Friday, May 29, 2009

Welcome Lawson Ray Henderson!!




David Henderson, son of Wendell and Joyce, and his wife Patsi, are happy to annouce that Lawson has arrived!

As Grandma Joyce writes:

“We have a new joy in the house. Lawson Ray Henderson was born Tuesday May 26th at 4: 11 in the afternoon. He weighed 7 pounds and 13 ounces- 20 inches long. He is a real cutie, and Mom and baby are doing fine.”

He joins big brother Levi in the family.

Congratulations!!

Picture One: Lawson
Picture Two: David, Patsi and Levi, Wedding Day, July 12th, 2008

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Mark your August Calendar—Baker Reunion!




Joyce Henderson is throwing a Baker Reunion on August 23rd in Center Lisle. She wants YOU to come--all Bakers and Taylors are welcome!

It will be held at the family farm, starting around 1PM— as Joyce and Laurel Decker explain, “But we all know that whenever you show up is good. (Just not too late because then you might miss seeing some of the ones who leave early).”

And, as usual, bring a dish to pass—any category of food.

Can’t wait for August!

Picture One: Kate Baker’s Pet Pig
File this one under “Mom always knows what she is doing”. I asked Ma to send some Adin pictures for the June birthdays, and she sent along a picture of a pig. Okay, Ma—that one does NOT look like Adin. But, then along comes this Baker Reunion at Center Lisle piece, and this picture? Perfect!

Picture Two: Baker Cousins, August 13, 2006
Top row: (from left) Linda Emhof, Edmund Patton, Joyce Henderson, Freddy Emhof, Dorothy Maffei, Dave Burrows, Kathryn Barron, Christine Jenkins, Dawn Walker, Bernie Walker, and Ethan Patton Bottom row: Laurel Decker, Gail Kinney, Annie Patton, Wendy Osterhout, and Neal Osterhout.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Happy Birthday Harold Baker Taylor! By Kathy and Ann
















Kathy writes:

One of my favorite thoughts on Dad is his philosophy on his life. It is:
It’s my Life
I Live IT
I Love IT
Criticism be Damned!
He gave me this quote years ago!

I remember Saturday evenings or Sunday afternoons he would make bread with us all. He would pick out a recipe and we watched him make some delicious concoction. We’d all wait for the hot bread to come out of the oven. I can still smell yeast and think of those fun times.

He also liked to make fresh spaghetti or sausage. That was a big mess for us to clean up, but great eating!

Our Dad has taught us to work hard, be honest, and enjoy life. I pray we all can follow in his footsteps.

Ann writes:

Does anyone remember when Uncle Harold (MY DAD) would bring the FAMOUS CIGAR BOX full of penny candy to the reunions at the Taylors house on main street??? It was always full of small tootsie rolls, Hot fireballs, BUBBLE GUM (double bubble the best), carmel candies with the cream rolled in them, smarties, rootbeer barrel candies. I know there is more to name but I am sure once everyone reads this, they will add more candies to the list.

Another story that I might not remember very clearly myself but have heard about my dad is that when it was time for bed, Dad would put all of his daughters on his back and carry us up to bed. Kathy would be on first holding on Dad's neck and around his middle. Then MaryLou would be on top of Kathy holding on her. Then Annie would be holding on MaryLou. Then Judy would be holding on to Annie with the help of Mom holding onto Judy from behind because she was so small and would be slipping. But we would some how make to bedrooms or at least up the stairs!!!!

Picture One: Harold Taylor, three years old
Picture Two: Harold and his mother on Mother’s Day, 1940
Picture Three: Cpl. Harold Taylor, 1948-9
Picture Four: Two Sleeping Beauties, Harold and Jack Kinsella
Picture Five: Harold and Lola (Jessica and Erik’s dog), Easter, April 12th, 2009

Monday, May 11, 2009

Center Lisle School House: By Lucille Taylor Kinsella




Here’s a picture that should please the offspring of N. Ethel Baker Taylor and Lilian Baker Howland--the Center Lisle School ( District #9) students around 1930 or 1931. I won’t go into the scholars’ names, except to tell you that Leona Howland Maffei is on the left in the last row, then in the middle row, second from the right, stands Sylva Howland Emhof. I was anxious to hear how their school day went so I interviewed each. This is the result.

School began at 9AM and you were reminded to be on time by a big bell in the cupola of the building bonging out several times, usually five or ten minutes before nine. There were two floors, grades one through four on the first floor, and five through eight on the second. Leona remembers each floor had a large blackboard at the front and the rooms were well lighted. Maps of the USA and of the world could be pulled down from the front wall.

