Vee asked me to post a personal response to the LIST, so here goes: I've been to New Zealand; we went for our honeymoon (a month late). It > was October in Chicago and SPRING in N.Z. What a joy to behold. The > azaleas grow to astounding heights!! Some varieties have individual > flowers as big as your hand!!! There are "stands" of Bird of Paradise > adorning the parks and parkways, even in the middle of the street ! > There are white sand beaches and black sand beaches, mountains and > lowlands, snowcapped peaks and cottonfields. There are wonderful little > delis that sell meat-and-potato pies just the right size to fit one's > hand. Orchids abound. [Ed.note: azaleas grow to 30+ feet tall.] > > To add to the delight of the trip, we accidentally crossed the Queen's > car in "traffic" after trying ever so hard to avoid her entourage. We > knew she was there, but didn't want to get into the traffic jam. But it > was so exciting!! We could actually SEE her riding in the car. How > cool is that!! My husband said we saw the Queen in Auckland, but I think it was on the south island. We discovered she had changed her plans. > > I, too, traveled Route 66 as well as the northwesterly path through > Yellowstone to Seattle to visit relatives. My grandparents were with > us; the only trip they made with me and my Mom before they died. I was > 14, maybe 15. When we got to Montana, Mom let me drive---there was > nobody on the roads anyway. I drove clear across that lonely, empty, > state---flying along at 70 miles per hour. I got my license when I was > 15 so I could drive grandma to work (in Wisconsin). She was so short, > she could hardly reach the pedals of the old '48 Plymouth! Mary Ellen (Douglass) Moravec-Newsom

Dear Folks, I know that it's really late to start planning a reunion for this upcoming summer or early fall, but I still think it's worth a try. I know that some of you people have already made firm vacation plans for this year but for some of you who haven't, this is what I suggest. In late August(?) or early September(?) we do the same thing we did last year. We make it a three day reunion, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in Lockport the county seat. The reason for those odd-ball days is that's when the Niagara County Genealogical Society, the County Court House and other government offices are open and where important records can be researched. Although I'm not as mobile as I was even last year, I can still do some of the preplanning. I can make arrangements with the Historical Society to have a room available to us early Wednesday afternoon to get acquainted, hopefully Elaine Timm will be able to arrange to have the genealogical society open for us that day and other than that you're on your own for three days of glorious research. The most it will cost you regarding our Wednesday afternoon meeting is a donation of $1.00 to the Historical Society who will no doubt have coffee available to us and maybe even cookies like last year. I can recommend the most fantastic reasonably priced motel in Lockport and I know that several of our listmembers stayed there themselves last year and will agree with me. It will be up to the bunch of you to figure out where you might meet up for dinner on those three days and hopefully you'll be treated to finer dining than what you experienced last year. Yes I know that hot dogs hit the spot on occasion but I certainly can't knock the fun you had getting together at a lovely outdoor hot dog stand! What a hoot you had! Expect hugs all around, plenty of laughs and plenty of serious genealogy discussions at our round table. And do you know what? If I'm lucky, I can troll for two more single guys to rope into our reunion. Hey, those guys may have kept shaking their heads as to how they ended up there, but they fit in beautifully, contributed their own family history and laughed along with all of us. Elaine are you with me and can you help? The only thing I believe that we need to agree upon is three days in August or September that sounds good to the majority who would like to attend. And for you people who really have very little research to do around these parts, just remember that you can see the greatest sights in the world here--Niagara Falls being at the top of the list. So what do ya say? vee

Dear Jo, Yes, I know what you mean. But in our family (Mother and Daddy) I can't remember any hugs or declarations of love whatsoever. In fact, if you notice how both of them wrote to each other you won't see the word "dear" at the beginning nor "love" at the end. Not only that, but my grandparents (on both sides of my family), weren't any different either. In later years I wondered if their basic Lutheran upbringings taught them that you didn't show affection to any member of the family and you CERTAINLY didn't kiss anyone not even on the cheek. But oh well, I can't recall any other families I knew at the time being any different. vee ----- Original Message ----- From: "Josephine Grieve" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2004 12:11 AM Subject: Re: [FOLKS] Father's 1938 trip to Europe Pt 3 > Oh Vee, I can imagine how much sadness and yearning for your father > surfaced when you found the card from him..........If he had only known how > much his little daughter would have loved to have heard from her Daddy! > I think it's hard when we have grown up not really knowing a parent and then > finding something that they have saved or written about us that shows how > much they cared. It's always sad not to have heard it in person! I can > empathize with you because that's the way it was with my mother. > > Jo in Michigan

