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Author: ibdashnn
Surnames: Caldwell
Classification: queries
Message Board URL:
http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.caldwell/3285.1.1.1.1/mb.ashx
Message Board Post:
Wow! Thank you sooo much for your reply, John! We are definitely cousins, or 2nd cousins
(not sure how that works) and we share the same grandfather! How cool is that?! I remember
my dad talking a lot about Uncle John which must have been your dad. I remember the
funeral in 1957, too; I was about 9 yrs old at the time. I remember walking up to the
casket and seeing grandpa and he grinned and lifted his little finger (that was the
earliest evidence I could communicate with spirit). When I told my dad, who was
understandably distraught, he was furious and marched me out to the foyer of the funeral
home (where I cried and cried) and he threatened he would send me out to the car; the temp
was in the 90s so that would not have been a good option. I always wondered what happened
to his old Jeep, now, at last, I know. I remember there were a lot of discussions about
the land that granddad owned in Tennessee, where Nashville was built. It would have cost
$20,000 to pay the 20 yrs of!
back taxes to take possession but they didn't think they decided they couldn't
come up with that much money back then...sooo sad...I made a strong case for finding a way
thinking of the long-term investment possibilities, but nobody listens to a 9-yr old,
especially a girl. :-(
I'm glad you found some of grandpa's things, like the gold washing pans...I often
wondered whether that was a true story or not. He used to send stones from his mining,
like turquoise, opals, silver, etc, and I remember a Prince Albert tobacco can that was
full of various stones, each one carefully wrapped in tissue. There was also a book, bound
with wood covers and inlaid wood on the front saying, The Caldwell Caravan, but my dad
would never let me read it. My dad re-married and when he passed his wife never let me
have anything of his as a memento, not even the book. He had a solid silver tie bar with a
cowboy boot suspended on little chains that he often wore, but she wouldn't even let
me have that. :-(
I just learned recently through my time on
Ancestry.com that our cousin, (Claudia) Nadine
and Aunt Vi moved back to New Mexico. They sold their house about a year ago but I
haven't found her again yet. Aunt Vi had been really upset that dad's 2nd wife
never told her about dad's passing until after the funeral, etc. were over. If you
have, or have access to any of our grandfathers things, like the trunk, if you could take
pictures and email them to me it would be great to have that connection. I posted a
picture of our grandfather on my tree and would be happy to invite you. We have some
really awesome ancestry! Like Charlemagne! Thank you again for connecting!!
Your very sincere cousin,
Barbara (Caldwell) De Shann
San Juan Capistrano, CA
bdeshann(a)yahoo.com
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