Tuesday, May 26, 2015

My Week

What an emotional roller coaster ride this week has been.
My thighs have been sore for 3 days as a result of Monday's exercises. We had to do something like a reverse plank on our back and thrusting our hips up. Then we did the same with 10 each holding one leg up at a time. In addition to that, we learned dead bug exercise.

Wednesday's thrift store finds:

2 wool blankets for .99 cents ea. Both say "Illinois" but one has small letters.

wood box.

Wig case.

wire candle holder

child size crutch for the orphan.

I was offered a small position presenting Distant Memories this summer on Tuesday nights. I am excited about doing this but concerned about stepping on toes for those who have done this before me not to mention the short notice. Martha has done it in the past. I had recorded her in the past.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIUY_Xso6kM

I went the porch to get my mop and Sophie went too. I closed the door and the next thing I knew I heard a bonk. She thought the door was still open and didn't use the doggie door flap.

After my exercise class, I went to the county Market and was amazed by this "Ice Cold Watermelon" display with melons and soda cases.

Thursday I received some photos in the mail from my sister. Among them was a photo I'd never seen taken at my retirement from the Air Force receiving the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal. No family was present since they had already moved on to Illinois to secure a house and get into school at the beginning of a school year.

The back side is marked as an official photo. The Air Force sent this to my parents.

Friday at exercise with Lindy leading, I had to mention how sore I was from Lexi's class on Monday. Lindy called Lexi into our class. I didn't know how to react so I put on a stone face. Afterward I helped out at the Old State Capitol for the Education Day from 10am-3:30.

I wore my new dress to this from Eve Of Bumperville.

Alan's house needed a new air conditioner. Sean got a B in his statistics class. Four more to go and he graduates.

I updated a memorial for Frank's brother, Dan, inspired by his son's facebook post. Seems his brother had a post on findagrave but, Dan Connolly did not. So I made it happen with my login. I have been updating findagrave with photos from obits as I go along and update a facebook page for Camp Butler's remembrance of the day similar to a site for Arlington NC.

Saturday I went to Oak Ridge Cemetery (AKA Lincoln Tomb) for the Lincoln Monument Association. I got to meet with fellow reenactors, Kylee and her mom Amy, from Bartonville. During the band, I sat on the ground and had ice cream as I listened to historic band music. The next day I had chigger bites on my butt.

I watched a movie on EWTN: St Rita
I cried at the end.

Neighbor across the street has a van with "Just Married" for their daughter (who already has a son and daughter). They are watching their grand-kids and Chihuahua dog Charles while the newlyweds are on their honeymoon.

It doesn't look like my solar lite is working. I can't put my flag out overnight till that will work.

Sunday we had a new priest of Indian decent, Fr Mariadas Chatla, so we will have to get used to the accent. He understands and speaks slow and distinctly to help. Our pastor has suddenly collapsed a few weeks ago and his condition is bleak. I received his prayer card:

Fr Dennis Kolross passed away on Memorial Day.

After church I dressed and went to the Peoria Riverfront Museum to dance with the Metamorah Courthouse Dancers. Here is the group photo taken after the dance. What a handsome bunch. I really like the clock in the background.

Here I am with Larry and Shirley Hackman....the dance couple of everywhere!

There is a special temporary display of WW2 vehicles in honor of the upcoming D-Day.

I was especially happy to have my son who lives in Peoria watch us dance. I know our interests are far apart (him and his sports and I with the history stuff) so it was nice to have him there. He wouldn't join us though for the open dance, the Patty Cake Polka. We were given free admission to the museum and one young lady asked to have her daughter's picture with me. I let the little girl hold my fan in the photo. I doubt that I saw the whole museum. Seemed like a lot of lecture/discussion rooms. I enjoyed the planetarium. I always was told that the big dipper pointed to the North star but this illustrated it in a way I understood. Some things in our sky are static and others move with the season.

Memorial Day started windy so I didn't put up my flags on my lawn. I was proud to stand with the color guard at 10AM holding the American Legion Flag.

Iris Malcolm sang the National Anthem.
After the ceremony there was a balloon launch for a donation. The white balloon (active) was for my adopted soldiers through Soldiers Angels and the red (Vietnam) was for Frank. That wind really took them away fast.

