Willis Reunion - Sharing my Great-Grandmother's Journal

I found a journal written in 1864 by my great-grandmother, Bessie Hiter Willis when she was 13 years old.  I dressed in costume and presented excerpts from the journal at the Willis Family Reunion on August  12, 2012.  (There were about 140 people present.)

Cousin Talia Moser with her "Great-Grandmother Bessie Hiter Willis"

How can I begin to write about one of the most positive, intense experiences of my life?  

First, I was too busy living "in the moment" to take photos and so were cousins Bill and Corty Freeman.  Keep in mind, it wasn't my costume or me that captivated the audience.

Corty Freeman and MaryMay Angelil

I practiced with my brother, Philip, the week before and he gave me some good coaching on pacing and expression.  I was careful to speak directly into the mike so everyone could hear. 

Before I began, I reminded my family that "this is REAL," then "transformed" myself into Bessie Hiter Willis, age 13.

You know how, in most any audience setting, there's always a little movement, shuffling, and a bit of coughing?  That did NOT happen during my 23 minute presentation!  People seemed spellbound by our great-grandmother's words.

Explaining that the journal was the size of half a notebook paper.  The 1864 portion was loose papers but were, thankfully, numbered.  The 1873 portion was pinned into a booklet with straight pins.

I was so nervous but was determined to convey her thoughts.  I was embarrassed that I got emotional a few places but got feedback later that the tears made it all the more poignant. 

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The excerpts I chose from the l864 portion of the journal were about how the Civil War affected Bessie's everyday life and about her older brother who went off to war at 17 but was dead of typhoid in just two months. 

Bessie's final statement in this first portion of the journal was quite perceptive for a 13-year-old girl.

"April 29, 1865    
General Lee surrendered on April 9, 1865 to the Yankees.  Lincoln was murdered in the theater in Washington on April 15th.  Andy Johnson is now President of the United States.  The Yankees, so far, have been lenient to the people of VA.   How I do hope somebody would ruin the Yankees.  They acknowledge that they did not whip us, they overpowered us.  All this for nothing."

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From the 1873 part of the journal, I chose some of the ROMANCE entries!  

"January 5, 1874  
Have refused E.H.W. twice.  For good.  ...But why should it trouble me? ...I should think if I was in love with him, I'd know it."   (E.H.W was Eugene Harrison Willis, who became our great-grandfather.) 

"July 26, 1874 
He says his feelings have not changed and that he loves me more than ever before....but wants to know if there is any hope for him.  I knew not what to say." 

The journal ended in 1874 with Bessie being offered two teaching positions.  This was a real cliff-hanger!!!

However, things moved along because two years later they had their first son....and after that 8 more children!

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Philip helped me write the closing, which I thought was rather good:

"Speaking to you as Mary May Angelil....my great-grandmother's journal gave me unique insight into who I am and from whom I came.    When someone dies, we usually only know them through pictures and things written ABOUT them.

Today we have had a real and special glimpse into our great-grandmother’s life through her very own words. She was born in 1850 and died in 1923. This was Bessie Hiter Willis."

 Just think, all this from a little old shoebox!

Willis Reunion 2012 - Unique Setting

I showed you in my last post an outside view of the barn where The Willis Family Reunion was held. 

(Thanks to Cousin John Moser for the photos in this post.)

The inside was a very unique setting for a meeting and lunch.  

This is a real "live horse" barn!

Betty Long inherited Locust Hill Farm, which has been in the Willis family for 148 years. 
 

Here Michael and Betty Long welcome the family to their home.

This barn, if I understand it correctly, was built fairly recently and is a state-of-the-art equestrian facility, Locust Hill Equestrian Center.

Somewhere I saw a write-up about this style of rafters and the type wood used, but can't locate that piece.

During the program, the horses were just quietly listening with a snort now and then.

They were friendly to young and old.

Cousins Werter Willis and Kat Stoneman were co-presidents this year.  There is a lot of planning and organizing that goes on behind the scenes for this reunion, which is held every 2 years.

After the program came the potluck picnic luncheon, featuring brown sugar pie like my mother used to make and other great Southern dishes. (Mmmm)!

