Celebrating 150 years

For 150 years, there have been Averys in Nebraska. That's longer than Nebraska has been Nebraska. And we're not proud of that fact at all.

Phineas Orlando Avery came to Nebraska in 1866 after completing his service in the Union Army. He fought for a unit in Illinois, where he lived then. He chose land in Richardson County, Nebraska, which is the most southeast county in the state today. The house, which is currently home to Uncle Dan and Aunt Debbie, was built in 1883. According to Aunt Debbie's presentation (more about those later), P.O. planted a grove of maple trees after buying the land. When the trees were mature, he used them to fire the sod bricks that make up the house. Cool! I didn't know that. So, technically, the brick house is a sod house.

Mom says this well is the oldest thing on the farm.
Homesteaders needed water, of course, so wells would have
been one of the first things installed.

The farm passed from P.O. and Angeline to Harry and Nellie, my great-grandparents. Harry was kicked in the head by a horse and spent his final years in a hospital. Mom remembers going to see him when she was little, but she says he didn't say a whole lot when they came. Nellie and her sons, Wilbur and Jesse, ran the farm. I remember Great-Grandma. She died when I was about 4. She was, of course, extremely old to a 4-year-old. I remember being a little afraid to touch her because I was afraid she would crumble.

Jesse and Jean (my grandparents) took over from Nellie and lived upstairs in the brick house with their six kids. Nellie lived downstairs. I can only imagine what a family of six must have sounded like on the second floor. Actually, I know what a family of six must have sounded like - I used to live downstairs from one! Eventually, the families traded floors, although the bedrooms remained upstairs.

Today, Dan and Debbie live in the brick house. They've done quite a bit of work to keep the house in good shape and restore what they can. The house looks awesome, but I'm a little biased.

As many of the Avery descendants as could came to the farm on July 2 to celebrate. Attendees ranged in age from 70s to less than six months. The party started with food, of course, and included ice cream, which is part of the Avery family bylaws.

Actually, the party started with music, which is not really a surprise. Grandma (Jean) was a very musical person, and some of the in-laws are also musically gifted. We sang "America the Beautiful" and "Amazing Grace." If I'd been thinking about it, I'd have shot a little video so you could hear it.

After we ate, we had school. Well, sort-of school. Mom and Aunt Debbie organized "classes" for the kids. Each session focused on an aspect of the farm's history. Mom talked about homesteads - what they were and what was required to get one. Uncle Dan talked about old-fashioned farm equipment and practices. Aunt Debbie talked about the house, its construction and features. Aunt Ginger got to talk about P.O. and Angeline and their history. Aunt Vivian shared information about Harry and Nellie, and Aunt Cindy had the task of introducing Jesse and Jean to a generation who may not have met them.

Debbie told her classes about the house itself -
its construction and the planning P.O. put into it.

Elaine's task was to explain what a homestead was
and what people had to do to get one. She is pictured
with Etta, Phinny, Ryan, Jorja and Julia.

Dan explains how the old planter worked and
how corn was harvested and shucked as Judah listens.

Ginger tells Etta and Jorja about P.O. and Angeline Avery's
journey to Nebraska where they homesteaded in 1866.

Vivian shows Lilah a picture of Harry and Nellie Avery,
Vivian's grandparents, who were the second generation
to live on the farm.

Cindy shares information about Jesse and Jean Avery,
her parents, with Chani and Thad Avery.

We (the "big kids") were allowed to listen in if we wanted to, so I did and even learned a thing or two. Like about the bricks, as I said before. As per Avery tradition, we finished the day with family pictures - despite the rain. That was something Grandpa (Jesse) always did, and it was always the harbinger of separation when I was growing up. When Grandpa wanted us to line up for pictures, we knew it was time to go home. And none of us wanted to. If we could escape following the pictures, even for a few brief moments, we would. So, here we all are. I've tried to list names, and if I got any wrong or spelled wrong, I'm sorry.