Dear Barb, To answer your question about the name of the LaSalle Theater, that's what it's name was. And oh yes indeedy I remember the Saturday matinees very well indeed, especially in the late 1930s. Not only were they double features, mostly cowboy films, but also included in one low, low price (10 cents?) was a cartoon and Pathe News. But in thinking back on those Saturday matinees which were really just for kids, I also recall from the dim recesses of my mind the gangster films! For some dumb reason I remember knowing who/what a "mouthpiece" was at the early age of 7 or 8! But MOST of all I remember going to the LaSalle Theater in 1939 and watching the most glorious film ever made, The Wizzard of Oz!" It was actually in COLOR!! But I have to add a giggle here. When I was 15 or 16 years old and my two girlfriends and I were all madly in love with the actor Alan Ladd, we took the long IRC bus ride to LaSalle to drool over his manliness in the film "Two Years Before the Mast!" Oh sigh, flutter, flutter! The three of us were truly in love! :-) Yes those were the innocent years and although I'm not saving this message to add to the number of memories I have shared with you, even if I did, who among my niece's children or grandchildren would have a clue as to who Alan Ladd was. (Another sigh!) vee ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2004 12:37 AM Subject: [FOLKS] Slump > Do you remember movies on a Saturday at the LaSalle theater? I had a > boyfriend who had a job as usher. He would let me in free. We stayed all day and > watched the double features and them maybe watched them again. It seems they were > mostly cowboy films. What was the name of the theater? > > Barbara Moll > >

Doris, Maybe you can help the cause along by posting stories of your trips too. We all love good stories. Ruth At 10:13 AM -0500 2/3/04, [email protected] wrote: >Vee, > I join the chorus to encourage you to continue! I read every letter >first and always nod in agreement. I feel lucky as I was there at the second >reunion so everyone is a known friend. The story of your trip west really >struck >a nerve. I lived in Cal. for several years when we were first married. We >moved to Ohio but my in-laws all stayed west. So EVERY summer 1955-1965 >we loaded >3 boys in the car and hit Rte.66. I know every curve and bump on that road >and like you I kept a journal. I still have it and the sons can still remember >the names of the "motels" we stayed and the place for the best chocolate >shakes >in Okla. City. Wonderful memories..considering they wouldn't dream of driving >4 days each way with their kids in the car!We all remember no a/c, the >paintings on velvet, hanging roadside, the water bag on the car and their >father >yelling here come the Indians and they all hit the floor. So, don't stop. They >are about times that a lot of people can't visualize. >I lived in N.Y only until age 3,but my father worked for Carborundum, so I >link to your stories in a lot of ways. I may not sontribute but I am still out >here. >Doris, from Ohio reunion #2 -- Ruth Barton [email protected] Dummerston, VT

Vee, I join the chorus to encourage you to continue! I read every letter first and always nod in agreement. I feel lucky as I was there at the second reunion so everyone is a known friend. The story of your trip west really struck a nerve. I lived in Cal. for several years when we were first married. We moved to Ohio but my in-laws all stayed west. So EVERY summer 1955-1965 we loaded 3 boys in the car and hit Rte.66. I know every curve and bump on that road and like you I kept a journal. I still have it and the sons can still remember the names of the "motels" we stayed and the place for the best chocolate shakes in Okla. City. Wonderful memories..considering they wouldn't dream of driving 4 days each way with their kids in the car!We all remember no a/c, the paintings on velvet, hanging roadside, the water bag on the car and their father yelling here come the Indians and they all hit the floor. So, don't stop. They are about times that a lot of people can't visualize. I lived in N.Y only until age 3,but my father worked for Carborundum, so I link to your stories in a lot of ways. I may not sontribute but I am still out here. Doris, from Ohio reunion #2

Hello everyone, It is interesting to read of these early trips. I was born in 1940 and didn't leave the state of New York, nor Niagara County until the high school graduation trip to Washington, D.C. in 1957. Fact is I didn't know the Towns of Porter or Youngstown existed, as the furthest my parents took us was to Olcott, and a couple times to Niagara Falls [and that was a long, day trip] Oh, must correct myself about not leaving Niagara County until 1957. My oldest sister was married and lived in Franklinville, NY and my mom and I did take a couple bus trips there. So keep the trip memories coming! Evelyn in Colorado ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the Internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the Web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today!

