The Church family (Ruby Backen)

Ruby Katherine Castle Church Backen was the daughter of Robert and Eleanor Church.

Robert was the son of Billy Church.

Billy Church married and lived in Sulpher Springs. According to my Grandmother Ruby Backen there was an open spring in a field behind the house. It was a rather dangerous area and Billy Church didn't want his wife to go back there. One day while he was away from the house chopping wood she needed to get some water so she went down to the spring without him. While she was there she fell into the spring and hit her head on a brick and drown. Robert was two months old at the time and his sister Lulie was two. The children were passed back and forth between two Aunts for a while.

Robert lived with his Uncle Jim and Aunt Sarah Blackman after his mother's death. They were well respected and fairly well off. Jim was a Circut riding preachers and Robert said that his Aunt Sarah would dress him up in a little blue suit and hat and send him off to church services with his Uncle Jim.

Billy Church remarried a woman named Pricilla who had 5 children and Robert went back to live with his father and step mother. He was often left to care for the children alone and blamed when his stepmother returned and things where in disorder. He was punished often and soundly so he ran away from home when he was eight years old.

Wilson Mitchel found him sitting on a fencepost in the woods crying. He had a bundle of clothes tied to a stick and he was distraught. Mitchel took him home and kept him until his Aunt Sarah and Uncle Jim could come for him.

He lived with them from that point on. He considered them to be his real family.

Grandmother Ruby tried to name some of the children and these are the names she mentioned.
Jim and Grace (who ran a sanitarium in Florida) and Blanche.

Robert Church had a rough start. She mentioned that he worked for a bakery in Arkansas, he was also a delivery boy and a farmhand.

She said that he was a good man and that due to his teaching he was a strong christian. He believed in doing right by his fellow man. He was not succesful financially but he was rich spiritually.

He married Eleanor Harrbisson who was the daughter of James Matthew Harrbisson. The two men became very close and Robert looked up to him as a father figure.

The Wedding band

"From Robert to Aelenor"

Words written in love on a wedding band in the early nineteen hundreds. The eternal pledging of love to another. Solid, pure and beautiful.

Words cannot express my awe, and my gratefulness to owning this bit of past.

The simple word "from" representing the love of a lifetime.

I am overwhelmed by those thoughts tonight. I will cherish my great grandmother's ring forever, and I look forward to the future when I can pledge with a ring the "from" that will mean the world to the man I love.

School

Well, for those of you who have been asking. School is going well. Finals on Mon. and Wed. so I am trying not to think about that very much. I have spent a few hours studying and no doubt this weekend will be filled with more of the same.

Lindsey and I had a fine time at the Carriage House Inn this Thurs. evening. We danced for the residents, and taught some poor helpless audience members the steps to the virginia reel and the whoop dance. I never thought that I would be teaching people to dance. I don't even know how to dance myself, it is a good thing that teachers do not actually have to be good at something to be good at teaching it.

To be continued...

I thought at first to wipe the spit from my conservative boots, but then I decided to shine my shoes. My thoughts and values tied so deeply to morals that are pure and rich; values that no amount of spit can tarnish. Values that reflect His Image, an image so spectacular that it shines even more brightly when contrasted with the hate that mocks it.

Sleepless...

I find myself sleepless this evening. I have been working on a paper to post here all evening. It isn't completed or ready for human consumption at this point but soon it will be posted. It will of course be biased, and it won't be politically correct. It will also be religious and come from a distinctly Southern point of view. If all of those things sound like concepts you haven't heard in a while come back for the juicy details. Goodnight all!

Polishing boots with free spit...and other random political expressions

I thought at first to wipe the spit from my conservative boots, but then I decided to shine my shoes. ~Sarah Backen

Sarah and Lindsey Backen

Sarah and Lindsey Backen at the Backen home in Palacious, Texas on June 1st, 2008.

Directions...

I spent this week teaching students to use a compass. It is very important that they line everything up exactly right and keep an eye on what is straight ahead. If they don't get the degrees or the steps right the first time I send them to start back at square one. God has been reminding me that He has each step mapped out for us. If we miss something we need to start back at square one and try to follow the directions again.

