Ancestors of Kenneth Dellinger: Germans; Scots; Irish; English; Welsh.
Below, DELLINGER, goes to 1650 immigrants from Germany.
Next, ANDERSON and JONES - back to Scotland and Robert Bruce.
BARCHUS is Irish and BACON is English: on the Oregon Trail in 1864.
SHERRILL: could be English, Irish or Scot. On the Oregon Trail in 1852.
EVANS: on the Oregon Trail in 1852. These Evans are from Wales.
Follow KENNETH DELLINGER's link for new bio and new pictures.
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Who Was in
the Wagon Train from Wapello County in 1852?
Richard Evans, age 54, Farmer
Nancy (Toone) Evans, Wife; age 52
Edward Evans, Son; age 22, single, Farmer
Mary Ann
(Evans) Sherrill, Daughter; age 19
James Sherrill, Son-in-Law; age 22, Farmer
Mary Jane Holloway, Granddaughter; age 1
Mary Ann Kyniston, Cousin; age 7
William L.
Holloway, Son-in-Law. age 25, m. Eliza Jane Evans
Eliza Jane (Evans) Holloway, Daughter; died by Sept. 1952
Jacob
Thompson, friend; age 33, Farmer
Rhoda (Evans) Thompson, Cousin; age 28, m. J. Thompson
James Thompson, age 7
Amelia Caroline Evans, age 16, m. James Parker in Oregon
James Parker, m. Amelia, settled in Marion County, Oregon
William P.
Leach, in-Law; age 32, Farmer
Polly Ann (Martin) Leach, in-Law; age 31, m. William Leach
Rachael Leach, age 7
James Leach, age 5
David Leach, age 1
Thomas J.
Martin, in-Law; age 27, brother of Polly Leach
Selena (Plough) Martin, age 26, m. Thomas Martin
John Martin, age 13
Mary J Martin, age 8
Henry
Williams, age 54, Farmer
Mary E. (Buchanan) Williams, age 50, m. Henry Williams
Mary Williams, age 22, daughter of Henry & Mary Williams
Smith Williams, age 25, Farmer, son of Henry & Mary Williams
Arrenia Louise (Jones) Williams, age 22, m. Smith Williams
Mary E Williams, newborn
So yesterday we showed you a few of the descendants of Richard Evans, Oregon Trail Pioneer. We have been looking at his life once he arrived in Oregon, and showed you the line from his son Edward who came with him on the Oregon Trail, and farmed next door to him.
Today I want to show you some of the descendants of Sarah Bacon Barchus Daniels, Oregon Trail Pioneer. If you click on "descendants of Sarah" above, you will go to WikiTree and see her descendants down to the sixth generation! I tried to post it here, but the format will not work with eblogger.
Below, is a family tree for a descendant of Sarah Bacon. His name was Jerry Barchus, a great-grandson of Constant Barchus, and he lived on the oldest Donation Land Claim Farm in Oregon.
Remember to click once on the image to see the larger version!
Here is a tree I've created in the past week I wonder how many of these descendants of Richard Evans know that he crossed the Great Plains in 1852, on the Oregon Trail.
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| The four names on the right side of the image are Oregon Trail Pioneers. CLICK ONCE ON THE IMAGE TO SEE LARGER VERSION |
from 1850 in Wapello county, back in Iowa?"
"Yes, I wanted my own copy of the questions, and my answers, also my son David's next door. Did you want to see it, James?"
"Yes, I've wondered if our farms will do as well here as in Iowa."
"You can be sure that, outside of the weather, it is the farmer, and not the farm, that makes the difference. My first farm was in Lawrence County, Indiana. The weather in the winter was harsh but the farm produced our necessities and more."
"I met you and your family in Iowa, and I know it was tough for many people there, but your farm was prospering."
"Yes, because I had experience in farming, and because I showed up there early on, in 1846, and claimed 160 acres under the ScripWarrent Act of 1847. The Scrip we got from the government for soldering basically paid for our farm. Here, I'll show you how we did by 1850, when they took the farming census." **
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| US Federal Census 1850, Wapello County, Iowa, Farm Schedule, a snippet from Ancestry.com CLICK ONCE TO ENLARGE IMAGE |
"It says you had eleven working oxen, and your son David had none. I guess he borrowed your oxen teams." "Yes, it was easier that way, to have one person training them. Here is a small booklet I've been saving for you on how to train oxen. You know I can't read, but I picked it up at the fair when I thought you could use it. We all traveled together and used my trained teams, but you will want to have your own oxen that you trained yourself." "You are right about that, and thank you. I'll read this *booklet."
