After their return from their trip through the East visiting Washington, D. C., New York City, Niagara Falls and other places, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Lindsey of Springfield, wrote to us announcing their safe arrival home and expressing their delight over the wonderful tour they had made. They were especially pleased with their visit to the National Capitol and adjacent points at interest.

In April, 1927, my wife’s youngest sister, Mrs. Laura White, of Cincinnati, Ohio, visited us. She had been making her home with her daughter, Mrs Charles E. Kilgour, nee, Miss Nona White, of Cincinnati since she came east from Long Beach, California, the previous winter. She had lived with her son-in-law, Mr. Robert Bates, and two children, Dorothy and Frank, after the death of her daughter Nina, the mother of the children, of influenza in October, 1918. They were in Colorado at the time of her daughter’s death, but subsequently removed to Arizona, and later to Long Beach, California, where she had been looking after the welfare of the children for several years. After visiting us a few days, which we all enjoyed immensely, she went to Baltimore, Maryland, where she had accepted a position in the Home of the Friendless, in which she was to have charge of a number of small children. When their mother died the children were quite small and their grandmother had taken care of them until Dorothy was fifteen and Frank was twelve years old, and they were large enough to take care of themselves under the supervision of their father, who had not remarried.

We had not seen Sister Laura since in the fall of 1909, when after the death of her father and mother, she and her daughters, Nina and Nona, returned to their home in Aztec, New Mexico. After living in Aztec a short time they removed to Farmington, New Mexico, where Laura engaged in the millinery business. Later, both of her daughters having married, she taught several terms of school at Center Point School District, a few miles north of Aztec, and probably in other school districts. She was still teaching in 1918, when her daughter Nina was stricken with influenza at her home in Durango, Colorado, and she resigned her position as teacher and went to Durango to care for her critically ill daughter, and where Nina died October 12, 1918. Nina was a beautiful and very lovable girl and was a great favorite with all of her kinsfolk. I am sure, well knowing her kind and very affectionate disposition, she was a model young mother, and her children sustained an irreparable loss in the death of their dear motherr and her mother one of the greatest losses of human loss, that of a precious daughter. We were all greatly grieved to know of the passing of our much loved niece and cousin and deeply sympathized with sister Laura and her children in their great bereavement. Although we had not seen Laura for nearly twenty years, we were agreeably surprised to see her looking so well and so remarkably young far a woman of her advanced age. She had grown quite stout and was free from ailments except a slight rheumatic affection, which seemed to be characteristic of the family of girls, her sisters Emma and Mattie both being afflicted with the disease, but my wife the greatest sufferer therefrom. We regratted that Laura could only make us a short visit this time.

In May or June, 1927, our nieces Misses Zelma, Ruth, and Fyrn Lindsey of Springfield, Mo. made us a short visit. They were accompanied by our little granddaughter Joesphine Pitts, of Hermitage, Missouri who came to spend the summer with us. The Lindsey girls were on their way to New York City, where they were to embark on the ship, Majestic, for Europe. We were sorry they could only stay a short time as they had to be in the big metropolis before the time for the sailing of the ship on which they expected to take passage. A short time later we heard from them, a letter written an board of their ship stating that they had sailed on schedule time and had started on their voyage over the Atlantic Ocean to Europe. Shortly after, we had a card from them on their arrival overseas, that they had made a speedy and pleasant voyage without mishap of any kind, and would at once begin their tour of a part of Europe. Before their return voyage, we had a message from them stating they had made a tour of Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, England, Scotland and Ireland. They were in Paris, France, Berlin, Germany, London, England and some other large cities of Europe, and were greatly pleased with the many wonderful and beautiful scenes they witnessed in the several countries which they visited. About the middle of August, they made their return voyage from Liverpool, England to New York City where they landed safely about the last of August, 1927. Zelma came by Washington while she was enroute to her home from New York City, and Josephine accompanied by her aunts Nelle and Bernice, met her at the Union Station, and went back with her to Springfield, and after a brief visit with her uncle Eugene and family, went to the home of her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. William L. Pitts, in Fermitage, Missouri, arriving there in time far the opening of the fall term of public school.

