Connie,
To have such memories is wonderful. You reminded
me of my grandmother making hominy the same way.
I always loved it.
Thanks so much,
Helen
----- Original Message -----
From: "Keith/Connie Street" <ckcasey(a)louisacomm.net>
To: <CAVITT-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Friday, May 12, 2006 8:32 PM
Subject: Re: [CAVITT] Cavitt Mothers
My grandmother was Gertie Cavitt, 1876-1941. She died before I was
born.
She married Emery Alexander and they raised 11 children who are all dead
now. Several died at age 72. You can imagine how each one felt when they
had their 72nd birthday.
Emery and Gertie made their home in Van Buren County, Iowa and became
members of the Cantril Methodist Church. Their first home was forty rods
from the Des Moines Township Hall. Sons, Arthur and Wiley, were born in
that house. The family then rented another farm house where Edna was
born. After this, they bought a farm about six miles northeast of Cantril
and had eight more children. They remained on this farm about thirty
years, farming and raising their family.
The entire family loved animals and each child had at least one pet.
At one time, Emery traveled to Oklahoma to visit his brother, Grant.
Emery was thinking about moving his large family west, but reconsidered
after the visit and the family stayed put. No one remembered the real
reason they didn't move, but they did remember teasing their dad that he
must have been scared by Indians!
The family worked hard to survive. Each child had his or her own chores
both inside and out. They included tending the garden, hand washing
clothes and hanging them out to dry, washing dishes, cleaning house,
cooking and helping with the farm work.
They saved ashes from the fire to make lye soap. They soaked corn in lye
water to make hominy. Meat was "fried out" and stored in large crocks and
covered with lard.
Fruits and vegetables were grown, preserved and stored in the fruit
cellar, an underground storage area near the house. The family raised all
their own food and never went hungry. Twice a week Gertie baked a dozen
loaves of bread and every weekend she baked ten pies.
Farm work was tedious. Everyone looked forward to the weekend's
pleasures. One form of entertainment was the "play party." Neighbors would
take turns hosting the gatherings where everyone played games, danced, and
generally had a good time. The Alexander home was the scene of many of
these get togethers. As the children grew up, many hearts were won and
lost at play parties.
Emery was a Democrat. Although he was active in local politics and worked
a the polls, he never discussed politics at home.
He was a member of the Wiley School board of education.
The children walked to Wiley School, a one-room school house not far from
their farm.
The Depression took its toll on the Alexanders and forced Emery and
Gertie and children Roy and Mae to move to a farm near Fairfield in
Jefferson County, Iowa, in 1936. About three years later, they moved to a
farm near Salem in Henry County, Iowa. It was there where they celebrated
their 40th wedding anniversary. Stan had the mumps in February, so the
anniversary was celebrated in combination with Emery's birthday May 8,
1939. It was the last time the entire family was together. Photographs
taken that day of the couple and their children are extant.
On a cold January day the following year, Emery was walking along a
country road near Salem. He may have been rabbit hunting or on his way to
town to buy shells, when he was felled by a heart attack. He was
discovered along the road and taken to a doctor's office by a passer-by.
He died there soon after. Roy and Mae were still living at home at the
time.
His daughters, Grace and Letha remembered the day of his funeral being
what seemed like the coldest day of the year. Cars at that time had no
heaters.
Emery and Gertie were both buried at Maple Grove Cemetery, Cantril,
Iowa.
Gertie's parents were William Cass Cavitt and Mary Jane Wiley. William
Cass "Bill" was the son of William C. Cavitt and Judicia Misor. William C.
was the son of James Forster and Rebecca (possibly Applegate). James
Forster's father was James Cavet.
James Cavet was well respected. In the book "Old Westmoreland" by Edgar W.
Hassler, he was described on page 10 as one of the most prominent
representatives of the Pennsylvania interest in old Westmoreland. It says
he was "of the Sewickley settlement."
Records of the Rev. John Elder recorded James' first marriage but did
not fill in the wife's name. A grave for Sarah Cavet, age 22 when she died
in 1770, in the Old Paxtang Graveyard makes one think she might have been
James' wife. There is no proof for this statement. A record in the LDS
records names Sarah ___ as his wife, with no documentation.
James was named Bedford County Assessor April 1, 1771.
James and his brother, John, were among those on the tax list for
Bedford County in 1772. The next year, Westmoreland County was formed from
the western portion of Bedford County. In 1773, there were only 79
families living in Pitt Township, including those of John and James.
Gov. Penn of Pennsylvania nominated James Cavitt as justice of the
county court February 27, 1773. He was a member of the Board of Trustees
appointed to select a county seat and was elected as one of the county's
first county commissioners October 1, 1773.
On July 11, 1774, James and Robert Hanna were chosen to represent
Westmoreland County as delegates to the First Continental Congress in
Philadelphia, which convened July 15. The Continental Congress resolved
to raise an army, of which George Washington was chosen as
commander-in-chief.
Connie Street
ckcasey(a)louisacomm.net
Website coordinator for Winneshiek County, Iowa at
http://iagenweb.org/winneshiek/
Louisa County, Iowa at
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ialouisa/
Alexanders of Van Buren County, Iowa at
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~conniesfamily/
Keith Street's Family Page at
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~conniesfamily/keith.html
and SAPIC
http://www.rootsweb.com/~iasapc/
----- Original Message -----
From: "Helen" <hgdonald(a)knology.net>
To: <CAVITT-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Friday, May 12, 2006 5:14 PM
Subject: [CAVITT] Cavitt Mothers
>
> As Mother's Day Tribute to Cavitt Mothers, let's all post something
> about our closest Cavitt Mother.
>
> My closest Cavitt mother was Mary Cavitt (b.1777),
> daughter of Richard Cavitt. Mary married William
> Lapsley Armstrong, son of Revolutionary War patriot
> William Armstrong and his wife Jane Lapsley.
>
> Of course, I knew nothing of her personally, but I know that she raised
> ten children in a log cabin, without Gerbers OR Pampers, so she must have
> been very dedicated to her role as Mother.
>
> At least three of her children migrated, as adults, to
> Robertson County, Texas, and one of them became
> a delegate to the Texas Constitutional Convention,
> and hence, was among those who carved a state out
> of a land that was, at the time, largely prairie.
>
> Helen
>
>
> ==============================
> Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the
> last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more:
>
http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx
>
>
>
==============================
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