Black Sheep Sunday

 Thank goodness Not my relative

I found this in a 1865 Washington DC directory

 Farwell, Levi "Huckster" living at 22 13 1/2 st, is that what they use to call a Politian or lobbyist? He actually was a murderer and committed suicide at the age of 36

The Black Sheep's Niece

Prompt 1

Who I am, still not sure but it’s taken me 72 years to get here, I’ve been a daughter, a princess, a wife,  a mother,  a nana,  a queen, a mistress, a lover, a dreamer, a winner and sometimes a failure.  I never did the things I meant to do write a book, set up a website or write a blog, (oops am I doing that today) sing a song, stay up all night with a friend in need, go to a candlelight vigil, send condolence cards, say a prayer for someone every day, or write a letter to someone every week, nor have I ever put flowers on my parents grave. I’m a certified snoop love the reading of old newspapers, I’m  always asking questions many times it’s none of my business but I really, really want to know what makes people tick. Maybe I’ll find out way I don’t tick like other people.  I’m the eldest of 3 girls, poor pop.

Prompt 2

I was born in Grant Nebraska, I’ve always told people it was 4 blocks long and 4 blocks wide but I suspect it was a little larger, I was born at home in the front bedroom or it could have been the bedroom next to that, since there was only 2 bedrooms it had to be one or the other. Not for sure who was there other than my mom and me, probably Dr Bell but I’m only  assuming that since he signed my birth certificate. I have a cool baby book with names of grandparents, aunts and uncles, great aunts and uncles and lots of neighbors.  I must have been precious they kept coming back with more presents. Thank goodness for my Aunt Mary she started my baby book and kept it up, because my mother never did do it for us 3 girls.

Alive, well and procrastinating at it's best

 

Black sheep Sunday

36 words summed up the lives of two men

Shooting Affray

Ainsworth, Neb., May 25 - In a shooting affray between George Crandall and Zack Alderman, Crandall was perhaps fatally wounded. No reason is assigned, except that Alderman was drunk and having a good time generally. There is strong talk of lynching.

There was no necktie party for Mr. Alderman, in 1900 he was living in Garfield NE

The Bismarck Tribune, June 1, 1883

Signed the niece of a Black Sheep

Black Sheep Sunday

Black Sheep Sunday

I’ve never written a story about a real person, especially a real person I never saw and one that my family would never speak. His sister, my grandmother Granny Grace, when I questioned her about her family, always retorted “their all dead, so leave sleeping dogs lay.” Was she hiding the Black sheep from us or us from him?

When I looked on Ancesty.com for my John Howard Beswick there is 6 family trees which he is included and with  6 pieces of  mis-informations.

I know John or Howard is his first name that is the name his 3rd to the oldest sister, Jean or Aunt Babe to us kids, gave me the names of each child of Monroe and Emma.  In the 1920 census he is residing at the grey bar hotel,  yes the famous Alcatraz. In the 20’s Alcatraz was a Military prison named the Pacific Beach Disciplinary Barracks.  Then he was transferred to McNeil Island, Washington, U.S. Penitentiary. A When John was a little boy his parents split up, Emma took my grannie to South Dakota with her and John stayed in Nebraska with Monroe his father.  I understand Monroe was an ugly, vicious man who made trouble for everyone he encountered but especially his own family. I wonder if being abandoned by his mother and the general rottenness of his father, poverty of the times or was he just born the black sheep.

I have no idea where he went or when he died, I was told he robbed a few banks.  His brother in law, Fred Jacobi was the deputy sheriff in Holdrege, Nebraska and by looking at the census’s our family gravitied to live with them.

So for years since the invention of the computer I scroll through many hours of websites, reading a lot of Nebraska newspapers, that would tell about a bank robberies.   And then holy-moley there was a booking picture of him. Maybe now I can write the story.

Signing off,

Black Sheep’s niece

January 13,  2013