Grandma's story, part 1 of 5

A BOOK ABOUT GRANDMA Myrtle Audrey Gustin House

This is written to the best of my remembrance, and allowing that old records show some varying dates. If you know otherwise, you can write your story. I will refer to her as Myrtle, or grandma , or mother as I forget, for this is essentially written for my children.

To begin the story, we must start with Myrtle’s grandfather for he it was that raised her.
Riley Parker born 3 07 1856 died 10 24 1834 She hand wrote that he was 82 years 7 months and 22 days old. She must have loved him to write the years, months, and days. She never said!.
Riley married Margaret Newby on Oct 25, 1874 She was born 1-08-1856
And died 4-21-1902 She was 45 years old. They had three children:
Will Parker, Henry E,, Charles Parker, and
Katie Belle or legally Catherine, who was born 6-24-1882.
This is a picture of Katie Belle on her 8th grade graduation.
Katie married Roscoe Gustin. Roscoe was born 5-5-1882 and he died 5-5-1948 at age 66.
Katie had my mother (Myrtle) 7-09 1902 and then she had Omar in 1904 She died following his birth, He was born premature? Omar was born 6-30-1904 and Katie died 9-07 –1904. This was just 2 years after Katie’s mother died.. Katie and Roscoe were living with Riley Parker at the time.
Riley was left without his wife and his daughter. So he married a neighbor lady Allie Hill Albertson in Sept 7 of 1905. Myrtle was 3 at the time.
Allie had lost her husband and she had six children. Allie was born in 3-07– 1852. Her daughter Ella moved in with her, Ella was 16 or 17 at the time, and then, Ella and Roscoe decided to marry.
Roscoe, to give him credit wanted to take Myrtle with him when they moved to a farm Riley gave them. However Riley said No. “You took my daughter and you cannot have my granddaughter” So she stayed with Grandfather Riley, along with her stepmother, Riley’s boys and some of the step children. . It was in this mixed up family and in this house that Myrtle grew up.

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