Uncle Walter

On December 30, 2015, my Uncle Walter died at age 91. He was the second youngest of eight kids (my dad being the youngest).  I remember him visiting us out at my parents' place in Lake Wilderness, Washington, when he was a spry octogenarian. He harvested maple syrup from the woods on his Pennsylvania property until he was in his mid-80s and distributed mason jars of the stuff to his relatives, of which I have been the grateful recipient.  He said making maple syrup "kept him out of trouble." Always self-effacing, he was a gentle soul.  

His obituary in the Erie Times-News is reprinted below.  RIP, Uncle Walter.

Walter Earl King

Walter Earl King, age 91, resident of Waterford and originally from McLane in Edinboro, passed away Wednesday, December 30, 2015, at Independence Court in Erie. He was born September 8, 1924, one of eight children of John and Alice Compton King. 

Walter grew up in McLane and graduated from Edinboro Schools. He then entered the United States Army Air Corps and served in Germany during World War II. Walter was a hard worker, and spent most of his years working in an iron foundry, retiring in 1991 from Fairview Castings. He loved the outdoors and working in the woods, and was cutting firewood until his age of 90. He enjoyed making maple syrup and was proud that he built his own house for his family. Walter had a great sense of responsibility and loved his family, evidenced by the love and care he gave to his late wife and his widowed sisters. 

Walter's wife, Anna Marie Delfft, preceded him in death in 1994, and he was also preceded by a grandson, Adam Neiswonger, and four siblings - Gordon, Iva, Anna, and Red.

His surviving family includes three daughters - Gloria O'Handley, Jan Russell, and Judy Fink and husband Dennis, all of Waterford, and a son, Tom King and his husband Alan of Dallas, Texas; four grandchildren - April, Doug, Heather, and Roxanne; ten great-grandchildren; and three siblings - Elma Dascanio, Jessie Huber, and Roger King and his wife Mary.

Friends may visit with the family at Van Matre Funeral Home, 105 Walnut Street, Waterford, on Sunday from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. at which time a memorial service with military honors will be observed. Burial will be in Erie County Memorial Gardens.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/erietimesnews/obituary-print.aspx?n=walter-earl-king&pid=177109796 

Come and Take It: Texas State Capitol

Benjamin and Steven in front of the largest U.S. state capitol - the Texas State Capitol

We just had a day and a half in Austin before we caught our plane home. It was a crisp 47 degrees in the state capitol and it was also New Year's Day, so very little was open.  We decided to warm up with a brisk walk around the state capitol grounds, where we witnessed something definitively Texan. Nearly 200 members of  Open Carry Texas and Texas Carry peaceably walked to the capitol steps to commemorate the first day of "open carry" in Texas. The group casually displayed their holstered firearms, and carried signs that read "Come and Take It"* and a quote by Adolf Hitler: "To conquer a nation, first disarm its citizens." 

Image and full story at:
http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2016/01/01/texans-celebrate-open-carry-uncovering-handguns-capitol/  

We also viewed a statue on the capitol grounds lauding the Confederate army. Erected a hundred years ago, it reflects the sentiment of that time.  It reads in part:

Monument for Confederate Dead at Texas State Capitol, Austin

DIED 

FOR STATE RIGHTS 

GUARANTEED UNDER THE CONSTITUTION. 

The people of the South, animated by the spirit of 1776, to preserve their rights, withdrew from the federal compact in 1861. The North resorted to coercion.  The South, against overwhelming numbers and resources, fought until exhausted.  

*There are a number of phrases associated with Texas. Explanations below. 

Everything is Bigger in Texas.  I thought this didn't require much explanation, but Texas is not the biggest state by area or population.  Alaska and California, respectively, take the top spots.  But Texas comes in second in both size and population.  And Texans supersize everything, including trucks and burgers and state capitols.  So it does make some sense. 

 

Don't Mess with Texas.  This phrase actually started out as a Texas state anti-littering campaign slogan in 1985 and is actually a federally registered trademark, but it now seems to appear on every third t-shirt in Texas. 

Come and Take It.  In 1831, the Mexican government loaned a smallish cannon to the folks of Gonzales, Texas.  In 1835, when the Mexicans wanted it back, they were told to "come and take it." When the Mexicans came to take it, the Texans beat them off.  The Texans created a flag for the occasion, which has been updated for use on a seemingly limitless number of souvenirs, as well as adapted by the Open Carry groups in Texas.  See illustrations below. 

Original flag, 1835

Revised in the 21st century (photo source: http://comeandtakeitamerica.com/tag/open-carry/)