A Tale of Two Ladies

Every child has a family member or hero they strive to emulate when they're growing up.  Mine was always two of my great-grandmothers.

Mary Elizabeth Clem Gentry

Mabel "June" Tanner Mauzey

 Both were, to me, very beautiful.  Not that appearance has ever been very important to me, but it would thrill me when my Mom would say "your Grandma June would have loved your long brown hair", or someone would tell me that I had nice blue eyes like my Dad (who got his eyes in part from Grandma Mary, because both his parents had brown). 
  Both were exceptional at handiwork and creating beautiful things.  Grandma Mary quilted, embroidered and created cutwork as well as being a great baker.  She even baked cakes for a living after my great-grandpa died.  Grandma June excelled in those areas too and entered her creations constantly in county fairs.

Grandma June and pictures she made out of postage stamps

Some of my family produces beautiful embroidery, cross-stitch and quilting too.  While I would love to be able to do that, I have neither the patience or desire to except to try my hand at it occasionally.  I do think back on the time my Grandma Murray taught me how to embroider my first tea towel and said that my stitches were small and even like her mom's, and that was good enough for me:)
  Neither of them was just a girly girl either.  Grandma June enjoyed fishing with her father and brothers, something I'm sure she picked up as a result of losing her mother at a young age.  Grandma Mary was a great shot with a gun.  My dad said that she could pick a snake out of a tree with just one shot!
  Both were also kind, gentle, and proper Christian women.  All attributes to strive for. 
Now Grandma Mary died long before I was even thought of and Grandma June died when I was just two years old, but they have both had profound influences on my life just by the tales I was told about them.  I am so thankful for their examples and hope to pass on their good influences to my own children.  So whenever we drive through LeRoy, KS I point out the house where Grandma Mary lived to the kids, or when they ask me where I got my wedding ring, I proudly tell them, "that belonged to your Great-Great-Grandma June, and she would have loved you very much" :).

What's in a Name?

 This week we added a new member to our family...Samuel Elias.  He's a sweet little guy with golden brown hair and eyes that hint at turning brown like Daddy's.  As with our other two kiddos, he is named after some of his ancestors.  His first name comes from both sides of our family, my hubby's gr-gr-gr-gr grandfather Harmon Samuel Griswold and my gr-gr-gr grandfather Samuel Winfield Scott Pribble.  Interestingly enough when my hubby and I were first married we lived about 10 miles from where grandpa Pribble lived and is buried.

Harmon Samuel Griswold

Samuel W. S. Pribble

 Our baby's middle name comes from my gr-gr grandfather Elias W. Clem whom I always heard stories about when I was a child.

Elias W. Clem

Coincidentally, and somewhat purposefully, he is also named after two Old Testament prophets who have the most notable "listen to God" stories associated with them.  Samuel was the little boy who's mother desperately wanted a baby and then turned him over to God's service when she was blessed with one. Samuel heard God's voice calling to him in the middle of the night and when he finally recognized it for what it was, answered.  Elias is the Greek form of the name Elijah.  Elijah was listening for God's voice and heard him call not in the wind, or an earthquake, but a still small whisper. 
  It is something we are striving toward as a family to listen carefully for that voice.  This sweet little boy has renewed our commitment to living for God and instilling that in our children.  What a wonderful new adventure we are embarking on!