My Family Stories

"Colleen, She Who Loved Fiercely" She sought escape from Chesterfield's small streets, A beauty school graduate with fire, The World's Fair called to all her heart's desire, First taste of freedom, bittersweet and fleet. She loved her daughters fiercely, tried her best, Though worn and weary, never ceased to care, She gave them life and love beyond compare, Her beautiful legacy, her truest test. The cancer stole her voice, her vibrant soul, Had danced and fought and loved with all her might, Yet still she burned with such a stubborn light, She'd played the underdog to find her whole. She lived, she loved, she suffered, and she grew, And found at last the peace she came to knew. The above sonnet was made from an interview with her sister, Connie Marshall. Here is the summary of this interview: Colleen's Early Life Connie's earliest memories of Colleen are colored by sibling friction, including a story Colleen loved to tell about Connie threa...

"Touch Your Nose and Think of Her" She had a spark that no one could contain,  Her laugh would land before the punchline came,  She'd itch her nose and take the playful blame,  And laughed the hardest at her own refrain. She set your nails and set your whole heart right,  Her crafting hands could fill a room with cheer,  She made you feel like some might want you near,  And talked with you from morning into night. No judgment crossed her face when you came home,  Her love was wide enough for every flaw,  She gave you more than you thought love could draw,  And made sure no one ever felt alone. She burned so bright we still recall her flame,  And carry her forever in her name. "Still Catching Fire" She would talk for hours, never lost for words,  Her laugh would fill the room before she spoke,  A fire in her that no one ever broke,  Who'd pick the daisies free as summer birds. She never turned you aw...

"Camino de Janito" Nació en Toteco, donde el sol quema la piel, Dejó el campo y el lodo con firmeza y valor, Buscó estudio en la ciudad como un aspirador, Y halló el amor de la abuela, siendo lo más fiel. De joven fue contador, con mente brillante y fiel, Con mucha paciencia nos ayudó con la educación. Leyendo sus escrituras con mucho devoción, Subrayando sus palabras a un alto nivel. Al ver a los misioneros, sintió un gran llamado, Fue un hombre de servicio, de paz y amor leal, Por él llegó el Evangelio a su hogar familiar, En el templo y la iglesia sirvió, nunca cansado. Su vida fue un ejemplo de bien y de bondad, Abuelo Janito, un legado de espiritualidad. English Translation He was born in Toteco, where the sun burns the skin, He left the fields and the mud with firmness and courage, He sought education in the city like a vacuum cleaner, And found the love of his grandmother, being the most faithful. As a young man, he was an accoun...

 Her Hands, Her Heart, Her Hymns In fields where dawn would wake the earth anew, She labored by the farm, her hands well worn, In simple rooms, her early dreams were born, And music played as winds of childhood blew. She wed her love amidst a world at war, Through work and faith they built a steadfast life, With music leading both in peace and strife, Her voice would guide the hearts she cared for more. Her jello chilled, the Ding Dongs frozen neat, She gathered kin with treats and laughter there, Where hymns would rise, a melody of care, And lessons taught with hands both kind and sweet. With flags of distant lands her love displays, A legacy in hearts and hymns she stays.

Doña Cire - Chilacas con Amor Doña Cire, con su risa y chapitas, rostro alegre que a todos inspiraba, iba a Maravatío y regresaba, chilacas en sus manos tan bonitas. Con crema y queso, en tardes bendecidas, las servía a hijos y nietos reunidos, sus sabores al alma bienvenidos, delicias de sus manos tan queridas. En cada plato, un eco de su amor, su esencia en la mesa aún se esconde. Un lazo que en su ausencia no se rompe, sazón que da consuelo y buen sabor. Aunque nos falte ya su fiel calor, sus chilacas el alma da su amor.

