Week 20: Nature

     Did you have a special place that you used to love to go to as a kid? Where all your troubles would melt away and you didn't have to worry about anything? Well, I did. That place was Bull Shoals Lake in Arkansas. My family has owned property down there since they originally built Bull Shoals Dam. My Papa, My Uncle Lee, and My Uncle Wilbur all had property right next to each other on Dry Run Road in Oakland, Arkansas. Then later on, my dad purchased property just up the road in the 70s. So I've been going there since I was born. This place was my getaway from life. My safe haven. My happy place. So when the prompt of "Nature" came up, this was the only thing I could think about. So let me tell you a little about it and share some photos.
     Before any houses were even built, my family would go down and "camp" in little trailers. My dad has some photos of their set up. I have to say, I'm glad I came along after the houses were built haha! Talk about roughing it. But that's what they did. Dad's house was finished the year I was born. Mom and dad have tons of pictures of us down there. Every day, we lived in our swimsuits down on Uncle Lee's dock on the water. Now, I am not a big nature nut. I hate bugs and I hate the heat. But I tolerated to be down on the water. I can't explain how peaceful it is to just sit on the dock and listen to the water. It's not like the ocean. It's a completely different feel. To this day, being near a lake and water still has such a calming effect on me.
     And of course, you can't be by the lake and not fish. And boy did we all fish. My job as a kid was to catch as many bluegill as I could for bait. I was an expert. I could bait my own hook, catch the fish, remove the hooks and start all over again. The only thing I hated about the whole thing was having to be out after dark to bait the trout lines and throw out the jugs. Cause as soon as we got back to the dock, there were spiders everywhere! Then, we had to get up extra early to go check the trout lines and chase the jugs. As much as I don't like it, I do doing that with my family. Our favorite fish to catch and eat were catfish. Oh I love me some fresh catfish! I used to watch my dad clean the fish all the time.
     A few years ago, I took my hubby with us down to the lake so he could experience everything. He is a city boy, so this was definitely a new experience for him. I warned him fresh air can wear you out and he thought I was kidding. Nope, after the first few days he was like, wow, I'm tired and I don't know why hahaha! And he didn't believe me when I told him we live in swimsuits. So one day he didn't wear his swimsuit and we went out boating. Well he was stuck in the boat while the rest of us swam. He learned after that. And then watching dad clean the fish. That almost did him in. He wasn't sure if he could eat the fish after that. Such a city boy haha!!
     My absolute favorite thing was going boat riding. I would sit up front like a hood ornament when we would go out on the boat. And of course, if you got a boat, you gotta go tubing. That one I wasn't too keen on. I didn't like the falling out part. One time, we hit huge waves and I flipped about four times on top of the water. So I usually left the tubing to my cousins.
     As I said before, this was my safe haven. No matter what was going on at home or at school, this was my place to go to forget everything. Now that I'm grown up, it's not the same. Sad how things change sometimes. But I still have all the memories that were made on the lake. And it will always hold a special place in my heart.

Week 21: Military

     When I originally started writing a post for this week's prompt, I had a different idea in mind, but after this weekend, that has changed. I invited my Aunt Patty over this weekend so we could look through my Papa's military file that she just received. She is the family historian/genealogist for the Fuchs side of my family. Well, when she came over, she had a few surprise items she brought with her.
     We went out to help her unload her car just in case the paperwork she brought was heavy. That's when I noticed a long plastic container in her trunk. She handed it to me & I was surprised how light it was. That's when she told me she remembered I had wanted to see Papa's old uniform from when he was in the military, so she brought it with her. I almost screamed! If I could have ran inside to open it up to look at it, I would have. But lunch was first. I was trying to not be too anxious through our meal. So while we are eating, let me tell you a little bit about my Papa.

