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From the files of Frank Clyburn Clyburn Family News Vol. 20, July1, 2004 |
My memories of my Grandmother Keyes are few, and mostly from a period of time when I was still very young -- because when I was old enough to have really made some beautiful memories I was too wrapped up in other things than the older members of my family. Boy it is sad to think of that now!
I remember that she made wonderful chicken and dumplings and wishing that she would make them whenever we visited her :-)
I remember a kind of reverence for her - the ‘patriarch' of our family? She always wore a dress and hose (seems they were stockings to her). She was the classical ‘picture' of a grandmother to me and I remember her as very sweet. I don't know when her hair turned white, but I only have memories of her with silvery white hair.
Faint memories have stuck with me of when her older brother, Stephen Franklin ‘Frank', b. 1871, would be there to visit, at Grandmother Keyes big boarding house that was across the street from the old Austin High School (in Austin, TX). That was a really neat old house to us grand kids -- we wanted badly to play on the stairs and beautiful banister, but of course had our enthusiasm nipped in the bud by the adults!
There was a cement curb around the yard which was about 2 foot high, and we did play on that a lot! All the family would gather there in Grandmother's ‘parlor' I guess you could call it - although she actually lived only in a small portion of that house and her ‘parlor' also contained her bedroom. She ran a boarding house in this home. I remember some older uncles visiting at times there, some were her brothers and some were Keyes.
We had such good times there, that was a simpler time of life in this crazy world it seems - maybe because I was so young. But I have memories of so much love between Grandmother Keyes, her siblings, and her descen-dants. Now that I am older and have a
healthy respect for my ancestors and what they went through to make a good life for those who followed, it would be so nice to visit with her again. But now I will have to wait until the Lord calls me home to visit again with so many of those I didn't have sense enough to pay more attention to in my youth!
–Carol Martin
JAN 31. 04 -- From the youngest daughter of ‘Nannie' (Clyburn) Keyes - Harriet Florence (Keyes) Olsen........
My mother was a saint. She was born in South Carolina in 1875 and came to Texas in a covered wagon. She married my father William Charles Keyes in 1890. She had 8 children, two of whom died in early infancy. She spent her 94 years doing for others.
She told me stories of how she acted as a midwife, "laid out corpses for burial" and many stories of the olden days. My father suffered from asthma and she was his right hand - she learned how to give shots to him for relief. She also did nurse duties for all the family as well as other relatives.
My grandfather Clyburn lived with us and he was always happy as he could be independent and come and go as he pleased. He had his own bedroom which was a real treat in those days as most of us slept with our older sisters, as I did.
Our family bought a car and she learned to drive and we were the envy of many cousins and other families. They called on her for everything and she never turned them down.
After my dad died in 1936, she decided to make her own way and be even more independent. They had owned some rent houses and she sold those and bought a beautiful home in middle Austin. She did not live there--she rented out apartments and started a business for herself.
She owned two boarding houses where she rented out rooms and served hot meals to working people. She never turned anyone down. She had the business sense to keep her books and to manage well.
In later years she sold her business and moved to the nice house in central Austn (this was the one across from the old Austin High School). She continued to rent apartments there but kept one for herself. She continued to drive that car until her eyesight became poor and she decided to give up driving. She had caregivers to help with cleaning and other chores which she was unable to do for herself.
Time caught up with her and she decided to sell her house and move to a retirement home where she lived until she died in 1969. As I said at first, she was a saint, the saint of saints and I know she is in Heaven taking care of everyone who needs her. She set an example which is hard to follow. --Florence Keyes Olsen
(I am the last member of my family.)
Knight-Douglas-Clyburn
Family News
Rrecently my cousin Ray Smith came down from Alaska. He'd been there for several months visiting my sister Lynda Clyburn Thompson.
He and I decided to go visit his sister Kelley Shannon who lives in Willits, CA. We took off Memorial Day weekend. First stop was our Aunt Viola Douglas Mills in Redding, CA. Viola is the sister of our step-father Ronald Douglas who raised us and of course the true Aunt of Darlene Douglas Sederstrom my other sister. We had a nice visit with Viola and she told us several interesting stories on the visit.
