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From Maxine (email: MaxineMallach@webtv.net ) A LOT OF MY INFORMATION IS WORD OF MOUTH. ABOUT SIX YEARS AGO I WENT TO HIGHLANDVILLE AND FOUND MY DAD'S (MAX HENRY) FIRST COUSIN BILL HENRY. HE GAVE ME A LOT OF INFORMATION. JESSIE HENRY’S FATHER WAS WILLIAM HENRY. HE IS BURIED AT PALMYRA MARION COUNTY MISSOURI. JESSIE WAS MARRIED ABOUT THREE TIMES. IN HIS FIRST MARRIAGE THEIR WERE FIVE CHILDREN - FOUR GIRLS AND ONE BOY. I HAVE A COPY OF THE 1850 CENSUS LINCOLN COUNTY MO, IT LISTS MISSOURI HENRY --- F. AGE 18 ALABAMA HENRY --- F. AGE 16 LOUISIANA HENRY --- F. AGE 14 FRANCIS HENRY --- M. AGE 10 MARY E. HENRY --- F. AGE 9 I HAVE A LOT MORE. I DO KNOW THAT ROY HENRY WAS ALIVE IN THE 1940’S. WILL SEND MORE WHEN I GET MY HENRY BOOK BACK ALICE HENRY LIVED IN SPRINGFIELD. WHEN I WAS ABOUT TEN, MY DAD (MAX HENRY) TOOK THE FAMILY TO VISIT HER. MY DAD HAD BIG WARTS ON HIS HANDS MAKING IT HARD TO WORK AND HE SAID THAT AUNT ALICE COULD MAKE THEM GO AWAY. BELIEVE I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO SEE A WITCH AND WHEN WE GOT TO THE HOUSE I THOUGHT SHE WAS A WITCH. SHE HAD ONLY ONE EYE, NO TEETH AND SHE CHEWED. I DON’T REMEMBER WHAT SHE DID TO MY DAD S HAND BUT A FEW WEEKS LATER THE WARTS WERE GONE. I DO KNOW IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH A POTATO. AS WE WERE LEAVING AUNT ALICE SAID, "WELL MAX, US HENRY’S ARE MEAN S.O.B.’s." AND THEN SHE SPIT. LATER I ASK MY DAD WHAT HAPPENED TO AUNT ALICE’S EYE. HE SAID SHE GOT DRUNK AT THE SALOON AND GOT INTO A FIGHT AND SOMEONE POKED HER EYE OUT. AUNT ALICE ALSO HAD TWO CHILDREN OUT OF WEDLOCK. The next little story she sent me was about Martin. Here it is. I’M GOING TO TRY AND TELL YOU ABOUT MY GRANDPA MARTIN. HE DIED WHEN MY FATHER WAS ABOUT TEN YEARS OLD. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW ABOUT OUR PART OF THE OZARKS. SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE THEY ARE JUST NOW COMING INTO THE 20TH CENTURY. THEY STILL MAKE MOONSHINE AND DO A LITTLE POACHING ON THE SIDE AND THEY LOVE TO KEEP A FEUD GOING. NOW BACK TO GRANDPA MARTIN. I WAS TOLD BY DAD THAT HE DIED AFTER BEING BITTEN BY A RABID DOG. THEY PUT HIM IN A STATE HOME IN A PADDED CELL AND THEN HE BEAT HIS HEAD AGAINST THE WALL UNTIL HE DIED. NOW THIS IS THE STORY THAT THE FAMILY WANTED EVERYONE TO KNOW. ONE DAY I WAS TALKING TO MY AUNT CLEO (SHE IS MY DAD'S HALF SISTER). SHE TOLD ME HE DIED FROM EPILEPSY. ANOTHER STORY THE FAMILY WANTED YOU TO HEAR...HE WAS PLACED IN A STATE HOME, PADDED ROOM AND BEAT HIS HEAD AGAINST THE WALL. NOW THIS IS TWO VERY RESPECTABLE STORIES AND NOW I WILL TELL YOU WHAT BILL HENRY TOLD ME SIX OR SEVEN YEARS AGO. AFTER MARTIN AND DOLLIE WERE DIVORCED, HE WENT TO LIVE WITH BILL HENRY FAMILY IN HIGHLANDVILLE. HE GOT TO RUNNING THE RIDGE WITH A BUNCH OF MOONSHINERS STAYING OUT ALL HOURS WITH OTHER WOMEN. THEY WOULD GO TO THE SALOONS WHERE GRANDPA WOULD PLAY THE FIDDLE. THEY SAY HE WAS ONE OF THE BEST. MARTIN LIKED HIS MOONSHINE BUT EVER ONCE IN A WHILE A BATCH WOULD GO BAD. MARTIN GOT A HOLD OF SOME BAD BOOZE. HE DIED OF ALCOHOL POISON. BILL TOLD ME THAT HE WOULD RUN OFF INTO THE WOODS JUST A HOLLERING. THEY TOOK HIM TO JAIL AND LOCKED HIM UP. THEN HE BEAT HIS HEAD AGAINST THE WALL UNTIL HE DIED. |
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