Casper, Wyoming is having SNOW. Casey Jones my Grand Dad.

Carl Fremont JONES, was the father of our Dad,  Ray Dee Jones.  Casey as he was called by most of his friends was the son of Calvin Fay JONES and Hannah Young JONES.  Granddad Casey was from a very interesting family lineage. His lineage is as fascinating as his life was.

He had an awesome personality and his love shined through when he would stay with us and work with my younger siblings.  Example:  One day my brother Lucky was crying because something did not work right for him. He was about 7 years of age if I recall right.  Being very upset. The tears came down in torrents.  Granddad leapt out of his chair at the kitchen table, went quickly to the kitchen counter and grabbed a pint jar Mom had ready to use canning. He rushed to Lucky and said, " We got to catch them steers we can not let them get away."   My brother was so startled he instantly stopped crying and asked Grandpa what he said. Being repeated, he told Grandpa they were tears. End of subject. No more tears (steers).  I often wonder if my brother remembers this, he used to when we would be together and talk about our childhood.

Granddad had a great quick wit about him and a very compassionate heart if you let your self get to know him.

His early life was smooth but after he became a young adult his world went beserk.  Granddad was
23 or near that age at his fathers death.  (His father was a CW Veteran and lost his brother in same battle that nearly took him.)

We were told Carl had schooling abroad for being a Chef.  When he came home he met a person he loved until the day he died.  It created a horrible stir. { I have yet to learn how to prove his abroad schooling.} My Dad inherited his cooking knifes, no idea who took the knifes. I did not see them when we were separating items to share.

Due to having an Uncle(Charles JONES) take him with his sweetheart to Blue Mound, Min. for marriage in a horse and buggy. The fireworks began.  Great Granddad was gone and the parents left alive of the married couple fought over who married beneath whom.  They were disowned for a period of time which did not help them to succeed in life.  I have always felt had their families supported them, many things would have been different. I spent hours talking  to Granddad's children about what caused the break up and no make up.

I loved both my Grandparents and they both had unique personalities. Guess I will write about Grandma tomorrow.

Granddad Casey Jones worked on a cattle ranch when he came to Wheatland, Wyo, shortly after Dad was born in Iowa.  They had no support in Iowa and a cousin had offered to give them a hand to get started in life in Wyo. I have the name of the ranch written down somewhere.  Dad many years later worked for the same cattle ranch. It was a huge concern in Wyoming. As did my Dad's brother and other family members.
After Granddad and Grandmom split, things got very bad for the children and Casey would send clothes to the house for the children.  They never got to wear anything sent by their father.

Life moved forward and lots of horrid things happened.

My Dad met my Mom and they married and moved to Greybull, Wyo.. later we moved to CA.

From small I remember Dad talking about his father often, quietly and softly wondering if he was okay and where was he.  Dad was about 8 or 9 when the divorced happened and the neighbors helped the children to get to school, finally giving up on schooling Dad started working at the Swan Land and Cattle Co. Ranch. Granddad had been there also, then other things happened.

So by the time I was 10 we were on the road on weekends when time would permit or money for gas was available looking for Dad's Uncle Monte. He knew he had come to California, northern part.

Finally one day while at school Mother Superior came into class and asked for me. I had to pack up my books and we (Sis and I) were to meet Dad on the sidewalk as he came to pick us up and head home.   She had gotten homework for a week and we learned of this afterwards.

When we got in the truck Dad was excited, someone had called him from Wyoming and found his father. He had not seen him since he was about 10 or so. We were on our way home to go to Wyoming to meet our Grandfather.  My Dad was so excited and cried and laughed and we rushed through chores and the neighbors took over the ranch chores. Mom had that end under control.
(We went to school  30 minutes plus from home.)

We got to Wheatland and slept that night it was 18 hour run with Mom and Dad taking turns driving and a 5 hour stop in SLC to tell his Sis and get a few hours sleep. 23 hours total.

The next morning we were up early on the way to Casper, Wyoming.  Mom was excited because she had an Aunt and Uncle that lived there also she would be able to see. It was pretty intense and exciting.  We stated 3 days visiting with Mom's kin and Dad's  father.

I remember getting near Casper and the oil smell was so strong.  Dad drove down the street to the motel that my Granddad lived in.  We parked, Dad got out and we all stayed in the truck.  Granddad answered the door.  Dad said who he was, Granddad said, " I know who you are, I have always watched you grow up and start a family".  " Is your family with you?" Dad said," okay every body get out."   We leapt out of the truck and we went to give our new found Grandfather a hug and Dad was in such tears, Mom was crying. I remember it sometimes like it was yesterday.

We got to know him those last few years he lived. He came to visit us and shared his unique humor with us. Shared many tips with Mom on cooking. Mom was thrilled with those tips.  We got about ten years of sharing before he died after I had married and had children.

He worked as a ranch hand, horse trainer, sheepherder, chef, and other crafts that he could do to survive.  When older his health was bad and he had pneumonia often.

He visited us as often as we could afford to have him come or we went to Wyo to see family.

Some of the horrid things that happened in his life I have left out for everyone's sake.

Hurt can cause horrible things to happen when one does not understand the cause.

Dad did reunite all his siblings with their Father.  Being the oldest he remembered things that
they only partially recalled with slanted views. I spent many hours talking with my Uncle
who lived near me most my adult life about his parents and the family. I shared lots of conversations with my Aunt Bethel and Aunt Etta about family, and talked a small amount with Aunt Muriel

We lived and worked at Aunt Etta's early on in CA. Aunt Bethel's husband was military and we shared military life always since she was so close in age to me.  We even shared a birth date of my second born and her last born. We were stationed near each other at times also. Aunt Muriel lived away more and I was an adult before I really got to know this Aunt.  I cared for my Uncle (USN) through his cancer and death.  Dad died in 1995 the first one to go.

Somewhere in trunk I have a whole page of Granddad's witty comments.  Need to get the trunk unlocked.

The last thing Granddad said to me was; " I loved your Grandmother when I first met her and I will love her to my dying day,"   He was in bed with pneumonia July 1958.  He died 12 March 1962.
He was born 10 October 1887 in Ia.  Either in Blackhawk Co. or Chickasaw Co.  His Mom lived in Chickasaw Co. and Grandma's parents were in Blackhawk Co.