Bavolet's Blog

About Me

Blogging on Blogster since March 17, 2005 and I'm secure enough with myself that don't care how many people have viewed my posts.  Do you?  Yeah, I was pretty sure you had more important things to worry about too.

I'm third generation American on my father's side and we lost count on my mother's side of the family.  My father's grandparents were all born in Sweden and moved here when quite young - most came over seeking freedom of religion - they were non-Lutheran protestants in a Lutheran country.  One of my Swedish great-grandmothers spent her early years in a soddie on the plains of Nebraska.  All of them ended up in the Houston, Texas area where my paternal grandparents were born.  Some of them experienced extraordinary things, including the 1900 hurricane that hit Galveston - although they weren't on the island they were close enough to feel some of the impact.  We have an antique table made by my great-grandfather that survived that hurricane - and you can see the cracks between the parquet wood that was a result of the moisture it received during that time.

On my mother's side of the family we know one side of the family came over with the Welsh Baptists who left Wales for religious reasons, settled in Buck's County Pennsylvania, then gradually began migrating south to Virginia, then North Carolina, over the Natchez Trace, and eventually into Texas.  Some of my ancestors fought in the American Revolution - and I'm a descendent of one of the men who fought at the Battle of San Jacinto - the battle that won the Texas War for Independence from Mexico.  You can see his name on the plaque at the San Jacinto Monument - Stephen Cole.  Because he fought he received property in Liberty County, Texas which is also near Houston.

The other side of my Mom's family goes back a ways, but we can't figure out when they made it over.  My mother's paternal grandmother was the descendent of a "second son" who left England to find his way in America - his older brother got the title and the land - I understand there is still a Lord Walton in England and the family estate is still there.  Doesn't matter a hill of beans since we can't claim anything - but it's interesting to know that somewhere back there is a peer in my heritage - and most likely in a lot of yours too.  Another ancestor on that side of the family was a circuit-riding Methodist preacher - and that's a lot cooler than the peer thing in my book.

According to some family stories we're related to the James and Younger brothers (through the Coles) and I'm distantly related to the Parker family who had a young daughter named Cynthia Ann.  Cynthia was kidnapped by the Comanches after they massacred just about everyone at Fort Parker - years later the Texas Rangers made a raid on a Comanche camp and found a white woman with blue eyes living among them and it was Cynthia Ann.  She had married the chieftain and had borne him three children, the oldest being Quanah Parker, the last of the great Comanche chiefs.  Unfortunately for Cynthia she was brought back to live with relatives after she was found, but she was so thoroughly Comanche by that time that she lived only a few more sad years.  I wasn't named after her, but I proudly bear her first name.

I'm half Swedish, at least 1/64 Cherokee, and who knows what percentages of Welsh, Scots, Irish, English - and it looks more and more like I also have Melungeon blood (look that one up - fascinating story there).  But in spite of all the hyphens I could attach to myself I only use a one word description when describing my nationality - American.

I have lived all over this great nation during my lifetime.  Texas, Missouri, Illinois, New York, Connecticut, North Carolina, Virginia, Arkansas... and I've visited 40 of the 50 states (and I know how many there are).

I'm a proud American.  I'm a proud Texan.  I hate the turn my country has taken because it is essentially thumbing its nose at all the people who worked hard to make this country what it is - those in the past, those in the present - and those who will have to pick up the pieces and debt.  I will not let this happen without a fight - no matter what road I have to take in that fight.  I want my country to start following the Constitution in the way it was originally envisioned by our forefathers - that we are a government of WE THE PEOPLE - and that there is no ruling class, in spite of what Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Barack Obama seem to think.  They work for WE THE PEOPLE - WE THE PEOPLE do not work for them!

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Education

School : Baylor University, North Texas State University, Mars Hill College
Year : 1976 to 1989
Degree : B.S.E., M.L.S., B.A
Program : Elementary Education

 

Professional

Job : Academic Library Director

 

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