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| Family history reveals pioneer life |
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| This past week has been a very, very busy time at the Boone County Heritage Museum, so pardon us for not answering your questions mailed or phoned in. With the deadline growing for the publication of Volume II of the Boone County, Arkansas Family History Book, time for research on topics for a Friday column must take a back seat. |
| As family histories pour into the museum, and each one is reviewed and assigned a number to correspond to a photo (if one is turned in), it is sometimes a heartwarming experience to read what someone has written about a family member or members. |
| One such history arrived two weeks ago. Entry Number 44 was written by the granddaughter of John Nelson and Pearl May Briney, so today I want to share this with you. This will give you some idea of just one story that will appear in the soon-to-be-published book. |
| Judy (Dankert) Bos-Parsons writes the following: John Nelson "Nels" Briney (1973-1964), son of Joel T. Briney (1840-1923) and Elizabeth Roberts (1842-1890), was born December 31, 1873 in Adams Township (Glendale Bridge Area), Oskaloosa, Mahaska, Iowa. He married Jessie Blanch Shaw (1876-1926) on June 25, 1899. |
| To this union, two children were born: |
| Unnamed child (1900) who died at birth in Blackwell, Kay, Oklahoma; |
| Verda Beatrice Briney (1903). |
| After Jessie's death, Nels married Pearl May (Tandy) Hamilton (1890-1962) on September 30, 1933. Pearl was born October 1, 1890, in Leighton, Mahaska, Iowa, the daughter of Henry Tandy (1848-1928) and Martha Ellen Baston/Boston (1849-1928). Pearl's first marriage was to Robert Wilson Hamilton (1870-1932) on October 22, 1913. They adopted Lorena "Louise" Gensmer (1920-2001). |
| Nels was a farmer most of his life and at times built bridges and roads for the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression. He owned and operated a café in Princeton, Missouri in 1933.He farmed in Montezuma, Iowa from 1934 to 1946, and moved to the Brownstown area, Barnes City, Iowa in 1947. Around 1948-49, Nels and Pearl moved to Harrison, Boone County, Arkansas area - specifically, between Alpena and Bear Creek Springs at the junction of Highway 62 and Capps Road, near the railroad overpass at the area known as "Little Arkansas." They thought the natural hot springs in the region would help Pearl's arthritis. |
| In their home, they dressed chickens and rabbits for Hudson Grocery, Rossow Grocery, Boone County Hospital (all in Harrison), and Fred Whitaker Grocery in Alpena. They raised small farm animals on three acres of land. Pearl also made beautiful bride dolls to help support them. |
| Pearl was a fantastic cook, keeping the grandchildren satisfied with hot noonday buns and homemade jelly, plum pudding, and sugar cookies. She also made beautiful clothing for her granddaughters out of feed sack material. |
| Nels, a soft spoken person, relaxed in his chair, enjoying a pipe of cherry tobacco. Having a green thumb, he was proud of his vegetable beautiful flower garden and sculptured shrubs. He also kept busy taking care of his small farm animals, goats, calves and chickens. |
| Nels and Pearl welcomed many out-of-state visitors to their home and enjoyed the scenic beauty of northern Arkansas. Favorite pastimes were hiking through the Ozarks while collecting rock crystals and visiting area goat farms. |
| Maybe why this story "hit home" with most of us working on the project is the fact that as young girls, we wore dresses made from feed sacks. But when her entry also included the picture of her grandparents cleaning chickens, we all had stories of our own - mine being that my mother could wring a chicken's neck quicker than you could blink an eye. But that fried chicken sure tasted good at Sunday dinner. |
| Not only does Judy's story about her family include dates, important to those doing genealogy research, but her memories of her grandparents' everyday life are shared for everyone to enjoy. |
| The story of the Briney family is just one of many that will appear in Volume II of the Boone County, Arkansas Family History Book. I hope you will join with others and share your family history. Who knows - 100 years from now, a descendant may the link he needs to complete his search for ancestral roots. |
| The Boone County Historical & Railroad Society, Inc. and the Boone County Heritage Museum strive to preserve the history of Boone County and its people. The museum is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Come spend an afternoon with us. |
| This column appears Fridays in the Harrison Daily Times. Mail questions to Boone County Heritage Museum, P. O. Box 1094, Harrison, AR 72601. Marilyn Breece can be contacted at bchm@alltel.net |
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