I came home and gave Sophie a much needed bath since the weather was nice for drying. Then I changed more casually than color guard but still patriotic for the 2PM ceremony at Camp Butler. I rode my motorcycle there. Afterward I stopped by the capitol to see the heroes wall in which I submitted my husband's memorial. It looked like a work in progress still because the deadline had been extended. There was a slide show of the Illinois fallen but the slide show was on a slow rate. Since the story board was not ready, I only stayed a short time. This is the slide show for Gary Harper of nearby Virden...the first memorial that was protested by the WBC in IL.

I wasn't sure how much gas I had in my Honda since the trip meter was reset when I got a new battery. Later I filled the tank with 2.7 gal for a 3 gal tank (with a half gallon for reserve).

Latter that evening, I paired up Patti Rios-Smith of the IL Gold Star mothers with a little known GS mother of Nicholas Hopper. He's not well known because he passed 2 years after his injury in Iraq and his mother is not on the internet. click here for official release of KIA notification of Nicholas Hopper. I feel blessed to be an instrument to share between us marine moms. I also told her what I saw on Memorial Day (near my husband's grave). She said Nick's brother, Chris, was there Saturday and had a few beers. She scolded him for driving back to Montrose like that.

I also met a retired Staff Sergeant who just got out of the Army. I pointed out the 114th was about to fire black powder salutes for the Confederate and Union soldiers. We talked Civil War history and since he is African American I explained there's a colored reenactment unit but that the 114th tries to be true to history. He is going to school for HVAC event though that's what he did in the Army he still needs the credentials. He was impressed with me and my motorcycle. I'm glad that he came to our Memorial Day service having separated so recently. There are many stories there and I wish I got more. Here's one cute story that was on the news:
http://www.illinoishomepage.net/story/d/story/pair-of-friends-honor-veterans/98374/YvZ8tt4jrES3x6-rlS1L5Q

It amazing to me that some people think they posted a condolence to the family on facebook rather than on the funeral home's website where the family will see it. Even as a member of the Patriot Guard Riders, I know that the family will see your condolence on the funeral's site rather than PGR forum or Facebook.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Biography and Life of Frank Connolly

Francis "Frank" Marion Connolly, Master Sergeant, USAF Retired,

Served in the USAF: Dec. 7, 1959 to Dec. 31, 1980

Born: May 18, 1939

Died: July 16 2008

http://airforce.togetherweserved.com/usaf/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=SBVTimeLine&type=Person&ID=298345

Buried: Burial be at Camp Butler National Cemetery at 10 a.m. Monday, July 21, 2008. Plot Z169

I died as the result of an accident on I-39 near Rockford that occurred on June 3, 2008. My wife and I ended up in the hospital on the return visit from a graduation party in Mountain, WI. I was driving and lost consciousness and she tried to control the pick up but we ended up in a ditch. A tree branch broke through the window and into my head. My wife had fractured ribs. Our 2 cocker spaniels were also injured.

I was born in May of 1939 in a two-room cabin near the village of Creston, in the hills of “West by God Virginia”, the eldest son of nine children, 6 girls and 3 boys, so you can understand why I am so respectful toward women. I still fear for my life. Almost everything that happened to me wasn’t my fault one of them would do something to me, I would retaliate, then they would gang up on me. I suppose that is where the term “gang warfare” came from.
My Irish ancestors came to America just before the Revolutionary War. Many of them served in that war. We were farmers and raised our fruit, vegetables and animals on a 160-acre farm. I knew where I came from but didn't know how deep my roots were until my wife found ancestry going back to the Revolutionary War. It gets complicated as you can see.
https://sites.google.com/site/connollypatriot/

Harvesting the vegetables and butchering the animals was hard work. Our day would start about 4:30 in the morning. On the day we were to butcher, our neighbors would already be there. They would come from miles around to help, in turn we would go to their farms and help them, this was a way of life at that time and would always take place between July to late October. Making sorghum molasses was great fun, and again hard work, cutting the cane fell to the adults, feeding the cane press fell to the “young’uns”, Dad would give each of as a piece of cane to chew on, quite a sugar rush. They called us “younguns”. I think it was a term of endearment.

