Terrapin Station

William Lehnholf Marshall, A Renaissance Man

This story was compiled for the Finding Family contest in the San Angelo Standard-Times. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Mom and I were unable to meet in person, so this was dictated by her to me via her Facebook Portal. The entry won a special recognition and a $20 gift card to the wonderful local independent bookstore, Old Town Books.

By Mary Jane Butler as told to Mary Beth Butler

Today, I am 89 years old, and I have been a resident of San Angelo for over 20 years. This is home now, but I have come a long way, from a vastly different place. I was born in Tallahassee, Florida in 1931, into a large and close family. My paternal grandparents lived a few blocks away and were very much a part of my everyday life. Today, I particularly remember my grandfather, William Lehnholf Marshall, who was born on April 28, 1873, and died on March 26, 1957. His life was a rich tapestry of creativity and public service, with the sea always in the background.

Granddaddy was the sixth son of John Marshall, who came to America from Portugal on a whaling ship as a 10-year-old cabin boy. At that time in Portugal, the inheritance structure dictated that the oldest son received all the property, the second son would be destined for the military, and the third son was dedicated to the priesthood. John Marshall did NOT want to be a priest, so he went to sea.

He entered the United States in Baltimore, Maryland. The immigration officer couldn’t spell his Portuguese name, so they chose his new name in honor of the Supreme Court’s fourth Justice, John Marshall. In 1862 John married Miss Wilhelmina Lehnholf, an immigrant from Prussia.

John and Wilhelmina had seven sons and a daughter, of which my Granddaddy Will was the sixth child (born in 1873). John had served in the Navy, and in Baltimore, he had a good career as an oysterman. Sadly, though, things went wrong for John, and he left his wife and sons on their own.

To help support Wilhelmina (who was called Minnie) and the younger children, the older boys signed on with a traveling circus that moved across the United States. They were also looking for a new place to settle down. They experienced lots of places, but when they reached Apalachicola, Florida, and smelled the salt water, they knew they were home. Apalachicola is a port city, the seat of Franklin County, Florida, in the “Big Bend” region of the Florida Panhandle. The Marshall boys sent for their mother and began a life of seafaring and construction. They built many boats and many beautiful homes in the city, as well as doing masonry and concrete work.

Back in Baltimore, John Marshall served for seven years as a janitor at the Friends Gospel Mission on Light Street. He died on February 5, 1885 and was buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery.

As a young man in Apalachicola, Will Marshall was employed as a contractor and was also much engaged with fishing, shrimping, oystering, boat building, and other seagoing endeavors. In 1901, Will met Miss Grace Spiller, a belle of Tallahassee, who was serving as a nanny for some children in Carrabelle, Florida. He won her heart, and they were married at her mother’s home that May. They returned to their Apalachicola beach home to live. The home he built in Apalachicola is still occupied to this day.

When their first son, Lehnholf Spiller, was born in 1902, the consternation of the Tallahassee relatives and society was great! The distance between the two cities is only 75 miles, but in those days, that was a long trip. Within one year, the new family had moved back to Tallahassee. Lehnholf was my daddy, and their home was right across the street from that doting grandmother.

Will and Grace Marshall had three sons and a daughter. Will was a Boy Scout pioneer, a city commissioner, and Mayor of Tallahassee. He was also a 32^nd degree Mason and a leader of St. John’s Episcopal Church. The two stained glass windows on the back wall of St. John’s are dedicated to Will and Grace Marshall.

Before I could walk, Granddaddy and my daddy took me out onto the dock one day and my daddy tossed me into the water. The idea was to see if I would swim – my Granddaddy was right next to me for safety. I came up swimming!

Next door to Granddaddy’s house were two young boys. I knew them from school and we all played together. They were the same ages as my older cousin Grace and me. One of Granddaddy’s habits was to give us treats in the form of bread and butter and with sugar on top. As you can imagine we always gobbled it up. One day, he gave us the treat (or so we thought!) The two oldest took one bite and stopped. I stopped after two! The fourth child sat chewing stolidly, drooling as he ate. We had to tell him to stop eating: the treat was made with lard this time.

