Happy Birthday Grandad!

Hard to believe my dear Grandad would be 127 today!

From sitting around his dining room table at 1515 I learned the story

of his Grandfather in the Charleston Riot.

Because of him I am on a special journey.

Walter Ewing Winkler

or 

WEW

he is the boy standing holding his Mothers arm

I think my Great Grandfather was so handsome

at 21

Officers training WWI

with his sweetheart

1948 with his dad and brother

in the garden at 1515

the last Christmas we all spent together 1976

look at the pride on his face with all 8 grandchildren

I am the littlest

37 years ago today

miss you,

with love,

Ann

"Well, It Depends on the Weather"

If I hear that one more time I am going to scream!

As we plan the Charleston Riot Anniversary, I keep hearing that over and over and over!

It is March 28-30th!

Not January for gosh sakes.

So let us look at what March looks like!

the forsythia will be blooming!

the trees around the courthouse will be in bloom!

the homes on the house tour will be in their spring glory

the yard will need its first mowing!

oh and my favorite, the redbuds!

pretty pansies!

daffodils in all their glory

Can you feel the sun on your face, the warm breeze, the smell of spring?

GOOD

Because this is what it looks like today

oh my

A Proud Moment

You should just know

my post will be sporadic and probably will be about 

The Charleston Riot

I can't help myself I have been working on this since

Oct 2011!

Maybe some of you can help me....

I need to give a speech and thank you to those who 

have helped when we have our Anniversary Dinner

and I have to do it in front of Lincoln Scholar

Harold Holzer

So come on friends, give me some pointers!

I do want to start by saying, my journey to that

day started around my Grandfather Winklers

dining room table at 1515

(I am on the far rt)

there he would be holding court, talking to my Dad and who ever was there to listen.

I do remember him saying that his Uncle who was shot in the hand 

"he let the dog lick the wound to heal it"

Oh the things we remember when we are little.

Many of the families in town never mentioned the 1864 event, but mine did and seemed proud of it.

My Grandfather would of been about 7 when his Grandfather (who was shot in the shoulder) who was in the Riot died and 14 when his Uncle died. So I am sure he soaked up every story,

 and in turn my brother and I did the same. 

My brother says he has a recording of Grandad talking about the Riot.

I hope he looks for it! 

So I will just tell a quick story about why the Riot has been such a part of my life,

that it is in honor of my Great Grandfather Winkler, then move in to all the thank yous.

OK now give me your feedback, yeah or NO.

Last week I received this!

The State of Illinois has Proclaimed

March 28-30th as

"Charleston Riot Days"

I have to say I am very proud of our accomplishments.

Hang in there with me in this final push to the end 

60 days from today!!

Ann

Don't Forget Me!

Don't forget about little ole me!

I am working on planning for the Riot

so many phone calls, emails, documents to type!

I am up in my arm pits in Charleston IL Riot Planning

this is from 1967

No reenactment has been done since then.

the phone calls and emails are like having a FT job

Want to see the houses on the house tour?

this has a huge solarium filled with antiques

Ramsey house

they have pictures of ladies having tea on the front lawn

during the Civil War

this is the only one not from the Civil War 

but it is owned by the Historical Society and

the interior is decorated in the 1940's

1854

meeting with the owners in Feb

1835

the oldest one in town.

One more that I do not have a picture of.

Missing you all and knowing what your up to.

But like I said!

Do not forget me, I will be back!

After March 30th!

December Auction...YEP, I Spent $6

In December when I was at 1515 I was able to go to the weekly auction with my friend.

Did not think I saw a thing

Even sent a FB message saying that!

Then this happened

a picnic basket! and one I don't have

Colors are perfect for Christmas

The top is not perfect

I will try cleaning it

the handles are in great shape

I have seen them with broken handles for $15

a great buy for...

$3

yes I said 3 dollars!

Next up

this almost was a Christmas present for a friend

pink daisy casserole dish

no lid

but in perfect shape

couldn't  believe it when MR. said

" I think you should keep it matches your other pieces"

ok, your right it goes ok with my flamingo pink lasagna dish

after all my kitchen is pink and green

Oh I almost forgot...

yep!

$3

I love the auction, I can spend a fun evening with my friend and never spend over $20

On my budget that is a blessing

Snowing here again this morning.

Still can't talk but feel a little better

Headed to 1515 in the am, hope the roads are clear.

Have a great weekend, hope you find a bargain too!

The Snow...The Cold.....

Yep it snowed here, husband has taken me to work everyday in our 4x4.

the garden cottage and potting shed are hibernating

there is a drift outside my bedroom window on the porch roof

there really is a road between the pole and evergreen

Mr and neighbor, this is not the weather for one of our porch parties!

after the winds my car is buried now

But there is some beauty

no porch sitting today

The "cold" is 2 fold

the record setting temps

and the cold I am now suffering from

For the first time ever I have laryngitis!

I called in today.....well I texted in to my boss since I can not talk!

Nurses can not work if they can not talk.

I am suppose to head to 1515 tomorrow, but the roads there are still

drifted over in some areas....after all it is the prairie.

Tete from Beyond the Garden Gate will keep me updated

on the road conditions at 1515!

Instead I will try to heal.

My New Year Has Started With A Genealogical Treasure

Happy New Year!

I have not posted since Christmas Eve, busy working and family time.

We had a great Christmas, Christmas Eve was at my husband's brother

I always love trying to get a picture of my MIL with her new 

Great Grandchildren, she had 3 there this year running around.

Looking forward to celebrating her 90th birthday this year.

I find these types of pictures so important.

It ties the generations together. Someday baby Wes may want to know about his

Great Grandparents and his family history.

That leads me to my family.......

If you know me you know I love history and genealogy.

I have spent many a hour researching my Mitchell side with my cousin and author

David Bowles. Sometimes when he was writing we would discuss issues, what did we think happened, who, what, when?

Many times we guessed and then later we would find the proof.

This has happened several times...like someone was leading David and I down a path of discovery.

The links to his books are on my sidebar.

A couple of years ago I was contacted from a Professor at the University of Georgia about a document that Adam Mitchell had written to free a slave in 1825, unheard of at that time, in Tennessee. The letter gave our family great pride.

Adam is my 3rd Great Uncle.

The Professor wanted to know who the slave was, I was able to discover the story.

I have not bought anything on Ebay in several years.

Why did I decided to look at Ebay that day?

I found this

A letter written by Adam from my hometown of Charleston where he had moved

 to his hometown of Washington Co TN.

I could not believe it and was so glad there was a "buy it now" price!

Luckily they had scanned it and I could begin reading it.

I recognized the same handwriting as the letter to petition to free the slave.

It answered some questions and opened up more.

He was trying to settle the estate of his nephew James, who went back to Washington Co to visit a son who was in College. He died on the visit in 1834. I can not imagine traveling in the 1830's from IL to TN for a visit.

Davids last book wrote about the town Dr., Dr Chester. Well David was right he was our family MD. It is there in the letter.

He also mentions the recent death of my 3rd Great Grandfather John.

But also opens up some other questions my cousins and I will spend time researching.

It helps to see in writing the correct dates, the correct circumstances of events.

I think it is wonderful to hold the letter in my hand

written by my ancestor some 169 years ago.

I welcomed it back home to Charleston.