Hi: Surname: SMITH First Name: WISTER Middle Name: ALLAN This person was my uncle. I don't know how long he lived in Henderson County but I assume from Social Security Records that it was for about 40 years. He died January 1, 1990 in the Highland Park Nursing Home in Athens, Texas. I was adopted at age 2. My six siblings and I were taken in 1955 by the Smith County Welfare from our parents. We were all told that our all of our uncles were dead. If I had known that my uncle Wister was still living, I would have taken him in and cared for him or, at least, had visited him when I made my trips to East Texas from Oregon and, later, from Southern California. I never got to meet or talk with him. I would definitely have him for dinner. I would like to ask him about his father, Henry Homer Smith, what was his dad like and where was he from and where is he buried as Uncle Wister was 15 when his dad passed away from Consumption, or what we call today, Tuberculosis in 1920 in Bell County, Texas near Belton or Temple. I would ask him about his trip to Mexico, if he could remember it, as he was 7 at the time. I would ask him if he remembered his grandmother, Missouri Ann Glenn Reddoch and if he knew where she is buried. I would ask him if he remembered the Smith Hotel, his parents owned for a very short time, in Corsicana, Texas. I would love to listen to his stories of his childhood and young adult years. How I would enjoy just loving the pleasure of having him sit with me and getting to know him as it would be getting to know my Smith family of whom I was never allowed to know or even ask about. Oh, those of you who have your biological family surrounding you at your feast, no matter how small, be thankful for each one and let all strife and malice end and be at peace with one another. Take from someone whose heart aches from not having such pleasure, there is nothing that can take the place of your precious blood relatives and all the ins and outs of their lives, no matter how much we like or dislike about those ins or outs. Believe me, no one or no one thing can take the place of any blood kin. May you each be truly THANKFUL for the folks who are your folks and the preciousness they bring to your home and lives! Patricia Ruskauff gishpar@windstream.net ________________________________________ PeoplePC Online A better way to Internet http://www.peoplepc.com