     George Henry Fuchs was born June 2, 1912 in Maplewood, Missouri, fourth child of Michael and Nellie Fuchs. He married my grandma, Anna Louise Strawhun, December 26, 1941 in Kirkwood, Missouri. What a time to get married as World War II was raging on. Since Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7, 1941, I'm sure the decision came about because my Papa knew he would be called to active duty soon. And it came to pass on November 25, 1942, he was officially inducted in the Military in St. Louis, Missouri as a CM1c (Carpenters Mate First Class)[1] [2] And if that wasn't bad enough, my grandma was 8 months pregnant at the time. I am sure they were hoping he could hold off long enough to be able to be there when their first child was born, but sadly that would not be the case. My Papa was officially called to active duty just two days before Christmas, on December 23, 1942 and then two days later on Christmas day, my dad finally made his appearance. Papa just missed being there for the birth. Here is the telegram my Grandma sent to my Papa letting him know my dad had just been born.

     As you can see on the Telegram, Papa was in Davisville, Rhode Island at the time of my dad's birth. He was stationed at Camp Endicott. He did so well building the Quonset Huts, they kept him behind to help with training. Closer to the end of the year he was sent over to the Philippine Islands and served with the 75th Naval Construction Batallion. He participated in a few events while over there including the Solomon Islands Campaign, the Landings at Cape Torokina and the landing operations in Leyte. He also served in the areas of New Caledonia, Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Russell Islands, and New Guinea along with the Philippine Islands. During this time he was promoted to CCM. [1]
     He returned to the states in August of 1945 and was transferred to the nearest West Coast Receiving Station for Rehabilitation which was San Diego, California. Rehabilitation was supposed to take 30 days. Then it looks like he may have been granted a leave to come back to St. Louis to see family before shipping out to Great Lakes, Illinois to finish his commission. Can you blame him? He hadn't seen my Grandma is about three years and never met his son (my dad). After his leave, he shipped out to Great Lakes, Illinois until he was discharged on October 23, 1945. He was finally free and could be with his family. [1]

Now that you know a little more about my Papa's service, let's get back to my visit with Aunt Patty.

     So after lunch was over, Aunt Patty went right for the box to show me the uniform. I was beyond ecstatic to see it. And it was in excellent condition! No rips, tears, holes, mold, mildew. Almost museum quality. It was amazing holding the fabric in my fingers. I had no idea the uniform was made out of wool. Can you imagine how hot that must have been? Insane! I don't do well in the heat. Aunt Patty couldn't imagine having to deal with all the buttons when you would have to use the bathroom. I loved the details on the buttons. They had anchors on them! I looked over the uniform so thoroughly; not wanting to miss one detail. His name was still written on the inside of his pants. His hat size was written on the inside of his hat. And believe me, I checked every pocket I came across in case there was anything hiding in them. I thanked Aunt Patty over and over for bringing it over for me to look at. Even my daughter's friend was impressed.

     After the uniform was put away, she surprised me further by pulling out his medals he received while in service. They were replicas of course, but still.

     Once all those items were put away, we spent the next few hours going through paperwork. To me, this was the best way to spend a Memorial Day. Talking about and remembering one of the soliders in our family that fought for our freedom. That's what Memorial Day is all about.

Happy Memorial Day Papa

I miss you every day.
I wish I could sit down & talk with you about your service. 
Thank you for your sacrifices!

George Henry Fuchs, CCM

75th NCB 

Sources:

[1]

Military File from NARA; copied from Aunt Patty's files

[2]

Info regarding rank: http://uniform-reference.net/insignia/usn/usn_ww2_enl_artificer.html

Week 18: Road Trip

     For this prompt, I decided to share a video I had already made with the topic of "Road Trip". It is actually inspiring a new YouTube series for me. It is currently in the works. I am hoping to have it released next month and will hopefully be releasing a new video once a month. Will have to see how things go. This series will take more time than my Auntie Jen's Two Cents. Which is what series this video is from. If you haven't yet, please head over to my YouTube Channel and subscribe so you don't miss any new videos when they become available.

So here is this week's prompt of "Road Trip" brought to you by Auntie Jen's Two Cents:

New YouTube Series coming soon!! 

A Day Worth Celebrating

     Today mark's a very special day. Today is my Grandma Anna Louise Fuchs's birthday. If she would still be alive, she would be 99 today. Unfortunately, her life was taken too soon. She died in 1980 from Mesothelioma at the age of 60. She left many with broken hearts. Sadly, I would not be born until 1982, two years after she died. I never got the chance to meet her. Talk with her. Hug her. Listen to her laugh. Taste her cooking. Everything that all her children and grand children miss about her and more. But I don't want this post to focus on her death. I want to focus on the life she led. So Happy Birthday Grandma; this post is dedicated to you.

