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The Spiker Gazette |
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Oxford, WV
Volume 2
Issue 9 September
12, 2008 |
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My mother,
siblings and I never doubted that our father loved us. “I Love You” was
a term he used freely and often. But I hadn’t realized just how
meaningful those words were to him – how very important it was that they
be spoken and understood – until he shared the “secret” hidden among the
pages of his mother’s diary with me.
As
the current caretaker of this precious heirloom, I now happily share
this “secret” with you through the transcription of her journal on The
Spiker Family Gathering Place.
Join me on a journey of discovery into the
life of this self-described “Mother of 7 and 2.”
Click here to begin
reading the Diary of Lillie Missouri Gay Spiker.
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I’ve been in
possession of my grandmother’s diary for several years. I have read
portions of it many times. I repeatedly scanned the entries during
the nine-month-long transcription process. So I am amazed that I
can still glean something different with each reading. I keep
thinking that I’m missing something (perhaps more hidden secrets?).
As with any good novel, I don’t
want the book to end. And in this case, I do not believe the
journey of discovery is complete with the final diary page. There
is so much more that we can learn. This is where our readers’
participation is requested.
If you recognize a name that appears in the journal, let us know.
Was this person a relative, a neighbor, a friend? Where did she
live? What did he do for a living? Why was this person
important to Gay? Or perhaps you simply want to make a "guess"
regarding an entry, such as the one in which Mrs. Spiker lists "girl
names" (page 2). Could it be that
she was preparing for the birth of Mike Spiker???
Help us connect to the people and
places mentioned in the diary by sending your stories (and
your "guesses") to
urlovingit@aol.com. I will add them to the "Transcriber's
Notes" of the journal and will highlight them in future editions of
the Spiker Family Gazette. Your contribution may very well permit
us to read between the lines of Gay's diary.
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Announcements
Submitted by Paul Miller -- The Nolans and Millers returned last
evening (Aug 25), following two and half weeks variously in Colorado
visiting grandson Ryan and family, then all the family except grandson
Chris and family, some 14 of us, off to Jackson Hole, Wyoming for a long
vacation mostly given to hiking in the Tetons. The youngest at eight
months, Liam (the newest grandson and great grandson) went along in an
appropriate hiking knapsack, and, at the back, the great grandparents
named Francena and Paul staggering along .
Submitted by Bobbi Spiker-Conley -- When reading Gay's diary, you will
come across notes that read [Send
e-mail to Melanie Spiker-Fouse for access to Spiker Family Tree]. You
will need a personal invitation from Melanie in order to view her tree
located at Ancestry.com.
Ancestry.com will require you to register with their website. However,
you are not required to purchase a membership. You can simply register as
a "Guest" member. The personal invitation from Melanie will then permit
access to the Spiker Family Tree. (For
more information about Ancestry Guest Registration, click here.)
Submitted by Bobbi Spiker-Conley -- We do not have current contact
info for the following people. Please help us spread the word to them
about Gay's diary. Some do not have internet access (but may be able to
view the diary through another family member.) Others' e-mail addresses
are no longer valid. Please tell them about the new addition to our site
and ask them to contact me by e-mail
for a personal link to the Spiker Family Gathering Place.
John Spiker
Aunt Ann and her children
Aunt Boots and her children
Submitted by Bobbi Spiker-Conley -- Melanie Fouse has captured the
beauty of a poem from Gay's diary with her creation of a scrapbook page.
She said "I used the first poem I found (in the diary) because it
immediately brought to mind the picture I took of the little barn at the
farm."
To view her creation, simply open the
Spiker Family Gathering Place Photo Album., select HISTORIC photos,
then click on the image titled "From Gay's Diary". Clicking the image a
second time will allow you to view an enlarged image.
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We are looking for contributors to The Spiker Gazette.
Please send your newsy tidbits to our staff for insertion in future
editions. |
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