Hey Sport, Whatever Happened To Them?

I woke up this morning with a “I wonder what happened to” and decided I would do a search.

Why I ventured into sports I have no idea but it is what it is. Plus, I really have no qualms with the two I chose for this blog.

                                                                                            My First Thought:                                                                                                                         

Willie "Rockabye" Ross:

My recollection of Willie was that he was always a neat dresser.

He had a wonderful smile and quick to display it. He was mannerable and well liked

I always thought Willie was a Phoenix product but it seems like he was from Mississippi

                          

 Partial Image from a picture taken Bill Swifts Gym 1962 found on Box Rec.

Willie fought professionally from 1960 to 1965 and was managed by Al Finn. 

                          

Rockabye had an overall record of 75 wins out of 78 bouts in his career.

Willie took his tour to heaven in 1997 where he laid down his gloves for good.

 May he continue to Rest in Peace. 

My Second Thought:

Armand Hussein:

Another person who drifted in my thoughts came from the neighborhood I used to live in.

He rented a room from one of my favorite people who kept my daughter and nephew while I worked.

That wonderful lady was Ms. Bryant and the roomer was Armand. 

Armand was a rather nice person who wrestled for a living. He was billed as Armand Hussein.

When I first met him he had African garb on and talked in an accent of what I thought was his native tongue with an English flair. 

                                            Photo by Bob Leonard 

If my memory served me right, I don’t think I ever saw him without his African garb even when I ran into him at the Elks club.

I never saw him wrestle but from what I heard back then he was pretty good.

                                          Photo by Bob Leonard

According to Wrestling Data Armand was around 231 pounds and wrestled in over 600 events.

That is rather remarkable to me to have that many mat times

 I learned of his birth name just today.  

Armand was Mike Barber born 1936 in Alabama. He lived out the rest of his life in Dallas Texas. 

When he legally changed his name is not known to me but Armand Hussein listed in the Social Security database as such and was buried in Krum Texas.

Armand  died December 31, 2007.

Armand took off his wrestlers high tops for good and took his place on High. 

May he continue to rest in perfect peace.

Who Would A Thunk It Rev H Johnson?

I had no earthly idea that Texas was thought of in the same way that Oklahoma was as far as migration was concerned. 

Those thoughts were coming from Baltimore Maryland by a preacher man.

While in my reading mode for everything Texas, boy was I wrong. Reverend Harvey Johnson made his wants known. 

I found this article in the 1910 Baltimore Sun where Rev. Johnson explains his plan to purchase Texas to his church congregation. 

Rev Johnson stated that everything would be done through the Maryland Texas Purchase Association with the option to pay the sale off in one hundred (100) years. 

 

Reverend Johnson even stated that after all negroes were in place a Republic would be started and all ties to the United States would be severed. 

I thought I would see if I could find this Reverend with a vision in the census. 

.

Source: Ancestry 1900 Census Baltimore Maryland Roll 608 Pg7A, ED 0024

Here he is along with wife Amelia, two children William and Harvey in the 1900 Census on lines 8-12. His  72 year old mother in law Ellen Hull is also living with them. He is listed as a Preacher.

The Union Baptist Church on Druid Hill in Baltimore Maryland was where Reverend Johnson was its minister from 1872 to 1923 and is now on the National Register Of Historic Places.

Needless to say the Reverend was not taken up on his plan. He was outnumbered not only by those of the opposite race but by many of us own. 

I am just saying, who would a thunk it!

I do not have the Reverend in my research as far as I know but I do have Texas folks named Johnson from around Marshall Texas. 

I will continue to look for them but who knows who I will find. 

Will it be Jack Johnson, Heavy Weight Champion Boxer from Galveston Texas?

 Or Mary Ellen Johnson

The 77 year old ex-slave living in Dallas Texas who is featured in the Slave Narratives from The Federal Writer’s Project 1936 through 1938.

What about this Dallas born world class track star who just might sprint his way to the root of my line.

Michael Johnson

So all you Johnson’s, catch me when I come looking for you so I can add you to my tree.

You don’t have to be famous, just rich with all that DNA mixed with mine.

  

Blk History Nominee: C Vivian Stringer

I heard somewhere that thinking may be dangerous. 

I try my best to think good thoughts especially centered around my old neighborhood and friends. 

I was also thinking about Black History Month and who I would like to highlight.

It is so strange how names connect to one another and I suppose these two names happened for a reason.

Behind the Capitol home-girls:

                Given name Vivian

                Surname Stringer

The last name and/or the first name have been left off to protect the innocent or the guilty depending on all who may have come in contact with us behind the capitol.

In fact our neighborhood was what we affectionately called “Behind the Capitol”.

For the purpose of this blog I will remain vigilant and use given and surname.

Thinking back we have all had some good times growing up.  I have soft spots in my heart for both of the families of these two ladies.

First name Vivian always had an infectious laugh and sense of humor while surname Stringer and I ran on the same track team at school.

We were pretty good too.

In fact our school record stood for many years in the Murphy School District.

First name Vivian I saw a couple of years ago at a church outing, but it has been years and years since I have seen Surname Stringer.

I was born on the 16^th day of March, in some year in the 1900’s.

So, in honor of these two ladies and myself, I put together my Black History Month nominee.

                C Vivian Stringer

Vivian was born March 16, 1948 in Edborn Pennsylvania to parents Thelma and Buddy Stoner. 

She went on to excel in all types of sports from basketball to Field Hockey. 

