Christmas on father's farm

I remember Christmas

my mother used to have

when she was just a little girl

and I not yet a lad

the year was nineteen twenty one

the snow was bright and cold

the burning wood was smoky warm

or so the story told

father's pease hung in the pot

black iron fireplace hook above

old farmhouse filled with children

old family filled with love

each child treasured their present

the only one they got

no one felt the absence

of all things that were not

as the day went on the home

filled with the summer smell

of the single orange each child received

and treasured oh so well

The Day I Drowned

Spoiler Alert! : In the end it turned out OK you see as I'm still alive (assuming that that is OK to you that I'm still alive :)

Charlene asked that I tell the story of how I drowned in the kiddie pool at the Standing Stone State Park.

Most of what I remember about it, I don't remember, and what I do remember I remember from a distinctly different perspective than everyone else does … but … here goes:

After my parents moved to Ohio from Alaska, mother was able to visit her family in Celina every year for several weeks to several months. In the warm time of the year, we would usually go at least once (or more) to the swimming pool at the Standing Stone State Park which I remember as being hours and hours away; however, in the '60s I was in the 0 to 8 year age range so my sense of time was somewhat different than it is now. (It's actually about 14 miles or less than 1/2 hour). Seems like we most always stopped at the Dairy Queen after swimming on the way back to town.

The day I drowned in the kiddie pool I remember sitting beside the large pool where everyone was busy diving, swimming, conversing, and sunbathing. Later I wandered over to the kiddie pool and there was no one there at all. I enjoyed having the whole pool to myself. I remember the water in the kiddie pool was rather deep, somewhere between my knees and waist. Since I'm sure it's at most about a foot or so deep, I'm guessing that I was probably somewhere between 2 and 4 years old. At some time while I was playing in the pool I thought it would be fun to lay down on the bottom of the pool and watch the surface of the pool. I think this is probably where I was/what I was doing when somebody/everybody found me. I of course didn't realize that I was missing as I knew exactly where I was the whole time.

Most of the following I don't know and have only heard partly second hand years later after the fact (this would be a good point for any relatives with the missing detail to chime in with some info).

Apparently, some time after I wandered off to the kiddie pool, someone noticed that I was missing. At first everyone started frantically looking everywhere, trying to see if I was around the pool somewhere, had gone off to one of the bathrooms, or was laying at the bottom of the big pool where they couldn't see me. I guess for a little while no one thought to look at the kiddie pool since no one was over there (except for me of course). I guess that my mother must have been in quite a panicked state as Jane Helen said that they thought they may have to resuscitate her. Eventually, after looking everywhere where everyone was and not finding me, someone thought to look over by the kiddie pool where no one was and low-and-behold, there I was laying at the bottom of the kiddie pool. I guess I managed to survive with minimal brain damage, or at least whatever there was all have been kind enough to not point out to me.

Anyone with more detail to add, please do!

Great and Great Great Grandchildren 1977

OK here's Charlene Groves née Bilbrey's picture of the great grandchildren.

Since I don't remember any of them (ok I remember some of them but ...), here's what she wrote about them:
Brian, Amanda, Tara, Celest, Rob?, Warren, Rama, Brack, James?, Pam, ___Watson(Pam's brother. And the comment "Is Pam's brother's name Donnie? I can't remember for sure."


So, that would make across the back sitting/leaning on the car/truck roof:

Robert Parsons, Warren Arms, Rama Arms, Brack Stubblefield, James Parsons, Pam Watson, with Pam's brother ?Donnie Watson? sitting behind her.

And in front

Brian ?, Amanda Parsons, Tara ?, Celest Watson

Grandfather's children

Charlene posted a picture of the six siblings.

They lined up from youngest on their right (Walter) to the eldest on their left (Alice).

From left to right: Walter Arms, Laura Lee Mayo née Arms, Amos Arms, Edith Bilbrey née Arms, Helen Wells née Arms, Alice Overstreet née Arms.

Who is in the Arms Family Reunion 1977 picture

I'll try and stick to the convention of describing left or right in the picture from our perspective viewing the picture rather than from the perspective of the individuals in the picture (which of course would be the other way around).

In front of the porch or sitting on the steps (from the left)

Uncle Harmon (John Harmon Overstreet) is the leftmost person in the picture. He is partly cut off in the picture wearing a white shirt and dark trousers.

