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Archiver > HANDCART > 1997-12 > 0882388292
From: "Judy Tanner" <>
Subject: Momon Colonies
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 12:51:32 -0700
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My GGrandfather and wives lived in the Mexican colonies. Just to give =
you a peek into the lives during that time I have decided to share some =
excerpts from their lives.=20
"The first town in which Will and his family settled was Colonia =
Diaz, named in honor of Porfirio Diaz, President of Mexico."
"While living in their wagons and tents they began building small =
homes of adobe. These blocks of dried mud (with straw and horse hair =
mixed in to hold them together) were about 12" x 18" x 4" in size and =
required much effort to move around and put ito place."
"The first home the Merrell family buillt in Colonia Diaz was a =
tw0-room adobe house. Each wife had a room for herself and her children. =
The tent that had sheltered them earlier was torn up and used for =
ceilings to hide the inner side of the sod roof. The walls were =
whitewashed, and it was very pleasant and comfortable. When the first =
hard rain fell, the roof leaked and trickles of mud ran down the white =
walls. Whether that house was finished or not before an earthquake =
occurred on May 8, 1887, is not known. Reports of the trembler told of =
structural damage to many of the adobe buildings in Diaz."
"Though they lived in a dusty part of the world, Mary recalled how =
clean and white her mother's bed was kept in each house they inhabited."
"Later on, probably about 1895 or early 1896, Fannie's part of the =
family moved into a two story house built on the farm. It had pine =
floors, which were always kept scrubbed so clean that, in Mary's words, =
"you could eat off them." After their mother wove rag carpeting for the =
living room, the children helped gather clean straw to put on the floor =
for padding under the rug. mary recalled spending many evenings as =
children sitting on the rug as they ate parched corn roasted over the =
coals of the fireplace."
"During its formative years, the town of Colonia diaz had a =
community well. May wrote about having to draw water from it using a =
long pole with a bucket attached."
"Food was not always plentiful, though, as there were droughts that =
cheated them of their crops and made them use their ingenuity to keep =
the family fed with the limited foodstuffs available. Their staples were =
corn, beans, and molasses made from sorghum. Cornbread, good or bad, was =
the staff of life. When this bread was made with vinegar, water, soda, =
salt, and cornmeal, only a big appetite could prounounce it savory; but =
when made with butter, cream and eggs and a little flour, it was fit for =
a kin. A popular dish for supper, dubbed "THIS" was made by adding =
finegar and molasses to cool pump water, crumbling cornbread into it and =
eating it like bread and milk. As a dessert "THIS" was occasionally =
thickened to a consistency of white sauce and served like gravy over =
cornbread sweetened with molasses."
I hope this has given a little insight to the type of life they lived in =
the Colonies. It wasn't easy, but they seemed happy and it formed great =
character in my ancestors which hopefully has been passed down the line. =
My Merrell ancestors (which is my maiden name) are some of the best =
people in the world I feel. Very giving and loving to everyone. Merry =
Christmas to all.
=20
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<BODY bgColor=3D#b8b8b8>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>My GGrandfather and wives lived in the Mexican =
colonies. Just=20
to give you a peek into the lives during that time I have decided to =
share some=20
excerpts from their lives. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2> "The first =
town in which=20
Will and his family settled was Colonia Diaz, named in honor of Porfirio =
Diaz,=20
President of Mexico."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2> "While =
living in their=20
wagons and tents they began building small homes of adobe. These blocks =
of dried=20
mud (with straw and horse hair mixed in to hold them together) were =
about=20
12" x 18" x 4" in size and required much effort to move =
around=20
and put ito place."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2> "The first =
home the=20
Merrell family buillt in Colonia Diaz was a tw0-room adobe house. Each =
wife had=20
a room for herself and her children. The tent that had sheltered them =
earlier=20
was torn up and used for ceilings to hide the inner side of the sod =
roof. The=20
walls were whitewashed, and it was very pleasant and comfortable. When =
the first=20
hard rain fell, the roof leaked and trickles of mud ran down the white =
walls.=20
Whether that house was finished or not before an earthquake occurred on =
May 8,=20
1887, is not known. Reports of the trembler told of structural damage to =
many of=20
the adobe buildings in Diaz."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2> "Though they =
lived in a=20
dusty part of the world, Mary recalled how clean and white her mother's =
bed was=20
kept in each house they inhabited."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2> "Later on, =
probably=20
about 1895 or early 1896, Fannie's part of the family moved into a two =
story=20
house built on the farm. It had pine floors, which were always kept =
scrubbed so=20
clean that, in Mary's words, "you could eat off them." After =
their=20
mother wove rag carpeting for the living room, the children helped =
gather clean=20
straw to put on the floor for padding under the rug. mary recalled =
spending many=20
evenings as children sitting on the rug as they ate parched corn roasted =
over=20
the coals of the fireplace."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2> "During its =
formative=20
years, the town of Colonia diaz had a community well. May wrote about =
having to=20
draw water from it using a long pole with a bucket =
attached."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2> "Food was =
not always=20
plentiful, though, as there were droughts that cheated them of their =
crops and=20
made them use their ingenuity to keep the family fed with the limited =
foodstuffs=20
available. Their staples were corn, beans, and molasses made from =
sorghum.=20
Cornbread, good or bad, was the staff of life. When this bread was made =
with=20
vinegar, water, soda, salt, and cornmeal, only a big appetite could =
prounounce=20
it savory; but when made with butter, cream and eggs and a little flour, =
it was=20
fit for a kin. A popular dish for supper, dubbed "THIS" was =
made by=20
adding finegar and molasses to cool pump water, crumbling cornbread into =
it and=20
eating it like bread and milk. As a dessert "THIS" was =
occasionally=20
thickened to a consistency of white sauce and served like gravy over =
cornbread=20
sweetened with molasses."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>I hope this has given a little insight to the type =
of life=20
they lived in the Colonies. It wasn't easy, but they seemed happy and it =
formed=20
great character in my ancestors which hopefully has been passed down the =
line.=20
My Merrell ancestors (which is my maiden name) are some of the best =
people in=20
the world I feel. Very giving and loving to everyone. Merry Christmas to =
all.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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