On his desk Granddaddy had a bone china skull with a detached lower jaw on a wire. He would set the jaw in motion and tell us it was saying, “Someday you’ll be just like me!” I knew I should be horrified, but I was fascinated. We’d always ask for him to make the skeleton do his thing before we went home from a visit.

I had a pet chicken and would put her in the basket of my bicycle and ride over to Granddaddy’s house to visit. He was always very amused to see me and my chicken.

My grandparents had a beach house at St. Teresa Beach, and we went to visit one or two times a month. My older cousin Grace and I were allowed to spend the night with them on our own because we were the oldest. It was a very great honor. Our friend Betty Ann Roberts lived down the beach and together we would put on plays. Everyone at the beach was requested to come and sit and watch. We’d climb in and out the porch window as a way of getting “on stage.” I remember Granddaddy just sitting and laughing.

Granddaddy also taught me not to dawdle over my food. He had tried everything he would think of to try to get me to eat faster. But I wouldn’t do it. So, he conspired with Grace and one morning after breakfast, he told Grace, “Okay, you can go swimming now. But Mary Jane, you have to stay here.” I protested! But he reminded me that not only had Grace finished her food, she had waited the required hour prior to swimming. I still had food on my plate and THEN an hour to go after I was done. What a sad lesson, and one I still remember!

One of my best memories of my life was singing on the porch together at the beach. We’d sing old songs from World War I like K-K-K-Katy, Keep the Home Fires Burning, and It’s a Long Way to Tipperary and others like Oh My Darling Clementine. We also sang lots of hymns.

When Social Security came in, Granddaddy told me, “I don’t need that, I have my own Social Security.” I said, “tell me about that.” He showed me an area behind his home where he’d built several small apartments and had planned on that as his retirement income. I’m sure he eventually accepted the payments from the government, too! The apartments were much in demand, because people who worked at the State Capitol always needed modest places to live.

After my daddy came home from World War II, he and Granddaddy built us a cinder block house down the beach about 2 miles. That house is still in my family, owned and maintained by my youngest daughter, and it is my idea of heaven on earth.

Granddaddy was an exceptionally talented carpenter and woodworker. I have a sheet of his business letterhead stationery which reads as follows: “W.L. Marshall Novelty Works. Termite Eradication. Tallahassee, Florida.” The following other items are noted: “Repair work a specialty” “Wire screens that work” “Cabinet Work of All Kinds” “Phone 121.” The footer states, “Marshall can do it!”

Grandma Grace died during the war. The daughter and daughters-in-law tried to help after her death so Granddaddy could remain in his home, but they had many responsibilities. The Marshalls had four female boarders in the upstairs bedrooms, and those ladies pitched in too. Mrs. Bessie Lee, a widow, was one of these. After some months, Will proposed marriage to her and she was his companion and caregiver until his death in 1957.

I genuinely believe that I led a charmed life in a loving and vigorous family. My grandfather and my father were both determined that the best thing for a child was to be exposed to boats and the ocean, and they were committed to providing those opportunities for their families. The influence of the Portuguese cabin boy remains strong in my family, extending to my grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I am grateful for William Lehnholf Marshall.

W.L. Marshall, Mayor of Tallahassee

 

W.L. Marshall, Senior Grand Commander, Knights Templar of Florida

 

Addison Marshall and Lehnholf Marshall, ca. 1904

 

Lehnholf Marshall, first gun, age 2

 

Four Generations: William Lehnholf Marshall, Lehnholf Spiller Marshall, Mary Jane Marshall Austin, and William Lehnholf Austin

 

Mary Jane Marshall Austin & William Lehnholf Austin, 9 mos.

 

Free Inhabitants in 1860

 

Sarah Elizabeth Brown Swarthout, enumerated in line 11, was my second great-grandmother; that is, my grandmother's grandmother. My great-grandfather, her son Richard Brown Swarthout, was not born until 1862, so he is not included in this census. 

She is physically real to me because I actually own a few beautiful coin silver spoons engraved with her maiden name. They were wedding gifts. And I have some of her wedding silver flatware, with her monogram on it. 

All this to say:

The census form is titled "Free Inhabitants" and I am not being able to get over that today. It covers me like a mantle of bricks. 

About time, I guess. 

This good reflection by my friend Rosa about the National Memorial for Peace and Justice is on my heart today too. 

