52 Ancestor Weeks, Week 10 How Did Grandma and Grandpa Meet?

When the Hero and I first began asking questions of Mom E about her family, a basic question was asked, "How did your grandparents meet?"  We knew he lived in the northern part of Alabama and she lived in the Southeast corner of Alabama.
Her answer began with the giggle. " Well", she said, "grandma said she was hiding behind the fence when grandpa came up to apply for the job as a hired hand on her grandpa's farm." Grandma said, "He was as pretty as a picture."  Saying these words triggered another giggle from Mom. She thought that statement was the greatest expression ever.
I do not have any pictures of Henry Crawford Reynolds or Martha Ann Maloura Wells when they are young.  I hope one day some may appear. In order to compensate for this, I used Mom's picture which was of her squatting on the porch, since she looked a lot like Martha. Then I found a cowboy picture and created my own mental scene of Martha hiding behind the fence and watching the farmhand ride up to apply for a job.  At the bottom is a picture of Henry and Martha late in life. Guess he held his magic for her all those years. Wonder if she still thought he was as pretty as a picture. ;-)
(hope you enjoy my visual)

52 Ancestor Weeks Week 8 Martha Ann Maloura Wells Reynolds Being Frugal

The Hero's mom shared about her grandmother when I was talking with her about mine. I told her my grandmother, who had 13 children, would even save the squeal of the pig (my grandmother's joke).
Not to be out done about being frugal, Mom Ellsworth shared the following.
"When I was living with my grandparents, we were on a small farm.  My grandmother always had a cow, chickens, and a garden. My grandfather's work as a Doctor did not always bring in money.
Grandmother to save against the time when the cow was dried up, came up with a method of preserving her butter.  She was sought after by the neighbors to teach them too.
After churning the cream into butter, she would mold it into 1 lb. blocks.  She would then stack the block into crockery pots, cover them with brine water, and then put a cover over it to keep the butter from floating up."

This would have been the type of crock she used. It is called a Red wing Fermenting Crock

During Mildred's childhood, Martha would can from her garden for winter, and she sewed.

Henry Crawford Reynolds, Mildred Vance, Martha Ann Maloura Wells Reynolds

Martha Ann Maloura Wells was born 16 Jul 1859 in Abbeville, Henry County, Alabama to Jasper Newton Wells, and Nancy Ann Holland.

found on Ancestry.com Year: 1860; Census Place: Rowville, Henry, Alabama; Roll: M653_11; Page: 207; Image: 211; Family History Library Film: 803011.

I have some Civil War stories she told. Will share at a later time. Thanks for stopping by.

Tombstone Tuesday Henry and Martha Reynolds

Never discount learning new facts about your family.  You never know what you are going to discover when you are cleaning and working with old files that you think you are finished with. 
A case in point, my mother-in-law was born on July 5 1919.  She loved to tell the story that until she was 9, she had always thought that July 4 was her birthday because they celebrated it on that day. 
As I was creating a grave site for Henry and Martha on Find a Grave, I just recognized a new fact that she never shared or maybe she never knew...or didn't remember, because she moved away from her grandparents when she was 9.  That was the time she started paying attention to dates.  This family had been assembled years ago and I apparently had just plugged in the numbers, not coordinating it with other information in the family.  Here is the new/old information:



Her grandmother Martha Wells was born July 6,  a day after Mom's birthday. 
Her grandparents were married July 7, two days after her birthday.
Isn't that something. 

I bet Mom's grandmother felt a special bond with her.