Hoods and Van Winkles

So my brother and his wife, Rich and Annette, came for visit last week. I hope they had a fun and relaxing time. We sure enjoyed having them for a few days. Wished they could've stayed longer. But they wore me out! Could be that cog rail ride to the top of Pike's Peak that did me in. Could be the Spanish coffee I had at Carlos Miguel's afterwards that did me in. Who knows?

Richard was telling me about his latest interest. He's doing our family genealogy. My parents have both done quite a bit on both sides, but neither of them use computers and all that the internet has to offer.

Anywho, the latest skeleton to come out of the closet is about our biological grandfather on my dad's side.

His name was James Hood. The story told to all of us, including my dad, was that James Hood died when my dad was three years old. My grandmother then married Albert Hudson and had my two aunts. We just assumed that my grandmother and James Hood were married. Turns out, they weren't married. And James Hood was married to someone else at the time. He and Mrs. Hood are buried in Bonne Terre MO. They have no known children. We're doubtful that James knew about my dad. My grandmother refused to talk about him. Even on her deathbed, when my dad asked her, she said nothing.

James Hood didn't die when my dad was three. He was three when my grandmother met Albert. James Hood died when my dad was seven years old. And my grandmother and Albert had my dad's official records to show Albert Hudson as his legal and biological father. They erased James Hood altogether.

My grandmother was a mean and bitter lady. She called all of us grandkids "nuisance". I thought it was a term of endearment until I was old enough to learn what it meant. Then I was kinda hurt. So she was either seduced, lied to, betrayed by, or coerced by James Hood. Possibly all of the above.

My grandmother's maiden name was Van Winkle. Richard said this a huge family that can be traced back to New Jersey in the late 1500's. Dutch, obviously, from the village of Winkle.

Families are funny things.

Richard should keep us updated on his, oh I don't know, BLOG!!!!