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creation date: 6Dec2005
modified date: 6Dec2005
I started my genealogical journey around 1996. My father, Charles R. had lymphoma cancer, which eventually took 10 years to finally kill him.
Dad never knew his grandparents or his uncles and aunts and cousins. Hence, my desire to find everyone eventually paid off and he got to meet a lot of people he never knew existed.
Before he was born, his father, Elbert Samuel moved away from his family and home in Stone County, Mountain View, Arkansas with his wife, Sarah Josephine Ivie and the kids, Beva Grace, Arley Franklin, Elbert Samuel(he wasn't a jr.) due to some kind of dispute with his father-in-law, Franklin Napolean Ivie. They never returned. Well, while in Grand Juction, Colorado my father was born. When he was about 4yrs old, Elbert said to Josey, "Momma we're going to the 'Land of Milk and Honey' where the fishing and hunting is like being in Heaven". He was talking about the 'Big Thicket' of east Texas. So off they went in their model T ford pickup. They could of been the Beverly Hillbillies headin down the road with all their worldly goods tied down in the back. It was an old truck and it had old brakes and while coming down the mountain the brakes quit working. Elbert was prepared for that though. He had an anvil tied to a rope and they tossed it overboard and finally came to a stop. When the brakes were finally fixed, they continued their journey until the old truck just wouldn't go no more. The rings on the pistons wore out. Elbert got some twine and waxed it real good and wrapped it around the pistons where the rings were supposed to be. It worked and they made it to Chita, Texas. It was there that Elbert got blocked bowels. The doctor said there was nothing that he could do and in his pain, Elbert shot himself in the head. They buried him in Trinity, Texas at Cedar Grove Cemetery. Mamma and kids were stranded. One of Josey's relatives, Barney Lecurtis Dewey, a second or third cousin of some sort was living down around Houston, Texas when he heard of their plight. He immediately went up there and rescued them bringing them to Humble, Harris County, Texas. They got married because it was the 'Right thing to do', and they raised the kids. And that's how the story was handed down to me.
It was there that Josey died, then Arlie, and eventually Barney. They are all buried in Rosewood Memorial Cemetery. Charles Reed was buried adjacent to them in Nov of 99. So in spite of a hard life, a lot of joy came before the end. I believe in genealogy and get a great joy sharing and helping others do the same. May you recieve the same blessings from your endeavors. Dad had a favorite saying:
"May the Wind be to your back and God Bless."
Here are some of my favorite websites:
St. Michael the Archangel Orthodox Church (http://www.oca-houston.org)
World Wide Web Consorteum (http://www.w3c.org)
css Zen Garden: The Beauty in CSS Design (http://www.csszengarden.com)