Dear Folks, I know that I'm getting a bit ahead of myself right now regarding my father's 1938 trip to Europe, but I'm on a roll now and so this is Part 4. 1938 TRIP TO FRANCE AND SWITZERLAND February 3, 2004 Investigating more thoroughly Daddy's "second" scrapbook I learned a bit more about his trip to France aboard the Ile de France. At first there was a picture of a young woman dancing in a long gown and with a headdress that suggested her origins as being from Greece, Turkey or even Lebanon. She certainly wasn't a belly dancer but nonetheless there was the suggestion of a bit of sexy dancing going on there. A couple of pages further into the scrapbook there's an 8 x 10 glossy of an even more exotic dancer (properly covered, of course) who looked even more Mediterranean. Not only that but inscribed on the photograph was quite a lengthy autograph she apparently signed for my father personally. Oh my goodness, he must have been having a good time aboard ship! Note: I can't make out one single word she wrote, darn it! In addition there's a charcoal sketch made of my father aboard ship by an artist on apparently November 26, 1938. Note; I don't even know it that date fits in with the time he was aboard or not but that's what it looks like to me. The artist's name appears to be Camille and even though it's really not a very good likeness, I can still recognize Daddy. Assuming that their ship first landed in Plymouth, England, as Daddy had mentioned previously, I also assume that they eventually disembarked in Le Havre and quickly made their way to Paris. And in the scrapbook is the cablegram that he sent to my mother at 133-81st, Niagara Falls, NY, on November 25, 1938. ARRIVED SAFE IN PARIS Charles Now maybe tomorrow I'll have the opportunity to put together some semblance of order regarding Daddy's experiences while he was in Paris. Of course I'll tell you about the post cards he pasted into his scrapbook picturing the Eiffel Tower and the Arch de Triumph and all of that jazz, but I guess I'll have to somehow get past trying to describe the many-paged glossy illustrated program he saved from the "Acazar de Paris" that showed many of the naked ladies in it! I guess that all that I can say on the subject right now is that it was all "artistically" done at that time. Just don't press me on how I feel on the details right now.

Of course you are in a slump Vee. It is FEBRUARY in Niagara County. What else can you expect. It will pass. You can't stop sending us your wonderful memories. Genealogy is a lot more than names. It is the people who make the family history that are important. And when you talk about trips it brings to mind other vacations and trips that I have made. Hopefully I will write about them if only for my grandchildren. Do you remember movies on a Saturday at the LaSalle theater? I had a boyfriend who had a job as usher. He would let me in free. We stayed all day and watched the double features and them maybe watched them again. It seems they were mostly cowboy films. What was the name of the theater? Barbara Moll

