My Momma was a Texas girl raised in New Mexico.  Her Momma, My Love Grammy, and all her sisters and brothers were born in Texas and still lived in Texas. (Except for Gram and Lois).  My Grandfather was also a Texas boy, although born in the last land rush of Oklahoma, but raised in Texas.

Every year of my growing up we went to Texas for part of the summer. The year Walt Disney produced the movie DAVY CROCKETT it was smitten with the history of the Alamo.      I wanted to go!  I begged and asked, and probably whined…in general I was probably very irritating.

My wonderful great aunts and my hero great uncle Fred and my fun great Aunt Marie (we stayed with them at their ranch in Junction, Texas) told my parents they would take us to San Antonio to see the Alamo.

(Google maps)

So we all dressed up (back then all women wore hands, gloves, and hose, even little girls had gloves and hats) got in Fred’s big car and made the almost two hour trip to the ALAMO!!!  I was soooooooooo excited.

Not only was I going to get to see the Alamo, but I was going to get to see a real picture of Davy Crockett!  Of course it didn’t enter my mind that the REAL Davy Crockett wasn’t the same as Fess Parker.  I just knew he was going to look just as daring and handsome and wonderful as Walt Disney could ever portray him!

There a many things I remember about that trip…how hot it was.  How old the Alamo looked, the many displays of the battle…being allowed to stand and stare all I wanted at whatever I was interested in…and how UNLIKE Fess Parker looked like the REAL Davy Crockett. (I laugh about that now.)

It was the ‘opening of my eyes’ that if you see it in the movies…it just might not ALL be true.  It also told me that history really was a real thing and even today you can make it come alive.  I think this was the step that turned me toward studies of history and genealogy.

Momma gave me this photo when I was about twelve.  I’ve kept it ever since…just to remember the Alamo!

Your friend,

Linda