While the Lindsey girls were in Europe they collected many interesting things in the various countries they visited, and brought them with them on their return to America. While they were in Scotland they got a scarf, the description of which is the Lindsay plaid, which they presented to their Aunt Josie and for which she was very thankful and which she prizes very highly. They got a small book in Scotland giving an account of the origin and history of the Lindsay family in Scotland, and it is confidently believed that the Scotland Lindsays were the ancient ancestors of the Lindsey family in America. They made our family a number of presents of unique articles they obtained while abroad. While Zelma returned home by way of Washington and Saint Louis, Missouri, Ruth and Fyrn made the journey from New York City to their home via Chicago, Illinois and Kansas City, Missouri, arriving at their destination after their long trip and return over land and sea without accident or trouble of any kind whatever, it was certainly a wonderful experience to the young ladies, and a time to be remembered with pleasure, during their subsequent lives. We all appreciated their presents and their kind care of Josephine very much.

In the year 1927, another important event occurred in our family when on the 20th day of August, at Sibley Hospital in Washington, our daughter Irene's second child was born, a daughter who was named Bethel Irene, the first in honor of a cousin Mrs. Bethel Beery Stewart, and the second for the child’s mother. Our fourth little granddauqater is a brunette, and had at birth, dark hair and brown eyes, and we were very proud of this addition to our small number of grandchildren. She has grown to be a stout hearty little lass and is a very affectionate and lovable child. She has learned to say to her grandfather, "I’m you’ pet", but in fact she is the pet of the whole family and Bethel and John Carroll love each other dearly, although like other children they have their little "spats". Bethel, or as we generally call her, Bettie, has eyes like her mother and resembles her some, while John Carroll looks like his father, though his mother, grandmother Slavens and aunts think he resembles his uncle Joe Slavens some, especially as to his eyes and forehead. The children are both very active and very playful and they enjoy themselves romping around, jumping and running every day. When the weather is favorable I often go with them, as they say, "for a walk" and they enjoy being outdoors very much. They have been learning to count, Bettie can count ten and sometimes more and John can count one hundred. John is learning the alphabet. He can spell his name and knows several other letters.

My remembrance is that in the year 1927 my niece, Miss Wylma Slavens, who had been a government employee since in April, 1918 and had been working in the Veterans Bureau ever since the name of the Bureau of War Risk Insurance was changed to the Veterans Bureau, had a very serious attack of illness which was diagnosed by her physician, a specialist on heart diseases, as valvular heart affection, commonly known as heart leakage. She had been ill for a week or more before we knew that she was not as well as usual. Our daughter, Bernice, was an employee in the same Bureau but did not work in the same room or on the same floor of the large Veterans Bureau building, but who saw Wyima frequently in passing, ascertained she was not at work and went to her room at the apartment where she was boarding to learn the cause of her absence and found her to be very ill. Meanwhile her married sister, Mrs. DeWitt A. Beery, then living at Waynesborough, Virginia, was apprised of her sister Wylma’s serious condition of ill health and came to Washington and very faithfully and efficiently nursed Wylma for several weeks. For some time there was no improvement in her condition, in fact for awhile she became worse and was in very feeble condition and it was feared that she could not recover from her illness. But after treatment by the specialist for some time and the excellent nursing of her sister and what help Bernice could render on her frequent visits to her sick room, she began to slowly recover. Mrs. Beery, or Gona as we always call her, did not leave Wylma day or night during the worst of her illness and I am sure that her constant attention and optimistic assurances of her expectation of her recovery did much to start her on the way to overcome the disease. As soon as Wylma was sufficiently recovered for Gona to leave her for awhile during the day, she visited us and stayed with us several hours. She seemed to be in very good health, but, of course, somewhat wearied by the long continued vigil she had kept over her suffering sister.

Gona was still quite stout, more so I thought than when we saw her last and as the years passed she grew to look more like her mother. We were truly pleased to see our dear niece and relieved to know that Wylma was improving, confirming Bernice’s belief of her condition when she had visited Wylma recently. We regretted that Gona's only with us was so brief but under the circumstances could not expect her to remain with us longer. As soon as Wylma was able to travel, her brother-in-law Rev. DeWitt Beery, came to Washington and he and his wife accompanied Wylma on the railroad train to their home at Waynesborough, Virginia. Wylma remained at her sister’s home some time. And during her stay there, with pleasant, cheerful surroundings and the salubrious effect of the pure mountain air, her convalescence was more rapid and when she became strong enough, she went to her old home in Springfield, Missouri where she visited her brothers, James W. and Zenas L. Slavens, and their wives. She then visited her sister, Laura, and family who live on a farm near Morrisville, Missouri. I am not positive whether it was before or after Wylma’s visit, but think it was afterward, that there was a cyclone in the vicinity of Morrisville and the home of Mr. and Mrs. Jesse (Laura) McReynolds, was partially destroyed, the whole of the upper part of the building being blown away. Fortunately none of the family was injured by the cyclone. After her visit with Laura she went to Urbana, Missouri which is only a few miles from her birth place, where she visited Mr. and Mrs. William Vaughan and their children, Willa and Hugh Slavens. Mrs. Vaughan is her sister, Josie. Mr. Vaughan is a merchant and had been doing a very successful business in Urbana. He is a son of Dr. E. P. Vaughan who was one of the physicians and druggists of Urbana. After her visit with Josie, I think she went to Buffalo where she visited her sister Mrs. John (Bertha) Wiikinson and family and probably her Uncle Ben F. Johnson and others. Having measurably regained her health she returned to Washington and before resumng work with the governrnerat she visited us. We were very glad to have her visit us and to see her looking so well. She seemed to have almost entirely overcome the heart affection. After staying with us a short time she applied to the proper government authorities, was reinstated in her position, and resumed work in the Veterans Bureau.

