Leaves in the Wind (John Dodson Taylor, Jr.)

Above:  My Ancestral Family Home Circa 1908

Photograph Courtesy of Sharon Foster Jones, on June 14, 2012

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John Dodson Taylor, Jr., (January 19, 1905-September 27, 1976) was my grandfather.  He is the little boy in the center of the image below:

 

John Dodson Taylor, Jr., on the lap of his mother, Harriet “Hattie” Stoddard, Circa 1908, with his sisters, Sarah Faye and Helen, on the left, and his grandmother, Arcissa Dodson Taylor, wearing black on the right; I do not know who is standing to Arcissa’s right

Sometime in the 1960s he wrote an little book (28 pages long) called Leaves in the Wind.  It would have been nice had the publisher included a date, but I cannot change what happened before my birth.  As I have expanded the scope of this weblog I have begun to add most of the content of this volume here.  I hope that you, O reader, enjoy this content.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

JANUARY 23, 2012 COMMON ERA

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Front and back matter from the book follows:

FOREWORD

In writing this little book, it has not been my intention to give complete pictures of people, places, or events.  I have sought only to recall those qualities and ways of life which made my growing-up years so rich and pleasant.

I do not mean to imply that I have any wish to return to the

horse-and-buggy days;

I have sought simply to hold those traits of quiet living that man appreciates and relishes in his fellowman, and to reach back and grasp again the deep respect we felt for one another–to glimpse again these few leaves in the wind.

John D. Taylor

DEDICATION

This little book is dedicated to the memory of my mother-in law, who urged me to complete these sketches; to my sister Faye, who encouraged me all the while, and to my wife, who helped and encouraged me throughout its writing; and to my sons, that they may appreciate this part of their heritage.

John D. Taylor

 AFTERWORD

Many have been the noble and interesting people who have contributed to this county, but even these few show the diversity of their talents and of their personalities.  To do justice to these few is impossible; to list them all is too great a task without detailed records before me.

May these few glimpses of the past stir pride and the hearts of those who read them.

John D. Taylor