Oh Vee, I can imagine how much sadness and yearning for your father surfaced when you found the card from him..........If he had only known how much his little daughter would have loved to have heard from her Daddy! I think it's hard when we have grown up not really knowing a parent and then finding something that they have saved or written about us that shows how much they cared. It's always sad not to have heard it in person! I can empathize with you because that's the way it was with my mother. Jo in Michigan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Vee L. Housman" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, February 02, 2004 10:42 PM Subject: [FOLKS] Father's 1938 trip to Europe Pt 3 > TRIP TO FRANCE AND SWITZERLAND > February 2, 2004 > > While still on board the ship, there is a ship's photograph of my father and six other men in their tuxedoes, wearing funny party hats, sitting together at three tables all of whom looked bored. > > However, my father is confusing me with the chronological order of the memorabilia in his two scrapbooks. I was about to report of their arrival in the port of La Havre on November 25, when I remembered seeing other things in the second scrapbook. So trying to pick up the thread of what was going on aboard the Ile de France, I'll start off first with the two business cards enclosed in it. One was from Marcel Chapuis, Inginieur Civil des Mines, EMP, Ingersoll Rand, Paris. The other one was from Marcel Villers, Inginieur Civil des Mines, A. I. Lg., Ingersoll Rand, Brucelles (Belgium?). > > Below those two business cards was a post card of the glorious dining room aboard the ship. When I turned it over, I was speechless! He had addressed it to "Miss Vee Housman, 133-81st St., Niagara Falls, New York, U.S.A. His message to me was "Vee: This is the room where we eat while on the ship. Your Dad." As soon as I read his message I burst into tears. I really don't remember him ever sending that to me but I guess he thought enough of the post card to put it in his scrapbook after he had returned home. Nonetheless, I'm certain that I had been thrilled at the time I received it. Who knows but what I had taken it to school and showed it to everyone in my second grade class. > > During that time frame Daddy wrote another letter to Mother on November 23, 1938. It says: > > Dear Verna, > > I'm still on my feet and have not missed a meal. This is the 4th day out. Monday we were in the Gulf Stream and the temperature was 76 degrees. Tuesday we left the stream and the temp dropped and the boat began to roll very badly. In the evening while watching the show [movie], "The Marx Bros. in Room Service," a heavy sea struck us and all of the chairs slid to one side of the ship and we all piled up. > > At dinner they had the dishes anchored down so they could not slide off the table. It is still so rough that pen and ink is out of the question. > > They push the clocks ahead five minutes every two hours so that on an eastbound trip each day has 23 hours only. There will be five hours difference by the time we hit Plymouth [England]. > > Discovered the pink ribbon last evening. It is still unsoiled but that may be taken care of later. [Oh giggle, giggle! What in the world could he have been referring to? Did Mother slip a pink ribbon into his luggage and did the ribbon have some sort of very personal meaning between the two of them???] > > Monday we were with a very mixed group. Earl and I (American), a Frenchman, a Belgique, a Brazilian and an English girl. The language used was mostly English but every now and then they would shoot a question in French. The English girl has been confined to her room since then. She claims a sore throat, but I suspect it is plain seasickness. > > Earl was saying that he is going to cable his wife when we sail for home and have her meet him in New York at the company's expense. So I don't see why you and the kids can't hop on the train and come to N.Y. to meet me. I will cable you when we will be there. You will probably stay at the Roosevelt Hotel. Keep the company paying for the trip quiet. That will be just before Christmas or perhaps as it now looks, we will arrive Christmas Day. > > The food so far has been excellent but impossible to describe. We pick out an impossible sounding dish to try it. The other evening Earl picked one out that I translated as Stuffed Pigs Feet. He razzed my translation, but that is what they brought him! > > We shoot clay pigeons every morning from the sun deck. Yesterday and today our scores were terrible due to the roll of the ship. > > We get into le Havre at six o'clock Friday evening and will be in Paris at Midnight. > > Will try to write you another letter before we land but don't count on it. Will at least send you and the kids cards from Paris. > > Charly > > >

I have been looking at a lot of old family pictures that my Mother gave me last year. The pictures are of my father and mother before they met each other. My father was over seas in WWII and there are a surprising number of picture of him in New Zealand. My Grandmother Terry (his mother) kept them. When the house she lived in was sold so she could go into the nursing home the Aunts and my Mother sorted the pictures Grandma Terry had and My Mother has passed them to me. Of interest to this group is that both of my parents are from Michigan and even met there. My Mother says she has only been to the Falls when they were frozen. My Mother was in the Nurse Cadet Corp. She finished Nursing School a year after WWII ended and actually my father was home and they dated during her last year in school. My Mother's parents moved to the Valley of Texas to grow Oranges during WWII and that is another story of gas rationing and driving for so very many miles with all the furniture on a big truck and all the family in a small car with the animals too at 35 miles per hour till they got to Texas then they were able to drive faster. My Mother rode the bus back to Michigan to go to Nursing School. Both sides of my family are interesting to me. So I feel lucky to have so many memories of them and pictures too. Dorothy