Until the next post:

Willis Reunion 2012 - Exhausted and Exhilarated

The Willis Family Reunion near Culpeper, VA was a most enjoyable event this weekend.  It was a pleasure to see many, many cousins --- some new and some I remember from my childhood days.

Portraying my Great-Grandmother Bessie Hiter Willis and sharing portions of her journal (written in 1864 during the Civil War) was an honor. All went extremely well and I look forward to sharing more very soon.

First, I must decompress.....my total exhaustion is unexpected but my exhilaration at the impact on the audience was overwhelming.

Willis Reunion 2012 - Ramping Up for the Reunion

I haven't posted for a while because I've been quite busy preparing for the Willis Family Reunion in Culpeper, Virginia this weekend.  

Last summer, when going through things from Mother's estate, I found a journal that Great-Grandmother Betty Hiter Willis kept when she was 13 years old.  It was during the Civil War in 1864!  (Click this link to see the post from last summer:  Shoebox Surprises

I will be sharing excerpts from the journal as part of the program on Sunday and will be going in costume.  (Let's I don't swoon from the heat!)

I almost threw the little batch of loose papers away because I thought they were illegible, when suddenly the date "May 15, 1864" jumped out at me.  Luckily, the 49 pages were numbered.

 

Sometimes I have to pinch myself because THIS IS REAL and it's as if my great-grandmother is speaking to me.

 

Here's a sample entry....mind you, I couldn't make out every word because with the yellowed paper and pale writing, deciphering it was extremely challenging.

"Sunday, May 15, 1864 Rock Spring
It is raining quite hard. Pa and Grandfather have just got here from the Court House. Went up to carry half their meat for the army. I can't help thinking of the poor soldiers, the wounded and dead.  I'm so sorry poor John Biggers was killed and his orphan sisters left alone in the world.

A big fight came off Thursday the 12th. The Yankees took some of our breastworks and all of Johnston’s Division but 600 men and ?__? Battalion of Artillery.  Cousin Willie Hart escaped, Willie Hiter was taken. We recaptured all the guns but four. It was in retaking the breastworks that John Biggers was killed. I feel like I wanted to be nearer the fighting than I am.

Finished my new calico dress yesterday, it cost $50. Hugh returned from Spotsylvania last night. Did not go to see the battleground, they won't allow citizens to go."

If I start getting butterflies, I plan to remind myself that I'm not MaryMay, I'm merely a vessel for Great-Grandmother Betty Young Hiter (Willis). I am getting psyched, pumped up, and ramped for this reunion!   

Bad News, Good News by Blanche

The bad news is kitty Blanche threw up on the hall floor near the kitchen.

The good news is it wasn't on the carpet.

The bad news is MaryMay didn't see it, slipped in it, and now has bruised, skinned knees and aching wrists.

The good news is the kitchen floor is now clean as a whistle!

Resplendent Roseate Spoonbill

There's nothing quite like glancing out your living room window to discover a pink bird about three feet tall wading along the edge of your lake.  

Even though my camera couldn't capture the beautiful pink color, I knew I was seeing a Roseate Spoonbill.  I was "tickled pink" that I did capture a good view of the spoon shape of his bill. 

Here are two photos from the web that show you the color a bit more clearly.

    The wing feathers range from bright red to magenta, depending on the age of the bird.

Click this link/title for an interesting article.  

My Favorite Florida Birds, The Roseate Spoonbill

Seeing something like this in a zoo is one thing, but seeing it in your own backyard is radically exciting to me.  Rah, rah, resplendent roseates!

Puerto Rico - Robinson School Reconnections

I was attending the Welcome classes in preparation for joining the First Methodist Church of Port St. Lucie (FL).  The associate pastor, Dr. Rad Orlandi, was leading the class and started to introduce himself.  I knew he was Puerto Rican but when he said,  "I went to a small private Methodist school named Robinson School,"  I almost fell off my chair!  I raised my hand, quietly saying (but felt like yelling),  "I taught there!"

We were both sooo surprised!  We figured out that he was a senior the year I taught fourth grade in 1971.  He brought his yearbook in and I scanned lots of photos, which brought back MANY forgotten memories and people.

