Friday, June 24, 2016

Something She Wanted Us All to Hear While We Were Together

Mary Jane Bair Fallis, Nov 11, 1922- Jun 2, 2016

Funeral services are for the living.  They are a time to remember a shared love and comfort a shared loss.  Grandma took that opportunity to do a little extra, and tell us what she wanted us to hear.
Years ago, she made very specific funeral plans including specific verses she wanted read and who should read them, songs to sing and who to sing them, what should play on the organ and who should play it, who should preach and who should do her hair.  She chose the photo above as well.  She did not write her plans and forget them.  In fact, she thoughtfully updated them over time in hand written notes to the Gant Funeral Home.

Grandma was very intentional in every detail.

And she wanted us to listen carefully to a poem.  "Parable of a Mother's Path in Life", was written by Temple Bailey and first published in Good Housekeeping in 1939. Clearly this piece was very important to Grandma because she copied it so carefully.  While the words are beautiful no matter what, it is priceless to see it in Grandma's hand writing.

While we were together, giving her life our full attention, Grandma wanted us all to know that her greatest joy, her strength, her absolute peace and her rest are made perfect as each of us walks together, in love, with God.



Sunday, April 17, 2016

What's a "truck patch"?


As an individual digging in the ancestry garden, I have had a great time.  I have been busy researching; finding names and places and drawing them together to make a pretty good picture.  There is a ton of fact checking to be done, and I don’t want to report anything incorrectly.

However, as your blog host, I am realizing that I am failing to share the fun.  While the names and places are important.  It’s the stories that make it rich and beautiful.  And they are more beautiful when they are shared. 

I do not need to have it perfect before I start sharing the story.

A few weeks ago while visiting Grandma (Mary Jane Bair Fallis) she told me about her own parents.  We all know that Cletis and Olive Bair lived next to the railroad. Evidently their home was marked by the hoboes as a place to find a meal.  Grandma remembers them leaving food easily available, in particular, Great Grandma’s pies.  I’ve been told pies were her specialty.  But, Grandma takes a lot of pride in her own pies- especially her butterscotch pie.  (Debbie, she brags about how good yours is and that you put her name is on the recipe!)

Grandma told me about her grandfather, Irwin.  She told me about his “touring car” and the hard candy he kept in the glove box because his throat gave him trouble as he drove.  I also heard about his rocking chair in the yard under the tree.  I now feel like I need a rocking chair on my porch too.

Grandma also told me about her Uncle Charley and how much he loved kids.  Charley kept a “truck Patch” by the lane at Cletis and Olive’s farm and grew produce that he sold in Summitville from his truck.  Grandma loved her Uncle Charley.

While it’s hard to fact check a story, I will offer the following evidence.

I can personally verify the perfection of a real butterscotch pie- Grandma’s pie is perfect and Debbie, you are amazing!  I needed to google “truck patch”.  I don’t have a rocking chair in my back yard, yet, but I’ve spent enough time on porches at the lake with you all to believe it is a really good idea!

The facts are great, but stories are priceless because of the connections.

Friday, March 25, 2016

Remembering Big Decisions


 
A few weeks ago, Dad visited with Grandma and had the conversation below.
 Conversation with Mother (Mary Jane Fallis Bair 
Today March 6, 2016
Today in a visit with Mother, I asked her the question. . . .”What were some of the hardest decisions that you ever had to make?”       She thought for a while, and said . . . .”Probably the hardest decision that I ever had to make was when Sharon (my sister) was in the 5th grade". Mother had to decide whether or not to let Sharon get a polio vaccination.  At the time the polio epidemic was on everyone’s mind. Mother knew some people who had been affected by polio and that a scientist by the name of Jonas Salk had recently developed a new vaccine which could prevent polio.     It was unproven, but Mother had seen that he had given the same vaccine to his daughter. That gave Mother enough confidence to trust this Doctor with her daughter. She signed the paper and Sharon took it to school. On the day that they were to give the vaccination, Mother waited until the final recess knowing that by this time Sharon would have already had the shot. She drove past the school and saw Sharon playing on the swings doing just fine. She drove to the opposite side of the school and stopped and said a prayer thanking GOD.” 
It was a wonderful day today talking with my Mother. We also had many laugh’s some of which were stories about me, which I will not repeat. 
Don
        After reading Dad's note, I did a little research into polio just before the introduction of the Salk vaccine.
       Polio is unpredictable and was largely untreatable.  Also known as infantile paralysis, polio, emerged in the summer months of the early 1900's.  Each summer saw the number of cases increase over the previous year. The summer of 1949 the outbreak was higher than normal throughout the US. Sadly, Muncie was, perhaps, the community hardest hit in the nation.  Churches, parks, stores and pools closed to prevent the spread. 
       Ball Hospital saw unprecidented need.  With only 3 iron lungs on site and none available for purchase, Ball Hospital turned to the community.  Jack Reichart, a local machinist, and others worked together to design a "homemade" version. The improvised iron lung was made from empty steel drums, donated vacuums, parts from Borg-Warner, and anything else that could be repurposed in the overnight effort. (Here's the official story)

      Research into treating and preventing Polio was intense.  In 1950, first attempts at a vaccine failed.  But two researchers, Sabin and Salk, had promising results.  In late 1952, Jonas Salk was so confident of his newly developed vaccine that the first injections were to his wife and children.  Plans to test the Salk vaccine on children were developed in 1953 as manufacturers worked to prepare enough vaccine.  In April 1954,  1.8 million children between the ages of 6 and 9 received injections as one of history's largest medical experiments as their parents prayed.  Less than a year later the Salk vaccine was determined to be safe and 90% effective.  Weeks later the Salk vaccine was made available to everyone.
       I can only imagine the weight of fear in those days.  I can see why that would be a decision I might never forget as well!






