Amanuensis Monday - Grandma Hill's Poetry, week 8

SOLITAIRE

 

When I'm tired, and wish to forget work and care

I get my old deck and play a few games of solitaire.

Whne my dogs want to bark, and my limbs ache

I play 18 ways of solitaire for my nerve's sake.

 

Sometimes I play twins, Minneapolis and St. Paul

Maybe I win, and again, maybe the right cards won't fall.

I play California when I wish the day to be sunny.

But often it rains there, and I lose my hard earned money.

 

Sometimes I play my other twins, Chicago and St. Joe

That's when I want to go to my very own native state

Where the tall corn and enormous pumpkins grow.

Where I always went to work early, and went to bed late.

 

Sometimes it's a la Ferris Wheel, where the queens I crown.

Sixes build up to the Jacks, and fives to the Kings build down.

Sometimes I shuffle and shuffle, in a hunt for the aces

And usually,m they never show a tiny peep of their faces.

 

Sometimes 'tis the ever losing game of Gambler's Delight

Then I think, how foolish is the poor duped fool's plight.

When he loses his money, and everything, even his shirt,

And his shoes and his poor naked feet are out in the dirt.

 

I play up and down Germany, when I want to fight

I think of the Nazis and the cards flop with all my might.

What I think of the beasts? The words I won't even try to spell.

They'll never go to Heaven, they are too mean to go to H--l.

 

According to my various moods, the others, in I mix.

But when I lose on all of them, I'm in a terrible fix.

Sometimes I feel much better, quite happy and gay.

Other times, I get mad, and put the cards away.

 

Then I think I'll put in my time with a good book.

Sometimes I get busy with thread and crochet hook.

But more often, when I have a little spare time.

My pen gets busy, to spell out some silly rhyme.

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.

Society Saturday - Marking Big Woods Cemetery

The DuPage Chapter of  Daughters of the American Colonists (DAC) recently visited the Big Woods Cemetery in Aurora, Illinois, as part of their yearlong 70th Anniversary Celebration.  This is a historic cemetery that had been marked and rededicated by the State DAC.  There are several graves in the cemetery dating back to the 1830's, including a Revolutionary War Patriot and his family.  

The cemetery was originally part of the Big Woods Church that is adjacent.  The Church was established as the Big and Little Woods Church of Christ in 1835, but soon after became the Big Woods Congregational Church.  It is one of the oldest churches in DuPage County.  The church was quickly involved with the abolitionist movement and was one of the stops on the Underground Railroad.   It later became involved with the Women's Christian Temperance Union.

Amanuensis Monday - Grandma Hill's Poetry, week 7

They took me to the hospital. Oh, what a jest!

They said I must have quiet and complete rest.

There was noise beneath, all around and over head.

A rubber pad, on a board, they called a bed.

 

They punctured my finger for a blood test.

They felt of my belly, they felt of my chest.

They took pictures of my liver, and tested my heart.

I thought maybe from my gall bladder, I'd have to part.

 

They dented my dignity, and raised my wrath.

By keeping me in bed while I took my bath.

For a gown, they gave me a monkey shirt.

It had neck and sleeves. No sign of a skirt.

 

For nourishment, they brought a bottle on a pole

Tied my hand down, and in my arm, made a hole.

When I had to empty, they brought me a pan.

Even tho' all my live, I had used a pe-can.

 

The nurses were overworked, but did their work well.

When the sisters were out, dirty stories they would tell.

My doctor was a Jew, very wise, and acted with much concern.

But I lay there wishing for the care of the intern.

 

On one side was an old lady, who had broken her hip.

Tho' she suffered much pain, no lament passed her lip.

On the other side was a woman that I thought had the pip.

She turned loose both ends of her tongue, and just let her rip.

 

For the invalids of hospitals, I've toiled and cooked.

Thought how nice the inside looked.

But just give me the quiet of home, and my own good bed.

And don't take me away again 'till after I'm dead.

 

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.

Society Saturday - DFPA does Dallas!

The National Society of Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America held their fall board meeting in Dallas, Texas.  We usually spend one day touring and learning about whatever city we are meeting in.

We were supposed to start by visiting the Bush Presidential Library.  Unfortunately, due to the Government shutdown, the Library was closed.  Instead we visited the Meadows Art Museum at SMU.  This museum had a lot of artwork by Spanish painters.  It was very well done.

After lunch at a Tex-Mex restaurant, we had a bus tour of the city.  Our guide was a 4th generation Dallas resident and was very knowledgeable about Dallas history.  Unfortunately, it rained steadily throughout the tour, but we enjoyed it anyway.

We saw the Robert E Lee park with Arlington House.

 

 

Complete with a statue of Robert E. Lee himself.  

 

We saw the School Book Depository where Lee Harvey Oswald was when he shot JFK.  The square window at the right front end of the 6th floor (next to the round window) was the window where he fired the fatal shot from.

A typical Texas sculpture is the 47 longhorn cattle being driven by 3 cowboys.

We ended the day with dinner at a local Bar-B-Q place.