El Loco Empresario Hay un loco emprendedor, siempre alegre, sin temor, trabaja aquí, trabaja allá, ¡hasta limpia la ventana ya! Con tubos, mangueras, y sudor, arregla todo con buen humor. Y si eso no fuera suficiente, atiende a vivos... ¡y también a la gente ausente! Con su sonrisa tan brillante, no hay reto que lo espante. Ventanas, tuberías, ataúdes también, él lo hace todo, ¡es un verdadero crack sin fin! Ya sea en la vida o en el más allá, su felicidad nunca se va. Así es mi cuñado, un maestro total, que sirve a los vivos y a los del funeral. The Crazy Businessman There’s a crazy businessman, always happy, without a plan, he works here, he works there, even windows get his care! With pipes, hoses, sweat on his face, he fixes it all with cheerful grace. And if that wasn’t quite enough, he serves the living… and the ones in the dust! With a smile so wide and bright, there’s no task that gives him fright. Windows, pipes, coffins galore, he does it all, and sti...

 "A Day on the Lake with Uncle Roy" Upon the waves of Powell's azure sea, Uncle Roy sat, bold laughter in the breeze, His playful spirit brought us to our knees, With memories made, our hearts forever free. With squirt guns drawn, he'd tease the girls with glee, Their laughter rang, a joyful melody, In painted nails, we found our revelry, Adventure spun, with every wave's decree. “Slow down!” he'd shout as I pushed forth the speed, His grip upon the bar, a steadfast hold. A moment’s pause revealed his tales retold. Yet when the waters roared, he’d laugh, indeed. Each trip we took, adventures brightly spun, In every wave, a cherished life begun.

"A Never Fading Light" A gentle soul who faced each daunting fight, Through trials deep, she stood with steadfast grace, Her heart a beacon in life’s endless race, In every shadow, she brought forth her light. In the halls at work, she built her lasting name, Where work and love entwined, a cherished blend, With Craig, she found that one true friend. Their paths together, never quite the same. Each mountain road they traveled, hand in hand, Through deserts vast, and lakes where trout would gleam, Their love, a tapestry of joy and dream, In nature’s peace, their bond would firmly stand. Now as she rests, her spirit takes its flight, In hearts she lives, a never-fading light. ---

"In Ancestral Footsteps, Faith Must Stand" I ask, how can I build the faith they knew, The strength to face what life demands of me? In trials deep, can I, like them, still be As steadfast, pure, and hold their vision true? He stayed behind to guard the sacred stone, While saints had fled, he watched the temple’s light. Yet when they asked if he would stand alone, He faced the mob and would not yield to fright. Three times they tried to break his spirit’s will, With stubborn faith, he ventured far and wide. He traveled far, his family to provide, And built with hands what only God could fill. So may my faith, though humble it may start, Grow strong enough to match his mighty heart. "Legacy in Stone" In arches grand where visions touch the sky  With steadfast hands, he shaped the stone and clay, His dreams, like beams, in light's embrace would play,  An architect whose heart could never die. In Utah's fields, his genius found its way, ...

"Bouncing into my Heart" In your back yard where soft green grasses lay, A rabbit hopped with grace beneath the sun, Its tiny paws would dance in morning’s ray, A gentle heart, whose journey now is done. Beside the tortoise, calm and wise of shell, The rabbit brought a joy that brightly shined, With bounding leaps and stories it would tell, A friend who left warm memories behind. Now in the hearts it touched, it finds its rest, A spirit free, like winds that softly sweep. Though gone from sight, it lives within the chest, In cherished dreams where love and memories keep. So let us hold that joy, both calm and bright, A bond of love that never fades from sight. "For Mr. Banks, our friend in fur" A young dog, we loved our golden doodle dear, With curls that bounced like joy upon the ground, In every leap and bound, his love was found, A spirit bright, forever full of cheer. He'd walk with me, so faithful, always near, His furry hugs to Dad ...

