Who are you?
Who are your people?
What formed and influenced you?
Where have you come from... And where are you going?
As I have aged, I have gradually come to understand the transformative power of the narrative and even come to recognize the unsuspecting and undue influence of one's history upon the future. I believe nature rules over nurture and the past, influence life's trajectory far beyond wishes and desires of the future.
One of Sue's assignments for her development as a Spiritual Director [see Spiritual Directions blog] was to investigate the stories and lives of her mother. her mother's mother and grandmother's mother. The narrative of who you are and from whence you came, the anthropological "Origin Story" e.g. The Book of Genesis if you will; is an important chapter to write if you are seeking to discern your own place in the world and significant in directing others in finding their place too. In researching her assignment, she was able to cast a light back through the generations and pry open doors all but sealed by the passing of people and time. She got just a glimpse of the life and times of her people that are now greatly a mystery to us, and their stories all but unknown. The particular research brought her from the Pacific salt air of western Washington, back to her mother's ranch in eastern Montana where grandmother was raised her parents who had come from Missouri.
We had a trip scheduled to Missouri in early July to see our son Grant. As long as we had a reason to be in that part of the world she reasoned, wouldn't it be an interesting sidetrip to see what kind of family roots could be dug up in the Savannah, Missouri? I agreed, it would be an interesting jaunt to see a place in which our family is rooted.
We had a noon appointment with the staff genealogist of the Andrew County Historical Society Museum in Savannah, Missouri for July 3rd. We were led down into the bowels of museum and by the young genealogist. In the record room, several volumes were pulled from the shelf as we started at the end, the 1908 obituary for Lewis Maris, Sue's Great Great Grandfather. He had come to Missouri from Germantown, PA as a young man, working as skilled carpenter in the area of Savannah and St. Joseph in western Missouri. Tensions were already running high between the Free-State and slave-holding population in Missouri, being so close to "bleeding Kansas" where violence between partisans for Free State and Slave State frequently spilled blood on the soil of middle America, a prelude to the Civil War.
When war did come to the country, Lewis Maris his lot in with his slave-holding neighbors who had come to Missouri from Kentucky and North Carolina as they all joined the Missouri State Guard under General Sterling Price. Lewis Maris we believe was a Lieutenant, fought in numerous engagements and was captured (Siege of Vicksburg?) and ship as a prisoner to Johnson Island Federal Prison Camp on Lake Erie. Following the war, he returned to Savannah and married Martha Farrow, and began farming 160 acres on the west bank of the Platte River.
The genealogist helped us located the 1877 census plat that showed the location of the Lewis Maris farm as well as a few other documents that showed that they retired from farming and moved into a house in town on the corner of 1st Street and Main Street. Martha was very active in the Methodist Church and was instrumental in aiding the reverend in reviving the congregation toward the end of the 19th Century.
After Lewis' death in 1908, upon the recommendation of her doctor, Martha and her youngest daughter relocated to Los Angelos for health reasons. Apparently it was good recommendation, as she thrived in California. Upon her unexpected passing, she was buried next to her husband in the Savannah cemetery.
Once we had gather this elementary information, we set out to drive to the old Maris farm, and then returned to town to look at the houses at 1st and Main, the Methodist Church and finally we slowly searched the headstones in the Cemetery until we had located the family plot.
We paid our respects to the people who had gone before, to the land on which they made a life and then lamented that the surviving narrative is so short.
Who are your people?
What formed and influenced you?
Where have you come from... And where are you going?
As I have aged, I have gradually come to understand the transformative power of the narrative and even come to recognize the unsuspecting and undue influence of one's history upon the future. I believe nature rules over nurture and the past, influence life's trajectory far beyond wishes and desires of the future.
One of Sue's assignments for her development as a Spiritual Director [see Spiritual Directions blog] was to investigate the stories and lives of her mother. her mother's mother and grandmother's mother. The narrative of who you are and from whence you came, the anthropological "Origin Story" e.g. The Book of Genesis if you will; is an important chapter to write if you are seeking to discern your own place in the world and significant in directing others in finding their place too. In researching her assignment, she was able to cast a light back through the generations and pry open doors all but sealed by the passing of people and time. She got just a glimpse of the life and times of her people that are now greatly a mystery to us, and their stories all but unknown. The particular research brought her from the Pacific salt air of western Washington, back to her mother's ranch in eastern Montana where grandmother was raised her parents who had come from Missouri.
We had a trip scheduled to Missouri in early July to see our son Grant. As long as we had a reason to be in that part of the world she reasoned, wouldn't it be an interesting sidetrip to see what kind of family roots could be dug up in the Savannah, Missouri? I agreed, it would be an interesting jaunt to see a place in which our family is rooted.
We had a noon appointment with the staff genealogist of the Andrew County Historical Society Museum in Savannah, Missouri for July 3rd. We were led down into the bowels of museum and by the young genealogist. In the record room, several volumes were pulled from the shelf as we started at the end, the 1908 obituary for Lewis Maris, Sue's Great Great Grandfather. He had come to Missouri from Germantown, PA as a young man, working as skilled carpenter in the area of Savannah and St. Joseph in western Missouri. Tensions were already running high between the Free-State and slave-holding population in Missouri, being so close to "bleeding Kansas" where violence between partisans for Free State and Slave State frequently spilled blood on the soil of middle America, a prelude to the Civil War.
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| Searching Genealogy Records Andrew County Historical Society Museum |
When war did come to the country, Lewis Maris his lot in with his slave-holding neighbors who had come to Missouri from Kentucky and North Carolina as they all joined the Missouri State Guard under General Sterling Price. Lewis Maris we believe was a Lieutenant, fought in numerous engagements and was captured (Siege of Vicksburg?) and ship as a prisoner to Johnson Island Federal Prison Camp on Lake Erie. Following the war, he returned to Savannah and married Martha Farrow, and began farming 160 acres on the west bank of the Platte River.
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| Farmhouse (Likely not original) on the hill Great Great Grandparents - Lewis & Martha Maris Andrew Co., Missouri |
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| Looking north along Platte River Maris Farm extended to the West of here |
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| Corn growing on land once farmed by Lewis Maris |
The genealogist helped us located the 1877 census plat that showed the location of the Lewis Maris farm as well as a few other documents that showed that they retired from farming and moved into a house in town on the corner of 1st Street and Main Street. Martha was very active in the Methodist Church and was instrumental in aiding the reverend in reviving the congregation toward the end of the 19th Century.
 |
| Locating the Lewis Maris Farm 7 Miles east of Savannah |
After Lewis' death in 1908, upon the recommendation of her doctor, Martha and her youngest daughter relocated to Los Angelos for health reasons. Apparently it was good recommendation, as she thrived in California. Upon her unexpected passing, she was buried next to her husband in the Savannah cemetery.
Once we had gather this elementary information, we set out to drive to the old Maris farm, and then returned to town to look at the houses at 1st and Main, the Methodist Church and finally we slowly searched the headstones in the Cemetery until we had located the family plot.
We paid our respects to the people who had gone before, to the land on which they made a life and then lamented that the surviving narrative is so short.
Lewis Maris
Born 1835 - Died 1908
Yes, the dates are recorded, but what happened where those dates carved into the tombstone granite?
There was a young man leaving Pennsylvania for the American West, a war, many battles, a prison cmap, a farm and a family. But what do we really know? Having been there now, it helps us imagine.
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| The Maris retired from the farm and moved to town lived at 101 Main Street |
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| Savannah Methodist Church Martha Maris was instrumental in organizing and growing the congregation in the late 1800's |
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