Freddie Newby Benefit

The Huron Valley Eagles will host a benefit for the family of Freddie Newby on May 10, 2008.

Freddie Newby Benefit

There have been some nice donations for the raffle. Bobby Osborne, Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road, and Nothin’ Fancy have donated CDs. Autographed copies of a photo of Rhonda Vincent and Bobby Osborne will also be included.

You can see from the schedule that the local groups are coming out to support this effort. We want to see you there, too!

You can download a copy of the flyer to pass out here. Thank you.

Wow!

We had a wonderful time at Pickin’ on Cystic Fibrosis Saturday.  More on that later this week.  We detoured to Kalamazoo and brought GD2 back with us for a visit.  She is completely different from her sister, and takes a little getting used to.  Her parents taught her to be quite polite, so if she doesn’t want to do something she just says, “No thank you.”  Not real helpful, but polite!

I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday, and she came right along.  She thought the doctor might want to look at her, but didn’t seem disappointed when that didn’t happen.

The, D3 and I headed for the zoo with her in tow.  This is the first zoo trip with a grandchild in memory which didn’t include a stroller.  Really, she could walk the whole way, no problem, but we had to put our lunches, which usually ride in the stroller, in a backpack.  GD3 was really about a treat, and wanted it sooner, not later.  She also wanted to play on the playground.  Funny, there are playgrounds everywhere, but not zoo animals.  But she saw some animals, too.  She seemed to like the giraffes best.  And we did get her a treat, and we did make a stop at the playground.  She was a trooper, and walked along the whole way.

After dinner, D3 wanted to finish cutting down the hedge roses.  The problem out there is that we have an invader.   That thing is a monster, and we’ve cut if back, and cut it back, and cut it back without success.  We’ve filled bag after bag to take to the compost site.   It just winds it’s way around everything in it’s path.  so, we cut down the roses, and the vine, and found where the vine is coming from.  We’re going to attack it for real this year, and try to rid ourselves of it for good.  Then, we’ll either replant the roses, or they will come up on their own.  They’re hard to get rid of too, but at least they are native to our area.

Papa got out the big tiller and went through the garden a bunch of times.  Then he took pity on D3, who was  cutting the vine and the roses with a pruner, while I cut them up and bagged them.  So her brought the chain saw out and finished off the row.  Wow,  if we had just bagged the whole thing.  but we ran out of gas after a couple of hours.  All the time we were outside, little  GD2 kept saying, what shall I do?  We had her  carrying the stones away from the bush row, and taking them to put under the windmill by the shed.  I’ve been throwing stones from the garden into that hedge for 10 or 12 years, so there were a few.   She really wanted to help bag the cut up bushes, but I don’t have any kid sized leather gloves. 

 D3’s raspberries and my rhubarb are doing well.  The rest of the garden looks ready to plant, but it’s a little early.  Now, I still have to finish my flower beds in the back, and I need to do that this week.  So, this morning I’ll give that a good go.  This is really the time of year I like best, pretty flowers, newly green grass, summer smells, all without the real hot weather. 

 

Thank You!

I can’t name names today, since I’m not focused and I don’t have my program, it’s in Papa’s car.  I just want all of the wonderful people who came out Saturday to support Jimmy’s endeavour, Pickin’ on Cystic Fibrosis, to know how much it meant to Papa and I.

You can see the main sponsors here, but none of that replaces the assistance given by some very special individuals. 

The members of The Mike Adams Band and  Hardline Drive drove from the Detroit area to play their music at the benefit.  Jimmy’s band mates and friends in the Windy Mountain Boys drove quite a distance and showed up with big smiles on their faces.  Detour Bluegass and Lonesome Journey live closer, but made the considerable commitment of giving their effort and time to our cause.

The members of Pride of Newaygo County again provided the concessions.  These kids work hard, and I know they make their families and community proud. 

Native Wood Music Store, in addition to their sponsorship, helped with music.  Seeing  youth involved in music is a good tonic for all of us.

Papa has a large bunch of photos, which I will post later this week.  We also have some video, so depending on how it came out, if the bands approve we may have some of that on-line soon.

Sometimes, the best thing you can do is be there, and Papa and I are glad so many people were.  Thank you.

If you couldn’t make it, you can still donate.  All funds go directly to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for research to find a cure.

Thinking, Thinking, Thinking

Marion Yearnd elementary class

I looked over this picture and then scanned my genealogy database. I realized that little Marion is wearing roller skates. That hardly seems right for a visit to the Yearnd cousins I was thinking of. Then I remembered Austin William Kaiser 1896-1920, son of William Kaiser and Delia Conway. William Kaiser was Winnie’s father, and Deila, one of two stepmothers. Winnie’s mother, Jane (Jennie) Johnston, died in January 1888, when Winnie was between 2 and 3. William’s subsequent marriage to Delia Conway, 1862-1930, produced two children, Austin, and his older sister, Aunt Bertha. Bertha Kaiser, 1893-1981, is one of the few Kaisers I remember well. I didn’t know the sad story about her brother until much later. He died young, of diabetes, according to his obituary. I do remember she said he was a very good horseman. But wait, I know there were some photos with horses in them. I know the Kaiser’s kept a boarding house, I wonder if they also had horses and chickens? So many questions, so few answers…

Austin was born in 1896, and Marion in 1912. Using my handy-dandy date calculater, he was 15 years, 9 months and 13 days older than Marion. Marion was always small for her age, it’s obvious in all the photos, but roller skating is a skill for after you can walk pretty well and have good balance. If she were 5, Austin would be 20. Could that young man be 20? Maybe. Perhaps the young man in that photo was “Uncle Austin” to little Marion.

