Local Haggis

All Haggis originated in Scotland thousands of years ago. During the last Ice Age they crossed over the land bridge into the Americas.  As they came south, they became less hairy over the years. The healthier strain settled in Texas.

The Family of Joe T G. were the first to recognize the true potential of these little Haggis critters. 

Texas Haggis in nature

They started the first ever Texas Haggis Rancho. All the cattle ranchers made fun of them. Little did the cowboys know.

The family had years earlier developed the Nacho Critters. 

Nachos - caught and ready to be eaten

The only problem was that the Haggis would eat the Nachos. So they have to keep them separately. If you wonder why - with the spring breeding season, they are reproducing at an alarming rate. So from time to time, the breeders are in panic with the Runaway Nachos.

Texas Haggis - known locally as chimichangas

Our own family tradition was helping those great people with catching the Nachos every holiday season and and reducing the number of the local Haggis, as well.

Nobody makes better nachos and chimichangas. We did use to visit the place together and enjoy the food feast at least twice a year.

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The post dedicated to our brother Shrader has been inspired by the traditional history of the Scottish Haggis.

Our tribute to the food place and food makers mentioned above. Best Tex-Mex food in the world.

McFadden Brothers

The McFadden family were the early settlers who made their home east of the Sabine River. The brothers, John, William, and Bailey, sons of Sam McFadden, settled in the south-east of the county, and the nearby creek was named after them.

Joseph Goodbread mentioned in one of the previous posts was related to McFaddens. Some of his relatives joined the group of Moderators organized after Joseph’s death, in response to the actions taken by Charles Jackson (the man who shot Joseph) and his supporters known as Regulators.

When the legal ways failed - Jackson's trial, mentioned in the previous post, was a total fiasco. Jackson was not sentenced/went free, despite the fact that he had shot Goodbread in broad daylight. Therefore. his friends and relatives took matters in their own hands.

As mentioned before, Jackson was killed in an ambushed and the McFadden brothers were known to be part of the Moderators group who retaliated after the death of Goodbread.

Charles Watson (Watt) Moorman became the leader of the Regulators after Jackson’s death. He had been with Regulators when Jackson was their commander. Subsequently,  John T Middleton (first deputy)  deputized Moorman and a few other Regulators, and the posse after Jackson’s killers was organized.

The Regulators approached a group of Moderators, when they were going towards Grimes County. During a fight, one of the Moderators by the name of Joe Bledsoe was killed at Crockett, others managed to escape. However, later, the Regulators apprehended  a Moderator called One-Eyed Williams, and made him tell where the McFadden brothers were.

 The men were staying then not far from the Montgomery town,  at the house of Mr. Whitaker. Surrounded by the Regulators , the brothers barricaded themselves  and fought back, shooting from the inside of the house. The Regulators threatened they were going to burn the house down. The McFaddens agreed to surrender when they were promised a fair trial which was to be done by the vote of the Shelbyville inhabitants, not the jury. 

I am not sure about the fairness of that trial since the Regulators controlled Shelbyville. Their motto was “those who are not for us are  against us”, and each person who was not willing to align with them was treated as a member of the opposition, a Moderator.  According to one source (3) , Regulators’ representatives were members of every grand jury. Thus, the people of Shelbyville voted 174 to 0. which decided of the brothers’ fate. In such circumstances, even if any of the voting man was against the hanging, fearing for their own lives, they would not have dared to stand up and say, “I am against it”. John and William McFadden were hanged. Bailey, the youngest of the three brothers, was spared due to his young age. He was ordered to leave the town after he was beaten 25 times with a “blackjack”.

Clipping source: The Morning Star. (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 256, Ed. 1 Tuesday, October 26, 1841, newspaper, October 26, 1841; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1497679/: accessed February 8, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .

Clipping source: Cruger & Moore. Telegraph and Texas Register (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 6, No. 48, Ed. 1, Wednesday, October 27, 1841, newspaper, October 27, 1841; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth48157/: accessed February 8, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

The “Tenaha gang” mentioned in the newspaper piece was the Tenaha Militia who participated in the Battle of Nacogdoches (Tenehaw Municipality was the original name of Shelby County). The wounded Moderator was Henry Strickland. He was hit by Hansford Hanks, Regulator.

I wish I was able to find out more about the brothers’ and the names of John’s and Bill’s wives. 

Mary Elizabeth McFadden (1800-1847) is one of our direct ancestors (5 generations  back - great-great-great-grandmother). She was the daughter of Sam McFadden and Lucy Hampton. Perhaps, the brothers ment6ioned above were her brothers?