     Anna Louise Ellsworth Strawhun was born May 9, 1920 to Robert Franklin Strawhun and Louisa Katherine Sophia Krumsick. She was the youngest born out of her three siblings: Roberta, Wilburt, and Alberta. They all grew up in Kirkwood, Missouri and attended Pitman School. Her and her siblings were very active in many things. They played sports, loved dancing, and were very active outdoors. My Papa talked about how great of a ball player she was.
     She married my Papa, George Henry Fuchs, on December 26, 1941 in Kirkwood, Missouri before he shipped off to war. She had known my Papa since they were kids. I was blessed recently to learn how they fell in love. My Papa had recorded a video answering questions about his life, and he mentioned how he and Grandma became a couple.

     "How I got to seeing her again, I was with a big construction company and we was building some stuff over in Illinois and everything and I came back to St. Louis. We stopped at Marty Heidels(sp) place there on Lindbergh and the overpass there. I went in there and I was sitting down there on one end and here her and her sister and another girl come in and sit up on the other end. I said, 'Hi hi.' So her sister bought me a beer and I went up and talk to them. I looked at my wife, she was passed 20, 21 then but before when I seen her she was just a little girl. I was nine years older than her. I said, 'Where yous going?' They said 'We're going to Fenton Dance Hall.' So I said, 'How bout me goin along?' I had a new car so I went down to the dance hall and went dancing with my gal there. Just went taking her out and just like that, I said, 'Let's get married' So she said ok." - Transcribed from the video

     He also talked about in the video how she was a great dancer. Many memories have been shared about her in my lifetime. My mom has great memories with her when they would go to the Lake (Bull Shoals Lake, Arkansas). Mom said they would work hard getting food ready for the trip. You see, we are talking about a time when you made everything from scratch. So it took quite a bit of preparation. Mom loved her dearly. Dad likes to quote her at meal time saying things like, "Wonder what the poor folks are eatin!", or "The one that eats the fastest, gets the mostest." Then after dinner he would say what she would say, "Ok, so what do you want for breakfast?" She would say this right after dinner when no one was even thinking of food. Haha! But like I said, this was during a time when everything was made from scratch, so they had to prepare ahead of time.
     Meals were always a great time to bring our family together. Grandma always made sure everyone got food and was satisfied. They didn't have a lot of money, but she did her best. She always did her best. She made sure her kids were safe and warm. And she did a great job making their Barn feel like a home. Yes, I said Barn. They lived in a Barn. After they had to move from Times Beach around 1957, they moved into the Barn over in High Ridge. It had two levels, and a ladder to go to the second level. They had running water and a coal heater. Can you imagine raising nine children in a barn? No privacy, struggling just to survive. But you know what? Every picture I have ever seen of my grandma, she has always had a huge smile on her face. While I know things were not easy, she made the best of everything. She loved her family more than anything and would do anything for them. What an amazing woman.
     I wish there was more I could add at this point, but alas, this is where I will end it. One day I hope to make sit down and talk with my Aunts and Uncles about Grandma, so I can get to know her even better. I do know, she was a very strong and amazing woman, and even though I never met her, I am proud to call her MY grandma.

Happy Birthday Grandma! 

I look forward to meeting with you one day!

My dad and my grandma

My Grandma and Papa Fuchs

My grandma and Papa Fuchs

Miss you!

I am hoping we have lots of family come through to read this. If you have any memories you would like to share, please do! Leave a comment below or post a comment on Facebook below the post. Let's keep the memories alive.

