F. William Jamison, 1890-1913

I have loved family stories and genealogy since I was a small child. I remember the day Mom and my Great-aunt Kit were cleaning out a shed in the back of Aunt Kit's yard in Boulder. Among other things it was filled with old, long, party dresses - my mom's prom dresses perhaps - and old photos. I asked, no really, I begged them to let me keep the old photos, but my mom thinking of the car trip back to Washington said no, they were photos of no one that either she or Aunt Kit knew and so they were thrown into the burning barrel. Later, when I began locating old photos on the internet including those of HER grandparents, Mom said she wished she'd listened and let me keep the old photos.

The family lived in Lyons, Colorado where they owned an orchard. Years later - perhaps the same trip as the photo burning incident - I visited my Great-uncle John on the family place.  We walked back to the chicken coop and I was told that that had been the original home of the Jamison's when they arrived in Colorado.

One of the items they kept was the old Jamison family Bible. Many years later it was given to me to keep, acknowledging that I was to be the keeper of the family history.  This Bible belonged to my grandmother Sadie's family.

Inside the Bible it notes that William F.. Jamison was born August 31, 1890:

This memory was provided by my mother. She told me this story many years ago when I found a small piece of paper in that old family Bible. 

One fall day eleven year old  (William) Fred was in a cart racing down the dirt hill when he ran into a barbed wire fence. His leg was deeply cut and soon infection took over. Because the family lived on a farm and all hands were necessary and kept busy, my great-grandmother sent Fred into town with neighbors. Her first communication on his condition was from Fred himself in this letter:

                       St. Lukes Hospital
                       Nov. 12 - 1901

Dear Mother,

                         I thought I would 

answer your letter that necktie was

very pretty. John gave me a watch

and it was very nice. My leg is cut

off and I will be home in two weeks

How is pe(a)nut? Mrs. Lewis invited

me to Thanksgiving if I could not

come home by Thanksgiving. I g(u)ess 

I will close for the time.

                    Your one leg(g)ed Son

                    Fred Jamison

                It is not good writing

I can imagine my heartsick Great-grandmother tucking this little note into the Bible, grateful that it was not a death that she was recording but knowing that it was a monumental change in Fred's life.

A decade went by and shortly before Fred's death, he was in a difficult situation and went to his brother, John, asking for money.

John's wife, the keeper of the finances, wouldn't allow it and a short time after Fred drowned. Mom said from that day on John always had his own money.