The ancient practice of handing down family stories orally from father to son no longer exists and in the present day one generation hardly knows more of its family than the previous generation. The older members of this family felt the future generations should know everything about the family which this generation could tell. As the story came closer to the present generation it became more personal and descriptive of individuals We hope it is interesting to you to know what your ancestors were like, and as you see some of these characteristics in your own generation it may even give you a new or better understanding of "Family." Family stories tell a lot about a family and the things they value. The stories can be funny, tragic, or just passing along information. No one offers verification of the facts, or makes a fuss over any slight embroidery of the story. We just enjoy them. Often, a phrase or a word can become a family codeword that will cause all present to smile or laugh, unless they are not family members and then they'll just look confused. I've tried to gather the stories left to me by my mother, her sisters, and my grandmother, plus a few other relatives. I've left the names, the spelling, the grammar, and other such niceties just as they were. Most of the people have long since passed on, and I don't think anyone is left to object. You may find some parts of a story repeated more than once in other stories. That's the nature of oral history. It's not important that the stories be fully documented for anyone to read them. These are just stories. Most of them told to illustrate a family trait, or to pass on some piece of history, or often just for the humor. Enjoy them for what they are, interesting yarns.