rhmc24
Absent Comrade
My Mother's people had been in Texas, Fayette Co., from the 18-teens in Mexican times that ended in 1836 at the Battle of San Jacinto. My Grandmother, Mary A. (Gregory) Ledbetter was born in 1868 and remembered family legends from when she was a child. This is mostly recall of what I remember her talking about. I write it lest it be forgotten, not that it is important but in case anyone may be interested.
A generation before her, Indian attacks were a common hazard. She recalled about one in which their possessions were burned or stolen and they survived by boarding a boat and going out on to a lake. On the other side of her marriage, my Grandfather's ancestor John Robison was killed by Indians in 1836 - a fact recorded in history.
At age of about five she was attacked by a hog and almost lost a foot. I recall her showing me the scars in her old age.
As a girl she spent time with her brother who was telegrapher for a railroad. She apparently spent a lot of time there because she knew the telegraph code. She bought me a practice key with a buzzer so she could teach it to me but nothing came of that effort. The brother was killed by a train, on his way home a stormy night, caught crossing a river on a trestle.
She told of an uncle who had been missing for years and considered dead. One day he came riding back on a fine horse with a silver mounted saddle, dressed as a Mexican gentleman. He had gone to Mexico, married the daughter of a "grandee" and came home for a final visit.
She told of seeing Geronimo brought thru on a train going back East.
I have her Texas School Teacher license issued to her at age 16.
They were married in 1886 and had three daughters. She taught school in rural Leon, Oklahoma in 1908 for a while during a time my Grandfather was getting his insurance business and sideline mineral interest activity going.
I give her credit for holding my young life together, 1930s, during a rocky period when my younger sister died.
Coming 'home' from Hawaii 1944, I arrived at the house looking for her. I found her up on the roof trying to fix a leak. She was busy as long as she lived. Every fall would build up a fire under her old iron pot and make up a batch of lye soap. She went to her reward in 1950. Today I live at that same address where I was born.......
A generation before her, Indian attacks were a common hazard. She recalled about one in which their possessions were burned or stolen and they survived by boarding a boat and going out on to a lake. On the other side of her marriage, my Grandfather's ancestor John Robison was killed by Indians in 1836 - a fact recorded in history.
At age of about five she was attacked by a hog and almost lost a foot. I recall her showing me the scars in her old age.
As a girl she spent time with her brother who was telegrapher for a railroad. She apparently spent a lot of time there because she knew the telegraph code. She bought me a practice key with a buzzer so she could teach it to me but nothing came of that effort. The brother was killed by a train, on his way home a stormy night, caught crossing a river on a trestle.
She told of an uncle who had been missing for years and considered dead. One day he came riding back on a fine horse with a silver mounted saddle, dressed as a Mexican gentleman. He had gone to Mexico, married the daughter of a "grandee" and came home for a final visit.
She told of seeing Geronimo brought thru on a train going back East.
I have her Texas School Teacher license issued to her at age 16.
They were married in 1886 and had three daughters. She taught school in rural Leon, Oklahoma in 1908 for a while during a time my Grandfather was getting his insurance business and sideline mineral interest activity going.
I give her credit for holding my young life together, 1930s, during a rocky period when my younger sister died.
Coming 'home' from Hawaii 1944, I arrived at the house looking for her. I found her up on the roof trying to fix a leak. She was busy as long as she lived. Every fall would build up a fire under her old iron pot and make up a batch of lye soap. She went to her reward in 1950. Today I live at that same address where I was born.......
