Friday, August 6, 2010

Wheat, Pretty Rough Talkers

(I read this on CNBC yesterday-
"On Tuesday investors were attempting to gauge the future of food prices, after Russia said it would temporarily halt grain exports.

Russia's worst drought on record has devastated crops in parts of the country and sent international grain prices soaring as markets have speculated on restricted supply from one of the world's leading exporters.....

On the news wheat markets immediately jumped to nearly two year highs."


http://www.cnbc.com/id/38577000

Just what we need, a shortage of wheat.)


A few days ago I related the story of my mother's grandfather, William Kyle Shupe. He and his wife, Mattie, both joined the Church as young people and then met each other and got married. Their daughter Norma was my grandmother. They raised their eight children in the gospel.

On my mother's paternal side of the family, it was a different story. Stories about the Clarksons sound like the wild wild West.

My mother's father was named Joseph Edward Clarkson. Joe's family came in a covered wagon from Kansas to the little community of Carson, New Mexico.

He went to a dance at the school house. Joe was quite reserved as always and didn't mix. He saw Norma and kept asking everyone "Who is the pretty girl?" and everyone said "Oh, that's my sister." (Norma's five brothers were at the dance.) No one introduced her to Joe.

Norma Shupe Clarkson wrote: "When I met Joe the first time, my little sister Fay said, 'Norma, come see there is the prettyest guy out here but he sure can cuss.' "

Elizabeth Ellen Ryan Clarkson was Joe's mother. She was a very strong willed woman. One day her husband Ira came in all dressed up and said "Ma, I'm leaving again with my race horses and I won't be back for six months or so." She grabbed the double barreled shot gun and said, "Don't you darken that door or I'll shoot." She really meant it and luckily he decided not to go.

Here's a story about Ira Alonzo Clarkson, Joe's father. The family were pretty rough talkers. One time Ira met his oldest son, Joe, after a long absence. Tears filled Ira's eyes, and he was so glad to see his son that all he could say to show his love was, "There sets that son of a bitch."


Ira Alonzo Clarkson and Elizabeth Ellen Ryan Clarkson

1 comment:

  1. Aw, why didn't you ever tell me my ancestors were so awesome? I think I'll use that greeting at family get-togethers from now on.

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