This is Dr. Rad Orlandi and MaryMay Angelil today:

 And in 1971:

 

People in the church might be surprised at what a heartthrob the young lad Rad was.  (He's still a heartthrob.....just a more mature version!)

Look at all that hair! 

Here's Miss May (AKA María Mayo) and her class: 

 To add to this story, Robinson School is celebrating their 110 year anniversary next weekend.  Rad is going and I'm already looking forward to his photos and report.

More to follow on Robinson School memories...

Blanche, the Bolter

Blanche Devereaux (my Cornish Rex kitty), in spite of training and consistent use of a spray bottle, bolts out the door in a flash when I least expect it. She goes further away each time she escapes and it was all I could do to catch her last week.

I fixed HER little red wagon! She got her very own bio-chip "installed" by her vet yesterday. He said most pets have chips nowadays.  If a pet is found, every vet has a scanner, which reads a phone number and the number assigned to the animal.  The pet is registered so if a call comes in, they can locate the owner.  

Between having alligators around who might consider Blanche a tasty morsel, living in a hurricane zone (knowing that pets cannot go with you to a shelter), and traveling with the cats, I decided I needed to take action.

I feel so much better about Blanche and her safety!

p.s.  Pepper, my other Cornish, is older, calmer, and well behaved.  I don't have to worry about her.

Can't Boil Water

I was spoiled during my years with Ed because he did all the cooking.  When he started getting weaker, I made some food.  He laughingly told people he thought that cooking would be like riding a bicycle, it would come back to you .....but, that hadn't happened with MaryMay.

I had some Weight Watcher points left one evening recently so decided to make some popcorn.  It must have been old because, not only did it barely pop, it burned very badly.  I rushed it outside but the microwave, kitchen, and house were filled with a strong burnt smell.

My Facebook friends gave suggestions and I googled it.  After using the vinegar, baking soda, and lemon along with boiling potpourri, buying spray odor remover, and leaving all the windows open with fans overnight, the smell was still there.  One especially helpful "friend" suggested cooking fish.  A week later, after boiling cinnamon water in the microwave daily, the odor is finally starting to dissipate. 

Maybe I'll give up my meager cooking and just eat out --- cooking for one isn't worthwhile anyway.  More importantly, I think I'll forget about EVER making popcorn again!  

Endodontist Ends Excruciating Pain

This was from March 27, 2012

When I told my endodontist that I was soooo glad to see her, she said not too many people feel that way.  I'd had four days of zinging pain and was barely able to sip room temperature Ensure through a straw, even the tiniest bit of toothpaste or touching my face sent me through the roof, so yes, I couldn't wait to see her!

Many people might describe these as instruments of torture but I say they're instruments that delivered me from pain. 

Most offices have some files but I learned that

endodontists have LOTS of files!

When I'm being worked on, I always try to envision what's happening.  I asked what they used to get the infection out and, as I thought, they use files..... all of teeny sizes! 

Here is my dear Dr. Jusarra Morsani and her assistant, Tanya.  This is the 2nd tooth she's done for me and I think she's THE best!

The thing I was most curious about was what they refer to as a rubber damn.  A former endodontist called it a raincoat.  Here the good doctor gets the rubber damn ready for me.

I'd been trying to imagine what it looked like so took my camera.  Oh, my, I didn't realize how strange this was!  It isolates the tooth and prevents anything from falling in my mouth while they're working.  The sunglasses protect my eyes.

Now comes the most amazing part!  Dr. Morsani works with a microscope and when it's a top tooth, she does it in reverse with a mirror.

I took a picture of my X-rays on the large computer monitor she has in the corner of the room where she works.  Somehow infection got under that 2nd crown I had gotten in December.  There was lots of infection in all four roots but luckily it hadn't reached the bone.

Now I have a clearer understanding of why flossing is crucial --- it keeps germs from gathering under our teeth.

Good-bye pain and another thousand bucks!!  
It was worth every penny. 

Quickly through the Quagmire?

It's been over a month since losing my loving husband, Ed. I miss him every single day but I know he's with me in spirit.  

