Slept In My Cowboy Boots and Danced With Nellie

Slept in my Cowboy boots and danced with Nellie  24 Sept 2014

　

True… both facts. Never slept in my boots before but, wow. How soon one forgets about the cold of the north when spending time in the sweltering humid heat of the south.. Last night was chilly here on the outskirts of Boston. And I love my Texas boots, that I bought in Nova Scotia so I figured, why not… jumped into the sleeping bag boots and all… feet warm all night…yay!!! You know.. When your wake up groggy at 6:30 in a cold van and ya just gotta get to the pissing pot, across the long expanse of the cold asphalt parking lot.. Good to have yer boots ready to rock! And the mission to “Dig Up Nellie” made a bountiful leap yesterday.

Cousin Cathy and I made it to her grave site….another part of the mystery revealed. We had a great visit with Nellie… a chuckle, a laugh and an embrace with our dear grandmother… hard to think of a woman who died at 38 as being one’s grandmother as, she feels more like a very dear friend, one to party with, dance, laugh, have a drink or two with. But, she was buried in the cold earth without a headstone, no marker… nothing to say she was here on earth… such an indignity in my mind. Fortunately she has living family who still care for her. Of course, I projected that Nellie was so happy that we came to visit her.

Following our visit we went in search of her home, here in Meriden, Conn. and to our great surprise… it was still there, with a few little gaudy alterations: closed in veranda, shitty vinyl siding and a cheap plastic fence. Across the road where her husband Raymond operated one of his successful garages, now stands a school.

 

Cathy and I stood on the steps where Nellie and her Husband stood. Cathy apologizes for not wearing a fancy hat like Nellie

　

　

Going back to 1896... Digging up Nellie. It is interesting to see the difference in Nellie circa 1920, perhaps right after her six kids were born, one after another, through her teens and early 20‘s… Her first child at 14 years old… living in Malay Falls

An then to see her in Meriden Connecticut in her late 20’s, her (second) wedding day, 13 January 1927.

 It is hard to believe this is the same woman. But, there is sufficient documentation to prove that the Meriden Nellie is real. The Malay Falls Nellie… not a lot of documentation but, there is one striking fact. One of her sons, Charles Seymour born 1916 , is a spiting image of her. Perhaps in the Malay Falls photo Nellie is much younger than I am assuming and was a gangly youth. There does actually seem to be some joy in her face.

Life was hard in Nova Scotia, as you may assume in that picture. Nellie probably caught that salmon perhaps out of necessity, for supper. The rivers were full, with plenty of fish in the 20’s. And I believe |Nellie was a survivor. But, living off the land in Connecticut did not seem a necessity. She married a lovely humorous man, who seemed to dearly care for her. Perhaps her cheeks rounded out, as she became a lady of some leisure.

It gives me some peace to assume that dear Grandma had some joy in her life. A new letter just discovered from her sister-in-law Gertrude says that they both had visited the Malay residence in Sheet Harbour in 1933 with her young daughter Iris (of her second marriage). But the letter does not imply that Nellie had contacted her boys from her first marriage… which, one would assume was her reason to return… such hard poignancy.

Today, I am off to meet with Father Philip, another, and the first, I believe of Nellie’s grandchildren. I believe he has a story to tell for greater insight into the passion of Nellie and maybe fitting for a line or two in the “Nellie’s Blues” song I will write.

I’ll be right back

Selamat tinggal