The Reeves Family Get Their First Car

I became interested in our family history and genealogy after my Mother passed away in 2003.  For several years I have wanted to write about the interesting information I have found concerning our family history.   I also want to share wonderful old pictures which tell a story by themselves.  Hopefully, this blog will provide a way to share these stories with my family and friends.

Mama had always kept her important papers in a large black trunk, and when I was going through it I found 3 boxes of old pictures.  Upon examination I found she had the pictures separated according to different families.  Mother's maiden name was Vera Magnolia Reeves, and one of the boxes contained pictures of her Reeves family and her as a young girl. Most of the pictures dated back to the early 1900's, and every one of them had a story to tell.  Mama was the youngest child, born May 21, 1913.   Below is a picture of Mama's family which was probably taken shortly after they got their first car about 1924.

Mama (Vera Magnolia Reeves 1913-2003) was the youngest of 7 children.  Her siblings are listed below:

  Minnie Lou Reeves  1901-1920          Eula Reeves Waits 1903-1966

 Ola Reeves Morgan 1903-1991         Hattie Reeves Nichols 1906-1943

 Ruth N. Reeves Willoughby 1907-1991     Moses Bartoe Jr. 1911-1988

   


Mama and Grandma Reeves look like they are saying they are going to learn to drive this car.  But to my knowledge none of the Reeves women ever learned to drive. Daddy had always driven everywhere we needed to go when he was alive, but after he passed away I was old enough to drive us.   I tried to teach Mama to drive when she was about 57 years old because I was getting married and not going to be around to drive for her.  We had driven over to Newtown, where traffic was not so bad, in 1971.  Mama was doing really good, until she made a left turn into Aunt Ola's road.  It was a gravel road and when the tires hit the gravel..Mama hit the "foot feed"(accelerator) instead of the brake and down into the pine thicket we went.  Uncle Eldon had to bring the tractor up there and pull us out. Thankfully nobody was hurt, except our feelings and my 1961 Ford Comet.  Mama did not try to drive anymore, and in a couple of years she moved near us and we took her where she needed to go.

Below is a receipt where Grandpa Reeves bought parts to repair the car in 1927. It is amazing how cheep the parts were.  I'm sure he fixed it himself, because that was the way it was back then.