"I will walk about in Freedom, for I have sought out your precepts." Psalm 119:45

Fish For Congress

Jim Fish

for United States Congress. Texas congressional district 28.

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Fish at a local republican meeting here in Texas. He is a very down to earth man with a lot of good ideas and the country's best interest at heart. His platform runs along the lines of faith, family, freedom, and future. He needs our support.

Please check out his website www.Fishforcongress.com.

If anyone wants to donate to a good cause. He is your man. (and he doesn't know I am telling you this.) Go check him out. Give him your vote and tell others he is running. We need good men in Congress.

Carl Mordaunt Backen

Carl Mordaunt Backen was born on the 16th Oct. 1886 in McHenry, North Dakota in Foster County he was the son of George John Backen and Anna Marie Nagel Backen.

Carl's Father George was 24 years old when Carl was born. He was a Farmer born in Hamburg Germany. Carl's mother Anna Maria Nagle Backen was 22 year old when Carl was born she was a housewife who was born in Lyons, Iowa.

Carl married Bertha Louise (Lipscomb) Backen on the 20th of Oct. in 1913 in Palacios Texas.

Bertha and Carl had three children
(1) Dorothy Louisa Backen
Born on Dec. 15th, 1914

Died as an infant on Jan 23, 1915 (She is buried in Palacios, TX)

-Article in paper

A pretty and impressive christening service was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. M. Lipscomb Christmas day afternoon at 4 o'clock, when Dorothy, the infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Backen, was baptised and christened by Rev. Shepherd, pastor of the Presbyterian Church

-Article in Palacios Beacon in 1915 states

Death of Baby Backen

Dorthy Louisa, the infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Backen, died at the home of the mother's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lipscomb, at 12 o'clock las Saturday night, the 23d inst. at age of one month and eight days. Funeral services were held at the Lipscomb home Monday afternoon at 2 o'clock, conducted by Rev. Shepherd, pastor of the Presbyterian church, followed by interment at the city cemetery. The sorrowing families have the sympathy of a large circle of true friends in the city in their loss.

-Article in paper

Claud Backen went over to Vanderbuilt Monday morning to take charge of the lumber yard a few days for his brother, Carl, who was called over here by the death of his baby.

(2) Carl Mordaunt Jr. Backen

Born 1916 in Cameron, Texas
Died in Hawaii (He will always be remembered as the Free spirit of the bunch. Perhaps this is due to the picture he sent home from Hawaii wearing only a shirt and his swim trunks with his arms wrapped around a beautiful girl. His ashes are said to have been spread partly on the beaches of Hawaii and I remember a small urn being kept by my Grandparents which may have contained the rest of him.)

(3) Roy Keith Backen

Born June 10th 1918 in El Dorado, Oklahoma (Carl and Keith playing with the family dog!)

Married Ruby Castle Church.

(To be continued...)

Carl and Bertha Backen History

(Notes copied from a yellowed slip of paper possibly written by Bertha Backen or Ruby Backen on a slip of paper with a stamp from Mona Lisa Studio Over Ball Drug Store Mineral Wells, Texas on the back.)

Carl and Bertha Backen History
Lockhart, TX 1913-1914

Vandabuilt, TX 1914
- Dorothy Louise was born and passed away at six weeks of age.
*Her younger brother (my Grandpa) once told me that she was fed formula and not breast milk and he believes that is why she did not live longer.

Cameron, TX 1915-1916
-Carl Jr. was born

Eldorado, Ok 1917-1920
-Keith was born (1918)
-Carl's father (George) passed away in 1920

Cement, OK 1921 three months

Buffalo, Ok 1921-1922
-Carl's mother passed away

St. Paul, Minn. 1923 Early Spring

Palacios, TX 1924 Came back in Summer

*Added note I thought should be included.

