Lately I've been into doing some research to see how much I can find out about my ancestors. I've been on ancestry.com using my free trial to see how much is out there. I've run across a few interesting things--some I had already found just using a Google search--and some things I have not seen or known. My brother Mike originally found our great-great grandparents, shown above. It appears that Mary is in a wheelchair. She looks like she could just pull a corncob pipe out of her pocket and start puffing away. Both of them look severely malnourished. I can't imagine how hard their lives must've been.William R. PREWITT was born on 2 March 1847 in Orange Co., Indiana. He was married on 11 October 1866 to Mary HAMMOND who was born in 1843. He died in September 1928.
Mary Hammond was the daughter of Elijah Hammond and Nancy Crook
William R. PREWITT and Mary HAMMOND had the following children:
John Thomas PRUITT
Nancy E. PRUITT
Davis PRUITT
Amanda Caroline PRUITT
Alice PRUITT (Granny Apple)
Elijah William PRUITT
Charles Edward PRUITT
Levi PRUITT
John Thomas PRUITT
Nancy E. PRUITT
Davis PRUITT
Amanda Caroline PRUITT
Alice PRUITT (Granny Apple)
Elijah William PRUITT
Charles Edward PRUITT
Levi PRUITT
Notice how the spelling of the name PREWITT became PRUITT. Our great-grandmother was their daughter. Her name was Alice and she married Eli Jackson Apple; hence she eventually became "Granny Apple".
Granny Apple lived in Newton Stewart, Indiana--just a few houses down from her daughter and son-in-law (my Grandma and Grandpa Riley; Mary Dana and John Riley). Granny Apple's house was a little one-room home. As you walked into her house, her bed was on the left just to the side of the front door. To the back was her kitchen and I think her little dining table was on the right wall. Granny always had a candy dish full of lemon drops. And her favorite great-grandchild was my brother Mark. That was because Mark had a loud mouth, and Granny could hear him even through her deafness.
Granny died whe n we were little kids, but I can still remember her very well. The first time I ever saw my father cry was at Granny's funeral. She lived to a ripe old age, and even made my dad a quilt when she was 92.
Depicted in the photo is my dear Grandma Riley, Granny Apple's daughter. I can't recall ever knowing a sweeter woman than Grandma Riley. She was quite a quilter too. And when my Uncle Doyle was near death in early November 08, first he said my dad was in his room. Later he said his mom was sitting in a chair in his room. I imagine both of them showed up to take Uncle Doyle home.
A few weeks ago my cousin showed me the photo below. I immediately knew who the lady on the left was because she's the spitting image of my Grandma Cissell. I knew this had to be her mother--my great-grandma Kidwell. She died when my grandma was 12 years old, leaving behind several children including one-year old Rosemary. Granny Cissell often told the story of how Rosemary took her first steps around her mother's coffin.
Knowing my grandma was born in 1898, and she was 12 when Frances Anna died, I figured this photo had to have been taken sometime before 1910. I imagine the children left behind didn't have a pleasant life. My great-grandfather Basil Kidwell was a mean old coot, from what I've heard. He ended up living with 
my grandparents and their children, and didn't treat any of them very well.
A few weeks ago my cousin showed me the photo below. I immediately knew who the lady on the left was because she's the spitting image of my Grandma Cissell. I knew this had to be her mother--my great-grandma Kidwell. She died when my grandma was 12 years old, leaving behind several children including one-year old Rosemary. Granny Cissell often told the story of how Rosemary took her first steps around her mother's coffin.
Knowing my grandma was born in 1898, and she was 12 when Frances Anna died, I figured this photo had to have been taken sometime before 1910. I imagine the children left behind didn't have a pleasant life. My great-grandfather Basil Kidwell was a mean old coot, from what I've heard. He ended up living with 
my grandparents and their children, and didn't treat any of them very well.Granny C. is shown enjoying a glass of wine, but her drink of choice was a highball every night--and probably more than one. The embedded photo is Granny as a young girl. Granny outlived all of her siblings. She was 92 when she died. Granny C. was as feisty as Grandma Riley was sweet. I hope when I get (if I get) to be an old lady, I'll have Grandma Riley's sweetness mixed with Granny C's feistiness.
Both of these wonderful ladies helped to shape me. I have Grandma Riley's penchant for quilting and putting housework dead last on my list of things I like to do. And I got my cooking and baking abilities from Granny C. I make my pies from scratch, just like she did.
I sure do miss these old gals, but I imagine right about this time Grandma Riley is using golden threads to piece a gossamer quilt. And Granny C. is having her nightly highball as usual.
3 comments:
Hi to all!
Cissy, Interesting reading. Love the way you put things together in all of your posts. I see where you had some Kidwell in your family. My Father had a friend from the Valley named John K. Any relation? I'm still surprised that I did not know that the house across from Ode held 4 kids... and right on the creek that I used to spend alot of time in and around. Mostly upstream a little, though. A good swimming hole was down stream from you. On Smith Valley road and the school now sits in front of it. My Dad's family used the creek bank to picnic on and the creek to cool off in. Had a 'deep' hole right there in the bend of the creek as it made it's way west toward the river. Back then, you could drive right up to the creek's edge. There were no fences and when the creek flooded, it left behind quite a bit of gravel and sand that could be driven on. Later on, Dad and I used to trap and net chub minnows at that spot. Made great catfish and bass bait.
I knew Penny and Robin as little sisters of Rick - who was a good friend. Robin was the little sister and Penny protected her. Tough as nails, but, both cute, as well. Who was 'Beetle' and where did she live? Looks a little older. The Perry's had some cousins that visited often. Did you know any of them?
Interesting that the bridge area became a 'rough' place later on. Although, we did not consider ourselves 'innocents' back then - we really were. Not been back in years -need to drive down there one day and see the 'Valley' again.
If I am not mistaken - Honey Creek joined up with Olive Branch (behind the Community Center) and as the combined waters flowed further west - some did call it Sugar Creek. Do you remember the old one lane iron bridge on Smith Valley road - like the one next to your house? I think it was one of the first iron bridges replaced on a County Road. Back then, that was a big deal for those folks that used 37. It certainly made Smith Valley road more popular, but, it changed the old swimming hole. The price of progress. What a price we've paid.....
Beetle and family lived in the "house" next to and south of Dick and Georgia's. It was a horrible place and had been empty for years before they moved in...and after they left no one ever moved into it. Maybe they were squatters--who knows. They were related to Alice and Ralph Ratliff, who lived on Smith Valley Road not too far from Beck Baxter--just around the corner from us. Alice and Ralph were characters too. They had an old pickup and the passenger door where Alice sat was tied closed with old hemp rope. One day they were arguing as usual and Ralph pushed Alice out of the truck while it was moving and broke her arm!
They had a son around my brothers' ages named Billy. We called him Billy Wamp-Wamp and he practically lived with us. We loved Billy, but that family...makes me shudder to think of them.
Glad you enjoy the stories. I'm trying to keep from jumbling everything up because my brain is jumbled up too. That's why I have a list of stories to write and I check 'em off as I finish one.
And I know it sounds funny, but to this day if I smell a highball I think of Granny.
What I remember most about Grandma Riley was how soft her arms were. She was "cushiony" where Granny was lean.
Think those highballs might have kept her lean? I might have to try out that diet. On second thought, maybe not, I hate whiskey.
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