Growing Up Christmas, Part One

Photo:Family and Friends gathered for a Lowe Family Christmas celebration: (L to R) Frank T. Jones, Denny Lowe (known for sneaking under the Christmas tree), Flossie Denton Haynes, Mark Lowe (down in front), Lucille Chester Jones Smith, Wayne Lowe (enjoying some nog).  

While touring the wonderful homes on the Historic Homes Christmas Tour this weekend, I felt a warm, traditional feeling come over me. It reminded me of the days not so long ago, when the last day of school before Christmas meant the Holiday was upon us.  Join me as I go back a few years to one of those days.

When I ran into the house, my Mom and sister were waiting to take me to town to finish up our shopping.  Now I thought I was really finished anyway.  We had bought my school friends’ and teacher’s gifts, plus I had spent several dollars at Gossett’s General Store on the important gifts I bought my family.  We hopped into our big green Oldsmobile and headed to Springfield, while a light snow continued to fall.  We stopped at Kroger’s first, then headed over to Ehrenwald’s for several boxes; down to Randolph House & Co for some other items; and down the hill to Gregg’s for our last bit of shopping.  My Mom asked if I needed to do any more Christmas shopping.  I told her I would like to get a few things for the family and went down the aisles to complete my purchases. 

The way this secretive shopping worked was I brought all of the items to the front, while my Mom shopped in another part of the store.  My purchases would be rung up, bagged and held until my Mom finished.  My total was six dollars. I had purchased over ten items, including a large plastic flute for my brother, Denny, a stuffed dog for my sister, Beverly, a tie clip for my brother, Joe, and a checker game for my brother, Wayne.  When we got home, I knew that I had to hide the flute from Denny, (he had a reputation of sneaking under the tree) so I stuck it inside a paper towel cardboard roll and hid it under my pillow.  My sister, Beverly, helped me wrap all of the presents (but hers) and label them with tags.  She even helped me wrap the flute, which I hid under my pillow again, so Denny wouldn’t find it under the tree.

It was still a few days until Christmas, so it seemed that the hours just dragged along. The weather was really cold, so to go outside one had to wear several layers of clothing and then put on the heavy waterproof coat with a hood along with a muffler wrapped around your face. I think this is why we all appreciate the scene from Randy (the brother) falling down in Jean Shepherd’s Christmas Story.  Once you were bundled up and couldn’t move around we could venture out for a few minutes, until the face turned red and then you were ordered back into the house to warm up. The only time we could stay out a little longer was when we were feeding our baby calves.  We would heat up enough water to mix with powdered milk formula for the calves.  My brothers would argue over who got to pop the nipple over the bottle, but eventually we would head out to the pens to feed.  We usually got these calves from Mr. Leon Haynes, who had culled them from his dairy herd.  The calves would nudge and butt us, which was a natural way to stimulate their mothers to provide milk.  I was small enough that they often just knocked me over.  My brothers would laugh and tell me to hold on.  I would get back up and try again.  Occasionally we would have a calf, which would bite on the bottle so hard, they would pull the nipple off and the milk would run out.  If this happened, one of us had to start over with that calf.  My brothers could hold the bottle close to the calf’s mouth to prevent this, but my hands were too small and it was all I could do to hold the bottle anyway.

If I was lucky, Dad (J. W. Lowe) would take me to the Feed Mill on the days when we were out of school.

The Feed Mill was located in Cedar Hill where the road split between Main Street and Washington Road. Across the street was the Cedar Hill Methodist Church and next door was the Cedar Hill Baptist Church.  Today, the site of the Feed Mill is the parking lot of the Baptist Church.

