Happy Birthday Mommy!

Today you would have been 104. You got close to 100--just 3 years and 2 months away. I thought, as did many others, that you would make it to 100. God had other plans, and His plans are always best!!
I remember other birthdays after Daddy died and how "Just us Girls" got together for most of them. We took you out for lunch and a shopping trip---usually to Wal-Mart's fabric department because that was one of your favorite places to go. A few times we had a picnic/cookout down below Truman Dam, too. One of the best times was when we surprised you with an 80th birthday celebration and invited so many friends and family to join us at the Methodist church in Smithton. A couple of days later we girls took you out [on your real birthday] for lunch. It was always great when Evelyn could come in from California and be with us, too. One of the saddest times was when we went out for lunch [the guys,too.] and then we all went to see Carolyn because we wanted to include her in the day. None of us had any idea that would be the last time most of us ever saw her again.
I would love to hear you tell the story once again about the surprise party you planned for yourself. The surprise was on Grandma because you had asked your friends to come and she wasn't planning a party! If I remember right, you had told her that you wanted a party but she was busy at the time and did not REALLY pay attention to what you were saying. Then you asked her what she was going to serve or something the day of the party and she realized that you were serious and had to come up with something to eat and drink in short time.
Another story I would love to hear again was about 'old Maude' the former race horse that your family had as a 'buggy' horse and how notionate she was about moving only as fast as and when she wanted to move. Except for the day when she met the 'horseless carriage' on the road and it passed her. She took off for home and you all just had to 'hang on' because she didn't stop until she was in the barn!
I could just see it all in my mind as you were telling it!
There are many more things to remember, but they will have to wait until another time.

Brakfast Buffet--Saturday Morning

If you reserved rooms at the hotel for the NAM pageant, you received vouchers for the breakfast buffet. The food was really pretty good, but I don't think there was enough communication to the person who scheduled staff etc. for the weekend. They kept running out of certain foods [i.e. plenty of gravy, but NO biscuits!]and did not really have enough wait staff either; but everyone was pleasant and helpful--just overworked. [They also had a "Stamp Show" and some other meeting going on in the motel!]

Madison 'practiced her smile' for everyone with a camera! It has always been beautiful! Everywhere she went in the hotel, she wore her pageant number, too.

Karen is peeling and quartering an apple for Erika. Look how long Erika's hair has gotten. It is so different from Madison's in color, texture, and 'thickness'. But it is beautiful, too. And it is part of what makes her be Erika!
I was scrapbooking a page with Erika's baby pictures one time, and it was very interesting to see how her hair got lighter and lighter each month. It was brown like Madison's had been when she was born, and was this beautiful golden color by her first birthday.

After our breakfast together, Madison had some rehearsal time and other meetings. For lunch, we all walked down a block to a mall at the Lloyds Center and ate in the Food Court then went our separate ways to due a little shopping. It was beautiful weather!

National American Miss--Oregon

Friday night of the pageant weekend they had a "50's" get aquainted dance for all the contestants and their families. Karen and Chris made Madison's poodle skirt and fixed an "M" on her shirt a la "Laverne and Shirley". Erika got a poodle fixed on one of her skirts and an "E" on her shirt. Both had long scarves tied around their pony tails. Check out Erika's big old sunglasses!

Here, they are dancing on the very crowded stage with Daddy. Karen and I were trying to take pictures---when we could find them in the crowd!

Madison is trying to do the Twist. Her elastic in her skirt was a little too loose and she was constantly having to pull it back up as she danced.

Here is a close-up of the "poodle". She ought to be able to wear this skirt for a while. They both looked so cute!