Sources:

1. East Texas Genealogical Society. East Texas Family Records, Volume 8, Number 1, Spring 1984, periodical, Spring 1984; Tyler, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth38042/: accessed February 3, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting East Texas Genealogical Society.

2. Texas Gulf Historical Society. The Texas Gulf Historical and Biographical Record, Volume 1, Number 1, November 1965, periodical, November 1965; Beaumont, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1433634/: accessed February 3, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Gulf Historical Society.

3. Texas State Historical Association. The Texas Historian, Volume 35, Number 5, May 1975, periodical, May 1975; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth391259/: accessed February 3, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.

4. Abernethy, Francis Edward; Lincecum, Jerry Bryan & Vick, Frances Brannen, 1935-. The Family Saga: A Collection of Texas Family Legends, book, 2003; Denton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc701341/: accessed February 3, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Press.

Texas Handbook Online

Photos: Sept. 2020

About Inner Kid

Sometime ago, we watched a TV program in which a lady (I do not recall who she was) talked about fulfillment in life, and how to achieve it during the retirement years. According to her, one just needs to re-find the inner child in themselves. To do that, we simply need to come back to the activities we enjoyed best in our childhood.

I thought, “What was it that I liked doing best when I was little?”

The answer came, “Nothing in particular.”

A few seconds later, I reminded myself, “Cemetery!”

When I was a kid, at least once a month, I went with my mom to the local cemetery where my grandma had been buried. At that time, there was no paid grave care service – people cared for their relatives’ graves on their own. What we usually did at the cemetery -  removed weeds/ leaves from the tombstone and its area,  put flowers and put/lit lanterns on the grave. The candle/lantern light is a sign somebody remembers the person whose body is buried there.

Once a year, before All Saints’ Day, we also cleaned the tombstone.

When I was little, mom did most of the job, I carried bags with leaves to the trash can, brought water from the nearby tap, and lit lanterns.

You could easily tell which graves were not attended to. They looked forsaken. I called them “abandoned gravies”. I did not want them to look sad and forgotten so I always put and lit a lantern on each such a grave in the section where my grandma’s tombstone was. I also enjoyed relighting lanterns (blown out by the wind) on other nearby graves.

During our visit, at the cemetery, mom was usually busy tidying up grandma’s burial place, I was running around lighting candles. Once, I was so much into it that, accidently, my new jacket caught fire. Luckily, mom was close and saved me and the jacket. Later, she fixed it in such a way that no one could tell in which spot the burned hole was.

When I grew up, we still visited the cemetery quite regularly, but not as often as it was in my childhood. I did not do my used to be “lighting lanterns” routine, though. Well, at least not that much.

These days, I still like visiting cemeteries especially places where old graves are. Lighting candles, however, where we live now, is not allowed here due to fire safety rules. I do something else instead.

Presently, most people still look after their family graves personally, not relying on paid care.

Reflecting on the above mentioned TV program, I realized that nowadays, one of the things I enjoy most is what I call “helping the ones who passed away to not be forgotten”. I mean not only researching and writing about our late close and far relatives but also doing the same regarding other persons, who lived before our time, not related to us at all. Somehow, I can feel they all want to be remembered.

In a way, I have made a circle and come back, in a bit different way, though, to what I used to do in my early years.

The cemetery we visited in my childhood is a real necropolis - so large, the size of  a small town.

You do not need to wait until the retirement to re-discover the kid in you. Find the time in your life to do what you enjoyed doing in your childhood. Most likely, the activity will be an adjusted version of the one from the past due to the changed life circumstances, and also to the current you, your present abilities and possibilities. Play and have fun.

---

Photos taken on All Saints' Day - November - many years ago

November Memories

November 1963

Clipping source:  Frailey, F. W. & Woosley, Joe. The Daily News-Telegram (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 85, No. 277, Ed. 1 Sunday, November 24, 1963, newspaper, November 24, 1963; Sulphur Springs, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth824302/: accessed November 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hopkins County Genealogical Society.

The photo was taken a few days after the tragic death of President John F. Kennedy.

My Little Man is standing near the Memorial site in Dallas, TX.

Arthur Norman Howard

It has been a while since I discovered any new family tree branches and connections leading to our direct ancestors.
Not long ago, while looking at my notes related to the people who lived in the Hill Country, I realized there was such a connection I had overlooked earlier. First, it was the surname that caught my attention. Howard is one of our direct ancestry lines. The place where that man was born, North Carolina, matched too. Investigating deeper, meaning the predecessors of Arthur Norman Howard, led me (7 generations back) to John N Howard (born in 1718, in Virginia). He was the brother of our paternal 4 x great-grandfather Stephen.
Arthur Norman Howard was John N's great-great-great-grandson and our 5th cousin twice removed.
If it was not enough, there is also a family connection on our maternal side, via the Sigman family. According to the family tree software we have our family tree on, Arthur is the 3rd cousin of an uncle by marriage (Richard Lee Sigman).

