Thursday, December 7, 2023

2023 Holiday letter

Happy holiday, friends!
2023 was a wonderful year at our house. We joined the East Tennesee Gleaners Co-op where we taught a few classes, took a few more and enjoyed the company of like-minded people. Of course we planted a garden, focusing on tomatoes, peppers, okra, and garlic, as well as some squash and gourds, with great results. This was the first year we were able to break even on the garlic, selling about 10 pounds for seed. We also planted (with the help of a few grandsons!) 50 or so lavender for the bees.
We hosted family and friends a bunch, including friends from Texas, and most of the children and grandchildren, as well as my sister and brother-in-law. In addition to that, we did a bunch of traveling, Texas in January; Charleston in March; a quick trip to NY in April; Missouri in May, where we got to visit Alden, see where my grandmother was born and some ancestral graves, and start our Route 66 journey; Arizona in September, where I met my cousin Carl and his wife Patty for the first time, saw the Grand Canyon, and enjoyed more of Route 66!; and finally a trip to Colorado last week to see Cirque du Soleil in Denver. This was the reason I retired!
Now we are home, enjoying our Christmas decorations and the quiet until we sojourn to Hawai'i next February to see our new granddaughter, November, and her older sister, August, as well as Matt and Niah.
I'll close this letter with a few photos, and wishes for all the blessings of this holiday season for you and your loved ones.
Stargate, TX

Saturday, September 16, 2023

Health, part I

The thing about this blog is that it's safe. No one reads it. So all the fears, anger and other emotions that I don't know what to do with, I can put here. The last six weeks... It started in early August when I felt something weird happening on my back. I asked John to look at it, he told me it looked like a mole and we should get it looked at. We took a photo, and I called the dermatologist.
By the time I got into see him, a week later, it looked like this:
I was floored when the dermatologist said - "oh, that's a tick" and then removed it. Because of the irritation around it, he prescribed Doxycycline, a powerful antibiotic that I took twice a day for two weeks. Two weeks of throwing up, staying out of the sun, and halfway through the treatment, getting thrush. He also did a complete body scan, to look at any moles or skin conditions that might be a problem in the future. I specifically asked about something that had recently - I think sometime in the spring, shown up on my breast. It was skin colored with a hard brown core. He told me it was a cyst, and I shouldn't worry about it. So, about a week after finishing the tick treatment, around Labor Day, I noticed what looked like a pimple there. It quickly turned into an abscess. So I called the dermatologist office to try to get seen, but it was going to be two weeks. I made the appointment, and started putting drawing salve on it, and a lot of pus came out. I was able to get into see my PCP, on 9/11, a few days later. She was on maternity leave, and the elderly doctor (started practicing in 1971) said he thought it might have been a bug bite that got infected.He prescribed Bactrim, a sulfa-based antibiotic, and Nystatin to have on hand, should my thrush return.
So here I am 5 days later, trying to figure out what to do about the upcoming trip to Arizona and the Grand Canyon.

Friday, May 12, 2023

Day 3 - Geocaching, Adventure Labs, and Rte 66

Day 3 - We spent much of the day on Rte. 66, doing two adventure labs, and eating at an authentic diner. The first lab was focused on Uranus, a kitschy themed tourist attraction whose motto is "It's not a town, it's a destination." There's a fudge factory, a rocket, the world biggest belt buckle, a sideshow - you get the idea.

The afternoon adventure was honoring the soldiers - Fort Leonard Wood is located here. We went to two cemeteries, and four memorials.

Finally, no trip to Rte. 66 would be complete without a diner experience.

Genealogy, and a grandson

Day 1: (Weds. May 10, 2023) Leftthe house around 9 A.M., planning to drive 6 hours or so, towards our ultimate destination of Saint Robert, MO. By 4PM, we were close enough that it didn't make any sense to stop, so we drove through. Highlights of the day, seeing an eagle outside the Mark Twain National Forest, and BBQ for dinner.

