Allan Hale Family News
Allan's musings about family life, geneology work, personal history, and more!
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Sunday, November 24, 2013
I'VE LOST 56+ POUNDS
Friday, December 23, 2011
Christmas Memories of Allan Hale - aka Like it usta be.
Friday, December 9, 2011
The final resting place of my father, W. Stanley Hale
W. Stanley Hale April 5, 1936 Lewis Field, Durham N.H. |
I was not involved in dad's decision process to be cremated and where to spread his ashes - it was a decision between Mom and Dad. (I personally believe that economics was the primary reason.) However, with that said there is a lot more to it. Dad loved Newry, Maine.
My sister, Joan, shared some insight:
"Pa love the woods and mountains. So when he retired they traveled for several years until Pa's health wasn't good. Then they were able to buy a piece of property in Newry, Maine. He had been going hunting in this area since before I was born. In fact, after staying in a hunting cabin for years he began staying with the family that owned it all. So it was like going home to him. They built this cute house that was high enough up to look off at the mountains. Everyday (weather permitting) he would go out doors and walk. He cut wood and planted gardens etc.
In fact in the winter he would build snowmobile trails. He belonged to a club that would go trail riding with Gramma Hale standing on a sled in back of his snowmobile. Can you imagine? Remember he was young when he died so these could be done when he was that age. He just had a bad heart.
Now, on the years Gramma Hale went with him they would go and he would carve their initials and the year on this tree. That was way back in their younger days before they moved up there. We saw many of his initials and dates on that tree. So it was Pa's desire to have his ashes spread around this tree on the mountain he loved.
Stan's tree in Newry with most recent family visit by his daughter, Joan, marked (2000)
The year we went (as you can see from the photo) was 2000 and the tree was still there. It's quite a trip up there. You can drive so far in a 4 wheel vehicle and then walk a ways. The family hoped the tree would stay but most of the older family members are now gone. We haven't been up there since 2000.
My oldest son, Eric, had a very poignant observation:It is a beautiful part of the country and I see why my parents (especially my Father) picked that place. It really has a special feel when we go up there. Every year I say I'm going back, but haven't."
"Regarding Pa's cremation. I remember a very vivid conversation with him when I was young teen visiting in Newry. He told me that he did not want a grave because there are better things to do with the land. Future generations will need it. It seemed very poignant considering his background in agriculture. When I asked him “what about people who might want to visit your grave?” He said "They can come here and visit me."
That's how I remember it."
"An event that started out quite small shaped the way for a change in our lives much later. In the fall of 1947 Tilford Cocks, who was a 4-H Club agent, went to Maine for deer hunting. He took his wife and son Lewin, who was eight years old. They drove up to some cabins where Tilly had stayed in previous years. The proprietor said there were no vacancies. He suggested that they drive up the road about seven miles where a farmer named Fred Wight had some cabins and he might have one for rent. They did and a cabin was available. They rented it.In 1947 was a very dry year in Maine and there were some terrible forest fires. The town of Bar Harbor was burned and much woodland around Bridgeton was also burned. Because of this the State of Maine ‘slapped a ban on’. This meant no hunting. Tilly stayed as long as he could, hoping that the no hunting ban would be lifted but he had to come home. When he came back into the office he said he hoped to go back and I said I would like to go with him.When we heard that it had rained and the woods were again open we called the Wights. They said their cabin had been rented to some one else but they had a room in their farm home and although they didn’t take in ‘sports’ we would come. So we drove up and came to the Wight’s home. The room we slept in had been their son’s room and he was in the service.I well remember that first evening. We were rather ill at ease, not knowing each other. Mrs. Wight wanted to know what we did. Tilly told her he was a 4-H Club Agent and I said I was a County Agricultural Agent and that broke the ice. Mrs. Wight was a 4-H club leader and active in Home Extension. Mr. Wight had taken part in agricultural work and was Community Committeeman for the Agricultural Conservation Program. We stayed there about a week.I had one incident in the woods that was real amusing. Tilly and I were standing near together and we saw a deer. Tilly raised his gun and fired. I aimed at the deer and jacked all the shells through my gun and never pressed the trigger! That was what is called ‘buck fever.’ I did not get a deer that year but Tilford did.Following that year Tilford and I went up there again and for several years and then I took Doris up. Joan and Marcia went on one trip. We began to form a friendship that just built up. Fred and Ida were in their 60’s and they had four sons. Willard was in the Forestry Department. Paul worked on the state highway and Owen the youngest, was attending Gould Academy in Bethel. Following a hitch in the Army he married Sue Brook, who had been widowed and had three small children. George, the oldest son died of cancer.We became quite close to the family and they ‘adopted’ me. I helped Fred with an income tax problem and as a result he became eligible for Social Security. Later I again helped him with another problem—an inheritance. These helps gained me the confidence of the sons for Fred was becoming blind.The Bear River Valley in Newry, Maine is located about 15 miles from the New Hampshire line. At the west end of the valley is Grafton Notch, a pass through the mountains and the road passes Lake Umbagog—one of the Rangely Lakes. This pass has been made into a State Park.We fell in love with the area and bought some land on which to build a home—but that is another story."