Arthur was born on 24 August 1875 in Newton, Catawba County, North Carolina.

1880, the boy lived with his parents, Edward Edmond (27) and Fannie Elizabeth (Gabriel) Howard (26), and siblings, in Mountain Creek Township, Catawba, North Carolina (1). The siblings were Gertrude (age 4), Franklin (age 2), and Chattie (1-month-old).

By 1899, Arthur had been in Texas. On ♡ 8 November of this year, the 24-year-old man married 17-year-old Mary Emma Cook. It was in Caldwell, TX (2). 

 Mary was born on 9 August 1882 in Houston, TX.

After the marriage, the couple lived in Justice Precinct #4, Caldwell, TX (3). Arthur was a farmer.
Soon, children were born to them:
♦ Norman Franklin - born on 10 January 1902,
♦ Gertrude Francis, born in Martindale on 19 March 1904,
♦ Edward Troy, born in Lockhart on 11 October 1906,
and ♦ George Martindale, born on 26 August 1910.

Tragedy struck - Norman died on ♦ 24 August 1918.

Clipping source: San Antonio Express. (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 53, No. 240, Ed. 1 Tuesday, August 27, 1918, newspaper, August 27, 1918; San Antonio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth430428/: accessed August 14, 2023), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Library Consortium.

About two weeks later, WW1 was still going on and on 12 September Arthur was registered by the Army (3).

 

Apparently, after Norman's death, Arthur and Mary drifted apart and their marriage did not survive. When exactly they got divorced, I do not know, but on 14 January 1920, Mary (age 37) had already lived with Gertrude (age 16) and George (age 9) in San Antonio, Justice Precinct #19. In the census record, Mary is listed as a "widow" (4).

At the same time, on 12 January, Arthur (age 44) and Troy (age 13) still lived in Lockhart, TX. However, they no longer had their own house. The father and son were boarders at Mr. and Mrs. John Clark's household. Arthur Howard was employed as a farmer there (5).

The records read that later, Mary with Gertrude and George moved to Los Angeles, California, and in February 1921, Mary remarried (6).

♡ 6 July 1921 - Arthur married again as well. His second wife was Miss Caroline Mathilde Willmann (age 29). The two got married in a Baptist Church in Lockhart, TX (7). 

 

Carrie was born on 11 July 1891 in Hilda, Mason, Mason, TX. She was the daughter of William Anton Willmann and Christine Wilhelmine Leifeste.

Caroline went to school in Mason and was confirmed at the Methodist Church. Later, young Carrie worked at the Deaf and Dumb Institute and then, enrolled in a nursing school. The lady graduated from the Physicians and Surgeons Hospital at the beginning of 1919.

 

 

Clipping source: San Antonio Express. (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 54, No. 33, Ed. 1 Sunday, February 2, 1919, newspaper, February 2, 1919; San Antonio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth430576/: accessed August 14, 2023), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Library Consortium.

 

Clipping source: The Statesman (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 47, No. 343, Ed. 1 Sunday, February 23, 1919, newspaper, February 23, 1919; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1498366/: accessed August 14, 2023), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu;.

 
♡ 15 September 1922, 18-year-old Gertrude got married as well (8). Her spouse was James Lacy McGee.

 

8 April 1930 census - Arthur and Caroline lived in Justice Precinct #1, Lubbock, Lubbock, TX (9).

♡ 12 December 1933 - Troy married Lillian Motheral in Caldwell, TX (10).

 

♡ 5 October 1934 - George married Virginia E Yates in LA, California (11).

♦ 12 January 1938 - Arthur's father Edward Edmond died in Mooresville, Iredell, North Carolina (12).

4 April 1940 - Arthur (age 64) owned a house and farmed in Justice Precinct #1, Caldwell, TX. Caroline (age 48) was a homemaker (13).

♦ 17 May 1941 - Arthur's mother, Fannie Elizabeth passed away (14).

♦ 2 February 1949 - Caroline died in Lockhart at the age of 57 years 8 months and 21 days, after a year-long illness (15).

It seems, after Carrie's passing, Arthur sold the house and farm. Census 10 April 1950 - the man (age 74) lived as a boarder at the house of John A Schaper, a meat cutter, in Caldwell, TX (16).

♦ 7 November 1959 - Arthur passed at the Lockhart Hospital, due to heart failure (17).

