(At right) Elijah Reeves (grandpa) and Leroy Reeves
Memories of Blue River
By Rosemary Brown
Whump, Clatter, Clatter, Bump.
That's the best way I know how to describe the sound of an automobile crossing Blue River Bridge. There was maybe as many as five or six cars a day crossed that bridge you see the bridge was made that's wide boards bigger than slats and that's what made the clatter sound. Some of those boards had to be replaced now and then.
My Uncle Ted and Uncle Joe would set their traps down by the river , perferably in a thicket so no person would get caught in them. Then when the did catch an animal , I was really too little to know what it was. Probably a muskrat. I do remember that they would bring the animals home and skin them. Then they had a board that they stretched the hides in to cure them. When they had several of these , they were sold to a furrier.
Elder Berry Wine
Down by the river was where bunches of elder berries grew . My Uncle Jim would collect these and make Elder Berry Wine. I remember one day when Grandpa and Grandma went into New Castle or somewhere, Uncle Jim said "alright" and he hurried down to the elder berry patch and gathered a big bunch of them which he very hurriedly made into elder berry and he had the wine stored in the basement in big five gallon stone crocks before Grandma and Grandpa Reeves got back home.
One day we had a substitute school bus driver . He was a young fellow compared to our regular driver who had taken the day off. On the way home after school when we came to the bridge on State Road 36 there was an oncoming car they both tried to pass on that one way bridge and of course we had a wreck and some other car had to take the rest of us home.
Crystal Clear water
The waters of Blue River were crystal clear and you could see the bottom of the river and the fish , their color size and all going south down the river. It was a beautiful sight to see. Off to the side would be little pools of minnows now and then. my brothers and I and our cousins loved splashing around in the river.
We 'baptise" each other
After we started going to church the preachers youngest daughter loved to visit us, and when we played in the river she would take turns "baptizing" us. (duckin us under the water. And she would repeat the words each time, " I now indeed baptize you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins and Ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Then we would continue splashing around in the water until we thought it was time to go home . We probably got hungry and it was meal time.
Grandma goes fishing for lunch
One day while mother and I were visiting grandma,s house they both decided to go fishing . They each grabbed a fishing pole and took off for the river . Since there was no one else around I tagged along with them. While trying to catch up with them I got caught up in a bunch of nettle weeds and they were stinging my bare legs, so I started screaming and crying . Grandma said "Mary , keep that kid quiet." Ma came back to me and said "Be still you're scaring all the fish away." That's the first time I knew you were suppose to be quiet while fishing . In just a few moments they had caught a big mess of fish. And we took them back to the house and Grandma had them cleaned and cooked in time for the 11:30 A.M. meal. That's the way we did things back then. No refrigeration.
Posted 1/30/2005 -- If you love Pentecostal songs, you can email Rose
Rosemary's Notes
Wait a little longer, please Jesus
Uncle Lacy (and my brother, June, too)
Gladys: Safe in the arms of Jesus
P.S. from Rose
Below is my daughter-in-law Jae and my son Mark, who plays the
guitar, sings, and knows lots of gospel. Jae is my
Web consultant and she also publishes a magazine.
