HAPPY 50th ANNIVERSARY

I paid a surprised visit to Uncle Raymond and Aunt Janes Shelton this Sunday afternoon for their fiftierth Wedding anniversary open house. I always enjoy getting a visit with them and they had a nice turn out for their special day. I am looking forward to seeing them again very soon on as they travel to their place in Florida in January.

Janet and Raymond with grandson Adam.
Opening their cards!

Happy Birthday Keegan

Happy birthday to my nephew Keegan - He is eight years old today. This picture was taken at New Harmony Indiana last summer. I recently found out that Keegan is wild about BBQ ribs!

Charlie Rogers - Dec 24

My Uncle Charlie Rogers was born on Dec 28, 1895. Here is a picture of him that Aunt Pearl gave to me when he worked at the Veteran;s Hospital in Denver.

Happy Birthday Jennifer!

Happy birthdeay to my cousin Jennifer! She lives in Florida now. This picture was taken on Christmas Eve 1972

Dec 26, - Leone (Rogers) Shelton

Happy birthday to my Grandma Shelton! She is 93 today. In the first pictrue she is standing next to here sister Emma Jane, who is holding their niece Hazel. This next picture was taken just last month and Grandma is standing with my motther, Elaine.

Dad and Grandma

This picture was taken of Dad and Grandma on Christmas Afternoon. Linda prepared a great dinner -(I got to have two that day!).

Bunnell House 2007

Here are three pictures taken of Harve and May Bunnell's house on December 25, 2007. The first two are taken at ta great distance from the Blue Point crossroads. Many trees have been cleared between the crossroads and the house this year and the house can now be seen from the crossroads. The second picture was taken with a telephoto setting.
This last picture gives you a view from the Blue Mound Road up the lane to the house.

Forty years ago today

I can remember this little truck I got for my first Christmas - Dec 25, 1967. It came with tools and you could take it apart.

Christmas Morning

HEre are the Christmas flowers that I put on Granddad's grave this year - thought the other grandkids would want to see them. I took this picture Christmas morning on the way over to Bob and Doris' for Christmas dinner.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all of you who faithfully check in on this site - I really appreaciate all the input I get. This is a picture of this years Christmas tree at my place in St. Louis.

Dec 24 - Walter Rogers

Walter Rogers was the eigth child of Willard and Mattie Rogers He was born Dec 24, 1903 and died in 1942.

Christmas Eve 2007

Christmas Eve was always very special as the Shelton clan got together at Grandma's house. This year the gathering was much smnaller - Billl & Janis and myself joined Grandma for snacks and a great visit.

Here are a few pictures from Christmas Eves from previous years:

19671968
1969 1970

1971
1972

1975 1977
1978
1979
1982

Lincoln

Abe Lincoln was a VERY distant relative on my mother's sitde of the family (I won't go into that now) but, but just wanted to share this image with you. This photo has been colorized by a computer and that has always fascinated me. It is amazing what we can now do on a computer. I have tried my hand at this a few times and published the results here. This photot was taken Apr 10, 1865, just four days before Lincoln was shot.
I was always faxinated with photos of Lincon as a child. In high school , I discovered a book of every known photo of Lincoln . I never owned a copy of the book but kept it checked out f the library for years - studying the man's photographic history. Everytime I make a trip to Springfield it is always an incredible event to walk the same streets as Lincoln - one of the greatest men who ever lived.

Happt Birthday Lisa!

Happy birthday to my cousin Lisa - This is an older school pictre - not sure of the year,but she is a lovely young woman and mother now. Hope you had a great birthday kiddo!

Edna (Rogers) Walker

Dec 12 wsa the birthday of Edna Irene (Rogers) Walker (1901 - 2001), seventh child of Willard and Mattie Rogers. She is shown here c. 1920.

Me 'n' Molly Brown

Several years ago, I would guess about 1995, I was invited to the Molly Brown house in Denver,Colorado for an intimate dinner, You will remember the name from Meredith Wilson musical "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" and from her notoriety in the famed Titanic disaster in 1912, - I guess there were about twelve of us invited. Below is a photo of a punch bowl from the collection of Molly Brown. I was approached at the Ship's Tavern at the famed Brown Palace (my favorite Friday night hangout) by the curator of the Molly Brown house to offer a personal testimony of what music meant to time and how music had influenced me. I had just sang a song to the audience at the Brown and was singled by the host probably because my age the age of the song were so very incongruent. I, of course, accepted.
We were served not in the main house, but in the upper level of the carriage house (shown below) I wish I had taken notes - there were various performers of local prominence seated at the table. I remember that my good friend Mary was there (she still lives in Denver), We were served a wonderful meal and between courses we were asked to stand and tell a bit about what music had meant to us . When it came to be my turn I stood and told bout my interest in the ancient recordings made by Thomas Edison -those preserving the voices of George Gaskin, Len Spencer, Ada Jones, Billy Murray and Arthur Collins - all of whom (and their contemporaries) their records I collected. I told of what a recoding session was like in 1910, in the days of Molly (actually she went by Maggie) Brown. I spoke of how to properly sing into the recording horn, how to market a recording as a music promoter, I told of the best (and worst ) recording machines - the ones I owned and the ones I would like to have. It was a great dinner and one I will never forget. Below is a photo of Molly serving a dinner at the same home

