Marion Washington Couch was my great grandfather (1884-1970).
The Draft Card tells their name, birthday, address, occupation, employer, race, height, weight, eye color, hair color, next of kin, and has their signature on it.
Marion's father was John Andrew Couch (1858-1937), his grandfatherWilliam Washington Couch born about 1816, his gg gdad, Levi born about 1791, and his ggg dad Benjamin Couch ca 1753 SC. I wonder what life was like back then. How they would feel with all the inventions we have now. Why they came to Gwinnett and Coweta Counties GA from South Carolina. And how they would feel knowing 'we' (everyone in general) don't know that much about their families. And if they would be mad at us for watching tv or being in front of the computer all day long, instead of visiting relatives.....
We have had a family reunion for as long as I could
remember, and always thought it was for my great
granddaddy's family Marion (Mern) Washington & Effie
Hubbard Couch. They had 13 children, 12 lived.
So with so many people there, I was satisfied knowing that.
But now to find out it was a reunion for his father,
John Andrew & Marietta {9 children (& later Hattie {2 children)
Couch, and their 11children. NOW we're cooking with gas!
When you're younger, you can't conceive who belongs
to who, you just play.
I just wish when I stayed under the adults feet,
and they would tell me to go play, I could
have remembered more! I played asleep so many times
so I could hear what was said. But I get my nosiness
the old fashion way, from my grandma. She knew every
thing about everyone from here to yon.
I just wish my dad would not have thrown out
her obituary collection. If I had only known.......
We also used to have Easter dinner and an Easter egg
hunt at Mama & Papa Couch's house (Mern & Effie).
This one was just their grandchildren and great
grandchildren. I don't know why I didn't notice
there weren't so many people. But we had some of the
best 'cousin' times there at Papa Couchs. They always
had a hog in the pen, pecans on the ground, and we just
loved to run around in the pecan orchard.
We would chase the cow, and probably would have
played with the hog if they would have let us get dirty.
One of my favorite great uncles, was Luke. He had been
in Korea, and would tell us stories (I think were more
like fabrications) but we didn't know the difference.
He would always help me find a prize egg when I was
smaller. I used his uniform for a project in school, and I
don't remember what happened to it. But he had about
6 different kinds of medals on it, but I didn't know
what they were for.
We lived next to Papa and Mama Couch for a year or so
when I was little (1968-70). It was in a small 4 room
house with no running water. We had to go out to the
outhouse, which was the scaryist place in the world!!!
Especially at night when you couldn't see the bugs.
We did have a 'slop jar', but I didn't like it either.
It was always as cold as an Alaskan's igloo.
My dad met my mom when stationed in Alaska in the
Air Force. She was born in Iowa, but grew up in Nebraska.
He always called her "A flat footed yankee".
I didn't know he was serious, until the Dr told me
I was flat footed. I thought it was a term of endearment.
And I know Nebraska is not yankee, but her family
was originally from PA-CT- area…
Anyway, Mama Couch would watch us when Mom went
to work. She always had biscuits, and didn’t mind if
we ‘rambled’ around, long as we ‘didn’t migrate it’.
Her words for take it home. She had the neatest stuff.
We would always take her to the cemeteries to clean
the graves. We have a couple of pictures of us with
her at Papa’s grave. She still talked to him as if he
was still alive.
When I started researching, and finding Papa’s 1st cousins' children, they always said, “Oh yeah, Uncle Mern would come to eat with us on Tuesday”, or “Cousin Mern would eat with us every Friday on his way home from work”.
You would have thought Papa was 500 lbs, from as much as he ate around town. But he looked like a stick man. He said it was because he worked hard all day long. I wish that was true, cause I work all the time too, but am not a stick lady!!!!
P.S. I polled about 20 people (10 male & 10 female)in a local restaurant.
45% could not tell me their grandparents names,or could only remember one name.
75% could not tell me their great grandparents names.
90% could not tell me the maiden names.
Lots of them said "They were dead when I was born".
Or "their name was Granny, or Mema Lastname".
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