Actually I am not in a slump. I can tell the group what I was doing today. It has a bit of history to go with it so.... I started a new beading pattern from an older issue of Bead and Button Magazine. I chose this pattern because I have an old necklace made in the pattern. I am not sure if the old necklace is from my Grand Mother Miller or her Sister Great Aunt Ellen Lafever. I will attach Great Aunt Ellen's picture. I hope this list allows pictures. I think the necklace is from Great Aunt Ellen Or Aunt Ella as I called her. She kept a box of clothing for me to play dress up with. I spent many a happy hour staying with her and playing at her house between the ages of 5 and 13, when my family moved 300 miles away. So I chose the necklace to duplicate as the old one is to fragile to wear. I wish I had the entire box of clothing and jewelry now that I played with then. How lovely it was to visit my Aunt. I also remember that she fed me celery every night for a bed time snack when I stayed with her. I also remember that they had two double beds in their bed room along with many other beautiful antique furniture and that she had a lovely crazy quilt on hers. I am not sure if her mother made the crazy quilt. It did have velvet pieces and silk pieces and some ribbons as part of it. And the crazy quilt was so lovely to lay and look at when I was to take a nap in the afternoon on Aunt Ellen's bed. I believe that Aunt Ellen was born 7 years before 1900 in Michigan so I do not think that she made the crazy quilt herself. Aunt Ellen did hand work and made some very lovely huck weaving on kitchen towels as was popular during the 1960's when I was visiting her. I was born in the Valley of Texas and this is where I visited my Great Aunt Ellen who actually lived quite close to my parents. My Aunt and Uncle were married for over 50 years. After she died my Uncle remarried and all the items that were part of her house were lost to my family. I have no clue as to what happened to them. So I feel very lucky to have at least one necklace that may have come from her or her family. I was very happy to find the pattern for the necklace in the old issue of the magazine. This pattern was not the one I was looking for at the time but I sure was happy to find that it was the exact pattern for the old necklace. Except that the pattern did not have the way that my necklace is joined together in the front. I plan to duplicate my necklace join and send a picture of my new necklace to the magazine when I finish it. Dorothy

By George, er ah Bob, you're memory is close enough. If you lived on Maple Avenue and if your father drove down McKoon Avenue and turned left on College Avenue and crossed the tracks and across Highland Avenue, on your right would have been the Vanadium plant. Since I went to North Junior High School in the 1940s instead of South Junior, I didn't have your father as a teacher. Nonetheless, those days are days of precious memories. vee ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, February 02, 2004 11:02 PM Subject: [FOLKS] Re: NYNIAGAR-FOLKS-D Digest V04 #21 > Vee > > I lived on Maple Avenue in Niagara Falls from 1933 to 1944. My memory is not > the greatest but it seems to me that the Vanadium plant was across the tracks > at the foot of Maple Avenue and a bit to the north. My Father took us by the > plant a time or two when out on a drive. He taught at South Junior High School > from 1918 to 1944. My brother Jack worked at National Carbon during the > summer of 41. Then went to Purdue for a year before being drafted into WWII. > > Bob AZ > >

Vee I lived on Maple Avenue in Niagara Falls from 1933 to 1944. My memory is not the greatest but it seems to me that the Vanadium plant was across the tracks at the foot of Maple Avenue and a bit to the north. My Father took us by the plant a time or two when out on a drive. He taught at South Junior High School from 1918 to 1944. My brother Jack worked at National Carbon during the summer of 41. Then went to Purdue for a year before being drafted into WWII. Bob AZ

TRIP TO FRANCE AND SWITZERLAND February 2, 2004 While still on board the ship, there is a ship's photograph of my father and six other men in their tuxedoes, wearing funny party hats, sitting together at three tables all of whom looked bored. However, my father is confusing me with the chronological order of the memorabilia in his two scrapbooks. I was about to report of their arrival in the port of La Havre on November 25, when I remembered seeing other things in the second scrapbook. So trying to pick up the thread of what was going on aboard the Ile de France, I'll start off first with the two business cards enclosed in it. One was from Marcel Chapuis, Inginieur Civil des Mines, EMP, Ingersoll Rand, Paris. The other one was from Marcel Villers, Inginieur Civil des Mines, A. I. Lg., Ingersoll Rand, Brucelles (Belgium?). Below those two business cards was a post card of the glorious dining room aboard the ship. When I turned it over, I was speechless! He had addressed it to "Miss Vee Housman, 133-81st St., Niagara Falls, New York, U.S.A. His message to me was "Vee: This is the room where we eat while on the ship. Your Dad." As soon as I read his message I burst into tears. I really don't remember him ever sending that to me but I guess he thought enough of the post card to put it in his scrapbook after he had returned home. Nonetheless, I'm certain that I had been thrilled at the time I received it. Who knows but what I had taken it to school and showed it to everyone in my second grade class. During that time frame Daddy wrote another letter to Mother on November 23, 1938. It says: Dear Verna, I'm still on my feet and have not missed a meal. This is the 4th day out. Monday we were in the Gulf Stream and the temperature was 76 degrees. Tuesday we left the stream and the temp dropped and the boat began to roll very badly. In the evening while watching the show [movie], "The Marx Bros. in Room Service," a heavy sea struck us and all of the chairs slid to one side of the ship and we all piled up. At dinner they had the dishes anchored down so they could not slide off the table. It is still so rough that pen and ink is out of the question. They push the clocks ahead five minutes every two hours so that on an eastbound trip each day has 23 hours only. There will be five hours difference by the time we hit Plymouth [England]. Discovered the pink ribbon last evening. It is still unsoiled but that may be taken care of later. [Oh giggle, giggle! What in the world could he have been referring to? Did Mother slip a pink ribbon into his luggage and did the ribbon have some sort of very personal meaning between the two of them???] Monday we were with a very mixed group. Earl and I (American), a Frenchman, a Belgique, a Brazilian and an English girl. The language used was mostly English but every now and then they would shoot a question in French. The English girl has been confined to her room since then. She claims a sore throat, but I suspect it is plain seasickness. Earl was saying that he is going to cable his wife when we sail for home and have her meet him in New York at the company's expense. So I don't see why you and the kids can't hop on the train and come to N.Y. to meet me. I will cable you when we will be there. You will probably stay at the Roosevelt Hotel. Keep the company paying for the trip quiet. That will be just before Christmas or perhaps as it now looks, we will arrive Christmas Day. The food so far has been excellent but impossible to describe. We pick out an impossible sounding dish to try it. The other evening Earl picked one out that I translated as Stuffed Pigs Feet. He razzed my translation, but that is what they brought him! We shoot clay pigeons every morning from the sun deck. Yesterday and today our scores were terrible due to the roll of the ship. We get into le Havre at six o'clock Friday evening and will be in Paris at Midnight. Will try to write you another letter before we land but don't count on it. Will at least send you and the kids cards from Paris. Charly