Sometime in my life, I would like to host a similar dinner -hopefully I will - but, I will always remember this particular dinner at the Brown home on Pennsylvania Avenue in Denver.

Frank Charles Bunnell

I am pulling this post out of my hat. It was icy cold Monday and I spent the day huddled next to the fireplace, basking in the glow of a TV screen (my own M*A*S*H marathon) and hastily left early Tuesday afternoon - forgetting to pack up my external hard drive (and some 12,000 photos). Anyway here is a bit of history about a well known member of the Bunnell Family.

The fifth cousin of my great -great -great Grandpa - Seneca Bunnell was Frank Charles Bunnell. This would make him my fifth cousin five times removed
(We are both descended from Benjamin and Ann (Wilmot) Bunnell . He was the son of James Bunnell born Mar. 9, 1842 Frank enlisted in the 52nd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, and was mustered in as a Sergeant in Company B on September 20, 1861. On March 1, 1862 he was promoted to Quartermaster Sergeant of the regiment, a duty he performed until he was discharged due to disability on April 2, 1863. He became a successful banker, and made an unsuccessful Congressional run in 1872. However, late that year Congressman Ulysses Mercer resigned his seat to become a Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice, and Frank Bunnell was appointed to fill the vacancy. He represented Pennsylvania’s 13th District in the United States House of Representatives, serving from December 14, 1872 to March 3, 1872, when the duly-elected Congressman James Dale Strawbridge was sworn in. Returning home, he served in local political offices until 1884, when he was elected was a Republican to represent Pennsylvania’s 15th District in the United States House of Representatives. He served from March 4, 1844 to March 3, 1888, and did not run again for election after serving two terms (his seat was subsequently filled by Congressman Myron Benjamin Wright). He passes away in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Sept 11, 1911 at the age of 69.

William and Lunetta Shelton

Here is a bit about my grandpa (Harry Shelton's) uncle - William Wiser Shelton. William was the oldest son of William and Margaret Shelton, born in Muncie IN on May 29, 1867. His twin brother was Wilson Adam Shelton. William was married to Lunetta Walterson Jan 20, 1892. They had eleven children. The family were members of the Brown Church. near Mt. Erie IL.
William's son, Leonard (twin brother of Lawrence), died December 23, 1919 at the age of twenty in a fatal hunting accident. Heartbroken, William never recovered from the loss of his son and spent the last years of his life at the Southern Illinois Hospital at Anna.

William and Lunetta are pictured above with their first grandson Virgil (1917-1988, son of Eldon Shelton) about 1919.

Happy Brthday Doris Bozarth

Happy birthday to Aunt Doris Bozarth - fifth child of George and Faye Block. I will be spending a part of my Christmas day at her house for Christmas dinner.

Fairfield's First Automobile

The date is lost for this clipping form the Waynce Coutny Press - c.1900-1905. I found this clipping on the internet. The photo does not depict the photo implied in the4 atrticle, but merely an auto of the period - a 1905 Oldsmobile - the model that won the first cross country race and was the inspiration for the 1905 Gus Edwards song hit (recorded by my favorite pioneer singer Billy Murray) "In My Merry Oldsmobile".

Fairfield's First Automobile
John Gaddis and son, Jacob Gaddis, enjoy the distinction of being the first of our citizens to invest in an automobile. It was bought in St. Louis, and was brought out by a representative of the house last week. Brief stops were made at Nashville, Centralia and Mt. Verson, and the machine exhibited to prospective buyers. It cost $725, and is the "run about" size and pattern.
The Gaddis families enjoyed numerous spins Saturday and Sunday and Monday morning John and Jake Gaddis went to Salem, where they have a mill, returning Tuesday morning. Both trips were made in about five hours, which is almost as quickly as it can be made by rail, via Flora, including the stop of thirty minutes or more at the last named place which must be made in going by rail.
The automobile trip could be made in faster time by the automobile were it not for the stops rendered necessary by frightened teams along the road. Many horses that are not afraid of trains or anything else, frighten badly at the sight of an automobile, and the slight chucking noise made by the gasoline motor, while other horses pay no attention to it. The Messrs. Gaddis will use all precaution possible, but it is well for our people to be a little on the guard until they see how their horses take to the "horseless"carriage.
Many of those who have used the automobile think it is great sport, and it probably only remains for the manufacturers to get them down more reasonable figures to insure their general introduction.

