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...

 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.

 "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 ...

  Poetry about the life of Great Grandpa David S Moss  A Cousin Legacy In Nineteen Hundred and Nine they saddled to ride, David and Elmer, in the dawn's soft light, With hope they staked their squatter's claim by right. To Rockland's fields, their futures to provide. In '11, with a wagon fully packed, They ventured forth with farm and household ware, Clearing the sage to plant their crop with care. Each built a log house where their dreams were stacked. Six oxen strong they drove, the sage to clear, With Henry, Ray, and Roy they drilled a well, Their dreams took root while rugged lands compel, Through drought and storm, they battled without fear. In war, the call to serve was set aside, For David's fields of wheat, his country’s pride. Further poems still in process In '13, to Nina he was wed with grace, A two-room home their love began to bloom. Soon crops did fail; they sought to escape the gloom Found irrigated lands, a greener place. From '17 on, he taug...

"Miss Sally of Shenandoah" In Shenandoah’s woods, where berries grow,  Miss Sally climbed for nuts in trees so tall,  With friends beside her, answering nature's call,  Amid the hills where gentle rivers flow.  She drove the cows, her father’s pride and joy,  Milking and churning, hands so deft and true,  Her laughter bright as skies of morning blue,  A farmer’s daughter, filled with simple joy.  Yet when the war’s dark winds began to blow, Her heart turned cold, a hatred took its place,  For Lincoln’s name brought sorrow to her face,  But still her love for home refused to go.  In Shenandoah’s heart, she left her mark,  A light that shines through history’s shadowed dark. "Miss Sally's War" Beneath a Southern sky where green once grew, The troops marched on, their boots a bitter song, Through fields now trampled, torn by battle's wrong, The land she loved was lost to Northern hue. Her childhood home, now haunted by...

 In Silent Codes, a Sentinel's Resolve Since fifteen, sparks flew from a tesla's coil, A boy with dreams of circuits in the air. He knew his path was destined, clear, and fair, To fix it all with more than basic foil. In the '60's, the Air Force called his name. A wiry youth, two pounds above the line. For cryptic keys and secrets to refine, He took the oath and set his heart aflame. Through sleepless nights, the ciphers were his shield. A silent sentinel in Guam's harsh light. A guardian of peace in endless night. He kept the codes secure, the truth concealed. Keymaster, a Tech Wizard at his core, Code Keeper whose legacy will endure. A Chance Encounter, Love’s True Design One call, one night, a doorbell rang too soon, His gentle spirit knocking, fate designed. Two paths aligned, where wires and hearts entwined, A chance encounter under July’s moon. He wasn’t searching for a love so true, Yet found it waiting, curlers in her hair. Whose calm...

 "From Darkness to Light" Baseball bat thrown, its cruel path unseen, Across young eyes that sparkled in the sun, Till blackened nights replaced where light had stun, And shadows grew where childhood had been seen. Yet through the dark, a strength within him grew, A keen, sharp sense to guide him through each day, With touch and sound, his world isn't even gray. And love, like the dawn, still made it's way through. He sought a cure, a flame within his chest, That burned for the sight of his mother's smile. A plea to heal, to end his darkness' trial. Light returned but with colors never blessed. And with restored sight, he lived unrestrained, His world reborn, no longer shadow-chained. "In St. Louis' Embrace" In St. Louis' streets, where dreams were spun, A family grew beneath the city's gaze, Through crowded lanes, in youthful, carefree phase, Buddy led the way, their guiding sun. With every game, a brother’s bond ...

Georgiana En reuniones familiares, la alegría surge, Tío Dave con sus habilidades culinarias, Cada plato, una obra maestra que nos urge, Con sabores ricos, nuestros corazones alienta. Tío Freddy, gracioso, con facilidad juega, Imitando a todos, nos trae la risa, Las risas resuenan siempre en la brega, Su imitación, un don que  nosdesliza. La risa de tía Faby, tan cálida y llena de gracia, Alegría contagiosa que de cara en cara pasa, Su alegría una chispa que ilumina con audacia, En su abrazo, encontramos nuestro espacio con brasa. Y Abuela, guardiana de nuestro clan, Su cuidado y amor, un escudo, un calor sin afán.  Family Fun 2024 Uncle Dave and his awesome skills at making dinner.  Uncle Freddy is funny imitating everyone.  Aunt Faby's laugh is contagious.  Abuela is awesome looking out for everyone. 

The Great Inventor   His mind, a forge built where brilliant sparks flare, From nothingness, he’d craft with skill and might, Invention born from day and through each night, As if he’d breathed creation into air. Life’s trials weighed heavy, burdens hard to bear, Yet he’d confront each challenge, fight each fight. But death, that thief, took him from our sight, Its cruel hand struck, a loss beyond compare. Yet time moves on; it does not pause or sway, It holds no mercy, offers no reprieve. If he were here, his words would light the way: "Go build your dreams; in what you make, believe." In honoring him, we rise and play our part, To shape the world with our own hands and heart. Previous poem 2019-09-29 The Great Inventor A poem dedicated to my Uncle Stewie Always impressed by his great mind He would come up with things that bind. Invention here and others there, Could he have thought to invent air. He knew this life is a struggle Someti...

FINAL_2019-03-15-It is time Poem: It is time A poem dedicated to my Uncle Darrell and the parkinsons that he fights with on a daily basis It is time Patiently I wait for them to come Look at my phone, did they text, two times or maybe even three. Nope, no message has come through As it turns out that my Aunt just simply missed the turn cause never has she learned to trust Google Maps It is time I go help him out of the car We really are not that far So happy I am to see him Are you ready to eat, you look slim? "Yes it is Faby's cooking that I came for Now we had better go in" It is time Each step we take along the floor one step, two step, three step, four. It seems as though you are walking better He replies "No I still have my fetter "It always seems that my feet are lagging further behind, Really just before my eyes" It is time That passes as we walk to the door. Almost 100 full moons have scored. Much more time has passed for him For i...