Posted in Sunday Report, The Gardens of Sonnystone...

Let it Grow…

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

And since all this loveliness can not be Heaven, I know in my heart it is June.” —Abba Louisa Goold Woolson.

After a cool and rainy May, June met us with Sunshine and balmy breezes. My cataract surgery went super great and I’ve been outside breaking all the rules to finish up the gardens and porches. I have been careful, but I couldn’t resist.

Let’s take a walk around the house, starting in the Edible Garden. Along our trellis, the cantaloupe, butternut squash, cucumber. and watermelons are all coming right along. None of the lima beans I put in sprouted, but I’ve got two more cucumber plants to fill the bare space soon.

On the outside of each side of the trellis are 14 bell pepper plants – 8 California Wonders and 6 Big Berthas. In between the peppers and the trellis are sunflowers of all kinds and they are going to town! At the south end of each side are moonflower vines, sure to shine.

In the back and on the sides are nine tomato plants – 4 Better Boys, 1 Early Girl Bush, 1 Celebrity, a sweet cherry 100, a husky red cherry, and one called chocolate sprinkle that is alleged to taste like a black cherry.

Nine squash – five zucchini, four yellow straightneck prolific – are having the time of their lives, flowering like champs, but where are the bees? I have anise hyssop to attract them, not to mention a yard full of clover, but so far I’ve seen very few.

The peas are flush with edible pods (Oregon sugar pods II) and I’m often out there snacking.

I’ve been so bored with my own cooking lately – like for the past year – and decided to learn a new style: a countertop griddle. So far, Casey is better at it than I am, but I warned him if he is tooo good, he’ll end up doing all the cooking. We used an old highway sign as a heat shield, which I think is kinda cute.

Around here on the front porch, walking in from the north side, I’ve moved all the coleus that I propagated last winter and they look great! I guess I’ll end up with twice as many next year….help!

In the Peace/Bird garden, the hummingbirds are back buzz-bombing each other at the feeder, and Casey had a skirmish with a squirrel (he won) the other day. This garden is all native perennials and they are so reliable and calm – you might say peaceful. I am so thrilled to be able to see the avian display with a clarity I’ve never experienced. It’s a dang miracle.

I think I’ll grab a handful of those sugar peas, sit out on the swing, and enjoy. Wish you were here…

Peace

Posted in Sunday Report

Decoration Day

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

We made our cemetery rounds on Wednesday, or I should call it Windsday since the gusts were intermittently 20mph. Placing the saddle on Grandma and Grandpa Eaton’s grave was a challenge, but Casey got it held down with wire and we figure if it didn’t blow off on a day like that, it was set to last. It’s the thought that counts, right?

We wandered around the cemetery in Albion looking for Grandmother and Grandad’s marker, even though I visit it every year. These folks, especially Grandmother, were so influential in my life. They were my great-grandparents and I was so blessed to know them. The font on their gravestone is so unique. I wonder who chose it, and if it means anything.

Since we were walking the property, we looked for my Aunt Thelma and Uncle Aub, but couldn’t find them, so we cruised up to Marion Church Cemetery to check on our grave-cleaning.

I am thrilled and more to see how well the wet-and-forget had worked. These two graves of Chester and Herbert, my great-great uncles who died quite young, had been black with age and look at them now!

I am fascinated by the inscription on the side of Herbert’s stone and want to go back with etching paper and see if I can read it. Herbert’s marker has a book open on a bookstand-like thing on the opposite side, so I wonder if he was a bookworm, like me. He died at 14 of fever.

Back in my youngster days, we called it Decoration Day and it was the 31st of May, whatever day that happened to land on. I have fond memories of my family – Mom, Dad, Brother, and Sister – meeting up with the Albion Maynes – Grandmother, Aunts Ruth and Bernie, and Uncle Harry – and hitting up the old graveyards in the area. I’d get to ride in Aunt Ruth’s Oldsmobile and we would glide all the way up to Parkersburg, then down the gravel roads, and around the loop that I still take every year to decorate. There was a story to go with every grave except one, and that was my grandfather, my Dad’s Dad. I remember one year seeing Grandmother standing at his stone, crying, and I felt very sad, but everyone just looked away uncomfortably.