Everything was preserved for the long winter that lie ahead, women would pick the fruit and vegetables, the men would butcher the animals and start the met curing process - always by air salt cure or in smoke houses. This is the way things were done in the 30’s and 40’s.

My family moved to Ohio in 1952. That was quite an experience for us, first there was the language barrier, and I couldn’t understand what they were saying. After learning the language, I graduated from Hackney middle school and Beverly High School; I worked for two years as a farmer and wood worker. I joined the Air force in December 1959 when the recruiters bribed me out of the hills with a Hershey Bar. I served in several countries, including three tours in Vietnam. I retired in 1981 after 21 years at the rank of MSgt.

I was a confirmed bachelor until the age of 35 when I married Rosemary Kapp, March 6 1975 at Barksdale AFB, LA. I met Rosemary in the Air Force almost tow years earlier while she was engaged to a sergeant who drooled over my 1972 Lotus Europa that I had saved to buy with cash while in Vietnam. Her then fiance asked me to watch over her for a year while he was in Korea. During that time, I convinced her to bachelorhood also. She got an assignment to England. In order to go together, we need to get hitched. The rest is history.

After my retirement, I became an Air Force spouse. We have two sons, Sean and Alan, who were rebellious and joined the Marines instead of their parent’s footsteps.

Here we are dressed up in suits for Easter Sunday Mass. That's not a real smile for a picture but giggle since the boys were playing.

My trade is in automotive maintenance and I am ASE (National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence) and MACS (Master technician) certified. I worked as an automotive instructor and technician for several years as a second career.

I was a late joiner but got my life membership in American Legion Post 759 and VFW 755. In fact my VFW life membership service cap arrived in the mail shortly after I passed away and I never got to wear it. I was a Shriner assigned to a temple in Oklahoma. I was also a member of our local Knights of Columbus.

As for getting involved with the Old State Capitol, Rosemary volunteered me. It was her way of getting me involved and she knows how much I love history. I am addicted to the History Channel and I remember what my father taught me, (remember your history or you are bound to repeat it). I enjoy being on the seasonal staff. This photo was found on Flicker.

I enjoy NASCAR racing. My favorite drivers are the late Dale Earnhardt, Dale Jr, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick and the other Chevrolet drivers.

I love the pets. We have 2 cocker spaniels and a cat named Dave. Dave is somewhat bewildered; he thinks he’s a dog. The dogs think they are people.

My favorite hobby above all is cooking. I like trying new recipes and developing my own. I enjoy cooking South Western and Italian foods. They are my favorites. There are so many variations and can be prepared in several ways.

Rosemary and I are active in the Catholic Church as lay ministers. I also cook during the fundraisers when I am not working.

There was a time that I had a full head of hair. My brothers did not go bald like I did.

Receiving my Air Force Commendation Medal.

you can see his bio among many on this memorial day video about 6.38 into the video.

Our cat, Dave.

Frank welcoming home the troops from Iraq in Effingham, IL

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Connolly&GSfn=francis&GSbyrel=all&GSdy=2008&GSdyrel=in&GSob=n&GRid=32247186&df=all&

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

My Week

What an exciting week that included my mini-vacation. I had doggie withdrawal and was glad to see Sophie when I got home.

Before leaving, I brought food to John and Lana. She recently got out of the hospital for heart surgery and had an unpleasant stay. They have done so much for our American Legion Post that it's only right. I also dropped a get well card off at church for Fr Dennis who suffered a stroke. While there, I also dropped off some cans and Doritos for the food pantry.
My car's tire light came on so I checked my tires and pumped up the air compressor. It seems to be mostly on the one tire that didn't have a tube cap on it.
I learned Fr Dennis would not be back. It wasn't a stroke but complications of meningitis and mini-strokes. His family was called. Apparently he collapsed during a wedding rehearsal. The bride was a nurse and called 911.
I dropped my car off while on my trip for the bumper repair and I picked up a loaner car.

