TO ALL THE MOTHERS WHO MADE MY EXISTENCE POSSIBLE

Mother -

Lila Pearl Thornton- 9 Aug 1917 -16 Mar 2002- m. Efton Defee Sloan 

Grandmothers -

Icy Belle Foust 22 Sep 1891-10 Oct 1984 -m. John Franklin Sloan

Rosa Isbell 25 Jan 1893-6 Jul 1973-m. Luther Benson Thornton

G Grandmothers -

Mary Ellen Dunaway 25 Mar 1867-5 Aug 1915-m. George E. Sloan 

Fidelity Hughes 14 Feb 1867-25 Jul 1925 m.  John Alexander Foust

Autha Emmett Pittman 19 Jul 1871-24 Jun 1930-m.  S. J. Isbell

Anna Marie Unknown Oct 1852-13 Feb 1920 m. William Patrick Thornton 

GG Grandmothers -

Missouri Ellen Allen 8 Apr 1839-30 Jan 1914 m.Mack Henry Hughes 

Nancie Jane Daniels 1851-1926 - m. Frank Dunaway 

Carolyn Hazeltine Hackney 12 Dec 1852-20 Jan 1929 -m. John Eli Pittman 

Nancy Ann McPherson 20 Feb 1825-17 Mar 1904 - m. Phillip T. Foust

Nancy Unknown abt 1836- ?? - m. Edmond W. Thornton

Serenia J. Richardson 6 Nov 1838-8 Feb 1920 - m. John B. Sloan 

Matilda Ann Wade 1827-30 Jun 1904 - m. Jeremiah Marion Isbell 

GGG Grandmothers-

Susanna Cleveland 16 Feb 1806-1 Dec 1888- m. Pendleton Isbell  III 

Frances Collins 1797-???- m. Benjamin Allen

Mary Davis 1813-???- m. John Walker Hughes 

Mary Odiel Dumay abt 1808 - ???- m. Samuel Dunaway

Mary Frances Lockett 20 Jan 1833-22 Apr 1910-m. John W. Hackney 

Nancy Mary Morrison ???-??? m. Alexander Sloan

Sarah Margaret Roberts 12 Oct 1771-16 Jun 1841 - m. Philip Foust , Jr. 

Melissa Unknown abt 1820-??? - m. George W. Richardson

Elizabeth Walker 1794-abt 1866 - m. William Stallworth Thornton 

GGGG Grandmothers -

Martha Barker abt 1805-??? - m. Georgia William Hackney

Obedient Callaway abt 1783-aft 1812 - m. Jeremiah Cleveland 

Marie Anne Capuchain ???-??? - m. Pierre Riche Dumay

Catherine Clapp 1744-??? - m.  (John) Philip Foust

Mary Davison ???-??? - m. Eli Thornton

Margaret McTeer abt 1766-aft. 12 Aug 1832- m. William Sloan 

Mary Rowan 30 Jun 1788-1 Sep 1858 - m.  Levingston Isbell 

5G Grandmothers -

Elizabeth Unknown ???-1847 - m. Samuel Rowan 

Anna Barbara Albrecht 10 Oct 1719-1 Mar 1802 - m. John Foust 

Martha Boykin ???-??? - m. Thomas Thornton

Sarah Brewer btw 1725/1755 - ??? - m. Francis Callaway

Dorothy Davenport 1769-1830 - m. Robert Boyd Hackney 

Sarah Henderson 14 Oct 1758-14 Apr 1827 - m. Pendleton Isbell 

Agnes Ann Martin 26 Apr 1740- 5 Aug 1823 - m.  Robert McTeer

Mollie McCann ???-bef 1809 - m. John Cleveland 

Anna Margaret Strader 18 Jun 1717-1 Jan 1785 - m. John Ludwig Clapp 

6G Grandmothers -

Frances Unknown btw 1710/1725-??? - m. Francis Callaway , Sr.