"You had 200 acres there, but only half in production." "Yes, every acre we farmed had to be reclaimed from raw land, and as you've seen here, it is just plain hard work." "Richard, if I can learn as much as you already know about farming, and apply it like you have done, my family will prosper."
** Here is a summary of Richard's farm production in 1850:
100 acres under production; 100 acres unimproved; 2 horses; 2 milk cows; 11 working oxen; 13 other cattle; 22 sheep; 100 swine; 220 bushels of wheat; 3,000 bushels of Indian Corn; 200 bushels of oats;
*If you want to see what Richard learned from the booklet, click here for a pdf on training oxen. It is more fascinating than you might think.
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| The usual reminder: click once to see larger version of image. |
"I don't see how you can make anything with these rates. You pay a tax -"
"Yes, I paid a tax of $5 - five dollars! tax last year James. They charge me a dollar for the license and other fees that add up to $2.85. But travelers would lose a day going around by the nearest bridge, so we have a lot of passengers, and it adds up to good business."
"Even if we all have to work at a side business, I have hope that we will prosper in this valley."
"Amen to that, James."
suddenly it is December, and soon it will be Christmas."
"I didn't know if you would feel like celebrating, Mary Ann. You're only just back on your feet."
"All the more reason to have the true celebration -- hospitality for the Christ child, by welcoming our poorer neighbors here for a feast. It is true worship, giving with joy to the poor, in remembrance of the Wise Men and their gifts for our Lord. We'll have songs to celebrate the Peace Jesus brings us, and remember the angels who appeared to the shepherds, saying Peace on Earth."
"How can we do all that, with only our cabin and our few belongings, my sweet wife?"
"I have a plan."
"You always have a plan, Mary Ann, and the surprising thing is - it usually works."
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| Star of Bethlehem to hang over the fireplace made by Cousin Mary (7 years old) |
"That is because I like to keep it simple. We can make cards that say Merry Christmas for our friends and neighbors. I have some colored paper and tissue paper at the bottom of my trunk, and scissors and some glue. We can string holly and make fir wreaths and decorate them with red ribbon from my sewing basket. I will make decorated candles for gifts, to represent the Light of our World, our Jesus."
"Once everyone arrives, what will we do to make it festive?"
"You will read the Christmas Story out of our new Testament, James."
"I will do that, and Mary Ann, we will all sing songs of Christmas. I want to sing the Carol of the Bells tonight, and practice the harmonies." (Turn your speakers up for this song by Southern Raised Gospel.)
NOTE: Carol of the Bells, uses the original melody from "Shchedryk," written by the Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych in 1914, lyrics added in 1919, performed in English in 1922. This is an anachronism - something that doesn't fit into the time where I have placed it - BUT it is here on purpose, in honor of Ukraine, in the struggle for their freedom and autonomy. from Wikipedia.
come help her when her baby was due, so as soon as there was a sign the baby would come soon, Edward went to get Polly Ann. Like a good neighbor, and a cousin too, Polly Ann came quickly and did all she could. But. Mary Ann's labor lasted for two days, and there was no doctor in reach. The baby, a beautiful little girl, was finally born. Mary Ann held her, but she was too weak too nurse. They named her Ann Elizabeth Sherrill. She was too weak to live. Mary Ann wept over her baby as the breath left her tiny body.
to this land, Mary Ann."
"We have already put forth our total commitment, just to get here. We won't turn back or slacken. Here, just look at this map and the description of our farm. We will build a place to pass on to our children James."
in her dutch oven, sitting on the hearth on its three legs. The coals under it, and the coals heaped on the lid and covered with ash, keep an even temperature for the pie to bake. She was up before the sun, kneading loaves of her sourdough bread. It was the same sourdough starter her mother had used in Indiana, and later in Iowa, and now brought with them to Oregon. The loaves sat on the hearth bricks at just the right distance from the flame. While the bread and the pie baked, Mary Ann churned the cream that rose to the top of the pail of milk that James delivered to the house after milking the cow. She shook her head, silently still amazed that the old churn, attached with ropes to the side of their wagon, had survived the trip intact.