Week 17: At Worship

     This post is coming a little late this week. I have to admit, I struggle with writing some of these prompts as it takes more time for me to research some things. I would love to just have so much time to just sit and go through everything and exhaust every resource in a week's time. Sadly, it's just not possible. So I am going with what I have. This week's prompt is At Worship. While we have family that has attended many churches in their day, this particular ancestor stood out for this prompt. I think you will see why.
     I first heard about this ancestor from my Mother-in-law as this was her grandfather. She told me some stories that she remembered about him. He was very good with his hands. Had great talent. She still has a cuckoo clock that he made. I also found a newspaper clipping mentioning his ability to weave beautiful carpets with his new Deems fly carpet loom. He was a very proper man who held a lot of respect in the community. Well, in his main calling, it was to be expected. That's because H. T. McGrew was a traveling Minister for the United Brethren Church.
     Rev. Hudson Taylor McGrew was born February 29, 1872 in Warsaw, Indiana to Zachariah Taylor McGrew and Anna Eliza Rolston; the second born child out of six, but the first born son. His father was farmer his whole life. I don't know what led him into the ministry, but he made it his life's work.       Let me tell you, knowing he was a "traveling" minister, sure made it more difficult to trace every where he would have went and preached. The best place for me to look was in the newspapers. Wow, I did not expect to find all I did. Newspapers were big on reporting every detail in their communities. So when Rev. H T McGrew would make a visit, it was known. Then when he wanted to invite people to services, he posted in the newspaper himself. When United Brethren Conferences were held, and new appointments were made, it was in the newspaper. Thanks to them, I was able to put together some sort of a list of where he was when.

• 1907 -- Lebanon, Kansas
• 1908-1910 -- Fairview, Kansas
• 1910 -- Ionia, Kansas
• 1911-1913 -- Green, Kansas
• 1913-1914 -- Maitland, Missouri
• 1917 -- Westland & Kern, Missouri
• 1920 -- Downing & Fabius, Missouri
• 1922 -- Chillicothe, Missouri
• 1923 -- Bogard, Missouri
• 1929 -- Turney, Missouri
• 1930-1933 -- Guilford, Missouri
• 1933-1934 -- Locksprings, Missouri
• 1935-1938 -- Callao, Missouri
• 1939-1940 -- Millville, Missouri
• 1941 -- Ored, Missouri
• 1944 -- Hamilton, Missouri:

     These are all locations he was at according to the newspapers. It's amazing that kind of information you find in the newspapers. The articles that mention him wasn't always business,but also personal. When he visited family, when family visited him, vacations, dinner parties, etc. In one paper, he was listed in the "Society" column. Honestly, it gives me a little more insight into the family and why they always expected "proper" behavior. Their every move was documented by the newspaper. Even my husband's mom (Hudson's grand daughter) was mentioned many times in the local newspapers.

     He was a Minister until he officially retired in 1945, although he continued performing certain ceremonies as needed. he was very dedicated to the work of the Lord. Right around the time he officially retired, there was a merger in the church. 

"Until the 1940s, two denominations used the name “Church of the United Brethren in Christ.” The other (much larger) group, after a merger in 1946, became the Evangelical United Brethren Church. In 1968, they merged into what is now the United Methodist Church." United Brethren Church website - www.ub.org/contact/genealogy

     He mostly identified with the United Methodist Church. When he married his daughter, Pearl McGrew (My husband's grandma) to her husband, Samuel Galen Swope (My husband's grandfather) he listed himself as a "Pastor, M.E. Church". And then Pearl mostly attended the Methodist church in her life.
     Sadly, the stresses of life would be too much for him as he would die from a heart attack at the age of 78. In his life though, he affected many people and lived as best as he could in dedication to the Lord. My husband never got the chance to meet him, but has enjoyed learning about everything I have found out about him. I still have leads to follow, hoping to fill in a few gaps in his service. I was surprised to learn that the Methodist Church has records available for genealogy purposes. I found Rev. Hudson T. McGrew's name was listed in the records. I am going to have to wait to pursue this lead though as they charge for the research. No matter how much you think you know about someone, there are always more records to be found. Well, in closing I will share a few newspaper articles along with the obituary that was posted.

Nov 22, 1922 - Chillicothe Tribune, MO; Oct 9, 1947 - Chillicothe Tribune, MO

Feb 25, 1950 - Chillicothe Tribune, Missouri

Click on these to enlarge

Jan 25, 1912 - The Times, Kansas         Jan 6, 1950 - Obituary

Sadie & Hudson Taylor McGrew