Monday, November 25, 2013

Amanuensis Monday - Grandma Hill's Poetry, week 12


THANKS TO AN UNKNOWN ADMIRER
I'm sorry I can't come to thank you right,
But can't, for my hair long ago turned white.
But mayhap for me, 'tis just as well
For praise might make my head swell.
But many thanks for your kind letter
Kind words make us all feel much better.
I'm glad you are a friend of my grandson,
And hope he may find many another good one.
I wish you content with your Army life
And glad that with you, there is your wife.
A man and wife - many miles apart
Makes far too much aching for the heart.






Nancy Jane Wiley Hill (1875-1960) was always writing something.  Many of those poems are now in the possession of her granddaughter Shirley Kern.  Shirley, with the help of her sister-in-law Ruth Ormsby, transcribed these poems in 1996 for a Hill-Ormsby-Kern family reunion.  I am going to post many of these poems so that they may be enjoyed by all.

These are copyright 1996 and reprinted with permission.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Society Saturday - Arlington Heights Historical Society

The winter board meeting of the Illinois Society Children of the American Revolution was held at the Arlington Heights Historical Society, northwest of Chicago.

State President Callah McLeod and Senior State President led the meeting.  There were over 40 attendees, with standing room only.

Before enjoying lunch and the tour, the members gathered for a picture.

The Arlington Heights Historical Museum is actually comprised of five buildings.  One contains offices and meeting rooms.  The tour visited the other four buildings.  There is a replica log cabin which represented the home of the Dunton family, the first settlers in the area.  Next door is a coach house that contains exhibits of farm implements, historic dioramas and a school room.

There are two houses included on the tour - The Frederick W. Mueller home, built in 1882.  Mr. Mueller made his living bottling pop - "Arlington Club Soda" and the factory was in the basement of his home.  His daughter Minnie married Nathaniel Banta and built a house next door.  Both homes are on the National Register of Historic Places.


One of the highlights of the tour was the Martha Parkinson Mills doll collection, displayed in the Banta house.  Martha was a Senior Leader of N.S.C.A.R. and wrote the "C.A.R. Song" which is still sung at National, Regional and State meetings.


Monday, November 18, 2013

Amanuensis Monday - Grandma Hill's Poetry, Week 11

BARKER
 
Hiya boys, whadaya say?
Bets all made for the game today?
All make money,
All get rich.
Then call other guys
"Son of a bitch."
 
Step up boys, make your bets,
Make a couple dollars outa 35 cents.
Make a little money,
Spend it on beer,
Go out and find some little dear.
 
Come on boys, dig down deep,
Hey, there, hey, rent ain't that steep.
'Sides, you get payments,
Win every time,
Hey there, boys, spend another dime!
 






Nancy Jane Wiley Hill (1875-1960) was always writing something.  Many of those poems are now in the possession of her granddaughter Shirley Kern.  Shirley, with the help of her sister-in-law Ruth Ormsby, transcribed these poems in 1996 for a Hill-Ormsby-Kern family reunion.  I am going to post many of these poems so that they may be enjoyed by all.

These are copyright 1996 and reprinted with permission.

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Society Saturday - New England Women in Illinois

 The three Colonies (chapters) of New England Women in Illinois had a joint meeting to visit with our President General, Linda Brown Jones.  Mrs. Jones told us about the current state of the Society.

The National Society of New England Women is a National Lineage Society with over 1000 members in 45 Colonies around the country.  Membership requires a lineal ancestor who was born in New England prior to the Revolutionary War.  They have several charities, including Kurn Hattin school in Vermont, Clarke School for the Deaf, and the Soldiers Sailors and Airmen Club in New York.

