Hamburg, AR

We took a trip yesterday with Mom to Hamburg, Arkansas. We wanted to find where my great-grandparents (her grandparents) were buried. We found the cemetery and it wasn't that hard to find! We found Grandma and Grandpa Hobbs and we even found Hogan and Margarette Hobbs which would have been my Grandma Lillie Mae's brother and wife. Their son drowned while rescuing his girlfriend from a creek. I can remember Grandma telling that story and being fascinated by it. She also would tell us stories about growing up in Hamburg. Her parents (Hughey and Clara Hobbs) owned a Cafe and Hotel in Hamburg.

Grandma told me of a story about sneaking into one of the "vacant" rooms with her girlfriend. They had been out too late that night and needed to sleep somewhere. The thing they didn't know was that it had been rented out already. Grandma said they snuck in and a man came out of the bathroom. She said that scared her and her friend and they never did that again!

She would also tell me stories about decorating her bedroom using old milk crates and fabric. I'm sure it was pink...because that was her favorite color. She got an A in her Home Ec class because she was such a great seamstress. I sure do miss her stories and her voice. She is the main reason I scrapbook. She bought me my first kit and I have been hooked ever since. I like to think that our someday children will know her and my PaPa because of what I put in my scrapbooks! I had the opportunity to ask her questions about her past...and I'm so glad I wrote it down. The Lord kept pressing me to finish this heritage scrapbook about them. I did, and took it to her in the nursing home. We talked while she flipped through the pages. It wasn't 2 weeks after that she started going down hill. I would never have known that information had I not asked and written it down...what a blessing to me!

Back to our trip...we also went on a hunt for an old cemetery. Mom wanted to find where Lillie Hundling was buried. She thinks that Grandma might have been named after her. She was a school teacher back in the 1800's. Well, we found a cemetery but not hers! This cemetery is down a dirt road in Berea, AR. There is NOTHING in Berea, AR. The cemetery was sad, but I loved some of the names. I'm sure Mom will make a doll about some of the women we found in the cemetery.

It was a historic day...and I learned a lot. I saw where my Great Grandparents went to church, and the corner of the square where they sold produce. I also heard of how "You couldn't fall without falling on a Foote" is what my great grandparents said. The Foote's are a big family in Hamburg. Well, Mom didn't think she had any family history being adopted but we proved her wrong. Her family history is just as interesting as Dad's side of the family! Thanks for taking us Mom!