WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: Samuel Evans and Family

TREASURE CHEST THURSDAY: Alma & Gracie's Pitchers

Both of these pitchers belonged to very special women in my life...

The larger of the two belonged to Alma Elizabeth Clark(Evans) aka my great-grandmother.

the smaller pitcher belong to Grace Evans (Thompson) aka "Aunt Gracie" my great aunt.

Both of these women were very important in my life. 

When I was a little girl, I don't remember a day that the larger pitcher wasn't filled with "Sweet Tea".  Let me tell you, it was my favorite thing in the world to drink and she never went without.  I've used it several times, because it just brings back such sweet memories.  Every sunday after church that was the first thing she would make for me when we got home from church.  Several years ago, my grandmother gave me the pitcher and it sits a top a shelf above my fridge so family and friends can admire it, but it is always safe from harm.  The smaller of the two belonged to my great aunt Gracie.  Gracie is the baby sister of my great-grandmothers husband Clarence Evans.  First let me say that Gracie was the youngest of 7 and the ONLY girl.  She was full of spunk and meaness.  She was always pickin' at my grandpa and he at her.  I don't remember a time when they were together or even on the phone talking to each other that they weren't arguing.  

Both of these women were big parts of my life.  My great-grandmother taught me to cook, when to and not to pick vegetables from the garden.  (See earlier post on here for story), trust God, be a good mother, and LOVE.  The love that her and my grandfather shared was something you don't see everyday.  My great aunt taught me to sew, joke, play games on people and laugh.  She too also taught me how to cook.  Both women taught me how to crochett.  When I was a little girl, my great-grandmother taught me how to start it or "single chain" as they call it.  When I would get bored, I would sit and chain till I got tired and then rip it out and start all over.  One day when I was pregnant with my oldest son, my great aunt asked me if I wanted to learn how to make something with it instead of ripping it out.  So she showed me how to make a blanket.  So, I began making a baby quilt for my first child.  The night that I finally finished it, our electricity had gone out due to the weather.  So my grandmother got some old oil lanterns and I finished it like they would have in the old days.  It was kind neat to me to do it like that.  The funny part of this story is when I finished it, it fit a full size bed.  LOL!  My great aunt gave me the small pitcher when I moved into my first apartment after my divorce.  Shortly after that, she passed away.

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but instead by the number of moments that take our breath away"

Submission #6: 818 W. Bells Blvd, Bells, Texas

Event #4:  Expand Your Knowledge

One of the task is to use Google Maps to map out an ancestral location and to create a map and embed it in your blog.  I did just that and more.  I expanded my research ability by remembering events and information given during a conversation that help led me to the information I was searching for.

Ok, Remember this barn from an earlier post....


Last year on Mothers Day, my son and I had all the rain we could handle for one week.  So he suggested that we get out and go take pictures.  I told him we couldn't due to the rain and he replied:  "So, you can still take pictures."  So, we got dressed, got my equipment and out the door we went with no plan of action in hand.  We ended up in Bells, TX in front of this barn where I grew up and have such fond memories.  I sat in the car as the rain came down and attempted to take a few shots from the car with my son's window down.  I happened to notice a local police officer drive by and he slowed down and put his break lights on as he passed me.  I then noticed that he was turning around.  I decided that he was probably coming back to check me out.   So, I did the smart thing and pulled into the driveway and decided to go knock on the door.

The lady of the house opened the door and with a grin I began explaning to her why I was there.  With a grin returned she offered to allow my son and I to enter her home and see how they had changed the house up.  Her and her husband were most gracious to allow me into her home, being a complete stranger.  The began telling me about buying the home and it being to small as their family grew and the remodeling they undertook some for more space, some because time and the prior owners had not been kind to the old house.

The remodeling was beautiful and they had done a wonderful job.  The front enterance and the back bedroom were still in tact and pretty much left alone other than a fresh coat of paint and new carpet and some new wiring.  We talked about how it looked before and the spot where a garden once grew.  They told me that when they moved in, there was a post sticking up and they tore it down.  They never new why it was there, only that grass would never grow.  The spot they mentioned was where the grapevine once stood.

This photo is of where the garden once grew I mentioned in yesterday's "Sentimental Sunday" post.  The bare spots that you see in the middle are where the grapevine once stood.  The tree line that you see to the left is where I use to stand to feed the cattle okra (LOL). 

Well, yesterday I played around with google map, trying to locate the actual spot.  However, I was unsuccessful.  I then began trying to locate someone who might know the actual address.  I called my grandmother since the farm belonged to her parents and she couldn't remember the address.  In my search I remember dog kennels being in the back yard where my swing once stood and a beautiful German Sheppard following me in the house.  They told me they raised German Sheppards.... (LIGHT COMES ON).  I googled "German Sheppard Kennel's in Bells, Texas".  BINGO!  I hit gold!  I emailed the owner of the website and told them I was not a stalker and if I had the wrong individual to PLEASE forgive my silly intrusion.  Laster that afternoon I received an email from the couple of the website telling me I had gotten the right people and I was more than welcome to come back and visit.  They have also graciously offered to allow me to take some of the barnwood to create a frame for my photo.

