September 9, 2022 trip to Oak Grove Missouri

 While attending a financial conference in Kansas City Kansas September 8-13, 2022, Marilyn and I travelled some 40 miles east to Oak Grove Missouri, birthplace of my father Charles D Milam (1920-1988) and his father Louis Walter Milam (1871-1938) and uncle Bert Eldwroth Milam (1894 -1971).   According to the google found post of "Uncle Bertie,” indicated Louis Walter Milam was the oldest of his 7 siblings and the first born son of Milton Davis Milam (1836-1892) and Mary Louise Wheat Milam (1844-1918).

Oak Grove Missouri

 

 

This picture and the three below were taken at the beginning and end of Milam Road which extended for some 3 miles

 

 

 

 

This picture was taken at the far south end of Oak Grove and not along Milam Road

While in Oak Grove, we stopped by the Library and reviewed a city map to determine the location of Milam Road.  After driving through the entire section of Milam Road, I stopped at Royer Funeral Homes, the local funeral home, and confirmed that my great grand uncle was interred and buried in the Oak Grove Cemetary, then we drove to Focus on Oak Grove, the local paper to inquire as to whether there were any Milams still residing in Oak Grove, which, at this point, is doubtful.

Visit with Doris (Mrs, Jack Cunningham) and Karl in Fair Grove Missouri:

Approaching the little house on the prairie with its white picket fence

 

Carl's front yard

 

 

Doris and Carl welcoming us

Carl getting ready to cook our first night's dinner

Bucket of shrimp

Alaska King Crab

Ready to begin cooking

Sausage added to pot first

 

Then the corn

 

Next, the crab

 

Sterring the pot

Almost ready

Finished

The aftermath of a great feast

After the big dinner, sitting in the jacuzzi at the far end of the enclosed pool and atrium

The next day - road trip to Branson Missouri through beautiful country side:

Table Rock Lake and Dam

Car pics along the way

Limestone, the building block for caverns

Limestone cliff

 

Entering Branson Missouri

 

Fantastic Cavern, one of several in the Ozarks:

Names of the girls that first mapped out and explored the cavern (the boys were too scared)

Tiny crawl area discovered as cavern entrance years ago in the 1860's

Larry, our tour guide with Marilyn and Doris

View near entrance to Fantasy Caverns

Original Schoolhouse that was upgraded from original structure

Trip back to Fair Grove

A bit of good ole biscuits, sausage and gravy prepared by Miss Doris for breakfast on the last day of our visit

 

 

 

 

Goodbye to Doris and Carl

 

George Paul Sutton, 1920-2020

 Marilyn's father George Paul Sutton who lived to be 100 years old, died shortly after his 100th birthday and after publication of the 9th Edition of his universal college text book on Rocket Propulsion Elements pictured below.  

 

 Now open the links below to read the article written by the head of the National Air and Space Museum: 

https://www.airspacemag.com/daily-planet/george-sutton-other-father-american-rocketry-180976306/

 

 

Sidney Montique and Edith Barker (Joan's parents and my grandparents)

This picture taken in May 1945 was sent to me by Ben Barker taken at the time of his mother's wedding.  Pictured from left to right are my grandfather Sidney Barker, his wife and my mother's mother Edith, my father in uniform (and the only one of him in uniform that I have, so far), Ben's mother Ella Ashurst (nee Barker) and her son Geoffrey and husband Fred. Joan was not on the picture as she had just had a baby (me) and did not attend.