Day 2: Well, my plan to meet up with a distant cousin and do genealogy didn't quite work out. She wasn't able to make it, due to stormy weather, and the genealogy room wasn't open, either. No matter, there were some nearby cemeteries to check out. The first one, Bolles Cemetery, had four ancestors. Really old ancestors with disintegrating headstones.

Although it's difficult to tell, these are my 3rd great grandparents, Calvin J. Agee, his wife, Minerva Thrailkill Agee; and John and Mary Pierce Hughes. They died (respectively) in 1876, 1903, 1877, and 1882.We attempted to go to the Vernon cemetery, where my 4th great grandparents, Joseph Thrailkill and Ziporah Atchley, are buried, but it is literally in the middle of some farmer's field, and we couldn't figure out how to access it. We ended up going to the Lebanon - Lacelede County library, which has both a Missouri History room and a Rte. 66 museum. Very cool.

The final highlight of the day, was running into Alden at Walmart, and then having dinner with him and Julia.

Saturday, April 29, 2023

Married at the fair

Like so many genealogy journeys, this one started with a photo.

A cute little baby on a cabinet card from Aunt Laura, circa 1902, that said Leah Linn(?)on the back. Now, I couldn't recall a Leah Linn, so I went to Ancestry and did a name search, and came up with Leah Jobes (born 2 Jul 1901) who married an Ernest Linn. That's where the story got interesting. One of my favorite sources to flesh out an ancestor's story is to try and find mention of them in newspapers of the time. I hit the jackport on this one!

What's this?

Both the Buffalo News (Aug 12, 1922 and Sep 11, 1922) carried articles that told the story of the Chautauqua County Fair Committee coming up with an idea - about a month before the fair - to hold a contest and offer $100 in gold, furniture and wedding presents to any couple in Chautauqua county who will consent to be married at the fair grounds on September 15. Couples who were interested had to send an application in for consideration. Because of the overwhelming response they got, the fair committee ended up drawing a couple's name.

As best I can tell, with the timeline from contest announcement to wedding being 30 days, the lucky couple must have had about 2 weeks to pull this together, by the time they were notified that they had been chosen.As luck would have it, Miss Jobes and Mr. Linn were planning a fall wedding, but hadn't settled on a date.

The Dunkirk Evening Observer described the wedding in a Sept 15, 1922 article:
The public wedding was the attraction at the County Fair- today. Miss Leah Jobes of Kennedy and Ernest Linn of Hanoverton, Ohio, were married on the platform before thousands by the Rev. J. Milton Harris of the Baptist church of Allegany, the bride's uncle. The wedding party drove to the fair grounds from Hotel Francis in four open carriages. Coachmen and footmen were attired in livery, with powdered wigs. The Akbar Sanctorum band of Dunkirk played the wedding march and the guard team of review escorted the bride.The fair committee provided a hotel suite and luncheon for the wedding party and family guests, and the prizes included $100 in gold, a mahagony dining set, a library table, and an upholstered chair, along with some smaller gifts.

A wedding to remember! It's too bad they never had children, that would have made a great story to pass on. I guess it's up to me to share it. But I'll leave you with this thought - can you imagine this happening today when weddings are planned months, if not a year in advance? Oh, and did you catch Uncle Milton's name?

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

It starts with a picture - Matt's bike accident

Often coming across a photo will trigger a memory, like this one of Matt, with his external fixator.

Matt, like his brothers before him, had a paper route when he was an adolescent. One Friday, March 1, 1996, he came home from school, hopped on his bike and was on the way home to start his route; but while crossing Center Street on his bike, he had an accident. An elderly lady, Charlotte MacDonald, was turning into the Jubilee parking lot, and Matt rode his bike into the side of her car. It chills me to think how much worse this could have been. He wasn't wearing a helmet, and suffered a compound fracture of his leg.

A neighbor kid saw Matt lying in the street after the accident, and ran down to our house to tell John. He rushed down there, told the police to let him through, it was his son, and rode with Matt to the hospital. They transferred him to Strong. After making arrangements for the kids, John picked me up in Rochester, where they performed surgery, and put an external fixator on his leg.

