Sitting around talking one day…as we do…Pop recalled seeing two movies that reflected his views and experience with the govermental policy of Emminent Domain. He could recall the gist of each, but not the specifics. After some extensive Google research I found them: “Wild River,” and “Fire on the Mountain.” You’lll see the reviews of…
Early on my category of “Daddy ‘n Me” held stories by and about my father Erwin A. Thompson. I know he has many fans out there. For Fathers Day our blog of the month topic is, naturally fathers. Check out the “Daddy ‘n Me” archive to read, read, read to your heart’s content about the…
Jimmy Freeman and Tommy White at the scouting jamboree. Slept in the same sleeping bag. “Color didn’t rub off either one of them.” When Jimmy returned to visit Pop he told him, “You gave me dignity. I can stand up with anyone and be proud.”
Rebecca Pincas and her family hosted a gathering at the Edwardsville Library to share the labors of several yeras of hard and dedicated work. The subject: “The early history of Melville andi ts people.” Several of the old families were represented in the audience, who later became participants in the discussion of the history that…
In our family collection of books I found an old Bible, with the inscription: “Frank Riehl, Superintendent of the Melville Sunday School.” One time my Uncle Ed Riehl and Aunt Amelia (Mim) Riehl were to play a violin duet for the church program. Aunt Mim was very shy, and not used to playing in public….
Evergreen Heights, the place founded by E. A. Riehl and our homeplace still…where he communed with nature and forged paths to become one of the 8 premiere horticulturalist in the world at that time. E. A. Riehl was a pillar of the community, though known not to suffer fools gladly. The lane which ends in…
Gary and Patty Thompson Happy birthday, Gary, as you celebrate 62 years of your happiness genius dedicated to being a good solid citizen, a good father and now grandfather and uncle and great-uncle and brother and son and husband, a good teacher, a good fix-it man (is hard to find)…a good human being. Today my…
My mother’s father farmed pigs. Courtney Johnston loved his grandkids. As we ran to him, he’d welcome us in his arms with the endearment: “My little runts!” You have to know that “the runt” is the littlest pig of the litter. And the youngest grandchild was ever his “runt.” What we do shapes our language….
Family reunions were especially big for my father’s father, J. Arthur Thompson. My brother Gary has taken up the family reunion mantle. He and his wife Patty host an annual family get-together at their lakeside home outside Jacksonville. Besides the ample good food from the garden, joking around, hearing about the crops, the haying, the…
Click here to read Erwin A. Thompson Western Series book review. Cattle Country and Back Trail: Two Tales from the Thompson Western Series Erwin A. Thompson ISBN: 0-595-40228-3 Publisher: iUniverse $17.95 US Reviewer: Gordon Randall Buy on “Cattle Country and Back Trail” on Amazon by clicking here. Randall begins his review by saying….”Turns out that…