Aunt Alice my other mother (Alice Artemsia Overstreet née Arms) is to the right of her husband Uncle Harmon. She's wearing a hat (she loved hats and sun bonnets) and is wearing a yellow print dress.

Cousin Peggy (Peggy Brown née Overstreet) sitting in front of Harmon and Alice is their eldest granddaughter Peggy. She's holding her baby Hanna Boles. Peggy is Frances and Mitchell's daughter and Jane Helen, Henry, and Lee Angell's sister.

Uncle Amos (Amos Arms) standing in the red shirt and grey trousers next to Aunt Alice

Judy Arms (I think) standing next to her fiancé or recently become husband Walter Lee Arms.

The child in front of them in pink shorts (I'm really guessing here) is maybe Amanda Parsons?

To the right of Walter Lee is a Aunt Lorene Arms (Amos wife) holding Celest Watson (Sorry couldn't recall either [fortunately Charlene knew], it'll probably be that way for me with most of the children too).

Aunt Edith (Edith Bilbrey née Arms) is standing to her right. Her husband Charlie Bilbrey is sitting to the left behind her on the porch and my mother (Laura Lee Mayo née Arms) is sitting on the porch behind her to the right.

Aunt Helen (Helen Wells née Arms) is standing to the right in the light blue blouse and white skirt.

?Robert (or James) Parsons? Standing to the right of Aunt Helen is Lura Dean's son (who looks a whole lot like me in this picture as I looked when I was his age)

Jane Helen (Jane Helen Scott née Overstreet) (I should know Jane Helen's married name, but I can't remember). [Charlene had the information, her husband was Larry Scott, I had heard from mother that she had gotten married but I don't believe that I ever had the chance to meet him and it is so sad to hear from Charlene that he has passed away].

Lee Angell ? née Overstreet (I think Lee Angell's married name is Poindexter. I'm not sure how she spells her name as I never wrote it growing up, I've just heard it, so if you know and I've gotten it wrong please let me know). [Charlene didn't correct me on Lee Angell's married name so I guess I may have gotten it correct?]

OK here please cut me a little slack because Brenda Lee Stubblefield née Bilbrey and Charlene Groves née Bilbrey were more my brother and sister's age and I was the little kid that the older ones didn't want to be around to annoy them so I always get mixed up which is which so, I think the guy with the blond hair, white shirt and blue pants is (one of their) husband and I think the three behind them who aren't my father or me are (the other of Brenda Lee and Charlene)'s husband, Lura Dean's husband, and Peggy's husband, but I'm mostly guessing here. [Charlene provided the correct answer as she was able to recognize her husband :) He's Gary Groves, and she says he has pretty red hair like the Mayos (thank you)]

Ok next to him in the red and red and white striped outfit is Brenda Lee or (Charlene see above) [Charlene recognized herself too (which is better than I did on myself), so this is Charlene Groves née Bilbrey]

And so … next to her is Brenda Lee Stubblefield née Bilbrey.

To the right in the pink dress or blouse is Lura Dean Parsons née Arms

Sitting on the steps to the right is Frances Overstreet née Hix (I haven't ever seen Hix spelled so I'm just guessing here) and next to her on the steps is my cousin and her husband Mitchell Overstreet.

for the kids sitting in front this is close to pure fantasy (I'm trying to guess-construct who is who of the kids from Charlene's notes on the great grand children photo [see post]), but here goes:

Warren Arms in white shirt and dark trousers

Brack Stubblefield in blue and red striped tank top (Charlene or Brenda Lee's son see above, I'm thinking Brenda but I'm probably wrong) [Hey, I was right, Charlene confirmed this is Brack, Brenda Lee's eldest]. 

?Pam Watson's brother (???Donnie???) is kneeling next to the dog in the blue tank top with red trim

???James (or Robert) Parsons??? sitting cross legged with his head in his hands

On the porch

Kids standing on front of porch

Brian ?

Pam Watson

Tara ?

Rama Arms

and sitting down to the right of Rama in dark glasses is Uncle Charlie

Standing behind the children I believe are Amos' children (older-my brother and sister's ageish so guessing again here) Billie June, Thomas Edward Arms and his wife.

To the right behind Rama Arms is Josephine Arms, Walter Arms' second wife and to the right of her right behind Uncle Charlie is Walter Arms.