(Note:  Don't wait till your elders are to old to start asking questions.  Often times they loose preception of time and/or specific information that is important to your research.  ASK! ASK! ASK!  Each time you are with a group of elder family members get them talking about family events from the past.  It's best to take notes of who is in the group and record the conversation so you will not miss specific details.)
So here is the maps for the location of this barn:
Address:  818 W. Bells, Blvd, Bells TX


View Larger Map

The map above is stree view


View Larger Map

This map is the satalite view



View Larger Map
This last view is the terrain view of the area.

Sentimental Sunday

EVANS FARM

Since today is Valentines and the 1st Anniversary of "Where I Come From", I wanted to give you a look into one of my fondest memories growing up. 

When my parents divorced, my dad, sister and I moved in with my great-grandparents.  They had a small farm located in Bells, TX.  The farm was located on HWY 82 in Bells,TX.  However, since they have built a new HWY82, they have now changed it to HWY 56.  The farm is can be located by looking for the Lion's Club sign at the start of the fence line, it will be on the right side as you heading east.

See the green grass in front of the fence line?  my grea-granmother Alma had okra right there.  I remeber many times going out with her to pick vegitables for dinner.  Often times if the okra had gotten to large, she would tell me to throw it over to the cows.  I would ask her why we were feeding it to the cows and she would tell me that it was to tough for us to eat. 

One afternoon, I was apparently bored.  Everyone was laying down taking a nap or dotting over little sister.  So I went out to play and be quiet so she could sleep.  I decided to go and play with the cows.  I had been picking okra as my grandmother did and non of the wanted to come to the fence at that particular moment.  So I did what every little 5 year old would do and go to them.  LOL!  Well, my plan worked!  They loved the okra and came to me.  Only problem was, they followed me right out the fence.  I at the time didn't see any problem with it.  However, I got bored and ran to play somewhere else and left them to fend for themselves. 

The phone rang and it was our neighbor, he was calling my grandfather to tell him his cattle was out.  Papa only thought it was our nasty bull who found his way out,  Oh, No!  It was all of them.  I don't remember the exact head count, but I can tell you it was a bunch.  My Papa and my dad went out and with the help from our neighbor and his 3 sons and a couple others, they managed to round them all back up.  As they brought them in, I was told to hold the fence.  LOL!  So I would stand in front of the gate and hollar "Shew Cow, Shew!  There was one particular that didn't like me saying that to her and she came at me, so up the tree I went.  She got out again..... OOPS!  I could hear my Papa hollarin' for me, but I decided that up in the tree was the best place for me.

Later that afternoon, after all the men had rounded up the cattle they ALL came lookin' for me and asked me if I knew how they got out.  I simply told them I had been feeding them okra and they walked through the fence.  As you can imagine that didn't go over well.  So off the the wheeping willow tree I was sent to locate an apporpriate switch.  I had to make yet again, several trips as I would always come back with the smallest, finest, and tinyest branch I could find.  Each time, Papa would send me back for a bigger one. 

I get it now Papa! 

Submission #5: Alma Elizabeth Clark

Alma Elizabeth Clark

Event #5  Expand Your Knowledge

One of the task is to create a Memorial Page on Footnote's Create A Page or the Facebook Application I Remember.  So I did!

(Note:  FB application would not work for me.  So I loaded it through Footnote's website first.  Then I uploaded it to FB.)

Within this page, I have been able to load photos, stories and information for other's to see and create yet another page for my genealogical history for others to view.  For me sharing a piece of the past is exciting and I hope to be able to help other's in their search for their links to my family.  I have also learned yet another source of information for my searches that may help with those dreaded "BRICK WALLS".

Submission #2-My Family - Word clouds - WordItOut

My Family - Word clouds - WordItOut

Well, I am rappidly working through my events and completing as many of the task as possible on Day 1. Here is my second submission for the Winter 2010 GeneaBlogger Games. This event is #4 Epand You Knowledge. The Task is to complete a surname visualization using Wordle or Word It Out. I have choosen Word It Out for this competiton. I already have a surname visualition posted in my sidebar from Wordle and didn't think that it would be fair to use that one since it was created at the beginning of Where I Come From.

Surname Partial Listing:
Baker
Bardin
Beasley
Campbell
Clark
Cordell
Dougan(Dugan)
Evans
Faleris(Faleri-Greek Lineage)
Hall
Inge
Keng
Maness
Scopis (Sgoupakou-Greek Lineage)
Walker
Williams

Evans Twins: Like two Peas in a Pod

Clarence Evans

August 1, 1909 - April 6, 1997

Lawrence Evans

August 1, 1909 - February 23, 1998

Identical twins, Clarence, left and Lawrence Evans standing look quite dapper in their attire.

Original Photo given to me by my Great-Grandfather

Orginal Post: by Pat Welch, Lifestyle Editor for the Sherman Democrate in August 1991 for their 90th Birthday Celebration.

Sherman - The Evans twins, Clarence and Larence, are like "Two Peas in a Pod". It's hard to tell one from the other even after 90 years

The twins have a zest for life and live every minute to the fullest. They were born Aug. 1, 1901, in Leonard, sons of George Washington and Anthaline Evans. They grew up on a 200-acre farm and farm life was all the two ever knew until they were grown and married.

The twins agree that farm life is a little tough and they've had their share of hard work. So have their other four brothers and sister, Gracie, who Lawrence said was "Spoiled Rotten" by her six older brothers.

They remember picking cotton at a very young age with cotton sacks their mother made from feed sacks, slopping the hogs, milking cows,, cutting wood, shelling corn, plowing and planting the fields. They agree that children today dont know what hard work is.

But along wtih hard work, there was a lot of fun growing up. For entertainment, Clarence laughed and said the game was usually wrestling or just plain fighting in the big old barn out back. He said on rainy days they would scoot off to the barn, form a ring (called the bull dog ring) and have a good time. Lawrence said the barn was their favorite spot away from the parents, playing, fighting, dreaming of far away places and things to do.

Their parents were strict. Church was the center of most everything they did. Their dad was superintendent of Sunday school at the Baptist Chruch and they were there everytime the door opened. Being strict Baptist, they were not allowed to dance or play cards. Like a lot of small communites, church servies were shared with different denominations, and they went to the Methodist Church on Sunday Evenings.

Strict or not, boys will be boys, and the Evans twins were certainly not without their pranks. They recalled when their parents would go to town they were on their own with only grandpa to watch over them. Grandfather lived with them for 17 years and never once told on them for their frivolous acts.

More than once when their parents were away they would meet peddlers passing by and sell chicken and eggs and pocket a few cents for "going to town." Grandpa kept his mouth shut even when their parents wondered wht had happened to the chickens.

Like all farms, they had their share of cats. One day on the way to town, their grandpa loaded the buggy with the little furry creatures and the boys dropped off a cat here and there. They both really got a kick out of telling about depositing a cat at the home of a woman as they went to town and on their way back, the woman was standing in the road with the cat and handed the cat back to them without saying a word.

When they were teenagers and older the twins said they were never out of a job. They were taught how to work and were always willing to put out a good hard days work for others. "Work never hurt anyone, and we are proff of that saying," they said.

Good lookers, the twins caught the eyes of a few young ladies in the area... but they had their sights on two. Lawrence favored Lela Mae Simms and Clarence fell for Alma Elizabeth Clark.

Lawrence laughed, looking at Lela as he told of their wedding day, Aug. 16, 1919. She was 16 and he was 18 years old. Her dad was out hunting so they eloped in his buggy to the preacher's house. They were afraid to drive down the road so they drove down the corn rows in the field. The preacher married them on the run and watched her dad drive right past them as they were picking over the tall corn.

Her father may have objected, but it was a marriage that weathered time and the couple will be celebrating their 72nd Anniversary this month.

Clarence and Alma slipped away in his horse drawn buggy on Aug. 14, 1922, drove up to the same preacher's house and were married as they were seated in the buggy. Clarence said the preacher cam out with his Bible and married them and they took time for him to make a picture of them with his box camera. They were married 64 years when Alma died in September 1978.

Clarence worked for Southern Ice Company in Sherman delivering to nerly every house in town. He worked for Lingo-Leeper Lumber Company and Foxworth-Galbreath Lumber Company where he was yard forman retiring at the age of 62.

Lawrence farmed most of his life and retired from Plano School System.

Bothy have a mischievous look and infectious smile and agreed that life has been good to them. Their advice to others is live every day to the fullest. Do what you want to do.

Lawrence resides in Van Alstyne where he is a member of the First Baptist Church and Clarence in Sherman and is a member of Grayson Bible Baptist Church.

Clarence has a daughter, Lyda Mae Campbell, who resides in Sherman. he has two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Lawerence has five children, Virgil of Anna, Ophelia Graves of Van Alstyne, Von Ray of Mt. Pleasant, Ann Margaret Wilder of Dallas, and Theda Marie Briggs of Denison. He has 18 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

They have two surviving siblings, their sister, Gracie Thomas, 85, of Leonard, and Earnest, 96 of San Antonio.

Clarence and LAwerence will be honored with a party from 2 until 4 pm Sunday at Shady Oaks Nursing Home in Sherman where Lawrence is recouperating from hip surgery. He hopes to be in his own home in Van Alstyne shortly.

Their Children will host the even that is open to friends and relatives.