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graduation he gave it to me. Uncle Edwin was there at the time and he
had not ridden a bicycle in a long time and he proceeded to show how
he could ride. We all got a big laugh watching him attempting to keep
his balance, the way he wiggled his butt to assist him in keeping his
balance, was something to see.

The following Jan.(49)Uncle Carroll started as an Auditor with the
State of Fla. During his job hunting time he stayed at home with us.
He worked in several counties auditing books of all public offices.
While working in Mayo he met and later married Ruby Ganey in about
1951. They had one son, Stanley. They were usually not too far from
home so they could come visit regularly. Carroll and Ruby were there
and are still there when anyone in the family needs them, and I thank
them and I appreciate this. Ruby never prevented Uncle Carroll from
doing anything for the family, actually she was usually there helping
him. I greatly appreciate Ruby's willingness to help our family out
all those years. It didn't seem like much to me then, but now I know
how much they did to make life easier for all of us. They also did
things for her family.

When Vera and I were very young, the original idea was to call our
granddad "Papa" and our grandmother "Mama Burnette." However we soon
dropped the Mama and called her "Burnette." She never tried very hard
to get us to call her anything else. Whatever we were comfortable
calling her was fine. Now that is a bit hard to understand, she was
such a stickler to the "proper" way things should be done, and
calling an adult by their last name only was not in keeping with her
upbringing and respect for adults by children. She was the most
educated in the neighborhood, the only woman with a college
education, and was often called on when her expert advise or council
was needed. During her lifetime she had taught school a couple of
different times. Once when Papa and I were going to Fargo, via the
Woodpecker Route, he pointed out the old school where she taught
early in her career. I've since gone back and tried to locate the
building for historic purposes, but was unable to. It is getting less
likely I'll be able to, so many people living near Fargo that might
know, have died. I want to know where it was and see it, if the
building is still standing.

She was the noblest of the matriarchs of the community. She was a
very tough task master and her favorite hobby or pastime was to get
into a rather heated discussion of religion or politics. When she
really wanted to make a point she could give a staring glare with her
piercing blue eyes. She stuck firm to her beliefs regardless what was
being discussed. I credit her for an early introduction to loyalty to
a religious conviction or belief. She had very keen eyesight, not
long before her death in 1961, she

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