There was no running water in the building when they were in school, but on each floor, on a shelf near the coatroom, was a pail of drinking water and a dipper. One of the boys was usually delegated to pump a fresh pail full daily from a nearby well. There were also shelves available for each student’s lunch pails. Leona also remembered that there were two staircases, one UP and one DOWN.

Sylva remembers there being a pump organ at school and one teacher who had the higher classes taught those who wanted to learn to play it. Of course, Sylva did learn, her parents bought a player piano for their home (how we all loved that machine!) and she eventually became the organist at her church, thanks to Center Lisle School!

Leona remembers singing lots of songs and always enjoying school. Sylva remembers having to learn and recite many poems, a task she has always been good at. Both girls remember a stove on each floor as a heating source, but not who took care of the chores involved.

Recess was the favorite of all students and the Howland girls remember games played in front of the school. Kickball, hop scotch and jump rope certainly, and the boys used to play ‘catch’ with a baseball. The teacher rang a hand bell to call them back to class. The hand bell used in their day had been purchased when a nearby school closed in 1923 (District #6, the Popple Hill School). Years after the school was sold, a hand bell was seen in Lil’s store, but whether it was the one used to toll them back to class is unknown.

There were also two toilets, the girls to the left of the school building was a "three holer", complete with catalog pages. In back of the girls was a wood pile and beyond that the boys toilets. Perhaps the boys were required to carry in a few sticks of wood when returning to class. Most of their schoolmates lived in the country. Only the Howlands and one other family lived in the village. After the eighth grade students were bused to nearby Marathon to attend High School.



The school, built in 1868, was finally closed in 1953, when only eleven students were attending. It was sold to a former student and trustee of the school for $1000 and used as a henhouse. Finally, in the early 1990’s, it was torn down.



My mother, N. Ethel Baker Taylor, attended this school as did her sister, Lilian and brother, Adin Baker. Their sister, Ruth, came when she was well enough.

Ethel continued on to earn first, a certificate to teach in country schools, from Cortland Normal, and eventually a full degree, enabling her to teach in high school. Thus, at the age of eighteen, she was teaching in the Caldwell Settlement School, just past the farm on the same road where they all grew up. I asked her how, while still a teenager, she had ever managed to teach in a one room school. Her reply was “why I just thought back to my own school days in Center Lisle and used that as the pattern!”

Picture One: Center Lisle School
Picture Two: Center Lisle School Kids, circa 1930

Friday, May 1, 2009

Happy May Day! Part One:
















The First of May—we call it ‘May Day’, but it is also known as Beltane—to the Celts among us, or International Workers’ Day (to the Communists among us?). Whatever we call it, it heralds the beginnings of summer, and after the snow and cold of this winter, I welcome that idea!

May poles streaming with ribbons, jumping over fires in the night time, May baskets hanging on doorknobs, or just grilling with hamburgers and steamed corn—Let’s hope that this month of May is a terrific one for all of the BakerTaylor Cousins!

Now, some lucky few do have birthdays this month:

Aunt Esther and the Lochners have Wesley Allen Riber ( Julie Lochner’s husband) and
F. Theodore Lochner (known as Ted).

Aunt CB and the Kinsellas have Bridget Laurel Kinsella ( Chris’ daughter) and Matthew Thomas Kinsella (son of Tim).
Aunt Doris and the Hawkes have Kristi Hawkes Colley ( Charlie’s daughter ).

Picture One: Wes Riber
Picture Two: Ted Lochner
Picture Three: Bridget Kinsella
Picture Four: Matt Kinsella
Picture Five: Mary Hawkes, Jack, Kristi, Eowyn

May Birthdays--Part Two:

















Uncle Harold’s family has Uncle Harold Baker Taylor himself—see his birthday later in the month for more on his exploits—and Carol Elizabeth Hunt ( Jeff Hauf’s wife, daugher-in-law of Kathy).

Arnon and the Taylors have Cynthia Wright DeLuca (daughter of Nancy Taylor Wright) and Jean Wilcox Taylor (Jim’s wife).

Aunt Ruth and the Maneys have Sean Francis Maney ( Dan Maney’s son).

The Bakers have:
Michael Emhof (son of Freddy D, son of Sylva).

The Maffeis have Joseph Maffei (Leona’s son), Andrew Carmen Maffei ( twin son of Neil Maffei Jr), and Sara Louise Maffei ( twin daughter of Neil Maffei Jr).

May is a good birthday month for Wendell’s family, with Joyce Ann Tillotson Henderson ( his wife), Ronald Wendell Henderson ( his son) and Kathleen Amy Henderson ( his daughter) all celebrating.

Happy Birthday to One and All!

Picture One: Harold Taylor
Picture Two: Carol and Jeff
Picture Three: Cynthia DeLuca
Picture Four: Patrick, Sean and Kate (Sean’s fiance)
Picture Five: Kathleen, Ron, Joyce