Winnie A. (Kaiser) Yearnd Scrapbook, Marion Augusta Yearnd

Marion A. Yearnd, 1912-1969, was the second of my grandmother’s 5 children.
Marion Yearnd

Aunt Marion was a tiny lady, size 2 or something. She lived in Chicago, and worked in various governmental offices. She never married, and visited our house on Thanksgiving often when I was small. She may have come more often, but I was small. I suppose she started visiting us when Grandma died in 1957, and she could no longer stay there. I remember meeting her plane in Reed City, then Grand Rapids. It was very exciting for a small town girl, and Aunt Marion seem quite sophisticated in her big-city style and attitude.

Aunt Jane said Marion was easy to pick out, with her little cheeks. In fact, we pick out a lot of my family by those cheeks. Here is a school picture from that page, not sure what year. The school was in Cadillac, Michigan. They had a school for each ward, but I haven’t researched the school the children would have attended.

Marion Yearnd elementary class

Here is Marion on the porch of Grandmother’s house, 703 East Division, Cadillac, Michigan. This was the second home she and Grandpa lived in. It is also the house my family moved to after Grandma died in 1957. I have many memories of visiting Grandma in that house. She called me “Sweetie” and I called her “Sweetie”. I don’t know if Grandma was a taboo word for some reason, but I never referred to her as Grandma (until now.)

Marion Yearnd

There are a some people I can’t identify in some of these photographs. I believe them to be Yearnd cousins, Aunt Jane mentioned them often. In any event, they often appear near a house I also can’t identify. Here is the first on in that catagory. I know this is Aunt Marion, and I know it’s “the other house” that appears often in the early family pictures.

Marion Yearnd elementary class

One more from that page, one of Aunt Marion and Dad. James Austin Yearnd, 1927-1979, was a bit younger than the other four children. Well, 10 years younger than his closest sibling, and 15 or so years younger than Aunt Marion.

Marion and James Yearnd

You can see how short Marion was, since Dad looks to be a young teen in this one. This photo, and the one of Aunt Marion in the boat were probably taken at the family cottage on Lake Mitchell.

Winnie A. (Kaiser) Yearnd Scrapbook, Page 1, Margaret Jane Yearnd

The first page of Grandma’s scrapbook is dedicated to her oldest child, Margaret Jane Yearnd. There are 10 photos of Aunt Jane, her husband, Leo Devereaux, and a person who may be her husband’s sister, Catherine. Aunt Jane called her, “sister Kate”. This page seems to contain photos related to a home Leo and Jane owned in Detroit.

Ashton Road House

The house is in the 7 mile and Southfield area, on Ashton Road. Papa and I drove past it a few years ago, and it’s still there, and looks much the same. The main difference is, when the Devereauxs purchased the home, there was open area in the back. Now, this section of Detroit is packed with houses. There was a lot of new building and expansion in Detroit right after WWII when they probably bought this house.
Jane, Leo, cappy and perhaps Leo's sister

Aunt Jane is the lady kneeling, holding the dog.

Jane on porch

Aunt Jane on the porch.

leo

Uncle Leo on the porch.

Back on Track

I’ve been working more on my hobby, genealogy. For that reason it was interesting to receive a request from someone for some copies of pictures I have. Not of people, but painted by someone. That someone, an uncle of mine by virtue of the fact he married one of my father’s sisters; was a diverse, talented guy. I know this because my Aunt described him that way, she really thought the sun rose and set on him.

I have the pictures on my wall for two reasons, a couple were given to me, and the rest were given to another of my aunts. Confused yet? Figures.

In the process of photographing the paintings, I remember my grandmother’s things, and my resolution to rescan them with my new scanner and have better copies. So I started scanning again. Now, I’m going to start posting them. If you are related, please contact me. I’d love to record your story in my genealogy. I’d also love to share copies of the photographs I have with you.

Darn Wings

Papa and I settled down to watch the Red Wings last night.  I was chilly, so I made some tea.  As we watched, the cats begged for attention, spread hair all over, again.  They’re shedding like mad.

Things were going pretty well, and then it all fell apart in the third period.  Nashvegas won, darn it.  I guess those with game 5 tickets in Detroit are OK with it, but I’m not.  I think the more games the worse off the Wings are.  Fewer games = fewer injuries, fewer bruises, fewer road trips, more sleep, higher confidence and stronger performances.

I sure hope they win Wednesday.

Finished

Did I say the dresses were finally finished?  I’m really glad, and relieved.  I am going to make aprons for them,  so they won’t get too much food on them at the reception. We’re calling them aprons, it might be more like big bibs!

Completed dresses

If you have the time, you could compare them to the sample.  I’m pretty happy with the results, and the girls were really excited when they tried them on. 

Now, for some yard work….

Just do It!

Some things you need to do. We want to see you at Jimmy’s benefit show next Saturday, April 19, Dogwood Center, Fremont, Michigan.
Pickin' on CF Flyer

For a discount coupon, head on over to the benefit site.