Home For the Holidays | First Christmas with Our New Family | Christmas 2025

 

    Hello friends, Merry Christmas! I hope you all are enjoying your holiday with friends and family, I know I am. I wanted to provide an update on our family journey that I shared about previously, as we just shared our first Christmas together. If you haven't read my original post about our family journey, click here to read. This Christmas has been the best in our memory thanks to our newfound family, and I again thank each and every one of you for your warmth and kindness. 

    It was about eight o'clock in the morning when we set out for the two-and-a-half-hour trip to Jonesboro, Arkansas. We stopped for coffee and headed south, spirits high among us. This was to be our first Christmas together, sixty-three years in the making. In addition to the who we had met just a few months before, we were also to meet even more family at this gathering, which we had been really looking forward to. Soon enough, we all converged on Aunt Joan's house, cars with license plates from five different states parked in the driveway. 

    Upon arriving, we were greeted gleefully by Joan and others. Immediately we were taken into the festive atmosphere. Others began to arrive as we settled in, and soon we had a full house. Among the guests were three cousins who had come from Tennessee and Mississippi, daughters and granddaughter of great aunt Bee, my grandfather's sister (Linda, Pat, and Linda's daughter Tammy). Ever since the breakthrough had been made and contact with family began, these cousins had reached out to me with such kindness. I am over the moon that they had come to meet us. These ladies are fabulous quilters, and I've loved seeing their work through Facebook for the past few months. Imagine my delight and surprise when they came bearing gifts. Inside two bags, one for my parents and one for me, was two absolutely beautiful, handmade quilts. 

Quilt gifted to me by Linda

    We chatted at the tables set up in the garage, as there were so many of us. It was then that cousin Linda, gifter of the quilts, pulled out another surprise. We waited in anticipation as she pulled an envelope of family photos from her purse. Dad and I were thrilled to see them. I began to pull out my phone to take photos of the photos, when Linda said "these are for you." They had been kind enough to make us our own copies of all the moments that we had missed. We spent time filing through them, listening to the information and stories that the ladies had to share. We laughed about the shocking resemblances and shared features among us all. These moments are absolutely priceless to me.

    Soon we joined for the meal, a grand southern spread made by several members of the family. We said grace and dug in, and boy was it delicious. The room fell quiet as we enjoyed our plates. After, it was time for the ornament exchange, an annual tradition for the family that I had never done before. We gathered in the living room in a large circle, each with an ornament we had brought. Aunt Joan sat at the fireplace and began to read the story of the origin of Christmas. Each time a key word was said, we passed the ornament to the person to our right. By the end of the story, we each had a new ornament! We opened them in unison, a fun reveal. I got cousin Ethan's T-Rex ornament, which I think is absolutely awesome, and looks perfect on my pink tree at home. It felt so good to be a part of something like this.

    We visited for a while longer, getting to know the newly met members of the family. I could try to nail down this feeling into words, but I'm not sure that its possible. It took a long time for us to find our way here, yet I have never been so sure where I belong. Soon, we had to set back out for home. No amount of time would have been enough. There are still so many conversations I cannot wait to have, and moments I cannot wait to share with every member of this incredible family. Thank you for teaching us about unconditional love, and I am so eager to see you all again. Thank you for a very special, memorable Christmas!

     

A Civil War Soldier's Widow in the 1950s | Nancy Jane "Aunt Nan" Dosing | Flat River, Park Hills, Missouri

 

Nancy Jane "Aunt Nan" (Whaley) Dosing c. 1949

    Hello everyone, welcome back to the blog! In today's article, I want to share with you the life of a very interesting and beloved local woman with quite the unique story. Nicknamed "Aunt Nan" by the community, Nancy left an immense impact on her hometown of Flat River, Missouri. A loving and funny maternal figure to many, Nancy's life and memories are a view into an era of the Lead Belt that is only otherwise captured in the occasional black and white photo. Perhaps the most interesting element of Nancy's story, is that she was the widow of a Civil War soldier, and was the only known local woman to be receiving a Civil War pension that long after the war. Nancy received her late husband's pension until her death in 1958, nearly a century after the start of the Civil War.

Nancy Jane (Whaley) Dosing, younger

    On July 17th, 1870, Flat River couple George and Gillilah (Cobb) Whaley welcomed a baby girl into their family. They would call her Nancy Jane, and raise her in the small farming community in which they had settled. As a child, Nancy lived in a log home, referred to as the Walton house, which sat on the corner of what is now West Main Street and Coffman Street in Flat River, now a part of the city of Park Hills. George Whaley was a farmer, and we know he cultivated corn. In addition to crops, the Whaley family also raised cattle, sourcing their own milk and butter. Click here to read an article about Aunt Nan and her memories from the Lead Belt News written in 1949. 

John Dosing Sr.

    In 1902, Nancy Jane Whaley married a man named John Dosing Sr., who was twenty-six years her elder. He was a widower, father, and stepfather. John was born on April 14th, 1844 in Schmelz, Germany, though relocated to the United States as an infant along with his parents. Here he served in the American Civil War as a member of the Union Army, with the 49th Illinois Infantry, Company G. Although being German born, John was known for his patriotism and was proud to fight for the cause. Dosing entered the service as a Private and exited as a Sergeant. He spent the rest of his career in the local lead mines, as well as being an active member of the community, local churches, and lodges. Like Aunt Nan, John was given the nickname "Uncle John". 