It was a serious “We don’t talk about Bruno” situation. I got as much info as I could about him from Dad and Bernie before they died, and when I researched him, I discovered that there just wasn’t much good to say about him – he died at 43 after abusing alcohol, drugs, and all the people who loved him. But for one brief, shining moment, he was “that funny comedian, Bobby Mayne”, headlining for traveling vaudeville shows, an actor, a musician who could play every instrument, and the fans followed him, loved his shtick and admired his talents. He married a beautiful girl, had a baby boy, and then blew it all…

This year, I decorated his grave for the first time. He didn’t actually fight in WWI (that’s another story), but he was a Star, a handsome, talented Star of the Stage and we shouldn’t forget that. I think it fits him well…

I still need to go out to my Mom and Dad’s Mausoleum and switch out their bouquet. I like that I don’t have to worry about wind and rain on my decorations with them. I’m out there four times a year, changing with the seasons, just like my Mama taught me.

Have a Great Holiday!

Peace

Posted in Sunday Report, The Gardens of Sonnystone...

Weekly Wrap-up

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

I have had to be on Prednisone for ten of the last fourteen days, finally finished up a couple of days ago, and it has been excruciating for my brain. That stuff makes me so speedy, I can’t focus, I can’t sleep, I’m irritable, my stomach hurts…I’ve done too much griping and had one day of out-of-the-blue tears. I guess the upside is that my back and right arm are not giving me even a wince of discomfort and my head is back to its normal thinking, which is probably not normal, but you know what I mean.

We went to the Shannon’s School of Dance Recital last night and it was great! Really super. I haven’t seen the Jr girls in a while, so just being around them was a treat.

Samantha and Nova

In between storms, we’ve been able to get most of the garden planted and it’s looking good.

I still need to plant the green beans, and have plans to get a flat of marigolds and stick them around everywhere I can fit them. My nasturtium is starting to bloom out on the South Porch, but I want to move them back to the Edible Garden, and that involves a lot of switchy-changey of containers.

The Peace/Bird Garden has been loving all this rain.

This will all need to be completed by Memorial Day, as I have my first cataract surgery the day after. While I don’t mind not being able to weed, I Love to plant, so it’s working out well to have it all done beforehand.

I’ve talked to several people who’ve had the cataract surgery and each had different ideas about what lens to implant, but none had any problems with their procedure. That’s reassuring.

We’re planning the Cemetery Loop from Mount Carmel to Parkersburg to Marion Church to Albion to Grayville and say hello to the Ancestors. It’s been a year since Casey and I spent some time cleaning some 100plus-year-old gravestones and I’m curious to see how they look. We scrubbed and used some stuff called “wet and forget” that is supposed to continue to work over time, so we’ll see. We don’t usually leave decorations in those old cemeteries, but I will be doin’ up the Eatons’ front-row plot in Grayville with a saddle this year.

Hope this missive finds you well and enjoying the season!

Peace

Posted in Sunday Report

Party on, Mothers!

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

I’m thinking of my Mom today and how much I miss her. I’m thinking of the days when I was an active duty Mom and how much I miss being her. I’m sending loving thoughts to my daughter and my daughter-in-law, thankful thoughts for being such good Moms to my grandies and hope that they are being properly feted by their progeny.

Being a Mom is the Honour of a Lifetime, whether it’s little people who you have birthed or folks who just needed you. I am still occasionally called upon to play the role, and I appreciate it more than ever.

To my grown-up children: Thank-you.

But I’m mostly thinking it’s a good day to get out in the garden working with Mother Earth. If you need me, that’s where I’ll be.

Pass the Love Around, dear People!

Peace

Posted in Monthly Dopamine Menu, Sunday Report

The Merry Month of May

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

I won a few pennies betting the Derby this year, finally breaking my losing streak – I actually bet the Winner to Win and am quite pleased. We’re off to a Great Start!

