Friday, August 9, 2013

My Farthest Memories

I have been thinking...
How Far Back Can I Remember?

I can remember the time before I started going to school. My mother was on the telephone talking with someone. I heard my mother talking about enrolling me in to KG. I went in the afternoon.

I even remember walking to and from school with some of my siblings. It was along walk. We did have buses in those days. We lived about 9 blocks from Mark Twain Elementary School.

I recall playing with blocks in our play area in our classroom. I recall looking out the window onto the playground. I remember the swing set, the monkey bars and jungle gym. I recall the white and yellow circles and squares... drawings on the playground.

I recall the double doors in our classroom to come in our room. We even had a back door to go out to the playground. We had our own private bathroom in the back of our classroom. I thought that that was cool.

I recall that parents came to see their children. My parents did come. It must to have been Parents' Day. The parents came to see our classroom. And to look at what we did.

I recall laying down taking naps on a mat in our classroom. Then one day I was sick and missed school. I heard that Santa came to class that day.

So I missed Santa. I was not too disappointed. I knew who Santa was. Some of my siblings told me.

I recall reading about Sally, Dick, Jane and their dog named Spot. I recall that I was called upon to answer a question from one of our readings. I cannot recall which girl it was but Dick took and hid Jane's or Sally's ribbon. Our teacher, Miss Wise ask me What would Jane or Sally do about Dick taking the ribbon?

Here was my response to the question: I said, She would beat him up! The kids laughed at my answer. Miss Wise said that Dick would not do that. Miss Wise said that Jane or Sally would ask Dick to gave the back ribbon.

I felt "dumb" and "stupid" about my answer. I did not talk much. I was quiet. Yes, I was shy.

I recall hearing about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's Assassination. I remember that famous black and white photo. I wondered what those guys where pointing at.

I recall bringing candy to my classmates. It was my birthday four days after Dr. MLK Jr's Assassination. I even remember that I felt strange giving candy to my classmates during a time like that.

I recall seeing the men on the moon on TV. U.S. President Richard Nixon on TV during in his first term in office.

I remember relatives coming over to our Family House. People would be playing cards and talking. I recall that we had a hope chest in one of our rooms. It reminded me of a coffin.

I recall one day that the Hope chest opened up. I saw the lid was close. I ran when I saw the lid opening. I did not like being around coffins when I was a kid.

I recall watching TV shows; The Riffle Man. Other TV programs that some of my siblings would watch.

I recall one of my brothers hanging up my bicycle our swing set. He did this in our back yard and left it there. I was crying. ( I was teased a lot.)

I recall our Family Dog biting me in the stomach. Here is a section that I posted about "Dogs In The Family and Neighbor Dogs":

The First dog that I can remember in my family was "Fido". I don't know what breed of dog "Fido" was. What I remember about "Fido", he was iffy iffy.

He would be good to us. He was a happy dog. And at times turn on us. "Fido" would attack people if he though we were in danger.

Then again, there was a time when I was out in the back yard helping my Father clean up. I bent over to pick up something. All of a sudden "Fido" came running out of his house and charged at me biting my stomach. Boy I was scared. I cried...

Yes,"Fido" was something else. He liked to bit. He loved chasing cars tires. Well, one day our Father was going on his trash route. "Fido" broke loose and went chasing after the truck. This time "Fido" got ran over.

My Father buried "Fido" in our backyard. I was there looking on. Even though "Fido"was a crazy dog, I still like dogs.

I recall some of the games that we played in the house. We played marbles and jacks. We played with "army men". We made paper air planes and toss them in the air.

We played race cars with the orange tracks that made loops and turns. We built houses out of playing cards. We stood dominoes upright until we tapped one letting them fall one by one. (We played cards and dominoes too.)

I recall when our Dad and my brothers enlarged our basement. There was a lot of dirt to dig out. I remember one time there was some things outside the window. Someone one had an idea to lift me up to the window so I could get it. Yeah, I was small enough to go through our basement window.

On my journey of transformation
As I reflected back on my memories of the past, I found out as I was typing this blog, more things came to me. I added more detail. O the memories of what once was.

I had a thought. As the years go by, I lose some things of the past. So I challenged myself to this was a simple exercise. I put some thought into what I did.

