
You are so very welcome...it probably isn't that terribly far from you....just outside Tolar, near Grapevine. The county is now Hood.
posted by
Krisles
on June 14, 2005 at 7:54 PM
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Kris, please come back to my blog and explain what you meant.
posted by
Passionflower
on June 14, 2005 at 7:28 PM
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Kris, thanks so much for printing this...What an amazing piece of
Texas history. As a Texan, I truly enjoyed the read.
posted by
Passionflower
on June 14, 2005 at 7:27 PM
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Moondawg
It really is history we don't get in books, isn't it? I probably wouldn't have appreciated it as much when I was a kid. Thanks so much for reading.
posted by
Krisles
on June 13, 2005 at 8:09 PM
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Wiley
Thanks so much....so happy to share and glad you enjoyed.
posted by
Krisles
on June 13, 2005 at 8:07 PM
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Thank you for sharing
this piece of personal history. You find things in things like this letter that the history books don't cover.
posted by
Moondawg
on June 13, 2005 at 7:38 PM
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Krisles
I love posts like this, full of history, good for you luv. Wonderful read
posted by
WileyJohn
on June 13, 2005 at 6:27 PM
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Strat - I bet you really do have the family history stuff.
I am so grateful someone had the energy to put all this stuff together because I sure never would have! There are several stories of experiences with the Indians and then many more war stories...and when you know it is someone from your own family in the tale it just really makes it so much more alive for you when you read it. My cousins in San Antonio are really big into all the historic organizations for women and try to get me to join but I haven't so far...they keep telling me it's not like I picture and really interesting..but I drove by my old dorm at UT a few months back, the "home of gracious living for young ladies", Scottish Rite Dormitory - the only thing in all of Austin that looks like time stood still and put a protective bubble around - kind of scary....those Masons...
posted by
Krisles
on June 13, 2005 at 12:00 PM
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Usual
I will never forget the feelings I had sitting there in the cabin that day...it was raining, had been for days, and everything was so green and the scents in the air were...I don't know how to explain it, but it just seemed like I was actually transported a few times during the day when I was off by myself. I know that just doing the project will be such an experience for you and your brother. As always, thanks for reading.
posted by
Krisles
on June 13, 2005 at 11:52 AM
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That's so cool.
Moms never change. Ever.
One of my projects is to go through some of the old folks letters in our piles of family history. All kinds of Confederate veterans in the attic, including my great grandfather, who was said to have walked home to Cope, SC, from somewhere in North Carolina or Virginia, after giving his horse to another soldier who had lost a leg.
posted by
strat
on June 13, 2005 at 10:46 AM
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donaldoji
You're so right about the letters! I love to read them; and have you seen things like the lists for shopping and such? They certainly took the time whether they had more of it or not, and it is transporting to read the detail that is included in those exchanges. Thank you so much for reading and for appreciating it like I do.
posted by
Krisles
on June 13, 2005 at 9:40 AM
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Spectacular!
I love this. My brother and I are in the midst of year-long project working on a memoir of our family history. This post struck a chord in me because it is so fascinating to see where we come from and what traits we bring forward...courage, love, passion...these are the ones I want to carry and pass. Seems you have done that as well. =)
posted by
UsualSuspect
on June 13, 2005 at 9:34 AM
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Will
How wonderful that you fill that role - and, of course, I'm not at all surprised! It is so incredible to walk that farm, sit in that cabin, wade in that creek, stroll in the cemetery -- some of the stones are so crumbled and old but still stand to tell of the lives....I know it's my imagination but I really do feel them. And it had been raining for days, still overcast...the lush greens, heavy air so full of scents I know they shared....well, quite a day! So glad you are back and, as always, thanks for reading.
posted by
Krisles
on June 13, 2005 at 7:07 AM
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smartdog
Genealogists on both sides of my family - so very fortunately for me - have done the work to provide records back to 1644 (on the paternal tracks). I've had my maternal grandfather's side for years but only recently got this paternal grandfather's side and really freaked when it ended in the same year - wonder if they came over on the same boat? I actually have the name of that on one side! Letters, photos...it is endlessly fascinating to read but I would never, ever have had the "spark" to go after it so I am so grateful to my cousins who did. Thanks for reading!
posted by
Krisles
on June 13, 2005 at 7:01 AM
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littlemspickles
Thanks so much for reading! It was an incredible experience and one to repeat everyother year; it sits on a farm behind a house that has been rebuilt three times now I think, and the whole farm has been continuously owned by the family. My g-g-grandfather gave adjoining land for a church/graveyard and we spent a couple of hours roaming through that looking at tombstones and the rocks used where stones were never placed.
posted by
Krisles
on June 13, 2005 at 6:53 AM
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Krisles, Wow Great stuff. I'm very big into genealogy. I tried to get a
family reunion together last year. I'm considered the family historian now. Looking at letters alwys takes me there to a time and place. My Great great grandfather and 8 of his 12 sons went off to fight for the 'Cause' He was 58 years old when he enlisted. I'll write a blog on it soon. Once again, this was a great post tahnks for sharing.
posted by
I-R-William
on June 13, 2005 at 6:11 AM
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A very interesting post
I want to express gratitude to you for sharing your family history here. These are very thought provoking words. And I thought my family was spread out!
posted by
smartdog_670
on June 13, 2005 at 5:42 AM
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what a beautiful family treasure you have! you set the scene really nicely - I could just imagine you there in the cabin as well. Thanks for sharing the letter with us.
posted by
littlemspickles
on June 13, 2005 at 1:43 AM
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This was really a treasure. Thanks for sharing.
I go to the movies, of course, but this was a personal window on a vanished world. I love 19th Century letters. Everyone wrote letters, long ones, and the handwriting is so beautiful and stately. People seemed to have so much
time. You're very fortunate to have this strong family link to the past. But you know that
.
posted by
donaldoji
on June 12, 2005 at 11:11 PM
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