STORIES FROM OUR PAST

This first story I must tell first because it is closely connected to me and because of this story, I have had the most success in tracing one branch of my tree. Part of it is taken from a newspaper article and part of it is from what I have been told or witnessed.

When my father, LeRoy Schad, was a little boy, his mother, Viola Webb Schad left her husband, Joe and son. Because of Joe's circus business caused them to travel around the midwest during the summers, Viola rarely saw her son. After his dad's death in 1990, LeRoy tried desperately to find his mother, not knowing what her last name would now be due to a possibility of another marriage or if she was even alive. He didn't have much luck.

Meanwhile back in California on Christmas of 1995, a young man by the name of Jim Horton had given his mother, Viola Horton, a list of five LeRoy Schads listed on it. It was a list obtained from 1-800-SEARCH. She called the first name on the list. It was the first time in about 50 years that LeRoy Schad and his mother had spoken to each other!

For the Easter weekend in 1996, Viola and her son, Jim, flew out to Wichita where my mother was waiting to pick them up. Most of our immediate family was able to make it back for Easter. It was the first time that she saw not only her daughter-in-law but also most of her grandchildren and her 10 great grandchildren.

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Back when I was in fourth grade(1978/1979 school year), my mother showed me a picture of my great great grandfather, Peter Schad. He had fought in the Civil War. The picture was of Peter during the war. He was wearing his uniform, holding his weapon and was standing outside a tent(it looks like a tent). That got me interested in knowing more about him and because of that I began an interest in genealogy.

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My great grandmother, Elizabeth Watson, was crossing a street in Wichita on her way to church when she was struck and killed by a car. The car was being driven by a doctor on the way to an emergency call.

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During the Civil War, my great great grandfather, George Henry Watson, was captured by the South. He was later freed after signing an oath that he would not take up arms against the South. Not only did he continue to fight in the war but was severely wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg.

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Before leaving Ireland to come to America, Matthew Watson's father-in-law, had his head cut off and his head was carried around on a pike.

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Matthew Watson, his wife and children all made it to America. However, a few months after arriving, Matthew Watson was cutting down a tree that fell on him, killing him.

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Oliver Watson was selected by the town of Spencer, Massachusetts to inform the government that they were ready to fight for their independence.

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