Source:
1. "United States Census, 1880", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MC6F-2H7: Thu Aug 03 01:54:39 UTC 2023), Entry for Edward Howard and Fany Howard, 1880.
2. "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XL7V-J7M : 10 March 2021), A Howard and Mary Cook, 08 Nov 1899; citing Caldwell, Texas, United States, county courthouses, Texas; FHL microfilm 980,084.
3. "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZXS-T83 : 29 December 2021), Arthur Noruson Howard, 1917-1918.
4. "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MH1Z-8QL : Sat Jul 22 22:42:54 UTC 2023), Entry for Mary Howard and Gertrude Howard, 1920.
5. "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCMM-4YX : Fri Jul 21 18:40:57 UTC 2023), Entry for Arthur N Howard and Troy Howard, 1920.
6. "California, County Marriages, 1850-1953", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8FB-2TT : 17 August 2022), Ralph H Mc Coy and Mary E Howard, 1921.
7. "Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV1H-Y41T : 23 February 2021), A N Howard and Caroline Willman, 06 Jul 1921; citing Marriage, citing Caldwell, Texas, United States, Texas State Library, Archives Division, and various Texas county clerks; FHL microfilm 1,703,894.
8. "California, County Marriages, 1850-1953," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8N9-4JR : 9 March 2021), James Lacy Mc Gee and Francis Gertrude Howard, 15 Sep 1922; citing Los Angeles, 9. 9. California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 2,074,281.
"United States Census, 1930", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HX7H-8T2 : Fri Aug 04 20:39:11 UTC 2023), Entry for Arthur N Howard and Carolyn N Howard, 1930.
10. "Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K61R-F5C : 23 February 2021), Troy Howard and Lillian Motheral, 12 Dec 1933; citing Marriage, citing Caldwell, Texas, United States, Texas State Library, Archives Division, and various Texas county clerks; FHL microfilm 1,704,024.
11. "California, County Marriages, 1850-1953", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8JN-9VV : 17 August 2022), George Martindale Howard and Virginia E Yates, 1934.
12. "North Carolina Deaths, 1931-1994", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FPN7-151 : 29 September 2022), Edd Howard, 1938.
13. "United States Census, 1940", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KWJ9-Z34 : Tue Jul 25 18:19:43 UTC 2023), Entry for Arthur Howard and Caroline Howard, 1940.
14. "North Carolina Deaths and Burials, 1898-1994", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HW16-1QT2 : 14 February 2020), Fannie Elizabeth Howard, 1941.
15. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K39B-Y1P : 27 March 2023), Arthur Howard, 1949.
16. "United States 1950 Census", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XGR-MJDR : Sat Jul 29 12:03:48 UTC 2023), Entry for Albert Schneider and Myrtle Schneider, 10 April 1950.
17. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3SL-H18 : 5 April 2023), Arthur N Howard, 1959.
"Families of Kimble County" 1998, Kimble County Historical Commission, South Llano Printing Company, Junction, Texas

 

About Superstitions

In the book "Krasna Amerika" (Beautiful America), several superstitions popular among the Czech people are mentioned. It seems to me that some of the superstitions are quite "international" ones, as I have heard about them before. Here are a few examples. Are you familiar with any one of them? 

1. When four people shake hands crossing them, some of their relations will get married soon.

2. To save the bees when their owner dies, one should knock on the hive and tell them that their carer has died.

3. Rain on Good Friday is a sign of a very dry year coming.

4. When two sisters get married on the same day, one of them will be unlucky.

 

5. A swallow's nest between the roof beams brings good luck to the house dwellers.

6. If a girl wants to get married next year, she should not look in any mirror on the last day of the current year.

7. Cover the mirrors (for a few days) in the house when somebody dies in it and there is a coffin too. If anybody sees the reflection of the coffin in a mirror, they will die soon.

 

8. When somebody dies in a house, a window needs to be open to let the soul go out.

 

9. Do not start new projects on Friday - it brings bad luck. Friday - bad beginning.

 

10. Spiders are supposed to bring money.

11. Washing feet in a stream on Maundy Thursday is supposed to bring good health during the entire year.

12. Sweeping around somebody's feet is supposed to bring bad luck to that person.

13. A dream about teeth loss - you will learn about somebody's death soon. 

 

Texas Czech Culture and Heritage Center, La Grange, TX

 

Bad/good omens I have learnt about in my family:

• Shaking hands over a threshold brings parting of the two persons is coming soon. So shaking hands while standing in the doorway was always avoided.
  
• Finding a spider in your home is a sign of good luck. I used to have a neighbor who would have never killed a spider, even when it was found in a bathtub. He too believed that "lucky/happy is the home where the spiders are".
  