So I thought of How Far Back Can I Remember? It was as though I took a journey in time's past. I had more memories than I thought.

It is good at times to recall the good things of the past. My memory goes back to 40 or 41 years ago. I think that that is good.

From my Book of Thanks and Blessings

Father God, I thank You that You blessed with a memory. I thank You for what I can remember things of the past. I thank You for the idea that came to me, to write things down for future generations.

I thank You for all the PROVISION that I have had in my life time. I thank You the FAITH that is in planted in me. I thank You for the SIGNS and WONDERS that I have witness in my days.

I thank You for the LOVE that surrounded me as I was growing up. I thank You that Your HEALING Hands guard my life. I thank You that DELIVERANCE that is in my life.

I thank You for the Door of HOPE that has been in my life. I thank You that well before I was born, You choose me to have the choice of SALVATION in Jesus' name Amen.

This blog came from my Xanga site 2007

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Jordan Blakey: Who Was He?

 In the beginning of my search, I knew very little about Jordan. I read that he passed away in Michigan through family history notes. As I continue to search for family history, I discovered more and more along the journey.

Jordan Blakey was born with a twin sister, Julia on March 1, 1878 in Mississippi. Their parents were Isaac and Rachel (LEPHRIDGE) BLAKEY. Jordan was one of 18 children of Isaac and Rachel.

In November of 2011, I came across info on Jordan's wife Flora Elizabeth (LAWRENCE) BLAKEY in California. I discovered the birth index and two of her children names. I wasn't for sure if they were Jordan's children. But through more searching, I came across more children of Flora.

As I continue to search for Jordan, I came across more info that I wasn't sure of. I have tried to piece together and make the connections with things that I've been finding. I searched the census records, city directors and whatever info that I could.

I'm still trying to piece together info on Jordan. I searched on ancestry.com and came across some info. I had some contact with descendants of Jordan. I have since lost connections with them. One descendant was on Clarence Ollie Blakey. The other one on Verna M. Blakey.

Jordan wasn't listed on the 1880 or 1900 census. What appears unusual on the 1880 census was that his twin Julia was listed. I wondered why Jordan wasn't listed on both of those census. And for 1900, Jordan would have been about 22. He could have been married.

According to 1910 MO census and records Jordan was married to Lizze ?. That would have been about 1903 or 1906.   Lizzie was born about 1882. She passed away before 1915.

Jordan remarried to Flora BENTLEY on Oct 20, 1915 in Yankton, South Dakota. Jordan was listed as a widower. Flora were listed as a widow before they were married.  Jordan and Flora were only listed on the 1920 census together.

On the 1930 census, Jordan was listed with wife, Ruby in Nebraska. Jordan was 25 when he first married. That would have been Lizzie. The year when Ruby and Jordan married isn't known.

Jordan and his 3rd wife Rubenia "Ruby" moved to Ann Arbor Michigan. That could have been sometime between 1930 and 1935. They remind there until their death.

I searched the CA birth index, and other census and came up with Flora's maiden name LAWRENCE. On the CA birth index LAWRENCE was listed with the children Thomas, Flora. and Baby Girl Blakey.

The first three children were born in SD.  Verna and Vernon could have been the same person. Error on the census taker. I don't think that they were twins. Verna wasn't listed with Vernon.

Jordan's 2nd wife Flora. Here is a list of Flora' children with the BLAKEY surname:
Clarence and Verna were born in SD. The others in CA.
Clarence Ollie BLAKEY (1920 - 1988)
Clarence was married had about 10  children

Verna M. BLAKEY (1923 - 1983)
Verna had a son with the DELAHOUSSAYE surname.

Vernon L. Blakey ? Not for sure, this could have been Verna.

Thomas J. "Tom" BLAKEY (1930 - 2013)
Thomas was married.

Flora Stella BLAKEY (1933 - 1976)
Flora was married and had children.

Baby Girl BLAKEY (1935 - 1935) She was stillborn

Jordan was listed as a farmer. I haven't found any additional info on his life. Jordan and Flora did have descendants. I hope someone can see a connection with The  Jordan and Flora BLAKEY's Connections.

Thanks for reading,
Susan