Mommy and Daddy got 'in the spirit' and dressed 50's style, too. The music variety was great but it was really loud, and then they were trying to talk over it to tell the girls some things. My ears were 'tired'! Might have something to do, too, with the fact that we had flown that day and it was already past Midnite, Missouri time, when we were through! Ron stayed in the room and went to bed. He 'turns into a pumpkin' when it gets that late!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Today, May 31, would have been my Dad's 111th birthday!{My, how old ARE you Judy??]
No, really, I have told you before that I was the 'unexpected' child. My Mom was 39, and my Dad was 46 when I was born.
Daddy, Isreal Raymon Coen, was the only boy in his family. He had 3 older sisters and 2 younger sisters. He was the only one with 2 names[first and middle] to survive childhood. an older sister, Lena Maude, and a younger sister, Electra Grace both died in toddlerhood. His 2 older sisters were Anna and Mae and his younger sister was Ruth. Daddy's parents built and ran a boarding hotel, across from a railroad station in the town where he grew up. Grandma served family style meals and made lunches for the workers who were building US 36 highway. She never wrote anything down [I'm not sure how far she went in school] but she could 'keep the books' in her head. When it was payday, she would stand at the door and when the men came by her she would recite to them how many meals they had taken at the hotel and how many lunches she had packed for them and they would 'pay-up' before they left the dining room. My Dad and his Dad installed the first electrical system in the town. It only ran for certain hours of the day and was turned off every night. Fifteen minutes [or so] before it was time to shut down, they would 'flash' the lights to let everyone know so they could light lamps, etc.
This early introduction to electricity affected the remainder of his life. He was a Navy 'ship electrician' on a troop ship during WWI. There is an interesting side tale here: Daddy could NOT swim. The captain found out and had him thrown overboard thinking he would 'learn' quickly. He just had to have him rescued. When they docked in New York City he sent Daddy to the YMCA for swimming lessons. Dadddy did everything he was instructed to do, but he still couldn't swim. His feet sank just like they were rocks! The instructor sent word to the captain that Daddy had really tried to learn, but it was just IMPOSSIBLE! Luckily the war was almost over so he didn't have much longer to serve.
At some point, Daddy went to work for the Kansas City Power and light Company. First as a lineman, and eventually as a 'trouble shooter', a job he held until his retirement. I remember seeing him 'at work' several times during my life and it was always a thrill. Usually I was with one of my older sisters, going shopping or something, and we would come to an intersection or something and see his car and look around and see him up on a pole working to fix some problem. One time I was staying overnight at a friends and a big storm came up. The electricity was interrupted all over her neighborhood. Pretty soon we heard voices coming from her alley and saw big flaslights shining. "Hey!, I said, that is my Dad's voice!' Sure enough, he was one of the workers out trying to repair the 'outage'!
Since Daddy's birthday was so close to the 'traditional' Memorial Day holiday, a tradition was begun to have a Family Reunion each year at that time. Daddy's favorite 'cake' was strawberry shortcake, so that was the dessert of the day. After we had our BIG Dinner at noon, while some were cleaning up the dishes,etc. others would begin putting together a huge 'dishpan' full of strawberries while still others began making the homemade ice cream. The first few years there were 2 or 3 hand cranked makers, in later years we had a couple of bigger electric makers, but there was usually at least one hand craked one, too. How else would all of the grandkids learn about 'taking turns' at helping to make the ice cream??
There were always 'ball games' going on out in the field, card games and other table games at tables in the yard, and two other events always happened: One of the grandsons would get grandpa to do his 'pole trick'. He could balance himself on the side of the pole with his arms in such a way so that his body was at a right angle to the pole. Many tried, but few were successful at figuring out how to do that. The other event was getting Grandma and Uncle Ron taking turns at the piano for a singfest!
Great memories!
Daddy died in August of 1977 at the age of 79 after being diagnosed with lung cancer earlier that year. We didn't keep up the tradition of the Family Reunion, but I wish we would have. We did have one in 1989 to celebrate his 100th birthday. Everyone that was able to come had a great time!

Emily at Two

Take the picture quick...before she decides to get down again.

"Mommy's drink..Nanny's drink..Emily's drink" She was really wound up and talking up a storm!

Big Girl drinking out of a glass with no lid! She usually does pretty well...if the glass isn't too full!

" I play game."

At least she thought she was playing it, and that is all that was necessary!

We have been trying to meet Kirk, Stacy, and Emily [and sometimes Bostin,too] once or twice a month for supper on a week night. One of the places we frequently go to is Bobbios Pizza in Tipton. It is close to 'halfway' between our two places which makes it convenient for either/all of us.[And they have a good pizza buffet, too!]

We met them on the 19th which was the day before Emily's 2nd birthday. Here are some of the pics we took that night.