While she accomplished her household chores, she thought about the book, Pilgrim's Progress, that James purchased in Corvallis. Her father often mentioned Paul Bunyan, the author, as a good man to imitate, because he kept his faith through prison and persecution.
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| John Bunyan dreaming of Pilgrim's Progress, Encyclopædia Britannica, Access Date: October 21, 2022. Original a 17th-century illustration. |
that you bought a whole bushel of apples. Who would have thought that we'd have so many apples in Oregon?"
"Mary Ann, I think you will enjoy the story behind these apples. Just five years ago, a man named Henderson Luelling left Iowa on the Oregon Trail with a wagon full of dirt and charcoal, and all the fruit trees he could fit into it. His neighbors thought he was crazy, and told him they'd never make it. But he was an orchardist, and he wanted to bring his business with him. He also brought his wife and eight children. Half the trees died, but he started a nursery with the rest."
"When I think of going over the same trail we just traveled, with a heavy wagon of growing trees, I can hardly imagine how they brought them through. Just look at the varieties of apples in this bushel - there must be at least four different kinds."
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| From U of Minnesota extension |
"I only brought home the most common apples - I counted over twenty varieties. The Luelling family planted plums, grapes, pears, apples, cherries, peaches and more. The nursery sold strawberry sets, rhubarb eyes, nut tree saplings for walnuts and filberts, and Mary Ann - there were half a dozen kinds of pears for sale."
"James, do you think we could plant some fruit trees of our own in the spring?"
"With 320 acres, I think we can spare a few for an orchard. We'll have to learn how to take care of fruit trees if we want them to survive and thrive. We have all winter to figure out which trees would be best, and how to care for them."
"I'll help pick the apples, Uncle James."
"Thank you Cousin Mary, but you'll have to be patient. The trees don't bear fruit for several years while they are growing. We won't wait for the apples, we'll get a few strawberry plants and those will be ready the year after we plant them."
"Yes, I'd like that." "Then I want to hear you read it, please James."
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| Sonnets From the Portuguese, Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Boston:Ticknor and Company, 1886. Illustrations by Ludvig Sandöe Ipsen. Click once on the image to see larger print. |
"James, do you think it is wrong to love a person so completely? Should such love be reserved for God alone?"
After a pause, James replied, "I think that the better we can love others, the better we can love God, for He commands it Himself - for us to love our neighbors as ourselves, and that it is next to loving God."
Mary Ann snatched off her work apron and rushed to the door, "How wonderful for you to be back so soon, but how did you get here already?"
"The river was running high, less danger of snags, so the steam boat company ran an extra trip."
"Where is all that you brought back with you, James?"
"Richard and Edward are bringing the bulk of it up from the landing for me just now. I brought the small packages. We needed a couple good books for the long winter evenings. I found a bargain on a used copy of "Pilgrim''s Progress", for everyone to enjoy. Here, Mary Ann, is a Testament and Psalms like the one lost on Laurel Hill. I bought a book for myself, since I like poetry, there was a slightly used copy of "Sonnets from the Portuguese" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning that we can share. It has the poem you like to quote, "How do I love Thee, let me count the ways."
"Thank you James, you knew exactly what I wanted without my saying a word."
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| Christian begins his journey with a great burden on his back, page 2. Photograph by Leo Dauenhauer. From Pilgrim's Progress by Paul Bunyan. Design by the three brothers Rhead - all out of copyright. Click once on the image to see a larger version. |
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| Click once on image to enlarge view |
Link to Constant Barchus
at WikiTree, where you can see the complete profiles of his
descendants. (Please be Patient - it is a work in progress - not all the youngest generations have
profiles yet.)
of why James went to Corvallis on the paddle wheel boat. Why didn't he just order the things we need with one of the shipping agents for a steamer, and they would get them and drop them at our landing?"
"I told James you wouldn't be fooled for long!"
"So what is going on, brother dear?"