"Hale's Hill" - Homestead in Newry, ME |
"This winter snow bird trip was a down and back just to get out of the cold. They were gone from 8 December to 31 March. It was at this time that Mom and Dad sold the 37 Mulberry St, Norwich, CT., house. It had been home for 25 years but they had plans. During their last trip north to Newry the Wights offered to sell them a nice piece of property which had a beautiful southern view of the valley in northern Newry right on the edge of Grafton Notch State Park. Their property was adjacent to Step Falls and was the last place before the park.
Dad contracted with a local builder to build their house and dad bragged that the contract was a handshake and a check for $25,000 as a down payment. Dad indicated that it had W-truss for roofing 16 inches on center (very heavy construction) 6” wall, double paned glass and they heated it with a 3 log Jotul stove in the basement. They had 4 wonderful happy years in this house."
Newry Community Church |
He and Mom became involved in the Newry Community Church. When any of the grand kids came to visit and remained over the weekend he would bring them early to church and they got the ring the bell that announced services. It was a large bell and could be heard for miles up and down the valley. Dad would unlock the door and right inside the entry was a rope that hung down from the bell. It took a couple of pulls to get it going but the kids really got a thrill to be able to ring that bell.
A write up in the Lewiston Sun Journal was written by Rodney Hanscom who later became the lay minister for Newry Community Church and he preached the eulogy for dad. Find it at http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=z8QgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3mkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1565,4810038
Behind their house in Newry was Mt Hittie. Dad purchased an old Ford 4 FWD pickup truck with a 4 on the floor and it was so old that it had a manual choke. It would not pass an inspection but when he went to register it he told the people at the Registry that it would never be driven on the highway as he only intended it to be used to bring firewood back to the house. There were holes in the floorboards and the fenders flapped when you went over a bump. The big deal was that when the grand kids came he would pile them into the truck, start it up and put it into 4 wheel drive and shift into the lowest granny gear. He would pull out the choke a little and then off it would go. He even let the kids steer. The road was unimproved so it was rutted and bumpy but the old Ford just would creep along and the kids were thrilled.
Mt. Hittie (named for an old woman once lost on the mountain) |
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Why I joined and made the Navy my career.
Me in my Navy Blues, after Boot Camp |
Bleacher Crowd (GREASE) |
USS Nautilus Launch at Electric Boat |
Norwich Post Office |
Norwich Free Academy |
Bank Street, New London, CT |
My re-enlistment ceremony |
Navy Dolpins welcome you at Sub Base |
Barracks at Groton Sub Base |
The USS Fulton a sub "Tender" boat I served on |
NAVDAC training in Virginia Class C school |
Me with Mike and Aaron in Hawaii |
- Set goals that are high enough to require one to stretch oneself outside of your comfort zone. Do it while you are young as it gets much harder to accomplish later and you have a lot fewer distractions such as family and job.
- Live your life in the today. Do not save that fancy shirt or suit for later or it will only adorn your corpse. Enjoy the good things of life. Fill it with Joy (which is much different than fun). Work your Bucket list!
- Do good every day. There is a life after death and what we do today will enhance that life tomorrow. We will have to account for how we live our life.
- Be a good parent/spouse. Your material accomplishments are only for this life. You need to prepare for Eternity. As I now say about my missionary service, “The pay is peanuts but the retirement plan is Heavenly.”
- Listen to your parents. They have experiences that have shaped them with wisdom but are not infallible. Remember that they love and care about you. Use them as an input to your decision making process but make it your decision. Always involve your Heavenly Father in your decisions.
- It ain’t over til it’s over. Repentance is a process not an instance. There is very little in your life that cannot be repented of or changed. However, that said, small sins require small repentance and large sins get much more involved. It really is much better to live a Christ like life as much as possible. BUT, He did pay the price for you and you CAN repent. Remember life always has consequences.
- Choose your associates wisely. You learn from your associates, and you will marry some one that you date. Choosing good quality people to associate with or date can improve you. I was once told “Choose your mate carefully. Select some one that you to not have to pull up because if you have to pull someone up they just might pull you down.
Monday, June 20, 2011
family
Back in April Marilyn and I visited Michael and family in Palm Coast, Fl. It was a great two weeks but I mainly sat around the house and read a book. The main exciting thing was to baptize Mike. We also got to shoot a couple of his guns and created a yen to own one for me. Oh Well it is too expensive.
