Take me home
Country roads
To the place
I belong
Mountain Mama.
The "C" is for Charity.
My mother used to love to play with her cousins, the Whited kids, when she was a little girl. Her mother always discouraged her. Made mum sad. Gram would never say why. Really bothered mum. We were extended family! When Gram came to live with us and mum was a mature woman with kids of her own she asked Gram again.
Elizabeth (who my grandmother was named for :o) (see below)) Charity Whited Bracken was a little too...charitable for Gram. Maybe it was contagious. E.C.W.B. was married to Nathan Bracken until death did them part at Fredericksburg. That was in 1862. In 1869 E.C.W.B. gave birth. :o Did not remarry. Gave birth to a baby boy who I am named for, Benjamin Bracken. Father unknown.
Uncle Benny (unknown to me) was beloved by my family. The sweetest, gentlest, most wonderful person :), great with kids, that was Uncle Benny according to my mother, who adored him. But, "Uncle Benny wasn't quite right." That's what mum would always say, "Uncle Benny wasn't quite right. Then why did you name me after him, MO-ther? What does that mean specifically anyway, he wasn't "quite right?"
The beloved Uncle, Benjamin Bracken, is seated at left. If I ever knew who the other two were I've forgotten although the (comparatively) intelligent-looking man has the features of one of my brothers. Uncle Benny
looks
Because one-half of him wasn't part of the family! But I have his name. So my distinguished sounding full name, Benjamin Franklin Harris has nothing whatsoever to do with Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin comes from Uncle Benny and Franklin was the middle name of the doctor in the family who for a novelty occasionally dispatched patients to the next world in addition to delivering others into this one, including the husband of a close relation, leaving a widow and a father-less daughter. He supported the truncated family in style for the rest of their days as recompense for his not quite perfected surgical skills. Franklin, the Franklin of the physician, I'll take that. Benjamin of Uncle Benny, I think I have developed life-long self-doubt as his namesake.
Country roads
To the place
I belong
My mother used to love to play with her cousins, the Whited kids, when she was a little girl. Her mother always discouraged her. Made mum sad. Gram would never say why. Really bothered mum. We were extended family! When Gram came to live with us and mum was a mature woman with kids of her own she asked Gram again.
Elizabeth (who my grandmother was named for :o) (see below)) Charity Whited Bracken was a little too...charitable for Gram. Maybe it was contagious. E.C.W.B. was married to Nathan Bracken until death did them part at Fredericksburg. That was in 1862. In 1869 E.C.W.B. gave birth. :o Did not remarry. Gave birth to a baby boy who I am named for, Benjamin Bracken. Father unknown.
Uncle Benny (unknown to me) was beloved by my family. The sweetest, gentlest, most wonderful person :), great with kids, that was Uncle Benny according to my mother, who adored him. But, "Uncle Benny wasn't quite right." That's what mum would always say, "Uncle Benny wasn't quite right. Then why did you name me after him, MO-ther? What does that mean specifically anyway, he wasn't "quite right?"
Oh. You mother.
looks
like
noone
in the family.
Because one-half of him wasn't part of the family! But I have his name. So my distinguished sounding full name, Benjamin Franklin Harris has nothing whatsoever to do with Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin comes from Uncle Benny and Franklin was the middle name of the doctor in the family who for a novelty occasionally dispatched patients to the next world in addition to delivering others into this one, including the husband of a close relation, leaving a widow and a father-less daughter. He supported the truncated family in style for the rest of their days as recompense for his not quite perfected surgical skills. Franklin, the Franklin of the physician, I'll take that. Benjamin of Uncle Benny, I think I have developed life-long self-doubt as his namesake.
