The Unknown Cousin
Mimi who is the cutest little silver headed 87 year old southern lady you will ever meet was checking out the obituraries in the local news( a morning habit) when she spied someone and she began to read aloud the particulars. Come to find out she is the sister of Pukka.
As the flood of time began to flow from her memory she gave us an ancestor lesson. Here is how it goes and please try to keep up. Her Grandmother on her fathers side had a sister who married this nice southern doctor. The nice doctor and her Uncle, the Grandmother's middle son, for whom my Prince and Puppy are named after were in practice together in the late 1800's and early 1900's. We southern like to name our children after their ancestors as a tribute and our love for them.
The nice doctor had a son who also became a doctor and we have his correspondence to Uncle from New York in the 1890.They are hard to read as they are all about the daily grind of an intern. The son of the nice doctor married this really nice southern belle from Jackson, Ms. Mimi said she was a true southern lady and was a grand cook. Each Christmas she would bring Uncle a white coconut fruit cake and if the cousins have kept the receipe they could make millions. The son and the southern belle had a son whom they named Jr. and Jr. became the proud Papa of 2 sons and 2 daughters. One of the sons is a third and the other the baby of the family and the girl who died went to high school with Prince's sister and when he read the obituary, he had gone to grade school with the living sister's husband and had his picture made with her for a costume party that was printed in the local paper in the 50's. The wife of Jr would bring all four children over when one was in need of seeing Uncle who was a children's doctor and as he took care of the sick one the others would go out in the yard and play. There were swings that they tried to touch the sky with their toes and only the trees and buildings can attest to all the fun and games they had and it is my guess Prince was right in there with them having fun.
Now the first time I met Pukka I came home and told Mimi who was on the board and she said he is a cousin. If there is any thing better than coffee, it is history for Kitty. So I begged a history lesson. You know all the holes in Nashville's history could be patched up with all the knowledge she has in her cute little head. The next time I saw Pukka I called him Cousin and his eye brows rose high and he was concerned how Kitty could possibily be a cousin. I gave him a quick short version of the tale I had been told.
Now it only goes to prove we are all just on the rope to the anchor of life and each little drop of water on the rope is a historical fact joined together by us creatures.
My Grandfather who was the first love of my life was a farmer and he raised rabbits to eat. Don"t worry Pukka I do not eat rabbits now. But the kittyjustice is that we are Cousins even though only by marriage and 3 times removed.
My heart goes out to that big Pukka as he has lost a sister, our cousin that I never knew, but I hope he cherrish all the good memories of her between those lop ears. She was only 59. My eyes grow misty for Pukka.
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