Promises - Softcover

Bahr, Patricia

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1490761853 ISBN 13: 9781490761855

Verlag: Trafford, 2018

Inhaltsangabe

Have you ever wondered how your great grandparents traveled? I did and based upon family lore and historical facts I have woven the story of my great grandparents travel from Indiana to Iowa. This book will help others appreciate what their ancestors went through to settle this land and the faith that helped them conquer the problems such as illness and death while taming virgin soil to fertile productive farmland.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Patricia Mahala Bahr resides in rural Shellsburg, Iowa. She is the Great Great Granddaughter of Will and Amy Revel and lives not far from the Revel family farm in Vinton, Iowa. The farm has since been sold and the buildings have been razed for farmland. She grew up hearing her mother and grandparents tell the story of how Will and Amy left their family to settle the west. Her life was very busy raising 4 boys and 1 girl and 2 adopted boys when they were 2 and 4 years old. Now all are grown with families. She spent years being Den Mother for the Scouts, then with the older Troops; was volunteer 25 years for the Urbana Ambulance Service and 43 years as Income Tax Preparer. Patricia loves to read and enjoys writing.

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

Promises

By Patricia Bahr

Trafford Publishing

Copyright © 2018 Patricia Bahr
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-4907-6185-5

Contents

Chapter 1 THE STARTING, 1, 
Chapter 2 TRAVELING, 12, 
Chapter 3 HOME AT LAST, 35, 
Chapter 4 BUILDING THE HOMESTEAD AND INDIAN ENCOUNTERS, 59, 
Chapter 5 BREAKING SOD AND FIRST SUMMER, 81, 
Chapter 6 THE LORD GIVETH AND THE LORD TAKETH AWAY, 101, 
Chapter 7 WAR AND MARRIAGE, 119, 
Chapter 8 BLESSINGS AND TRAGEDY, 138, 
Chapter 9 AFTER 25 YEARS, 159, 

CHAPTER 1

THE STARTING

Everything was loaded and ready; all that remained were the Goodbye's. How hard it was. Mama and Papa were not young anymore, they would not be able to stand the rigors of travel and the settlers would have no money for coming home to visit for a long time. But they had a lot of happy memories and could write letters. That would have to be enough.

Well, the time had come and it had to be faced and done. A long tearful embrace with Mama giving much loving advice on being careful and a huge bear hug from Papa who couldn't speak at all. Kisses and hugs from the rest of the family gathered to see them off. Final hugs for the little ones as they were settled in their places and they were off.

At first Amy could see little of the passing countryside for the tears in her eyes but gradually the children demanded her attention and things began to come into focus. This little community where she had spent her whole life surrounded by loving family and friendly neighbors was passing before her eyes.

There was the school house she had attended, how she had loved going to school and learning about the big wide world so far away.

"Oh look, the Bensons are all standing by the fence waving," Joey shouted.

"Look OUT Joey!" His mother exclaimed as she grabbed his shirt. "You almost fell out you waved so hard to your friend Jimmy." It was hard to tell if Amy was laughing or crying and truthfully, she didn't know.

Now the town was coming up. The saddle horse and cow didn't seem to mind following behind the buggy attached to the back of the wagon, but she couldn't help remarking to Will. "I certainly hope nothing happens to frighten King like the last time you had him in town."

Laughingly her husband replied, "Yes, I expect we make quite a sight as it is, without some silly dog scaring the horses."

Past the general store and the post office where the curious stopped to look, and many, on recognizing the young Revel family waved a farewell. On past the Methodist church where they had been married almost 6 years ago, again Amy was having trouble with the tears. On they went, past the hotel, past the stable, and now past the last of the houses.

How green and bright everything looked in the early morning sun of this bright spring day, hopefully a good omen for the long trip to that unknown place in the west. Iowa, how strange it sounds, yet it had a good ring to it. Already the plodding of Bess and Ginger had lulled Harriett to sleep in the crib Will had built into the wagon just for her.

