Box Full Of Letters: Thank You

Thank you card from John and Lillian Brannock to their granddaughter, Betty Rae (Filla) Lundy.

When Certificates Were Given For Penmanship

Cursive is becoming yet another lost art form.

When I found this, I had to share it:

Olin Ferrer, the recipient of this Certificate of Progress, is my paternal grandfather, Robert Olin Ferrer. My dad, Charles Olin Ferrer has always spoken of how beautiful his handwriting was. 

 

I found it only fitting to share a Valentine's Day card that my dad gave to his parents back in 1959. Even in a gift did the Blessed Sacrament nuns have the children showcase their arithmetic and penmanship skills. Not to mention a thank you for all of the money they have given to the school!

 

 

 

 

 

Box Full of Letters: Cheap Frying Chickens!

I seem to have an interesting collection of letters, some written to me, some written to people by people that I have never met, and some written to people I know by people I will never know. I thought it would be fun to start a series:

Box Full of Letters

I decided to start this series with this treasure. It is written to my Great Grand Uncle Herbert "Bert" Brannock.
I assumed this was written by a Harty family member by the last initial "H" written at the bottom. When I met Paul Harty Jr., I asked who he thought this could be from and this was his answer:
"By the way, the Harty that sent a note to one of your relatives, appears to be Ernest, and if so that is Ernest Hampton Harty, a great uncle. My father's middle name "Hampton" came from him and I was named after my father, so I am Paul Hampton Harty Jr. Great Uncle Ernest is dead now. He moved to Florida and died down there in early 2000. He always appeared to be joking around, and that little note appeared to be from someone who like to "kid" people. Uncle Ernest was one of those guys, but also very prim and proper when he needed to be."

Samuel Malcolm "Mickey" Brannock: A Letter From Guadalcanal 1944

Samuel Malcolm "Mickey" Brannock, 14 Oct 1914 - 1 Mar 2010,  was the son of Frank A. and Betty (Harty) Brannock. Born and raised in Bloomfield, Missouri, Mickey was a star of the basketball team at Bloomfield High School. My Great Aunt Bebe even related this to me when I "interviewed" her on our family history back in 1994. My grandmother, Mary Elizabeth (Brannock) Filla was very found of her Uncle Mickey and loved to share stories about him remembers my Aunt Betty Rae (Filla) Lundy.

Mickey Brannock was a veteran of WWII, serving in the South Pacific and attained the rank of Sargeant. He was a disabled American veteran, member of the American Legion 44, and VFW 1114.

I found a few pieces related to Mickey in my beloved scrapbook and wanted to share them.

This is the first that I located, a sweet artist rendering of Mickey as a baby:

 Bloomfield High School basketball team including newspaper blurb of Mickey's high points scored!

I also located a letter that was published in the Bloomfield Vindicator written by Mickey thanking the anonymous person that had mailed him a copy of his hometown newspaper.

 

Courtesy of marshallfoundation.org

Courtesy of usmilitariaforum.com

 

Quartermaster Insignia stamped on each flour bag. Photo courtesy of qmmuseum.lee.army.mil

 

Admiral Harry Lafayette Harty, Jr

Admiral Harry Lafayette Harty, Jr.

 

Admiral Harry Lafayette Harty, Jr is my second cousin, twice removed. I am incredibly proud to share one iota of DNA with this man. 

Thank you again to Mr. Paul Harty, Jr. for the photograph and the history of the Admiral's life. 

Harry Lafayette Harty, Jr. was born on 25 July 1917 in Gray's Point, Lawrence County, Missouri to Harry Lafayette Harty Sr. and Terzah (Mechin) Harty. He married Joan Brown and together they had four children. Admiral Harty died on 15 August 1986 in Duval County, Florida. 

Harry Lafayette Jr., son of Harry Lafayette Sr., son of Alfred Lafayette Harty, son of William C Harty. William C Harty was father to my 2nd Great Grandmother, Sarah Elizabeth "Betty" Harty.

Admiral Harty started his military career at VMI (Virginia Military Institute) in Lexington, Virginia and was then accepted at the U.S. Naval Academy in 1935 and graduated from there in 1939. He served in WWII, the Korean War, and also the Vietnam War before retiring after 39 years of service.

He served on board the USS Saratoga; was on the staff of the Supreme Allied Powers under the command of Field Marshal Montogomery; in Naval Operations for NATO and served as the Military Advisor to George Herbert Walker Bush. He won two Distinguished Service Medals, two Legion of Merits awards and retired in 1974. 

VMI 1930's

U.S. Navy

 

Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery (center).

Navy Distinguished Service Medal