E-mail from Bonnie Garrett

Hi, I came across this blog while trying to find information about an old picture of my grandma's. She was born in 1905 in Indian Territory in Oklahoma. I have a picture of her class around 1915 (I'm guessing). She labeled most of the names of students on the back. I would like to be able to date the photo and maybe share it with descendants of people in the photo. If they are as addicted to genealogy as I they would be thrilled. I have ancestors from the Crescent and Guthrie area of Oklahoma and from Kansas. 

In the picture my grandma is holding a slate that has Cedar Vale No. 34 written on it. Do you know where I could find info about this school? Thanks! Bonnie Garrett

Honoring a Cedar Vale Hero

* from Don Cox *     Note: I tried to bring out the part of the plaque in the dark shadow, but it didn't work very well. Jay Mills.

Saturday last a group of us met at the old post office/legion bldg to remember Ivan Bolton.  Ivan was one of six or seven Bolton siblings who grew up north of Wauneta.  As a young man growing up during the Great Depression he took a job working for Mike And Brady Meldrum.  At the same time a young lady, Retha Hollister found work helping Caroline Meldrum, sister of Mike and Brady.  Well, love stepped in and Ivan and Retha became man and wife, still employed by the Meldrums. In due time a son, Gary, was born.

While this little story was unfolding, a much larger story we know as WW II was beginning.  While little Gary Bolton was still an infant, Dad Ivan and a Wauneta friend Elmo Banning joined the Army to defend our freedom.  Ivan and Elmo were in the 2nd wave which landed at Omaha Beach on D Day.  They were both killed by enemy fire as they breasted the ridge at Omaha Beach.  A grieving widow, family, friends, and a baby son who never knew his dad were left behind.

The Meldrums bought the old bank bldg, later the Post Office, and arranged a sale to the American Legion of the property on VERY easy terms.  They also installed a very  good bronze plaque by the front door which memorialized Ivan.

Gary Bolton's aunt Eileen Hollister McCall and her daughter Janice, Gary's cousin, knew the Plaque and hoped it might be presented to Gary.  Janice asked me about this and I was greatly in favor, but referred her to our mayor Jerry Bowman as the bldg now belonged to the City.  Mayor Bowman got the OK from the Council and plans were made.  Janice and the family got Gary here from CA.  At first he was loath to come until deer season so they had to tell him why although the original plan was to surprise him.

So--if you are still with me--last Sat AM at 11o'clock--we gathered.  There were Bolton brothers of Ivan and several Hollister family representatives.  Most had come from a distance.  There were CV Legion reps, Madison Holroyd, Jess Rayl, and Dale Coffman,  the commander of the Legion in Ark City,  Joe Walker came in full uniform.  Several CV citizens were there so we had 25 or 30 people there at the corner to honor Ivan.

Mayor Bowman started with a few remarks, a prayer and the removal and presentation of the plaque.  I made a few remarks about heroism and led the group in singing "God Bless America".  Joe Walker then made a moving presentation of the American flag with 3 brass shell casings tucked into the fold to represent the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Ivan's brother Bill Bolton made several remarks about growing up with Ivan as a big brother and having Gary on the farm with he and his wife Alene.

Gary then acknowledged the receipt of the plaque and told us with great feeling that although he couldn't remember his dad, he had all the Bolton Brothers as surrogate fathers.

A reception at the Long Shed arranged by the family followed the presentation for visiting and reminiscing.   I was so proud of our little berg for helping with something so important and worthwhile.

Jerry Boman presented  Gary Bolton with the plaque from the old Legion blg.

Note:  If you want to leave a comment on this or any other article, you must first "click" on the title of the article.  When the page is displayed again there will (now) be a link to post a new comment.  All comments must be "approved" or else you would not believe what you would be seeing here. (Not pleasant!)  It can take from several hours to a day or more for your comment to appear.. but it will.  jay -usual e-mail symbol- jaymills.org

Comments on OLD Posts

You may have just found CV Memories or you may be looking at old posts on this blog.  However, posting comments to old articles almost insures that no one will see them.  Most of us do not go back very far when reading the blog!

So, if you have something new to say about an old article (more than 2 months old), the best way is to post a new article and refer to the old one by name and date. 

This just came in as a comment to the "More about Hooser" post from May 11, 2011.  

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "More about Hooser":  ** Contact information should have been included if this person really wanted to sell the item!..Jay.
"I have a mirror that I picked up in Wichita this week that has C W Meldrum Cedar Vale, KS on the back of it. Not sure if someone is interested in purchasing it before I post it on Craigslist - not trying to use this as a way to sell my junk but thought it was kinda cool when I picked it up (we live in Sedan). Searched online and found this blog. Would be cool for it to go back where it came from... "

25 Bashfull People & 1 Short Story

Hi there.  Are you one of the 25 bashful people listed as "Contributors" (aka Authors) on this blog?  Please quit "hiding your light under a bushel" and remind us about the good times in Cedar Vale in times past (or present).

If you cannot figure out how to click on "New Post" and type in a new article, then you can e-mail it to me....jayinpanama [at] gmail [dot] com. I will be glad to post it for you.  If you need help and are getting 'stuck' at some point, then please describe the problem in an e-mail and I will try to help.

In the past I have written several articles about my years in Cedar Vale, my parents and relatives, and what I remember after all of these years.  Am I the only one interested in your stories??  I don't think so....

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Another short blurb ---  

When I was a teenager and had nothing else to do, a couple of us used to stop by the City Hall in the evening and visit with the Town Marshall (as he generally had nothing at all to do).  At that time, we could pull out old books of city records and look at pictures and records that were 50 or 75 years old.  I was somewhat surprised to learn that the streets actually had names!

Also, that was the only way that I discovered that my great-grandfather had once been the Mayor of Cedar Vale.  I then discovered that he had lived 2 or 3 houses to the northwest of where my family was living.  We had bought my grandparents' old house. 

As you can tell, family history was never a big topic within my family!  I only discovered that the Mills Ranch on Otter Creek was homesteaded in 1871 when I took a picture of my brother Carl on his horse under an arch that he had erected to commemorate the date. More later ... unless you care to post something really interesting.