For Darla

Just a few days ago, my cousin Darla placed a comment on the post titled "Life Not Lived", February 17, 2011. She records her mom's memory of a sister named Flossie Mae Jones. Here is the only picture I can find in dad's family picture book which shows Flossie Mae, 2 1/2 months of age. To the right is Thelma Rae, 1 3/4 years, and my dad is to the left. The picture is dated 27 April, 1930. Thelma Rae is Darla's mom. Hello Flossie Mae Jones, we do have one picture of your life.

Life is not so simple, yes?

Life is birth...pictures, pictures, pictures...growing up...lots more pictures...growing out...lots less pictures...growing old...looking at growing up pictures...death. Life is not so simple, yes?

Life is simple, yes?

Life is...birth....growing up.....growing out......growing old.......death. Life is simple, yes?

A Picture in Profile

Family pictures have a way of telling our family's stories. The picture to the right shows Granny Ewen, with her second child May Millicent born December 7, 1920. The picture was taken March 26, 1921, which would make Millicent around four months of age. The lady she is sitting with is not identified, but I would guess it is Granny's mother, Malaha Morton, nee Howell. The most striking thing about this picture is that Granny is sitting in profile. Almost every other family picture that I have show the folks sitting forward and facing the camera. Here Granny is gazing at Millicent who seems a bit shaken at this picture taking experience. Malaha is looking to the camera with a gaze that seems to say, don't you hurt my girls, or your life will be forfeited. The date of this picture gives the context. Granny had just lost their first child, Minnie Thelma Clay Ewen. In Granny's hand writing, she records "Minnie Thelma Clay Ewen - born March 24 1919 - Died March 11, 1920. age 11 mo. 16 days." Therefore, this picture would be taken around the anniversary of the death of her first child, and holding the hope of her second. No wounder Granny's gaze is to her daughter, and not to us. Her contented look seems to say, life goes on, and she is sitting in my lap...a picture in profile.

In The Freshes

To understand terms used in land patents, it is often necessary to get a grip on certain words that often have a different meaning than we would think. In early Virginia settlement, the rivers and streams played an important part in the establishment of boundaries and patent landmarks. A term used frequently was "the freshes". The drawing to the right tries to show this concept using the map already presented in a previous post. The orange color outlines the "ridge path" that separated the watershed that formed two patterns of water flow. Now if you were a rain drop that fell along this path, you have to go down on either side. The flow toward the major rivers[the blue lines]; in this case ,the Rappahannock River, would then flow into the Potomac River. This water would then flow into the Atlantic. The water drainage would be "the freshes". Thus, in early land patents there would be the statement "Coll. Nicholas Spence, 500 acs. in Potomack freshes, 6 Nov. 1666,...N.E. upon a cr. above Coll. Speaks land..." In effect, this would mean that Spence's 500 acres would be within the bounds of the ridge that formed the water runoff to the river that was the road to his patent. Of course you would then need to find out where "Coll. Speaks" land was located. You also know that 640 acres would be a square mile, thus this 500 acres would roughly one square mile [.78 mile square] from the river's edge to the ridge that drained the water. The blue lines in the figure about place you in the freshes.

The Passing of Time

Time passes and life goes on with us or without us. Pictures catch the days of our lives at different times and in different places. Edward Turner Jones as a young man is shown. He was born 10 August 1873, at a small rural settlement called Science Hill, Madison Co., KY. Posture straight, hair carefully combed, suit and tie are in place, and shoes are clearly shinned. A hat is carefully placed to show how much a man of the day is represented. I would guess this picture would have been taken around 1890. Manhood has arrived, and life awaits. The picture below shows Edward Turner (called E.T.) some years later. I would guess about 30 years. The same confident look is present. The coat has been removed, the hat remains on the head titled upward, and a bow tie is in place. A pipe is held showing what many "older" adults of the day took up as a fine art. Posture has shifted, looking much more relaxed, with legs crossed. The passing of time can not be stopped, but it can be captured by a picture. I am certain that E.T. would have something to say. He died 5 May, 1938 at his home in Clark Co., KY...the passing of time continues.