1. (The following was written on bits and pieces of paper stuck inside a book called “Grandmother’s Precious Moments” that was given to grandma Ivey by her granddaughter, Ivey Wakenshaw, for Christmas 1991. Grandma Ivey wrote these “rough drafts” for the book, but never wrote in the book itself).....

“My parents lived in Denver, Ill., however, my mother went to Versailles to have me. I was born in my grandmother Howell and grandfather’s home. My grandmother Fink came to see me. That was the only time she saw me. She died soon after I was born. Her name was Margaret Fink. My grandfather (Fink) did not want to be called grandpa, so we children called him “Daddy”. We called our own father “Pop”. Our parents were very compatible. I do not remember them ever having a disagreement -- no loud mouthing - our Pop was a very quiet, easy going person. Our mother read to us before putting us to bed. My father did not go to school beyond the 3rd grade, so he read very little. He listened to our mother read to us. I liked school. We, my sister, Charlyne and I, played school on the weekends. I was always the teacher. We attended a small country school until I went to high school in Versailles. My first year of high school, I stayed with my grandparents (we were still living at the Locks). Every weekend I walked several miles home to the Locks and back on Sundays to my grandparents. My second year, we moved into Versailles because my father was ill with tuberculosis. He died soon after. My mom went to work in a restaurant making 75 cents/day (no kidding). Bread was 5 cents a loaf. Sometimes I baby sat for 75 cents a night. My favorite younger years are the good times we had when living at the La Grange Locks. “Pop” was a “locks hand”. The large gates had to be opened by hand power to let the boats (steamers, etc...) through. It made so much noise, night and day, we got so used to the noise we didn’t notice until visitors called it to our attention. My special friend (as a teenager) was Evelyn Adams, the daughter of mom’s boss, Rich Adams. We told each other things we’d never tell anyone else. I met Bill (Elmer) in Mt. Sterling, Ill. He worked in a food store across from the restaurant where I worked. After work hours, we walked a few miles where there was a place to dance, a place called Hersman (Illinois). Bill (his uncle gave him that name because he did not like “Elmer”) moved to Jacksonville, Ill. to work in a grocery store. We became engaged and married.” [14]

2. As told to me by my aunt Jean (Hilma Ivey Mortell):

“I have something that she wrote and placed in an old book that she sent me, Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Here it is...

“This is typical of conditions during the 1930’s. We moved from the locks in 1930 after my father contracted T.B. No job, no Social Security, then, - no money. I was a sophomore and Denver in 8th grade. My sister, Charlyne was married to Norris Robbins. Elmer Davis had a grocery store in Versailles. He let mom charge all our food - never pressured her. Denver used to walk to grandma’s in the country for milk. Aunt Cor, a school teacher then, gave mom money to buy our school books. Uncle Fred, Pop’s brother, brought us wood to burn in our stoves. My God, what a hardship for our mother. Pop died in 1930. Rich Adams had a restaurant in Versailles. One evening his wife, Essie, came to talk to mom and asked her if she’d consider helping cook for the noon dinner. She went in to work 8:00 a.m., was home around 1:30 - for 75 cents a day. However that was when bread cost 5 cents a loaf. She worked there 5 years, then did housework. Hoover was President at the time, then Franklin Roosevelt was elelcted. We got S.S. started, W.P.A. He was a good President.”

3. Naples, Florida; September 10, 2001: It is with a heavy heart and deep sadness that I must report the loss of my Grandma Ivey this week. Marjorie Juanita (Fink) Ivey passed away Monday, Sep.10th peacefully in her sleep around 5 am. But before anyone had a chance to mourn her death, the very next day, this country was bombarded with terrorist attacks, killing many thousands of innocent people. We have been glued to our televisions for days to see the latest news, waiting for any word of survivors, and wondering if we are going to war. It is enough to make you sick, what happened in New York and Washington DC, and none of us will ever forget what we saw on our televisions this past Tuesday morning. But let me remind you of one other thing you should not forget. You should not forget my Grandma. She may have been only one of the many who died this week, but she was the first. That makes it easy for me to remember, since she has always been number one with me.
This very web site would not have been possible without her devoted time to keeping the family records in order. So much good information on the backs of old photographs, so many words written in family albums, so many stories, and so much history have been left for me to discover. And yet, I discovered it too late. By the time I had started this family tree project, grandma was in her final stages. I never got a chance to really tell her how much she had helped, and to thank her for that help. Sure, I told her, but I wanted her to see and understand what I had done with her work. I hope she would have been proud of me. And deep in my heart, I know she would be. But when she died, I was robbed of the look on her face, and the smile that surely would have followed, if she were able to see this web site. To relive some of the memories with me, to talk of others, and to answer my many questions. If only I had started sooner.
Gathering up the information for this family tree has been an enlightening experience for me. I never knew so much about my family until I began. I thought I did, but I was wrong. Some of you may not know this, but there are some very interesting people in this family. John Fink and his father were executioners (beheaders!). John Thomas Lee Knox Wakenshaw was in Ripley's Believe-it-or-not. John Wesley Comstock was Abraham Lincoln's groom and carriage driver.

And Marjorie Ivey was my grandma.

She will be missed dearly, and thought of always. For what she did while she was in this world, the hearts she touched, and the love she gave. From daughter to mother, from mother to grandmother, and from grandmother to great grandmother, she lived a full life. Her name will forever be etched in my mind and this family tree. I love you grandma, and I miss your tug on my beard.

Mark

4. Springfield, Illinois; 23 April 2002: My grandmother, Marjorie Juanita FINK Ivey was delivered to her final resting place today. The family gathered for a small, but memorable service at Roselawn Cemetery. When the service started at 10 am, it was 5 pm in Germany, where my cousin Kathy FINK Godsave and her son, Kyle are sending a balloon skyward in memory of their Aunt Dot. When I returned home from the service, I wrote to several family members about my trip. I knew Kathy had sent off the balloon, so I asked her how it went. Here's what she said...

"I sent up the balloon, even though it wasn't exactly what I'd anticipated. It was a huge dolphin balloon with lots of blues in it. I wrote, "Miss you Aunt Dot--1915-9/10/2001" & Kyle & I released it in the air from our balcony & watched it go over our roof and into the woods (it even got caught in a treetop for about 5 minutes before the wind knocked it loose). We watched from our front door as it floated very quickly after getting untangled & it disappeared into the sky so I hope Aunt Dot is enjoying her huge dolphin balloon."

I thought about what Kathy's balloon did, and this was my reply to her...

"It's ironic that the balloon got caught in a tree before it took off to the sky. Almost like how grandma died. She took off for the sky in September, but didn't make it (because of the attacks the next day). So she waited in the tree until it was safe. Just like we waited until now to bury her. Now she is free to go, just like the balloon when it broke loose from the tree."