There were four steep steps to the front door of the Feed Mill. At least they were very steep to a youngster like me. A storm door opened outward, which served as an additional obstacle to one short like me. Once inside, it was a kids’ dream – jars of bagged peanuts, a candy bar machine and a soft drink cooler.  The office was closed off from the rest of the building.  There were various types of heaters over the years from milk room electric heaters to propane heaters, but there was always a place to warm up. The balance of the building was unheated, which meant we had to store the extra soft drinks in the office to keep them from freezing.  My brothers, Denny and Wayne were the masters of making a drink freeze just right.  Once frozen to the right consistency, they would roll the bottle in their hands until the soft drink became a slushy treat.  One of our favorite frozen drinks was Kick, a drink very similar to Mountain Dew. RCs or Royal Crown colas were a close second.  If the weather was warmer, we were satisfied with a bag of peanuts poured into an RC cola.

Join me next week for more Christmas stories and fun.   Be sure to share your Christmas memories with your family over the next few days.

World War One Veterans Are Gone, But Where Are There Records?

Sadly, I read this morning that Frank W. Buckles died yesterday on his farm in West Virginia. Washington Post Article Mr. Buckles was the last living U.S. Veteran of World War I (WW1). It seemed like I interviewed several living WW1 Veterans from Tennessee and Kentucky only a few days ago. As I checked my file, the interviews were done in 1998 and 1999, with the 90th Anniversary of the War.
The first-hand accounts of the battles from the perspective of these heroes had often never been discussed with their families. One soldier had his son locate an old box. The man said he hadn't opened this box in years, but wanted to share what was inside. Inside were photographs taken my this soldier. A few of the photographs were of young men excited to be going overseas, but the tone turned as they moved to the front. The pictures were somber and dark. They included dead soldier lying in trenches, other bodies piled in mud and water.
This man said to me, "I spent all of my life trying to forget those months."
If you have family members from this time period, consider the records that might have been created.
Although Woodrow Wilson had declared his intention to keep America neutral in this conflict, the nation declared war on April 17, 1917. Before the war ended, more than four million “doughboys” had served in the U.S. Army with American Expeditionary Forces (AEF), U.S. Navy, or Marines.
Under the Selective Service laws enacted in Congress in 1917, all men (U.S. citizens and aliens) born between September 1873 and September 1900 were required to register with the local draft board. The Draft Registration cards provide information not only about the soldiers who served, but about men in the community who registered for the draft. These records are available at many state libraries and Archives, Ancestry.com and the National Archives in Washington, DC. The original draft registration cards are located in the National Archives-Southeast Region in Morrow, Georgia.
There were three dates of WWI draft registration: 5 June 1917 for those age 21-31; June and August 1919, for those age 21 since first registration; and 2 Sept 1918, for those age 18-21 and age 31-45.
Comer Apple was born at Carthage, Tennessee in 1895. He was the son of Tom and Effie Apple. The family moved to Robertson County after 1910. His siblings were Bailey, Tommie, Della, Jones, S.T. , Olcie, and Woodard. Comer registered for the draft in Springfield. He was inducted on 21 September 1917 and joined the Company A Engineers. He was overseas from 1 May 1918 until 2 April 1919. He was honorable discharged on 16 April 1919.
After the great war, Comer married and settled into the Coopertown area. He and Sallie raised their children, Comer L., Virginia, and Buford. In addition to the direct official records created, there are many other records of the events surrounding the World war. Remember the first step of genealogy, which also applies here - Start with yourself and your home. Be sure to look for World War I era certificates or medals. Don’t forget to check the newspapers of larger towns, which was the collection point for companies. There are daily accounts of soldiers’ enlistments and company movements. In addition, there are regular accounts of the events in Europe and even larger accounts of the Armistice and Victory continuing into 1919. There are many more records, which we will discuss later.

Start by reviewing these websites:

Experiencing War: World War I; Veterans History Project, Library of Congress

Cyndi's List; WW1
National Archives; International Researchers 'jazzed' over WW1 Draft Cards
World War I Draft Registration Card Request Form; Friends of the National Archives, Southeast Region
Ancestry; Link to World War I Draft Registration (requires subscription)
Be sure to records this information in your family files, and also share with repositories where others can locate. Remember to keep the story alive.

