Fun Among the Trees

While running errands, if it's a nice day I always try to indulge the kiddos with an outing to a playground, or something outdoors. Today we went to the arboretum in Lawrence.  The funny thing is the last time we went, it was pre-Spring too, so we have never walked it's lovely grounds when the trees are leaved out.  The kids don't mind though, and today was no exception:)
 There were water features to float leaf boats down,

 Cute statuaries,

And of course fighting over who would push baby brother around:)

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" :).

In Pursuit of History

Today our family celebrated the life and passing of one of our own.  My great-aunt Elsie, almost 102, passed away this week.  She was a wonderful and kind woman.  I didn't really truly get to know her though until I started doing genealogy (which I think if you are doing true family history research, you should not only be finding out about your deceased ancestors you know nothing about, but also drawing close to those that are still alive).  Aunt Elsie and I would sit and talk at length about family both past and present.  She took my mom & I out to see cemeteries with long forgotten relatives.  She invited distant cousins over so we could chat about those same relatives and pour over pictures of the same.  She would also chat about her daughter and her family whom she loved dearly.  It was always a blessing to go and visit, or to receive a letter from her which she would send regularly and I would try so hard to answer even though I was (& still am awful at it).    Even though I hadn't seen her recently, I still missed her and loved her dearly. 
  After the graveside services, I had to look up some relatives...

   My gr-gr grandparents Schaede are buried just in the next row.  Aunt Elsie told me that when she was little she used to pretend that she had an earache just so Grandpa J.G. would blow pipe smoke in her ear to cure it:) 
  After eating lunch with my folks, we headed out for one more adventure.  My hubby likes to research the Civilian Conservation Corps in Kansas so we headed south to just outside of Yates Center to the Woodson Fishing Lake where Camp Fegan was around 1934-5.  It was a family adventure.  While my husband took pictures of the dam, the kids found shells on the shore...

and then helped Daddy try to find building foundations from the camp.  Bubby was totally excited to find, by himself, the CCC flagpole.

What a glorious day of good weather, reconnecting with family, and exploring:)

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!

New Territory

  I am entering new territory in recent history for our family.  We are expecting our third kiddo this fall.  Not since my great-grandparents has either of my branches had 3 or more kiddos.  Our two that we already have are Bubby (age 8) and Mookie (age 6).  They are super excited and are going to be great helpers. 
  The most major change is going to be where to put the little one.  In this age of plenty it's so easy to get caught up in each person having their own space and needing more room.  Practicality is leading us to do with what we have and work with it.  I'm taking alot of inspiration from how families used to do it as well as some awesome friends and cousins who have done the same thing.   No matter what we are feeling super blessed and anxiously awaiting the new adventures we will have!
  

My Christian Heritage

Lafayette Mauzey

   Lafayette Mauzey is my great great great Grandfather.  He was born in 1835 in Missouri.  His mother's family were big time slave owners and although not much is known about his father, we do know that he in addition to being a piano teacher was a gambler. These factors shaped Lafayette, not to emulate those lifestyles, but to go in the opposite direction.  Lafayette moved to Kansas and fought for freedom on the Union side.  He also became a Methodist Episcopal minister and was very opposed to gambling.

 

Lafayette's preacher's license

  His son Oscar Mauzey was a strong Christian.  He followed his father's lead and disallowed anything that resembled gambling (cards).  Both Lafayette and Oscar and Oscar's son (my great-grandfather) Cecil are memorialized in the Cummings Methodist Church stained glass windows.

Oscar Mauzey stained glass

 Oscar's son, Cecil was also a strong Christian.  When church services were going, you could hear Cecil singing loud enough to be heard outside.  Not that he was any good, just loud, praising God:)

Cecil Mauzey

 As a Bible believing Christian, I am so proud to have these guys and many others as my ancestors.  Thanks grandpas!

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures!!

  My Aunt Frances was the family keeper.  Her son (my cousin) and I have been working in tandem on family research to get our Gentry family and branches ironed out.  He recently sent some scantly identified photos which I was thrilled to be able to help out in identification of!

"Aunt Bee"

  Meet Rebecca Amelia Pribble Shields otherwise known as "Aunt Bee".  She is the only full sister to my great-great grandmother Flora Helen Marr Pribble Gentry.  Growing up I had heard fond references to this aunt:) 

"Uncle Herschel, Aunt Clara & Carl?"

   Meet my great-great-Uncle Herschel, Aunt Clara, and I think their son Carl ("Bee" would have been Hersch's aunt).  Uncle Hersch had one other son named Herschel Raymond who died when he was only 6, so I think this was taken after his death when Carl would have been about 10 in 1919/20.  

Hersch and Clara settled in Washington State.

"Uncle Ed"

  Meet "Uncle Ed"  I am pretty sure that this is Ed Pribble, half brother to "Bee" and Flora.  I have not seen a picture of him before, but there aren't any other likely candidates and I can see the resemblance to his father, Samuel Winfield Scott Pribble. *Note* - how wonderful are cousins?!?  This is not Ed Pribble, but most likely Edgar Gentry!  Thanks guys! :)  So much for the "resemblance" ;) (3/28/13)
   I am so excited to see what other treasures might lie in Aunt Frances's collection!