Thursday through Sunday I went on an educational trip through Lincoln Land Community College:
http://www.llcc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Civil-War-flier-and-Itinerary.pdf
My pictures are on Facebook but the album is set to friends only.

Our bus arrived in Moline and we had a quick lunch at McDonalds and had a tour of Rock Island Arsenal, home of the 1st Army. We met up with a local guide and Vietnam veteran named Alan Larson. We learned that there is a difference between an armory and an arsenal. Rock Island was established in 1862 as part of the 1860's Land grand college act. It is bigger than I realized, 945 acres, and a National Historic Landmark. http://www.rockislandpreservation.org/postcards-from-home/clock-tower-gatehouse-arsenal-island/
The golf course is the site of a prison for Civil War Confederate prisoners that equaled the size of Anderson prison. 1,964 died of diphtheria, diarrhea, etc and there were no doctors as the camp was not equipped for the influx of prisoners. Davenport was named after Col George Davenport in 1833 was a sutler. Rock Island has four quarters of which Quarters One is fancy and the fence is made from melted Confederate cannons. We were pointed out the Antoine LeClaire House across the river. We toured the Rock Island National Cemetery and the Confederate cemetery. Chris Lieneke was our dinner speaker in the hotel. Everyone was curious about a section of the cemetery with five lone stones and Chris got back with us the following day to say that they were place markers for the center location rows in a new section.

Friday morning we had breakfast in our hotel and then checked out.
We toured the Moline Historical Society and had a little presentation by on the Sanitary Commission. Kathleen Seusy told us about the women making over 400 havelocks for prisoners at the island. I think this is something we may be able to incorporate into our SAS presentations.

Since I am a member of the Soldiers Aid Society, I was really interested in the United States Sanitary Commission. They wanted President Lincoln's approval and they got it though privately. They talked with the "ordinary soldier" and made hospital ships out of captured confederate boats. They provided special relief by transitional soldiers homes and formed a network of needs and needs that were fulfilled writing to newspapers to let everyone know what they received for encouragement. She passed around a pickled potato jar. At sanitary fairs, there were grab bags sold and one had a gold ring. The man winning the ring donated it back to raise more money for the cause.

We toured the Butterworth Center & Deere-Wiman House which were on adjacent corners to the historical society. There was a cucumber magnolia and a horse chestnut on the grounds. One of the ladies saw a fox but it was gone before I looked. We were not allowed flash photography and lighting was wrong but I had to stand by the tub to get a picture of this wicker toilet.

The house had an early form of power jets in the shower too. I found a video about the house here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jwy63dGGQt0

We arrived in Galena which is Latin for "lead" because there was a big mining industry there. Galena has been referred to as an "Outdoor Museum". The rooms were named after famous people like Abraham Lincoln. My roommate, Barb, and I got a room named Robert E Lee. The DeSoto Hotel (see link for video) has an original front desk and original staircase that even Abraham Lincoln walked on. It's been a long time since I stayed in a hotel with a real metal key.

Friday night I went on a "History Mystery Tour" of Galina by librarian, Steve. This was just a video of one of his stops (with permission) before it got too dark.

Just one stop on the History Mystery Tour on 5/15/2015 All About a Ghost Tour - Galena
Posted by Rose Connolly on Monday, May 18, 2015

All About a Ghost Tour - Galena

Did you know that in 1909 that Galena was visited by the World Champion Chicago Cubs?

Saturday we had a nice breakfast in our hotel. I had cinnamon strawberry french toast with cream cheese. It was so good and not quite as rich as all that IHop stuff. We then visited the Grant home historic sight. 90% of the home is original. I didn't realize that the cigars led to Grant's death of cancer and he had a low tolerance to alcohol. I remember the painting of Sheridan's Ride. Then we had lunch in Grant Park under the pavilion. After lunch we toured Greenwood cemetery where 5 local CW generals were buried. I placed a penny on each of their graves. Those with our group were unfamiliar with the tradition of leaving a coin on a grave. The did understand the Jews leaving a rock on a grave like in the movie Schindlers List. I just visited the VFW bar in Galena, IL. What better way to get a glass of wine on a trip than on Armed Forces Day.

I toured the Dowling House which is the oldest house in Galena and no photos were allowed inside.

