I have just returned from a trip - 2155 miles of it.All the time I was travelling I thought that I wouldn't be posting anything about the journey. As days went by, I changed my mind.
The purpose of the trip was two-fold, which is where the two-journeys-title comes from. The first journey was physical - go somewhere. I hoped to go places I hadn't been to before and see things I hadn't yet come across. The second journey was mental - to sort myself out.
I achieved both goals since my niece commented that I appeared to be really relaxed upon my return. I was indeed. As I like to do, I will begin at the beginning.
On a nice Sunday morning, I left the house about 7:30. I knew my first stop, but refrained from planning anything else - except that I was pretty sure I wanted to go to northwest Indiana, and although that was the strongest possibility, not the only one. That known first stop was Blackburn, Pawnee County, Oklahoma. Eliza Berry Strosnider is buried there and I had never made the trip to the cemetery or the town. My page about Eliza and Dock Strosnider is here.
I walked the whole cemetery without finding her. Coming back to the car, I looked to the right. I had passed the monument coming into the grounds. Eliza's grave was the first to the left of the road. I was parked 10 feet from it and was ready to get back in the van when I noticed the monument. I've known people who say that a cemetery will speak to you if you let it. I decided right then that any other cemetery I entered on this trip had better speak loudly, if this one was any example of my discovering.
It was all right, though, that I missed it the first time. I got in some good walking in the windy and damp air. The cemetery is well kept and in current use.
Eliza's monument
Stone on top looks like it might be a Bible
Eliza / wife of / Wesley / Strosnider /
Born May 22, 1877 / Died Oct 18, 1905
I believe the text is this:
A precious one from us has gone, a voice we love / is silent
A place is vacant in our home which may never / be filled
God in His wisdom has recalled the boon his love / had given
And though the body slumbers here the soul is / in heaven
Next to Eliza's monument is one for Wesley Strosnider Junior. He is not Eliza's child, but the son of Dock and his second wife, Ona (Armstrong) Strosnider.
Wesley Jr / son of / Mr & Mrs Wesley / Strosnider /
Dec 17 1909 / Feb 22 1914
~~~~~
Also at the cemetery were these two, Eliza's brother- and sister-in-law.
That was the first half of the first day.
I decided that it would be best, - to keep things open for opportunity - to not plan too far ahead. My idea was to work on half a day at a time. This was a journey of discovery and you can't discover if you are locked into a plan that you are afraid to change. I wanted change.
Second day: I left Emporia before daylight. The temperature was 48 degrees - just my kind of weather. I was headed for Ottawa, which I have written about before, as you can see here. Ottawa has changed little on Main Street. In spite of buildings between the highway and downtown that have come in since my last visit, I would still like to live here in one of the turn-of-the-century homes leading into town. I walked down one side of the street for four and a half blocks (see how everything is coming in halves?) and then back again. Crisp weather and a quiet morning; rosy cheeks and an ice cube nose.
I next headed for Brown County, Kansas, and the town of Fairview. My grandmother (by marriage), Marian Alvira Lyman, was born there and I had never been to see where she came from. My map didn't give good enough directions to the cemetery, so I asked for help. A fella at the bank in Fairview told me which roads to look for and I found the Old Fairview Cemetery easily. I walked that one looking for the Lyman Family. Bingo! A huge monument was in the middle of the lot.
Day 3, first half:
Second half of day 3:
Second half of the first day:
Entering Kansas, I ran into a North wind and rain storm for quite a few miles. I had a hard time keeping my van on the road in that roaring wind. The temperature dropped 12 degrees in a matter of minutes and there was no place to pull over - it was a country road, Highway 99. I took that all the way to Emporia where I camped (van-style) for the night. It was chilly out, but I had two sleeping bags as well as my regular bedding. I was cozy.
