Saturday - Sept 21 ~ Onto the St. Charles relatives

Nancy and I meandered from Hannibal toward St. Charles on old Highway 79.  The road must have followed old deer trails up and down small rolling hills as it snaked along bluffs overlooking the Mississippi.   We were surrounded by  thousands of acres of corn and soybean fields turning golden brown ready to be harvested in a couple of weeks.   Some towns along the highway were small, with populations ranging from 67 to 3000+, but mostly about 200.  Towns were marked by large grain silos, a gas station, a small store, several churches and well kept by the good folks of rural America.    Large lawns are the rule in this part of the country.  Some of the larger lawns would be the envy of many a greens keepers.  John Deer riding mowers seem to be the vehicle of choice.  A good size pond is an added bonus.

View of the Mississippi River valley  from Missouri towards Illinois

 Lane's from the St Louis area met at a restaurant in St. John's, MO.  It was the first time I had met several of them.  Wilma was able to gather another 1st cousin Shirley, plus several 2dn, 3rd and 4th cousins.  It was great to meet them all.  Thank you Wilma for all of your help gathering the clan.

A cast of cousins

Friday Sept. 20

Friday we ambled through downtown Hannibal while I furnished Nancy with memories of my childhood.  Most had a bit of truth woven through the stories dredged deep from my memories as a young boy.

Meals in Hannibal were a time for visiting and family stories.   We didn't miss a chance to sit down and break bread with the family.

Nancy and I went on a road trip to Palmyra to do some genealogy research.  Lots of looking, but no treasures.

Thanks to Claude, Mildred, Sue, Doug, Steve and Kathy for making us feel so welcome while we were in Hannibal.

At the waterfront in Hannibal ~ Riverboat dock