I am not saying that Mariah was the only one at the wheel because I know that a higher power had first dibs, but I swear she had a hand on where she wanted to take me.
Mariah knew that I was going back to Phoenix and may get on my job looking for her. I keep saying that I am done looking for her but I don't think she believes it. I had settled on the fact when I went to Utah that she did not want to be found. Everyone who knows me also know that I have a Mariah fetish so saying I am done is a big deal for me.
We were in Oklahoma City for the home going services for Al Mitchell, the father of my daughter Tish and grandfather of her two children Taylor and Tyler.
Lorie,the next door neighbor and friend helped drive the grands and I to the city and for that we are eternally grateful.
She could have chosen to be doing a million other things. My daughter had gone up earlier in the week and we knew that some of the pain would be relieved if her children were near. Lorie sensed that and shared her feelings.
We had a nice drive going, settled in at the hotel, attended the services and now it was time to drive back home. My daughter had a standby airline ticket for Monday but we thought it better to have her come back with us.
Someone mentioned that granny would be anxious to get back to her computer and genealogy.. That was the first mistake made. She, meaning Mariah must have heard those words...Computer and Genealogy
First off my daughter always sets her alarm because she has to get up, ready herself for work, and get Tyler ready for school. The same thing goes for Lorie the neighbor and for Taylor the college kid.
We discussed hitting the road leaving for Phoenix from Oklahoma at 8:00 o'clock Sun Morning.
That meant getting up early, having a good breakfast and be on our way. The car was filled with gas and all bags were packed except for the things needed in the morning.
Why did all three forget to set their alarm? If my sister had not called about 8:30 A.M. we would all still have been sleep. Sluggishly we did what we had to do and started on our way. My first vision was a Nana-nana-nana being whispered in my brain and thoughts; (Mariah, she's at it again I silently said)
We were headed to I 40 and we all relaxed knowing we could take the 40 West all the way to the Heber Arizona turnoff and head on home to Phoenix.
The road was so smooth. we passed Tinker AFB and pointed to the old planes that sit out front.
As we drove on, Lorie and I started to count all the casino's we wished we could stop at. We jokingly talked about taking bathroom breaks at them all and putting a nickle in the machines on the way out.
We passed signs that I had become familiar with in my genealogy circles. Signs such as Eufala Oklahoma, where i reflected on the Hutchinson's who had come from there to Phoenix.
The sign that said Muskogee turn off, was where I thought about my friends the Stevenson's who also came to Phoenix.
When I saw the sign Cherokee I thought about Angela Walton Raji and her research with the Five Civilized tribes. Ft Smith was another sign we saw, that reflected Arkansas and I again thought about Angela because that was her home town.
As we were driving along an amazing thing happened, Tyler my grandson needed to go to the bathroom. He said that he could not wait.
If there had been a tree near a house and close to the side of the road I wonder if he still could not wait.
My suspension is that he would chose the back of the tree instead of the lil house that some of us used way back in the day
As we looked for the nearest exit after crossing the beautiful lake Eufala we saw the Checota turnoff and headed to the facilities.
After we stretched, got back in the car, and headed back to the Interstate, my daughter stared at the sigh and said, "Are we headed in the wrong direction, we are supposed to be on the I 40 West not East."
Did I hear that "nana-nana" sound again in my head. You bet I did! Mariah was at work again. She had her hands on the wheel.
I suspect that she even knew that that wheel was not a wagon wheel and all the bumps in the road was not country roads with holes in them.
All those pastures with the one lone cow standing by themselves and the rest were all huddled further down had turned into cows all lumped together as a group.
Mariah more than likely planned that too.
All the lone standing oil wells had become numerous. Those should have all been sighs to let us know the direction was wrong, but noooooo, Mariah had the wheel.
Speaking of oil wells, this is a picture of grands standing in front of a working well smack dab in the middle of a grocery store parking lot.
No signs of Altus, Weatherford,or Chickasha turn-offs I was familiar with because Mariah was at the wheel; the wheel of my mind that is.
When I did not blame Mariah for all my troubles she was elusive, so now that I blame her, she is more elusive than ever.
What's a 3rd great-granddaughter to do? How can you compromise with that nana-nana sound I think I hear in the recesses of my mind? What happened to my favorite saying about not letting anyone rent space in your head?
Oh yeah, I prayed, talked, dug through, shuffled papers, let it alone, came back to it; got help from those who were not Mariah groupies and those who were; I prayed some more, left it alone again and again. Just last week I said I was done for good with my genealogy research where Mariah was my focus point. After all, I had other people I could research.
I could look into my Burks,Dickerson/Dixon's,Lester's,Griffiths Daviss/Davis,Sims or numerous other Texas ancestors. Others like Ware,White,Cooper,Jefferson,and Pierce over in Grimes and Fayette County Texas.
I could even continue reading one of my favorite books by Randolph B Campbell titled "A Southern Community in Crisis; Harrison County Texas, 1850 - 1880" that I rely on for information.
Ha, but she blew it when she took the wheel and took us 120 miles out of the way.
I am back on the chase Mariah even though I don't know your maiden name for sure. I think its Wells but verifying that is as hard as finding you in 1870 and 1880.
Just so you know that I say what I mean, I am outing you again. You were found in the 1900 and 1910 census in Harrison County Texas.
1900 Census partial lines
1910 Harrison County Census Partial lines
I could put the whole census page up but I want to single you out just like you have been trying to trick me for the last twenty plus years.
You were married to Lawrence Taylor and had one son Joseph who was the stepson to Lawrence.
Mariah, you were born between 1840 and 1854 according to the census in Texas. If I can find you in 1870 and 1880 I could narrow that down but you have the upper hand on that one. For now that is!
Ducking as I say "Nana-nana-nana" back at you and Oh, I love you much and you can take that to the bank MARIAH!!!
