M. Maggie. Maggie is a name that shows up on several occasions in my family tree and at least once in my husband’s. My maternal grandma was named Maggie. It wasn’t short for Margaret, as is often the case. It was Maggie, plain and simple. Her maternal grandmother was also named Maggie. Grandma described her… Continue reading A to Z Blogging Challenge: M is for Maggie

L. Leon. Leon Roberts was my husband’s maternal grandfather. He was born 10 July 1914 to Elias Wallis Roberts and his wife Johnnie Cooper Roberts. Leon’s mama died when he was almost eight months old. His father remarried to a lady named Maggie. I never got to meet Grandpa Roberts. David has shared several stories… Continue reading A to Z Blogging Challenge: L is for Leon

K. Kansas. Kansas is a windy state. We ended up there during the evacuation for Hurricane Rita in 2005. We crossed the state line from Oklahoma into Kansas and stopped at a gas station. We got out of the car and were nearly blown away by a gust of wind. It was great! There is… Continue reading A to Z Blogging Challenge: K is for Kansas

There’s a funny bit of family trivia in most families out there. In ours, it is the fact that my paternal grandmother AND my husband’s paternal grandmother had the maiden name Fowler before they married their husbands. I have been looking for any potential connection between our grandmothers for as long as David and I… Continue reading A to Z Blogging Challenge: F is for Fowler

E. Evelyn. Evelyn Fowler Gunter was my granny, my daddy’s mama. She was a character. She didn’t take anything off of anybody. She’d tell you straight up what she thought of something and was to the point about it. You never had to guess where you stood with Granny. When I was a little girl,… Continue reading A to Z Blogging Challenge: E is for Evelyn

D. Dallas. Dallas Winfield Greer, that is. Dallas was my husband’s great-great-grandfather through his paternal grandmother. I think that his name sounds might grand. I love it. He was born 23 March 1948. Here is a photograph of Dallas as an infant. Isn’t he adorable? He was in the War Between the States enlisted in… Continue reading A to Z Blogging Challenge: D is for Dallas

C. Cemetery. Over the last thirty-plus years I have spent a great deal of time in cemeteries. I’ve been there for countless funerals, but also as a part of my family history research. One of my favorite things about the older cemeteries is the statuary. One of my favorite types to photograph in a cemetery… Continue reading A to Z Blogging Challenge: C is for Cemetery

B. Bruce. Bobby Joe. Bruce McClendon, born Robert Bruce McClendon, Jr., is my late father-in-law. I called him “Papa” because that’s what we had decided for our future children to call him. He owned and operated the Western Auto Store in the town where my husband grew up. They had been there for about thirteen… Continue reading A to Z Blogging Challenge: B is for Bruce and Bobby