Judy, Thanks for sharing that fascinating story and poem. I was also struck by the first line of information: James Gilmore, born in 1685 in Coleraine. This is roughly the time my family probably moved from Scotland to Ireland; there is a possibility that they moved to the environs of Coleraine and the Bann Valley. A generation was born there; I am descended from James (son of John and Agnes) who was born 1697 (or thereabouts). Given the naming customs -- sons named after grandfather and uncles -- I try to be alert to Gilmores named James (or for that matter John) born in the north of Ireland around this time. I would be very interested to learn anything you might have on the origins of your line. Thanks! Peter Gilmore Judy Kendall wrote: > I have a story written by the grandaughter of Cordilia and Hiram Gilmore > that someone may be interested in. My line is: > James Gilmore b 1685 Colerain, Ireland m Isabella > William Gilmore b 1707 Colerain, Ireland m Alice Moore 1736 in Pelham , > Mass. > William Jr. Gilmore b 1750 Pelham, Mass d 1847 Cambridge, NY m Anna > Holms > Samuel Gilmore b1783 White Creek NY m Hannah Potter > Hiram Gilmore b 1824 Rome NY m Cordelia Timmerman > Ellmore Jay DeLoss Gilmore b 1865 Tomalles, Ca. m Margaret Maggie Jakway > Hall. > > FINDING A NEW HOME > > A true story as told to me by my mother, Effie Allice > Gillmore Bishop. > > My mother (Effie Alice Gillmore) was born in Iowa in 1857. She came to > California with her mother Cordelia Timmerman Gillmore, her oldest > brother Emmett and a tiny baby brother named Penn. She was about six > years old. Her father Hiram Gillmore had come to California sometime > before, and was working as a carpenter. > > Grandma Gillmore (Cordelia Timmerman Gillmore) and her children come > down the Mississippi River on a boat and crossed the Gulf of Mexico to > the Isthmus of Panama where the ship anchored in a small harbor. There > they met a small train that carried passengers across country to the > Pacific side. She did not remember the train ride but told me about > seeing naked native children swimming all around the boat as it > anchored. They would hold up their hands and beg for pennies. The > bottoms of their feet and palms of their hands looked very pink, their > finger nails looked white. They would dive to the bottom to get > pennies. My Grandma did not have pennies to throw in for them but some > people did. > > At the town where the train stopped on the Pacific side, they > boarded a boat for the trip to San Francisco. > > How brave my Grandma Gillmore was to make a trip like that with three > small children, very little money , and their few clothes in bags! > > Grandpa Gillmore's nephew, Henry Gillmore, used to run a hotel in > San Francisco called "What Cheer Hotel". That was in 1863. Grandma and > the children spent two days there waiting for Grandpa to get there and > take them to Bloomfield by horse and buggy over a trail. I have no idea > how they got from the ship to the hotel, but he did get there and they > headed "home". My mama remembered lots of sand hills in San Francisco. > In later years she told me that the What Cheer Hotel was finally torn > down and used to help fill in the water front when they were building it > up! > > Grandpa Gillmore was a traveler and restless so they moved on and > lived at Tomales and later to Bodega. Ge found work but was headed > north! They finally came up the coast and found a place he really liked > called Manchester. He built a house there and it was there Effie > Alice, my mother, attended school. The family grew to be six > children, Emmett, Everett, Penn, Effie, Elma, and Eva. > > My mother attended Napa College for one year when she was about > eighteen. Grandma Gillmore's brother, George Timmerman, gave her the > money for schooling. Three other girls from Manchester attended also. > > When she came home, she met my father, Elijah Bishop. They were > married February 22,1882. Her brother Penn and his sweetheart were > married at a double wedding ceremony with them. His wife was named > Jennie Andral. They had all been good friends and thought that would be > nice. Jennie had beautiful curley hair and was very pretty. I have > pictures of them in a large frame. The ink has faded out and my > daughter Betty will try to get it restored. My mother was pretty and > had a lovely wedding gown. It was gray alpaca cloth. Had a high > collar, and full gathered top sleeves. The front was a panel of satin > "Shirred" and the top part was called a Basque, the skirt was full. My > mother was a small girl and weight about 110. She let me dress up in > her wedding dress once when I was about 10 or 12. I had to be very > careful and sat like a lady and looked at a book. Her hair was a > beautiful golden brown and she curled it on a big hair pins so her bangs > would fluff up! The back was combed down and made into a "pug". > > My father Elijah "Lige" as he was called, and my mother lived on the > old home ranch all their lives and raised six children, (near the Garcia > River.) My Dad was proud of his "bottom Land" where he raised huge > carrots, spuds, and corn! > Austin, my brother, and I are the only ones left of the old family. We > have children and grandchildren and I am blessed with six great > grandkids. There are many nieces and nephews and their families and I am > sure they would not know me now. (all scattered.) My mother passed away > January 4 1943, just six days before her 86th birthday. My father > passed away on August 29, 1930. > > They were of hardy stock, hard working and wonderful people, loved by > all who knew them. Just like my Grandfather and Grandmother Gillmore! > > I loved having them visit us and telling me the stories of their > daily living. Grandma knew miles of poems and I got to sleep with her > in the "spare bedroom" when she came. She would, at 6:OO A>M>, open up > the window and breathe in the cool air and recite something special as > she dressed. Her clothes I must tell you about: long under drawers, > long sleeved under shirt, a cute night cap. Her nightgown was full and > dragged the floor. She had pretty feet no bumps or sore nails and I > always had her show me her cute toes. so tiny and perfect. She wore > long stockings and a garter belt. All the time she dressed she sang or > recited poetry. I'd be tucked under the covers. we could smell the > coffee and bacon or sausage cooking downstairs and I's hear my Dad come > to the bottom of the stairs to awaken my brothers Ase and Austin. He'd > roar, Time to get up, goin to sleep all day? and bang would go the hall > door. but, that ment getting out and they did right then. > > Oh the wonderful memories. Grandpa Gillmore teased me so I'd whimper > and he would chuckle and laugh and pull my curles. I almost forgot to > tell you that I'm the last one named Effie after my mother, (Effie > Darlene Bishop Johnson,) and am married to a wonderful old buy, Carl, > who will be 83 August 22, and today , July 7th, I am 80 years old, still > up and going, tagging after Carl. We plan a trip to Idaho if all goes > well. later this summer. We have three children, my youngest son was > born on my birthday so today we will have cake and a feed later. > Barbeque with all joining in, except Betty who can't make it here from > Sacramento. > > We have been married 58 years good, happy years. We have been > blessed and thank God for our wonderful long time together. > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > I found this in my mom's bible (Ferne Remstedt Hurley) after she passed > away. Her grandma would have been Maggie Jakway Gillmore and great > grandmom would have been Cordilia Timmerman Gillmore. > > GRANDMA'S POEM > > The Lark is up to meet the Sun > The Bee is on the wing > The Ant his labor has begin > The Woods with Music ring > Should birds and Bees be wise while I my moments waste'n? > Oh let me with the morning rise and to my duties hasten > > Submitted by Judy Kendall > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~