Tag Archives: Grandmother

General Posts

Family Myth and Blurred Lines

FAMILY MYTH AND BLURRED LINES

I’m constantly surprised in my research, finding new stories of family from ages past.  My paternal grandmother Marjorie Huston Dexter told many stories that were more myth and fantasy than fact. None have truly been debunked, but some have crossed and blurred lines. Her tales are legend in our family – and perhaps that’s all there is.
But I’ll let you be the judge.
Her first story is about an alleged ancestor she said was named Sam Huston. So far, I haven’t ID’d anyone on her tree named Sam. But, I digress.
This Sam Huston was alleged to be a real hero, she said. She told me that during a massive flood, there were many people stranded on and in homes and yelling for help.  Sam immediately jumped on his horse, and crossed the river. He gathered those poor, soggy, trapped folk, and began bringing them back across the river, one at a time.
He got to the last person, and into the water he pushed his horse once again. One more trip. The horse and victim and Sam all went into the river. The horse misstepped, and all went under.
The horse came out.
The victim came out.
Sam drowned.
Well, I have yet to locate this heroic Sam Huston (no relation to the Confederate). But here is where the water hits the wall.

A Family Coincidence?

WH Keesee, driver, drowns after hack goes into river
WH Keesee drowns in Dan River, Feb1893 (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
In my mother’s paternal family are ancestors named Keesee. One such industrious young man, W.H. Keesee, was a “hack”, essentially a horse and buggy taxi from back in the day.
Young W.H. met and was hired by Tom Washington, a drummer, who wanted to see the countryside. Washington was having a great time and encouraged his driver to keep going.
As darkness fell, it became more difficult to see. The Dan River was now swollen from rains and the bridge – unknown to  WH was out.
The hack, in the dark, went into the river.
The horses kicked free of their traces and made it safely up the bank.
Washington suffered himself to get free from the cab, climbed on top and was eventually rescued.
W.H. Keesee’s body was not discovered.  At least, as of the date of the last article on the story.
Another time, perhaps, I’ll tell you Gramma’s story about the priest and the beauty…
Connie Dexter Spicer
May 11, 2023
General Posts, Our Researchers, Terence Whitestone

MEMORIES OF MY MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER MATILDA

Matilda Thorne Dexter
Matilda Thorne Dexter, born 1893

Memories of my maternal grandparents wouldn’t be complete without grandmother Matilda Thorne.

MY GRANDMOTHER – MATILDA DEXTER (nee Thorne)      (1883-1952)

Matilda Thorne, my grandmother, was born 8th October 1883 in Sparkford in the county of Somerset, England.

At the age of 8,  she lived in Sparkford  in 1891. Matilda was just nine years of age at the time of Edward VII`s Coronation a year later.

Residing in Somerset (Sutton Montis) in 1901 aged 18, records show Matilda was a servant to the ‘Head of the House).

Matilda married Ernest Walter Dexter on the 14th Jan 1911 aged 27.  On the following 2nd April 1911, the couple resided in Egham just prior to their daughter and only child Grace Edith (my mother), birth on the 4th April 1911.

 

Matilda lived in Egham at the time the Women’s Suffrage movement turned militant.

 

In  1939 records show them living at 52, Claremont Road, Egham.

She died at the age of 68 on the 8th August 1952 at  number 52, Claremont Road. Unfortunately I have only a limited recollection of her, as she passed away when I was just 9 years of age.

Terence Whitestone