The tough part now is the quagmire of paperwork, which I plug at diligently every day.  I sometimes wonder if there will ever be an end!??  

Each detail is sooo complicated. I thought computers were supposed to make our lives easier and more efficient --- yeah, right!!!!! 

For example, getting the Comcast account changed into my name has involved many phone calls, verifying numbers, addresses, etc., and faxing of documents.  The faxing process took the whole morning yesterday because the fax number they gave me didn’t work.  

 

At that point, I had to start over with that annoying 800 phone number and fight my way through their phone menu until I got to a real person. Then that real person kept putting me on hold for “a minute or two” while they “researched”. Finally, I got a fax number that went through, hopefully.

 

The cover letter I sent requested that they send me an email or call me to verify that they had received the information. They didn’t --- of course --- so I called today. Well, “that might take 24-48 hours so call back...but don’t forget that Monday is a holiday.” 

 

It looks like Comcast gets to continue using up the minutes of my life and producing a few more gray hairs in the process.   Then again, if I let Comcast go, I won't be able to get on the internet and that would  give me a plethora of gray hairs!

Getting quickly through the quagmire of paperwork is simply not going to happen, is it?

Always in My Heart

Rest in peace my dearly beloved "angel man," Edmond Angelil.

Frightened Fashionista

Somehow I got convinced to be a model in the March meeting of the Women's Club of Savanna Club, which was a fashion show of clothes bought at Kohl's.   I happened to be in Kohl's in Ft. Lauderdale with Ed's sister, Lorraine Barkett.  She really got into it and found a shell, an over-jacket, necklace and earrings.  I found the rest of the pieces later.

I invited my sister-in-law, Mary Kay Angelil, to come.

The tables were beautifully decorated by Jane Roy and her team.  Notice the little shoe and purse in the middle.

 Behind me are my friends, Linda Ricioppo and Bonnie McDonnell. 

There were 19 models in the show.  Diane Novelli, the organizer, cleverly divided the "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" program.  She had 3 groups of models with games in between.

Above is group 1 and below is group 2.

I didn't think that much about modeling until I went to rehearsal the day before.  That's when I realized how HUGE that theater is and how far we had to walk.  The spotlight was also intimating!  Boy, was I ever NERVOUS!!! 

I guess I've never done anything where people were just staring at me.  I just went on automatic pilot and somehow managed not to fall down!

Below is group 3.  (There was another gal with her little granddaughter in our group but I didn't get their photo.)

   New experiences are good for us and being a "fashionist fashion model" turned out to be a personal victory and 

a fun day for MaryMay.

Ed's Little Corner

A computer guru needs his space and Ed claimed this little corner in our kitchen as his.  I was sure it would be too crowded but this little desk fits perfectly.

He totally enjoys looking out at the lake and seeing all the sandhill cranes, herons, anhingas, turtles, ducks, and our alligator. 

His body may have slowed down, but his brain hasn't so he still "memorizes" the Washington Post each day!

Hospice - a Good Decision

We’re both pleased with Ed’s decision to go with Hospice, as we now have a whole team of professionals to help us. This week, we’ve had visits from his nurse, his new doctor, the Hospice chaplain, social worker, the oxygen delivery guy, a medicine delivery, and a dietitian will be coming.  We also have a 24/7 number to call to speak with a nurse with even tiny questions. They take over all Ed's medical care.

His nurse will come weekly and later, if he needs help with showering, etc., a nurse’s aide can come. There’s also a beautiful new facility a few miles away.

Hospice people don’t sugar coat things and they discuss in different ways what Hospice means.  We had thought it was just for the last couple of weeks of one’s life, but we’ve learned it’s far more than that. I see that comfort care includes “coaching on how to LIVE” in the best manner possible for as long as you can, even if you have to adapt your activities.

I can already see a difference in Ed’s spirit and he seems more peaceful, as am I. Hey, how many patients get a home visit from their doctor these days? He told our minister that he might be around another year --- but that’s all in God’s hands.

p.s. Ed’s mind is totally intact so he’s not missing a thing.  As the admitting nurse left on Monday she said to me, “I really like Ed. He’s quite a character!”   Yep, she’s already figured out “our Ed”, hasn’t she?