Karen G, Miller
Hello, Australia. I recognize your Aussie e-mail address
because I
have an aunt and cousins near Newcastle, and a sister-in-law
from Ballarat!
But that's not important....I just wanted to tell you that I
just
spent a happy hour looking at your genealogy website about
Benton
County, Arkansas. The lines I connect with are Wardlaw and
Walker,
although many of the other names on your site are also familiar
to me
from my research there. My Wardlaw connection is Virginia
Tennessee
Wardlaw Polk, the youngest daughter of William M. and Cathorin
Baldridge Wardlaw. Virginia was my great great grandmother.
Your site is so interesting, with stories and pictures, and I
enjoyed
it very much. I just wanted to say thanks for all your
hard work!
Karen in California
-----------------
Danny
Newcastle is about a 90 minute drive north from my house in a
nothern suburb
of Sydney.
There was a Joe Walker back in my home farm community of Harmon
in northwest
Arkansas. His son Norman was a friend of mine. We joined the
local methodist
church together back about 1954. We still see each other at the
Harmon reunion
each year which is held at the only public building in Harmon,
the Methodist
church. The first Harmon church building was started in 1870 in
a log cabin
on Wild Cat creek.
The Wardlaw clan. I keep in touch with them now. The Baker and
Wardlaw
families lived at Clearwater community which is now part
of the Pea Ridge
Civil War national Park, So John Arthur Wardlaw on December 21,
1902
married Elizabeth(Betta) Baker (sister of Guy Baker, my
grandfather).
On trips to Arkansas I always include a visit to the Wardlaw
Cemetery at
Clearwater on Sugar Creek Road in Benton County. It is near a
golf course
and the Grimes and Tucks Chapel cemeteries.
==================
Danny to Sharon and Karen
Sharon Harrington is a Wardlaw that I have worked with for years
along with her
mother Lorraine. Lorraine is the child of John Arthur Wardlaw
and Elizabeth Baker
Wardlaw. Elizabeth is the daughter of Benjamin Franklin Baker
and Mahala Ann Mock
and they are my great grand parents on the Baker side. I don't
usually give our email
addresses out. But I have a good feeling about this one. Karen,
this is Sharon and
Sharon, this in Karen. (Sometimes Arkies are a bit simple!)
Danny
-----------
Karen
Thanks, Danny. Sharon and I have traded e-mails and will
soon sort
out our family connections! Maybe we will be able to share
some
photographs, too.
I wanted to know where you live in Australia, for I have lots of
Australian connections, too, besides the Arkansas ones. My
younger
brother, who lives nearby, married a girl who grew up in
Ballarat,
and her parents still come to the states every summer for six
weeks.
(The lure of the grandchild!) So that's the first one. My
sister-in-law, who is an artist, lived and worked in Sydney for
many years.
And in 1972, my mother's younger sister's whole family went to
Australia, near Newcastle, for my uncle to work. Their
kids were
school-aged.....who of course fell in love with and married
Aussies,
so everybody ended up staying there. There are six grandchildren
now,
too. We stay in close contact and my aunt and cousins and
those of
us in California see each other as often as we can. In fact, my
aunt
and uncle are coming in May for a six week stay. A few years ago
we
had a huge family reunion here in California, and managed to get
everyone together except one Aussie teen-ager and one US
Marine........Thirty-seven of us!
How the world has changed, for in those early years, after they
moved
to Australia, phone calls were too expensive to talk to them
often
and even airmail letters took over a week. Now I can e-mail any
one
of them in minutes, and usually have an answer within a few
hours. We can Skype, or call, for a very modest rate. The
world is
so much smaller now!
Thanks again for connecting me with Sharon; I have really
enjoyed
your website, especially the letters.
Kind Regards,
Karen
==========
Andy Kirksey
Hi Danny,
My name is Andy Kirksey - I am the grandson of Josephine (Baker)
Kirksey
and Birch Kirksey, and the son of their youngest son Bill.
My grandfather,
Birch, was superintendent of Rogers schools back during the 40's
and
mid-50's. I was introduced to your McCamey/Deaver/Baker
genealogy
website by my cousin, Mike Nichols, who is the son of Betty
Kirksey. I
have thoroughly enjoyed your website and have learned quite a
bit a bit
about my dad's side of the family. I especially have
enjoyed seeing the
pictures of Benjamin Franklin Baker and his family - I never
met any
brothers or sisters of my grandmother, so it is very interesting
to find
out who they were. I have also enjoyed reading about your
search
for the B.F. Baker homesite in Brightwater. I would like
to drive
through that area sometime when I am in the Rogers area (I live
in
southern Arkansas). Anyway, I just wanted to introduce
myself and
tell you "thanks" for the very informative website.
