I shared a poem written by my 2nd great grandfather, Washington Marion Crawford. While discussing this poem with my cousins, one shared a comment about his having a copy of Josie’s ledger of poetry. This comment reminded me that I have the actual ledger. In remembering this ledger, I realized that I hadn’t done enough to share with future generations.
When the Internet was young, I did transcribe some of these poems and contributed them to the Kansas Memory project. However, I did not submit all of the poems. Evidently, I also had never scanned the ledger. I have since scanned the ledger and created a document with the scanned image on the left and the transcription on the right. This PDF file has been uploaded as a memory to Josie Hammond’s profile on FamilySearch. I’ve also uploaded Josie’s Ledger to Archive.org. Thus, I’m hoping that her ledger will be preserved well into the future.
Just Thinking
A little line of poetry came to my mind ‘t’other day
And it sort o’ kept me ponderin’ as I ambled on my way
‘Bout how “it takes a heap o’ livin'” in a house to make
You sure will never have one if your allus on the roam
But you got to settle down somewhere
And plant some vines and trees
And some roses and some lilacs
To perfume the evening breeze
But these things are on the outside
And while the’re nice to own
It’s the family that live inside
That really makes it home
If Pa wants to be a real “old sport”
And spend his cash for “booze”
No matter if the boys and girls
Are needin’ clothes an’ shoes.
He’s a real “good Feller” with the “boys”
But comes home grouchy, cross
When it comes to makin’ a real home
That man’s a total loss.
And ma likes to spend most all her home
At dances or at shows
And goes to bridge club meetings
To show her good clothes.She may even do some “uplift” work
For the pore folks in the slums.
While her own neglected children
Run round the neighborhood like bums
Home’s just a place to eat and sleep
Not a place for havin’ fun,
Or gettin’ help from Pa or Ma
To get their lessons done.
They just come in to eat a bite
Then out again they roam.
All their “childhoods happy memories”
Are of a neighbors home.
But if Pa and Ma are kind an’ good
An’ do the best they kin
To raise their children up to be
Good women, honest men,
Teach ’em to play fair and square
At home as well as at school
And raise ’em up to Fear the Lord
And mind the Golden rule.
They teach em that there is some task
For everyone to do
And then there’s jolly times for all
When the work is throughAnd so they grow up strong and brave
And go out to the strife
With characters so strongly made
They’re not afraid of life,
So Pa and Ma have really been
A help to their home town,
By brining up a family
They can be proud to own.
And even if great wealth and fame
Should pass ’em by for good,
A home like that’s a credit
To any neighborhood.
Heartland Genealogy 