• Regarding superstition no. 13
  When I dream about loose teeth + blood = sometime later, I learn about a passing of a relative. Loose teeth and no blood in a dream = soon I am told about a death of an acquaintance. This actually runs in our family. My mom's dreams of that kind announce the same future facts.
  

Source: 

"Krasna Amerika: A Study of the Texas Czechs, 1851-1939" by Clinton Machann, James W. Mendl, Eakin Press, Austin, Texas, 1983

Rachel Loretta Gant Barrier

Cousin Rachel found me via an ancestry research-related website. We both were "investigating" the same ancestors and family names. The lady sent me an email in which she introduced herself (it appeared Rachel was the daughter of our uncle Leffel) and asked questions regarding our family connections. I was glad to hear from Rachel indeed! Due to various, unimportant these days circumstances, the two sides of our family had lost contact decades ago.

Sometime after the email exchange, we met Rachel and her husband Ellis at their home in Gunter, TX. Our Cousin treated us to a great lunch. Then, we talked about our ancestry research and exchanged folders with various genealogy files.

Cousin Rachel showed us the family heirlooms - the furniture pieces our ancestors brought to Texas on an oxen-pulled wagon. We had a great time talking and visiting together. When we were leaving, we received a wonderful gift from Mr. Ellis. It was a Texas-shaped wall decoration created by him. It was made of wood & barbed wire.

Texas board made by Ellis

I also wrote down the recipe for chicken spaghetti* served by Cousin Rachel. The meal was delicious!

After the visit, Rachel and I kept in touch via FB. At the end of 2021, she informed us that her health had deteriorated. Sadly, following that, the lady contracted pneumonia. Rachel passed on 26 November 2021.

In the folder given to me by Rachel, among others, she included some notes regarding herself, her husband Ellis, and her siblings. I used them in the following note dedicated to our Cousins.

Rachel Loretta Gant was born on 9 November 1840 at St. Paul Hospital in Dallas, TX.

The 1950 census recorded the family members in their Dallas home on 7 April (1). The household dwellers were 46-year-old Leffel, his 50-year-old wife Ollie, and their children: 16-year-old Rodney R, 12-year-old Mary L, and 9-year-old Rachel L. Ollie's mother, 81-year-old Mary E Standley (born in Louisiana) also lived with the family.

Mrs. Ollie, Rachel's mom

 

Rachel lived with her parents Leffel and Ollie (Olivia) Standley in their home in Dallas for 17 years. Then, the family moved to 3626 Oak Grove in the same city. Rachel lived at the parents' home until she got married.
She studied at Crozier Tech High School, which she graduated from in 1959. Later, Rachel attended two-year El Centro Junior College and worked at Republic National Bank in Dallas.

23 December 1960 - First Baptist Dallas Church - 23-year-old Rachel Loretta became the wife of 27-year-old Ellis Knight Barrier, the son of Morris Weldon Barrier and Arden Knight Pool.
Rachel and Ellis had four children.

In 1977, they moved to Gunter, Wood, Texas, where Rachel worked part-time at First Baptist Church.

More about Rachel in the note on Findagrave.

Ellis Knight Barrier was born on 28 October 1936. His father, Mr. Morris Weldon, was a teacher (2). Ellis and his parents lived in Cookville, Titus, TX. By 1950, Mr. Morris W Barrier had been promoted to school superintendent and Ellis had two younger siblings Elizabeth and Franklin (3).

Ellis Knight Barrier served in the Air Force Reserves, he also studied at UTA for three and a half years.
Then, the man worked at General Motors Parts Division for thirty years. After his retirement, Ellis started his own company. He made and sold Texas barbed wire plaques. 

The card was attached to the board we were given by Ellis

 Ellis K Barrier passed on 10 September 2022, not even a year after Rachel's departure.

More about Ellis - here.

As for Rachel's siblings

Leffel Last Jr. died in infancy. He was born on 22 December 1931. The baby developed an intolerance to baby formulas at the age of 6 months. Little Leffel was admitted to Bradford's Baby Hospital on 18 June 1932, where he died due to dehydration.

Rodney Ray was born on 24 April 1933 in Dallas, TX.
The man was drafted into the Army and then was stationed in Germany. Rodney got married on 29 December 1956 in Dallas, TX.
He took aviation training and worked as a private plane instructor and pilot for many years. Rodney also worked at Rebuilders Supply Company managed by his uncle Collins Standley, was employed by the Dallas Fire Department, and then worked part-time for Central Freight Lines.
Rodney Ray lived in Plano, TX. He died on August 12, 2019.

