#52Ancestors - BACHELOR UNCLE - How I Almost Wasn't

This prompt from Amy Johnson Crow taught me two things.  One, I need to do more descendancy research to find these bachelor uncles (or maiden aunts).  Two, my existence - like many others - depends on fleeting moments of chance.  Here's the story of a bachelor uncle who became my grandfather.

This is the only picture anyone seems to have of Walter Caswell Brooks.  He was born 15 February 1874 in Pope County, Arkansas.  His father, William, was 50 years old at the time, and his mother, Rebecca,was 18 years younger. Remember that age difference as it will recur!  They had 13 children together, in addition to the 7 children that William had with his first wife.  As a farming family, I would assume there was plenty of work and not so plenty of food.  And no money for pictures!

William died when Walter was only 9, leaving him in the care of his mother and many older siblings.  He continued farming in Pope County and, as the years passed, it seemed likely that he would be a confirmed bachelor.  But his sisters had other plans.  Some of his sisters became teachers and had the opportunity to move away.  They met another teacher named Ruth Autry and invited her home.

Ruth was 18 years younger than Walter- sound familiar?  But they courted and contemplated marriage.  However, she wasn't the first woman he had considered marrying.  There was another woman and he went to see her.  But when he approached her house, there was a car in the driveway.  He assumed she must, therefore, already be married and never contacted her.  So the wedding took place between Ruth and Walter on 2 December 1822.  Ruth was 30 and Walter was 48!  By the way, the other woman actually was not married, according to the story told by his sister Selma.

My father was born 6 and 1/2 years later when Walter was 55.  I'm certainly grateful to whomever parked their car in his former girlfriend's driveway.  Otherwise, I probably wouldn't be here.

#52Ancestors - LIBRARY - Surname Books

LIBRARY

I've only had a few opportunities to research in a genealogical library.  There were a couple of rushed visits to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City and a longer, more focused, visit to the Allen County Public Library (ACPL) in Fort Wayne, IN.  It's definitely something I would love to do again.

But genealogy books have always been in my home, both as a child and as an adult.  So I am happy to use them in the libraries I visited.  I was especially excited to find the book that my father had worked on with his distant cousin, Mayo Bundy.

These kinds of books are invaluable when trying to dig deeper into family lore and relationships.  It was a thrill to find a copy in the ACPL.

There are also several books on my mother's side written by those studying the Hammon and Belnap family.  Here is one I've had on my shelves through the years - Gold Medal Pioneers - full of journal entries from when they crossed the plains to Utah.

When you run into a deadend while looking for records, search for a book instead!  Or at least visit a library.

52 Ancestors: #17 Capturing Four Generations

I've heard it said that we can only remember two generations back - our parents and our grandparents.  So it is always exciting when we can get four generations together and document it in a photo.  Of course, the youngest generation is usually an infant when the photo takes place.

So we were excited earlier this year to take a 4 generation of the Hammon-Brooks-Norton-Cox family.  I've uncovered another 4 generation photo here at Silver Lake New York just hanging on the refrigerator.  So to honor these events I am posting the three different 4-gen photos in my data base.  

Here's my newest discovery:

#1

Hackett-Palmer-Norton

The very tiny man in the middle of this photo is James Nelson Hackett, affectionately known as Grandpa Hackett. I wrote about him here.  This picture was taken at Butler PA on Easter Sunday, April 1968 at the home of his daughter, Gladys Dorothy Hackett Palmer.  Grandpa Hackett died the next year in April of 1969.

Gladys is the small woman next to him and they are both standing in front of her very tall husband, Nelson Pattison Palmer.  To Nelson's right is his son-in-law, Clinton Edward Norton, and his daughter, Doris Jennie Palmer Norton.  Nelson and Gladys' youngest daughter, Dianne Kay Palmer Wetjen is on their left (and her husband Alan Wetjen is probably taking the photo).  

The three adorable children are Eve, Phillip Nelson and Chris Norton.  It's so cool that this time the youngest generation is old enough to remember their great-grandfather.  Here's how it looks in a chart:

                                                 James Nelson Hackett

                                                                  |

                                                 Gladys Hackett Palmer

                                                                  |

                                                 Doris Palmer Norton

                                                                  |

                                                Eve, Phil & Chris Norton

#2

Here is a picture from my side of the family (which I published previously here):

Spangler-Nifong-Autry-Brooks

Here is the family tree tracing the women from left to right.