Mike has done a turnaround on me. I had a sprinkler head break and flood out the basement and then the sprinklers were left on and it flooded again. Well the Adjuster was marveled at our immediate attempts to abate the damage and was generous in his adjustment. Mike came from Florida and has been installing tile in the basement and it looks great. Marilyn and the girls and I will finish up the job but the tiling is just beyond us. We have the basement about 2/3 completed and Mike extended his stay to assist. I will take some pictures and will post them in a couple of days. I had no idea what went into the job and am amazed at what quality work that he has done. Nathan, his son, came out Sunday morning and he is helping too.
So the real thing is family. These children of mine are serving me in my near dotage. I will be forever grateful to Michael and Nathan for their kindness in helping us.
We were in a family counseling situation and was told by the counselor that Michael really loves me. I am truly grateful for that love and assistance. I could not have done it my self and was told that the quality of work would have at least 50% less. We will paint and wainscot to finish it up and maybe the girls will assist in that but.
I am so grateful for the assistance.
I absolutely love my family, my wife, my children and my grandchildren. I am a very lucky man.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
The Walter Augustus Hale Chldren
The Walter Augustus Hale Children
From right to left and in order of age, is Amy Eliza Hale Golder born 8 March 1888. Amy is the daughter of Walter and Lillian Eliza Burnap. The story is told that Amy and Walter came down with Typhoid fever and Lillian nursed them through the sickness and then contracted it her self and consequently died. Another story is that Amy was in the congregation of Arthur Lee Golder and was well liked and known by his then wife Mary Grout Golder. Mary died and I believe that before she died she kind of pointed out Amy to Arthur or something like that. She married Arthur in 1929.
The next from the right is Walter Stanley Hale born 1 June 1912 to Walter and Eula Florence Jones Hale. He was known in his adult life as W. Stanley Hale to somewhat differentiate him from his father. Stan was born in the Fitchburg Hospital in Fitchburg Mass. This being the first pregnancy of Eula it appears that Walter wanted to be extra careful to ensure that the delivery as successful as the rest of the kids were born at Bolder Crest their home in Rindge, New Hampshire. He married Doris Isobelle Smith the big sister of his best friend Leon Smith. The story is told that Leon wanted to go on a date with his girlfriend who live 40 miles away and needed transportation. Doris had a Plymouth so Leon “fixed” Stan and Doris up and the rest is history.
Wilma was born 30 June 1913 and outlived the rest of the family living to be 95. She married David Jewell who was a true New England trader. He always had to get “To Boot” on any deal he made. She was a successful school teacher and even earned her masters degree later in life. They raised 6 kids and their names all started with D.
Next is Rachel Eula Hale born 16 January 1916. She married Albert Ritchie and he was quite a character. As I remember he claimed to be a professional wrestling promoter. He was bald and used an electric razor to keep himself that way. I remember that Aunt Rachel crocheted him a doily like cover for his head and he bragged about the sunburned pattern on his head. They were the first couple to be married in the Stone Chapel at the Cathedral of the Pines on 3 Dec 1948.
Howard Augustus Hale was born 26 Feb 1918 and married Mary Dale in 1941. In 1962 I went to a family reunion in I believe Hampton, New Hampshire and drove up in my snazzy 1962 Ford convertible. Uncle Howard had a Pontiac and challenged me to a drag race. I knew that my ride was a wimp so chickened out of it. I always remember him as a young in spirit person.
Francis Towne Hale is the youngest born 10 November 1919. He married Joan Wade in 1947 and I remember going to the wedding and attending the reception at her folks home in Massachusetts. I also remember Francis and Arthur French stopping by our home in North Franklin while they were on the way to overseas duty in WW II. We had meat potatoes and peas and he urged me to eat all my peas because they were Germans!
These are some of my memories. What are yours and if you’d like a copy of the picture let me know.
From Marcia:
Allan Hale’s Blog
Dad: (W. Stanley Hale)
Fun times:
- Sitting at the dinner table and he taking out his teeth and smiling.
- Him grabbling me with his toes.
- Him calling me skillybootch and asking what I wanted to do with the money I was asking for.
- Him filling the side yard with water so we could ice skate.
- Him saying he and mom had christened each room in their house in Maine.
- Him sitting in the den doing crosswords.
- Him asking for a piece of cheese and a cracker with his ice cream.
- Him making a place for my baby chick which I bought for Easter one year even though he was against it.
Aunt Rachel
- Visiting her in Boston.
Aunt Wilma
- I mostly remember the kids. I was very close to Debbie. I visited there one summer and did chores in the garden and hiked up Mt. Monadnock.
Uncle Howard
- I mostly remember him just being in the background. Not a talker.
Uncle Francis
- He always had a sense of humor. He and Aunt Joan always took time to be nice and talk with us. He was a lot like dad.
Aunt Amy
- I do not remember much about her.