Jane Schleinzer, President of Chicago Colony; Linda Jones, President General; Kathy Carey, President of Mississippi Valley Colony; Donna Baumann, President of Rockford Colony

Monday, November 11, 2013

Amanuensis Monday - Grandma Hill's Poetry, week 10

THE BOYS WHO MARCHED AWAY
 
Trumpets and drums and marching feet
Out of the past, their echos flow
Banners that flaunted through the street
Bright eyes, tear wet, that gazed below.
Visions of glory and glow
Light hearts of youth that dared the fray
Lost in the mists of the long ago.
Where are the boys, who marched away?
Far o'er the sea, their ghostly fleet
Rocks at its moorings, to and fro
There where the fen and ocean meet
Proudly, their column moves, and slow.
Africa and Italy lie low, lie low
Berlin is fallen, and the smoke is cleared away
Where are the hearts that knew their throe
Where are the brave boys who marched away?
Young eyes that gazed beyond defeat
Sleep by the Rhone and the Po
Ah, dreams of that terrible battle head
Are under the poppies, or under the snow.
Silently they await that Last Great Day
And desert, and steppe, and torrent know
Where are the boys who marched away?
And Lord, when the silver trumpet shall blow
Calling us to come to our battle fray
Grant us to look on high and know
Where the boys are who marched away.






Nancy Jane Wiley Hill (1875-1960) was always writing something.  Many of those poems are now in the possession of her granddaughter Shirley Kern.  Shirley, with the help of her sister-in-law Ruth Ormsby, transcribed these poems in 1996 for a Hill-Ormsby-Kern family reunion.  I am going to post many of these poems so that they may be enjoyed by all.

These are copyright 1996 and reprinted with permission.

Monday, November 04, 2013

Amanuensis Monday - Grandma Hill's Poetry, week 9

 
 Mine ears have heard the G.O.P. little fop
Telling of electoral votes that he hasn't got
How he's going to sweep the White House clean
And talking of a policy, whose workings he's never seen.
 
While mine eyes have seen the work already done
Taking care of laborers every one.
Yes, the donkey is marching right ahead
On the path the elephant aspires to tread.
 
And the donkey has a past - records on which to ride
While the elephant must tread on broken promises they'd like to hide.
And ridden by Harry, armored by the facts, will go right ahead
While Tommy bogged down by lies, will ride the poor elephant 'till he drops dead.
 
 
 
Background Notes:
 
Grandma Hill was an ardent Democrat, while her husband C.T. was a staunch Republican. The family stories tell how she would put her political signs in one window of their house while his signs were in another window. During the summer when everyone had their windows open, the whole neighborhood could hear when they were having a political "discussion".
 
I suspect this was written during the 1948 election season. A democrat had been President since 1932 when Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected. After FDR's death in 1945, his Vice-President Harry Truman became President. Truman's Republican challenger in 1948 was Thomas E. Dewey.
 
 
 

Nancy Jane Wiley Hill (1875-1960) was always writing something.  Many of those poems are now in the possession of her granddaughter Shirley Kern.  Shirley, with the help of her sister-in-law Ruth Ormsby, transcribed these poems in 1996 for a Hill-Ormsby-Kern family reunion.  I am going to post many of these poems so that they may be enjoyed by all.

These are copyright 1996 and reprinted with permission.

Saturday, November 02, 2013

Society Saturday - Conversations with the First Ladies

I recently attended a fundraiser for another chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.  It was a high tea - which I used as an excuse to wear a new fascinator :-)

The program was given by first person interpreter Jenny Riddle.  She gave a performance as several first ladies, beginning as Mary Todd Lincoln.  She had a lace headcover, lace collar and lace gloves over her basic black pantsuit. 

After a quick change to a cloche and fur wrap, she portrayed Eleanor Roosevelt.



Another quick change to pillbox hat, pearls, and white gloves transformed her into Jackie Kennedy.  Each of these first ladies told of their courtship and relationship with their husbands, including their reactions to their husband's dalliances (FDR and JFK).

A final change to a patriotic scarf, and she was Hillary Clinton, who serenaded us with song.



It was quite an enjoyable afternoon, having tea with these famous ladies.