Second day: I left Emporia before daylight. The temperature was 48 degrees - just my kind of weather. I was headed for Ottawa, which I have written about before, as you can see here. Ottawa has changed little on Main Street. In spite of buildings between the highway and downtown that have come in since my last visit, I would still like to live here in one of the turn-of-the-century homes leading into town. I walked down one side of the street for four and a half blocks (see how everything is coming in halves?) and then back again. Crisp weather and a quiet morning; rosy cheeks and an ice cube nose. My next choice was either Manhattan or Lawrence. I chose Lawrence, wanting to take another look at the Yarn Barn there. I also remembered a pretty good used book store. So, Lawrence it was. I shopped at both places. The Yarn Barn is mostly a weaving shop. Once upon a time I had a tabletop loom and used to weave, but decided that while I would love to be able to do that again, I had neither room for a loom (even a tabletop) nor the finances to take on that craft. A sorting out taken care of.
Second half of second day:
I took Highway 24 west to Highway 75, then north for Holton and a picnic lunch, which just happened to be in a funeral home parking lot. They weren't busy and, with plenty of sunshine, it was a good rest. I topped off my gas tank and bought a 2021 Rand McNally. I decided that it would be smart to have a current road map for all these states I planned to visit. My old one was a 2010 and I'll bet some of those roads have changed in the last 10 years.
I next headed for Brown County, Kansas, and the town of Fairview. My grandmother (by marriage), Marian Alvira Lyman, was born there and I had never been to see where she came from. My map didn't give good enough directions to the cemetery, so I asked for help. A fella at the bank in Fairview told me which roads to look for and I found the Old Fairview Cemetery easily. I walked that one looking for the Lyman Family. Bingo! A huge monument was in the middle of the lot. 
Old Fairview Cemetery, 240th and Dewberry Rds, Brown Co, Kansas
LYMAN / Henry / 1831 - 1904 / Alvira S His Wife / 1836 - 1907 /
William R Their Son / 1876 - 1911
(I see my own shadow reflected in the stone.
Which reminds me that the stone faced north!)
I had a question so I returned to the bank and looked for my direction-giver. Why, I asked, is the cemetery so far from town? His answer: The Town Moved. The Railroad came through, but not where the town was platted, so the town up and moved to the railroad. Hmmph! He had a book of county maps and made copies for me. I have erased the current residents.
Thoughts:
One of the reasons I drive back roads is for the scenery. I like lots of it unencumbered with city-ness. The other reason is this is my thinking time. With few distractions, it's easy to think things through, and that was an essential part of my mental journey. These first two days my mind was flip-flopping between one subject and another as my poor brain tried to make sense of the thoughts. After these two days, though, my mind finally settled down to the job of thinking, rather than sorting and discarding.
Second half of second day:
I intended to spend the night at St Joseph, Missouri. But - Highway 36, upon which I was travelling - by-passes it to the south. In the distance saw a much larger skyline than I remembered and was glad I passed it up. It had been difficult to navigate the area the last time I was here - many, many years ago - and I wasn't willing to tackle it at the end of a busy day. I ended up at a truck stop in Cameron, Missouri. End of Day 2.
Day 3, first half:It was 48 degrees at 4:30 a.m. I waited until daylight to leave so I wouldn't miss anything interesting that might appear. I took Highway 36 east and stopped in Laclede, Missouri, the birthplace of John J Pershing.
Why was I interested in Pershing's hometown? I had read about Pershing and wanted to see the place such a man came from.
And because I grew up in Midwest City, Oklahoma, with Tinker Air Force Base. The streets, when they started building in the 1940s, were mostly military or airplane-related names - Boeing, Kittyhawk, Bomber, Ercoupe, Rickenbacker, Lockheed, McArthur, etc.
Our phone prefix was Pershing, now relegated to a 73_ prefix. The charm of the different prefixes was lost. I can name from memory plenty of the old exchanges from around the county: Pershing, Orange, Melrose, Mutual, Victor, Central, and so on; a lot more interesting than the numbers they represented.
Second half of day 3:What next? I had decisions to make about what direction to go now. I settled on Hannibal, Missouri. I had been there along ago - a lot of my travel was long ago - and wouldn't mind seeing it again. Besides, it was a good place to stop before crossing the Mississippi. I once again visited the Mark Twain boyhood home and walked around the town. I drove on and stayed on the west side of Springfield, Illinois - in a hotel this time. I told someone that spit baths can only last so long before a real shower was needed.
It's time to leave the rest for another article.
