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.

Some Beauty Among the Heat

The forecast for St. Louis today is 107!

I only go out to water and run back in, I hate this.

Although somethings seem to love the heat.

My hibiscus bush is loaded daily with beautiful blooms.

It seems to be enjoying the heat.

The blooms are so gorgeous. Wish they were the kind you could cut and bring in.

Have a wonderful Pink Saturday!

Stay cool.

Grandmother's Porcelain Doll Head

Next week is my Grandmother's family reunion......# 106.

So this time of year turns to thoughts of my Grandmother.

She died before I was born and when my Grandfather remarried they must of divided up some of her things.

This was my Dad's pick.....strange for a man to pick, maybe?

This is a porcelain doll head she bought herself.

Love the sweet little face.

It always was in the secretary in our living room.

The note can be found inside the head. It is handwritten by my Grandmother, she wrote that "one time when I was maybe 9 or 10 we came to Charleston I was given 25 cents to spend"

I guess that would be about 1902, so now I need to go read her sister, (Aunt Annie) diaries and I probably can tell the exact date she bought it.

She was special to my Dad and she is to me too.

She hangs out in my living room watching over things, in my little corner cabinet.

Dad, I am sure glad you chose her to come home with you.

Independence Day

We celebrate our Independence today, because of so many brave men and women who fought for Independence.

I am reposting this from last year.
It is what is my heart about my country and my family.

They were every day men like Adam Mitchell who found the Battle of Guilford Courthouse on the footsteps of his family plantation.  A second generation American, Presbyterian, husband and father. He fought on the line, he was captured then released. His family hid in a Spring House from the British, his Mother and oldest son protecting the family.

He is my 4th Great Grandfather

10 miles down the road in Gibsonville, NC the Scherer family understood the importance of protecting the land and stood with their neighbors in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Jacob Daniel Scherrer, a German immigrant, a strong Lutheran, a husband and a father. He stood with his 22 yr old son, the first to be born in American

They are my 5th and 6th Great Grandfathers

Some were not in the militia but joined and were in the service of their country.

William Galbreath, a 3rd generation American from Westmoreland Co. PA served for more than 7 years.  He was a guard of Cornwallis after his capture. Later his son would marry the Grandaughter of the man who was captured and held by Cornwallis, Adam Mitchell.  He married a young girl he met at a party held for General Washington. He lived to be 81 yrs old.

William Galbreath is my 3rd Great Grandfather

These are not the only ones I honor today:

John Galbreath of Patriotic Service PA 4th Great Grandfather

John McMachen Civil Service NC 6th Great Grandfather

Elias Tolin Sergant VA 4th Great Grandfather

Edmund Fair Captain NC 4th Great Grandfather

William Barnes Pvt NC 4th Great Grandfather

Henry Sousley Pvt  PA 5th Great Grandfather

Johann Ament Pvt VA 5th Great Grandfather

I can not even begin to comprehend the sacrifice these men made to fight for the Independence of America. The passion and love they felt for this new country.

Please take a minute and think of those who made this all possible and those that continue everyday to maintain our Independence.

OH Andy...........

I was so sad to hear that Andy Griffith had died this morning.

He reminded me of my Dad in a way. My Dad had a great smile, witty sense of humor and a way with people just like Andy. Plus my brother is red headed and looked so much like Opie when he was little.

This is a beautiful statue in the hometown of Andy, Mount Airy, NC.

A few years ago my cousin and were going to NC for a genealogy trip, on the way we made a overnight stop and Mount Airy. We had so much fun, so as a tribute to Andy today, I want to take a look back and think of all the happy memories he created for us with that magical town of Mayberry.

Even the real Thelma Lou had recently moved there from California!

We found out we could stay in Andy's house he grew up in, so we did!

They lived there over 30 years. It reminded me of 1515 a little.

Maybe that is why we were so comfortable there, except the bathroom!

I just adored the kitchen, it was so bright and cheery and it REALLY

reminds me of the kitchen at 1515.

I bet Mrs.Griffiths made some great meals here.

I spent the night in his parents bedroom. The hats reminded me of Aunt Bee.

Mary stayed in Andy's boyhood home

At the time, there was big times blocked out when you could not stay there. I was told because Andy would come back and stay for a couple of weeks a year.

Then it was on to discover the rest of Mayberry.....oh I mean Mount Airy!

We never saw Barney, but I had a feeling he was always watching us?

Floyd's Barber Shop!

If you look close you can see a picture of Floyd cutting Andy's hair

Of course his name was not really Floyd, but we had so much fun!

His wall has pictures of all those that come to visit and sit in his chair.

No visit is complete unless you sit in Andy's chair.

Was I calling Barney or Aunt Bee to bring me lunch?

Mary was looking for Otis!

Don't you know... we found him!

Yes, he was wandering the streets.

How did we get around town?

In the squad car...how else?

The squad car drives you around town.

And if we had trouble

we could call Wally's and Goober would come get us.

We left and went on our way.

But on the way back home we could not help but come back for more.

Oh my the breakfast we had here!! Yum Yum

I have made plenty of links for you to check out the sights.

It was a wonderful trip and again...

Andy thanks for the memories.