Garmany 1968

I thought cousin Mark Shelton would enjoy seeing this snapshot taken with his older brother Wayne - taken in Germany about 1968. Mark, nice talkig with you this evening and I hope you and Katie can make it to StL for Earl's show on the 18th. It should be a great night.

40 years ago

This looks like Grandma and Grandpa Shelton's backyard - someone can correct me on that, I guess. I do know that the picture was taken in Dec 1967 and is of Raymond's kids, Jennifer, Jill Janie (on sled) and JR withthe thankless task of pulling the kids! Looks like fun ! Don't know if I'd want to get down in the cold, wet snow like I did when I was a kid, though.

Merritt Bunnerll 1887-1900

Merrit Bunnell was the oldest child of Harvey and May Bunnell. He was born Aug 3, 1887. One of Merrit's distinguishing characteristics was his very fair blonde hair. He died on Dec 1, 1900 and is buried in the Johnsonville Cemetery.

George Block in Iowa

Here is a picture of George Block thrashing wheat in Iowa - not sure which oine is George though. He was up there with Willie and Ben Bloch and Claude Stark (perhaps others) about 1911.

Six Blue Point kids

Here is a picture of some kids in the Blue Point area - Dale Bunnell, Kathryn Bunnell, Glen Wilfong, Marie Bunnell, Isaac Smith and Edra Wilfong. The picture was probably taken int he late 1930s.

Samuel Holmes

I just happened to stumble across this and thought the Rogers family might find it of interest, It is transcribed from A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans, written and compiled by William E. Connelley, Secretary of the Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, copyright 1918. Samuel Holmes was the brother to our Eliza (Holmes) Best - in other words - this is Mattie Rogers' uncle.