The next day, following our Executive Board meeting, we enjoyed hearing Lloyd Bockstuck speak on an American Patriotic Icon, the Liberty Bell.  

www.nationalsocietydfpa.com

Amanuensis Monday - Grandma Hill's Poetry, week 6

 

Could my thoughts be painted as pictures on the wall.

Some I'd leave there. Others I'd have there not all

Thoughts of my friends would have a choice place.

Thoughts of my enemies would not the wall grace.

 

Thoughts of those I love would hang over my easy chair

Where I would think them near me, as I rested there.

Thoughts of those I dislike, if they must be painted at all,

Would hang out of my sight, on some very obscure wall.

 

Thoughts of my sorrows, would hang in a room I treasure

Where I might go in and see them at my leisure.

Thoughts of gladness I'd hang in a room I use every day

Where I could see and enjoy them, while at work or at play.

 

Thoughts of my family, I'd hang in the room where I sleep

Where a close feeling of nearness to them I could always keep.

So my thought pictures would be studies and hung where

That in my moments memory, I'd enjoy them as they hung there. 

 

 

 

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.

Society Saturday - Learning the History of Peoria

Our lunchtime speaker at Illinois Heritage Weekend was Mark L. Johnson from the Peoria Historical Society.  His talk was entitled "Top 20 Events in the History of Peoria".  Due to time constraints, he really just hit on the highlights.

We learned a lot about the History of this central Illinois city.  Some of the highlights include:

• Peoria lies on Lake Pimiteoui which means "fat lake" because of its abundant wildlife
• The site was originally "discovered" by explorers Marquette and Jolliet in 1673 who claimed it for the French.
• Three forts were built in this area:  Fort Crevecour in 1680, Fort Saint Louis in 1691 and Fort Clark in 1813.
• Peoria has been under French, British and American control.
• The area has been in Virginia territory, Northwest territory, Indiana territory and Illinois territory
• There were several skirmishes between Americans and Indians during the War of 1812 in and around the area
• Peoria was incorporated as a town in 1835.

It is always interested to learn a little of the local history and how it ties into the history of our nation.

Tombstone Tuesday - Dedicating a tombstone for an 1812 Heroine

John Kinzie Chapter of the Daughters of 1812 has been busy trying to honor a Heroine of the War of 1812.  She was Julia Martin Lambert.  

Julia was living near Fort Harrison in Vigo County, IN when the Fort was attacked by a group of Indians on September 4, 1812.  The Indians set fire to the blockhouse of the Fort.  The soldiers battled the Indians, while the civilians organized a bucket brigade.  Soon the water level in the well dropped below the level that they could reach with their buckets.  Julia climbed down into the well to fill the buckets.  Her actions saved the fort.

Julia lated moved to Knox County, IL where she died in 1872.  She is buried in an unmarked grave there in Yates City.  When we  first learned about her, I was able to find her 3rd-great-granddaughter, and contacted the cemetery about a formal marking.  

The cemetery in Yates City was thrilled to have such a woman buried there.  They provided a marker for her.  Our chapter held a small tombstone dedication last weekend.  We are planning a formal ceremony in the spring when her marker is complete (metal plaque where the paper is), and when her descendant can attend.

Society Saturday - Heritage Weekend

Illinois' First Annual Heritage Weekend was a success!

For several years, many of us have talked about having a day or two when members of several lineage groups in Illinois could meet and have several consecutive society meetings, similar to Lineage Week in Washington DC in April.  This would help us to learn about other societies in the state, and help those societies attract new members.  It would also lessen the time and distance several of us spend traveling to multiple meetings.

Jane Schleinzer actually turned these discussions into reality.  She contacted all of the statewide lineage groups in Illinois to determine their interest.  Several were interested, some declined, and some decided to wait and see how this year's weekend was received.  She organized several meetings of Presiding Officers of the interested groups, we picked a hotel, chose a menu, found entertainment for the meals, and Heritage Weekend was born.

From September 27-29, we met in East Peoria, in central Illinois.  There were 13 lineage groups represented - 2 CoEd, 1 male, 10 female.  In all, there were nearly 60 attendees.  Every group had its own business meeting, but anyone could attend and learn about any of the Societies.  There were several attendees who are pursuing membership in other societies.

At the close of the meeting, the Presiding Officers met again to debrief.  The unanimous decision was to start planning Illinois' Second Annual Heritage Weekend.

Amanuensis Monday - Grandma Hill's Poetry, week 5

MY DREAM

I dreamed of you, and all the fair

Sweet joys of other years came back.

The days, unburdened by a care

The words, the smiles, the tears, alack!

And yet, Love's sacred own, each tear

Only made love more dear, more dear,

To you - to me - Love's vanished years

Came back - my eyes were full of tears.

I dreamed of you, and thought I'd stay

My tears, and check my aching heart.

I bade the present - go apart

And be no more, while I should dream

Of happy days - and you - and deem

'Twas not a dream!

But when those years come back -

My eyes were full of tears.

I dreamed of you, and let them have

Their way - my tears -

And let my breast throb with unrest,

The while I gave myself up to my dream - the blest

Dear memory of what once was!

'Twere vain to have done else, because

When the lone heart dreams of Love's years

'Tis then the eyes will fill with tears. 

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.