The month of May might have been named for the Roman Fertility and Spring goddess, Maia, or it could have come from the latin “maiores” which means “elders”. I think it’s the former, but we Elderly deserve our own month, a green one, not some gray wintry 30 days.

It is cold and rainy today, but our garden plants are fine with it. We have wisely waited to plant the sweet bell and banana peppers, but this should be our last cold snap. I am so excited about the garden this year because we have added a cattle panel trellis- Growing up the trellis are cantaloupe, butternut squash, sugar baby watermelons, burpless cucumbers – all except the sugar babies I started from seed! There’s also some King of the Garden butter beans I popped in the other day. and some sunflowers, too. We’ll fill in the sides with bush beans as soon as the weather permits.

May is Historic Preservation Month here in Eville and I’m going to try Again to go on the walking tour given annually through Oak Hill Cemetery. Oak Hill is chock-full of elaborate gravestones of local luminaries, including the folks who lived here at Sonnystone from 1923 to 1957–you remember the Smiths, don’t you? the ones who put the S on the chimney? Y’all know how I love cemeteries and this one is a gem. This is the last year that our local historian, Dennis Au, will be leading the tours, so I Must go.

There are many other Historic Preservation events scheduled, but several of them conflict with each other. Weird planning to have an Angel Mounds tour at the same time as the cemetery tour, or plan speakers at Willard the same time as Opening Night at Bosse Field. Come on, Evillians, work together here…

May 9 is the 17th birthday of my #2 Grandie, Nova. She will be participating in the National Archery Competitions in Louisville, KY on the 8th and the 10th, so we’ll have to plan a celebration a little off-date. She has had a good week-end this week-end – shot her personal best with the bow and arrow: 251; went to Prom with her handsome boyfriend, looking beautiful.

Nova and Aiden, Prom 2025

Mother’s Day, a commercial holiday that evokes guilt and loneliness, is celebrated on May 11. I’m not a big fan.

I think we’ll check out this month’s market auction in New Harmony on May 9-10. I’m in the market for furniture and that’s a good place to look. Besides, I like eating at the Yellow Tavern.

Shannon’s School of Dance Recital is May 17. Frankly, I usually skip out after I’ve watched the kids in the first half, but this year Nova is dancing in the second half, so I’ll have to sit still. It’s a wonderful program, honestly, but it is quite an extended sit for an ADD adult such as moi. They always have the best costumes, too.

Samantha — Tap
Samantha — Jazz

The Spring Antiques Show is scheduled for May 24 up in Darmstadt at the 4H. I’ll be there, too, and that’s Memorial Day Week-end, so there will be other festivities around the area. Our area tends to have beautiful weather all week before a planned event, then go wildly cold/wet/hot/ for the Day of. That’s Eville for ya…

Finally, my R cataract will be removed May 27 at 8:30am. By May 28, I should be able to look into my own eyes…

I shall try again to start the Garden Blog. I have been taking plenty of pictures, but no time to curate and publish. This month of greening and growing will inspire me, I’m sure. Gotta keep on growin’, right?

Peace

Posted in ......And they're Off!!!, Kentucky Derby

Run for the Roses #151

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

It’s going to rain all day in Louisville, KY. The dresses and the hats will still be bright and the juleps will bring joy to the crowd, but the backdrop of thunderclouds and mud is so disappointing. It’s hardly unusual, though. The First Saturday in May is always as fickle as the odds and I’ve worn coats and winter hats to the festivities several times.

After pouring over the statistics, pedigrees, colors of the horses, examining the trainers and jockeys carefully, and listening to plenty of podcasts giving expert picks, I have come to the startling conclusion that any of these horses could win. I know, I know it’s always like that, but with a completely washed out track (especially by race 12) the 3-year-old contenders’ history has not prepared them for deep mud.

So, it’s a horse race…a gamble. I’ve been consulting with my daughter and son-in-law, and though my girl-child is a born procrastinator and won’t make her mind up until 20 minutes to post, my son-in-law is more solid in his picks. His original choice of Rodriguez at the top had to change when said horse was scratched, but his final choices are #8, Journalism, #9 Burnham Square, #14 Tiztastic, and #17 Sandman. Those are some good picks.

