Bathing Poem

BATHING
by Posey Bowling Tinnin
(remembering Grandma Josephine Angel Bowling)

“Too much bathing weakens you”, is what my Grandma said.
Like the kids, I had a problem getting that into my head.

But thinking of my childhood – the way things were done back then,
I began to understand, there was no regular bathing room or cozy den

No nice hot water heater, no pipes beneath the floor.
It was carry in the hods of coal, to make the cook stove roar.

Bring in the big old copper boiler, and lift it on the stove,
Heat half the water, you’ve pumped and carried in,

You want to smell sweet as a rose.

Next comes the galvanized tub,
Roll it right in the kitchen door,
Make sure it’s rinsed out and
Set it on the floor.

Now for a bar of the mildest soap
(with some melted down to wash the hair)
Tell everyone to stay right out!
The doors locked with propped-up chairs.

Make sure the shades are all pulled down and
Clean clothes are lying near
Got the hair-rinsing water in the pitcher?
You’re ready – in you go, my dear.

You’re clean and dressed!!
You think you’re through?
It all has to be reversed.
Out goes the water, pail by pail
(of all jobs, this is the worst)

See all that water that you’ve slopped?
Now’s a good time to get this floor mopped.
Roll up the shades, unlock the doors
Let family in. Then, tell me, dear, as you start to reel,
Tell me now, how do you feel?

Grandma's Side of the Story

Jesse Bowling (born on 6-1-1758 in Virginia) married Mary Pennington (born 11-9-1765 in Virginia) on 1-6-1785. Their son Elijah Bowling was born on 1-22-1798.

Jesse Bowling served under General George Washington at Valley Forge, and the campaign against Yorktown Virginia. he was also at its surrender in which engagement he received a wound in the right breast, which became an ulcer, lasting as long as he lived.

Jesse died in Perry Co. KY on 8-15-1841. Mary died, also in Perry Co. KY, on 3-21-1842. A tracing of the "Bowling" ancestry goes back to Berlin Germany (from DAR pamphlet).

Collins' History of KY has a list of Revolutionary soldiers who settled in KY. The 1913 Year Book of the KY Sons of the Revolution contains a list of the Revolutionary soldiers and sailors of Virginia to whom the State granted Lord Bounty Warrants for their service. Additional information concerning Lord Grants is found in "Old Kentucky Entries & Deeds".

Elijah Bowling married Susan Roberts (born on 1-1-1802 in Breathitt Co. KY) on 11-5-1822. Their son, Elihu Bowling was born on 3-23-1835 in Breathitt Co. KY. Susan Roberts was a part of the George Washington Roberts family from Laurel County??? The name "Roberts" is also connected with Daniel Boone, who explored parts of Kentucky. The name "Boone" was attached to this family in Clay Co. Also, "Roberts" came from the Hibbitts line - English immigrant. Elijah Bowling died on 10-20-1881 in Greenmount, KY. His wife, Susan Roberts Bowling died on 9-18-1846 in Laurel Co., KY.

The paperwork is incorrect in reference to Elihu Bowling, listing his wife as being also the mother of his daughter-in-law.... : ) Grandma says that we don't actually have the name of his wife.

Elihu Bowling died in Elvira KY on 6-17-1908. His son's name was Attison Bowling. Attison Bowling (born on 12-6-1860 in Breahitt Co, KY) married Josephine Angel (born on 10-20-1866 in Laurel Co, KY) on 9-17-1882.

Josephine Angel was the daughter of Armina Bowman Angel (born 5-6-1835, died 3-28-1924). I have no references to her father's name or information.

The Angel family settled on 1,000 acres of timbered bottom land. Armina's father won $1,000 in a game of craps and invested all of it at $1 per acre. Grandma Josephine Angel said he (her grandpa) never gambled again.

Attison and Josephine Angel Bowling had 14 children:

Bertha B born July 26, 1883, died 12-26-1943 - married Jo Harry Sternberg
Beatrice born August 10, 1885 - died 11-27-1909 (at 24 years old)
Alpha J born July 15, 1887, died 9-13-1977 - married Dr. Whitis
James E born September 27, 1889, died 1-25-1969 - married Modesta Chapman
Minnie born January 3, 1892, died 11-23-1944 - married Berry Little!?!?! or Lettle??
Carl R born October 12, 1893, died 5-1-1962 - married Martha Rhodus
Otto T born December 25, 1895, died 6-24-78 - married Sallie Auderson or Anderson
Emory L born October 22, 1897, died 12-28-1970 - married Annabel (Sue Begley)
Grace born March 27, 1900 - died 10-30-1901 (at 19 months, and 3 days)
Woodson E born June 14, 1902, died in 2007- married Eunice Shegard
Blanche H born October 19, 1905, died 3-28-1989 - married Frank Marts
Maurice A (twin) born May 2, 1908, died 3-14-1985 - married Gwendolyn McLarty
Doris J (twin)born May 2, 1908, died in 2007 - married Clarence Clement
Maude B born October 3, 1911, died 12-12-1977 - married Harold Stiffler (Robert Kirkpatrick - second husband?)

Josephine Angel Bowling died December 10, 1946, and Attison Bowling died in September of 1934.