His brothers did his paper route that day, but that was pretty much the end of Matthew and the paper route. Come to think of it, it was probably the last time Matt ever rode a bike, as well.

Sunday, March 26, 2023

Solving the Mystery of Dexter May Harris aka Gloria Jean Park (A genealogical case study)

Dexter May Harris aka Gloria Jean Park is a mystery that has intrigued me for as long as I can remember. While she is biologically my first cousin, once removed, she is also my adopted aunt.

I have researched both deeply and widely, looking at more than twenty sources for her, and sussing out information for those whose lives she touched, including spouses, siblings, parents, and children. Briefly, here is what I know: Dexter was born 12 May 1921, in Pocatello, Idaho to Alvin James Harris, 34, and his wife, Flora Castello Lee, 23 (Idaho, U.S., Birth Records, 1861-1919, Stillbirth Index, 1905-1967). She was Alvin’s first child, and Flora’s second, having been married at 18 to William Grenville Bowen, and having given birth to a daughter in 1918, Ruby Irene Bowen, who lived just 5 months. Sometime before November 1923, the family moved from Pocatello to Salmon, Idaho, where Flora gave birth prematurely to a son, Allen Duane Harris, on 4 Nov 1923, who died 11 days later (Idaho, U.S., Death Records, 1890-1971). Four years later, her sister Leona Joleen was born (21 Nov 1927). At the time of the 1930 census, the family consisted of Alvin Harris, 40, Flora Harris, 23, Dexter Harris, 6 and Leona Harris, 2, and the family lived on Water Street in Salmon, Idaho.

Sadly, tragedy would strike the following year, as her father, Alvin, was killed while loading a truck with logs for firewood for the family. The death was ruled accidental on the death certificate, and the informant was his brother, Frank Allen Harris (Idaho, Death Records, 1890-1967). Frank was appointed Administrator for his brother’s estate, which consisted of: No cash in bank, personal property worth $185, including 1 cow, a second-hand Dodge truck, a motor trailer, household goods, and $400 equity in 3 acres of land, known as the Pugh Property on upper Main Street in Salmon (Idaho, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1857-1989).

The remaining family lived together until January 1935, at which time, Dexter, 13, was formally adopted by her uncle and aunt, Frank Allen and Minnie Lee Agee Harris, and she joined their family of five children, including my father, Floyd Duane Harris (Application and Order of Adoption, Lemhi County Probate Court). Her mother, Flora, then married her third husband, John Valentine Abbey, taking her younger daughter, Leona, with her (Western States Marriage Index, 1809-2011). In October, 1935, Flora gave birth to her last known child, Lois Irene Abbey. Dexter would remain with Frank and Minnie just 16 months, as she married with their consent (Affidavit of Consent to Marriage, County of Lemhi), Richard Walter Evans, 18, on 30 Jun 1937, at the age of 16 (Western States Marriage Index, 1809-2011).

It is likely she had known Richard a number of years, as he was the son of Minnie’s sister, Mettie. On 3 Jun 1938, she gave birth to their first child, Richard A. Evans, who lived to adulthood. Unfortunately, the next three children did not survive infanthood. Alvin Delbert (17 Oct 1939 – 17 Dec 1939) died of a digestive condition resulting from premature birth and no subsequent medical attention (Idaho, U.S., Death Records, 1890-1971). Daughter, Shirley Ann, also died at 2 months (6 Nov 1940 – 7 Jan 1941) from influenza (Idaho, U.S., Death Records, 1890-1971). Their final child, Ronald Jean Evans was born 19 May 1942, in Salmon, Idaho, and died 18 months later, on 17 Nov 1943. There are several mysterious things about this death. The cause of death was gastroenteritis, due to teething, and the child died in the State School and Hospital in Nampa, Idaho, which was more than 250 miles from their home (Idaho, U.S., Death Records, 1890-1971).

At this point, we lose track of Dexter until seven years later, when she shows up in the 1950 census, in the household of George L Creech, in Chapel Hill, Georgia. The household consists of: George L Creech, 26, Gloria Jean Creech, 25, Helen Patricia Creech, 3, and Jerry Lee Creech, 1 (1950 United States Federal Census).

The next official documentation we have of her is her marriage on 10 May 1979 to Lawrence F Brewer, Jr. in Vancouver, Washington (Washington, Marriage Records, 1854-2013), where she is listed as Gloria Jean Park. Five months later, on 15 Oct 1979, she divorces him, using the name Gloria Harris (Oregon, Divorce Records, 1961-1985), in Yamhill, Oregon. Her death is documented in the Oregon, Death Index, 1898-2008, under the name Gloria Jean Park, on 22 Mar 1999, and in the U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007. This is a key source, as it ties together the various pieces of her identity. It lists: Name: Gloria Jean Brewer, Female, Birth Date: 12 May 1921, Birth Place: Pocatello, Idaho, Death Date: 22 Mar 1999, Claim Date: 24 Nov 1976. Father: Alvin J Harris, Mother: Flora C Lee, Type of Claim: Duplicate request; evidence of identity only submitted. Notes: 12 Jun 1979: Name listed as GLORIA JEAN BREWER; 29 Feb 1980: Name listed as GLORIA JEAN PARK; 02 Nov 1976: Name listed as GLORIA J PARK.

Informal sources, such as family obituaries, help fill in a few more details. We find her listed in Frank Allen Harris’ obituary in Oct 1957, as Dexter Park, living in Compton, California (The Recorder Herald, Salmon, Idaho, 10 Oct 1957). Her son, Richard Evans, died at the age of 35, and lists her as mother, Mrs. Gloria J. Park. When her mother, Flora, dies in McMinnville, OR, in 1985, we find her as Gloria Jean Park, McMinnville (Statesman Journal, Salem, Oregon 07 Aug 1985, Wed, Page 14). Her remaining son, Jerry Lee Creech, dies in June 2018 in Atlanta, GA, and lists his mother, Gloria Harris as preceding him in death. Her own obituary, is reproduced here from the Statesman Journal, Salem, Oregon 25 Mar 1999, Page 24:

May 12, 1921 - March 22, 1999

McMINNVILLE Gloria Park, 77, died Monday at her home. Born in Pocatello, Idaho, she was raised and educated in Salmon, Idaho. She moved to Carlton in 1959, Portland in 1966 and McMinnville in 1968. She was a home-care provider for many years. She belonged to Assembly of God Church. Survivors include her daughter, Patricia Kalogerokis of Atlanta, Ga.; son, Jerry Creech of Atlanta; sisters, Joleen Shipley of Mount Home, Idaho and Lois Steele of Carlton; and three grandchildren. Visiting will be 2 to 7 p.m. today at Macy and Son Funeral Directors. Services will be 2:30 p in. Friday at Yamhill-Carlton Pioneer Cemetery.

Now the questions:

First the children

Why did Ronald Evans die in an institution a full day’s drive from where they lived?
Is Frances May Evans the child of Dexter and Richard, or Charity and Richard?
As best I can tell, her two children by George Creech remained with their father when she left. Why?
Where is Patricia Creech now, dead or alive?

The marriages

I can only find partial documentation for two out of four probable marriages.
Marriage to Richard Walter Evans – 30 Jun 1937 to unknown
Marriage (?) to George Lee Creech – no documentation, but is living with him in 1950, with two children, aged 3 and 1.
Marriage (?) to unknown Park spouse – appears to have happened between the 1950’s and 1976
Marriage to Lawrence Frank Brewer, Jr – 10 May 1979 to 15 Oct 1979 – have both marriage and divorce records

The locations

When and why did she leave Idaho, and did she go directly to Georgia, or did she meet George someplace and they moved to Georgia?
When and why did she leave Georgia, without her children? Is this when she went to Compton, CA?

The names

After she left Richard Evans, it was almost like she was trying to reinvent herself, changing her name from Dexter May to Gloria Jean. The first documented use of the Park surname is in 1976, prior to her marriage to Lawrence Brewer, but she seems to go back to it, and use it for the remainder of her life after she divorces him.