Thank you for clarifying...and I believe you are absolutely correct. I think, in retrospect, that I heard "implemented for 911". I live in a very rural area of California---dirt/gravel roads that would rival some of those I drove on in Iowa, and the running joke out here is that IF you have a life threatening emergency you're probably going to die. Our roads and the 15 mile per hour speed limits DO NOT encourage fire or ambulance traffic. That the roads meander through oak and pine covered hills likewise discourage helicopter landings except for on wide places on the highway. (No, that's not where most vehicle accidents occur.) I DON'T have a street sign, however, I do have a large grassy area that I probably need to identify as "heli-pad". As the crow and the helicopter fly, hospitals are within 10 miles---a few minutes---distance. On the ground, minimum 30 minutes. Regarding "coincidence"---now that's an entirely DIFFERENT can of worms. ;-) Sherry > [Original Message] > From: Stacy Smith <slsmith@grm.net> > To: <balowmsg@earthlink.net>; <IADECATU-L@rootsweb.com> > Date: 5/16/2005 9:49:56 AM > Subject: Re: [IADECATU] Grandmother West's scrapbook > > You said "this was implemented after 9/11." I think that actually, this was > implemented for 911 (911~a faster way to get ahold of the police or > ambulance~to know exactly where you were, and they needed all the roads > clearly marked. During this time alot of house numbers AND street numbers > changed around the area. Our 911 number was given to us in ?1999? And my > mom's in Leon was changed around the same time. We finally got new country > road signs put up just a couple years ago. I know that they changed all > the RR numbers to longer addresses (From "R1 Box XX" to "00000 West US > Highway 69". Bethany's switched before the 9/11 attacks, and Lamoni's just > switched ?2? years ago. So, I think that instead of being implemented > "after 9/11" I think that it is just coinsicdence that they changed for the > 911 system around the time that 9/11 attacks happened. > Stacy > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Sherry Balow" <balowmsg@earthlink.net> > To: <IADECATU-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Sunday, May 15, 2005 11:45 PM > Subject: RE: [IADECATU] Grandmother West's scrapbook > > > > Hey Barry (& others)-- > > > > I'm probably enjoying this as much as your mom! > > > > I thought I'd take advantage of the quiet and relate a recent Van Wert > > story---I have to laugh out loud every time I think of it, if I don't cry. > > > > I visited the area last year -- the first time since the 1960's. Since > Van > > Wert is EXTREMELY rural, I would have been hopelessly lost without help > > from a local cousin. My 2nd great-grandfather, Ebenezer Price, was an > > early settler, very near the farm that I was born at, a couple of miles > > south of Van Wert. My cousin showed us the area, an old barn on the > > property, and he pointed in the direction other families connected to ours > > had their farms---Roberts to the north, the Bullards toward the west if I > > remember correctly. He showed us where my first home had been---the area > > and the road to it completely overgrown. I remember Mom talking about > > it---an old converted shed, fixed and painted, the windows covered with > > blue curtains that she and my great-grandmother, Mae Price, had sewn. Mom > > called it "My Blue Heaven" and "remembered", on certain occasions, events > > that took place there. When she made our "farm dinners" in later years, > > and in California, she reflected on what it had been like on the > > farm---field hands breaking for lunch---"lunch" being piles of fried > > chicken, killed, cleaned and cooked that morning. (I do have a memory of > > those headless chickens "chasing" me around the yard!) Mountains of > mashed > > potatoes & gravy, biscuits, and of course, corn-on-the-cob. I don't > > remember THAT farm fare, but certainly remember it as California feasts, > > once Mom got used to the "blue chickens" they sold in San Diego! I think > > those meals were Sunday traditions back then, but are only enjoyed a > > couple of times a year these days. (We BBQ in CA!) > > > > Anyway, back to visiting my first home. It's gone. Well, the converted > > shed is gone. All that's there now are the trees & shrubs where the road > > used to be, cornfields--lots of them-- and a street sign. Just when I was > > getting my mind around "being born out in the middle of nowhere", I saw > the > > sign. And, it may very well be OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, (actually, > > it's still a couple of miles south of Van Wert), but it is a VERY well > > marked area. Anyone asking where I was born will, from now on, get, > "Near > > the corner of 140th Street and 230th Ave" in Van Wert, IA. Fifty five > > years ago my mom would have laughed her head off if she'd passed this > > street sign while on her way to Popcorn School to pick up her > > kindergardner---just as I do every time I look at the picture that I took > > of it. From a "Californians perspective", it looks like a relic from what > > would have been a once thriving CITY neighborhood, the sign surviving > after > > any homes had disappeared. > > > > For those that didn't know, (and I was one of them), this was implemented > > after 9/11. I'm not sure, but I do believe that NOW it would be virtually > > impossible to get lost in a cornfield! The times, they are still a > > changin', but the area, (except for the street signs & highway), has to > > look VERY MUCH like it did 100 years ago--or at least, 50 years ago. > > > > Sherry > > > > > > > [Original Message] > > > From: <BRWest@aol.com> > > > To: <IADECATU-L@rootsweb.com> > > > Date: 5/15/2005 3:30:10 PM > > > Subject: [IADECATU] Grandmother West's scrapbook > > > > > > > > > > > > note from mom on responses to the list > > > Barry > > > > > > > > > Barry, I am enjoying the response you are getting back from grandmas > > > scrapbook so much. and she would be happy, also. It is truly a small > > world when you > > > can hear from Calif , Mo, Iowa and all other places .about these > > articles. > > > Ray did go to school with Buddy Price and Rays folks knew all the > Prices > > at > > > Van wet, I use to wait on them when they came into Grahams Dept store > to > > shop > > > and I also, worked with Gladys Binning in Grahams for a while,. I kept > > Books > > > for Grahams for three years while Ray was in service. We went to school > > with > > > young Vernons wife Glendola, We knew the Turpens from Davis City and > > went to > > > school with Darrel and Duane, don't remember any Turpin girl. I am so > > glad > > > you are doing this Barry, it brings back a lot of lost memories, Love > Mom > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ==== IADECATU Mailing List ==== > > > Stacey Dietiker, Momdit@aol.com: Decatur County List Administrator, > > > Website Coordinator, Decatur County IA Genweb - > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~iadecatu > > > > > > ============================== > > > Census images 1901, 1891, 1881 and 1871, plus so much more. > > > Ancestry.com's United Kingdom & Ireland Collection. Learn more: > > http://www.ancestry.com/s13968/rd.ashx > > > > > > > > ==== IADECATU Mailing List ==== > > Stacey Dietiker, Momdit@aol.com: Decatur County List Administrator, > > Website Coordinator, Decatur County IA Genweb - > http://www.rootsweb.com/~iadecatu > > > > ============================== > > Find your ancestors in the Birth, Marriage and Death Records. > > New content added every business day. Learn more: > > http://www.ancestry.com/s13964/rd.ashx > > >