SAMUEL HOLMES


SAMUEL HOLMES has shown an ability amounting to genius for the successful handling of business affairs, especially landed transactions, and during his long residence in Kansas has accumulated some of the finest sections of farming land in Greenwood and surrounding counties. Mr. Holmes learned the value of industry when a boy, also the principles of straightforward integrity, and it may be said that in consequence he has always been a successful man. He is now eighty-three years of age and lives practically retired at Eureka. One of the connections he still retains is as vice president of the Home National Bank. Mr. Holmes is an honored veteran of the Civil war, in which he fought on the Union side.
He was born in Carroll County, Ohio, December 8, 1834, and lived on his father's farm there until 1853. In the meantime he attended the rural schools. Most of the schools at that time were supported on the subscription plan, and their advantages were correspondingly meager. In the spring of 1853 he moved out to Wayne County, Illinois, where his father followed him in the fall of the same year. Mr. Holmes laid the foundation of his success as a farmer in Illinois, and from that state brought considerable capital as well as experience to Kansas in the spring of 1870. Locating in Greenwood County, he pre-empted a claim and paid $1.25 per acre. This land was in the Osage reservation near Climax. On his quarter section there he lived until 1886, and in the meantime invested his surplus capital in various other quarter sections. He still owns the old homestead, but for the past thirty years has lived in Eureka. His individual ownership now includes 182 acres. But in the meantime he has given away 1,040 acres to his children. Each of his seven children received 160 acres except his daughter Ida, who accepted eighty acres and the equivalent of the other eighty acres she took in bank stocks. Mr. Holmes has done a magnificent part by his children, and they are all prosperous and have done their individual share of the world's work. Mr. Holmes also owns a comfortable residence on Mulberry Street in Eureka.
The beginning of his military service came in August, 1862, when he enlisted in Company D of the Eighty-seventh Illinois Infantry. He was in active service until the close of the war. His first important campaign was the siege of Vicksburg, and during the progress of operations against that city he participated in the severely fought battle at Jackson, Mississippi. Later his regiment was mounted and participated in Banks campaign up the Red River, and from that time until the end of the war he was engaged in scouting up and down the Mississippi River. He had numerous escapes from danger, and put in nearly three years of hard fighting for the preservation of the Union.
Mr. Holmes is a democrat, and for three years held the office of county commissioner of Greenwood County. He is a past master of Twin Falls Lodge of Masons and now has membership in Fidelity Lodge No. 106 Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.
Mr. Holmes comes of long lived and rugged stock, and both he and his ancestors have shown great vitality. The family record is noteworthy in several ways. Mr. Holmes was one of the eighteen children borne by his mother, while his father had fully twenty-six children by his three marriages.
The Holmes ancestors came from Scotland and were early settlers in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Mr. Holmes' great-grandfather was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. His name was Joel Holmes, and he was the founder of the family on this side of the Atlantic. The grandfather was John Holmes, who was born in Pennsylvania, took part as a soldier in the War of 1812, developed a pioneer farm in the wilds of Ohio and died in Seneca County of that state. Thus there has been members of this family participants in every great war in which this country has engaged.
William Holmes, father of Samuel, was born at Tuscarora, Pennsylvania, in 1801. He was reared and married in his native state, followed farming there, later removed to Carroll County, Ohio, a few years before Samuel was born, and developed one of the best farms in that county. He also became a man of prominence in local affairs, serving four years as auditor of Carroll County and four years as county treasurer. In 1853 he removed to Wayne County, Illinois, and afterwards retired from farming and spent the rest of his years there. His death occurred in 1887, when eighty-six years of age. He was a democrat in politics.
William Holmes' first wife was a Miss Joseph. Her four children, all now deceased, were Mary, Elizabeth, William and John. For his second wife William Holmes married Eliza Davis, the mother of Samuel Holmes. She was born at Tuscarora, Pennsylvania, in 1807, and died in Carroll County, Ohio, in 1849. A brief record of her large family of children is as follows: Isaac, who was a farmer in Putnam County, Ohio, and died in 1915; Catherine, who died in Carroll County, Ohio; Martha, who died in Carroll County; Jonathan, who was killed when a young man in Carroll County by a tree falling upon him; James, who was a physician and went to the Civil war as a Union soldier having charge of a Government hospital, and was never heard of afterwards; Miriam, who died in Wayne County, Illinois, in the summer of 1916; Samuel, who was the seventh of his mother's children; Eliza, who died in Wayne County, Illinois, in 1914; David, a veteran of the Civil war, afterwards a farmer, and died in Wayne County in 1914; Oliver, who died in Wayne County, was a farmer, served as county clerk four years, and as county treasurer the same length of time; Martin and Daniel, both of whom died in childhood; Milton, who is a farmer in Wayne County, Illinois; Sarah, who died at Madison, Kansas, in 1908; Eleanor, who died in Wayne County in 1904; Samantha, wife of Jesse Robinson, a retired veteran of the Civil war, her home being in Edwards County, Illinois; Calvin, a retired land owner at Mulberry, Arkansas; and the eighteenth and youngest was a son that died in infancy, his mother passing away at the same time. William Holmes married for his third wife Martha Wiseman. She was born at Massillon, Ohio, and died in Wayne County, Illinois, in 1870. She became the mother of four children: Eli, who was a physician and surgeon and died at St. Louis, Missouri; Malissa, who resides at Glenwood Springs, Colorado, widow of Caney Staton, who was a farmer; George, who is a farmer on the Roaring Fork of the Rio Grande in Colorado; and Mary, wife of William Westfall, employed in the steel factory at Pueblo, Colorado.
Mr. Samuel Holmes was married in Wayne County, Illinois, in 1856, to Miss Elizabeth Porterfield, a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Thompson) Porterfield. Her father was a farmer and both parents are now deceased. Mrs. Holmes died at Eureka, February 14, 1911, about five years after they had celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. It is the privilege of few couples to travel such a long part of the journey of life together as was the lot of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Holmes. Of their children the oldest is Elsina, wife of Marshall Moore, a farmer on Honey Creek in Greenwood County; Elmer, has been a farmer but is now living retired at Severy, Kansas; Alvin, whose home is on a farm at Climax, has completed one term of four years as county commissioner of Greenwood County and in 1916 was re-elected for another similar term; Mariett, is the wife of E. B. Powers, a farmer at Climax, Kansas; Arizona, who lives with her father in Eureka, is the widow of Harry Wyant, who was a farmer; Ida has always lived with her father and is unmarried; Murray, the youngest of the children, is cashier of the Home National Bank of Eureka. He was born in Greenwood County in April, 1882, was educated in the public schools of Eureka, graduating from high school in 1900, and also had a course in the Kansas City Business College at Kansas City, Missouri. On completing his education he became bookkeeper in the Citizens National Bank of Eureka, and in 1904, when the Home National Bank was organized he took the post of assistant cashier and bookkeeper and was advanced to cashier in 1912. He is an active democrat, is treasurer of the Board of Education of Eureka, and is one of the vigorous and progressive younger citizens of Greenwood County. Besides his home on Elm Street, he owns a 160-acre farm, given him by his father, in Greenwood County. Murray Holmes was married May 16, 1906, to Miss Jo Burris, daughter of A. P. and Lydia (McGanan) Burris, who reside on a farm at Virgil, Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. Murray Holmes have two children: Burris, born August 11, 1907, and Horace, born January 8, 1909.