Finding MORE Vital Records for Our Research

I have used County Histories for years, but have noticed recently that certain volumes contain very specific vital records. 

Check out this YouTube video with some examples I found.  https://youtu.be/Ocz5PZM6DAk

Reviewing Old Files and Notes

I have been researching since I was seven years old, so I have collected 55 years of papers and notes.  I'm trying to handle those notes only  _one more time!  It is my attempt to add the data from that note to my Family Files/Database and be sure to include the proper source.  I am also including a digital copy of that data in the file, so that these individual notes can be discarded.

My efforts include an attempt to ARRANGE the notes in a useful format (i.e. surnames, chronological, or locations); CONFIRM the data in the note or reference.  This sometimes includes pulling the actual document, rather than an index entry.  I also include a full citation of the source of the information.  DIGITIZE the note, documents or at least provide an extraction of the important data.

Rather than reference an Index Entry to Kentucky Death Records, I consulted the copy of the actual Death Certificate. Reviewing this information and adding this source to my Family Files, encourages the inclusion of complete, accurate information.

Review this YouTube Discussion Here: https://youtu.be/LU7-0GV0E2M

Learning More About Dr. John Thomas Carman, the Original Owner of This Old Book

Video posted on https://www.facebook.com/JLoweGenealogy/

 “This historic and very valuable book was given to me by my kind and lovable step-grandfather, Dr. John Thomas Carman. “ These words are written in the front of an original edition of Goodspeed’s History of Tennessee, published in 1886. I purchased this book from an old bookstore near downtown about thirty years ago. 

John Thomas Carman was born in Macon County, Tennessee to William B. Carman and Nancy Stubblefield Carman. He was the sixth of seven children born to this couple. [Elizabeth, G.G., Sarah J., William R., Martha, John T. and Nellie H.] William B. is enumerated as a Carpenter in the 1860 census.

He married Ida C. Cornwall, the oldest daughter of Thomas Jesse Cornwell and Jane Draper Cornwall, also of Macon County, Tennessee.

Although I am still working on the medical career and history of Dr. Carman, a great deal of information was contained in an October 1989 article from The Monitor published in McAllen, Texas.  The article focused on the renaming of the San Juan Elementary School to the Edith and Ethel Carman Elementary School. 

According to Ethel, the family moved to Texas in 1931 after her father, Dr. John T. Carma, retired from active practice. “His health was poor and he wanted a warmer climate.  Not liking Florida, he chose to find out what South Texas was like.  It took us about four to five day to drive down from Tennessee. The roads were not very good back then. The roads in Arkansas were the worst, mostly gravel roads. The roads in Texas and Tennessee were much better.

We stayed at a tourist court in Edinburg and then got halfway to Pharr the next day and my father said, ‘That’s it. This is where I want to live.’ “

“Both of the Carman sisters received their bachelor’s degrees from West Kentucky State Teacher’s College in Bowling Green and later their Master’s degrees from George Peabody College from Nashville, Tennessee.  Both [sisters] taught in Tennessee for several years prior to moving to San Juan, Texas.  Of the combined total of 75 years taught in Pharr-San Juan- Alamo, Ethel taught for thirty-eight and Edith for thirty-seven. The two taught for combined total of 90 years, including the years taught in Tennessee."

This article made the connection of the Carman family to Texas, where Dr. John Thomas Carman was buried after his death in Franklin, Simpson County, Kentucky.  His wife, Ida, died in Texas in 1933.  He returned to Tennessee, where he married Ida Slate Patterson.

His obituary as published in the McAllen, Texas Monitor explains more. 

Funeral Services for Dr.  J.P. Carman, 89, a winter visitor in the Valley for the past 25 years, will be held Monday at 10 a.m. from the Virgil Wilson Funeral Home Chapel. The rites will be conducted by the R.F. Head of the Church of Christ at San Juan, assisted by Leon Davis of Weslaco. Burial will be in Roselawn Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be A.R. Denton and J. B. Welch of Pharr; T.W. Worley of McAllen, E.E. Granes of Alamo, J.C. Foster of San Juan, and W.R. Dugger of Edinburg.

