For a number of years I corresponded with Zona (Emerson) Kavigan - granddaugher of Ann (Dover) Brickey Emerson. Zona's dad was John W Emerson b. 23 Mar 1879, a brother of my g grandmother. Over the years, she related to me a lot of her childhood memories. She was the baby of her family. She and her brother, Ellis Emerson b. 1902 were still living as of a couple of years ago. The following is from one of her letters: "As a child, I remember we had all kinds of instruments. Papa taught Addie (her sister) to play the organ and the two boys fiddle, guitar, etc. What I remember, we had a happy life. I remember when we had company, Addie played the organ and we sang. Papa and the boys played fiddle, guitar and French harp and I jig danced. Mama must have taught me to jig. She could jig in her 80's. We had fun on Saturday nights. We had an old phone on the wall. Papa make a big horn to fit the mouthpiece. Then we gave one long ring and that was a ring everyone would listen in. Then the music would start. Poor lonely people sure enjoyed listening. I had to stay on the phone in case people had to use the phone. People would say, "Where are you?" "Who is this?" I wasn't used to swearing. One guy said, "Where the hell are you?" He wanted to join us. We knew him and his voice. He lived about two miles from us. No one ever knew who we were. They only played two or three tunes and then we hung up. Since I wasn't all that good to play, I was taught to dance. We didn't sing over the phone, just music. Addie played the organ and she and I would sing at church. I remember at Minco, OK they had a lot of tornadoes. One year in 1926, Ellis, Orville and Addie all got married and lived a home. All the men folk had taken wagons of cotton to Minco Gin. It came rain, tornadoes, you name it. We were so worried as they were late getting home. Our way, as I look back at it, was a form of praying. Addie played the organ and she, Esther and I sang church songs until they got home. We were so serious. I was 12 years old." Zona's father is recalled by other family members as a brilliant self educated man. At one time he was a doctor. He was an inventor and held several patents on some of his inventions. Sharon S