Talk About Home Alone

I am inserting one of Dad`s family stories out of order because I found it so interesting.  We visited his Aunt Jean Short Allin in Florida this week.  She told stories almost the entire 48 hours we were there.  Hopefully she will write a book as she has always intended.

I will paraphase here her written copy.  Her and Granny Fannie`s dad, Ira Lee Short at age 6, while living in Missouri lost his mother 4 days after she gave birth to a son.  There was also a 4 year old sister named Sadie.  There were no near neighbors so his father fixed a sugar teat for the baby and warned the other 2 to be brave, take care of each other, keep the fire going to discourage wild animals from scenting dead mother in the bed, and left on horseback to telegraph his mother in Texas of the death.  Ira posed in the doorway with a loaded gun against his shoulder on the lookout for panthers, bears, etc. while Sadie fetched water and more wood from outside.  The trip took 2 or 3 days but seemed like forever to the kids.  He brought back help from town to bury the Ma.  It was cold and difficult to dig a deep grave.  Ira and Sadie piled rocks on the somewhat shallow grave.

Grandma arrived by train when she could get there and they all moved back with her and she helped rear the children until her death 5 years later.  The dad did not remarry until the children were grown.

I will relate more stories later.