Wow, have I been busy the past few days! And, I haven't had internet service, that's awful! It's not as critical as, say, water... but please, my life has become so much better with internet. We have been in every county courthouse in the area. Today it is Wapello County, and we found some great family records. It's a beautiful old, turn-of-the-century stone building, so elegant. Mom spent the morning helping me, and Julie worked the afternoon shift. We found my great grandparents' wedding license and certificate. Turns out, they had to hurry, because my grandma was born 7 months after the wedding. I can almost see the shotgun in the wagon as the nuptuals commenced at the courthouse. All four parents had signed an affidavit confirming that they consented to the marriage, and the original affidavits are attached to the marriage license, darkened with age, but I can still read everyone's signatures and the printed form. Pretty cool!
Some people have asked who Julie is. She is one of my oldest and dearest friends, we met in high school when her folks moved from hustling LA area to backwater Prescott. It was a tough change for her, from surfer-girl to nowhere-ville. But we hit it off, and have been chums ever since. When she learned about our trip, she wanted to come along, so she flew into Columbus Ohio on the 12th, and came along for the adventure.
Ottumwa is a charming midwestern town, it's not quite a city, although it's a bustling place. We are staying in the Ottumwa Park, which has a lot of electric sites. Today we are visiting the Shaul Cemetery here, then off to Des Moines to find Mom's great-grandfather. He's hiding up there somewhere, and I'm determined to find him...
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