Mary Louise was born on 12 August 1937. She left this world a few months after Rachel's passing, on 29 July 2022. Mary Louise lived 84 years.

Rachel, Rodney, and Louise

 PS

*I make the chicken spaghetti from time to time. We call the dish "Rachel's spaghetti".

Credits: the photos of Ollie Standley and Rachel with her siblings I attained during our genealogy exchange with Rachel.

Sources:

1. "United States 1950 Census", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XGG-K8B8 : Tue Jul 11 10:02:09 UTC 2023), Entry for Leffel Gant and Ollie O Gant, 7 April 1950.
2. "United States Census, 1940", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K435-H3Y : Thu Jul 13 06:33:34 UTC 2023), Entry for Morris W Barrier and Arden Barrier, 1940.
"United States 1950 Census", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XG1-J91J : Thu Jul 27 09:38:37 UTC 2023), Entry for Morris Barrier and Arden Barrier, 1 April 1950.

On the Road Again

 2022

Previous bike model from the family collection*

2023

Current one

 * no, it's not ours

A Christmas (Related) Story

My auntie had a Nativity set. 

During non-Christmas time, she kept it on the top of the wall unit in their living room. Once, in the summertime, I visited her (I think I was about 5 then). The aunt told me not to touch the Nativity set figurines. Being made of holy communion-type wafers, they were fragile. 

I was too little to see what exactly was up there on the furniture. The aunt's remark made me curious, though. When nobody else was in the room, I took a chair, climbed up, and aahhhh! There they were! Jesus looked so good to me! So good that I ate him. The figurine was a bit dusty, but tasted really good! Baby Jesus was the smallest of them all so I thought little damage was done. 

When my aunt found out that Jesus had disappeared from the crib, she knew it was me. Well, the lady was very displeased, to say the least. My thought then was - auntie should not have told me about the wafer figures. Did I feel guilty? Not really. However, I was ashamed I ate Jesus. 

Dear Aunt, God bless your soul.

Photo: from Nativity display at Holy Ghost Lutheran Church

 

About Certain Coupon

Not long ago, I posted an entry in "My Polish Alphabet" related to the letter "S," which was about my Stepfather.
I reminded myself of a little story from the 80s.

Then, Stepfather P. got a special coupon for a color TV set. Since mom and he had already got such a TV set, P. decided the new one would be for me.

FYK - in the 80s, shopping (especially buying appliances) in Poland was not such an easy and obvious thing to do as it is nowadays. Few of those items were available in stores daily, and you were never sure when the next delivery would be. Ordering such an article in advance in a store was not possible.

Nevertheless, the coupon was valid on one Saturday only in a particular store, which was in a nearby city. Since P's name was on the coupon, he and I went to get the TV together. At the spot, it appeared there were more people like us, willing to buy that TV set model with a coupon. We (literally) stood in a line for four hours. Sitting and waiting in the car was not an option there.

Finally, we got the TV set, packed it in the car, brought it home, and placed it in my room. The TV worked for 20+ years.

Stepfather P. - the 80s

Post Reply - First Communion

This post is a reply to Amanda's blog entries regarding the First Communion Days of her Uncle. Amanda is a family genealogy blogger. The lady's post about Father reminded me of the day of my First Communion. I was curious whether the gift traditions related to the sacrament day celebrations were the same in the US as they were in Poland. That is why I asked Amanda about that.

Inspired by Amanda, I looked at the old photos thinking about the past.

It started raining during the church ceremony on my First Communion Day. It was June and still not very warm. After the morning church celebrations, my godmother (and my aunt) took me home in her car. She simply did not want me to get wet. It caused a bit of confusion as my mom did not know about that and kept looking for me in front of the church. It all ended well though, as we found each other at our home. The aunt and her family had come from another city to our place a day before.

Why I asked Amanda about the gifts. Besides the items related to the religious ceremony which were provided by parents before the day (prayer book, rosary, the candle, candle collar, and decorative cloth/wrap), there was one big (then) thing awaited by every child. The first-ever wristwatch. I got mine from the godmother. Another traditional present was a sterling silver holy medal on a chain. Mom bought me a lovely heart-shaped medal with a picture of Holy Mary on it. Unfortunately, looking at the old photographs, I realized I have no idea what had happened to the medal and how it got lost.

As for the watches - usually they were presented to the children on the Communion morning or earlier, before the church. The result of that was that many kids were more focused on showing their watch to their peers than thinking about the ceremony. That is why my mom did not let me wear mine to the church. I think she was right.