-----------
Danny
G' Day Andy, My name is Danny McCamey.You would know my
background
from the website! I have lived in Australia since 1971 and
since my retirement
in 1997 have worked on my family tree. It was great a few years
back to finally
find the Baker home site back 1n Brightwater, Arkansas. The
house was gone
but there was a parking lot because it was a Civil War site. And
for years I sa
t in in the parking lot studying maps trying to find the
property that I was sitting on.
By the way, I have not found the gravestone of Josephine Baker
Kirksey in the
Rogers Cemetery. If you have a picture of it I would like a copy
for the website.
And can you help me, please? Are the three pictures on page B65
correct? And
complete? And if you wanted to, could you email or mail me
the family tree after
Josephine. I woulk like to add it to my family tree. Also,
any family stories and photos?
By a seperate email I will send you my mailing address.
Hope to hear back from you soon!!
-----------
Andy Kirksey
Hi Danny,
The pictures on B65 do look to be correct. I know that the
picture and labeling of
the three kids together is correct, although I think Joan is
actually spelled Joanne
(I'll have to check with my mom on the spelling). My father Bill
was the baby of the
family and obviously hadn't come along when the picture of the
three siblings was
taken. Maybe I can find a picture of all of them together
to send.
I took a picture of Josephine Baker Kirksey's tombstone once -
it was a while ago
but I'll dig around and see if I can find it. It's funny,
I never called her "Grandma" -
to me (and everyone else in the family), she was always "Jo Jo".
One strange thing -
two times when I visited the Rogers cemetery, I ran into people
who saw me looking
at the Kirksey headstones and mentioned to me that they had
known my grandfather
Birch (who died back in 1955). When we went to the Daisy
BB gun museum in Rogers
I got to talking to one of the curators there and found out that
his mom was my
grandfather's secretary - small world, huh? There is a
Birch Kirksey Middle School in
Rogers (not far from the cemetery, actually) that was named for
him in honor of his y
ears as superintendent. I believe that I also read
(somewhere on your website I think),
that in his earlier years he was a teacher at the Brightwater
school.
I'll see if I can flesh out the Josephine Baker "branch" of the
tree and will send it to you -
I'll try to find some pictures to send also.
Finally, just out of curiosity, how in the world did you end up
in Australia? I just gotta ask!
I'd better head for bed I guess - talk to you later.
------------
Danny
By the way, I sent a copy of our emails to JoAnne Rife in
Harrison, Arkansas.
She is the daughter of Lillian Irene (Ivy) Deaver Sears and was
the one who
got me started in this family tree stuff. My grand mother was
Sallie Frances
Deaver Baker who was a sister of Lillian. (My mother was named
Lillian
but called herself Sue!)
See ya, Danny
-----------
JoAnne (Sears) Rife
Hello to Andy Kirksey in South Arkansas from JoAnne Sears Rife
in the Arkansas Ozarks,, first cousin -once-removed of Danny
McCamey! In 1946 I was 19 years old and just married
to my high school sweetheart, Earl Rife. But he had been
drafted to serve in the army of occupation in Korea. I was
living at home in Central Benton County with my parents, having
quit school at The University! Back then when you married
you were supposed to support yourself, so I thought my father
should not pay any more tuition. I went to a Razorback football
game at Fayetteville in early October and a girl who was
teaching at Rogers (teach one year, go to school one year)
on a ninety hour certificate (I was eligible for that.) said
that the teacher across the hall was leaving to go to her
husband stationed away so why didn't I come to take her
place. When I went to apply I knew I was going to get the
job since my mother's sister's husband's sister was
married to Mr. Kirksey the superintendent! ( That's Lillian
Deaver Sears. Sally Deaver Baker, Guy Baker, and your
grandmother Baker Kirksey and her husband! I didn't even
ask what I would be teaching as being nineteen I had been
to The University for two and a half years and I thought I
would know anything a seventh or eighth grader would need to
know ! Well, I did get the job, I did start on October
28th, it was 7th and 8th grade general science taught out of
books with Bible verses at the first of every chapter!
240 students a day in six classes in a sterile classroom with
bolted down seats in strict rows. and since science was the
least important subject taught in junior high (This was in that
old three story brick building on West Walnut street )I also had
to teach penmanship for 20 minutes three times a week with staff
pens and bottles of ink kept stored in boxes in a locked
cabinet. by the time I got all the ink passed out and
settled the accusations that someone else had his ink the
twenty minutes would be up! I don't know if the students
learned Spencer penmanship but I did! Even today I get
compliments on my penmanship all the time!
