Virtual Hike to Ottumwa, Iowa

The latest leg of my Virtual Hike was from Eagleville, Missouri to Ottumwa, Iowa.

Virtual Hike, Eagleville Missouri, Ottumwa Iowa, Hiking, Family HistoryFor those of you who have known me most of my life you know that Ottumwa is where I spent most of my grade school years.

Eagleville is where some of my ancestors lived and are buried. Most of the next stops on the Virtual Hike will be at places of family significance.

Lamoni Iowa, Mormon, Graceland IowaI adjusted my route to pass through several towns along the way. One of the towns is Lamoni, Iowa where some of my Bunt family lived. You may have heard of Lamoni, Iowa as it has been a center for the Reorganized Mormon church. You can see here Graceland University which is one of their schools. My 4th Great Grandparents, William and Eliza Bunt, were at one time members of the early Reorganized Mormon church.

Moravia Iowa, Ramsey, Family HistoryMoravia, Iowa was another town that I passed through with a family connection. My Ramsey family had a Moravia address in some of the census reports.

Ottumwa Iowa, Virtual HikeHere is the destination of Ottumwa, Iowa. The spot marked is where Google Maps placed the pin for Ottumwa. There are many spots that I could write about in Ottumwa as I have many memories from living there. Perhaps someday I will write a post about a virtual walk around Ottumwa and show some of the places that bring back memories.

Boyhood Home, Ottumwa Iowa, Old HouseI did make sure that my Virtual Hike took me past this house in Ottumwa. This is where I grew up. I have so many memories of this house.

The picture above is from Google Street View.

It seems much smaller than I remember it πŸ™‚

Canteen Lunch in the Alley, Ottumwa, Iowa, 1936, Loose Meat SandwichesI will have to make sure that my Virtual Hike route takes me by this Ottumwa landmark on my way out of town toward the next destination.

It is not possible to have a virtual meal at the Canteen, but I can make myself a Loose Meat Sandwich here at home and bring back some memories.

I wrote about my next destination in my post A Virtual Hike Idea. It is the end of migration path that I will be following in reverse (with a few detours).

Have you been to Ottumwa, Iowa?

Steven

 

 

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An After Christmas Carol

Did you know that there is a carol for the day after Christmas?

Good King Wenceslas - Traditional English Carol - St. Stephen's Day - Feast of Stephen - ChristmasFirst we have to look at what is special about the day after Christmas.

December 26th is St. Stephen’s Day in the Catholic church calendar of saints. If you are Eastern Orthodox then the date is either December 27th or January 9.

The day is a remembrance of the martyr Stephen who was stoned after his great sermon in Acts 7.

Jerusalem Damascus Gate - Stoning of Stephen - St. Stephen's Day - Gates of JerusalemThe picture above is of the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem. According to early tradition, it was outside this gate that Stephen was stoned to death. A later tradition gives the location as the Lion’s Gate, but there is little evidence to support this.

Are you starting to figure out which carol is for the day after Christmas?

Do you know of a carol which references the feast of Stephen?

Good King Wenceslas - Traditional English Carol - St. Stephen's Day - Feast of Stephen - Christmas

Good King Wenceslas looked out

on the feast of Stephen

when the snow lay round about,

deep and crisp and even;

Brightly shone the moon that night,

tho’ the frost was cruel,

when a poor man came in sight

gath’ring winter fuel.

Who was Good King Wenceslaus? During his life Wenceslaus was not a King, but was just a Duke. He was posthumously given the title of King by the Emperor Otto I. He lived from about 907 to 935 in Bohemia.

Wenceslaus was the Duke of Bohemia and was known for his good Christian deeds. He was known for going around barefoot giving alms, even in the snow in winter time.Β  This came at a time when Christianity was still contending with paganism as the official religion in Bohemia.

Wenceslaus was murdered by friends of his brother who was know as Boleslaus the Cruel. His brother then became Duke of Bohemia. There is some question as to whether he was murdered for his Christian beliefs, but he is considered a martyr and a Saint by the Catholic Church.

Did you sing the carol today?

Steven

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