Denton County

Pictured is my grandfather – this photo of him was taken around 1900 in Texas. My grandmother Grace Brown married James Curtis Allen on October 3, 1904, in Denton County, Texas. At the time of his death the family was living in Clearwater, Florida. James died in 1913. After the death of her husband, she with her three small caught a steam ship from Tampa, Florida to Galveston, Texas. Once arriving in Galveston she caught a train to West Texas where she and her three children visited with her late husband's relatives. Once widowed, Grace returned to Kansas and for a period of time she and her three children lived with her mother Ann Agrelius (who was the widow of Archie Brown). Ann resided at 915 North Street, Hutchinson, Kansas. To earn a living and to support her three minor children Grace had build & opened a rooming house in Pratt. While the new house was being build my Dad along with his two sisters, Marguerite and Maureen, would dig up buried Indian arrowheads.... A childhood treasure!

1942

Yep - that's me in 1942 guarding our home.

The crack of the bat

Well soon we’ll hear the crack of the bat as it hits the baseball over the center field wall. Which brings me to this photo of my Dad with his baseball coach back in Pratt, Kansas. He must had been around 10 or 11 years old when it was taken so long on a hot dusty summer day.

An-An becomes a businesswoman

We’re so proud of our niece An-An who I sometimes post about…. Last Wednesday my twenty something niece An-An was here baby sitting me as my wife was in Cebu with friends/visitors flying in from Hong Kong. I knew An-An had opened and started a sari-sari store about 5 or 6 months ago near her home so curiously I asked how was her business. I found out she works long hours and that every day rain or shine …. She opens for business at 4:00 AM and closes at 1 AM and after she opens she does her daily shopping at Danao's wet market while her boyfriend watches her store. With her gross profits she reinvests in the store. An-An is doing it right I can see her going far, onto bigger businesses. As far as security she locks up every night and sleeps in her tiny sari-sari store. Then with a smile I told her, she didn't much time for romance… she then answered me with a giggle.

I am impressed with her work ethic and how she takes out as little as possible for herself!

Shameful behavior followed by embarrassed laughter

My Mom, Dad and me with their 1939 Dodge Coup - Photo was taken in 1942 World War 2, near Vallejo, California.

It's so awkward, isn't it when you’re growing up? I can still remember as a kid when I had done something terribly embarrassing… That evening everybody at the dinner table would be clearing their throats, hem-hawing, trying to find something safe to talk about. At other times then too there was lots of nervous laughter, and questions concerning a family relative who had done something incredibly embarrassing. And then at other times the table’s gossip would turn to a current topical of a relative’s shameful behavior followed by embarrassed laughter.

GOOD TIMES

Family disaster struck

My great-grandfather, Archibald "Archy" Brown was born in Antrim County, Ireland (now Northern Ireland) and at the age of 19 years old immigrated to the U.S. in 1868. He lived for one year in New Jersey and later for awhile in Texas before moving to McPherson County, Kansas. Where he homesteaded some land and then worked to become a successful farmer. By 1885, their farm consisted of 240 acres, and they raised corn, oats, Irish potatoes, and wheat. They also had chickens, horses, cattle, and hogs, and an orchard of apple and peach trees added to their holdings.

And then family disaster struck. Their entire homestead including their home, barn and out buildings was wiped by out a tornado. My grandmother, Grace then a young girl along with her sisters and their mother Annie (who is my great-grandmother) hide frighten in the storm cellar. My Dad's uncle, Archy Jr. then just a boy was down the road crouched under a nearby bridge.... Meanwhile my great-grandfather, Archy, Sr., was out in the yard, holding onto a tree for dear life as the tornado passed. The only untouched was the family rocking chair. The rocking chair still exists by a distance family member somewhere in Kansas. As of today the only thing left of the Brown's homestead is a marble stepping stone with my great-grandfather's name "Archy Brown" inscribed on it. The rings were used to tie horses to. The location of this marble stone is where the family homestead had been at in the late 1800s.

A family farm on the prairies of Kansas.

Two interesting guys

These two interesting guys I recently found on the Internet and since I know my niece An-An is on the prowl looking for her future husband I decided to show her their picture. Right away without any pause she told me they weren’t her type. I then asked her why. And with a serious look she replied “her future husband had to be Filipino and very-very RICH.” After a moment or two had passed I ask her about her famous Mr. X – known as the man about town here in Danao City. She only laughed and giggled then a smile said “maybe!”

Big feet Big Shoes

Pictured here is my cute five year old great-nephew; he was here yesterday with his grandmother who is my wife’s sister Neng-Neng. I showed him this picture and told how his feet were getting REALLY BIG. In fact I said to him they are as big a two battleships. Then he looked at his feet and then back to the picture and then to me. I told him after that his feet should stop growing or I won’t be able afford to buy him shoes any longer. Did he believe me? Naw.

Yesteryear

A glimpse of my Dad’s aunts and uncles on the prairies.

Wind, blazing sun and harsh winters have etched faces of my Dad’s aunts and uncles on the plains of Kansas in this picture. I believe this photo was taken around 1890s in or around McPherson County, Kansas. As I look at their faces I wonder how their lives turned out.

Junior

I am an American ex-pat living in the Philippines. It strikes the cords of my heart whenever I see our Junior helping his Mom and me – his old Dad. Yesterday while Beng was away tending to some business for a few hours I became very sick and headed to bed with stomach pains. He stayed with me in the darken bedroom until his Mom came home to take charge. Some of his classmates call Junior “a Mommy’s Boy.” Since I cannot help much any longer he does what he can with his Mom, whether it’s marketing or doing everyday chores that I can’t help. He stands up to plate like a young man that he is.

My extended family

When I think back to my boyhood, some of my fondest memories with my Mom and Dad were our visits to our extended family that lived throughout the western US. Since we were not a close knitted family - I always looked forward to seeing my aunts, uncles and especially my cousins. To be honest I was impressed that my cousins lived in houses and their families had taken roots somewhere because we lived a 12’x50” trailer and my little family moved from town to another nameless town since my Dad worked in heavy construction we moved whenever the job was over. Now that I’m retired to Philippines I found how much I missed out.

St. Patrick's Day

My Great Grandfather in the late in 1880s.

They say St. Patrick's Day is serious business in many Irish families, which often involves a big dinner with extended family, lots of traditional cooking and excessive shamrock decorations and maybe a toast or two to their Irish ancestors. St. Patrick’s Day has come and gone in our household so far from America and so very far from the emerald island across the sea. Here’s a toast to my great grandfather who came to America without a penny in his pocket, worked as laborer with pick and shovel in hand building railroads across the plains of Texas in the late 1860s and then he arrived by horse homesteading in western Kansas. One can only imagine the hardships his family went through as he built his homestead into a large thriving farm. Bless you Archy Brown wherever you are. Your great grandson, Chuck