Miriam’s Epic “Genealogical Jingle”

Hilton Genealogical Jingle

Born in the canyon near Shepherd Creek

To Mother Mabel and Father Dave

Butler. Ernest and Earl, the Hilton boys

Grew up gifted with humor, brains and poise

First generation:

Butler, the Highway engineer,

Chose Cody’s Agnes as his bride so dear.

Ernest found Helen at Wyoming U.

And Earl in Iowa chose Miriam to woo.

In Pinedale, Jane, Kathy and Helen were born.

They always loved the Wyoming morn.

To Ernest and Helen were born Dick, Bob and Ken.

Their work in the vineyards made them all famous men.

While in Michigan, Ann, Sue, John, Maggie and Rob,

In Earl’s beloved U.P. made quite a mob.

These eleven first cousins called us all here today.

Let’s give them a shout, ”Hip, Hip, Hooray!”

Second Generation:

Butler’s Jane married Del and they taught overseas.

In England, Jennifer and Matthew grew like peas.

And Sister Kathy, leaving friend Chuck behind,

Taught round the world, Turkey, quickly comes to mind.

While Helen found that her legal degree

Could help service people, where’re they might be.

Ernest’s boys (all with Dad’s charm and good looks)

Became comptroller and lawyer who loved good books,

And teacher, too, good leaders, all.

They each responded to true love’s call.

Dick found Jane and Ken his Annie,

Jennifer chose Stacy from among the many.

And Bob brought Joan into the family.

Prof Earl’s family found true love, too.

Ann married Bill, John his Paula and Maggie her Steve.

Sue found Rachel in California’s air so fresh.

While Rob took bride Olivia to Bengladesh.

Researchers, lawyer, writer and diplomat,

They worked hard and wore many a volunteer hat.

Third Generation:

The grandchildren came and the family grew.

Butler’s Jane had Jennifer, Matthew, too.

Ernest’s Dick: Courtney, Jennifer and David

His Bob, first Alicia , then Melissa and Jennifer.

(All these Jennifers make my head whirl).

His Ken’s life was brightened by Kate and Meg.

(When I can’t make a rhyme, your patience I beg.)

Earl’s Ann added Betsy and Ed, John his Kati,

And Maggie, her Miriam and Jamie.

Last, Rob had Meredith and Aaron Earl,

With his grandfather’s name and his grandma’s curl.

Fourth Generation:

Second cousins found love and their families began.

Great grandchildren now, expanded the clan.

Butler’s Jane’s Jennifer married Andrew and, joy!

They had Rachel, then David, great grandfather’s boy.

Great grandmother Agnes delighted in both,

But was sorry that Butler had now left this earth.

Jennifer’s Matt married Shara, brought their Greta today

She’s our three year old princess, but we’re sorry to say.

That young sister Alex, with Mom at home had to stay.

Ernest’s Dick’s Courtney’s birthed Victoria, sweet

Husband Jon added Nate and Kyle for her to meet.

Now their Jack keeps them lively and loving until

Promised Peter fills up the family till.

Ernest Dick’s David and Laurie brought William and Lucy,

Like cousins Audrey and Clare, she’s smiling and juicy.

Ernest’s Bob’s Joan’s Melissa and Ron,

Added Lucas and Nate to the family barn.

Ernest’s Ken’s Kate and her Jon came with Rene and Clare

Sister Meg and her Tim brought dear Audrey to share.

Earl’s Ann’s Betsy and husband, Rish,

Added Dash and Wrenna to the family dish.

At this Jackson reunion, Ernest’s Helen’s the Queen.

Her three boys are here, with their wives and six kids.

Only Bob’s Alicia is missing, a new job her bids.

But her boyfriend, Randy, made T-shirts for all.

We’ll wear them for photos, the short and the tall.

Helen’s great grands are the true party stars,

Here in backpacks and strollers, by plane and in cars.

The babies’ sweet smiles, small boys’ cowboy hats,

Keep us chatting and laughing, giving each loving pats.

Earl’s Miriam’s here too, and her children, all five,

And Sue’s Rachel, Ann’s Bill, add their own bit of jive.

Of grandchildren, seven, only Aaron is here,

And he’s really enjoying third cousins so dear.

Too bad two great grand kids can’t be here today,

But we’ll be together sometime, come what may.

Grandparents kept kids so that parents could go.

All hiked, swam, and rode horses, watched the Rodeo.

We sang “Home on the Range” and the “Caisson Song”, too.

Loved Annie’s “We’re reuning with the Hiltons. ”It was brand new.

With chats, music and laughter the days quickly sped,

And each family soon, left for its own homestead.

But in 2010 in Wyoming, we were happy to mingle.

We’ll keep memories live with this genealogical jingle.

Great new photos from Kathy!

Kathy just sent me a couple of discs with some classic old photos.  Please feel free to label them!