Sooooooo! I wanted you to know that one of your
relative's (Danny) relative (Me!) remembered vividly your
grandfather Birch Kirksey. He was one of the old
"school men" who ran the school paternalistically.. He
spoke of "My teachers" before they proclaimed their own being,
when there was a teacher's meeting, he spoke and the teachers
kept quiet.He was greatly respected and for that day
and time knew exactly what he was doing.
And I went on to get 225 hours of higher education, taught
sciences, mostly chemistry and physics but 19 other things and
they wouldn't let me drive the bus! for 35 years, and in 1983
stood in the White House, in the East Room , beside President
Ronald Reagan and received the very first "Excellence in Science
Teaching" award!!
So your grandfather with confidence in a nineteen year old girl,
barely 5 feet, 3 inches tall, actually set me off on a wonderful
career. I have been blessed!
------------
Andy Kirksey
Hi JoAnne,
Thank you very much for sharing your story and your memories of
my grandfather. It sounds like you have had quite an
interesting career - I'm glad my grandfather played a role in
getting you started off on the right foot. It seems like
most everyone I have talked with (and everything I've read on
Danny's website) has pretty much the same description of Birch
Kirksey - that he was a strict disciplinarian with a kind heart.
I sometimes wonder what he would think of the education system
today - he would probably be like a fish out of water, out of
sync with the times. Perhaps some of that good old
fashioned discipline could make a real difference in the
classroom today. I never got a chance to meet him - he
died in 1955 and I was born in 1958. My father Bill
followed in Birch's tradition, attending the same college
(Northeastern Oklahoma Teachers College in Tahlequah) and then
by becoming a teacher. I then broke that tradition,
however, by becoming an engineer. I have had two people
stop me in the cemetery in Rogers when they noticed that I was
looking at the Kirksey headstones to tell me of their memories
of Birch when they were going to school. My wife and kids
and I went to the Daisy BB gun museum in downtown Rogers several
years ago - I got to talking to one of the curators at the
museum and found out that his mother was Birch's secretary at
one point in time. I guess it is a small world.
Take care,
Andy Kirksey
---------------
Danny
AUSTRALIA,
Don, my younger brother by seven years, finished university
about 1969-70, got married, packed their bags and jumped on a
plane to Sydney. I think the Australian government paid you
something like $20 if you would come.
In 1971 I was a CPA working for a firm in Joplin, Carthage,
Fayetteville and Harrison. Divorced. So I took a job with a
client. I was young and knew little about "wheelers & dealers".
I walked in the front door as they walked out the back door.
So I paid for a ticket to Sydney ln 1971 and took a job as an
auditor with a firm of Chartered Accountants. I soon met the
girl of my dreams and we have been married since 1975, have two
grown boys that are married, 1 grand daughter 3 months old and a
grand son due in June. In the states I have a daughter, 3 grand
kids and i great grand daughter.
-----------
Andy Kirksey
Cool - thanks for sharing your story! You are definitely
more gutsy than I - I moved one state away (born and raised in
Oklahoma, relocated to Arkansas), but you moved almost to the
other side of the globe! I'm glad things went well for you
in the "land down under".
============
Maurice Rankin
Ronald A. Coleman, 69, of the Harmon Community, died
Saturday, April 9, 2011 at his home. He was born
September 30, 1941 in Wichita, Kansas to Troy Ellsworth and
Marjorie Louise Wilson Coleman. He considered
himself a native of Siloam Springs where he graduated from High
School, and will forever be known as "Ronnie".
Mr. Coleman retired from the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel. He
was a helicopter pilot and received among
other medals the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was also
decorated by the Prime Minister of South Korea for
voluntary humanitarian service in rescuing civilian flood
victims. During his military career he was a
distinguished graduate of the Army War College, and earned his
bachelors degree from the University of
Nebraska at Omaha.
Mr. Coleman was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed time on the
family property in Madison County. He was an
active member of the Harmon United Methodist Church, worked with
area special needs children for six years,
and was especially committed to his family.
He is survived by his wife, Shirley Coleman, of the home whom he
married June 11, 1999 in Bella Vista; five
children, Donna Burns of Tahlequah, OK, Troy Coleman of Harmon,
Jonathan Wages of Ft. Smith, Chris Wages
of Springdale, Rachel Orr of Centerton; his mother, Marjorie
Coleman of Grove, OK; a sister, Anita Osborn of
Grove, OK; 14 grandchildren including Marshall Gerlaugh and
Ashton Coleman; and one great-grandchild,
Martha “Marti Pearl” Gerlaugh.