Dr Carman died Wednesday of last week at his home in Franklin, Ky., He had been coming to the Valley each winter since 1933. A native of Tennessee, Dr. Carman was a practicing physician in Tennessee and Kentucky for 60 years. He had been a member of the Church of Christ for 70 years.

Surviving are his wife,  Mrs. Ida Carman of Franklin, Ky., two daughters, Misses Ether and Edith Carman of San Juan, [son Paul E. Carman of Nashville, TN.]

I will continue to learn more about this great family, and feel honored to hold the book that
Dr. Carman purchased and read 133 YEARS AGO.

Sources: "School renaming to honor Edith and Ethel Carman," The Monitor, McAllen, Texas, 12 Oct 1989, p 33.

"J.T. Carman" Obituary, The Monitor, McAllen Texas, Sunday, 5 Oct 1958, p 2

Veterans’ Day Began as Armistice Day

On June 28, 1914 Gavrilo Princip, a young Bosnian student who was living in Serbia, leaped on the car of the Archduke Ferdinand (heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary) and began firing a gun.  The Archduke and his wife, Sophie, died immediately.  By autumn, the Central Powers (Austria-Hungary, Germany, and the Ottoman Empire) were at war with the Allies (Belgium, France, Great Britain, Russia and Serbia.)

The United States attempted to remain neutral during the early part of the War.  American attitudes changed with the sinking of the Lusitania and Germany’s announcement that they would begin unrestricted submarine warfare on all ships, including passenger ships.

Although President Woodrow Wilson had declared his intention to keep America neutral in this conflict, the nation declared war on April 17, 1917.  Before the war ended, more than four million “doughboys” had served in the U.S. Army with American Expeditionary Forces (AEF), U.S. Navy, or Marines.

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…” The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m. corresponding with the time the Armitice began.

Congress passed a resolution on June 4, 1926, with these words: Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and

Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and

Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.

On May 13, 1938, Congress made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as “Armistice Day.”  The name of the holiday was changed in 1954 to Veterans’ Day and became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

Louis Ernest Leffew was born on the 22nd of November 1884 in Elkton, Todd county, Kentucky. His parents were Elijah and M. Almeda Leffew.  The family moved to Robertson county just one year later.  Louis joined the United States regular Army in the early part of 1913, and served in the Philippines, Mexico and France. He left the U.S. with his command 14 June 1917 and was among the first U.S. troops to arrive in France. Louis entered the battle zones for the first time on 3 February 1918 in the Toul sector of the St. Mihiel front. On the morning of 1 March 1918, his company gave out of ammunition and the German army was making continual counter attacks.  Louis volunteered his services to secure ammunition for his company. Facing death he went to the rear and brought up a supply of ammunition that beat off the German attack at Toul, and soon after this heroic deed, he was killed by a high explosive shell.

The Springfield Register reported the following headline: Springfield Soldier is Killed in France.

“News has been received in Springfield of the death of Louis Ernest Leffew, who was killed in action at the front. The following telegram has been received by his mother:  ‘Washington DC Mrs M. A. Leffew,  Springfield, Tenn. – Deeply regret to inform you that Sergt. Louis E. Leffew, Infantry, is officially reported as killed in action March 1. McCain, the adjutant general.’”

According to letters and reports, Leffew was loved by all who knew him, and was loved for his bravery by each member of his company, and was one of the bravest soldiers of his command.

The local newspaper reported, “It is glorious to die for one’s country, for if the body mingles with the clods and dust, the soul goes marching on, and just eight hours before Sergeant Leffew left the United States for France, he gave his life to God. The price of liberty is the pain and sacrifice, and the reward of sacrifice is the happiness of endless generations. Out of heroes and services of men like Sergeant Leffew comes the health of all nations.”