OK, Jane, you really knew how to tug on my heart strings to the limit, didn't you? :-) OK, I won't let Mom or Dad or you down and I'll continue with my stories. But hey, how about writing down the stories your Mom and Dad have already told you. Again, that's family history. Regarding your comment about Daddy's 1938 trip to Europe, oh yes indeedy, the Third Reich of Germany was definitely a threat. And by 1939 I believe that all ocean liners quit operating. Daddy left France in early December 1938 and no doubt he and Mother and everyone else knew that Europe was not a safe place to be in. Nonetheless, I'll continue to post the story of his trip. Oh my goodness yes, how well I remember our second list reunion last year in Lockport! None of us could stop talking for a minute, family group sheets were brought out and compared, Elaine Timm showed everyone the ropes of the Niagara County Genealogical Society library and frankly the list wouldn't let me forget my roping two strange males into our discussion. OK, so they were only hoping to find the genealogical society open that afternoon to the public, it really wasn't, so I hauled them in to our meeting so that their afternoon wasn't wasted. They fit in perfectly and contributed their own stories of their area family history. And on the subject of our THIRD list reunion this year, we'll have to think about that pretty darn quick. Although it's still mid winter, arrangements and thoughts need to be made and shared. OK, Gang, wake up and give me some suggestions! vee ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jane Achbach" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, February 02, 2004 8:25 PM Subject: [FOLKS] Re: NYNIAGAR-FOLKS-D Digest V04 #21 > Hi Vee and All, > My 82 year old Mom and my 77 year old Dad would be brokenhearted if you > discontinued the stories and I would. They can't wait for me to forward > your latest story. > My Mom has always told me about the trip to Washington that she made as > a child. How she learned how to drive when she was 11. > Those wonderful memories have never left her. > And Route 66? My Dad has always had a fascination with that old two > lane. He so much enjoyed hearing from someone who actually rode that > highway way back when. > My true memories of my Parker-Myers family is from the Thumb of Michigan > but my imagination ran wild last summer when we visited during your > reunion. I could visulize all of the historical events that surrounded > my Parker and Myers ancestors and the hardships that they faced. > Without your wonderful tales those memories would be just so much > genealogy paperwork. > Now my imagination is running wild about your Daddy in France. 1938? > That's scary with the Third Reich just next door! I have visited France > and it is a lovely country but I am sure it was different in 1938 than > in 1985. > Keep those wonderful tales coming! I can't wait to hear more about > Paris! > Jane in FL > >

