Family History

Grandma Jackie

So today I was really getting into my family history because I had found some of the stuff in boxes that hasn’t been looked at for years. First of all props to Mom for having SO MUCH information! Seriously she is amazing in what she was able to track down. Not just the names and dates of people, but she has pictures, marriage certificates, and so many other things that make these people so real. So far it’s gone back to the 1600’s! That is so awesome. I think my hair style was inspired too because it was in a short 20’s style bob. I was going for 40’s but it didn’t work out.

While perusing some of the family articles I came upon a letter written to Mom from Grandma Jackie in 1983. Naturally I’m interested because it comes the year before I was born! I love to see what people write about people before they know them. She was talking and asking mom and dad, when her granddaughter finally arrived, Jackson and Josh were the only kids at this point, if she would put Billy-Ray in her name, or Rae. She had wanted to use it with Tina or Tonyia, but hadn’t. I was sitting there, all excited because she was talking about me J Mom and Dad named me Jessica Rae-Ann. My family knows the story of my first name and Jackson and Man From Snowy River, but it’s different to read about it! Because Rae if from my Grandpa and Ann from Grandma Jackie. SO cool, people putting in requests even before I was born.

On a different piece of paper in the letter was a poem written by Grandma Jackie. She told Mom she didn’t know why she wrote it, but felt she needed to and to send it to mom. It’s all about her first husband, my Grandpa William Daggett. It is so cool because she wrote it in 1983 and had married Grandpa November 3, 1952. He died five years later and 31 years later she wrote this down. You can hear her emotion and voice through the words. I just wanted to share this with everyone. It’s very romantic and sad and the real life stuff is even better than the made up kind. Just be glad I typed it up, cause I had to have Mom interpret some of the hand writing.

“My Bill”

Over twenty years have come and gone!

They say time heals all-- Wrong!

You are just a memory and yet

I can still see your smile,

Smell your smell and hear

Your voice.

I’ve lived around your memory

Life taught me this.

But the world has never been bright and new again.

And yet, oh how I wish I could somehow

See you again,

Feel you.

Oh Bill!

Even now, a lump comes in my throat

And I can’t help the tears streaming down my face.

We were awfully young,

But we loved each other so.

Oh Bill, why?

We had something so special.

And you know, babe, I love you still,

After all these years.

You’ll always be my white shining knight

After you, who could compare?

I tried, honestly tried with other men,

But after all, who could ever measure up to you

and they, every one of them sensed it,

So, now I’ll go on alone!

Jacquelyn