As a family researcher I long for every bit of knowledge that I can scrape together. The gift, as I call it is a rare photo of an ancestor, a bible record, and best yet a diary. Recently in my home town of Fort Stockton, an elderly woman, my neighbor was put in a nursing home by her two sons. I really did not know this woman at all. But, the people of this Town sure did. Her family was one of the early pioneers of this town. She was a delight to a lot of people in her heyday. She had a backyard that I can see from my kitchen window that once held none other than a "Secret Garden," and an Alice in Wonderland feeling. The people here have told me she thought everyday should be Christmas. Since I have lived here she did indeed turn on her Christmas lights every night. Today the lights no longer come on at dark. The fantasy land of her backyard that was once her boys, and her grandchildren's playground has been slowly picked apart. Her memories of days gone past have all disappeared except in her mind for her. Every little trinket, every little light, has now all been extinguished. To Ms. Gilley, her life is done according to her children. Her wonderful painted house, the flowers that just dance off of it at you as you pass it by, will probably soon be painted over. Her giant picture window with all her trinkets displayed will never be lit up again, the Santa's the Witches and what not are all gone. Gone where? The dumpsters in my alley hold the life of Ms. Gilley. Her Photo Albums, pictures of her children, and her grandchildren have all disappeared. The navy blanket her husband brought back from World War II, in the dumpster, as well along with his years of history as a teacher throughout the state of Texas, and Alas they did not forget to toss the bible records of both families, yes in the dumpsters. Mr. Gilley passed away in 1998, his family was from Hollandale, Mississippi. Ms. Gilley was born here in Texas. The life of Ms. Gilley is another story to be told, and I after rescuing all of her important memories from the dumpsters know it was a wonderful, glorious life and her family history will live on. To her sons I say shame on you for they gave you life, and you decided not to treasure that but, instead focused only on yourselves. You can throw away her clothes and dishes and the baby photos but she will always be your mother. I also know that neither of you will ever be like your father. He let her be who she was and loved her for it. Sons, you threw away the love letters your father wrote to your mother in the 1920s. Didn't you even care? I did. Janice This story is sad but true, If there is any one in Mississippi related to this Gilley family please contact me. I would love to send to relatives that care, the photos and memorabilia of this family. > > Henry Gilley > > FORT STOCKTON - Henry Floyd ``H.F.'' Gilley, 85, died Sunday, Nov. 22, 1998, > in Fort Stockton. Service will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at First Baptist Church > with burial in East Hill Cemetery. Arrangements are by Fort Stockton Funeral > Home. He was born Aug. 27, 1913, in Hollandale, Miss., and had been a > resident of Fort Stockton since 1946. A Navy veteran of World War II, he owned and > operated the Lem Smith Machinery Co. and was a member of the First Baptist > Church and Fort Stockton Masonic Lodge 1023. Survivors include his wife, Evelyn > Gilley of Fort Stockton; two sons, Brian Gilley of Midland and Terry Gilley > of Hereford; two sisters, Marietta Caruthers of San Francisco, Calif. and > Vivian Nicholson of Bakersfield, Calif.; and three grandchildren.

Janice, This just breaks my heart. I did the same thing you did once, rescuing some wonderful family "treasures" that had belonged to an acquaintance. She had no close family and the folks who cleaned out her house barely knew her. Her parents had come from Germany and settled in west Texas. She had many letters, records, etc., from both Germany and the little community in TX her parents had helped establish. When I realized they were throwing these things away, I approached them and asked if I could have the family papers. I didn't even know them, and ordinarily I would've been hesitant to mind someone else's business, but I was so upset at seeing all of this history disappear. After they satisfied themselves that I wasn't after anything other than 'old, useless papers' they gave it all to me. I had no clue what to do with it and I live a long way from TX but, luckily, they'd thrown in this lady's address book along with the other things. So, I started calling numbers in TX and the first one I! got was a childhood friend who was so close the the family that it was she who looked after the graves of the lady's parents. She and I had a good cry and then I packaged it all up and sent it to her. Most of the material is now safely in the History Room of the church they all attended. Have you tried posting a message on the Gilley surname boards at Rootsweb and GenForum? I hope you're able to find someone who will appreciate these family treasures. I appreciate you rescuing them. Nancy ----- Original Message ----- From: JRice79761@aol.com To: MSJEFFER-L@rootsweb.com Sent: Monday, July 21, 2003 10:29 PM Subject: [MSJEFFER-L] What is a Family? As a family researcher I long for every bit of knowledge that I can scrape together. The gift, as I call it is a rare photo of an ancestor, a bible record, and best yet a diary. Recently in my home town of Fort Stockton, an elderly woman, my neighbor was put in a nursing home by her two sons. I really did not know this woman at all. But, the people of this Town sure did. Her family was one of the early pioneers of this town. She was a delight to a lot of people in her heyday. She had a backyard that I can see from my kitchen window that once held none other than a "Secret Garden," and an Alice in Wonderland feeling. The people here have told me she thought everyday should be Christmas. Since I have lived here she did indeed turn on her Christmas lights every night. Today the lights no longer come on at dark. The fantasy land of her backyard that was once her boys, and her grandchildren's playground has been slowly picked apart. Her memories of days gone past have all disappeared except in her mind for her. Every little trinket, every little light, has now all been extinguished. To Ms. Gilley, her life is done according to her children. Her wonderful painted house, the flowers that just dance off of it at you as you pass it by, will probably soon be painted over. Her giant picture window with all her trinkets displayed will never be lit up again, the Santa's the Witches and what not are all gone. Gone where? The dumpsters in my alley hold the life of Ms. Gilley. Her Photo Albums, pictures of her children, and her grandchildren have all disappeared. The navy blanket her husband brought back from World War II, in the dumpster, as well along with his years of history as a teacher throughout the state of Texas, and Alas they did not forget to toss the bible records of both families, yes in the dumpsters. Mr. Gilley passed away in 1998, his family was from Hollandale, Mississippi. Ms. Gilley was born here in Texas. The life of Ms. Gilley is another story to be told, and I after rescuing all of her important memories from the dumpsters know it was a wonderful, glorious life and her family history will live on. To her sons I say shame on you for they gave you life, and you decided not to treasure that but, instead focused only on yourselves. You can throw away her clothes and dishes and the baby photos but she will always be your mother. I also know that neither of you will ever be like your father. He let her be who she was and loved her for it. Sons, you threw away the love letters your father wrote to your mother in the 1920s. Didn't you even care? I did. Janice This story is sad but true, If there is any one in Mississippi related to this Gilley family please contact me. I would love to send to relatives that care, the photos and memorabilia of this family. > > Henry Gilley > > FORT STOCKTON - Henry Floyd ``H.F.'' Gilley, 85, died Sunday, Nov. 22, 1998, > in Fort Stockton. Service will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at First Baptist Church > with burial in East Hill Cemetery. Arrangements are by Fort Stockton Funeral > Home. He was born Aug. 27, 1913, in Hollandale, Miss., and had been a > resident of Fort Stockton since 1946. A Navy veteran of World War II, he owned and > operated the Lem Smith Machinery Co. and was a member of the First Baptist > Church and Fort Stockton Masonic Lodge 1023. Survivors include his wife, Evelyn > Gilley of Fort Stockton; two sons, Brian Gilley of Midland and Terry Gilley > of Hereford; two sisters, Marietta Caruthers of San Francisco, Calif. and > Vivian Nicholson of Bakersfield, Calif.; and three grandchildren. ==== MSJEFFER Mailing List ==== "Isn't genealogy fun? The answer to one problem, leads to two more."