Hannah Unknown ???-??? - m. Henry Isbell

Margaret Anderson 1699- bef 1745 - m. James McTeer

Hannah Baker 1742-??? - m. Martin Davenport

Martha Coffee???-??? - m. John Cleveland

Anna Elizabeth Grauel abt 1693- ???- m. Johann Peter Faust

Elizabeth Patrick ???-??? - m. Burwell Brewer

Anna Margaretha Unknown abt 1678 -??? - m. Johan Jost Clapp

Elizabeth Unknown 26 Apr 1721-23 Dec 1796 - m. William Martin 

Frances Unknown abt 1730-1811 - m. Thomas Henderson 

Jane Unknown bef 1715- 11 May 1764 - m. John Sloan

7G Grandmothers -

Unknown Cox ???-??? - m. Henry Isbell

Kunigunda Mohn 7 May 1646-29 Oct 1721 - m. Johan Faust 

Elizabeth Potter ???-??? - m. Nicholas Clapp

Milly Pressley 1667-1770 - m. Alexander Cleveland 

Catherine Unknown ???-??? - m. Joseph Callaway 

8G Grandmothers-

Elizabeth Unknown ???-??? - m. James Cox

Elizabeth Fischer 1619-1653 - m. Hans Faust 

Unknown Lewis ???-??? - m. William Isbell

Anna Maria Wilhelm ???-??? m. Hans Mohn

9G Grandmother -

Elizabeth Fuchs 26 Nov 1588-??? - m. Christolph Mohn

10G Grandmother -

Ursula Deynes ???-??? - m. Anton Fuchs

And to all of the others I've not yet identified - Happy Mothers Day to you, too.

THE SHEEP THING

"You're entitled to your own opinions, but not your own facts". ~Daniel Patrick Moynihan

My husband has been saying that a lot of political rhetoric is designed for the sole purpose of appealing to those who can’t or won’t look more deeply into the issues and who will blindly follow, like sheep, those who ring the ‘follow me’ bell.  Instead of educating and helping people to understand the issues, some ‘politicians’ appeal to the lowest and basest instincts of the masses, feeding the fire of fear and hate. 

At first I thought he was being a bit too harsh to both the people and the ‘politicians’ but the more I read and watch, the more I have come around to his way of thinking.  Following the lead of a provocative statement made by a ‘politician’ is an easy way to make a statement, make a stand, have a voice - even if it isn’t your own. 

I was going to provide several examples to illustrate my point but, you know, I just don’t think it is necessary.  All one has to do is to read through any news headlines in a given week and you’ll find plenty of evidence.  Or, better yet, take a look at some the the “factual” political e-mails that get forwarded and forwarded for years without people ever checking the real facts of the matter.  It is scary.  Really.

There are millions of people to whom this applies, and I actually may have been one of them from time to time in the past.  But the ever growing preponderance of the ‘sheep thing’ seems to have seeds in the escalating use of the internet and social media.  It has become far too easy to “share”, “retweet”, “forward” these ‘facts’ to others with just a click of the button and off the story goes to family, friends, acquaintances, strangers in a silent whoosh.  Food for more of us sheep; that is, unless the ‘black sheep’ takes some time to find out the truth of the matter before sending it on its merry way to others.

I’ve actually angered friends and family by pointing out the inaccuracies in some of these ‘factual’ matters.  My husband says I should just ignore them and go about my business letting my loved ones alone with their illusions and believing things that are blatantly untrue or purposely misrepresented.  Let them just 'whoosh' this information to others so that they, in turn, can 'whoosh' it on its way to others while I silently send the missive to the trash can.  Maybe so.  It certainly would return my social world to a calmer and less distressing venue if I just followed along without saying a word; becoming a quiet gray sheep.

Somehow, though, it seems to me that if I love these people, care about them, I should somehow give them the information they don’t have and let them make decisions themselves.  I don’t want to insult them or embarrass them, that isn’t my intention.I don’t want them to think the way I think, that is silly because I often haven’t made up my own mind about what I actually believe - I’m still mulling it over and would love to discuss it on a rational level.  But I do love and care about them enough to want them to think about what they are saying and doing before they do it so that they aren’t placated into thinking that being a ‘sheep’ makes them accepted and loved.

I love them and care about them and trust them enough to share my thoughts, beliefs and opinions with them.  It just seems that this isn’t they way they see it.  It appears that what they see is someone trying to one-up them, hurt their feelings and to make them feel “inferior”.  So, it comes down to my wanting to feel accepted and loved and maybe I can only do that by becoming that gray sheep instead of the black one. 

Can sheep cry?