Over the week end of September 22nd September 23, 2017; the youngest living daughter, my sister Jean, asked a question at a Thomas-Powers Family Reunion that I had never thought to ask.
"Did Dad have teeth when he and mother met?" The answer absolutely blew me away.
Jean asked the question of two cousins Ms Alberta and Harold always ran around with, Archie and Clyde Hill. Clyde is the youngest of the two brothers and had no idea what the answer to the question was but the oldest cousin, Archie, had the answer to "Did Harold have teeth when he met Mom?"
"Absolutely not", Archie firmly stated, "because when Harold and I were around eight or nine years old we found one of those metal rings that were used to hold wagon wheels together. Harold thought it would be fun to get inside that ring and roll down the hill. I guess he had fun, at least until he ran that metal wagon ring up and under the belly of one of the mules that we used to plow the fields.
I guess that old mule took offense at the way that metal ring ran under his belly. Because he let go with a big old kick right into Harold's chin and kicked out every tooth in his head. So, no Harold did not have any teeth when he met Alberta."
I can remember hearing Dad (Harold) say that an old mule had kicked out his teeth; but I didn't know until now what the rest of the story was. There are so many stories that our elders could tell if only we would take the time to ask and to listen.
Dad (Harold) died at the young age of forty three. His cousin, Archie Hill is a retired school teacher and is now 94 years old. Archie is almost blind now and confined to a wheel chair but his mind is clear and sharp.