"I promised not to tell -- it 's a surprise and you'll like it is all I can say."
"I've had plenty of surprises so far in my life, and I didn't like too many of them."
"I have to go feed the cattle and horses, Mary Ann, can't stop for guessing games," Edward paused to grab his coat and cap on the way out the door, "but I'll say this - you'll never guess."
"If I can't guess then I'll get so busy that I don't think about it", Mary Ann muttered to herself. "Cousin Mary, do you know your alphabet?"
"I was starting to learn it, Aunt Mary, but then our house burned, and we moved and moved again and again, and nobody has had time to teach me. I do want to be able to read."
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| National Museum of American History - 1848 Alphabet Sampler see end of article for complete credits |
"Then this winter will be just right for you to begin to learn. For starters, I will show you how I learned my alphabet. I sewed the letters in samplers, so I never would forget them."
"I like the sampler you have hanging above the bed, Aunt Mary."
"Then we will start making one like it. I sewed that four years ago, with the help of our local school teacher -- she excelled at embroidery, and had beautiful writing."
Complete Credits for image of sampler, above: Sampler by M. A. Hofman in 1848, a
Gift of the children of John Lacey and Persis Anne Phillips: Katherine
H. Brighoff, Sarah J.Yarborough, George Ross Phillips, and John L.
Phillip. (Copyright under Fair Use per Smithsonian Museum Rules.)
on the way from Eugene to Corvallis, and they don't make the return run for a week."
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| Theodore Wygant |
"James, what do we need from Corvallis and why not take the wagon?"
"You forget the frozen roads, Mary Ann - the horses would break their legs. As for what I need to get, it is for the animals. We haven't had time to get a crop of corn, and they'll need corn for silage, and oats and apples and carrots, especially the corn and oats to help them keep warm in this unusual freezing weather. They need more salt in this weather too, so I'll have some crates to ship back with me. Fortunate that the competition that sprang up among the river boats has lowered the fares and freight costs."
"I'll miss you James," came back a little voice he rarely heard from his brave wife.
"Your brother is going to come over and sleep in the loft and take care of the animals while I'm gone, and Richard will watch after Edward's animals - they are right next door to him."
"I'll still miss you," but he heard a stronger voice from his wife, so he nodded and went on with his plans.
Kuchel & Dresel print Corvallis, 1858,Public Domain, from
Harriet Moore Collection at Benton County Historical Society Collection
A steam-engine driven stern wheeler like the 'Relief' is in the foreground.
[Imagine! This photo was taken within six years of our pioneers arrival in the Willamette Valley.]
Mary Ann. You and cousin Mary worked all day gathering the chips from the boards we took out of those cedar logs."
"Yes, and the wood is the kind that makes colorful flames, too."
"I'm going to need to fill that woodshed out back with firewood - it is shaping up to be a long, cold winter, and the ground is already frozen hard."
"I thought people said we could have a nice long mild autumn here in Oregon."
"I guess nobody has seen this kind of freeze, so early here, in living memory."
"But James, if the ground is frozen, how will the stock get to the grass? If they can't get to the grass, then what will we feed them?"
"That is what everyone is asking themselves, little wife. Jacob Thompson just stopped by to tell me that some of the settlers are feeding their cattle the moss on the trees. I'm told that as soon as the tree is chopped down, the cattle and even the horses rush for the moss."
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| Public Domain - from the U S Forest Service in the Willamette National Forest |
* Source for the story of moss feeding the cattle:
The Oregon Statesman, Salem, Oregon, Tuesday Morning,
September 3, 1929, "Bits for Breakfast", by R. J. Hendricks, story recounted by Col. William Thompson.
and we took the Barlow Cutoff."
"That's not such a bad dream Mary Ann, it was the best road we had on the whole journey."
"Yes, but in my dream we had no money to pay the tolls and at each gate they treated us worse and worse until at the last gate, they said they would put us in jail for robbing the tolls."
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| Painting by William Henry Jackson, owned by the National Park Service - public domain. |
"Is that how your dream ended, Mary Ann - with us all in jail?"
"No, because a stranger came and paid all our tolls for us. What do you think it means, James?"