Rebecca Jane Spangler Nifong

     |

Mary Esther Nifong Autry

       |

Ruth Autry Brooks

         |

Walter Allen Brooks (my father's brother)

#3

Hammon/Brooks-Norton-Cox

And finally here is the newest four generation photo, taken this past Mother's Day 2014:

And in case you can't remember these faces I'll give the tree.

Jean Hammon & Robert Autry Brooks

|

Janet Esther Brooks (Norton)

|

Danielle Helen Norton Cox

|

Chloe Rose Cox

52 Ancestors #11: Walter Allen Brooks

This is the week that technology failed me!  I am at our "winter" home without all my family pictures and my usual scanner.  My attempts to get the scanner here to work have taken me through the hidden worlds of IP addresses, wlan connections, etc.  All to no avail.  So with the able, but low tech, help of my cousin Mariruth and her trusty iPad, I will tell you about my beloved uncle:

Walter Allen Brooks

My father's brother, Walter, was born on March 29, 1924.  They always loved how that was exactly 5 years and 5 days before my father was born.  Walter is the son of Walter Caswell Brooks and Ruth Autry who I wrote about just a few weeks ago here.  Walter was born in Russellville, Pope, Arkansas.  Though the son of a farmer, his family also prized education.  His parents were older (Ruth was 32 and Walter C 50) and naturally so were his playmates.  Ruth home-schooled him so he could start second grade at age 6.  He continued on this accelerated path, graduating from Russellville High as valedictorian at age 17.

World War II was on but Walter was deferred to attend college at Arkansas Tech.  Through a specialized Army training program, he did his medical training in three years, graduating in 1946 from the University of Arkansas medical school.  The following year another important event occurred with his marriage to Marilyn Rose Gulley of Quanah Texas on July 12, 1947.  Walter then served in the Army and was stationed in Arabia, bringing him many mementos.

This photo is his medical school graduation pose.

After returning to civilian life, Walter did a residency in surgery and then opened a practice in Marilyn's hometown of Quanah in 1955.  Walter was very active in both the medical and civic communities and was a well-known presence in both Quanah and the Texas medical association.  But I'm sure he would agree that his greatest accomplishment was his two daughters, Rebecca Ann and Mariruth. Walter loved family and always seemed happy and full of life to me.  In fact, he seemed larger than life.  I knew my father looked up to him as a mentor and friend.  I loved to visit Quanah and travel in the truck with my uncle.  He was in the car as we drove to my wedding and gave me the greatest smile and hug.  

Walter Allen died peacefully on 20 April 1997 in Quanah.  It was unexpected but I remember that he just took a nap and didn't wake up.  He is buried there with his wife, Marilyn, who passed in 2011.  We miss his twinkling blue eyes and big smile.

Walter's baby pictures are filled with family.  I have a letter his father wrote him in 1929 telling him to be a good boy.  Though his father died when he was only 17, I'm sure he would agree that his namesake did just that. I will try to put some of these up next week after my tech support son comes to visit.  But here's a last look at a beautiful baby who grew up to serve so many in a special part of Texas.  

52 Ancestors: #7 Ruth Autry and Walter Caswell Brooks

Moving on to my father's side of the family I found a husband-wife February birthday duo.  And it's my own grandparents!

Walter Caswell Brooks

Walter Caswell Brooks was born on the 15th of February 1874 in Pope County, Arkansas. His parents, William Brooks and Rebecca Malinda Cooper, came from Stanly County, North Carolina to farm in Arkansas. They had 7 children, two boys.  Walter was their fifth child.  I don't know as much about my grandfather as I should.  I do know he was a farmer, farming the William Brooks estate in the Holla Bend bottoms near Russellville, Arkansas.  He met my grandmother through his sister, Alta Brooks, who was teaching in Nashville, Arkansas.    He married Ruth Autry on 2 December 1922 in Little Rock, Arkansas. The marriage was performed by Ruth's father, the Reverend Allen Hill Autry.  I have a copy of the service which I will transcribe at some point.

