Remember Me?

I knew July was going to be busy, and it has been!

Get together's for my family and Mr. and more work on the planning for the civil war anniversary in Charleston.

I guess it rained at home and I miss it!

It has been dry enough that my neighbor had her tree trimmed and to clean up the twigs, all the workers had to do is ........blow it! No grass you see!

But I am back in Charleston this weekend working on the Riot planning.

We had our monthly meeting yesterday but on Saturday we met the folks

from the Matson Slave Trial.

All of this is Lincoln history.

We met at Patterson Springs Bed and Breakfast

They have only been open since February.

The home belonged to the B&B owners Mother.

After her mother passed away they kept the property and opened it.

The place is dripping with history.

It is hard to get a good picture, because it is in the woods.

Built in 1880, and became a place to go for the 3 mineral springs on the property.

The turn of the century it was the place to be. They had Chautauqua's there, even

President Taft, Billy Sunday and William Jennings Bryant came.

It actually was in the low 80's so they had lunch set up on the porch for us.

beautiful old china

a delightful summer lunch with watermelon for desert.

Cousin Susan went along and my idol Nancy Easter Shick.

Nancy has written so many wonderful books about Coles Co., and Lincoln.

I wish I had half of her knowledge, it has been such a dream of mine

to get to know her as a friend.

We had a good meeting and I am looking forward to attending the

annual Trial and Tribulations in September.

This is about a trial in which Lincoln defended a slave owner.

The only time he ever did that.

I am so glad it was nice enough to sit on the porch

This would be a wonderful place for a quiet get away.

Then on Sunday I spent the day scanning things.

On Saturday prior to going to the B&B we spent

the morning in Nancy's archives. I picked up a file

and notice a picture and I immediately knew it 

was my Grandmother's house she grew up in!

I was able to get some history after they sold the farm in

1931 for $115.00.

So it was Sunday...

we needed a Sunday dinner, so I put a Swiss steak in the crock pot

so we could have it after our Riot meeting.

The twins brought local tomato's

Cousin Fred brought me flowers...

Then we took a ride around town, went to DQ for some 

mini blizzards and then checked out the Coles County

Fair. It is the oldest fair in Illinois.

Today I am meeting with a local TV station.

Then back to St. Louis and work, and OT the rest of the week.

Next weekend it looks like Mr. brother will be in from San Antonio. 

So more family time but......they love for me to take them 

antiquing!

Going to go take some pictures of my most recent finds so I can give

you a more interesting post.

I hope you clink on the links to read about the local

history.

Tale of Two Families

Mr. and I had a wonderful evening last night.

His cousin got as many of the family cousins together that she could.

There were 13 along with my MIL and her BIL.

As I listened to the stories, I realized how different they were from my family

There is alot more first cousins than with my family!

19 of them, from 5 siblings

German Catholic

They still have parents living

only 8 of us from 3 siblings

German/Scottish Protestant

Our parents are all gone

They seem to only get together at funerals, the last time the 7 of us were together was at my cousins funeral.

Mr.'s Grandfather was a first generation born American and his Grandmother 2nd generation.

Coming to America in 1876.

My Grandad and Grandmother both had ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War.

We have been in the same county in IL since 1828.

They parents grew up in the city of St. Louis

The house the parents grew up in is now a famous St. Louis

Irish pub. Last summer we were eating there and I said to Mr. " I think we are eating in your grandparents backyard"

My family is small town, farmers with the exception of my Grandparents who lived in town.

They lived at 1515 almost 60 years.

We still enjoy the same back yard today.

Hearing about "city" life is interesting and different.

They finally moved in the 1940's from where they were so they would have an indoor toilet.

Where my farm family had an indoor toilet even in the 1890's.

Now you would think my family on the farm would be the one with no indoor toilet?

But then a theme began to emerge.........

during the depression families lived together....same at 1515

Looking at pictures of the cousins growing up, there were alot of Holidays and

summers spent together............same at 1515

They worked hard and loved each other.........same at 1515

The men served in WWII, came home and married their

sweethearts and started a family.........same at 1515

I guess our families are not that different

Catholic vs Protestant

Large vs small

City vs small town

Immigrant vs early American

I think we are probably just

The Typical American Family

WOW!! What a Weekend!

So sorry I have been MIA and not reading about what you are all up to...BUT

What a great family weekend I had!