Dear, dear Folks, Responding to the many warm messages I received today, maybe I can take them one at a time. Yes, Nancy the sun did come out this morning and you won't believe it when I tell you that the talk of the town this afternoon was the fact that the temperature was ACTUALLY above freezing! We all agreed that it was the first time that's happened in the year 2004! To Dorothy Matheson, oh if you would only transcribe the letters you wrote that your mother saved regarding your own cross country trips, add to them the descriptions of the black and white photographs that went along with them and put them together, I'm certain that your and Charles' children and grandchildren would be wide-eyed over the story. Not only that but if you would then post bits and pieces of them to the list, we would enjoy them as well. And Charles Matheson, just what you posted to the list about your family's trip from Chicago to Miles City, Montana, in 1946 was really mind boggling ! Try to remember more details about the trip and write them down. We'd love to hear more. Kathy said to me, "I have my mother's diary. According to it, she went to church, went to school, and wished she was back in North Tonawanda. She obviously didn't care for Buffalo. Once again, not much story there either..." Kathy, don't be too sure that there's not much story there either. Read it over her diary again, pay attention to the time frame and even though you don't find much of a story in t, if you transcribe it, it will be part of your family history. Mary Ellen Newsom, thanks. I hear ya! :-) To Ruth in Sunny Southern Vermont, and for all of you who have any connection with Michigan whether you ever passed through Niagara Falls or not, you're still one of us. Just ask any of our listmembers living in Michigan whose ancestors migrated there from Niagara County. Mickey, thanks for letting me know that you enjoy lurking on our list and enjoy sitting around our virtual kitchen table with a cup of coffee at hand. And that's pretty much the gist of the list. For the most part we're very centered on our genealogy research but even more than that, we're interested in history, we're interested in reading stories about adventures others have had in the past and frankly we're interested in reading good stories about each other's past and even everyday events in our present lives. We feel like a virtual family so pull up a cup of coffee and join in. For starters, I'll tell you what happened to me this evening. It was time to take my 6:00 medications. I knew what pills I had to take and I also knew that my new dailly dose out of the bottle of medication should be taken at the same time. My mind was totally elsewhere but I was dilligent taking my pills. However, when I picked up the new bottle of medication and tried to shake out the required amount of pills into my hand I suddenly realized that I was pouring more than just a single dose of LIQUID prescription into the palm of my hand, and it was seeping through my fingers and on to the kitchen counter top. Oh SHEEZ Vee, pay attention and quit day dreaming!! So there you have it, Folks. Pull a chair up to our kitchen table and tell us what's going on in your lives. Who knows but just the fact that you're writing them down means that you're recording your own family history of the present. However, we'll have no nasty conversations about religion, politics or sex. Other than those restrictions, just let us talk together. And as far as you lurkers are concerned, we know you're out there and that's really OK. Enjoy. luvya, vee

Hi Vee and All, My 82 year old Mom and my 77 year old Dad would be brokenhearted if you discontinued the stories and I would. They can't wait for me to forward your latest story. My Mom has always told me about the trip to Washington that she made as a child. How she learned how to drive when she was 11. Those wonderful memories have never left her. And Route 66? My Dad has always had a fascination with that old two lane. He so much enjoyed hearing from someone who actually rode that highway way back when. My true memories of my Parker-Myers family is from the Thumb of Michigan but my imagination ran wild last summer when we visited during your reunion. I could visulize all of the historical events that surrounded my Parker and Myers ancestors and the hardships that they faced. Without your wonderful tales those memories would be just so much genealogy paperwork. Now my imagination is running wild about your Daddy in France. 1938? That's scary with the Third Reich just next door! I have visited France and it is a lovely country but I am sure it was different in 1938 than in 1985. Keep those wonderful tales coming! I can't wait to hear more about Paris! Jane in FL

Oh, Vee, you're right, you are just having a slump, [gees there are days I find it difficult to physically get up and get going - I'm told it's part of the aging process - ha!] cause sure as shootin this group loves you and your posts. True each of us need to add our thoughts and history memories of Niagara County. As for me, I'll try to do my part. Evelyn in Colorado ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the Internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the Web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today!

Dear Folks, While everyone is talking about Punxsutawney Phil today, it seems that things were different around here in 1883 on "Groundhog" Day. Niagara County News, Youngstown, NY, Thurs. Feb. 9, 1883 The bear did not see his shadow Friday [Feb. 2]. Well, that won't make any difference; Vennor has charge of the weather. Vee's note: Apparently Vennor was the local unofficial local weather forecaster. But a BEAR?????? vee