    Together, Nancy and John Dosing raised his children, and also adopted Nancy's niece, Alma. All children were treated as their own, and although Nancy never had any biological children, she became a wonderful and treasured mother. John Dosing Sr. passed away on October 15th, 1918 of an illness he had been battling for about three weeks. At the time of his passing, John was 74, leaving Nancy as a widow at only 48 years old. Nancy would never remarry, living out the remainder of her life, another forty years, in the home she once shared with her husband. 

    It was during these years that Aunt Nan became the figure we remember so well today. Although the only human living in the home, Nancy surely was not without company. Aunt Nan was a known animal lover, having multiple pet birds, and a dog named Prince. Some neighbors may have wished the noisy birds away, but Nancy vowed to keep and care for them, and the neighbors who loved Nancy so, simply learned to cope with the chatter. Nancy could often be seen walking the main drag in Flat River, doing her shopping. Even as she aged, she remained busy, enjoying her daily tasks. Aunt Nan fancied listening to the radio, old-style cooking, and visitors. Until her death, a portrait of her late husband hung on the wall for her to admire. By the 1950s, Nancy Jane Dosing was the only known woman in the area still receiving a pension for being the widow of the Civil War soldier.

    Nancy Jane Dosing passed away on September 15th, 1958 at the age of 88. The Dosings are buried in the Knights of Pythias Cemetery in Park Hills, Missouri (Flat River area). Their story is an interesting one and I do hope you enjoyed hearing it. Thank you for joining me on the blog and I hope you'll join me again in the future. 

    

The Old Cape Girardeau Bridge at Riverfront Bridge Park | Cape Girardeau, Missouri | Landmark Landing

Old Cape Girardeau Bridge Base at Riverfront Bridge Park, taken by Jennie Moore

        Hello friends, welcome to the blog! Today's entry is a stop Walter and I made in Cape Girardeau, Missouri a while back. Riverfront Bridge Park is at the base of what was once the Cape Girardeau Bridge and is now a scenic lookout point over the Mississippi River. Before being replaced by the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, the Cape Girardeau Bridge was once an engineering feat. 

    It was May 4th, 1926, when President Calvin Coolidge approved a bill to build a bridge across the Mississippi River from Cape Girardeau, Missouri to East Cape Girardeau, Illinois. It would be a continuous through truss bridge at a length of 4744.3 feet, width of 20 feet, and weighing a whopping 43,000 tons. The bridge was built by the American Bridge Company and U.G.I. Company for approximately 1.2 million dollars. Construction began in February of 1927, and the bridge was opened on September 3rd, 1928. An opening ceremony was held and attended by some 15,000 people.

Old Cape Girardeau Bridge, photographer unknown

    The Cape Girardeau Bridge served its people for three quarters of a century before being replaced by the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge in 2003. Today, the recognizable bridge base is a quaint and enjoyable park. Walter and I enjoyed our walk and view out onto the mighty Mississippi. As a history nerd, I really appreciate that this part of the bridge was saved and made into something for the community. We will definitely be visiting this park again, perhaps with a picnic on a nice day.

A Must Stop Coffee Shop | Vintage Paris | Hollister, Missouri | Small Business Sunday

 

My hot Mocha Latte from Vintage Paris

     Hello friends, welcome back! I want to share with you a neat place Walter and I recently visited. If you know me, you know I enjoy going out for coffee as a treat. I don't drink coffee everyday, but it is something I love, and going on a coffee run is one of life's pockets of peace for me. I want to share more of my coffee stops with you on the blog, as I feel these moments are worth sharing. I'm certainly not a critic or formal reviewer of these establishments, I simply want to keep up with our dynamic of the blog including diary like content! If you ask me, a good coffee is definitely diary mention worthy. Walter is also the best partner for sharing thoughts on our drink stops, because he doesn't drink coffee, so his order always varies from mine. He is a big smoothie guy!

    Anyway, we recently traveled to the Branson, Missouri area, and had gotten into town later in the day. We found ourselves looking for something to do around 9:00pm, most places closing not long after. Bars would be open, but we were really looking for a more chill vibe after a long drive. I searched up local options, and came across a coffee shop open late in nearby Hollister called Vintage Paris! We set out on the short drive to check it out for ourselves.

    Vintage Paris is located directly across the road from the Highway 165 Scenic Overlook I've covered in a previous post, a beautiful view in the daytime! At night, Vintage Paris appears like a beacon upon the dark road of seemingly nothing. The environment is a warm one and I immediately like what I see. Walter and I went in, the interior covered in local art and antiques. Books, instruments, and games fill the space. I ordered a hot Mocha Latte, which was just beautiful. Delicious too, as I'm usually an iced girly but the cozy nighttime vibes gave me a change of heart. Walter ordered a hot chocolate, which he praised highly!

    If you're a coffee lover visiting the Branson, Missouri area, check out Vintage Paris! Even if you're not big on coffee, they have a wide selection of other drinks and pastries. The atmosphere alone is worth the visit, and the baristas were very friendly. I'm a sucker for an artsy aesthetic, and the sunflower yellow walls with a gorgeous mural is just the cherry on top. I'll be revisiting in the future, and if you visit Vintage Paris, let me know what you ordered!