 

 

 

 

Retirement

Retirement continues to be busier than working life. 

I think while you're working you say, "well, I don't have time for that!" and you don't even attempt it. But when you're retired you should have PLENTY of time!!

Not so much. Of course, I'm still working. 

AND:

I'm grateful for the opportunity to go be with my parents as much as possible. To be there for dr. appts and Father's Day and church. 

And for the opportunity to spend regular time with grandgirl Nash, and to take her and her mama and Baby sister Nova to spend time with my parents last week

To spend time with 2 of my sisters. The 3rd one, we have to make it happen! 

To take my parents to Lake Jackson in early July for Uncle Oliver's 100th birthday!

I am taking deep breaths. I want to remember how this feels. It feels lucky:

 

 

 

Looking back, looking forward

It's an anniversary kind of time. 

Yesterday was the 18th anniversary of my marriage to Ken Pritchett. I am still rather amazed that two such different people do so well together. We have worked for a long time on making things work as we have changed over the years. 

It was also the 1st anniversary of my retirement from the State of Texas. It's been a very stretching year, as I have learned what the work for STRIPES Parking Lot Service entails. I learn new things all. the. time. Working with my spouse is another learning curve, as is being away from the university setting which I had loved since 1983. 

Looking back on the past year, I've been spending a lot of time thinking of my parents in San Angelo and a good bit of time going there, being there, coming back. It's 270 miles each way. Their health has deteriorated in the past year, which is reasonable, given that they are 85 and 81. My retirement's biggest gift has really been in this area of my life. I am able to go urgently or regularly. I am able to spend time with them for dire matters and quotidian ones. And, I continue to work for STRIPES while I do it. I carry the company cell phone, equipped with a call recorder, and my laptop. Calls that come in while I'm on the road or busy are easily handled once I'm settled for the night. 

The daily work of STRIPES is very busy, but loose. I can run errands as needed. Yoga and personal appointments have priority and I work around them. I haven't kept a calendar since about last October. I started one in retirement, but I just didn't need it and quit. 

However: There has always been the plan that sometime this summer I would start keeping my 3-year-old granddaughter a couple of days a week. (and you need to see a picture of her, I know: 

Well, the day is coming! On June 12 we will begin our time together. And somehow, as that time drew near, I started to feel unmoored and a little panicked. So I went to Time and Date and printed out some nifty free calendar pages and filled them in. From June through December of this year. 

Of course - none of us know what will happen in the 7 months ahead! But I needed desperately to feel a modicum of control over some area of life. Because there are so many areas that feel wildly out of control - all of the above, and the larger world, too. 

I'm glad to look at the calendar and see some "just for me" things scheduled this month. Camping with Spooky Rach and Co., the Episcopal Women's Caucus meeting, and learning to quilt (with a group of friends to keep me accountable) will help. I continue to visit my Hospice patients, and I see my Enneagram-wise spiritual director monthly. 

I'm trying to do some writing every day, prelude to an evening Examen. I think that, along with the calendar, will help me stay in the road. Keep me attentive to productive doing. 

How are things going for you? 

Voting

The first time I voted was in a local election in Houston. I went with my mom and dad to Rummel Creek Elementary school.

I had my brand-new voter registration card which I'd received after my 18th birthday in April of 1983. 

We walked up to the school and the signs showed that the Republican primary was held to the right, and the Democratic primary to the left. 

My parents headed right, and I headed left. My dad looked back and said, "No, sweetie, over here..." and I said, "No, Dad, I'm voting Democratic." He shook his head and smiled and we all went about our business. 

Later, talking about this, my mom predicted that once I was making some money and the government was taking it from me, my politics would change. I was rather insulted by that at the time. Fortunately, I have gotten over the insult; it wasn't meant as one. And fortunately, my politics have not changed. I'm grateful to be the same me I always was. 

I feel passionate about voting. I ALWAYS vote. Mrs. Whatley, my high school Government teacher, made us promise we would always vote every time we had the chance. I've voted in some fairly obscure local elections I had no idea about, and had to do the research ahead of time because of it. 

Every time I vote, I say, "Mrs. Whatley, that was for you." 

This weekend I took my parents to vote. My mom is in a rehab facility and getting out is hard for her. After we got inside, we learned that curbside voting is available...they'd have brought the ballots out for my parents. Oh, well! we managed it. 

