Mary E. Trimble

Cynthia Leal Massey has written an intriguing, scholarly work, What Lies Beneath: Texas Pioneer Cemeteries and Graveyards.

The introduction alone is fascinating. Massey, a born and raised Texan, traveled thousands of miles to visit more than a hundred Texas cemeteries, graveyards and burial grounds. She recalls many peaceful visits to Texas cemeteries as well as some harrowing experiences. Massey’s extensive research is impressive as she tells the story of the founding of Texas through those buried in pioneer cemeteries— some stately, some abandoned—from the early days through the nineteenth century.

The large volume is enriched with many pictures reproduced from archives as well as pictures of grave sites as seen today. Throughout the book are text boxes with captivating subjects, gems such as the devastating effects of yellow fever, the difference between cemeteries and graveyards, and the history of the Texas Rangers, to name only a few. These pictures and text boxes further convey the cultural history of Texas from the period before and during its years as a Republic (1836 – 1845) and after it became the 28th state in 1845. The guide also provides descriptions of headstone features and symbols traditionally used by early Texans.

The book is organized using Texas Heritage Trail Regions, then cities, towns, unincorporated communities and forts. As the many graves are visited, the reader is taken back in time while learning about individual attitudes and challenges, and how those people helped shape what is Texas today.

What Lies Beneath: Texas Pioneer Cemeteries and Graveyards is an ambitious, well-written account of Texas history. Massey’s background in journalism and love of history shine through the pages of this valuable resource of early Texas families and their communities.

Book Review: This House of Sky

Posted on August 2, 2021 by Mary

While camping in Montana, my husband and I happened to stop in the town of Seeley Lake at a small general store with a big book selection. I couldn’t resist This House of Sky: Landscapes of a Western Mind by Montana native Ivan Doig (1939 – 2015). Reading this excellent memoir was the perfect book, both for enjoying the story itself and for being surrounded by the rugged Montana landscape which Doig so aptly describes.

Ivan’s mother died of her life-long struggle with asthma, leaving his father to care for his six-year-old son while working in various jobs as a top hand on cattle ranches, or herding sheep in hilly, harsh country. After a while Ivan’s maternal grandmother came to live with them and help take care of the little boy. Although the two–father and grandmother–were often at odds, together they pooled their resources to eke out a living. They often lived in cramped, rough housing under difficult circumstances including harsh weather and grueling terrain, all while trying to tolerate one another. They did it for Ivan, to make a home for him.

I love Doig’s droll humor. His admiration for his father and grandmother shines through as they struggle for survival. Even through the tough times and sometimes harsh words, their sense of family is evident. The author’s lyrical language as he describes their hard-scrabble life kept me enthralled. I’ve read other works by this fine author and he continues to be a writer I hold in high esteem.

Caught Up in an African Coup

Posted on July 26, 2021 by Mary

The anniversary of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer’s wedding forty years ago, July 29, 1981, conjures up memories of splendor for many people, but for Bruce and me it brings back scary memories.

While serving with the Peace Corps in the tiny West African country of The Gambia, we happened to be in the capital city of Banjul, 250 long miles from our “home” village in Mansajang. We had been called to the country’s Peace Corps headquarters for our exit physicals, since we were nearing the end of our two-year tour of duty and were scheduled to leave in September.

We had taken care of our business and were ready to return to Mansajang. We were traveling light since we’d only planned to be in Banjul two or three days. Much to our consternation, we couldn’t get out of Banjul—the entire city was locked down. Main intersections were blocked with tanks and military personnel carriers. Turning on the radio, we were chilled to hear frantic announcements that a military coup had effectively closed down the capitol city, the airport, and much of the country.

While the president of The Gambia, Sir Dawda Jawara, was in England to attend the royal wedding, rebels took advantage of his absence to stage a coup.

After some scurrying around, we ended up at the U.S. Ambassador’s residence. Though nice it wasn’t the grand residence usually associated with a high-ranking officer’s home. At 4,000 square feet, the concrete house wasn’t particularly large—certainly not for the 118 people seeking refuge: Americans, Germans, Swedes, Canadians, Indians, and a few tourists.

Bruce’s skills as a licensed radio operator proved to be a valuable asset. He manned both short-range and a medium-range radios, allowing communication between embassies and to the State Department in the United States.

It was a harrowing eight days of mortars thundering close-by, making the house shudder, flurries of rapid gunfire, yelling, screaming. We ran dangerously short of food, couldn’t take showers because of a diminishing water supply, the electricity was spotty, and nerves were frayed with the crowded conditions. Later we learned that more than 500 people were killed in the fray.

Amazingly, it was British Special Air Service that came to the rescue. A helicopter landed on the beach near the Ambassador’s residence and two SAS (Special Air Service) men, dressed in civilian clothes and armed with MP5s and Browning 9mm pistols, plus hand grenades, called on us, used the radio, and warned us that there soon would be heavy combat noise and to stay inside, assuring us the coup would soon end. The two men had flown in with Senegalese Forces, some of whom surrounded the residence for our protection. Within a very short time, the coup was over.

The Peace Corps people were flown to Senegal for two weeks while the country settled down. We were then free to go back to our villages. I couldn’t wait to tell my Gambian friends where we had been. But they already knew—they’d heard all about it on the drums. The talking drums, now there’s a mystery. But that’s another story.

Note: Read more about this and other stories in my memoir, TUBOB: Two Years in West Africa with the Peace Corps.

Climbing High: The St. Joe River Scenic Byway

Posted on July 19, 2021 by Mary

One of the highlights of our recent camping trip was journeying along one of Idaho’s finest scenic drives, the 89-mile St. Joe River Scenic Byway. Climbs, dips and sweeping turns produce one amazing view after another. Alternately called Forest Highway 50 and St. Joe River Road, the drive climbs from St. Maries, Idaho to Gold Pass at the Montana border. You see it all on this drive: forested mountains, towering trees, rapids, water falls, pristine streams, wildlife, and, in June wildflowers grace the hillsides.

On a side trip to Moon Pass, above Avery, the road partially follows the old Milwaukee Road rail line and one of the thrills we experienced was driving through seven decommissioned train tunnels. Blasted through solid rock, the tunnels are one lane. In some instances, the tunnels curve and we had the added thrill of hoping no one was coming from the opposite direction.

We stopped at one point to take a picture of a charming waterfall just outside a tunnel. The day was hot and the fine spray from the cascading water was a welcome relief.

Whether you’re just driving through, hiking, biking, river rafting, kayaking, or staying at one of several peaceful campgrounds, the St. Joe River Scenic Byway is a spectacular destination. The road closes for the winter, so check travel conditions before taking in this drive. We traveled it mid-June, which was perfect.

Book Review: Libbie

Posted on July 12, 2021 by Mary

Libbie: A Novel by Judy Alter, is an insightful, fascinating re-creation of the life of Elizabeth Bacon Custer, wife of legendary George Armstrong Custer. The author brings life to the page with vivid descriptions of the story’s characters and their surroundings. Although a work of fiction, it closely follows documented history, letters and other writings.

Libbie, an only child, came from a family of wealth. Her father, a judge, took a dim view of “that Custer boy.” George came from a large, boisterous farming family. The two of them couldn’t have had more different backgrounds, yet they were drawn to one another. As a boy, George declared that one day Libbie would be a general’s wife.

When Custer graduated from West Point, he sought Libbie’s hand in marriage. Even Libbie’s father admitted admiration for Custer’s Civil War military achievement. At age 23, Custer was the youngest brigadier general in the U. S. Army. And Custer was right—Libbie did marry a general. The “boy general” was astute in military matters, but vain and impulsive in his personal life. Nevertheless, when together their life was passionate, their love unwavering.

Libbie became a camp follower. Although she was the General’s wife, she endured hardships with inclement weather, isolation, and difficult traveling conditions. Still, she loved Army life and made her own contribution toward the comfort of others.

When the Civil War ended, Custer continued his military career as an Indian fighter, again winning honors. They traveled to various military forts, but it was in 1867 at Fort Lincoln, Dakota Territory, that Libbie waited for her beloved husband of twelve years while he fought the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Book Review: Reach for the Sky

Posted on July 5, 2021 by Mary

Reach for the Sky, a fast-paced novel by James Scott, covers a fascinating period of our nation’s history from 1929 to just beyond 1942.

When Shannon Donnelly, fifteen, buries her parents she’s not only left an orphan, she’s on the run from the McClarys, the result of a long-standing feud between the two families. Shannon finds refuge with a young pilot, Drew Patterson. While at his hanger, she is introduced to the world of flight which sets the tone for the rest of her life.

After some rough experiences, Shannon is taken in by the loving Pearson family. She thrives on their care and security, but never forgets her early exposure and fascination of airplanes. While still in her teens she qualifies for a student pilot license.

In the meantime, the country is in the midst of the raging Great Depression. Times are tough, but undeterred, Shannon continues to pursue her dream of flying and acquires her unrestricted pilot’s license. Together with a friend, they embark on an air-delivery service. Along the way, two men vie for Shannon’s love. She’s torn by her affection for them, but still it’s the freedom of flying that is foremost in her life.

World War II offers additional flying challenges when Shannon is accepted into the U.S. Army Air Force Ferrying Command, which also brings extreme danger involving a daring rescue mission.

Reach for the Sky is a well-developed story filled with fascinating aviation history. Women pilots were essential in the war effort, but they often suffered resentment from male pilots, at times in the form of vandalism and sabotage. Scott’s characters bring life to the page and his knowledge of aviation is impressive. At the end of the novel, the “Author’s Notes” adds additional information about the history of women aviators and the vital role they played in World War II.

Book Review: Animal Dreams

Posted on June 28, 2021 by Mary

Animal Dreams: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver, reaffirms my high regard for this acclaimed author. The contemporary story takes place in America’s Southwest.

Codi Noline returns to her childhood home in Grace, Arizona when she learns her father, the small town’s only physician, is dying of a brain disease. When Codi was three years old, her mother died giving birth to her sister, Hallie. Growing up, the two girls were inseparable, but they had a difficult, distant relationship with their father.

Codi can’t bear the thought of living in her father’s house, but is invited to use the guesthouse of a high school friend who is married with five children.

Codi’s sister Hallie, who has a degree in integrated pest management, leaves for Nicaragua to share her knowledge of growing crops. Codi receives periodic letters from Hallie telling of her experiences and fears while in Central America. Codi considers Hallie “a cross between Johnny Appleseed and a freedom fighter.”

Although Codi considers herself a medical school drop-out, a well-trained bag lady, she is highly educated and is temporarily hired by the school district to teach high school biology. The Grace area has had deteriorating agriculture due to local mining operations. Codi takes her students on a field trip to test the soil and water. Together they confirm recent studies claiming the soil is so damaged it has the approximate pH of battery acid.

While at a social gathering, Codi sees an old high school boyfriend, handsome Apache Loyd Peregrina, whose gentle humor and wise perception fill an emptiness Codi has carried for years. Together, they visit places of his youth and she learns of the Southwest’s rich history.

Animal Dreams is a passionate, complex novel of love, forgiveness and one woman’s struggle to learn what “home” means. It’s full of warmth and wisdom, especially from Loyd: “It’s one thing to carry your life wherever you go. Another thing to always go looking for it somewhere else.”

Book Review: Elizabeth & Margaret: The Intimate World of the Windsor Sisters

Posted on June 7, 2021 by Mary

Elizabeth & Margaret: The Intimate World of the Windsor Sisters, a collective biography that covers more than 75 years, opened my eyes to many English traditions and customs, especially relating to royalty.

Elizabeth, born in 1926 was four years older than her sister, Margaret. As a young child, Elizabeth was very aware she was in line of succession to the throne. In 1936, when her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated to marry a divorced woman, her father became king. Now Elizabeth, at the age of ten, was heir presumptive to the throne.

King George VI was a reluctant king, had a well-known stammer and other disabilities, but out of duty accepted the position thrust upon him. He was a loving father, happiest when with his family. Their mother was fiercely protective of her husband and children, always striving to keep a happy home.

Elizabeth and Margaret’s childhood alternated between great attention and great isolation. Their education was conducted at home, usually at Buckingham Palace, a structure of 775 rooms with a staff of more than 700. Their lives were strictly protected and governed by royal tradition. The two girls rarely played with other children, but the sisters were very close. Elizabeth was a serious child, acutely aware that one day she would be Queen of the United Kingdom. Margaret was affectionate, pretty, playful and had the ability to play off one parent against the other.

When King George VI died in 1952, Elizabeth became Queen at the age of 26. However, by then she was a married woman and the mother of two children.

This biography of the two sisters shows their closeness and fierce protection of one another. Elizabeth was sedate, methodical, and always strove to conduct herself as befitting a queen. She loved horses and dogs and had high regard for the people who cared for them.

On the other hand, as an adult Margaret was a party-goer, flamboyant, and often an embarrassment to her sister. She had affairs with married men and had an unhappy marriage. However, the two sisters remained loyal to one another, talking on the phone nearly every day.

Elizabeth’s husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, plays an important role in this collective biography, but the book mostly concentrates on Elizabeth and Margaret and their relationship to one another.

I very much enjoyed Elizabeth & Margaret. It gave me a clearer understanding of British royalty, and an awareness of the courage it takes to live up to the expectations of their preeminent positions.

Book Review: Harry’s Trees

Posted on May 31, 2021 by Mary

Harry’s Trees by Jon Cohen is an inspirational, sad, and sometimes funny novel about shattered lives, unbearable grief, and redemption.

Harry Crane, grief stricken over the sudden death of his wife, harbors guilt. If only he hadn’t left her for just that moment to buy a stupid lottery ticket. But he did, and now she’s been killed by a wayward wrecking crane and he’s riddled with guilt. He leaves his office job with the U.S. Forest Service and heads for the only place he can find solace—a forest in the Endless Mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Harry is at home with trees. His grief is so overwhelming that he can’t imagine life without his beloved Beth.

While in the forest, he meets Amanda Jeffers, an ER nurse, and her ten-year-old daughter, Oriana. They’re both grieving for Dean, their bigger-than-life husband and father who, without warning, died suddenly a year before. Harry can’t bear to go home. Amanda and Oriana offer him the use of a magnificent tree house that Dean built, just a half-mile from their home.

Wolf, Harry’s older, over-bearing brother, can see that profit can be made from Harry’s tragedy. Wolf instigates a law suit against the wrecking-crane company that killed his sister-in-law, thinking of course that he’s entitled to his share of what promises to be a large settlement.

Oriana, wise and mature beyond her years, learned the ways of the forest from her outdoorsman father. She and Harry can talk trees for hours, call them by their Latin name, know their seasons, their growing patterns, their friends, their enemies. Oriana is an avid reader and, still a child after all, fantasizes that her father will return.

Harry’s Trees touched my heart. The down-to-earth characters, even the ill-intentioned scoundrels, are well crafted. The author knows his trees, and his descriptions bring nature’s life to the page. I highly recommend this engaging story of unbearable loss, the strength of the human spirit, and the comfort found in nature.

Book Review: After Alice Fell

Posted on May 24, 2021 by Mary

Kim Taylor Blakemore’s After Alice Fell, a well-written, haunting Gothic mystery, kept me enthralled throughout its twists and turns.

The story takes place in New Hampshire, 1865. Marion Abbott, a widow and narrator of the story, and her brother, Lionel Snow, are summoned to Brawders House, an asylum, to collect their sister Alice’s body. According to the investigation, Alice was found dead after falling four stories from a steep-pitched roof. The asylum claims the incident was an accident, but unofficially assumes it was suicide.

When Marion and Lionel collect the body, they both share feelings of guilt that they committed their younger sister to the asylum. Alice was always a different child–full of fantasies. She ceased to speak after the age of fourteen, but would draw and write in detailed journals. Marion loved her sister, but to Lionel and his wife, she was an embarrassment. Finally, an incident occurred that prompted them to admit Alice to the asylum.

While preparing the body for burial, Marion is shocked by Alice’s condition, her emaciated body, the bruises and marks made by restraints. She strongly suspects the cause of death was murder.

As the story progresses, new mysteries of the family’s history surface. Why does Lionel try to silence Marion’s notion that their sister was murdered?

After Alice Fell is a harrowing mystery, its setting rife with intrigue. Blakemore does a good job of showing us life in the mid-1800s, and of the appalling lack of choices a middle-aged widow suffered. The author puts the reader into the characters’ large, dark house, showing detailed inconveniences of the period, such as women’s clothing, and revealing how much the “privileged” had to rely on others for appearances, such as having household help even when they couldn’t afford to do so.