Much of the house had the same trinkets and bowels inside as most others but I did learn something new. The guide pointed out the cross doors that we still use today. You are reminded as you leave your room the cross pattern and an open Bible. I never though about the pattern. The guide showed us a photo of the Nicholas Dowling monument. It was tall because the custom was for the widow to visit daily but she was an invalid and couldn't visit the cemetery so the monument was made tall enough that she could see it from her house. I picked up two souvenirs in Galena: a black shawl at an antique shop and a boot roach from the blacksmith shop.

I went to Saturday evening Mass at St Michael with a few other ladies on our tour. We saw our tour guide, Steve there as well. After Mass we went to see the hillside terrace landscape that we were told about in the dark during our "History Mystery Tour". I pointed out a deer on the hill and before I could grab my camera, I only got the escape. So I walked over to the Veterans memorial and took a few pictures there. I came back to our hotel and took a picture of where the lady in black was said to descend the stairway and go into a wall which later, after renovations, revealed she entered the wall into an old door/passageway.

On the way home we toured the Utica Museum and LaSalle. On the way to Ottawa, our local guides boarded the bus and had the driver go past St Mary's Catholic Church. On Holy Thursday, April 11, 1675, Francis Jacques Marquette offered the first parochial Mass in the Illinois Country at Utica in the presence of 5,000 Native Americans who were impressed. On the way past Starved Rock, our guide pointed out a Civil War Camp that once was the training camp for the 11th Illinois, the 104th , 53d Illinois and the 4th IL Cavalry Camp. Last unit there was the 138th Hellraisers known for the fact that the camp burned down the night that they left. The cemetery that we went by had two Medal of Honor recipients buried there: Lt. Col. Douglas Hapeman and Sgt. George Marsh, both of the 104th Illinois Infantry. I loved the many murals on the buildings in Ottawa. The town has great pride. We saw the square where the first Lincoln-Douglas debate took place.

We were very fortunate with the weather we had because the predictions were bad. Most of the rain was at night and Saturday was overcast in the morning like it wanted to rain on our trip.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

My Week

Wednesday, I bought a new charger since it did nothing for Wheezer. In fact I loaned the charger to someone and it did nothing for them. So I bought a new one at Harbor Freight. New charger did nothing for Wheezer either. I brought it to our meeting of the Legion Riders and was told to try and see what the charger did on my car. The needle moved. So I pulled the battery out of Wheezer and will take it to Mr Battery where I bought it in February on Feb 10th. It was bone dry. He thinks I fried it! I got a new one on Thursday and my son installed it on Mothers Day.

I may not have grand children but I have a grand dog that sent me flowers for Mothers Day. "Bark Bark Bark, Bark Bark Bark, Moe"

Thursday I went to a meeting of the Civil War Roundtable in Girard this. I smelled smoke on the way there and a moment later the fire at County Market was on the radio. I had just previously pulled to the side for a passing ambulance and there was an ambulance by the church where I detoured. After the meeting, I had trouble finding my detour back because the main road was still blocked at 9PM. Apparently the GPS doesn't know about the fire to County Market.

The presentation was about President Andrew Johnson after Lincoln was shot. Some of the issues he faced about reconstruction would have been equally difficult for Lincoln had he lived.

Friday morning at exercise class, the instructor had the Silver Sneakers do "wall planks". She had a few of us do floor planks. She came over to me and whispered "floor". I gave tours early so that I could attend a Patriot Guard funeral at Camp Butler for William McClard. It was sunny in the morning when I walked my dog but rained hard during the funeral so we had a flag line under the shelter.

I made some German potato salad and trying to fix things from my freezer. It seems that either the tilt of my refrigerator is bad or the magnetic seam is not holding. Worst sacrifice is the loss of ice cream (frozen yogurt). It seems that if I slam my refrigerator door, the freezer can pop open ajar. I either need a new one or maybe the slant is too forward.

In the afternoon, I joined our Chatham American Legion color guard for the opening ceremony of the Land of Lincoln Honor Flight reunion.

One of the veterans was on a video interview and he read a poem that he wrote (click to enlarge).

