Thursday, December 18, 2008

Della Mae Smith Topham

I have been helping Ty with his ancestor report for school.  We got a CD, from my grandparents, last year for Christmas that has and interview with my great grandparents on it.  They interviewed them in '71 on my great grandma's 75th b-day.  As we were listening to it, Ty picked the same story that I always loved as a kid.  About my great grandma getting thrown into the bushes as their wagon wrecked and it saved her life.  Unfortunately, her mother was killed in the accident saving her life.  It's funny I never put together exactly who that story was about as a child.  I was always intrigued by the picture of this beautiful young woman my grandma had in small room and asked her to tell me the story again and again, but it all seamed so far in the past, ancient history.  My great grandma Della Mae and great great grandma Annis, are not so far removed from me now.  Annis was 31 at the time of her death, the age I am now.  She left behind six children the oldest being 12, my Ty will be 12 this next year.  And the youngest 17 months who is my great grandma Della Mae.  It was great to uncover more details of the story and more about them for myself.  As Ty was looking through a book he said, "Mom why does this look like you?"  It was a picture of Annis!  Ty was most impressed with his great great grandpa George A.   He said in his interview he was a pretty good athlete in his day, a "real good rastler".  I told Ty, see wrestling is in your blood deeper than you knew, he was very excited about that.

4 comments:

Christy said...

That is great! What a fabulous way for family history to come alive.

Walker Babble said...

That was always me favorite story as a child too. Crazy to think of how heroic Annis was and to have the forsight to throw your baby from a runaway carrige...could I have that kind of Faith to toss my baby from my arms,knowing that she'd be safe, there by allowing her to grow into a wonderful woman?

The Cecil's said...

That's crazy! I love that book and CD! I have to follow along in the book though, cause it's kinda hard to make out what they're saying sometimes! That's a fun project for Ty. I love that stuff!

The Eyre's said...

So glad you have a blog. I'm fairly new to the blog world too. It's been fun to be able to keep in touch with friends and family this way. I say go for the home show idea. Maybe I need that kind of motivation too!