We're quite a group, no? I heard 48 as a total, but more
may have snuck in. And I'm sure those who weren't here
physically were here in spirit.
Sorry about the streaks - it was raining.

The Avery siblings, from left:
(front row) Dan Avery, Sue Bigelow and Elaine Croston; and
(back row) Ginger Anderson, Vivian Freeman and Cindy Andrews.

The Bigelows, from left:
(first row) Abel, Amissa, Jodah and Phinny Bigelow;
(second row) Etta, Jeana, Abby Jean and
Sue Bigelow and Julia Fedele; and
(third row) Jonathan and LaVerne Bigelow.
We were missing Rob, Debbie, Jenny, Jesse, Hannah, Emily
and Justine Hitt and Michael, James and Mike Fedele.

The Crostons, from left:
(first row) Lilah Muldrow and Erin Ruggiero;
(second row) Ryan Ruggiero, Elaine Croston, Dru Croston and Brenden Ruggiero;
(third row) Mark Ruggiero; and
(fourth row) Ken Ruggiero, Alissa Ruggiero, Rachael Croston, Andrew Croston
and Stephanie Croston. We were missing Nathan, Amanda, Avery and Emma Croston.
(I'll photoshop them in later. Ha, ha.)

The Averys, from left:
(first row) Chani, Lucy, Ren and Jorja Avery;
(second row) Thad, Dan, Debbie and Daphne Avery and Kirsten; and
(third row) Tessi, Seth, Luke, Levi and Nicole Avery.
We were missing Mark, Anna and Sam Hayes.

The Andersons, from left, Ginger and Ed Anderson and Joanna Whitmore.
We missed Mike, Becky, Felicity, Ellie, Adam, Kate and Gabriel Osborne,
Dan, Megan, Alaythia and Serenity Anderson and James Whitmore.

The Freemans, from left, Bill, Vivian and Joseph. We were missing Tim.

The Andrewses, from left:
(front row) Lindsay, Julia, Tyler and Cindy; and (back row) Dick and Mitch.

Sorry, Mom, but I have to say this, and I think in this case it's actually true. A good time was had by all. I think we all tried to at least say hello to everyone. I wish I could've had more time to really talk to more people, but with the rain forcing activities indoors, there wasn't a lot of room for uninterrupted conversations. It was fun to see the next generation of cousins making friends with each other and playing together. It reminded me of my own childhood (nostalgia alert here). Most of the cousins near my age were boys, so I didn't play with them a whole lot. They were *boys,* after all.

But when the Bigelows came to the farm, Julia (who is a couple years older than I) generously played with me. We'd go find our mothers' dolls upstairs in the girls' old bedroom and make up stories with them. Julia always played with Ruth Ann, and I always played with Betsy. That was how it had to be, you know. It wouldn't have been right if I'd played with Ruth Ann and Julia had played with Betsy. The space-time continuum would have torn, and life as we know it would have ended.

So, here's a look at the future of the Avery family. Cuteness overload may ensue - you've been warned.

If it's summer and cousins are together at the farm,
there's a ball game of some type going on.
Mark and Ryan were playing baseball with Thad
while waiting for lunch to be served.

Thad was the pitcher.

Not sure about Levi's form, but it will come, right?

Yes, Dru, this is what rain in Nebraska feels like.

I'm calling this my Laura Ingalls Wilder picture.
If you've read "Little House in the Big Woods," you know what I'm talking about.
The babies this year are, from left,
Abby Jean Bigelow, Daphne Avery and Julia Andrews.

 We kept the party going back at Mom's as Andrew celebrated his birthday. Happy birthday!

It was also Andrew's birthday, as you may have guessed by the presents and birthday hat.

Lilah and Erin perform an original song composed for Andrew's birthday
as Andrew enjoys the music.

All in all, it was a good day.

Oh, and the Avery marker that was installed that day has already been designated as permanent second base.