~ Introduction ~
The following is an interesting biography for several reasons – one being the obvious; the second reason – for personal reasons.

Some years ago I was introduced to a woman who has been a regular contributor to and friend of the family of Kettle Moraine, Ltd. Publications – Jacki Juntti – most often referred to on-the-air as, ‘Granny.’ The story you you are about to read is amongst her Paternal ancestors. ~ Jeffrey Bennett, Editor and Publisher.

Andrew Taylor Still was born on August 6, 1828, in a log cabin in Lee County, Virginia. The third of nine children born to Abram and Martha Still, young Andrew led a typical frontier boy’s life, with plenty of hard work and intermittent schooling.

His father was a Methodist circuit-riding preacher and a physician, whose work led the family to move several times between 1834 and 1841, to circuits in Tennessee and Missouri. Finally, in 1851, Abram was assigned to head up the Wakarusa Shawnee Mission in Kansas. At least part of the reason he received this assignment was to get him out of Missouri, a pro-slavery state where his strong anti-slavery sermons were getting an increasingly hostile reception. Continue reading →

Eddie: “I have no memory of ever being bit by any kind of bee.”

Slim: [interjecting] “Were you?”

Over the past year as I have completed a ten month long project of home restoration, I began to note something I had never witnessed before – not to the degree I have seen now – dead bees laying on the ground. Sometimes there is just one, sometimes several – and even on one occasion – several dozen. Continue reading →

Dateline: March 1, 2015

This past eight months have gone by, and I owe our readers an apology.

On June 23rd, 2014 I moved into my son’s home in Phoenix, Arizona, with the intent of a two month clean-up, paint and minor repair renovation. The purpose: To resell the home at a fair and comfortable profit for the kids. It sure beat selling it for less that what they had paid but two years earlier.

The intent of well laid plans wasn’t meant to be. In a few more days I will be witnessing my ninth full moon in this place, which I now recognize as Heaven on Earth. For those who regularly listen to my daily broadcast, this project has turned into one of total restoration of a home that was built sometime between 1955 and 1962. The jury seems to be out on that one as of yet – but we’ll get it figured out. Continue reading →