I have figured out the way to Win this year and am so excited to present to you the JoJo Derby Wagering Scheme! I texted my grandies, asking them to pick a number between 1 and 20, not 10 (scratched), Their responses are brilliant and just as good as I could have deduced with all my study. Here we go:

Emma picked #8 – turns out that’s Journalism, the favorite, something like 6-5 odds

Nova picked #9 – Burnham Square, a fella I really like, going off at 16-1

Eliza picked #3 – Final Gambit, a Beautiful Gray horse, currently 15-1

Samantha picked #13 – Publisher, another good one, 30-1 odds

We’ve covered a lot of the field with those choices, but I want to point out #18 Sovereignty at 6-1 looks good and the #21, Baeva, just got into the race after Rodriguez was scratched and he could be The One at 18-1. Oh, and Baffert has one horse left in the race, Citizen Bull 13-1, a fine contender who pulled the unfortunate post position of #1, but on a day like today, anything is possible.

Okay, so it still is a lot of “Bet the Whole Field” strategy, but I’m really only going to wager on the Grandie’s Picks and maybe just one other…maybe…just one..

We’re staying home again this year — too cold for me to head out to Ellis Park’s Party, but I have my cute little outfit picked, complete with matching fascinator. We’re having fried chicken, potato salad, and pecan pie. I look forward to the pie as much as I do the race!

The Muddy Mess will be covered by Peacock and NBC, probably some other sports channels. I think they’re showing the whole race card over on Peacock, so you can make bets on how deep the mud will be by race #12. I stand by my “rain date” request.

And the Bourbon of the Day? Woodford Reserve.

Peace

Posted in Kentucky Oaks 2025

Kentucky Oaks picks

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

It’s Thurby in Louisville, KY and the excitement is growing. Thurby is a rebranded name for the Thursday before the Kentucky Derby where Churchill Downs celebrates Kentucky’s unique culture of bourbon, bluegrass music, and thoroughbred racing,

Back at the stables, the horses are prepping every morning, running a few furlongs to stretch their legs and show their ability. All eyes are on the favorites, but the whole roster is under scrutiny. There is rain predicted for both Friday and Saturday, so I expect a muddy track and these sprints give us little help in choosing who will ultimately triumph. I loathe watching the horses run in the mud and wish they would use rain dates, but they will delay and do their best to dry the track between downpours.

Tomorrow the Filllies run. The Kentucky Oaks is a prestigious Grade 1 stakes race for 3-year-old thoroughbred girl horses held annually at Churchill Downs. The winning filly is adorned with a garland of stargazer lilies, a tradition that gives the race its nickname. Inaugurated in 1875, the race boasts a lucrative $1.5 million purse, making it a highly desirable competition.

Unlike the Derby, which sees 20 horses racing, the Oaks runs only 14, making it a little easier to choose, This year’s favorites are #7 La Cara at 6-1, #11 Good Cheer 6-5, and #14 Quietside 8-1. I like all three of those gals and will probably box them. For a little longer odds, #2 Simply Joking 10-1 looks good, as does #6 Ballerina d’Oro 10-1, and #8 5G at 12-1. Baffert has a horse in, #9 Tenma 12-1, and I know never to ignore one of his trainees, There are only a few really long shots here (30-1), but with the track being sloppy, you never know.

The Oaks Race will be televised on Peacock, starting at 1pm tomorrow. They’ll show the whole race card!

This week has been so full of more appointments and the gardening has had to be worked in between, so I’m waiting until Saturday morning to decide who’s getting my wager in the Derby and what bourbon we’ll be sipping. As an added treat, I’ll let you know who my daughter and son-in-law have picked — they are generally in the money, whilst my percentages in recent years have been declining…like me…

I’ll be back Saturday morning, rain or shine.

Peace

Posted in Sunday Report

What’s goin’ on…

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

April has been its usual cruel self, teasing with warmth and sun, then raining all over my parade. We’ve accomplished quite a bit in the garden – new fence! new trellis! – I’m impatiently waiting for the wind to calm down and the warm to come and stay. But that’s Spring, isn’t it? I’m at my happiest when I’m working in the garden with Casey, so these days find me quite chuffed.

