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1.Thanks you Bret for
arranging this opportunity and let me thank this hard working group, who
have for so many years made contributions to their community and to the
whole world.
2. I know this because in 1955 I had worked two jobs all summer to save for
college. I was running a bit short on expenses. Mr. Mueller, principal at
Chilocco Indian School allowed me to speak to his Kiawanis group in Arkansas
City, Kansas to ask for a scholarship. So you see it has been 49 years
since I last spoke to you. That scholarship gave me some funds but more than
that it gave me encouragement. I took a heavy load of studies which was
acceptable at the time and was able to get what little education I have.
3. Now that I have a book published and listed with Barnes and Noble it is
my place to come to you again. Not to ask for assistance but to give back to
you.
4.When my father died in 1986 he left these old photographs he had guarded
for his entire life. He had written names and dates and places on the backs
while he was very ill.
5.Show picture of Dad, Lee Otis Jones. I found this picture on the internet.
How it got there I cannot tell you but without a doubt it is my father, or
if not, it is someone who looks EXACTLY like him.
6.Dad knew how to get me through my grief when I lost him.
Pictures:
1.Dad's mother, seated. Nancy Bellzona Collins Jones, Mrs. Joseph Hubbard
Jones
2.Dad's great aunt, Dora Jones Frenchman, Mrs. Edward Frenchman
3.Dad's wife, Velma Louise Pensoneau Jones, my mother
4.Dad's sister, Mrs. Dan T. Wadley, Gertrude Adah Jones Wadley (left notes)
5. Numerous pictures of the Osages encamped around Dad's family at Ralston,
Ok.
As I began research on these
pictures it occurred to me there must be as much history on all branches of
the family. The first picture I retried was that of my Ponca grandmother,
Elizabeth Little Cook, Pensoneau, Hernandez. The picture was saved by Dan
Hernandez's wife, Rena Wiseman Hernandez. It had been damaged but she gave
it to me anyway. My husband put it into the computer and came out with this
beautiful repair job.
I worked six years with a
professor who was working with the University of Oklahoma to put these old
pictures in a book. As time went on, he became busier and busier and I just
asked him to return the photo's and gave up on the project.
In the meantime a man in
Scotland, Alastair McIntyre, saw my home page and asked if I would write for
his site, Electric Scotland, as well as put these photo's on the web. We
did that and the rest is history........
A publishing company, Publish
America, saw my short stories and asked if they could publish them. It was
a bit of an embarrassment because I know I'm not a writer. The stories were
meant to be just saved for my children and family. I had to carry “English
for Dummies” around with me and still there are errors. This didn't seem to
bother them. It was the history they wanted.
So this is the way “How To
Keep Up With The Jones's, my book came about.
However, from 1986 until now
I have seen a great interest in family's saving their history and I believe
this is a good thing.
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