James E Bowling and Modesta Chapman Bowling gave birth to Rosemary Bowling Tinnin on May 11th, 1924.

Happy Birthday, Grandma Rosemary!!!! We love you! xoxoxo

In Love....

There are random details in every relationship... the uniqueness of love....

Grandma reads the Bible aloud to Grandpa, on road trips, before they go to sleep,.... They've read the whole Bible together dozens of times.

My mom once told me that they sleep so close together that one of them will wake up the other and ask if they can turn over. And they'll both turn over at the same time. Is that true, Grandma?

Chief Quanah Parker

Nakoni was a Comanche Chief
Nakoni married stolen Cynthia Ann Parker,
Quannah was their child
Quannah married Fanny Walker
Tennie was their child
Tennie Walker married Birch Johnson
Emmy was their child
Emmy Johnson married Abram Tinnin
Ollie was their child
Ollie Tinnin married Maggie Smith
Royal Tinnin was their child
Royal Tinnin married Rosemary Bowling
You know the story from there.

I think that I've been mezmerized over the years by our family's connection to the Native Americans, and I've boasted widely of my famous Indian chief grandpa. But looking up more information about Quanah Parker on the www, it seems that he had quite a few wives and that like a third of TX could claim him in their lineage. : ) OK, so that may be an exaggeration. Nonetheless, each of us decended from this captive girl and her Indian prince/warrior.....

Royal Vonnie Tinnin...

Maggie Ellen Smith (born August 31, 1900) married Ollie Burch Tinnin on May 30, 1919. They had two children:

• Royal "Roy" Vonnie Tinnin, born May 7, 1921
• Esther Oleta (better known as Aunt Buzzy), born....??

Esther Oleta married Farrell Abbott, and they had 5 children:

• Tehlter Walker ("Ted")
• Patricia Ellen
• Mickey Job
• Freda
• Randy

Ollie left Maggie for another woman when Roy (Grandpa) was 4 years old. He heard that his dad played the guitar for dances. Roy was raised by his mom and grandpa.

Roy's mom was a strong-willed and strong-spoken woman. I asked if there was anything specific that she said or did a lot. Grandma (Rosemary) said there were two phrases that "Granny" always used: "Get up in the morning and do what's right with all your might," and, "Be sweet until we meet."

Aunt Oleta played the part of look-out one time while Grandpa stole a candy bar from his Grandpa’s candy store. His grandpa saw and told his mom. She came out with a cedar branch in her hand and whipped Oleta a couple of times with that. Then she got a trace strap… Grandpa thought she was going to beat him to death. Grandma looked over her glasses at me when Grandpa finished the story, "He never did that again."

Maggie Ellen Smith was the daughter of:

Emma Annie Mickey (June 19, 1866- November 5, 1910)

and Charlie Walker Smith (June 6 1855-July 10, 1937).

































Charlie Walker Smith built a service station. He also later built a house for Maggie Ellen and her two children. Grandpa said, "He was the only father I ever knew." One time he heard Roy say that he was going to leave home and run away. He pulled him over and "walloped" him. Had a big house and came home one day with a brand new car, a “Chalmer”. As he was coming up to the gate, they said he was leaning back, pulling on the steering wheel, yelling “whoa, whoa, whoa”. He went right thru the gate. He had only learned to drive that day. Later, with another car, he parked it in the barn, and it didn’t stop, and he went right thru the back of the barn into the lotus thicket behind the barn.

Maggie Ellen had 9 sisters and 3 brothers:

• Sarah Elizabeth Smith, March 23, 1883
• Everitt Burley Smith, January 22, 1885
• Edith Esther Smith, January 12, 1888
• Laura Annie Smith, Nov 20, 1889
• Carl Watson Smith, Dec 9, 1892
• Rena Mae Smith, Sept 10, 1894
• Elva Viola Smith, Dec 7, 1896
• Iva Irene Smith, sept 21, 1898
• Maggie Ellen Smith (Tinnin), Aug 31, 1900
• Glenna Ione Smith, Mar 10, 1902
• Gertrude Alice Smith, Jan 26, 1905
• Alma Naomi Smith, May 30, 1907
• Arthur Milton ("Mitt") Smith, Apr 8, 1909

Mitt owned the horse that Grandpa fell off of when he was 11 years old. He went to McKinney school and then went to mechanic school and moved to New Mexico (Lorietta, right before Santa Fe)…. He captured wild horses and trained horses to be polo horses. His kids rode 70 miles to school one way each day. Mitt lived to be 94, and was still dealing in horses, still had 12 horses in Mountain Air, NM.

1944 and some other important "4's"

On September 4th, 1944, Royal Tinnin caught his first glimpse of Rosemary Bowling. "She was standing in the back of a WAAC’s truck. It was 7 o-clock in the morning, and the gals were getting out of a weapon’s carrying truck." "Pretty soon, Grandpa was sitting on the side of my desk, trying to beat the other fellas." "She had a date with someone else,…" but that was the last time she went out with anybody but him. "Grandpa didn’t like seeing me with someone else... in the afternoon or evening."

Met Sept. 4th, 1944
"She said Yes," Oct 4th, 1944
Married, Nov 4th, 1944