During my blogging break, I had several doctor appointments and some labs — all is well, but… It seems my cataracts are now ripe! I’ve been having increased difficulty seeing, but thought it was probably all in my head, so I’m grateful for the validation. We have scheduled the surgery on the right eye for May 27th and the left on June 10. Currently I keep reading glasses in every room of the house, around my neck, in my purse, in the car — I’ll be happy to donate them after the operation! The fancy lens I’m getting even corrects the intermediate vision, so I can even toss the special pair of lenses I use at the piano. I’m kind of scared of being able to see myself clearly in the mirror; right now I see a smeary blur with lipstick, but I suspect the details aren’t pretty…

I started seeing a chiropractor who is using myofascial release to unstick some neck problems I’ve had. He’s killing me, but it hurts so good. I think I’m getting more blood to my brain, too, but that may be my imagination. To be honest, it hasn’t helped my shoulder/neck at all, but I have hope that continued manipulation will work. I’m going a couple of times a week, eating a lot of ibuprofen. I really like the doc, so for now I’m trusting.

It’s Derby Week! and Baffert is Back! I’m just now getting around to studying up on the contenders and it looks like all my favorite trainers are represented. I’ll be putting out an Extra Extra Edition of The News on Thursday to discuss this year’s strategy, which will, hopefully, be more successful that my usual “Bet all 20 horses to show”. I am quite challenged by decision-making, even fretting over which bourbon to sip. Maybe a flight?

Check back this Thursday and see if I’ve made up my mind…

Peace

Posted in The Saga of Sonnystone Acres

Sonnystone Saga, Part Fini

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

 We are now on Part 6 of The Sonnystone Saga, the genealogy of our Old House. Here are the links to Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3 and Part 4 and Part 5 in case you missed them. The Reed Family lived here for 60 years and it’s been a real romp re-posting their stories. I’m now ready to return to our normal programming, so don’t forget to stop by on Sunday to catch the latest news.

The Reeds: Coda

Minnie Reed Olmsted took possession of her family home, now known as Sonnystone Acres, in 1908 upon the death of her mother, Mary Inwood Reed. Mary was the last surviving child of pioneers William and Hannah Inwood, a family that had been integral to the British Settlement established in 1819. I have loved stalking the Inwoods…especially Uncle John and his kids…

In 1910, Minnie Reed Olmsted, 52, and her husband, Goodrich, 60, were living here at the Acres with a “boarder”, William Harper, 14. I believe he helped out on the farm, as their occupation was truck farming. Their oldest daughter, Emma, had married in 1906 and moved to New Albany, IN. Daughter Mary Ella, had married in 1908, and she and her husband, Oscar Hanning, owned a dairy farm on nearby Kratzville Road.

Minnie and Goodrich Olmsted…

Ada Reed Van Dusen, 50, and her husband, Louis, 52, were also empty nesters. Their daughter, Mary Irene, had married in 1901. Her husband was a butcher by the name of Louis Yokel. By 1910 Yokel had opened his own grocery and meat shop on the corner of Main and 7th streets, named Yokel and Sons. The family still lived on Stringtown Road, though, in a house across from present-day Old North UMC that we Almost bought just before we found Sonnystone. Coincidentally, I got to know Mary Irene’s daughter, Marjorie Yokel Copeland, and her grand-daughter, Carol Stremming, when I was attending Old North back in the 80s…

Sometime around 1910, Minnie’s son, Charles Elston Olmsted, and her sister Ada’s son, LeRoy Reed Van Dusen, set out for the West where they bought a farm/ranch in Prairie Springs, Idaho. Cousins! How adventurous!

As for the other Reeds in 1910, Thomas, 64, is still a drayman, still on Goodsell Street with a houseful. Living with him are his sons Harry and Inwood, Harry’s wife and three children, and his daughter, Sadie.

Jack Reed, now 68, is living out on Darmstadt Rd, boarding with Fred and Mary Kaiser. His occupation is “own account” which means he works for himself or has an independent income.

