In Memory of Ivan Wonsey

Today is the anniverary of my father's death. I miss him so much. I was always one to follow him around on the farm. When Mom and Dad retired and moved to North Carolina, I was devastated. Fifteen years later they moved back to Michigan because of health issues. The next two years I again got close to Dad. He needed some care and I did it. Two broken hips and kidney stents to help with the high blood pressure. He was tired alot. Then Dad broke a leg. He became so anemic he was not able to make it through surgery. That was a Tuesday. Thursday we brought him  to my house. Friday he died with his family all around him.

Love Stories

Both sets of my grandparents have a story for their courtships.

Grandpa and Grandma Wonsey were twenty years apart.  They lives on either side of the pond on Hart Road, South Boardman, Michigan. Grandpa moved up there at the age of three from Bunker Hill, Michigan. Grandma was born there.

Grandpa took care of Grandma, babysitting alot. Grandma was eighteen when they married.

Grandpa Beers dated a woman named Emma Disbrow. Grandpa was away in the service and Emma was still in school. There was a school dance. Someone asked Emma to go with him since Grandpa was away. No harm--right? Well--maybe. The door bell rang and it was not her date. You guessed it! Grandpa was home on leave! Now he was so mad as Emma that they broke up.

Some years later he met Edith Gertrude Hunt. They married and had six children. One boy was still born and one girl died at six months of Rickets.

Edith, my Grandma, died at age 48. She had had 2 strokes. She was on her way to Ann Arbor, Michigan  from Bellaire. They went over first to Bay City to see her sister.  Edith had a sniffle, nothing major, but doctors said she died of pneumonia in her sister's home.

Now here comes the fun part. Emma had married also. But they devoirced. Grandpa and Emma meet up again. This time they marry. My mother has always said Emma made a good step-mom. She never pushed herself on any of the kids and never tried to get rid of anything of Edith's. To the day she died there were pictures of the kids, Edith, and Grandpa sitting around. She was a great Grandma to us kids.

memories from grandmas' houses

My Grandma Wonsey had a pig cookie jar that my brother has now. She always had it filled with homemade sugar cookies.

There was a closet at the end of the living room. It had a curtain for a door and  toys for us kids.

The bed my sister, Jackie, and I slept in sank in the middle. Grandma put a couple of heavy quilts on us. We had feather pillows to finish it off. We stayed toasty warm! A neighbor's rooster woke us up in the morning if the train whistle didn't.

My Grandma Beers always fed us canned peaches or pears for dessert. She had cobalt blue custard dishes to serve them  in.  We spent most of our time with Grandpa when we visited. We rode on his feet when we were little,watched the many birds in his feeders, and put jigsaw puzzles together with him.

They had a buffet which I inherited. I also have the rocker that my real grandma used while she was so ill. Mom does not remember it never being in the house.

Heritage

Here are the flags of all the nationalities of my husband, children, and myself. Like most Americans, we are mutts!
Top row:  Ireland, USA,
Second row:Scotland, African/American
 Third row:  England, Netherlands
 Bottom flag is Germany


Warren's ( my husband) father was Scotch and Irish. His mother was African/American, American Indian, and English. My father was German and English. My mother is Dutch and English.

Wesley and Margaret Cameron

This is picture of my husband's grandparents, Wesley and Margaret (Holton) Cameron on their wedding day.

Hey! This really works!!!!

Wednesday I asked for help finding someone and I got an answer!
I found someone I've wanted to meet most of my adult life. Now I just might If she will answer back. Here's hoping!

I was named after.....

Many years ago, in the mid 1940's, my father was stationed in Cheyanne, Wyoming while in the army. He went home to Michigan on leave because his mother was having gall baldder surgery. He had one week of leave and one very busy week! He not only spent time with Grandma, he married my mom! Together they traveled back to Wyoming. There they rented from a couple just a few years older than themselves.

The couple, Roy and Aspan Brenning, had a little girl named Georgia Lee. My folks fell in love with her and her name. So the first girl they had would be named after her.

Well, soon Judith Lorraine came along. Then Jacqueline Kay. Finally I came. They decided if they were going to use that name it had better be now! Good thing, too. The next, and last child, was a boy- Rex Allan.

All these years I have wondered about this other Georgia Lee. What is she like? Is she still alive? She would be in her mid 60's now. I would love to find out about her and maybe talk to her- if only though a blog or email.

So my quest now is to find out how I can find her. I spent most of today on Ancestry.com looking for her to no avail. Can anyone give me an idea where to start looking?

Wish me luck!