conversation with Marie

May 29 2003 what I think I remember of Kevin's conversation with Marie Dailey Hass. They lived in Grandma Jessie's little house and walked everywhere. They walked to school, home for lunch, back to school, and home afterwords. Wesley was a basketball star. She thinks she remembers Eva playing basketball, too, the court was outside. Newtown school was built the same way, only the stairs were on the other side. She had a friend that she would walk to the mile crossing with, they'd milk a cow and carry the milk back to town. On Sundays, they'd walk to Lineville and back.
When she and Howard lived in the house next to the old Princeton Baptist Church, they'd have church on Weds, Sat, and Sunday, they'd park the street full both ways so they couldn't get out of the driveway, one time they had to go somewhere and did inch their way out, but creased a car (she didn't say if it was theirs or someone elses). The church paid her for the house by tithes. Every house she has lived in has been torn down, she says.
She said something about her Grammy Toot and quilts.
Purple iris were Jessie Shroyers favorite flower because they smelled the best.
Her mother never yelled at the kids, she didn't put up with nonsense and would take a switch from a tree to them. They listened to her. Someone (can't remember who) remarked how they always remembered Jessie smiling and happy and wondered how she could be that way with eight children. Howard's home life as a child was much different

Halfrock Cemetery

went dec. 29 and dec. 30, 2002
the stones:

Luther W Toot
1890-1922

Martin L Toot
died Aug 26 1889 aged 29y4m11d
Hannah A Toot
died July 8 1900 aged 74y1m14d
on front of stone is a picture of sunshine and a castle with the verse "In my Father's house there are many mansions. Weep not for those who now at rest have reached the haven of the blest."

there is a bulletin board with graph of grave locations and info on persons buried, but the Toot one was hard to read. I think this was it:

Toot Hannah grave 33.2 born 24May182_
died July 1900
Toot Martin L grave 30.1 born 27March1860
died 26Aug____
Toot Luther grave 20.4 born 13May1890 died 2_Dec1922

Martin & Hannah share a stone, his information is on the right side of the stone, hers is on the left side, and the front of stone has picture and verse. I don't know their relationship right now.

from Revised Edition of the 1911 History of Mercer County p.157..."Martin Toots, a resident of Grundy County, hanged himself to the limb of a tree near Half Rock, Monday, August 25, 1889. He was twenty-five years of age and recently married."

Family on Facebook

more family on Facebook....
cousins Shelia, Kenton , & Steven, Aunt Chardy, Aunt Deanna, Grandpa Lije , his friend Jo, cousin Steven , Uncle Duane ....

Jerry Haggard

Feb. 15 2006
picture from Doc...Jerry Haggard is on the right. guessing the date of picture to be around 1950.

Austin Lee Hague

this senior is the son of Jackie & Linda Hague & has lived in Mercer his whole life. His older brother & sister Levi & Sarah attend college at UCM in Warrensburg.
His birthday is Oct. 25 1988, nicknames are "Red Beard" and "Big A". his strengths are his leadership skills and loyalty to his friends. his acheivements include participating in a church misson trip to Mexico with the Sports Crusaders; Academic Team Honorable Mention his junior and senior years, and All Conference Softball his junior year. According to Austin, his weakness is speaking to large crowds.
an honors studen taking many dual-credit college courses, he finds time to live the good life. favorite foods include pizza and hot rolls. his best friends include Heath, Jose, Ben, Bo, Robert, Colton, Mini Hutch, and Tim, and his favorite place to hang out is on the Mercer square or at someones house.
he loves Talladega Nights: Ballad of Ricky Bobby movie. when asked his favorite book, "yeah right...what's a library?" favorite person to torment is Toni, favorite saying is "If you're not first, you're last." if he is not found in the gym shooting hoops, you can find Austin working on his 1969SS Camero with his dad and Uncle Dave. his favorite sport memory is winning the District championshiop title his sophomore year, defeating Ridgeway.
his advice to underclassmen is to enjoy high school while you can because it flies by! his senior year plans include winning state in basketball, and simply getting out of high school alive! his future plans include attending a four year university, getting a good job that he enjoys, and starting a family.

Inseparable "Pals"

this picture appeared in the Post Telegraph in Princeton in 1940. Left to right are Margaret Shroyer Logan, Josephine Girdner Applegate, Virginia Haggard Fray, and Phyllis McKay Overton, all of Mercer, who were inseparable pals. The article stated "that all have proved outstanding scholars while attending the Mercer Schools and have received honors. Phyllis finished her high school work in 3 years and has been an honor student each year. Virginia was valedictorian of the 1939 senior class, and in 1938 her name was engraved on a bronze plaque for being best "all-around" student of the school. Josephine has served as drum major of the Mercer High School Band, proving herself unusually capable in this capacity, and is an honor student. Margaret made the second highest grade in the test given for students to determine who would represent the school in the Student Assembly in Jefferson City. She is also an honor student."
Margaret Logan sent this information to The Mirror. She says that they still get together occasionally. Margaret lives in Indianola, IA & spends winters in Key Largo, Fl. she was married to Max Logan who died when he was 45 years old. She has two sons, Randy and Bruce, and one daughter, Donna, and a step-son, Jerry, who has died.

Maddie Holt

All tuckered out-all the cheering, dancing, and playing around she did took a toll on Maddie Holt on Friday night, as she needed a break to lay down on the gym bleachers in Grant City. Maddie's parents, former Princeton teachers and coaches Chris & Courtney Holt of Maryville, brought their three year old to theb Princeton-Worth County games to cheer on their former teams. Preston Cole/Princeton Post Telegraph