Here are my folks, getting ready to vote on Sunday in Tom Green County:

I would like to note that they are both prepared to cancel my vote (cast on Tuesday in Denton County). That's part of how voting works. 

Mrs. Whatley, this was for you. 

How can the Truth set us free if we can't find it?

Have you seen the recent article about the New Jersey man whose wife and girlfriend each published an obituary for him? They ran side by side in the local paper. You can read about it at this link. 

It's clear that Leroy Black was greatly loved by a lot of people and that they had different truths and different stories they want (and need) to tell about that. I'm praying for those people, who lost a man just four years older than me to lung cancer. 

The story particularly struck me because in my new retirement I've been spending time on Ancestry.com, and it's absolutely stunning how much is there now, compared to about five years ago, especially in terms of records and photos. I found a picture of my maternal great-grandfather. This is Charles Culbreath, 1871 - 1943. He has a very look of my grandmother in his eyes and mouth. 

  

I also found a Word document uploaded by someone (perhaps a relative of mine) that included an undated story from the Sumter County (FL) Times about his service on the Board of County Commissioners:

He was married in this county (few words are not legible) to Hattie Barren and they have made a comfortable and happy home about halfway between Sumterville and Bushnell. Charlie is a factor in politics in Sumter County, he never hesitates to roll up his sleeves and work with vim for whatever cause he believes to be right. 

In the same document, his obituary is reproduced, which reads in part: 

Due to the fact that he has lived in this county for nearly 60 years, he was known by many people and had many friends in all sections of this county and over the state.

Mr. Culbreath will be greatly missed by his many friends, as he was always very lively and had a word for every one. He was a kind and big hearted man, always ready to do anything, anytime or a friend in need.

The obituary goes on to list his surviving widow and six grown children, including my grandmother, and the entry finishes: "Our sympathy is extended to the bereaved family in their hour of sorrow."

Sounds standard. But when I read it, I gasped because: Charles Culbreath did not live with his family at the time of his death, and I don't think any of them were sorry for his passing. His wife had put him out many years before. My grandmother despised him. She hadn't seen him for years when he died, and she didn't want to go to his funeral or have anything to do with it; my grandfather insisted. My grandmother would never talk about it, but it's obvious that some very bad things happened to her in association with the man. She was a deeply scarred person.

I called my grandmother "Meme." She loved family history and made huge scrapbooks for her daughters with copies of family records. Her father is listed and pictured, as a fact. You would not know, if you looked at the scrapbook, that things were any different from the normal in that family, just as you would not know it from the obituary. 

*

And this is the story that I know about it, which I know from my mother, who is now 84. She knows a different version of this story, and so did my grandmother and her siblings, and so did Charles. 

It points out to me how the truth is an absolute, but the stories we tell and hear and remember about it vary infinitely because we all own some part of it: our own truth. 

In a world that (it seems to me) has clearly gone mad, where calling someone "evil" or "Lucifer" or worse has become part of daily national discourse, how can we discern the truth? The media has its own story to tell, and its own purposes for telling it so. An infinity of internet sources contribute to the confusion: "if I read it, it must be true." 

I don't know the answer. I don't. I wish I did. 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday Five: All The Things!!!!

Julie in Scotland says, at Revgals:

Gosh but the days are flying by!

I love this time of year – the days are lengthening now, and in my part of the world it means we have light from around 4am to around 9.30 pm – O Wondrous Light!!

What is occupying you this weekend? And what five words could you use to describe it? Play in the comments or on your own blog, and don’t forget to post a link so we can join in too!

(For those who may not have been following along at home, I'm in the last days prior to my retirement. After today, I'll have four more days of work.)

PACKING and PACKED. This weekend was intended to be very free and simple. On Saturday, I would go to Jazzercise, and was then going to pack up my office and get everything personal moved home, with the help of my husband. On Sunday, I was going to acolyte at one service and then my friend Val was coming over to help me unpack into the new home office.

BUT: it turned out that I need to attend a Safeguarding class each day, to ensure that I will be fully trained prior to going on a 2 day mission trip in July. I'm excited about the mission trip! It just seems like everything is happening all at once. There's also a brief acolyting gig on Sunday.

