FAMILY TIES

I grew up without ever having any blood relatives live in the same town as I did unless they were actually members of my own home. We always made several trips each year back to my parents hometown to see grandparents, aunts, uncles & cousins. I remember a lot of happy times on the visits. My grandparents lived a little over a block from each other. Even as elementary age kids we could walk between their houses. Along the way, we'd pass by a couple of drug stores where we loved to go in and "shop" and a bakery where we could buy fresh donuts, cream horns, or bread. Some of my favorite memories are from going to the little Methodist Church in the town. Both sets of grandparents were members there, along with aunts, uncles, cousins and family friends. I remember walking to church with my daddy's father -- holding his hand all along the way. Then when we'd get to church I'd go off with my cousins.


In 1937 the church was flooded by the Ohio River. But after being cleaned up, it was once again used for worship. My parents went to youth fellowship at this church when they were teenagers, then they were married in this church, had both my brother and myself baptized there. At my baptism, two of my mother's sister's had both had babies within 6 weeks of my birth and we were all baptized the same day. When my grandfather passed away when I was a junior in high school, his funeral was held at this church. When my children were born, we returned to this family church to have each one of them baptized. Each time, my Aunt Martha would have an after-church dinner for us complete with a special cake commemorating their baptism. They also gave each of the girls gold cross necklaces.

Kristy's baptism
Above - Kristy, me & Grandma Jackson
Below - The Allen's & Donini's and us after Kristy's baptism

This past week, my Aunt Martha passed away at the age of 84. Handyman and I drove the 300 miles up to see the family.

On another note, the town where the little Methodist Church was located came upon hard times when the steel mill closed 30-40 years ago and the people moved further away, some just out in the county and joined another Methodist Church. The membership slowly declined in our family church. Several years ago, the other church where several of the members have moved their memberships began falling apart. They were going to have to build a new church and money was still hard to com by. The people from the two churches got together and decided that they would combine and build one new church together So today was the first time that I had ever attended the new Christ United Methodist Church. After the service my cousin took me out to the hallway to show me some name plaques that were mounted on the wall. These plaques had been at the old family church as part of the stained glass windows. I always assumed that the people had donated the money to purchase the window in which their name was placed. As I looked through the names -- I saw Allen, Donini, & Bartlett (my aunt, uncle, cousins & maternal grandparents), then Floyd & Faye Jackson (my paternal grandparents), Mary Lou & Paul Harris (my parents best friends) The Sheridens (Mary Lou's family), Mrs. Darling (a sweet lady who I think played the piano), The Gaspich's (my grandmother's doctor) and several other familiar names. Most of the people I remember from the church are gone and it just wasn't the same going to the new church, but when I saw these name plaques all of those precious memories came flooding back.