Saturday, March 12, 2016

"Our Ancestors on Father's Side"

Here's another document from Tim and Bud's file.  This was most likely written by Emma Belle Fallis Collins.  It is reasonable to believe that this was composed before 1896.  I've come to this conclusion because the writer only mentions Charles as having L for a middle initial.  In 1896, Amos and Elizabeth Woodring Fallis (Amos's second wife) had their youngest son Watt L Fallis.  The only other author of our documents is Watt. So, it's safe to assume he would have included himself on the list.  Because of Grandpa, Dave and Jeff having Lee as a middle name, I consider the string unbroken though that generation.  Unfortunately, none of us knew it was a "thing".  I dropped the ball on naming all mine- did any of the rest of you keep it going?



Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Father's Family- the Fallis family




I believe this was also written by Emma Belle, eldest daughter of Amos L.  and Mollie Hayden Fallis.  The other possibility is that it was written by Watt L. Fallis, he was the youngest son of Amos L and Lizzie Woodring (Mollie Hayden died in 1892).

For clarity, here's a recap of the Fallis Family after they came to Central Indiana.

Turner W Fallis and wife Hannah Thompson Fallis- settled east of Marion
      They had 2 children Amos L. and Mary
Amos L. Fallis married Mary Mollie Hayden
      They had 10 children- William, Emma Belle, Frank, Maude, Lillian, John Carl, Dillard, Kenneth,
       and Watt L.
Frank Turner Fallis married Blanche Trout-
       They had 4 children- Arthur, Agnes, Mark C. and Owen
Mark and Veree are our Great Grandparents
    

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

A Short Drive With Grandpa


Dad (Don) was able to go on a "Sunday Drive" with Grandpa (Val Jean) this week.  Dad wrote me this note to share with you all.

"These 2 photo’s are from a cemetery which is north and east of Wheeling, Indiana. The large rock was acquired by George Milhollin taking his horses down to the river and dragging it up from the river to serve as a tombstone marker for he and his wife. 
Dad, when he and Mother were first married, farmed the land around the cemetery. The owner of the land was George Milhollin and he also owned the Burgiss farm which was across the road from where Mother and Dad live. (also across road from Milspangh’s)
George Milhollin was the father of Ralph Milhollin who was a hunting and fishing buddy of Dad’s. Ralph was sort of iconic in our area as a hunter and fisherman. It was Ralph, Dad and myself, when I was about 7 or 8 years old, that gave me my first taste of Sassafras Tea. We were hunting on the land that Jan and I now own just south of Wheeling. Ralph smelled the scent of sassafras and went over and dug up some roots, shaved off some small pieces of the root and got some water, started a fire, and made sassafras tea. We call that 80 acres the Taylor Farm. Those sassafras trees are still alive today. 
The Olive Branch Cemetery was where Dad wanted to be buried. Mother talked him out of it by saying that none of us kids would ever come to the grave site, because we would never be able to find it.
When asked why he wanted to be buried here, he said,'When I farmed this land, Mother would always pack my lunch and at dinner I would take my fishing rod and go down to the river and catch yellow belly cat fish. I thought that, if I was buried here, that I could get up out of my grave and go down to the river and fish any time I wanted.” 
We had a great day driving around asking questions of Dad.
Dad’s school bus was light green with seats around the perimeter of the bus. The tail pipe ran inside the bus for heat. It was warm, so you had to watch and not put your shoes on the tail pipe for very long as to not burn your shoes.
Don Fallis"
 Thanks for sharing with us, Dad.  Everyone, I'd be happy to have your stories too!


Sunday, February 14, 2016

A small glimpse into the Central Indiana Bairs


So here is a small rundown of the Bear/Bair family in central Indiana.  I was getting a little ahead of myself by not clearly checking all sources.  I haven't put dates down because there are descrepancies and I am still checking details. 

Peter Bear and Susannah (Burchell) Bear- married in Frederick County Virginia

·       Ezra Bear+ several more

Ezra Bear and Priscilla (French) Bear- married in Dearborn County, Indiana

·       Samuel Bear

·       John Bear

·       Peter Bear

·       Eliza Jane Bear

·       Lytle Bear

·       Ezra B Bear

·       Abigail Bear

John Bear and Martha (Mc Mahan) Bear

·       Irvin Emory Bear

·       Ida Bear

·       Jesse Bear

·       Carrie Mae Bear

·       Lilly Bear

·       Charles Herman Bair

·       Maude E Bear

·       Everett Earl Bear

·       Edith Bear

·       Sarah Leona* listed in Census as daughter in the household of John and Martha Bear and buried at Vinson Memorial Park under a headstone shared with her parents.

·       Emma B Bear* Listed as a daughter of John and Martha Bear in multiple census records

Irvin Emory Bair and Phoebe Jane (Allman) Bair

·       Virgil E Bear

·       Cletis Emory Bair

Cletis Emory Bair and Minnie Olive (Brake) Bair

·       Miriam (Bair) Mason

·       Mary Jane (Bair) Fallis

·       Thomas Bair

·       Phyllis (Bair) Collins

So many findings that I am going to have to get organizing!