"I think your soul is reminding you that there is a price to pay on our journey through life, and that no one can afford to pay that price, but we have a Savior who pays it for us."
"I see the parallel James, and it is a beautiful interpretation."
"You had a 'true dream', Mary Ann. Do you remember there were people who refused the offers to pay their tolls, because they had their pride, they said, and had to do it themselves."
"Yes, and I could not understand -- none of us could get over the Oregon Trail all by ourselves -- we all had to help each other, and accept help when we needed it."
that I have. When I went through mother's trunk last week, I found a quilt that I recognized. It was one that my sister Eliza Jane made. Her baby already has a fine quilt Eliza made, and I want to give this quilt to cousin Mary."
"What are your reasons, little wife?"
"Mary will need more blankets this winter, but also I want her to have something special from the family. Nobody saved any of the quilts her mother made - I suppose they couldn't be salvaged. What do you think, James?"
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| Original Handmade quilt, owner Susan Rickett, picture by Leo Dauenhauer, all rights reserved. |
"I like your thinking, Mary Ann, and most of all I love your heart and the way it thinks."
Mary Ann's smile was of the ear-to-ear variety by now. "Let's tell her when she comes in -"
"I know you're eager, but let's put it on her bed and tell her about it when it is her bedtime."
"Yes! That's it. I'll get it out right now."
Fast forward to when Richard Evans' son Edward is married. His bride is none other than Mary Ann Kyniston, when she was fifteen and half years old. They had three sons and three daughters, and farmed the Donation Land claim that Edward owned next to his father Richard Evans. The first four of Richards grandchildren were welcomed by him in person. He died in November of 1872, and split his estate between his two remaining children -- Edward Evans and Mary Ann (Evans) Sherrill.
So follow the links to see how our pioneers fared. They do not know what their future holds -- but we do, if we care to take a look.
Let's follow one of Richard's lines down in time --
Edward Evans and Mary Ann Kyniston had six children, and their youngest, Clarence Evans, came to own and manage the ancestral farm. Here is an excerpt from his biography in 1964:
"Clarence Evans, (his middle name Richard after his grandfather Richard Evans, who established his farm next to the farm that Clarence was born on). Clarence spent his life as a farmer, like his father, his grandfather, and many other generations before him. He raised purebred Holstein cattle, and he was a member of the National Grange and a member of the Holstein Cattle Association of Oregon. When the WWI draft registration board interviewed him, they noted that he was short, of medium build, with brown hair and brown eyes.
Clarence Evans was a life-long member of the Halsey Methodist Church, which is where his father Edward Evans attended church, and his grandfather Richard Evans was a member, having established the farm there in 1852."
Although he married three times, being widowed twice, Clarence had no children to inherit the farm.
When I visited there in 1992, his widow, Dearcy, was taking immaculate care of the property, which had been named a Century Farm.
"What verse would you choose, father?"
"I'll share what has been running through my mind for weeks:
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:" John 11:25
"I'll think on that tonight, and talk about it with Mary Ann. She is getting old enough to understand, and she has worried about what happened to mother, asking me what happens to people when they die."
"She is probably also thinking about her own mother as well. She has been through a lot for a little seven year old."
"I think you're right father, and I only hope that she will feel secure in our love."
"She will." Richard took his jacket and cap off the peg and turned to Edward, "We have to leave while it is still daylight." He turned back to Mary Ann, "Thank you for a delicious dinner, daughter."
"It was just the same as we always have -- bacon and beans and corn bread"
Richard laughed and responded, "Yes, but it tastes a lot better than when one of us makes it."
They all laughed, then Edward remarked,
"I'll see you tomorrow to finish the siding on the barn, James."
"Thank you Edward, good night."
After putting cousin Mary Ann Kyniston to bed, James said,
"Let's walk outside for awhile, Mary Ann."
"I'm coming - I'll just get my shawl first."
"The Milky Way is so bright tonight, James, and the stars look so close. I almost feel dizzy if I look up at them too long, as if I am falling up into the sky."
"Here," James put a strong arm around his wife, "I'll hold you fast so you won't fall upwards."
and it is Sunday morning. I miss going to church like we did in Iowa."
"Soon we will have a minister and build a church. Meanwhile, daughter, we will be a very little church.
