Re: NC to VA to IN to OK to TX Shaver
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In reply to:
Re: NC to VA to IN to OK to TX Shaver
Scott Trent Jr. 12/17/04
Ok, found an old envelope (there was no card or letter in it) at home in VA, on my last trip up, it has on the back, from 1978... Mr. & Mrs. C. A. Mackezie, 2514 Parana, Houston, Tx, 77055. Charles or Chuck as I believe he was called has died and I think his daughter lives in La Grange, TX...... they had a large farm or ranch and one of their sons lived in the bigger house after she moved into a smaller one on the place.
I think he and his family later moved to somewhere on out West as he got a bigger promotion......
Now Mary Frances (Shaver) Stepehinski, and she is a daughter, of the Houston folk sent me a Xmas card the other year, I've not hear from her in two yrs., so she may have died? She said " Grandpa left Va and went to Indiana, he md. and had two children. The wife and one child died, (never heard what from). He then left IN leaving the second son behind, with an Aunt of the wife's, and he went on to OK where Grandma was living with her half - brother when she came from Edinboruough, Scotland, where she went to live w/ an aunt when her own mother died. She was working in a resturant in OK and that is where she met Grandpa. They must have md. in OK so there should be a marriage license there, because that is where MOTHER was born and apparently her brother and sister who were older. Then they moved to Tex., we never knew names or anything abt. his other family until we found you all in VA and started our visits........"
Then I found in my old cards here in SC a letter from 2002, in which she writes...
"Dear Family * Friends, Last year was the first time in 45 yrs. that I did not send out Christmas cards. This will be the first time I that I have ever written a 'Christmas letter'. But I feel that I need to give an explanation. Most of you know that Jack (my husband) (that would be C. J. Sr.) died on May 16, 2001. In October of that year I moved into the smaller house next to mine, where my parents lived. It had been unoccupied for some time and needed many new improvements. Unfortunately no one ever came at the appointed time, so I was not able to move in until just before Christmas. That is why there was not time for cards. As for now I am fine and am keeping busy. I'm the Bailiff of the Grand Jury when it meets once a month in La Grange. I volunteer at our local church thrift store and I keep my "soon to be" great grandkids after school three times a week. Also keeping up with this big yard i not easy. Carolyn, Charles and C.J. (grandson?) had moved into my former house, but on Aug. 5th of this year, they moved to Rock Springs, Wyoming. Charles received a nice promotion and was transferred with his company. They miss the farm, but are learning new things and places. Carolyn's oldest son, Ronnie has moved into the big house now. He is getting married on Feb. 15 of 03 and his fiancee, Sydna has 6 yr. old twins, a boy Braden and a girl Brianna. Brian and Glenda live in Leander, a surburb of Austin, Tx. His past time is hunting and she goes skiing with her family as Brian gets sick when he goes to places with high altitudes. I hope every one is well and the New Year brings much happiness." Mary Frances......."
We wrote back and forth and she sent me some Shaver knowledge, created a lot questions and I wrote back and never got a reply to my letter or my many questions, so she may have died....... ( I also had by then heard from a Carol Zerbe in Colo. who is connected somehow and who has some photos of the gravesite somewhere in IN, I have yet to receive them here in SC)
Then the following year, on the back of a letter she told me....
"Scott, so glad to hear from you. It has been a long time. There are so many Shaver's gone now. The first time we went to VA was in 1969. (I, me, Scott was in the Air Force and overseas and not meet them until a later visit in the early 1970's after I was back in the US). Your Uncle Fred W.(ard) Shaver from PA had come to Houston the year before. We drove up at the motel (they must have owned one, no that would not work?) and there were two men building something and I remarked to mother that one of them must be a Shaver because he looked just like her brother John. Her family is now all gone. There were four boys and three girls. Mother was the last one to die. She was in Houston for a heart valve transplant but was unable to sustain enough blood pressure to live afterwards. Jack, my husband, died last year from low blood pressure and apparently Parkinson's too. Doctors of all description could not find out what caused his high blood pressure or how to cure it. Carolyn talked to Mike & Pasty Bicking(?) and we found out that June(?) was gone, so sad. Now your dad is fighting fro his life--- such an upbeat person he is!! I shall send them a card. I hope that Virginia is well. (She did not know that my mom had died in 1999) (I told her in a following letter and I need to find her reply to it) Take care and it was great to hear from you. Love, Mary Frances"
I know in the reply to me, to this, that she promised to take me to Austin, since it was only 65 miles from La Grange. Said IF I had time she would take me to Houston and LBJ Ranch, if I would or ever did come to TX. THAT last letter from me in 2003 and my Xmas Card in 2004 never got a reply.... I do not know her children and/or where they live, except for what is known abt. WY and La Grange. IF any Shaver's on here are connected to these TX Shavers, there are a number of us who would love to talk via the puter or phone........