"Stop fidgeting, Joey." Will could not help being cross with little Joey, just 4 years old and trying but not really understanding all this upheaval. This had been a hard day for him already.

"I expect he's probably hungry" Amy defended.

They had gotten up long before dawn to finish putting the last of the food in the big covered wagon. Even the children had been roused in order to eat the breakfast Grandma had gotten up even earlier to fix. She wanted to spend as much of the last few precious minutes with the children as possible.

Amy dug into the large basket her mama had sent with them and once more had trouble with the tears when she spied the cookies right on top. Molasses cookies were Joey and John's favorite treat from Grandma. She gave each of the boys one and offered one to Will.

"Will, are you sure that we have everything?"

He turned and looked at her. "We are full to the gills." He could not help laughing in spite of her seriousness. "Your beautiful goblets are packed in the barrel of oats, your other special dishes, and a passel of things you couldn't dream of leaving behind, as well as the pots and pans, bedding and enough food to last for months are all stashed. Some of the things I couldn't find room for that we will be using soon are even packed in the buggy."

Looking fondly at his lovely but determined young wife, "I mean to work very hard in this new place of ours, so that you and the children will have more than we ever could here."

Amy smiling through her tears agreed, "Yes dear Will, I'm sure you will. Now that we are past the goodbye's and coming to unfamiliar places I am beginning to look forward to our new home."

"Can we ride up with you, Pa?" Little John wanted to know.

They had eaten a couple of cookies and were tired of listening to Will and Amy.

"If you promise to sit still I'll switch places," answered Amy. Amy moved back into the little space just behind the first seat that Will had fixed so she could nurse Harriett and the boys would have a little space to play or nap. Her skirt was a bit of a problem, Amy being unused to maneuvering her long skirts over seats in a moving wagon. It would take between one and two months to reach their new home and the boys were too little to do much walking beside the wagon and the baby would need tending. This would also give her a place to do some sewing and mending as they went along.

At least, Amy mused, they had a nice team of strong horses and wouldn't have to depend on slow plodding oxen. The sky was a bright, bright blue without a cloud anywhere. There was a breeze but when they weren't in a slight valley or behind a stand of trees it was quite warm.

"Tell us your story, Papa," Joey pleaded. It was a favorite pastime when they took a rather long ride.

"Please Pa," John chimed in, "Tell us again about when you were little."

"Alright boys, I'll begin at the earliest that I have heard about myself," he began.

It was almost as if leaving the place that had been home for 8 years made him think of other moves and other times.

"Back in Scotland where we came from our name was Revelscroft. My Grandfather Holiday came over to America on a small boat. He didn't have much money so steerage was the way he traveled."

"I know what steerage is." John interrupted. "That is when you are very poor and everyone sleeps on a blanket on the floor of the ship."

"Yes, you are right John. It was a very hard, scary trip for a young lad but he landed safely in New York."

It was almost as though Will was talking to himself now as he recounted the family history.

"Gramps worked for a while and married a young English girl and they moved to Virginia. He joined with the local citizens there and served with the Virginia Militia. The winter at Valley Forge was one he said he never wanted to go through again. In fact, he never wanted to leave the warmth of Virginia."

Will's voice now became sad as he continued.

"My father, William Lewis Revel, also went to war. He was a restless man and although very kind he didn't seem to worry very much about Ma and me. Well, like I said, he went off to war and left us. He got paid fairly regular and Ma took in washing so we didn't have it too bad, what with the garden and I soon learned to hunt rabbits. One awful hot day the Constable came and told Ma a wire had come that Pa was dead. Ma had been working. She fainted and fell and broke her neck when she fell off the porch."

Young Joey...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Trafford
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2018
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 1490761853
• ISBN 13: 9781490761855
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 188
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: gpsr@libri.de; gpsr@libri.de; ; Europaallee 1; Bad Hersfeld; 36244; Deutschland