I think it was in the year 1925 that Brigadier General Thomas Horace Slavens, who is the most distinguished descendant of our pioneer ancestor John Slavin in America in consequence of his long and brilliant military career, having reached the age of 53 years, was retired from the military service of the United States and after his retirement from the Federal Army he located in Washington, D. C. with the intention, I think, of making the National Capital his home, probably during the remaining years of his life.

General Slavens was born in Portland Mills, a small village in Parke and Putnam counties in the state of Indiana, January 18, l863. The little town, as heretofore stated, in this history, is located on the line between the two above named counties. When he was about three years old, he came with his parents from Indiana to Missouri and the days of his childhood and boyhood were spent in Webster and Dallas counties, but during most of that time he lived at the parental home in Buffalo and Urbana in Dallas County, Missouri. He was educated in the public schools and in Morrisville, Missouri College. When he was about eighteen years old he taught a term of public school at the Union School District about two miles north of Urbana, and then through the instrumentality of his parents, Dr. and Mrs. Zenas L. Slavens, and the influence of Hon. Albert S. Stanley and other political friends in Buffalo and other localities, and especially through the intercession of Congressman Rice, he was given an appointment as a cadet in the United States MiIitary Academy at West Point, New York. In regard to his appointment as a cadet, the greatest meed of praise is due to his mother Mrs. Irene L. Slavens, now deceased, who through her long, continued and persistent efforts did more than anyone else in starting her talented young son on his military career. She and his father were the intellectually gifted parents of a son, endowed with those characteristics which enabled him to rise from the ordinary walks of life in an obscure country village, to the very distinguished position of a Brigadier General in the Army of the United States.

After four years of hard study and constant drilling in military tactics, his especial delight being in cavalry maneuvers, he was graduated with high honors and was given an appointment as Second Lieutenant of the Fourth Regiment of United States Cavalry. After doing service at various military posts in the United States, he was made Commander of the Military Academy at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where he remained several years, and then he did valiant service in the Spanish American War in Cuba and after the close of that war was transferred to the Philippine Islands and with his regiment, having being promoted to a colonelcy, he assisted in subduing the Philippino insurrection in the Islands acquired from the Spanish Government as a consequence of the Spanish American War. After the termination of the insurrection in the Philippines he returned with his regiment to the United States where he did service until war was declared between the United States and Germany, when he was sent overseas and having been promoted to the high rank of Brigadier General, with his brigade and part of the time as brevet Major General in command of one of the divisions of the American Army in Europe, engages in many of the battles of the World War.

After the termination of the greatest war of the world and the signing of the Armistice, with his command in due time, he came back to the United States and was stationed at various military posts, principally in the state of Texas, where he did service until he was retired by reason of age in 1926. Since his retirement, with his wife and only child, a son Stanley, he has lived at 2230 California Street, North West, in Washington. Since he has been living in Washington, he has visited us a few times, which we appreciated very much. It had been more than forty years since I had seen him, then he was a young, smooth-faced youth of about 22 years, and looked but little older than he did when he attended his last term of public school in Urbana, of which I was the teacher. But after the lapse of more than two score years he had greatly changed and was a gray headed, but well preserved and seemingly vigorous old man. Since his retirement his son Stanley, has received an appointment in the diplomatic service of the United States, and is an assistant at the Consul to Honduras in Central America. If he makes good he will probably have many years service as a diplomat, in the foreign countries to which he may be assigned by government authority.

Chapter twenty-seven continued...