family news from Aunt Mary. she has become the unofficial historian since the passing of Grandma Pauline, who wrote many many letters to everyone she knew, keeping track of who was sick, getting married,

having a baby, moving, etc. 12-16-2022 she told me that cousin Nancy had a stroke. (cousin Virginia called to tell her).I've unfollowed the majority of my friends on FB so didn't know, when I put this info in The Axsom Kids group chat, Lisa had seen it on FB, maybe Brenda, too. anyway, anytime anyone younger than me has a heart attack or a stroke or dies, I pay attention. cause we're all just living on borrowed time. and cousin Mona bought her parents house.

todays letter dated 12-29-2022 said her cousin Roy Lee is in skilled nursing car. And she'd received a message from David Andrew, Karen's (Aunt Kate and Uncle Junior's daughter) husband, telling her he had something to tell her that she needed to know, and asking her to return call. she didn't have # so called her sister, they had Karen's #, Aunt Mary called, left a message. no return call. David called a second time and left a land line message and left his phone #. Aunt Mary called and left him a message. this was before calling F&J again on Tuesday evening. then her cell phone rang and F& J had got hold of David, Karen died of pnuemonia around supper time on Dec. 23. think she was born in 1957. she was born on Grandma Shafer's birthday, September 23.

Aunt Kate will be 96 (?) New Years Day and has outlived 4 of her 7 children.

her father (Alfred) raised cane molasses when they lived north of Cainsville. at the proper time he cut it, took it to be made into molasses somewhere east of Bethel Church on Rt.B, NE of Saline. when ready, our family went by horse and wagon to the mill. Aunt Mary was probably around 7-8. had a picnic lunch on a church lawn which had outhouses. at that time, the road past Aunt Bessie's old homestead (where I got stuck on our adventurous day) was still in use past our house over to Pea Ridge. whle at the mill, alongside a creek with a hoist uphill to transport cane or the molasses it spooked our horses (it was like a zip line set up). mom would heat molasses to spread on homemade biscuits. Yummy.!