It is interesting to note that Walter was 48 years old when he married.  He must have thought he was going to be a bachelor for life.  I'm sure there were many adjustments to family life, as his first son, Walter Allen Brooks was born less than 2 years later in early 1924.  My father, Robert Autry Brooks, came along five years after that.  Walter was killed in an automobile accident on 30 May 1941 when the car went out of control on a bend coming down Crow Mountain.  My father was only 12 years old.  I can see the resemblance, especially in the eyes.

Ruth Autry

This picture, from around 1916, is how my grandmother must have looked when Walter met her. Wow, what a beauty! Ruth Autry was born 8 February 1892 in Booneville, Logan, Arkansas.  I wrote about her mother, Mary Esther Nifong, here  in week #3.  She attended Ouachita Baptist College in Arkadelphia, graduating in 1911 with a degree in art.  Ruth was an accomplished painter; you can see some of her work in my blogpost here.  I have several of her paintings in my home that were painted during her time at college. She was the first in her family to attend college and returned to Nashville where she taught school.  She even taught her younger brothers, Dan and Paul, before becoming principal of the primary school there.

After her marriage, she was a leader in the Russellville community, organizing a book club and active in the Baptist church.  Her two sons, Walter A and Robert A, were born there.  My father, Robert, tells stories of his mother sewing clothes (I have her Singer treadle machine with her papers still in the drawers), churning butter (I have the churn and the ladle) and cooking.  She was a fabulous cook.  Here is what my father said about the family meals:

She did not consider herself a major cook, but did an excellent job of it.  She also canned a lot because the depression was on, and fruit and other food was available locally.  There was only my brother, 5 years older, and me so we had to help.  I recall canning a bushel of peaches every summer. She also canned pickles and pears and some vegetables and various jams and jellies. These were all canned in glass quart fruit jars, or smaller, and were stored on shelves in the basement. In the winter, half a pig was brought up from the farm and she made sausage and other other things. I remember my brother, Walter Allen, and I having a huge pan of sausage, rolling up elongated portions and squeezing them down in cloth bags that she made from old feed sacks.  We rather liked that because our hands got greasy. Every project took about a week.  We raised and ate lots of chicken which were raised in the back lot.  We chopped the head off on a stump and when it stopped flopping around, dipped it in boiling water and pulled the feathers off.  A messy job! Mother would clean it, burn the little feathers off (I forgot their name!), dress it and fry it. Or if it was a hen, she baked it with dressing.

The other thing I remember is having to help her clean up dishes, especially as a teen ager when she taught school. I whined and complained about it. One day, she ran me out of the kitchen. Then, I felt very guilty! I hope I did better after that! She was very clean and it was harder to achieve that then. She was very religious. Sunday dinner was a major meal and delicious. It was fixed after church. We did nothing else on Sunday, except for the Sunday night services which included a young people's meeting.

These are probably my most discrete memories. After all, food was important during the depression and money was scarce. I have often thought that I have more money now and the food is much more expensive, but I don't eat as well as when I had Mother's home cooking and home made food.

After her husband died, Ruth went back to work as a teacher.  My father describes her as one of the smartest people he ever knew.  She could think quickly and was an analytic thinker.  He also says, "This made her very stubborn, since she was seldom wrong."  I think that's how my kids would describe me!

By the time I knew my grandmother, she was suffering from Parkinson's Disease.  She had a helper at the house, Miss Maggie, whom I loved.  But Nanya, as we called her, was a bit daunting.  She didn't like that I was left-handed and would try to get me to color with my right hand.  I did love her big house which you can see in my post here.  It had great hiding places and  a secret passageway to a play room that I remember. The magnolia trees in the neighborhood were amazing.  

As Nanya deteriorated, she needed more care and moved to a nursing home in Quanah Texas where Walter Allen lived with his family.  My last visit was with her there. She could still sing the French anthem, La Marseilles.  I remember answering the phone on Christmas morning 1975 when my uncle called to say she had passed.  My father cried harder than I have ever seen him.  She was buried in Russellville Arkansas during that break from my freshman year at college.  I am grateful that my father and my great-aunt Esther have written so much about her.  I feel I know a lot about her as I walk through my house and see her beautiful paintings.  These two pictures are from when she graduated high school and when she taught elementary school.  I love the subtle smile and the luxurious hair.