Emily started yelling "Nanny! Papaw!" When they parked beside us. And then it was "Pizza! Pizza!" but she didn't really eat a lot. She has been eating quite a bit at noon at the daycare and then not eating so much for supper. I don't think she misses out much by the looks of her. She is really 'busy' all of the time! She sings several songs, including the ABC song, and knows several 'finger plays', is doing pretty well on 'potty traing', too. Daddy and Mommy are really enjoying her! And so are we!

Graduation Time!!

Two of our grandsons graduated from high school this past weekend.

Robert ["Rob", Karls's boy] graduated from Lakeland high school in Lowry City on Friday night in the school gym. There were 43 graduates in the class. This is the school where Valerie [Rob's Mom] teaches. It is in a rural area in the Southwest area of Missouri. Rob attended here his junior and senior years and seems to have made quite a few friends in that time. He has been accepted at the University of Central Missouri [Warrensburg] and expects to attend there this fall. On Saturday morning we drove back down to their house and went to his graduation celebration with family from his Mom's and Dad's side, and several friends. Karl was able to be here and be involved! It was great to be there and enjoy this time with Rob.


Dakota[Kevin's youngest!] graduated from Smith-Cotton high school in Sedalia on Saturday night. The graduation was held in the Mathewson building on the State Fair grounds [Has been for several years!]. There were probably 300 +/- graduates. Dakota has been accepted at Missouri Southern University in Joplin Missouri. [This is the same university that his brother Dillon has gone to for the past 2 years. Dillon will NOT be going back this next semester. He plans to work this summer and fall and hopefully go to a "tech" school at the first of the year.] Sunday afternoon we had a weiner roast and celebration for Dakota at Bothwell State Park north of Sedalia. The day was a little cool, but it was great to be with 'family' from both Kevin and Cory's family and several friends of Dakota's, too.

Now we have seen the first 4 of our grandkids graduate from high school. Thankfully, it will be about 4 years before the next one---Jacob!!
Naw, its too early to even THINK about that, yet!!!

Mama: Mary Kathryn [Bradley] Coen

She was born June 5 1905. The youngest child of 8 and her mother was 39 years old when she was born. She had one brother and six sisters. She had thick white-blonde hair and blue eyes, and was tall and lanky for a girl. She loved to run but was always getting into trouble for running with her head down, watching her feet instead of where she was going. She had a voracious appetite for reading and said in later years that she probably read things as a very young child that she was way to young to understand. At some point in her childhood, she began to play the violin and became a quite accomplished violinist. She, and a friend who played piano, held several recitals and were asked to play as entertainment for "teas" and other events before they had even graduated from high school. It was a rare treat, though, for me to ever hear her play.It was something she just 'gave up' due to the demands of raising her own family. She also played the piano [self-taught basically] and remained active in the music programs at the churches she attended--either singing in or directing various choirs.
There were 6 of us girls: Kathryn Dorreen, Evelyn Mae, Maryan Ray, Marjorie Adeline, Carolyn Ruth, and me-Judith Eileen. I heard her refer to us many times as "The three big kids, the two littl kids, and Judy." I really was a "surprise Baby", coming 12 years after the sister next to me. She spent a lot of time in bed before I was born threatening to miscarry. A lot of that time was spent praying that I would be the BOY she was hoping for! She actually cried when I was born, but quickly decided that "God know best". She was 39 when I was born. I ALWAYS knew that she loved me.
Another one of her talents was sewing. She made most all of my clothes growing up and even into high-school. The best thing she made for me was my wedding dress. It was beautiful!
But perhaps her best "talent" was praying! She spent a good deal of time praying everyday: for her family, for her friends, for her church, and for her country's leaders. She was blessed with the ability to truly listen when people went to her with their prayer requests. She also spent a lot of time reading her Bible and praying for God's wisdom. She always thought that there was something more she could learn about God and His desire for her life.
The last few years of her life she was basically confined to a wheel chair, because of severe arthritis in her feet and legs. But her mind remained active until just before the end. She loved board games, and Dominoes; a good joke, and a quick response.
She went to Heaven on April 15, 2002. I just wanted to remember her in a special way this Mother's Day.
God bless! A Happy Mother's Day to each Mother!