Dyke Family Home

For the past few weeks I've been talking to two of my Aunts about our family and how we are kin to some of our relatives. One of my aunts sent me a picture of the home my grandmother grew up in. They said Granny Hazel commented about how she had to help clean and polish the winding staircase and just hated it. Here is the picture of the old Dyke family home.

My sister called me this morning and told me our cousin Teresa, who didn't know I was trying to figure out a bit about our family tree...Had called her to tell her about a strange dream she had. Teresa said she was standing in front of this big two story house, then she opened the door and went in. She could hear beautiful music and she followed the music up the winding stair case and down the hall until she got to the door the music was coming from. When she opened the door, there was our mom (who passed away in 2003) playing the piano. Teresa said mom looked surprised to see her and asked her what she was doing there, to which Teresa replied, "I don't know"... Then mom said, "We have to get you out of here quick, there's a storm coming"... Then  the dream was over and Tresa was wakened by a loud clap of thunder from the thunderstorm that was going on as she slept.

Now her dream, isn't so unusual. What was though, is Teresa didn't know anything about about the Dyke family home or it having a winding staircase. She told my sister she did a quick sketch of it after her dream and she forwarded it to her... and  then my sister forwarded it to me.. Uncanny resemblance in the houses wouldn't you say?

 I may not have a picture of my big ole hairy beaver surfing around on the internet... But, there may be a few comments or stories here and there that one day my daughters or grandsons will see. All I have to say about that is.. At least they'll know who they got the attitude from.

Kin folk

Sometimes I stop at the beauty shop my sister owns and she’ll be fixing some little old ladies hair, then she’ll say, “This is Aunt Ruby”… Or…”This is Aunt Opel”… Or …”This is cousin so and so”, and I usually have no idea who they are or how we’re kin. Not too long ago, when I popped in the beauty shop.. she said, “This is Cousin Betty”, Betty and I both looked at each other and burst out laughing. I had met Betty a few months earlier because she sat with one of my clients, we had no idea we were cousins. Now another cousin and I are trying to figure out how we’re cousins, we have it narrowed down to Aunt Mable (his grandma) and Momma Hazel (my grandma), but we’re not sure how they were kin. He said, maybe they were half sisters… Notice, he said, “MAYBE”.. In he doesn’t know for sure. However, that is highly possible because I remember my mom talking about her granddad; he was either married seven times or had seven different lady friends he kept company with. The story was, when one would get mad at him and kick him out of the house he would be seen going down the road to another lady friend’s house with all his stuff packed on his horses back. I think he bounced around between them. Hummm, now I’m going to have to find somebody old who remembers .. And find out just how many kids this grandpa had.

Back in the 90’s, a little old lady from momma Hazel’s side of the family (whom I didn’t know) passed away and my dad who was preaching the funeral said there might not be a lot of family and friends there because she had outlived most of them and it would be nice if I went since I was laid off and had all that free time on my hands. So, I went. When I got inside where all the family was waiting to be seated before the funeral, I didn’t see one person I knew. I was beginning to think I was at the wrong funeral then, Bill and Laverne Jones showed up.. I’m not sure how we’re kin to them either; I don’t even know which one we’re kin to.. But, I betcha it has something to do with my great grandpa.

I"m A Fire Spotter

I Saw this on the way to one of my clients house today and called 911 and told them the levee was on fire and I didn't see anyone trying to put it out... And of course, I gave her directions... Go through the four way stop towards Ingleside and you can't miss it, she said OK and hung up..
Then my sister who was listening to the scanner called me and said, "Call them back, they can't find it."
Sooo, I called them back...

Ring....
911...."911"
Me..."It's me again"
911..."Where's the fire at"
Me... You know where the four way stop is on state street by the golf course?"
911... "EVERYBODY knows where the four way stop is", (Duh, she was starting to sound kinda snippy) ;)
Me... "Well then, at the stop sign... Go straight like you're going to Ingleside and keep on going, you can't miss it." ( I mean, how big is Ingleside? I don't think it's even on the map)
911... Is it by the road?"
Me... "NO lady, I told you... It's on the levee"
Well, they found it.. That was around two P.m.... When I was on my way home close to 6 P.M.... There were more trucks heading out that way and it was still going. :(

 My Great Great Aunt Edith... 

Edith May Dyke born May 4, 1877

             in New Canton, Illinois   Pike County

 

           Father:  Noble M. Dyke   born in 1833    Pennsylvania

                           died Jane 1903 in   Pike County, Illinois

 

            Mother:  Adellia S. Turner  born in  1844 in England

 

Aunt Edith lead an interesting life from what little I can find out through old newspaper clipping and from my Aunt Linda who visited with her often.

Edith May Dyke left town (Hannibal, MO.) at the age of 17 with

          a circus that came to town.  

     She started in show business as a singer of ballads.

   This start led to a far more exciting career a an aerial performer.

 

    While singing ballads the then Miss Edith Dyke was tutored on style

   and technique by Mr. and Mrs. Harry James, the grand-parents of

  the renowned Harry James. There were musicians into he show in which 

  Miss Dyke first started singing.

 

   At the age of 19 she became Mrs. Ansel Smith upon marrying showman

  Ansel Smith who had been appearing at the Temple Theatre on East

   Broadway in Alton.

 

   They started work immediately on an aerial act which was to later tour 

   internationally. The act started touring the United States and after covering 

   47 states toured up through British Columbia, Nova Scotia and other    

   provinces of Canada. And also did three command performance for the

   King and Queen of England.

 

   Ringling Brothers, Hagenbeck and Wallace, and Norris Roe are only three

  of many famous circuses and shows that presented their act.

 

    After touring the North America continent, their act was featured in such

   far off places as Hawaii, the Samoan Islands, Australia, New Zealand and

   Tasmania. Visiting a total of 27 countries with their high wire act.

 

       In 1917 the Smiths bought a home in East Alton at 526 Bowman Ave, 

    The Smiths lived there for three years to care for her husbands ailing

     Mother, who later fell victim to one of the flu epidemics of that time and

    passed away.

 

     In 1919 the Smiths went back to their profession and their first engagement

    was the Academy Theatre in Chicago. Nine years later after touring the

    United States and part of Canada again, they did another show at the 

    Academy Theatre. This was their last public professional theater engagement.

        

    For years the Smith's backyard was like a circus with all the neighborhood children

   being taught stunts by Mr. Smith....one of the back yard tutelage was

     Millie Weller of Jerseyville, Illinois. She was taught the high wire act and went

    on tour every summer. 

 

               Aunt Edith passed away  July of 1960

 

 

 

Friends doing Chubby Bunny

This is my daughter and her friends doing the chubby bunny challenge. One of them saw it on Youtube and they just had to do one of their own.

Can You Spare A Dollar

The other day as I was walking back to my car from the store a man who was walking by smiled and waved, since everyone in this town is pretty friendly I waved back. After getting in my car there was a peck at my window, it was this same man. I rolled down my window and he said, "Sorry to bother you but I only have 50 cents and was wondering if you could spare a dollar or two so I can get something to eat". Well, I wasn't lying when I responded with, "I'm sorry, but I just spent all my cash in the store", then he said, "No problem" and turned to walk away. Just then I had a thought, I'd bought some Vienna sausages, I can give them to him... So, I rolled down my window and hollered, "Hey, I have some Vienna sausages you can have!" Now can you believe this hungry man who was out begging for money so he could get a bite to eat turned to me and said, "No thanks"? I don't think that man was hungry at all!