Wanderers, Jabez and Elizabeth McPherson
A wandering man was my grandfather
Jabez Burns McPherson. In December,1898, the 26 year old Scots
married 16 year-old Elizabeth Alfreda Foss. Soon after, the couple
joined his parents, a sister and brother-in-law as they traveled by
way of a horse-drawn wagon and a fancy surrey from Madison,
Wisconsin, to Iowa where a younger sister of Jabez's father lived.
Jabez and Elizabeth stayed for at least a year as their daughter
Bertha was born there in 1900.
Young Elizabeth delighted in this
adventure; she had never ventured far from her parents' Madison farm.
Little did she realize that this trip was a harbinger of trips to
come. She married a wandering man, who came from a family unafraid of
“picking up” and going to unknown places – and a McPherson
traveled far to visit kith and kin.
Throughout her life Elizabeth gathered
their children and belongings and followed Jabez from Madison, to
Iowa, Madison, crisscrossed the country from Madison to Minnesota,
on to California and back. Always together.
I ponder on their lives. A
dedicated husband and father and a wanderer. How did that come about?
Ah, his grandparents, James P. and Mary Burns McPherson, too were
wanderers. In 1842, barely in their twenties the two, sailed from
Dundee, Scotland to New York City. They could have raised their
family in the immigrant-laden city, but chose to save and scrimp and
travel up the Hudson, through the Erie Canal, then across the Great
Lakes to Milwaukee. Springdale, Wisconsin was their destination and
it was there J. P McPherson and his wife hewed out their home, farm
and life. Then their nine children, wanderers too, spread to
Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, Canada, Washington, Oregon and
California. Always looking afar, unafraid of change. T'is in the
blood.
© Joan Hill, Roots'n'Leaves Publications
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© Joan Hill, Roots'n'Leaves Publications
Don't you admire the courage and adventurousness our pioneer ancestors showed, wherever they were. You captured their story so well. I hope your writing projects are progressing smoothly.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully done, as always. Keep telling stories, you are so good at it!.
ReplyDeletePauleen and Carol, so glad you liked my little bit about the wanderers --- "a wandereing man" and "the wanderers" are phrases that have floated in and about the workings of my mind of late.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for reading and commenting.
Very nicely done, Joan! I'm so glad you took up the challenge. It's probably the most difficult (for most people) topic I've chosen for the COG. As usual, your words flowed almost melodically. A pleasure to read. Thanks for participating in the COG!
ReplyDeleteJasia,
ReplyDeletethank you for the kind words. I loved the topic, but wish I had gotten started earlier as I would have done a flash history for each of my mothers parents as well. Keep us on our toes, Jasia. It's good for us.
Joan,
ReplyDeleteYou told a great story; love the use of the "wandering" theme.
Also, thanks for the comment