Thursday, August 26, 2010

Brethern Sistern and Kinlin...

I knew nothing very little of my father Wayne's family except that his Daddy was J. (for James )Roscoe Shields. I have found out Roscoe born April 3, 1885 and died on July 21 1942.  He was an engineer on the Erie Lakawanna Railroad from 1913, when he got his Engineer Certificate. he was certified to run Passenger Fast Frieght, Local Frieght. his run was from Youngstown Ohio to Salmanca New York...I think. He contracted stomach cancer and took medical leave in 1940, and was off and on until his death in 1942. I was a year and 1 month old so I never knew him...dammit. I never knew any of my grandfathers.

My Cousin Sandra remembers Roscoe taking her to the Meadville, Pa. station, and showing her his big steamer...wish I'd been there as a 12 year old! No wonder I loved trains till they ran out of steam.


My cousin lives in Yankeeland...Erie Pa., bless her heart..She can't help it that's where she got put. Her Mama and Daddy lived there. I don't have to live there cause my Daddy had enough sense to take a job in Athens, Georgia in 1946 Yippee, Happy Days...no snow!

I moved back up that way in my twenties but it didn't take. I had to cross the Mason Dixon Line to teach school in Warfordsburg, Pa every day, a heavy burden to bear. I went through 3 states to get to work and it was only a 12 mile drive. I had no green card, and I didn't have to take my shoes off at the state lines.

Roscoe's father-in-law, Rio Rhodes, was a bit eccentric. My mother liked him best cause he raised great dalhia's and had good orchards..guess I come by it naturally. Mama said Roscoe was an affiable, put upon, somewhat serious in nature, and that Mabel would cause the Pope to go on the sauce. She was a micro manager and had everybody's day planned to her schedule.'Course that's one woman's opinion of another woman, her mother in law. 

I haven't seen Sandra since we were young teens, I guess. She and my sister have corresponded. I got the bug to find out more about my Shields ancestors after the Gaineville midland post. I knew Roscoe was a train man. 

So, I now have  Roscoe and his Daddy, George Shields  who lived in or around Mill Village, Pa. His wife was Maude, we think, and we have old Rye, or Rio Rhodes, Roscoe's future brother in law.

Things get a little dicey about  here. Seems like a George Culbertson married an Irene Maxwell. George died on the way home from being discharged from a camp in Washington DC after the Civil War. He died just three weeks before his daughter (Carrie Culberson) was born.  Carrie Was raised by Irene Maxwell Culbertson Manross. At twenty, she then married Rio Rhodes about 1880?

Carrie, now Rio's wife, died in child birth at age 24 having MY grand mother, Mabel Rhodes. Mabel, in turn  was raised by Irene Maxwell Culbertson Monross, Mabel's paternal grandmother. Wasn't fittin for no man to raise no girl chile.  There's a Culbertson in the gene pool. I never heard THAT name before.

 You know, this is actually sorta' fun, and I'll probably drive Sandra crazy with questions, but she's learning, too, hopefully...we've been swapping stories. My mom said , my dad said...you know family gossip.
 I might have to take a road trip and see what its like up there, in the summe, thank you.

Think I'll get across the Big Pond with them Shields' without having to go to the Ancestry.Com?


Anyway, here are a few pictures that Sandra found...the left hand picture is Rio Rhodes and my cousin, Sandra, some 70 years ago. I love that dog!

The right hand picture is Sandra and me. Must have been at Roscoes funeral...sometime around mid July of 1942.

Readers ...hang in there, I'll get over this soon! I'm hunting for a picture of Roscoe's engine. Man what a rush driving a big 8 wheeler must have been!

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