In the afternoon, we came back to the church again for the kids' group photo with our priest and the bishop, and to collect our First Communion certificates. The latter was quite unusual as it was a wooden picture made ready to be hung on the wall. There were so many children who received the First Communion on the day that we had photos taken in two groups - girls only and then, boys only. I counted the girls in the photo I have - there were 39 girls including me.

Another tradition was that, on a day after the First Communion, parents took their kids to a photographer for a photo session. Of course, it was not mandatory and more personal as it was not a group event. However, it was one more gift provided by parents. Filming on the big day was very rare at that time as hardly anybody owned such equipment.

PS

I forgot to write about the myrtle wreath (you can see it in the photos). It was another traditional part of the girl's First Communion look in those days. The wreath was made by my mom who had bought a pot of myrtle plant and grown it for some time. By the church sacrament day, the plant was big enough to make a wreath out of it. The little white flowers were daisies. Mom added them to make it all look less plain-green.

My Texas Alphabet: A for Alamo

Another "A" entry in the second edition of "My Texas Alphabet" is for "Alamo".

The Alphabet is quite a particular and personal summary of our hitherto life and my blogging time in Texas.

 ☆

When I lived in Poland, I watched movies telling about the Alamo defense - the old one from 1960, and a newer version made in 2004. By the way, in the latter one, I very much liked the part with Davy Crockett playing his fiddle.

Later, when in Texas, we visited the Alamo site. Some time afterward, I wrote a few articles related to our visit, the place itself, and Texas history as well. One of the articles tells about our second cousin five times removed, William Washington Gant, whose rifle and coat fought at the Alamo. How was it possible that the items got there without their owner? Well, you can check out one of the links included below and read the story. Anyway, the cousin of ours was also one of the signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence.

Here are the articles on this blog mentioned above + some more related to the Alamo.

• About our visit to San Antonio and the Alamo: http://ourfavtreats.blogspot.com/2015/08/san-antonio-and-alamo.html
• About our cousin William Washington Gant: William Washington Gant and The Texas Declaration of Independence
• About W B Travis and D S Crockett: http://ourfavtreats.blogspot.com/2018/03/william-barret-travis-and-david-stern.html
• A bit about Texas history (in Polish): http://ourfavtreats.blogspot.com/2016/04/teksas-troche-historii-w-piguce.html

Remember the Alamo!

 

Conrad Meckel and Henriette Luckenbach

I do not know who Conrad's parents were or when he came to Texas. I do not know what the original spelling of his surname was either. Was It Moeckel/Möckel?

In the 1860 Census records (1), there is another man of the same name, born in Nassau in 1827 who lived in Gallon Polk Township, Crawford, Ohio with Catherine Meckel who was 62 and was born in Nassau as well. That Ohio Conrad was a stone cutter. I guess Catherine was probably his mother.

The Crawford man was naturalized in 1859 (2).

Were he (the stone cutter) and his mother related to our Texas Conrad's family? Very likely considering that Conrad Meckel who lived in Fredericksburg was also born in Nassau (11 Nov. 1826) according to the 1860 Census data.

German Birth and Baptism records inform that Conrad Franz Peter Möckel was born on 24 Nov. 1827. The baby was christened on 9 Dec. 1827 in the Evangelic Church in Stuttgart, Neckar, Wuerttemberg. Conrad Franz Peter's parents were Conrad Möckel and Charlotte Katharine Wild (3). The baby could be the man who later lived with his mother Catherine and was recorded in Polk Township, Crawford, Ohio.

It all seems quite possible - I checked on the map of Germany that Nassau is situated not far from Stuttgart. However, the place of birth given in the census records could be not the city of Nassau itself but the Duchy of Nassau - an independent state then. It means the people mentioned above were born in a town or village in the Nassau area. I have checked (on the map) the distance between the two cities Nassau and Stuttagrd - it is only about 270km (3 hours drive by car).

Source: Google maps

Anyway, I assume the original spelling of the surname Möckel was changed in America into Meckel.
Conrad Meckel who lived in Fredericksburg was a wheelwright. Possibly his first name was Heinrich and Conrad was the man's middle name. He ran a store in the town, he was also a cattle trader.

On 6 June 1853, Conrad married a three year younger Miss Henriette Luckenbach.

Record source: "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VXGC-2D6 : 22 December 2016), Conrad Meckel and Henrietta Luckenbach, 12 Jun 1853; citing Gillespie, Texas, United States, county courthouses, Texas; FHL microfilm 982,801.

Seven years later, the couple lived with their children August and Emilie in Precinct 2, Gillespie County, TX. Conrad's brother Henry was recorded at their dwelling during the 1860 Census (4).

