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“Stuard Howell was Virgie's
brother.” Dee's brother (cousin, white way) told her as he looked at the
yellowing aged photograph she had put in front of him.”
“I see.” Dee was
enlightened. “As I understand it, Virgie was Gramma Bell's niece Virgie
was a daughter of Bell's sister Sarah? “There you have it. There was some
scandal involved somewhere. You might want to research that. I don't know
the particulars.”
“Oh well! There is always something or other somewhere
in the lineage. I don't bother with that. Probably, it is public record.
Anyone can find it if they wish to do so. Besides, some folks get real
bent out of shape if their grandfather is labeled in some way.” “While you
are here I want you to see these records of land transactions in the
Brewer family. It is America Hunter Brewer signing papers to transfer land
to her children. There were huge amounts of land. I suppose it was a
nickel an acre or something or other. Some in the family said it was a
land grant but I haven't seen papers on that either.”
“Don't let Albert see it.
He will probably be going up there to try to get it back.” In this way
the man continued the friendly rivalry they had as brothers.
“Don't show it to Randle.
He wouldn't know what he was looking at, anyway.” Her other brother
defended himself.
“Oh by the way. Nancy
Brewer, daughter of America Hunter and John Brewer married a Lightle. If
any of you light hearted and free footed gentleman are in the neihborhood
of Bolivar, Missouri you might try to look up family.”
“I went to school with a
Lightle.” Albert was reflective.
“Sure enough. We did. I
had forgotten him.”
“Oh no!” Their mother
piped up. “Don't tell me we were related to them.”
This was an ongoing joke
with her Mother as she couldn't understand the desire to “dig” up one's
ancestors.
Dee had learned long ago
when to make a quick exit and this is what she did now. Stepping a short
distance away from one room to the next in order to access the tiny
library gave her a acceptable distance from the group. She could hear
their fun making as to her obsession with research. Her being slightly
removed from the circle of the group allowed the determined woman to go on
with uncovering lost family ties which had rewarded her this day with one
more tiny link, “Stuard Howell was Grandmother, Virgie's, brother.”
Her brothers were business
men following the rough and heavy world of the construction crews, jobs,
and competition of that lifestyle. Something like intrinsically delicate
hidden information secreted in piles of papers was not to their thinking
as being a challenge. Little did they know.
One of her brothers had
been at one time in his life involved with the perfectionist's world of
printing. For a moment his mind would be caught with the wonder of the
search. However, he would not let himself be trapped into it. “After
all?” He asked. “How much money can you make with ancestors who are
long gone?”
“Sheesh!” Dee could be as
forthright in the friendly exchange. “It isn't the ancestors for whom you
search. It is the decedents who can become beautiful, strong, loving
friends. And, that is worth more than money.”
This reasoning did catch
the brother's attention. He was the one who enjoyed friendships more than
the others.
Dee was stating her case
lest she be over run as easily as her brother's huge earth moving machine
ran through unbroken miles of timber or desert like areas. “I have hardly
been off this acre and I can tell you about geography in Oklahoma just
from these studies of genealogy. For instance, what about the
contributions made by Senator Robert Kerr and in what areas?”
That caught her brother's
attention and they were off to discussing all the achievements the man had
left over the state as to water ways and such.
“Say! Sis? Have you ever
been to see personally any of the places he established. No. You
haven't have you?”
Dee knew it was their way
of chiding her because she was such a staunch ultra conservative totally
in opposition to their life styles. “I'm sorry.” She, as the oldest had
always had to be quick thinking in order to keep control when they were
kids. “I'm sorry, but I've just been too busy building my own
contributions to leave as a gift to go look at his.”
As intended, the statement
brought the brothers to a place where they were made to think.
The most receptive of them
seemed to snap. “Say. You mentioned you found some of our Jones's on the
Cherokee Dawes Roll?”
“At last.” Dee was
thinking. “At last, maybe some help was forth coming.” |