Visitation will be 1 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 13, at Heritage
Funeral Home in Springdale. The family will be
present from 6 to 8 p.m.
Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Thursday, April 14, at
Harmon United Methodist Church
with Pastor Michael
Callahan officiating. Interment with full military honors will
be at
White Oak Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to
Circle of Life Hospice,
901 Jones Rd., Springdale, AR 72762.
=============
Barbara McCamey
Lugwig
I am finally back from Houston.
Had surgery March 14 and they pulled 40 % of my stomach out of
my left lung. It was pressing against the heart and I
had very little lung capacity on the left side. They
also fixed the esophagus so that when I lay down, I am not
aspirating stomach contents. They Doctors and hospital
were great but was glad to get home. I have to go back
on April 18 but just for a few days - not the 5 weeks that I
was there previously. We left here on Feb 19 and
got home March 29, so I was a little tired of living out of a
suitcase. Sara's house is very big, so I was not in the
way, just an adjustment. I am doing much better but
still not eating all solid foods. That will take awhile,
but things are better and I am slowly getting back my
strength.
Thanks for all the work you have done on the Greathouse tree
with the McCamey family. One thing, I only have 2
children, Jessica and Sara, and 5 grandchildren.
Grandma McCamey would have been so pleased to know that you
are connecting the families.
-----------------
Barbara McCamey
Lugwig
You got it
right. Are you coming to Arkansas this year? Just
wondering. I have been out of the loop for quite awhile.
I go back to Houston on Sunday but come back on Wednesday.
Just a final check with the Drs. there. I am feeling so
much better than before the surgery. It should have been
done a few years ago. I am just lucky to find someone
who knew what to do and how to do it correctly. My
breathing has improved a lot. I now have to build up
stamina but that will come in due time. It has only been
4+ weeks since surgery and I had a big medication reaction
which set me back a week or more. Barb
-----------------
Danny
I am hoping to come but not sure when.
Hilary & I
became grand parents to Matthew & Katheryn's baby Taylor
Gwen McCamey
in December. We will also become grand parents in June to
James & Michelle's baby,
Again in June, in Nebraska, My grandson Clint & wife Kelly
are expecting my
second Great Grand child.
Also in Nebraska, my first Great Grand daughter Peyton was
born in Nebraska in
July 2009 to my Grand Daughter Alicia and husband Mitch.
So if I or we can come it will probably be in July or
even later.
It's getting hard to keep up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
===========
Marlene McCamey
Boy,
Arkansas has been hit hard. I have had lots of email
from friends with pics of hail & rain. There has been a
lot of road closures due to flooding in the
Tontitown/Springdale area.
Hope all is well with you & family. Love hearing from
you. Marlene
-------------
Danny
First I have heard about about the bad weather in northwest
Arkansas.
===========
HARMON UPDATE -
MAY 2011
Marlene & Clovis
McCamey to me
Hi Danny,
Just wanted you to know that Clovis fell Sat.(30th)
evening & broke his hip. He didn't have surgery
until late Monday (May 2), so had a pretty rough
weekend-lots of pain.
Dr. did a
partial hip replacement & he is doing great. They had him
up & walking yesterday. He has that "good old
McCamey blood" in him so won't let this stop him-he is
hoping to not have to go to re-hab, so we'll see. I'll
keep you updated. Marlene
------------
Danny
walking in 3 days! Amazing!!!!
Our news !
Danny & Hilary ----
Son Matthew & Kathryn - Daughter Taylor Gwen McCamey born
December 21, 2010
Son James & Michelle - Son expected in June
Danny - Nebraska
Granddaughter Alicia & Mitch - Daughter Peyton Brazelton
born July 16, 2009
Grandson Clint Deerson and Kelly - ? expected before end
of June
Still thinking about a
trip before end of year! ????
Stay healthy!
Danny
-----------
Marlene
Actually up & walking the next day, surgery wasn't until
Monday late & guess what home today. You can't keep
those Mc Camey's down (even if he's moving pretty slow).
Your family is growing..gotta love those grandkids.
Marlene
===========
Bill Wright
We received the word early afternoon that Fern's mother,
Helen Schrader had just passed away ... prayers and
condolences for Fern and all of Helen's children and
grandchildren during this difficult time for them...
============
HARMON UPDATE - JUNE 2011