LIMINAL. I'm in that odd place where have so few work days left. I'm almost finished writing up standard procedures to leave behind; most of my personal detritus is in boxes. In my mind, I am partly here and I am already partly gone. Yesterday I did a great deal of the procedures work and it was just exhausting, emotionally. Yesterday evening Ken and I attended the 100 Club Banquet supporting our local police department. It was a great event and I ran into some former associates who were surprised to hear I was retiring. I was thrilled to tell them! But it's sad, too.

SUITCASE. My last day of work is Thursday. On Friday I head to San Angelo for my niece's high school graduation. I'm trying to figure out what to pack and what to leave home. Also, graduation gifts for the young lady who has everything...!!

FAREWELLS. As noted, I'll be acolyting on Saturday, at a funeral for a man I did not know. However, I know his wife slightly, and she has been extremely gracious to me. I'm honored to be able to serve in this capacity. Shortly after that, I'll be going on a trip with my parents, who are elderly. I am so greatly anticipating getting to spend unrushed time with them. They live 5 hours from me, and I know that every time I see them might be the last (before we meet in glory!). It's just a fact. So I want to sink into our oasis of family, in a treasured family place.

SELF CARE. I have just described how there is no extra time in the weekend, but I know that I must have it. Today, after my 5:30 Jazzercise class, I went to a pond in a park on my way home. I just parked there for 10 minutes, lowered the windows, opened the sunroof, and listened to the birds. It was incredibly revitalizing. I realized that I have been going like the Energizer Bunny for the past 2 months...since I decided to retire in early April. There has been so much to do, and I have neglected exercise and stillness. I don't think I'm going to make it 5 more days if I don't take some purposeful breaks. Or, I might...but it might not be pretty!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday Five: Graduation, Commencement, Here We Go!

 As posted by ME at RevGals:

This weekend I am in a West Texas town for the high school graduation of a nephew. I’m looking back over the 18 years and wondering where all that time went, since he was the highly adored first child of my younger sister.

 Little Saxon having a snack

 

 18-year-old Saxon at college commitment day

 

Because I work on a university campus that rents its facilities to dozens of local high schools, graduations have been a daily feature around here and will be for the next month.

So I’m thinking of beginnings and endings (which seem to come in pairs.) These could be graduations, retirements, new jobs, new family, changes of any kind…

Tell us about five notable commencements in your life / the lives of those you love). Pictures would be great if you have them!!

 

 1) Well, you already have one of mine from the above. Rain is forecast, and the graduation is outside, so we have our fingers crossed!

2) There's the time I left Bryan/College Station and Texas A&M and St. Francis Church and struck out on my own to move to Denton. I'd never moved alone before, except to go to college. Mercy. That was almost 20 years ago!

3) When my granddaughter was born a year ago, I got to see my boy become a dad. He is a wonderful one, and I'm very proud of all he is doing for her.

 A year ago...

 

4.

 

And now, she is thirteen months, and is beginning to walk. She still loves playing with daddy.

 

5. Hmm. Well, the only other new thing I can think of to tell you about is that I am going to volunteer for Vacation Bible School this year, since the church is offering it at night. I'm excited!

My Uncle Oliver talks about tithing

 

He is 97 years old.

So, what's new?

Robin is putting together a Wednesday Festival at RevGals and wonders what's new with folks. Soo:

This is an exciting week for me, because my EFM program group is starting tomorrow! We take the summers off. I've completed one year of this four-year program, and I wrote about it here, in April. I love the program because of relationships we form...the learning and reading and study are important, too, but the relationships are the key.

Also new: I'm doing a weekly study of Brian McLaren's We Make the Road by Walking with a dear friend.

And, I've joined a Mastermind group that meets for accountability once a month and shares goals, ideas, and support. :) Great fun. Helping me get on track to get healthier!!!

Coming attractions: new episodes of TV shows I love, including Mom and The Middle.

My parish has a search committee looking for a new rector and that person will hopefully be called soon. Our interim time has been fruitful and we are ready to move forward.

I have a new old car! It's a 2000 Buick Park Avenue and it's been greatly improved by a car wizard friend.

Okay, and finally: my granddaughter, Nash, is still really new (4.5 months), and I'm never going to miss an opportunity to show you a photo of her: