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! 

Wordless Wednesday

Just Stopped By

Well, the last few months have gone by fast and furious and I have had no time to stop in.  In April I turned 40 and for some odd reason, I decided it was time for me to go back to school.  So in June I did just that.  My classes have kept me very busy as I am taking 12 hours a semester, which happens to be considered full time.  WOW!  Next week is my last week until January, so I will be updating my blogs and stoping by to say hi.  So check in with me and have a cup of coffee!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING ALL!

In Honor of THANKSGIVING, I am posting a Wordless Wednesday photo of someone that Thanksgiving always reminds me of.  At this time on the day before she would be up baking pies from scratch and when she was done with her pie's she would take the left over dough and make me little pie crust twist and sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on them.  So to my Great-Grandmother Alma Clark.... I love you and wish you could be here to enjoy Thanksgiving!  Even though you are not here to share it with us, know that you are still Loved and Missed by all!

Down on the Farm

When I was a little girl my great-grandparents lived on a farm in Bells, TX

When my parents divorced my dad moved us into their home. My father was a fireman and he worked 24 hr shifts and then off 48 hr's. I had a little sister who was just an infant and not even a year old. Life on the farm was wonderful. Every morning I would help my grandfather feed the cattle and the other critters on the farm.

This weekend I had the pleasure of revisiting the "Old Farm". This is the "Original" barn that once housed the hay and critters from the elements of the East Texas weather and storms. It is also the "Core" of my existence. Every wonderful memory I have starts here and the person I am today is because of this place. Funny, now it seems so small and yet at that time in my life it was bigger than life. Being able to see it again brough wonderful memories flooding back. This is the place where I once let all my granfather's cows out and I got my first "whoopin" that I can honestly remember. At one time, a wheeping willow stood in our back yard. I honestly believe that my grandfather killed it using it on me at various times in life.... (never did I say I didn't deserve them).

Even though the exterior and interior of the house has been changed, the memories of my childhood still remain. I stopped to ask the current owners if I could take a few pictures and explained to them why. They gracioiusly offered to allow me into their home so that I could see what they had done to the inside. "Today we are so wrapped up in our lives we dont stop and take time to remember." Yet these two wonderful people let a complete stranger into their home and shared a little bit of life with me and for that hour they allowed gave me great pleasure. Even though the walls have been knocked down and rooms moved and remodeled, I still remember life as it once existed. This is the house that I learned to cook in! This is the house where I learned how to pray! This is the house where I learned the meaning of Family! This is the house that I learned what love is!
Even though it is only a bunch of grass and a few bare spots now. Once this large section of the yard to the right of the house was my great-grandmother's garden. Up against the fence stretched two rows of Grapevines, followed by rows of corn, raddishes, beets, potatoes, cuccumbers, tomatos, onions, squash, mustard greens, green beans, peas, okra and the last row was CABBAGE! Yet, another butt whoopin' I remeber getting. Every day, my grandmother and I would go out and help her pick veggies for dinner or lunch that day. One particular day, I decided I would go out and pick the cabbage for dinner that night. Only thing was, I picked two whole rows of it. Needless to say, that was not what she wanted. So my job was to return each and every head back to it's home before PaPa returned home in order for me not to be in trouble. I didn't get it done in time needless to say....

The owner and I shared stories about the farm and how it once was. While telling them about the garden he asked where it stood. They told me that when they moved in the grapevines still stood and they were able to get grapes for a couple years. However, a storm blew in one day and destroyed the vines. They removed the post and wire that streched the length of the yard and the bare spot where the post once stood still remains.

While the house has changed in appearance, the love and memories still remain. The garden is gone but the barn still stands.

KREATIVE BLOGGER AWARD FOR WHERE I COME FROM

WOW! I cant believe I got my very first AWARD. My award was given to me by Judith over at TENNESSEE MEMORIES if you have not had a chance to visit her, stop by and say hi. Now comes the job of Nominating some other wonderful bloggers....

My first award has to go to Creative Gene because if it had not been for me stumbling onto this blog, I would have never created my own. My second award goes to 100 Years in America by Lisa. This was the second reason I started my geneology blog. I found her through Creative Gene. And even though this person nominated me for this award, I have to return it to them as I love Tennesee Memories... my great-grandmothers family was from Tennessee and visiting this blog sent me back to a place that I just loved. I have never visited, but thought the photos and stories I felt as if I had always lived there. I stopped by and the first story I read was: " Dairy Farm in Maryville at the Foot of the Smokies... this story really brought back memories of when I was a little girl growning up on a little farm in Bell's Tx and the worst but whoopin' I ever got... "I forgot to close the gate and let all my great-grandpa's cows out". Even now, when I open a cattle gate, I go back to that day. Even though at that time, I thought I would die... I can actually laugh now. I wish my grandpa was here to see me now working with the cows... I love you GRANDPA for all that you taught me and all that you gave me. I never forgot! And the other blog that inspired me was.... Shades of the Departed at first, I didn't understand the title, until I began reading. I have been hooked on the stories and the photos. So to everyone who inspired me... THANK YOU!

Now for the instructions:

Instructions are as follows:

1. Copy the award to your site.

2. Link to the person from whom you received the award.

3. Nominate other bloggers.4. Link to those sites on your blog.

5. Leave a message on the blogs you nominate.

Gone but not Forgotten....

photo taken: 7 June 1947

Leonard , TX

EVANS BROTHERS
Left to Right: Ray, Clarence, Lawrence, Ernest, Irvan and Archie.
This photo was taken the day they buried their mother Anthaline Beasley Evans.

Remember my first post to this blog..."Two Peas In A Pod", well they are second and third from the left. If you didn't get to read... here is part of what these boys use to do...

..." one day when their mom and dad were gone to the store, their "Grandpa" loaded all the "furry critters aka cats" up in the horse buggy with all the "Evans Boys" in the back along side. As they were going to town, Grandpa had the boys deposit a cat at each house along the way. On their way back, they came across a woman who had received one of their furry deposits and she politely handed it back to them and never said a word. Supposidley, there Grandpa never told on all the mischievious things the boys got into while "Ma and Pa" were in town."

This is probably one of the only photos with all the "Evans Boys" at one time. The only person missing in this photo is the "Baby" of the group... Grace Evans... their one and only sister. Can you imagine growin' up with 6 older brothers. And let me tell you, these men were not small by any means.

I remember my "Papa" and "Aunt Gracie" always pickin' on each other and arguing over who was right or wrong. Most of the time "Aunt Gracie" would get her way.

Alma Elizabeth Clark Evans

Alma Elizabeth Clark

Dec 26, 1903 - Sept 8, 1978

aka My Great Grandma

My great-grandmother is the daughter of William Henry Clark born 17 Nov 1854 in Indiana and Amanda Elizabeth Dugan Clark born March 1862 in Indiana. My grandmother is one of 14 children.

My great-grandmother was a wonderful cook, and was always prepared when company showed. No matter who many people seemed to show up unannounced, she always found a way to feed them all, and not one person ever left hungry. My favorite memories of her are from "Thanksgiving" and "Christmas" when I would wake up in the morning and run to great everyone who had arrived. Her and my grandmother Lydia Mae Clark Campbell would be in the kitchen preparing our feast. I also loved when she would cook Pinto Beans aka (RedBeans here in the south) becasue she had a special coffee cup that hung by the crockpot that was specifically for my tasting pleasure. I always got the first cup! For my birthday's she would always make me "Chocolate Cake" and that was the best part of the day.

When I was little, we lived on a small farm in Bells, Texas and there was a creek out behind the barn. We had problems with Rattlesnakes and Copperheads where we lived due to the creek. I remember swinging in my swing hanging in the Wheeping Willow tree in the back yard and Grandma racing out towards me screaming with a garden hoe in her hand. For a small child, that is pretty frightening. Actually, she had an eagle eye for those darn pest and apparently there was one wrapped around my swing. It was nothing for her to be in the garden and see her just wack a snake and continue her chores.

Grandma always kept me out of trouble. No matter what mess I got into, all I had to do is go to her. We had a garden out on the side of the house by the drive way and had lots of vegitables growing, everything from corn, greenbeans, potatoes, and cabbage. Usually for dinner of something we would go out and pick tomatoes, or onions or cuccumbers or something. So one day me being the little helper I was thought I would go pick cabbage for dinner. Only thing was, I picked all of it.... two rows worth. Grandma shook her head and told me to go replant before grandpa got home. Well, needless to say, I wasn't done when he drove up.

One of my other favorite memories was when we would go out to the garden and as she picked okra for dinner or whatever meal she was serving, she would thought the tough ones over to the cattle. I loved picking them and feeding to them. It also, ended up getting me into trouble. I wanted to feed them okra one day and they were not near the fence, so I opened the gate to go in and feed. Being a small child.... I forgot to shut the gate. Needless to say that whipping willow tree my swing was in.... we got to know each other pretty well.

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.

A Childhood Memory Come True....

In 1974, my mom took my little sister Kristi and I on a trip from TEXAS to MICHIGAN to see our Grandparents for the very first time. I have no memory of the the plan ride there or back. The two memories that I remember most are of the "mackinaw bridge" and "SNOW".

I remember riding in the back of a car and something woke me up. I asked my mom .."ARE WE THERE"? And she told me not yet, but as I looked up, I saw one of the towers on the bridge almost as it is in the picture attached but almost from underneath and lots of bright lights. For years I had this memory stuck in my head and as I got older I thought it had just been a dream. I never knew the name of the bridge or where it was, I just knew we were driving and it was a bridge.

Upon the first conversation with my cousin in 2007, I mentioned this dream while talking about her memory of our visit to St. Ignace. The moment I mentioned my memory she knew exactly what I was talking about. The next day she started sending me pictures of the bridge that she had taken over the years and then started going to take more just for me. Trying to get the perfect shot of my memory. If you look, you will see two towers supporting the bridge. My memory is of one of those look almost straight up and it was dark, other than all the lights which light the bridge.

My Second memorie is "SNOW"... my very first memory of ever seeing it. While visiting my family in St. Ignace MI, I happend to be playing in the backyard of my grandmothers and all at once, something was falling out of the sky. I don't remember anything else, other than my grandmother saying, it's "SNOW" and running around saying...."It's Snowing, It's Snowing". My mom and Cousin later told me thought our conversations that was exactly what I did. She said they all stood in the doorway watching me run around my grandmother's lilac tree.

It's funny now, becasue Lilac has always been my favorite flower and frangrance. Never knowing that my childhood memory that meant so much was held around a lilac tree.