The five guys to the right of Walter between the next two pillars include my father and me and three other guys who (I'm mostly guessing here) are Charlene (I think or possibly Brenda Lee's) husband (Groves or Stubblefield), Lura Dean's husband (Parsons) and Peggy's husband (??Clay?? Brown). [Charlene has identified these correctly too. Bill Parsons (Lura Dean's husband) is the leftmost of these 5 near the left pillar in the white shirt with the big blue stripe. Clyde Brown (Peggy's husband) is to the right of Bill in what looks to be a light blue or grey shirt. To his right with the camera around his neck is my father Ronald Ira Mayo (my mother Laura Lee's husband). Jerry Stubblefield (Brenda Lee's husband) in the white button down shirt is standing toward the front of the porch to the right of father. To Jerry's right in the yellow shirt is me.

My father (Ronald I. Mayo I) is the one in the middle with the Argus camera around his neck and I'm the one on the far right in the yellow shirt leaning against the pillar. (I think I at least got me right this time …)


Obviously grandfather and grandmother were there in spirit if not in body:
Archie Thomas Arms ("Father", grandfather, Mr A.T. Arms, Mr Arms) I was named for him.
Dayse Lucretia Arms née Stone (grandmother)


Charlene also mentioned some of the relatives who were not in the picture, I believe some of them may have been there that day but not around when this picture was taken.

Here they are:
Uncle Dewey Wells (Aunt Helen's husband)

Dayse Lucille Overstreet (Aunt Alice's daughter)

Fay Donald Watson (Billie June's husband)

Sharon Edith and Ronald Ira III(?) Mayo - Were they at Bible camp?
[my sister and brother Laura Lee's oldest children, Ronny is II (III is my nephew, Ronald II's son, who wasn't born until November of 1977) , Ronald Ira Mayo II was married and working in Ohio when this picture was taken. My sister Sharon Edith Mathias née Mayo was in Ohio too awaiting the arrival of her 2nd child Cassie Belle Mathias who was born November 1977 too. Sharon was named for Aunt Edith]

Henry Mitchell Overstreet (Mitchel's son)

Bobby Burton and Lester Earl Arms (Uncle Walter's sons)

My Memories in the Arms Family Reunion 1977 picture

Since I was a teenager in 1977, some of the memories I get directly from the Arms Family Reunion 1977 picture may bear some small resemblance to reality.

My very first memory when first seeing this picture was of me standing next to Aunt Helen in front of the porch in the late 1960's. So of course I thought that was me next to her as my mother is to the left of her sitting on the porch and the little boy in striped shirt and shorts looks exactly like I did in the late 1960's. I even remember having a shirt exactly like that one. Unfortunately, for that story, he in fact isn't me but one of my cousin Lura Dean's children who in this picture looks to me exactly as I did about 10 years earlier than when this picture was taken.

The tree branches in the picture are all from one tree. It was a huge Japanese Ginko tree in the front yard and over 100 years old. At the time it was most likely the largest Japanese Ginko tree in the state of Tennessee. It is one of the reasons the Japanese Ginko has always been my favorite tree. If you look closely at the picture, you can see the triangular shaped "maidenhair" leaves on the branches.

The house in the picture is the Arms Family farmhouse which my mother and her siblings all grew up in after they moved from the other side of the Cumberland river sometime in the very early 1900's. It was built before the Civil War and was built by adding onto a log cabin which still remained within it's interior. The front door to the log cabin is the door on the left on the porch. The front of the log cabin extends from the left of the picture to the left of the "breezeway" door at the center of the porch. As long as I can remember the house was always painted white with blue/gray trim and had a silver roof.

My next plan is to attempt to name all the relatives in the picture; however, chances are high that I'll get some of them wrong since I already couldn't tell who I was. In my favor in that regard, in the original picture I saw of this, the picture was cropped on the right-hand side (see below) where I'm standing and I wasn't in that picture. I'm actually the right-most one standing on the porch in the yellow shirt leaning against the pillar. My father is the second person to the left of me in the picture standing on the porch with his Argus camera hanging around his neck.

Original picture I was first looking at:

Arms Family Reunion 1977

This picture Hanna has on Facebook brought a large number of memories I'd like to write down somewhere before they disappear. My Arms family told me so many thousands of stories over the years as a small child and teenager and I'm afraid that only a few of those memories remain.

I'd like to ask my mother and grandfather and aunts and uncles to refresh my memory of those stories, but they've gone somewhere I can't hear them anymore.

While a few memories remain, I intend to write them here.