|
James McKee
was born in 1826 in Pulaski County, Kentucky and died in 1890, also in
Pulaski County. Susan Dye died in the 1890's.
Isabella and Nimrod
never married. Ila Hughes wrote, "Dad's parents were not married.
Grandma McKee never married, but lived with us when we were children. We
called Dad, Papa, back in those days. One day Grandma and I were out
walking in the fields when suddenly I blurted out, 'Who is Papa's Papa?" I
was about six at the time. Grandma acted flustered. She said, 'Ila, let's
not talk about that.' So, we never did.
"But shortly after, our whole family was going to Aunt Mary
Apple's in a wagon. We came to a very steep hill and we all got out to
make it easier on the team, or to avoid the rough ride up that narrow hill
with the many chuck holes. Papa and the older children kept up with the
team and wagon. Mama, Virgil, Ina and I were behind, maybe 150 feet.
A house sat at the foot of the hill and a man was on his way from the
house to what I figure was a chicken house. He had a pan or other
container in his hand. That was Papa's Papa!
"I looked at Dad up the road in front of us as he passed his
Papa. Dad spoke respectful-like to his Papa, but didn't stop for one
minute to pass the time of day. His papa froze to the spot were he was
standing. With his pan in his hand, his eyes followed Dad up the hill. He
could't have seen any of us. His eyes were glued on his son. If he saw us
it was after we passed him and went up the hills with our backs to him.
"Dad never talked to us about his Randloph relatives. But Mama
did. She liked them. She was very proud of his grandfather, William
Randolph, who helped to take care of Dad when he was unconscious for weeks
with typhoid fever. That was before Mom and Dad married. Mama liked the
McKee family too. Dad lived with his McKee grandparents along with his
mother. He called his grandmother, 'Mother' and his grandfather 'Pap.'
So, I call them 'Mother' and 'Pap.'
"If all that is ignored, it leaves Dad without a paternal
ancestry. But he actually had a biological father the same as other boys.
And that father was my grandfather. When I was young, I used to fanticize
about going for visits to Dad's Randolph grandparents. But it's only in
fantasy that I ever was with them.
"Dad had a half-sister, Victoria, born in March before or was it
after, he was born in November. That was also before his Papa married. A
good while before his Papa married. A list of Dad's half brothers and
sisters are written on the computer page that's in a mess. Earl had first
written a list of his half uncles and aunts.
"If I left out some material you need for your forms, contact me
again. I'll do my best in spite of my sloppy writing. My hand or arm or
something isn't coordinated with the rest of me, and it tires so easily.
Maybe it's a good thing, or I might go on and on until you were bored to
pieces."
Aunt Ila
This letter from Ila Hughes was written to Romayne Dunsmore.
Thank you, Aunt Romayne for passing it on.
|