Just when I thought I heard all there is for patriotic programs, then there is "The Chosen Ones" and "the Lesters" (sp???) http://thechosenones.org/
Even the little boy was great.

Our parish priest had a stroke on Friday and was in the hospital so Fr George, a retired priest, said Mass. I was the first Eucharistic Minister and wanted to feel especially helpful without our pastor to oversea things. The mothers were given a special blessing. My sons came over for Mothers Day. I made dinner and we played with all our dogs together. It was the first time I got to see Hank. He's a 5 month old Labrador/ mix. We watched "Noah" on Netflix. Boy was that weird with rock monsters. Then the three of us walked the three dogs around the block. Alan and Sean left before the storm that came in and that gave me a chance to cut the grass since it was only a day earlier than I usually cut the grass. With a storm delay I know it would get worse later. That heated me up and I took Wheezer for a blow dry around the neighborhood to cool off. With the rain comes ants in the house. I put out the ant poison. I met the mosquitoes also.
Sophie had her first dog training lesson. $20 for a half hour. In the evening I went to dance practice. It will be the last one before a performance dance at the Peoria Riverfront Museum. David has been showing all the dancers how to do the Beyerly Waltz. I heard the music for it played on Little Women during the scene at the ball.

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

My Week

Tuesday I missed my massage appointment. It must have been the stress of the upcoming 150th anniversary of the Lincoln Funeral. I forfeited the $15. I'm loosing my mind. I was hungry and had breakfast outside of Chatham because our water is still not safe until the next day. I came home and noticed Sophie had pink paws. She scratched paint on my door.
Wednesday, our exercise instructor announced she was pregnant. In evening I went to the unveiling of the Lincoln Funeral Hearse built by veterans in California and finished in Arizona. The unveiling was more like opening the door of the Mayflower Truck.
The slide show and music and veterans brought tears to my eyes. There was a display of this special 2015 print of Lincoln reading to slave children but there was so much more going on in that picture.

Thursday, after Yoga, I went to Lincoln Park to register for the reenactment of the Lincoln Funeral at Lincoln Park. I brought my dog since she will be without me over the weekend.

I then stopped by the Old State Capitol to pick up my mauve braid dress that had been altered. I wore it on Saturday and Sunday but Friday I wore my brown brocade for tours and the retreat ceremony at the Lincoln Tomb. I felt honored to share our local history with other reenactors near and far. It's a great compliment when another reenactor says they loved my impression. Afterward I went to the Lincoln Tomb. Before the retreat ceremony, I was among the members of the Lincoln Monument Association Directors to speak. I read a poem:

The Martyr

By Herman Melville

Indicative of the passion of the people
on the 15th of April, 1865

Good Friday was the day

Of the prodigy and crime,

When they killed him in his pity,

When they killed him in his prime

Of clemency and calm—

When with yearning he was filled

To redeem the evil-willed,

And, though conqueror, be kind;

But they killed him in his kindness,

In their madness and their blindness,

And they killed him from behind.

There is sobbing of the strong,

And a pall upon the land;

But the People in their weeping

Bare the iron hand:

Beware the People weeping

When they bare the iron hand.

He lieth in his blood—

The father in his face;

They have killed him, the Forgiver—

The Avenger takes his place,

The Avenger wisely stern,

Who in righteousness shall do

What heavens call him to,

And the parricides remand;

For they killed him in his kindness,

In their madness and their blindness.

And his blood is on their hand.

There is sobbing of the strong,

And a pall upon the land;

But the People in their weeping

Bare the iron hand:

Beware the People weeping

When they bare the iron hand.

It was not my first choice but it was shorter than Lincoln's favorite poem that he had memorized.
I knew that Saturday was going to be a long day so I asked the neighbors to take Sophie in. I told them I would leave her tied in front at 7:30 and to bring her to their house. I told them I'd be home late and just to put her over the fence at the end of the day (she has a doggie door flap). She was in the window when I came home as always.

Saturday I walked in the solemn procession for Lincoln's funeral from the train station to the Old State Capitol where the coffin was displayed for 24 hours. We waited at the train station for an Amtrack to pass and then a freight train too. The reenactors waved to the passengers and I then they got a kick out of us. This was a short procession only a few blocks so there were many there.