Sergeant Leffew was originally buried in grave no 221, French Military Cemetery.  In a 1918 letter to Leffew’s mother, Adjutant General Austin Parker explained that it was not possible to remove the bodies of the dead back to the states before the close of the War. He also stated such removal by individuals would be impossible during the emergency, but the grave was carefully marked and location recorded so there will be no difficulty in removal once the action became practicable.  He was buried in the French Military Cemetery in Mandred on the 9th of March 1918 with a service by Chaplain William A. Aiken.

Louis E. Leffew was laid to rest on 26 June of 1921 in Elmwood Cemetery by Robertson Post 48, American Legion and 60 ex-servicemen from Robertson County. It was said that the largest crowd ever assembled in Elmwood witnessed the burial. He was buried with full military honors.

Louis E. Leffew holds the distinction of being the first Robertson county citizen killed in World War I. Let us remember both the heroes who preserved and those who currently protect our freedom. 

Meeting Potential Family Members

Meeting Potential Family Members
J. Mark Lowe

I headed to Adams,Tennessee today to have lunch with my brother, and his sons. It is always a pleasure to visit with them and learn what they have been up to lately.  As I pulled into the driveway, I saw the older nephew leaned against the truck on his cell phone.  He is a busy man, who is a full-time farmer, or should I say 24-hour-a-day farmer.  He was taking this free moment to check on some equipment parts he ordered last week.  While he finished the call, my brother and other son walked out to the truck. 
We headed into Moss's Restaurant for lunch and were greeted by many of the folks around also there for lunch. We all ordered and I included corn-on-the-cob, which was raised by the younger nephew sitting at our table.  Since we are needing rain, the discussion of gathering all of the sweet corn orders today, and discussing the next round. In fact, one of the reasons I was there was to pick up the corn order of our sister-in-law. We were joined by the local Fire Chief, two EMTs from the County Ambulance Service, and a young man who works for the local water department. 
As usual, we had an outstanding meal, including the great sweet white corn raised by my nephew. We had a discussion of the weather and what we might expect over the next month. August is always an interesting month, and the typical heat of Summer brings on the "Dog Days of August."  Visiting in Adams is always a pleasant occasion, as I get to see many folks who have been friends for many years, including some who were friends of my siblings even longer. 
After finishing my meal, and enjoying my caramel pie, we headed outside.  Our first perch was near the porch, where the discussion continued for a few moments, then we headed to the second perch, which was the truck where we all started.  Some unknown gentlemen to me came out of the restaurant and walked near our perch.  My brother and nephew spoke to them and walked nearer to talk with these gentlemen.  As they spoke, I noticed my brother point in my direction, and then motioned for me to come near. 
Walking over to this discussion, my brother continued to tell them that I was a Genealogist.  One of the gentlemen explained that he was married to a Lowe.  I asked him from where did she grow up, and he replied Knox County, Kentucky.  Now my joking side came out, even when I had not officially met this gentlemen - So you really married a girl from Barbourville?  He said what do you know about Barbourville and Knox County - to which I shared that I had been there many times and visited often.  He then asked me if I knew if we were related to any Lowes from that area. 
This is a very common occurrence when a group of genealogists gather or Southerners try to connect families.  I told him I was familiar with some families who were connected to Bird Lowe, who lived in West Virginia.  That sounded familiar to him.  We eventually agreed to share information, so I could compare my family to hers. 
I'm proud to say that he is our new Superintendent of Schools for this County, and came here from Scott County, Kentucky. [Georgetown]  It amazes me how often my normal days become Genealogy Days, when I am with my Family.  It is usual for folks to ask me questions about their family or local history events.  Today, I will note that I ate great white sweet corn and caramel pie, met a potential family member [by marriage] and enjoyed the company of my brother, nephews and a few friends.  A great time was had by all.