On an October day in 1866, Conrad and his two brothers Bernhard and Heinrich (Henry) left Fredericksburg with their cattle. They headed towards Mr. Meckel's ranch which was situated at Willow Creek. After about twelve miles the brothers parted. Bernhard took some cattle and went to Squaw Creek. Conrad and Heinrich reached the Meckel's ranch and returned to Fredericksburg. On their to the town, on the third day of their trip between Loyal Valley and Cherry Spring, the two men stopped for a rest. At that spot, they were attacked by Indians and killed. Conrad was shot in the head and knee. The bodies of the brothers were later found by Ludolph Meier. Their clothes, guns, and horses had been stolen. Conrad and Heinrich were buried at the Fredericksburg Cemetery.
Sometime after the fatal incident, the Indians were seen with the horse which had been owned by Conrad Meckel (5).

Henriette Luckenbach Meckel lived seven years longer. She passed on 17 Sept. 1917.

We are related to Mr. Conrad Meckel via Louis Carl Luckenbach. He was Louis' uncle by marriage.

Conrad Meckel
⇒ his wife Henriette (Luckenbach) Meckel
⇒ her brother Friedrich Wilhelm Luckenbach
⇒ his son Louis Carl Luckenbach
⇒ his wife Jeannie Katherine Hart
⇒ her sister Elizabeth (Hart) Angel
⇒ her husband Rufus Monroe Angel - our 3rd cousin once removed
⇒ his father James Monroe Angel
⇒ his mother Elizabeth Sarah (Gant) Angel
⇒ her father Benjamin Thomas Gant
⇒ his brother Jacob Rippy Gant - our great-great-grandfather

Passengers lists (6)

recorded the immigrants who came on various vessels from Germany to Texas. Among them, there were quite a few persons by the name Meckel from the village of Bicken in Nassau Germany. Some of them settled in Comal County, TX. Maybe relatives of Conrad Meckel of Fredericksburg?

John George Meckel, age 41, arrived on Herschel in 1845, with wife Catherine nee Graaf, age 29, Catherine age 23, Anna Elisabeth age 21, Phillip D age 11, and Catherine age 9. They settled in Comal County.

John Phillip Meckel (32) arrived on Herschel in 1845 with wife Catherine (30) and children Wilhelm Friedrich (7), Pauline (5) and Friedrich (3). John passed on 4 August 1848, his wife on 4 March 1846.

Catherina Elisa Meckel came to Texas on Herschel in 1845. Her place of origin and destination was not recorded.

Phillip Heinrich Meckel settled in Comal County as well. He came to Texas on Hersce4l 1845 as well. Phillip was 25 then.

Wilhelm Meckel of Braunschweig sailed on Brig Semiramus. He left Bremen on 18 August 1845 and arrived in Galveston on 22 Oct. 1845.

UPDATE

I have been contacted by Mr. H. Meckel (a relation of Konrad Meckel ) of Germany who provided me with detailed information regarding Konrad, his siblings and ancestors. I am delighted to share the news with you.

1. The surname is and was Meckel - no changes of spelling occured during/after Konrad's immigration to Texas.

2. Konrad was born in Geisenheim - province of Nassau. He was born on 11 Nov. 1826 as the grave marker says (you can see it in one of the photos included in the text). I did not mention it in the above text though as I thought the marker would speak for itself. I did, however, deliberate on a possible Konrad's relation's (and his date of birth) who emigrated to different part of America. It all could cause a confusion regarding Konrad's passing day.

3. Konrad's parents were Conrad Meckel (b. 1773) and Gertrude Mebreuerinn
 
His siblings:
Elisabeth (b. 1811), Adam Meckel (b. 1818), Konrad Meckel (1818 - 1819), Georg Meckel (b.1820). Elisabeth Meckel (b.1822/d. 1905), Susanne Meckel (b. 1825), Bernhard Meckel (b.1829/d. 1903)

Thank you Mr. H. Meckel!

Sources:
1. "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCLJ-3SH: 13 December 2017), Conrad Meckel, 1860.

2. "Ohio, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1977", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGDZ-TG2Q : 3 June 2019), Conrad or Konrad Mackel or Meckel, 1859.

3. "Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NH1S-94L : 10 February 2018), Conrad Franz Peter Möckel, 09 Dec 1827; citing ; FHL microfilm 1,055,682.

4. "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXFX-GB4: 12 December 2017), Conrad Meckel, 1860. 

5. "Fredericksburg, Texas ... The First Fifty Years. A Translation of Penniger's 50th Anniversary Festival Edition", Fredericksburg Publishing Co., Inc., 1971, page 75. 

6. A New Land Beckoned: German Immigration to Texas, 1844-1847
By Chester Geue, Chester William Geue, Ethel Hander Geue, 1966