"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20
"So then, father, with you and Ed, and me and James and Mary Ann Kyniston, plus baby Mary Jane, we are already enough people to start two churches. but I still want to meet with our friends on Sunday."
"Maybe we could use the barn when we have it roofed -- when it isn't too cold."
"I like that idea, James. Meanwhile, we are enough together to pray, to sing and to praise God for our blessings."
"I would like to sing "Shenandoah".*
"Then that is how we will begin, Mary Ann."
*[Shanandoah is older than time, and there are multiple versions. I am guilty of anachronism here, because this version was written by the band that is playing it. Although, it is probable that something similar was sung by Christians in Mary Ann's time, because it is an old tradition to use a tune from one song and put different meaning to it.]
here in this lady's magazine. Just what it will look like with the veranda and second story finished."
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| From Internet Archive: Godey's Lady's Book 1852-02: Vol 44 Iss. 2, Public Domain - prior to 1922 |
"I haven't seen any - what will you do for plans James? -- Oh! You are teasing me again. Of course you have plans already, don't you?"
"Guilty as charged, my love. It was a perfect opportunity.Yes, I have drawn up plans for the barn. It will have to be much larger than our house, in the beginning. The oxen each need to have a stall, and a stall for each of the two horses. The center aisle needs to be wide enough bring the wagon in for hitching up the oxen -- or the horses on Sunday There has to be a tack room for the yokes and harnesses. It will have a large loft for storing the hay we will raise next year. It will be big."
"I guess we'll be known as the people with the little house and big barn. Well, better that than known for a big house and little barn."
"I didn't know you wanted to learn to sew, Mary Ann."
"Yes, I want to make my dolly some clothes. She needs a coat before winter."
"I think you're right - she does need a coat, and so do you. I'll show you how to sew your dolly a coat, and I'll make you a coat too. Would you like it to match your dolly's coat?"
"Yes please, Aunt Mary." "There is material in mother's trunk that will make cloaks for all three of us -- you, me, and dolly."
"Thank you Aunt Mary. Did you hear that, dolly? You're going to have a warm, new coat for winter, and I will have one to match!"
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| Fashion Plate from La Mode Magazine, 1848. Public Domain |
"Your sewing bee worked out better than I expected -- I didn't see how you could get anything done with so many little children underfoot -- but they napped or played quietly. I was amazed."
"I hope they all keep it up - everyone is sewing quilts for winter, and we'll need them soon. I'm going to use fabric in mother's trunk for this coat pattern. She had a lovely dark wool full length cape with matching skirt. I can turn them inside out and add new lining, and make a coat for Mary Ann, and one for me. There will even be enough scraps left over for her dolly to have a coat to match. I can get red trim for all three of our coats now. Last week, Father gave me an amount of cash that he said was my proper inheritance from my mother. It's too much, especially with the sewing machine he gave me, but he says it's not."
"Your father is a man of integrity and goodness, and I wish your mother were here also."
"It makes me feel better to know that you miss her too, James."
"I will love you for ever and ever Mary Ann. For ever and ever Amen!"
have the neighbor women here for a sewing bee a few times this winter?"
"You can have as many as you can fit into our cozy home, and I will take the wagon to get them and bring them home again."
"Wonderful! I will make invitations --" "Whoa! Mary you know maybe half of them can't read."
"Just wait until you see - it won't be a problem. Let's see, I'll ask Selena Martin, and Polly Ann Leach, and Mary Bond and Rhoda Thompson and Mary Williams. Those are all the women in our neighborhood." [You can find their farms on the map below.]
Government map from 1876 - public domain - Click for Larger ImageAbove is an 1876 U.S. Government Survey Map, which I've labeled with the Donation Claims of the 1852 wagon train from Wapallo County, Iowa -- approximately where the farms were located.
I sew the final seams."
"Well I thank you Mary Ann - this fits just right."
"Do you like the colors, Ed? I thought the black and grey check was too strong, but James said it would go with your grey eyes and black hair."
"Aww, Mary Ann, I'm not a girl. Don't fuss -- it's a good shirt for working or for wearing into town. It's nice enough to wear to church, even. I'm grateful, but I'll never know how you figured out the pattern from that rag you took away from me after I split it up the back, working on your cabin."