Backen Family History

1. John Backen (1816) married Lucia Margaretha Junge Backen (1818)

2. George John Backen (1853) married Anna Maria Nagel Backen (1862)

3.Carl Mordaunt Backen (1885) married Bertha Lousie Lipscomb (1889)
3-Claude Julius Backen (1887)
3-Roy Earl Backen (1897)
3-Edna Irene Backen Dale (1899)

4. Dorothy Louise Backen (1914)
4. Carl M. Backen (1916)

4.Roy Keith Backen (Born: June 10, 1918) Married Ruby Catherine Castle Church (Birth: 1919)

Eldest Son: Rodney Bob Backen (1946) married Lynda Kay Williams
Had Daughter Stacey Elizabeth Backen (1976)

Second son Larry Keith Backen (1948) Died as an infant.
Buried in Palacious, TX.

Daughter Cindi Gail Backen (1955) Died as an infant.
Buried in Palacious, TX

Third Son: Terry Lynn Backen (1957) Married Sheila Bouquet Backen (1962)
Had daughter Sarah Michelle Backen (1983)
Son Ryan Kieth Backen (1985)
Daughter Lindsey Renee Backen (1986)

Insurance Test

Well folks, there is not a lot of new stuff going on in my life at the moment. My murals are on hold. I am studying for an insurance exam which I take tomorrow morning. Oh,wait the FBI will fingerprint me tomorrow for the low, low price of $50.00 bucks. Aside from that ... not much.

When it comes to buying a car...

When it comes to buying a car. -Some websites you might want to know about.

www.fueleconomy.gov
www.Hwysafety.org
www.Nhtsa.gov
www.Consumerreports.org
www.carfax4CU.com
www.KBB.com
www.Edmunds.com

God's blessings continued

On New years day this year a friend and I decided to eat pizza and watch a movie. We stopped by the pizza place and the guy said, "Happy New Year!" and gave us two free pizzas!

Merry Christmas!

God's blessing

Last year I recieved a gift certificate for Christmas which I misplaced. I gave it up for being thrown out several months ago and thought that I would never have the chance to use it.

Then, on the very last day it could be used, and with less than 1 hour from the time the store closed for the evening my Grandmother found it. She tracked me down and met me at the store with 30minutes until closing and I was able to use it.

God's timing is perfect. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you.

I started an on-line course today

I started an on-line course today.
Project 1: Introduce yourself to the class.

Greetings! I'm Sarah, I'm 23 years old and ready to see where life will take me. I started teaching art in highschool to earn extra spending money and hopped into mural painting. I've seen things explode from there but I added a day job to the mix to ensure a steady income. My goal in taking this course is to learn how to turn my hobbies into a lucrative business.

Today?

- I need to clean my turtle cage and I'm going to a softball game this evening. I don't feel all that great but I've been wishing I could go swimming. I got off work at 4:00pm today. Not early, not late. Just about right if you ask me!!!

I went swimming with Kyle Sunday night. The water was so cold it took my breathe away. We were having a lot of fun until I chickened out after a close call with a fish. I took off for shore and Kyle was a little worried that it might have been a snake so he climbed out as well. We continued our visit on a nearby bench and while we were there I saw this Nutria (otter like rat thing.) swim by, it was pretty cool. He went one way, then came back for some supper, he ate on the far shore but he was close enough that we could hear the crunching sound as he munched his dinner. We also saw geese, ducks, and crawfish but compared to a huge swimming rat they were not even a little bit impressive.

Oh, and just for kicks:

Apparently the nutria is a member of the rodent family and is native to South America. They were introduced to the coastal areas of Texas and Louisiana as important fur bearers. However, they are known for being destructive and are viewed as detrimental. The one we saw was brown, about the size of a cat or small dog, and had round tail which was extremely long.

What's happening these days??

What's happening these days??

Thursday night I caught up with some friends and spent the evening at the fair. We went through the petting zoo, hung out at the dance, and saw the world's smallest horse. Ok, -maybe not the smallest horse in the world, but he was a miniture pony. 26inches would be my guess. :)

Friday night I went back to the fair and toured the 4-H buildings and the exhibits with Clint. (Yes, this is a small town, no there is nothing else to do!!!)

Saturday, I, ....yes, went back to the fair. However, this time I can add a new twist to the same old story because I worked at the Republican booth for a few hours. Don't forget to vote next month! Clint and I also went to the dance which was fun though I still can't dance.