It was my Paternal Grandmother's family reunion 106 years!

I got there on Thursday afternoon after working a 4 hr shift.

The twins and some friends went to our favorite local Mexican place,

and we ended up being filmed for a TV commercial!!

My cousins arrived that night and the next day was getting ready for more out of town guests.

The tradition is to go to the local place for Rib's

My cousins Mary and Marty and my Dad"s cousin Fred

A sweet lady offered to take our picture...aaa the table looks real good, 

too bad Sheryl's head is gone!

Then to a local coffee shop for some local music

The next day was the genealogy workshop we had at 1515 with lunch

Cousins Fred and Don looking at where their Grandparents use to live on the plat book

Yeah! Cousin Bob made it from Colorado!

We had printers and laptops everywhere.

Actually Bob and I share the same 5th Great Grandfather and Dale and I share the same 3rd Great Grandfather....but we are cousins no matter what!

Mary and Marty made homemade ham salad, and other treats.

It was actually nice enough to sit on the deck.

Looks like study hall or a library at 1515!

So then we decided to take a field trip to a grave site

Do you wonder what we are looking at?

It has not rained in WEEKS, but the minute we want to go out in a field to see our 5th Great Grandparents grave site it lighting!!!!!!!

Look how bad the corn looks and Coles Co IL has the best black soil.

This land was in our family starting in 1828.

So back to 1515 to do some porch sitting

Cousin Lynn here from Seattle!

Then us girls got DIRTY!!

Dinner at a new place with great food.The cousins on the back right, I have only known about 3 years.

The funny thing is that they live in the same town I do and one lived 4 blocks from me and we never knew it!

Her Dad and mine went to HS together and our Grandfathers worked on the railroad together...I found that out when she saw a picture at 1515 with her Grandfather and mine standing together.

The next day was to be the reunion at my Grandmother's church (see previous post)

The crowd was small this year........

But then Jerry on the rt had not been to a reunion since 1948, when it was at the church!

The food was great!

Then the fun began!

Cousins Bob and Judy have written 3 historical songs about our family!

The add so much to our family and I have only known them 3 years.

So we ended with laughs and promises for next year.

Oh, did you think I was done.........No

Sorry!!

Back to 1515 for dinner left overs

On Monday it was time for Mary and Marty to head back to Indiana

But gee we have to have a burger from Moonshine first

Who knows how to get there?

and we stopped in my hometown on the way for peaches

Waiting for our burgers

Moonshine is pretty famous.

It was above 90 but in the shade it was not bad

So then everyone went there separate ways

but Fred wanted to show his daughter Lynn around my hometown of Greenup.

The Embrass is dry

Taken from our covered bridge

Lynn and Fred caught a train to Chicago the next day for some fun.

For me it was clean up today at 1515 and lunch with the twins 

before heading home.

The fun is over...4am wake up in the am.

just one thing to say...

So glad these siblings decided in 1906 to have a

yearly family reunion.

Grandmother's Church

Next Sunday is our family reunion #106.

It is my maternal Grandmothers family.

I am thinking about her church, since it Sunday, and next week we will gather.

Last spring when I was there I took some pictures of it's beauty.

This was the original church my Grandmother attended in Ashmore IL.

The Cumberland Presbyterian Church

Hard to believe this small town of 785 had 2 Presbyterian Churches.

Most of my Grandmother's Aunt and Uncles were brought up the stairs for their funerals.

I think about all my ancestors who placed their hands on these beautiful doors to open them to the sanctuary.

The sanctuary looks like you just stepped into 1912

enough parishioners at one time to fill up a balcony

original light fixture hangs in the empty balcony

I find beauty everywhere I look.

My family sat in these pews for Christmas programs, High School graduations, 

baptisms, marriages and funerals.

They sang together in joy on Sundays and cried together here in sad times.

So many of these small town churches are shutting their doors.

I find it so sad, my heart breaks for the history they hold inside.

I am so lucky to say, that I too now have memories of happy times there.

I am hoping and praying they continue.

The minister of the church passed away in February, and if you 

know anything about small town life and small town churches,

ministers are few and far to come from.

I worry so about this beautiful church.

So as you go to church today, look around and discover the 

beauty of your church, the history of your church and think about those that came before you.

Think of the songs they sang, the smiles they gave each other and the tears they shed together.