George Childs, 63, was the Postmaster of Chandler in 1910, where he and his wife, Anna, the schoolteacher, resided. Their son, Leslie, still lived with them and his occupation is listed as “gold miner”… Seriously. More likely, he was a coal miner.

Louis Van Dusen died in 1917 and Goodrich Olmstead died six months later in 1918. Per the 1920 census, the two widowed sisters, Minnie, 62, and Ada, 60, were living together here at Sonnystone. They list their occupation as truck farmers…always…

I can’t find a record of the death of Jack Reed, but according to my abstract he died around 1921. I’m not surprised that he wasn’t buried in the family plot. George Childs died in 1923 and he was interred with the rest of the family in Salem Cemetery.

In 1923, Minnie sold the farm and she and Ada Belle moved down the road to the old Van Dusen home. Minnie died in 1929 and her death certificate says that the coroner “took her remains” for an inquest. That would mean, I think, that she had died unexpectedly, perhaps in her sleep. It says he came to the scene at 7:30 a.m. and that the informant was Ada Van Dusen. Cause of death was “coronary lesion” — heart attack.

Ada Reed Van Dusen was the last survivor of the Reedmont days, living until 1943. She died at Regina Pacis Nursing Home.

In 1923, Sonnystone was given fresh life. The New Owners were George Davis Smith and his wife, Albion Bacon Smith. The Smiths placed the “S” on the chimney that inspired me to name the place Sonnystone Acres. They are responsible for the east addition and the garage-without-a-driveway, as well as the leftover kennel pens and the skeet-shooter hidden by brush on the edge of the woods. George and Albion were members of Elite Evansville Society, third-generation wealth.

Their fascinating family stories will take us back to the pioneer days of the British Settlement around McCutchanville and Mechanicsville again, but this time we’ll visit the bustling metropolis of Evansville before we return to “Stringtown Rd. 5 miles out”…

Stay Tuned…

Posted in Sunday Report, The Saga of Sonnystone Acres

Short Report and Part 5

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

Happy Easter and Passover and whatever Holy Day you celebrate today! We’re having an early breakfast with the Jrs and then spending the day in the garden. I hope your day is full of peace and love.

I hope to get the Garden Blog started up this Thursday and I’m excited to share the new features with you. The plan is to finish up the first six episodes of the Sonnystone Saga this Wednesday and have the second six-part season when things get boring again. I was stunned to discover that the Kentucky Derby 151 is two weeks away! Will I break my losing streak this year? I have hope.

 We are now on Part 5 of The Sonnystone Saga, the genealogy of our Old House. Here are the links to Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3 and Part 4 in case you missed them. The Reed Family lived here for 60 years and require four separate posts to tell their story. It’s a real page-turner, so I hope that you will watch for the last installment to be posted this Wednesday. 

The Will

The will was signed and sealed on 12 January 1881.  John Reed died 14 January 1888, age 72. 

I wonder if his family were aware of the stipulations of John Reed’s Last Will and Testament before he died. The Will starts off quite normally:  Being of sound mind but failing body, Thank the Lord for his Goodness, pay all the debts, etc.  He leaves his beloved wife, Mary, all of his personal property and 1/3 of his real estate.  He dictates that she should keep all the income from all of the property for the first year.  Later in the Will, he names her as executor.

Then it gets convoluted, and of course, it’s about Jack.

“I give and devise unto my son, John Reed, a sum of money equal to 1/15 in value and amount of this devise shall be ascertained in the following manner to wit:  Within ninety days from my death, two reputable free-holders of Vanderburgh County, state of Indiana, wholly disinterested and not of kin to any of my devisees shall be selected, one of my said son, John, the other by Thomas Reed, George Childs, Minnie Olmsted, and Ada Belle Van-Dusen, to appraise the whole of the real estate of which I may die seized.”