Dave Bakke: Lincoln hearse nearly missed the ceremony

Soldiers stood guard but in the evening, rain threatened the delicate coffin and hearse. They had to be moved. Well, it rained on the original funeral however the original viewing was inside the Old State Capitol too. State would not allow it and the resulting overtime and manpower needed.
Threat of rain adjusts vigil plans

More photos here. The vigil resumed.

In the evening I went to a banquet and viewing of the the recreated funeral car. Early registrants got a pin.

Since the group that I was registered with included a "Mixed camp" of reenactors that were local, or tenting in partial period, that meant that we would be among the FARBS. One lady in charge asked a few of us, very politely, if we would walk near the curb to cover them or corral the lesser dressed towards the center from photographers. One lady dressed in black was of Asian descent and her friend photographer followed her along the procession for blocks. I did not see her in the end of the full 3.8 miles walk. A couple of other young ladies were what we refereed to as clowns in their bright colors. Although Richard Hart said on C-SPAN that it was a mile and a half, that was as the crow flies. We by-passed the Lincoln Home. As the hearse approached the home, you could have heard a pin drop. Quiet...not a whisper...reverence. During the procession, Kathrine Harris wispered a thank you to those walking and introduced herself as a member of the coalition directors and that without us this would not have been possible. You can see me in the C-SPAN video at 2:40 crossing behind the interview. Here I am with Miss Jenny.

Here I am following Miss Peggy in the long procession.

at the cemetery with Miss Ingram:

Above photo clipped from this photo set:
http://tgdavison-photography.smugmug.com/Re-enactments/Civil-War/150th-Lincoln-Funeral-Event/i-4b9VfQ5
I looked at the ground solemnly most of the time but I did pay attention to the veterans groups that lined the route with their post colors: American Legion Post 809 (this is mostly an African American post), American Legion Post 32, Italian American War Veterans and the Patriot Guard Riders. Old Bob walks past Post 809 colors.

Patriot Guard Riders honor our fallen president:

Pall bearers: The young man we included among the honorary pallbearers in this case is not historically accurate. Will Polston of Minneapolis, MN, is a direct male descendant of John Todd Stuart. His father is marching beside him. We chose to include both of them in period attire because we had hoped to include all male descendants of the original pallbearers in this historical event. Will's lineage is traced through his mother. Will's mom marched the full processional route herself on Sunday; however, it wouldn't have been appropriate to allow her to serve in the all-male group. As a historian and as co-chair of this event, we made this exception in the interest of providing young Will, who loves history and his family's heritage, to experience a bit of what his ancestor felt in 1865. To my eye, we also could have cast him in the role of Tad Lincoln; however, Tad didn't come from DC with Robert for the Springfield funeral.

The young man was portraying Robert Todd Lincoln.

He was accompanied by Elizabeth Todd Grimsley, who was one of Mary's sister. The little boy was with one of the horse people so, I don't know. He just appeared on the rumble seat on Sunday because he wasn't there on Saturday.
As we came near Edwards Place, we stopped. Being at the end of the procession with Clear Lake (Civilian Mixed Camp), we didn't know why we were stopped. Someone came by to tell us that the plumes on the hearse did not clear the branches on the trees and had to make an adjustment. I found a moment to sit.

I knew I was close the gate of Oak Ridge but some of the out-of-town reenactors looked to me for nearness of the end. There is a bond among reenactors since I've attended many Civil War reenactments. Including events with Miss Jenny (above) from Iowa. It was my duty to help them feel welcome in Springfield. My son snapped this near the gate to the cemetery. It is such a beautiful section of Springfield so it is no wonder that Mary choose Oak Ridge to bury her husband under much controversy.

After we got to the cemetery, there was a reserved area for the reenactors. As I went through the gate, I was greeted by Governor and Mrs Rauner. As tired as I was, a kind band member offered me a chair in the shade. That was even better than the water passed around. Afterward, reenactors went to the vault lined with the descendants of pall bears to bow by the gate in respect. I hope it was not out of character for my period women's impression to render a military salute at Lincoln's receiving vault.