Vivian even participated in Cheer when she was not playing sports. (Philadelphia Tribune exerpt)

Not only is she a talented coach she is an accomplished musician as well with her talent in playing the piano.

In college at Slippery Rock State she earned her Master of Science Degree in Education. 

She has coached at schools such as Cheney State all the way to Rutgers.

Quoting her she stated:

“Nothing touches me more than a person who has convictions and doesn't just go the way the wind blows” 

I salute you Mrs. C. Vivian Stringer for being one of the classiest and winningest coaches in women’s basketball.

I also salute you for your work habits to excel and your ability to encompass those around you to excel.

Your strength and convictions when standing up for your players in the don imus (notice no capitalization) debacle, along with being true to yourself did not escape me and millions of others.

The Meeting: A New Journey Begins

Friday:

The drive was easy.

It seemed like it took only one or two hours and not the regular four. As we crossed over the Hoover Dam on this new route we could see no water.  This route shortchanged me. I wanted to point to the water below so that my grandson could see what I had seen on so many trips to Nevada in the past. I wanted to hear him say those oooh's and aww's at his first time view.

Oh well, no matter because I had other things on my mind.

We were headed to Vegas. The next day we will venture to Henderson Nevada where we will meet my daughter’s aunt and her children’s great-aunt they had never met before.

I later learned that two uncles would be driving from California, which heightened the excitement.  

Of course I know that the children would have loved for their father and grandfather to have been in on the meeting but fate is fate and we make the best of what we have.

The check in at the hotel was not left up to me but the walk from the parking area to the hotel was. Sheesh, my legs thought it would never make it. The only place to park was in the back of the hotel and the rooms were in the front.

Finally after I reached the elevator and rode up to the 19^th floor, the arrow pointing to the rooms looked like it reached back to Arizona.

Huffing and puffing, we made it to the room, put the bags away and Tyler said, “let’s go eat” !

I made the mistake of not asking them to bring me a doggie bag back, so down the hallway and elevator I went.

I just love my kids, they are in such good shape and waited for me as I trudged along. I could see in their faces how happy they were. LOL

Saturday:

We arrived at the house, rang the doorbell and waited for the door to open. We rang the doorbell again and no answer.

We decided to go back and sit in the car.

My daughter called her new found cousin Tanya on the phone. The message came on and said the mailbox was full.   I think the next thing was to text which she did.  No answer.

  

Were we at the right home? We checked the address again, and even tried calling again. I asked my daughter if she may have gotten the address wrong. She checked her messages and re-read the address that Tanya her cousin had sent to her.

  

And then suddenly two cars turned the corner, drove up to the house and parked!

My daughter’s Aunt Sherian kept looking as she drove up and a huge grin spread across her face. She parked, and got out of the car and started giving the best hugs. 

                                                                                                                                                                    

They all looked like Al, but boy that one brother Kenneth looked like they could have been twins.  

David, the other brother was the most talkative one. 

All he asked we tried to answer, and all we asked they tried to remember the answers; 

We needed to put into respective the road that we travelled to get here.

It was a lot to soak in but then again it was not enough time. I think we did well with what we knew.

All the rest can be learned in time if it is for us.

I instantly fell in love with them.

There is one more sister we have to meet and that’s Leslie.

There were so many similarities in the lives we had been living it is almost scary.

First off, Tanya the cousin previously lived in the same city we live in and worked at the same beauty shop where we get our hair styled;

I used to live a couple blocks away in Los Angeles from where they lived;

Sherilyn worked for the FAA briefly and so did Al;

Al was a golfing junkie and David also had that passion;

The great Aunt Mary lives in Oklahoma City and not that far from where we were for Al’s home-going service;

The other great Aunt Novella lives in the same city as my brother Bruce;

It just so happens that she was the one whose name I was obsessed with because I had never heard it before.

We looked through pictures and pictures. We now know what Al’s parents and grands look like.

Lee Edward Holmes aka Roland Lee Holmes (Father ) Creek Co Okla.

                  Charles Smith   (Grandfather ) Texas 

Laura Mae Smith Holmes (mother)Robertson County Texas

Lillie Bell Simmons Holmes (g-mother) Creek County Okla. 

Mary Smith Benson (gg-grmother) her Father John Smith(ggg-gr father)

We also have new names to add to the family tree. Names like Holmes, Smith, Benson, Johnson, Simmons, Figures, Moody and Lawrence.

Sunday:

We met for Brunch, and had another wonderful time eating a great mean and watching the football game.  David's wife Margo was there along with Sherians hubby Hal. There was this guy who talked with us about football and laughed at me when I said Go Cardinals!  What can I say, loyalty is one of my best virtues. 

The cousins at Brunch getting their eats on and styling.

  

After eating, I stayed awhile in the lounge where there were rows and rows of bandits minus one arm. Now they are sporting buttons that give you the option of choosing the one you want.  My choices were not the bandits choice I might add.

Grateful: Two cousins

Tanya and Tish you two made it happen.

I loved both of your smiles and heartfelt feelings. Stay strong and stay in touch with each other. This was an amazing story within itself and remember, we all are bound to have another story worth remembering and telling. Life is like that.

You know, there is something special in people when you can talk with ease and it seems like you have known each other for years and years instead of one or two days.

I would like to think that if I had not played a part in this journey and the clock was turned back, I would have bumped into these same people and struck up a relationship that would have lasted a lifetime. 

That is the affect that they had on me.