          

52 Ancestors: #3 Mary Esther Nifong

Mary Esther Nifong

My great-grandmother was born in Booneville, Logan, Arkansas on January 28, 1868.  She was called "Mamaw" by her grandchildren and Mama by her children.  Mary was a strong woman who kept a large family in food, shelter and clothing on a meager pastor's salary.  I am lucky that her daughter, Esther Rebecca Autry, wrote a brief biography of her called "And Mama Stayed Home".  My father, Robert Autry Brooks, also has written about her and I will include some of their information here.

As you can see from the dates, Mary was born soon after the Civil War. She was the fourth child and only daughter.  Her family farmed in Booneville and that's where she had a happy childhood.  She walked two miles to school, finishing the twelfth grade and wining several medals including spelling and deportment. Mary's mother, Rebecca Jane Spangler (Nifong), was her example in strictness and taught Mary to be a good seamstress, even having her rip out anything that didn't seem right.  Mary was devoted to her mother all her life and took care of her in her last days at the homestead in Booneville.

Mary was teaching school in the summer of 1888 when she heard of a young preacher named, Allen Hill Autry.  At the time he was travelling the country selling organs to pay his way through school.  When she refused to meet him, "Al" went looking for her. After introductions and some family dinners, he even managed to sell her father an organ.  Mary wrote to him and they were married three years later on 29 April 1891.  They first settled in Booneville where Allen taught half-time at the Baptist church (and half-time at the church in Magazine, Arkansas).

Seven children were born to them, with six living to adulthood.  Their oldest child, Ruth, is my grandmother. The next child, Allen Harvey, died in infancy.  Then came Esther (my middle name is for this wonderful lady), Mary, John, Paul and Daniel.  Allen Hill was a noted pastor, evangelist and lecturer for 40 years in Arkansas.  The family moved almost constantly, even in and out of the same home in Booneville.  I counted 11 Arkansas moves in Esther's biography, including Booneville, Springdale, Magazine, Nashville and finally settling in Little Rock in 1918.

Mary kept a big garden and a chicken coop. They took in boarders during World War II.  She nursed both her mother and her husband in their final years.  This is what Esther says of her:

We remember her as tall and slender, rather stately in her bearing, with a lovely complexion, gray eyes and the prettiest dark brown hair, kept long - and usually in a knot or roll on top her head.  She was known among her many friends as a person of Intelligence, Humor, and keen wit.  She had both musical and artistic ability.

I loved this picture of Allen and Mary - it shows such companionship and joy.

Allen Hill Autry died in 1932.  Mary lived another 23 years as a doting mother and grandmother.  She is the only grandparent that my father remembers.  She died in Little Rock, 26 March 1955, the year my father graduated from Harvard Medical School.  Here is what he has to say about her:

Mamaw was of German background with no sense of humor. She took care of 6 children on limited income.  Her philosophy was: Use it up, Wear it out, Make it do, Or do without.  One time, there was something to do that no one would do:  so she said:  We will just sit here and do nothing and be nothing! She was very loving, but very strict and organized.  Everything she did was done with an object of saving time or money or work. She would do anything for her children or her husband,Grand-dad Autry, but expected all of them to obey her.   

The last time I saw her, I was leaving Little Rock to go with friends back to Boston and we stopped for me to tell her good bye.  Without any smile she said:  Robert, we are proud of you.  Nothing anyone has ever told me meant as much as that did. I did not see her again

Here is a picture of her with my uncle Walter, his mother Ruth and Mary's mother Rebecca. Rebecca died in 1927 so I think this was taken around 1926.  Mary is in the middle. This is an amazing picture of 3 strong women who worked hard caring for their families (and one very cute little boy!).  I wish I had known them but am glad for this chance to learn more.

P.S. I got a lovely email from a cousin who knew Mamaw well as a child.  She used to have Sunday dinner with her and still enjoys the taste of KFC (original) because it reminds her of Mamaw's fried chicken.  Now I know why I love it so much too!

Artistic talents of Ruth Autry Brooks

My paternal grandmother, known to me as Nanya, was an accomplished artist.  Sadly, this talent did not pass to me. But I do see it in some of my children.  Rosey has quite the flair for drawing.  Danielle uses makeup as her paint palette.  I have several of her paintings in my home.  But I just learned of some other items that my cousin, Mariruth, has in her home.  I was surprised at the variety, especially the casserole dish.  These are pictures that she recently took.  I'll put up the ones from my home soon!  These were done early in the 20th century.  The dish is dated 1910.

And her art palette, beautifully displayed with Indian Corn: