Month: June 2021

I left Henderson about 8:30 with no specific goal for the day of driving. I hopped back on I-515 through Vegas, then went north on I-15 to where US-93 and I-15 separate. I drove US-93 north to where it turns east, then switched to US-318 and US-6 to reconnect to US-93 at Ely. I took US-93 north to Twin Falls, Idaho, where it connects with I-84. I still had gas in the tank, so I pressed on to Mountain Home, Idaho, exiting where there were several places to stay right off the freeway. The first place I tried,the Best Western, was booked, but the Fairfield next door was not, so I stayed there, unloaded, then went to the restaurant in between the two hotels.

When I woke up the next morning it was pouring down rain. The rain persisted through most of Idaho, but by the time I hit Oregon, it has stopped. The rest of the way was boring but uneventful. I rolled into Kennewick about one o’clock to find that Beth had cleared my garage spot. So I pulled into it and was greeted by a four-legged critter at the door, and a two-legged daughter with a hug. It is good to be home.

I left the Denver area about 8:30 Sunday morning, back onto 470 west, then north to I-70. Drove I-70 to Richfield, Utah, where I had booked a stay in a Fairfield Inn (I was a bit wary about not booking reservations after my experience going to Denver from McPherson). The next morning I got a fairly early start and drove into Las Vegas about two in the afternoon. The trip down to Henderson took longer than I expected and I got lost a couple of times trying to find their place, but eventually pulled into the driveway of Mike and Patty Clauretie. Mike and I were graduate students together and on his first job after graduate school, at Shephardstown, West Virginia, we were able to visit when the three of us, Jane, Beth and me, were living in Arlington, Virginia. Mike and I would often meet at the annual economist convention and we both could tell tales about that, but at another time. We have stayed in touch and have visited over the years when they lived in Las Vegas, before the move to Henderson. Patty was returning the next day, so I had arranged to visit for two nights so I could visit with Patty after her return.

Mike and I spent the remainder of the day catching up, including interesting stories about each of his boys: Kevin, the entrepreneur, and Sean, the artist. After a couple of hours of chatting and (me, Mike no longer drinks) drinking beer, we took his Tesla to a local, and nice, Italian Restaurant where we had antipasto and veal parmigiano sitting on the deck outdoors with a splendid view of the LA strip. After dinner we returned to their home and chatted further and watched a game on the boob tube until my time to head off to bed.

I got up early the next morning and fixed myself a cup of coffee and took it outside to watch the wildlife (lizards and humming birds) while I had a cup or two of coffee. Their back yard is small, but nicely arranged with artificial turf, a few trees and other plants along the wall that surrounds the property. A very pleasant way to start the day. After breakfast, Mike came out and joined me. About 11:30 Patty rolled in from a trip to the Mayo Clinic to check on a heart issue which turned out not to be an issue.

Patty and I have a common interest: genealogy. For Patty, it was finding out about her birth parents (she was adopted and raised by a family across the Sound from Tacoma, Washington). Long story short, she found three siblings, a half brother in Portland, and two other half-siblings, brother and sister, in New York. Despite some initial reluctance, they all visited and learned about each other. And, of course, I had to tell her about Vilma and other findings on this trip. Afterwords, Patty and I made a run to the store to pick up steaks, potatoes and salad makings for dinner. Their youngest, Kevin, might be able to come to dinner, so we fixed enough for all. He did show up about seven and we had a really nice time talking about his encounters with the police and other events. Kevin should have been a lawyer.

The next morning I packed up and loaded up the car, then said my farewells. I am really looking forward to seeing them again before the year is over. It’s always nice to spend time with old friends.

I left Kansas fairly early and drove I-70 into Denver, to I-25 south, then to the new home of Tony and Kathy Burris, old friends that I have know since when Tony and I worked for ERS back in the 70’s. Partly because of the time change and partly because I left early, I got there before noon, Denver time. They live in a CCRC (Continuing Care Retirement Community) that they both refer to as a Geezer Farm. You pay up-front money for the apartment you want, then pay a monthly service fee (inflation adjusted; a third of which goes to medical expenses) and for this you get living accommodations, parking space, a meal each day of your choosing, valet service, etc. And like any such arrangement, you are expected to participate by taking classes, going on outings, and serving on committees. The “continuing” part means that when you get to the point you need nursing or other services, these are provided. I am getting more information from Tony about this, so assume I know, currently, only a small fraction of how this works.

While we sat around the table catching up, we talked about books we were were reading, the goings-on at the Geezer Farm and current interests. Tony and Kathy are on a quest to visit every one of the National Parks in the lower contiguous United States, and are planning a visit from Washington, D. C. up through the Northeast to all the parks except those in New York City. I shared what has been going on during this trip and my interest in genealogy. After Tony fixed us a lunch of smoothies (very good, very health-conscious, low in calories, and delicious — I’ve got to learn how to do this) we tracked down a hotel for me to stay in and started planning for dinner. Some of the geezer tales were quite funny: THE Doris, a resident so referred to, complains about everything, tried to get things rescheduled to suit her preference, and got into an altercation when someone had the audacity to sit in HER chair at the yoga class. Doris shoved the interloper, who in tern smacked her. This confrontation was adjudicated with the outcome that the interloper was guilty of “elder abuse” and was required to write an apology for her actions. This person happened to be legally trained, so she wrote a two-page apology that, in essence said, “I am sorry that you are such a bitch!”

As I left to check into my hotel, Kathy walked me out and confided that the ratio of single female geezers to single male geezers was about three or four to one. When a new single male shows up, it is like a flock of chickens all descending on the hapless one. It made me wonder whether experiencing that would be something to look forward to of be scared to death of.

We met about 6:40 for a restaurant that was really good. I’m not sure about the name, but it was something like, Series 52. We had reservations at seven for outdoor seating and were promptly seated and served. While working on our before dinner drinks and hummus appetizers, a violent windstorm nearly blew the umbrellas over, so we moved inside. Geezer and other stories kept us in stitches until well after desert. What a great time. I am really looking forward to seeing both Tony and Kathy later this year.

After dinner I retired to my hotel room to read for a while before going to bed. Got up early (didn’t sleep really well), ate breakfast and hit the road for Henderson, NV, which is a bit too much to try to do in one day on limited sleep. I made it to Richfield, UT, found the hotel I had booked, and was delighted to see an incredible collection of old cars in the parking lot. Lots of old Rolls Royces. Will figure out what is going on and will report tomorrow. After breakfast I head for Henderson to see Mike and Patty Clauretie, friends from graduate school. Mike and I have been texting; I plan to get there at 2:30 his time (I go into another time zone from here). Coming west, it is nice to pick up hours that you lost going east.

I left Warrensburg a few minutes before 8 in the morning. I took US-50 toward Kansas City to where it connected with I-470, which became I-435, the circumferential highway around Kansas City. That took me up to I-70 headed west. I drove west through Topeka to Salina, then hopped on I-135 south to McPherson. I arrived before noon and went straight to the library on Martin Street just a block north of the main drag, which is US-56. I parked and walked into the library with a copy of the Christian Book and talked to the librarian at the front desk. I explained why I came and gave her the book. She turned to another librarian and asked for me to wait while they got the experts in genealogy to come talk to me. Two of them arrived, one of which was the one that we were in contact with that provided much of the information about the Geiman family in Kansas. I relayed the information I reported on in Velma Found, an earlier blog, to their amusement. Having discharged another book delivery duty, I went looking for lunch. At the librarian’s suggestion, I went to the local Italian Restaurant, and had a nice salad and spinach ravioli. Quite good, I might add.

After lunch, rather than find a hotel, I decided to keep heading west until I felt like stopping for the night. I took US-56 west to Great Bend, then US-281 north to I-70. I was running low on gas by then, but thought I could make it to Hays, just a bit over 400 miles on the tank I filled in Warrensburg. Theoretically, I could go nearly 480 miles on a tank of gas when getting over 35 mpg (and that’s what I am getting on this trip), but when the gas gauge lights get down to 2 bars, which usually kicks in at a bit over 300 miles, I start looking for a gas station. In this case, at just over 400 miles, it dropped to one bar; the first time I have let it get that low. While in Hays, I tried to get a room, but every place I tried, in Hays and further west to WaKeeney, was booked up. One of the hotel attendants in Hays said that there are just a lot more folks on the road now that at any time since the onset of the pandemic.

But I found a place at Quinter, a bit closer to Denver, so less time driving tomorrow. With delivery of the Christian Book to the McPherson Library, I have a wrap on the genealogy part of this trip. A visit to friends in Denver; a visit to friends in Henderson, NV; and then I head home.

Last night when I got into my hotel room, I called and ordered flowers to put on the graves of my parents, and my two aunts and uncles that are buried next to my parents: Bill and Mary Swisher and George and Lottie Roop. After breakfast, I went downtown to the flower shop and picked them up, then drove to the Roop Cemetery south of town about a mile and a half. I placed flowers at the three grave sites, then got out my other camera and took photos of headstones of many of the Roop folks buried there to post on Find-A-Grave when I get back home. My dad’s Uncle Vernon, his Grandfather and other relatives are buried there, in what use to be the Brethren Church Cemetery, land for which my great-grandfather gifted to the church. Now it is called the Roop Cemetery.

Before I left the hotel I called the CMU Foundation office and set up an appointment with Pat Smithson, the director of development under which my scholarship under my Dad’s name falls. I had set up that meeting for 11:00 and when I finished at the cemetery it was only about 10:15, so I stopped at the new Kirkpatrick Library and asked if I could talk to someone about leaving my genealogy stuff with them when I croak. The woman I talked to directed me to the museum curator, Amber Clifford-Napoleone, whom I approached after entering the museum. I asked these two questions: would they be interested in having copies of my books; and would they be interested in having my research files and data base that I had built over the course of my work. Her answer was a emphatic yes, on both counts, so I went to my car and got two books and deposited them with her. It is a comfort to know that I can deposit all of the stuff I have accumulated and it won’t be lost or thrown away.

From there I drove the short distance to the Foundation for my meeting with Pat. I talked with her for a while, verifying all the information that she needed, and arranged to meet with Jose Mercado, the Dean of the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies, under which the department of economics resides. By the time I finished up both of these conversations, it was past 1:00 so I was overdue for lunch. I drove downtown to Heros, a local lunch spot and pub, and had a very nice ravioli salad and a beer for lunch. As I was finishing up, I got a call from the receptionist at the Foundation telling me that the President of the University, Roger Best, was free that afternoon and would like to meet with me at 3:00 at the Foundation.

Before that, however, I had plans to drop off a copy of the Christian Roop book at the historical society, so drove around until I found Main street (which is about four blocks west of Holdren Street, which is really the current main street) and parked at the old court house. The Historical Society of Johnson County and Museum is housed in a building next door and the sign on the door said that they were open on Thursday afternoon from 1:00 to 4:00, but the door was locked. There were numbers to call, so I called Lisa, who left he job briefly and come over and opened up the museum. I delivered the book on Christian Roop and thanked her for taking the time to open things up so I could drop off the book.

Then, while waiting for my meeting with Roger, I drove around the Pertle Springs area, noticed that fraternities and sororities were again in houses standing alone (the University for a while had collective houses where frats and sororities were all housed in one building). Pertle Springs was once the site of one of William Jennings Bryant’s famous campaign speeches, which now houses the UCM golf course. A bunch of us use to go skating on the ice when the pond froze in the winter when I was going to school there.

By this time it was close to 3:00, so I drove back to the Foundation for my meeting with Roger. I first met Roger when he came out to Washington in 2011 representing the foundation; we met again during my 50th reunion when Jane and I came in 2013; again when I was back here in 2016, all before he became President of the University. I was flattered that he took the time to visit with me. We had a nice chat. He also use to have a Mazda Miata.

After I left, I went to Old Barney’s pub, downtown, just to reflect on how many hours I had spent there while in school. It’s much the same, though the shuffle board game is gone — too bad.

I went back to Players for dinner and plan to get up early and head off fore McPherson, Kansas in the morning.

I left Indiana about 9:30 Tuesday morning with a clear map to Oskaloosa: I-74 to Galesburg, IL, then 34 to Ottumwa, IA, then IA-63 to Oskaloosa. Easy trip. I checked into the hotel in Oskaloosa at about 2:45, called the Keo-Mar genealogy library and found that they were open till 4, so zipped down there and met the curator, Don. We had talked over the phone, so he knew what I was looking for and had loads of stuff for me to look at, including all the national and Iowa censuses since 1856, the collected list of folks buried in Keokuk cemeteries collected by the Works Progress Administration during Roosevelt’s administration, and a history of Keokuk county. I did all that before we left, agreeing to resume the search in the morning. He recommended a place to eat, but it was closed for dinner on Wednesday.

The next morning I called about 8:30 and Don was in, so I told him I would be there in about 15 minutes (the flyer says that they open at 10), so I got an early start on things. The curator supplied me with information about grave sites in Keokuk County, and I learned where many of Joseph’s descendants were buried. I will check with Find a Grave when I get home to see if any of them are on that site. I also looked for obits in the local newspaper, but I only found one for John Roop, son of Joseph who died in 1865. Still, a very successful trip; I’ve got a lot to add both in terms of descendants and information about those that stayed in Iowa after leaving Ohio. About 11:30 I wrapped things up, and headed down to Warrensburg. Took me just about 4+ hours to get there, checked into the Holiday Inn Express (which has moved to across the street (i.e., US-50) so I could no longer walk to Players, the restaurant and bar that use to be next door to the old Holiday Inn Express, which is now a Best Western.

I ordered flowers for tomorrow and went by the UCM book store to buy new T-shirts and a polo shirt. The ones I have are about ready for the dumpster. Tomorrow I will put flowers on graves in the Roop Cemetery south of town, check in with the Alumni Foundation and go by the Historical Society to drop off books.