"Secrets of the seamstress Edward. I'm so happy you like it. Do you think you could steal away one of father's shirts without him noticing? I need a pattern for size, and I'd like to surprise him with a new shirt."
"That would be easy, Mary Ann. Leave it to me."
"Good morning, father. Can I get you a cup of coffee?" "Yes, Mary Ann, but first come see what I have in the wagon."
"It's a sewing machine! O how wonderful."
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| The Wheeler & Wilson perfected machine of June 15, 1852. |
Mary Ann stood on her toes to give her father a kiss on his cheek, and then handed him a cup of coffee. "Well, daughter, here is a package that goes with that contraption. That shopkeeper wouldn't let me leave without these fixings. Said it all goes with the machine.
"Oh, you wonderful father! Look James, he brought six cord cable thread - in four colors - and material! How did you know what to choose?" "I didn't. That shopkeeper knows it all, or so he thinks. At any rate, he knows what women like to get, and what makes good men's shirts. I'm sure you'll make good use of it all."
James was studying the machine minutely, and added, "You did right, Richard. This Wheeler and Wilson machine has the smoothest motion, and is the latest design."
"Why James, how do you know about sewing machines?" "I look at all the new inventions at the county fairs, and last spring, this was at the Iowa fair. I know what kind of table cabinet to build for it to be most useful to you, Mary Ann."
"Is it Christmas or my birthday? Why am I gifted with all these amazing presents?
"You've been through a lot, daughter. When we agreed to raise Eliza Jane's baby, you weren't part of that, but you've taken over with no complaint, and lots of love. You're getting some of that love back, I guess."
Mary Ann pulled a handkerchief that had belonged to her mother out of her apron pocket and dabbed her eyes. "What is the matter girl?" "Oh father, you know I always cry when I'm happy."
"You always cry when you are sad, too, so how are we to know?"
"Because when I'm happy and crying I'm smiling. Like now."
Mary Ann. Richard and Edward are coming over to help. As soon as our barn is up, I'll be going to help them build theirs."
"I'll be glad to see them, but these foggy days feel so cold. I'll put soup on tonight, and get up early to make corn biscuits and coffee." "The fog will burn off by afternoon, little wife."
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| Author: Jsayre64 Public Domain. Fog over the Willamette Valley |
"James, I heard from Edward that wagon trains are still arriving every day, and some are on their last legs, having gone too long on the trail and then met snow in the mountains. Neighbors are going out to meet them, taking food. How can we help?"
"Richard gave Edward some cash to buy food for them, and deliver to McCullough and the rest who are traveling to meet the wagon trains. People who are already settled can go. We have to get settled ourselves, before we can do more."
"Can I come watch you build the barn, Uncle James?" "Sure, Mary Ann. Get bundled up warm and we'll go raise a barn - or at least start one."
asked what our plans were, and we told him we were going to California to find gold?"
"Yes, I remember that, Mary Ann. Why are we remembering it just now?"
"Because it is raining, it has been raining for days, it rained while we had our roof raising, and I'm thinking if we went to California, we'd probably be having sunshine right now."
Mary Ann was sitting in their warm little cabin, under a dry roof, looking out the open door at puddles so big they could be called lakes. Her woebegone face said it all -- this was not the honeymoon she was expecting.
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| Photo Credit: Bernadette Graham-Hudson, ODFW |
"You know what your father would say if he were here?"
"Yes, because he has said it to me before, and he is right! We must Praise God at all times, and not just because times are good. But the weather is sulking and I feel like sulking with it."
"Sweet wife, I was thinking more on the lines of Psalm 104:33 --
"I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being."
Maybe what we need is a good old fashioned sing along."
"I know that is true, James -- you start. Hearing you sing will put me in a better mood and I'll join in."
"Little Mary, you come help me get started. You've rocked the baby asleep, come sing with us."
Let's listen in to our pioneer family, to music they make in their hearts. How Great Thou Art by Southern Raised.
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| Leo Dauenhauer is the 20th Great-Grandson of King Edward III of England. |
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| Click on Image for Full Size. Click HERE to go to Leo's Bio at WikiTree with live links. |