  "Sentado en su banco" ( un calaverita literaria) Lolo, el abuelito fiel, Sentado en su rincón, Con el sol como bastón, Con periódico de papel. La Catrina lo miró, Desde lejos con un espejo, "Lolo, ven, ya eres muy viejo" "Y la tarde se acabó." Pero Lolo en su manera, Con su camisa brillante, Le respondió al instante, "Aún no, que yo no soy cualquiera." La Catrina suspiró, Y en la sombra se quedó, Lolo en su banco que tanto amó, Y en paz al fin descansó. Ahora en el más allá, Lolo sigue en su banquita, Con su papel nunca se quita, Con el sol de la eternidad. "Gariboleadas" "Elegancia con Camisas de Color" Bajo el sol, con camisas de colores, Mi abuelo siempre se alzaba orgulloso. Floreado de estampado poderoso, Cada hilo era un gesto de sus amores. Su carácter fuerte, pero con nosotros Siempre amable, sin gritar. Con ternura, de mi madre sin evitar, Regalaba camisetas, mas que cualquier otro. Un día, en la playa se quedó perd...

 La Amiguera de la Catrina En la esquina del panteón, la Catrina se paseaba, buscando una fiesta alegre, donde el alma se alegraba. De repente oyó risas, y un aroma delicioso, eran enchiladas suizas, con un toque muy sabroso. Era la Tia Vicky, muy querida, que sus fiestas organizaba, Con invitaciones a todos, aun a la Catrina la invitaba. “No te lleves a mis amigos, mejor ven a disfrutar, que en mi fiesta no hay tristeza, solo ganas de bailar.” La Catrina sorprendida de encontrar esta persona, “Vicky, tú sí que sabes de ser la mejor anfitriona. Hoy te dejo en tu festín, con tus amigas a reír, pero cuídate, querida, que algun día he de venir.” Vicky rió con descaro, y la fiesta continuó, con canciones y guirnaldas, la muerte se espantó. Y aunque un día ha de marchar, en su fiesta quedará, el recuerdo de su risa, que ni la muerte callará.

 "Un Día en Tu Honor" En Cocula, nació tu dulce esencia, donde el sol besa el cielo en su esplendor, y en tu hogar, en la mesa, tu labor es servir con amor y con paciencia. Tus manos dan al mundo su presencia, cocinando con fuego y con fervor, y antes de probar bocado o sabor, te entregas, sin reserva ni diferencia. Tu espíritu es tan fuerte como el día, Que alumbras nuestras vidas sin cesar, Hoy brindamos por ti, sin reposar, Celebrando tu giracíon solar en armonía. Que sigas todas las dias en tu majestad Y que Dios te llena siempre de paz y amistad. Agosto 2024 Calaverita de la famosa Maripopis  Podría decirme quien es primera. Se mueve más que cualquiera. La mujer vestida tan guapa. Mírala luciendo con su capa. Su paseo en forma de escoba. Llegando a su alcoba. Cansada de la jornada Se acostaba en mero madrugada. En su bolsa hay de muchas pinturas. Por allí escondia todos sus travesuras. Sacando sus brochas de maquillaje, Para ponerse bella antes de...

 "El Negrito, Primo Alegre y Singular" Recuerdo su sonrisa y su fulgor, su espíritu de fiesta, siempre lleno, con cada trago celebró lo bueno, su risa nos contagiaba sin ningun rencor. En Veracruz, sin ropa de nadar, dijo “en calzones, que nadie es ajeno," mas el mar, burlón, le robó su freno, y sin calzones tuvo que marchar. Pasando por Corona en la gran ciudad, “Bajar las ventanillas,” nos decía, "¡Respirar cerveza gratis!", mientras el conducía En la diversión se encontró su felicidad. En cada momento nos dejaba su teoría, enseñando a reír con su alegría. "En Su Risa, la Vida" El Negrito, rey de la diversión, Siempre dispuesto a dar su corazón, Con risas y anécdotas en canción, Su vida fue un festín de emoción. A las mujeres todas él encantaba, Altas, bajitas, todas lo adoraban, Cantando a Vicente, con trago en mano, Bailaba y reía, libre y cercano. Al mar nos llevó en su travesura, Sin calzones, su risa en la brisa pura, De...