Debbie suggested I should share this with the list - My family have been in Mills county, Iowa from the early 1800's - 3rd gr grandparents: REYNOLD APPLEBEE and his wife ANN CECELIA RICHASON both are dead ends 2nd gr grandparents: SARAH CLARISSA APPLEBEE and James Josiah LEEK/LEAKE/LEAK 1st gr grandparents: Anna Elizabeth LEEK/LEAKE/LEAK and Ozias Cullen STEVENS grandfather: Josiah "Joe" Charles Stevens was born 1883 in Malvern, Mills, Iowa my mother: Wilma Stevens was born 1909 in Silver City, Mills, Iowa besides dozens of aunts and uncles and cousins - My great grand parents Rollin Hugh Dimick and his 1c Nellie Adell Shepard were married 1878 in Iowa City, Johnson county, Iowa - their daughter Theo Adell Dimick married Josiah Charles STEVENS- and they became my grandparents - My grandmother THEO ADELL DIMICK often told me the story of the 'big blizzard' when she was 7 or 9 years old - She was at the school house, it started snowing in the late afternoon not hard, just light snow - she left the school house heading for home - soon it was snowing hard and she was not able to see where she was going - she had been told by her parents, when and if that would happen, return to the school house, even if the teacher was gone, she would be safe out of the storm - The school had a horse and wagon to take the children home in, it also returned to their school house that afternoon. Her father was out looking for her -he knew she would not keep trying to get home, but go back to the school, as she had been told. That is where he found her - she said she was so happy to see her papa - they ended up at the school house all night - she said there were about 3 other papa's that came looking for their children - blankets were kept at the school just for an occasion like this - the children had a good time - the parents and teacher burned desks, chairs, any thing that would burn to keep them warm. She said the next day they had a "heck of a time getting home" - There were children frozen to death that night. Her mother was frantic when her daughter and her husband didn't come home all night. Snow was piled up to the roof of the house - they had to dig their way out. When I was in school, we had a test that asked the question, what year was the big blizzard on the prairie - I got it right - because my grandmother had told me the story so often - She also told me of the time she was baptized - it was in the "Little Blue River" they had to chop the ice away to do it. She loved Bluebells - [the flower] - she wanted to name me Bluebell - but I got Wilma instead! We were on a trip a few years ago - we camped just above Yellowstone - and there I saw my first Bluebell flower - I pick a bouquet and had it for a few days, even pressed some - they never meant any thing to me before that, now, when I see my pressed Bluebells, I think of my grandma's favorite flower and am still glad my name is Wilma - Strange how something so minor can put you in a melancholy mood uh? We really don't have it so hard do we? Our ancestors have put us where we are today - I don't think I could go thru what they did, and I am grateful that I have what stories I have - how blessed we are to have their lives still touching ours - Wilma Fleming Haynes wilmahaynes@direcway.com