I don’t think he trusts them..  There’s more…He says if any of them fail or refuse to select an appraiser then one should be chosen by his wife Mary along with the Vanderburgh County Court Clerk…and if they fail to agree with that choice, a third should be chosen and the majority rules. Old John was definitely expecting an argument!   So once they finally agree and get it appraised, John’s 1/15 is to be a lien on the property of the others and paid in a very specific manner

“Within ninety days from the day of my death and each of every ninety days thereafter on demand, the sum of twenty-five dollars, until the amount is fully paid; said sums so paid to be a credit upon my said son John’s legacy. “

He goes on to say that if the full amount isn’t paid within two years, interest of 4% should be paid to Jack.  If Jack dies before the full amount is paid, the rest is to be given to his grandchildren (Jack’s daughters) Alice and Mary Reed.  He also wills 1/15 of his real estate to Alice and Mary, to be held as joint tenants. No other grandchildren are mentioned.

Thomas Reed, George Childs, Minnie Olmsted, and Ada Van Dusen are each given 9/60 (nine sixtieths).  He stipulates that’s only if they give John his money.

Furthermore, he states:

“It is my further will that in case any of my devisees or legatees shall object to the provisions in this my will made for them and shall institute any legal proceedings for the purpose of setting this my will aside or in any manner interfering with the disposition herein made of any of my property, then and that case the devise of legacy herein made to the objector or objectors shall immediately become null and void and the share, or shares of the objector or objectors shall be divided equally share and share alike among those of my devisees or legatees who are satisfied and content with the provisions herein made for them.“

Phew! Old John was sure an enabler, wasn’t he? His son, Jack, was obviously a problem and my life experience makes me suspect there is alcohol involved, but general laziness seems to be present, as well. Why would you make your other children basically support the wastrel? I’m of the opinion he didn’t do right by his wife, either. Mary was only 64-years-old at the time of her husband’s death and he should have just left his entire estate to her and let her sort it out — but I suppose Mary would Not have been so generous to Jack.

In 1889, Thomas, George, Minnie, and Ada did go to court against Mary, the grand-daughter.  Her sister, Alice, had died before her grandfather.  Mary had claimed that the Will gave she and her sister Each 1/15 and that she was her sister’s legal heir. However, the case was found in favor of the plaintiffs and grand-daughter Mary was given only 1/15…which is what it seems to me that her grandfather wanted.  The land is partitioned off in that document, giving Jack’s daughter, Mary, about 14 acres, leaving 100 or so to the Big Four.

Sonnystone proper belonged to Mary Inwood Reed as part of her 1/3.  It consisted of the house and about 60 acres.  Thomas Reed and George Childs sold their share of the land to their sisters and George bought a place in Chandler, IN.   The Van Dusens and Olmsteds pretty much stayed in the homes where they’d always lived and continued to farm through the decade of the 1890s.

By 1900, Charles and Minnie Olmsted and their three teenagers were living at Sonnystone with Mary, age 77.  Louis and Ada Belle Van Dusen lived just down the road and Louis’s 84-year-old mother lived with them.  Both families had a servant living with them.  Both men are listed as gardeners…!

George and Anna Childs were still in Chandler.  George is listed as an “agent machines?”.  The machine part is pretty clear, but I can’t read the first word well. Son John, 25, was a schoolteacher like his Mom.  19-year-old son Leslie was a day laborer.

Thomas Reed was still on Goodsell Street, still working as a drayman.  He had a houseful: four children, Harry, 24; Ben (also called Inwood), 21; Thomas, jr., 18; and Sarah Belle, 13;  and one niece, Ella, 30 (daughter of cousin James Inwood, who had died in 1884).  But that’s not all..  Thom’s wayward brother, Jack Reed, 55-years-old, is also living with him, not working… What a guy…

Mary Inwood Reed died 17 April 1908.  Her death certificate states cause of death as senility.  She was 85-years-old.  The following month court papers were filed stating that Thomas Reed, George Childs, and Ada Van Dusen gave up all their claim to Mary’s property and giving it to Minnie Reed Olmsted.  It is the first time that I see the property listed as our address on Stringtown Road, though it is still a rural route.

Minnie Reed  Olmsted was now the proud owner of her family home, Reedmont, aka Sonnystone Acres.

Stay tuned…