Mabel Peterson Hilton

Mabel Peterson was my grandmother, and although she died before I was old enough to remember her, my parents and newborn sister Sue and I  lived in Sundance with her and grandpa (David) Hilton in 1950.  She was crippled by what she describes as “some kind of scelorsis” but determined to help support the family.  In addition to selling magazine subscriptions, she wrote many short pieces which she sent out to magazines and newspapers for possible publication.  Virtually all of them were about her family and community and they contain an incredible amount of valuable family history.  Thanks to Dick Hilton for keeping these all and sending them to me so I could share them with all.

One note:  Mabel was a firm believer in the simplified spelling movement (nice  1921 article about it by H.L. Mencken here http://www.bartleby.com/185/35.html ).  It’s not that she doesn’t know that most people spell the word “brought,” it’s that she thinks it should be spelled “brot.”

Two short poems by MPH 1951

Toll gates around Sundance by MPH 1951

Short bio of Sundance neighbor Mrs Roadifer MPH

Neighbor Ole Christiansen 1857 to 1937 MPH

MPH teaching on rabbit creek, early 1900s incomplete

MPH on her father’s tree claim on Medicine Flats (handwritten)

MPH memories of her mother, Ane Marie Sveigaard

MPH Christmas poem 1951

Kindly neighbors Christmas 1950 MPH

Jingles for gift cards, MPH 1951

I suspect, for example, that there’s a way to create photo albums.  I certainly hope so.

In the meantime, here are some photos we took from a trip to Wyoming in 1985.

The Hewes had a ranch just west of Sundance and, unlike the Hilton ranch, theirs had reliable water and thrived. Mabel Hilton sometimes taught in the school house on the ranch property.

As you can tell, I’m still feeling my way around this blog, but we’ll work on it.  Here are my father (Earl Hilton’s) memoirs, starting with some family history before he was born and continuing through his first years in Marquette in the early 1950’s.    Earl Hilton’s Memoirs

Here’s a taste–memories of Beulah ”

We lived in one of the better houses in town, formerly the home of the town’s grocer. It came to us after he shot his wife, her lover, and himself. It had a rosewood player piano, and hop vines growing on the porch. No flush toilet, but the usual outhouse. Water came from Sandcreek. We had a little pier jutting out into the creek, and dipped the bucket from there. We fished from the pier too, and up and down the creek. From the opening of the trout season till the end of school, and from beginning of school to end of trout season, Mother bought no meat. We substituted trout, caught with worms and cane poles. Sand Creek remains what is called a blue ribbon trout stream, and land along it now must be highly expensive.

Dad came down from the ranch from time to time. I could tell he was there before I saw him, from the smell of his cigar. When the school needed a Christmas tree he cut one at the ranch, brought it to school and set it up in the yard.

It was in Beulah that I heard a newer generation of songs; I remember “Yes, We Have no Bananas Today, and “It Ain’t Going to Rain no More.”

In Beulah, Butler organized the students in an engineering project: digging caves in the clay creek bank, and paths connecting them. Resembled the Indian ruins in Colorado, small scale. At the ranch, when snow piled up against the rimrock, we dug tunnels in it.

In the summers we returned to the ranch. It was a lonely place, about a mile by road to the nearest home in two directions, and to the south nothing but national forest for ten miles or more. Nobody drove or rode or walked up the canyon oftener than once in two weeks, or so. My Mother felt the isolation.

It's either 1975 or 1981, because I'm pregnant. But if it's 1975, then Anne should be equally pregnant and if it's 1981, then where's Betsy?

 

Wyoming Hilton Reunion

Here are all the details from Kathy

Date and Place:
We will be meeting in Jackson, August 4 – August 7; check out on the 8th. Cowboy Village Resort (307-733-3121)

http://www.townsquareinns.com/cowboy-village

I booked a number of Single queens, (one queen bed with a sofa sleeper) ; some Queen bunks –two queen beds on top of each other with a sofa sleeper, and a couple of Double Queen Deluxe..two queen beds in the sleeping area and sofa sleeper in the living area. It’s a wonderful location, .individual cabins in a park-like setting, kitchenettes in all cabins, BBQ grills on private decks, swimming pool, group picnic area, near the town square but far enough away to be quiet. Sadly, no special rate.

Need more information? Log on to http://www.townsquareinns.com All our rooms are reserved under Hilton reunion. If you want one of these rooms, the reservation must be complete by June 1. If these rooms aren’t what you are looking for, remember, Jackson is a tiny place so feel free to book in anywhere. Cowboy Village will be a great place for everyone to rendezvous.

Tentative Schedule: Plan on a get-together catered picnic the evening of Aug. 4. and a final BBQ (or something) the evening of August 7. We have a large conference room reserved that night at Cowboy Village.

Pictures: Ann Fisher has kindly offered to produce family photo CD –the conference room has AV equipment so we can all watch and have copies. My idea is for each family or each individual to submit 10-15 photos of what’s been happening since the 1991 reunion..we could also toss in some a number of older pics. . Please ask Ann which format she would like to use, I have a few Pinedale slides from Mother’s collection I’ll scan and have included. So. Don’t forget to get your pictures to Ann!

Other ideas:?? We need some.

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