We then continued toward Willits stopping at several yard sales and sidetracking to Potter Valley, CA where our Grandmother, Vera Burris Knight was born. There we stopped at the Potter Valley Cemetery to visit the Burris Family Plot. This may very well be where our Great Grandfather, Thomas Burris is buried. We do know that he is buried in that cemetery somewhere and that his older brother took care of the burial and his children after his death. The older brother is buried in this family plot.
We then continued on to visit Kelley. It was a nice surprise for Kelley and Ray enjoyed surprising her and meeting her family. At first she did not recognize him. The had not seen each other for maybe 20 years. It was a wonderful reunion. We left there in the late afternoon and drove up the coast and camped for the night.
The next morning we continued our trip and drove to Fortuna, CA. Fortuna is just south of Eureka, CA. There we visited LaVonna Moore Khem, Viola's oldest daughter. LaVonna is my sister's first cousin and a very nice person that neither Ray nor I had seen in a long time. We had a nice visit there.
Continuing on we drove up to Crescent City, CA where we wanted to visit our second cousins Stephanie and Michelle Knight-Gassaway. These girls are the daughters of John Knight-Gassaway our Uncle Earl Knight's son. Well, we didn't see Michelle, but we did get to see Stephanie. What a beautiful girl! We had a nice visit and a bonus also. We got to see her mother Marilyn who has been remarried for many years. I enjoyed re-meeting her very much. And as an extra bonus we found that John himself was in town! We both though that he was still living in Washington but found that he's moving back to Crescent City. Stephanie called him and we three visited for an hour. All in all a trip worth remembering for both Ray and I (of course a special bonus was enjoying the Redwoods! - What beautiful trees they are, with cool shade on a hot day.)
Ralph Howarth, Jr. and wife Agnes Knight Howarth celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary in Yreka on June 26, 1954 (actual anniversary date June 27, 1954). This anniversary event was sponsored by their children Kathy Patton, Jim Howarth and David Howarth with the help of their husbands and wives and Mark and Carol Smith and Jim and Renee Hall.
Friends attending were: Ona, Sandy & Diane Landers and friend Carl Harmm. Bill & Lenore Davis, Bob & Judy Evans, Larry & Loraine Learch, Barbara Gravelle & son Paul. Judy Pflueger, Betty Shaffer, Marie Amore, Tom & Judy Norris, Debbie Murphy, Lyle Facey and Cynthia & McKay, Charlie, Sharon & Courtney Facey . Relatives attending were: Sister Nancy Smith, Brother Jim, & Annette Howarth. Nephews, Ed & May Howarth, Rich & Tmoko & Jake Howarth, David Knight & son Dean, Michael & Christine Turturici, Dan Turturici, Bill and Carol Welborn, Walter Welborn, Bob & Barbara Welborn, Mike & Colleen Welborn, Franklin L. Clyburn, and Raymond E. Smith. Nieces, Muriel & Darryl & Cameron Hanson, Karen (Knight) & Vernon Creasap, Lynda (Clyburn) Thompson, Darlene (Douglas) Sederstrom with daughters, Elena, Cayla, Gina, & Bria. Stephanie (Knight-Gassaway), Michele (Knight-Gassaway) Trey, Billie, & Isaial Hanson. 1st Cousins once removed, Brice DeRose, Adrian & Lani DeRose, Gerald & Pat DeRose. Granddaughter Kish (Howarth-Amore) & husband A. J. Montero and Great Grandson Damian.
This was a huge undertaking for Ralph and Agnes's kids, but it turned out well. Daughter Kathy sent out invitations and all helped with the food for the buffet (nephew Mark was primary maker of the Lasagna).
Lynda Thompson came from Alaska to be there. Darlene Sederstrom came with her girls from Georgia to be there. Bob Welborn came from Montana to be there. Others came from some lengthy distances also.
I'm hoping to be invited to their 75th Wedding Anniversary about 25 years from now!
Well, folks, this is the 20th newsletter that I have written. I hope that you enjoy it.
See below for an interesting family quilt with history. Also one of our Clyburn relatives Steve McMaster is selling a product that he says is very good. I told him to send me the info on it and I'd stick it in this newsletter so that our other relatives could check it out. So, please see the last page.
Click to go to URL http://www.basswax.com
Information info@basswax.com
Editors Note: If any of you change your address, or want a copy sent to a son or daughter, etc. please send me the new one. You may e-mail me with the new address at fclyburn@sisnet.ssku.k12.ca.us . Take care now and God Bless. --Frank Clyburn
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