An interviewer asked if I thought my writing would be better if I had suffered more. It's a question that sometimes pops up at writer's conferences.  I told her I didn't feel I had personally suffered but I had relatives that did that for me. It's one of those answers that one blurts out and later wonders where it came from.  In my case, it came from knowing a bit of the history of my family and having a growing appreciating that their life was far from easy. 

Below are some contemporary stories plus Henry Narratives about life in the early years of the last century.   

Click here:    Novel               Thunderchief Sample Chapter....Prologue

Click here:    Flash Fiction  Pelican Flight

Click here:    Short Story     Stranger's Burial

 

HENRY NARRATIVES:    Often there are interesting stories in our own family history. A cousin who flew B-17s in World War II and was lost without a trace. A father who was the youngest of fifteen children born in a 100+ year old, two room, log cabin built before George Washington became president. A family squabble leading to a 1935 lawsuit that expanded women's rights. See those stories and more below.  (pdf files require Adobe reader. Click here for free download at Adobe.com)

Lt. Murrel Henry Story:   Lt. Murrel Henry, a B-17 pilot, went missing in action in WW II. This account covers Murrel's training and combat missions and solves the mystery of what happened to him and his crew. Murrel's fate was one of several tragic events in Eighth Air Force in Jan 1943 that led to the firing of the 306th Bomb Group Commander, which became the inciting event for the World War II classic book and movie "Twelve O'clock High."

Click here to view  Lt. Murrel Henry.pdf    91 pages

The Story of Bones and Faye:    Benton and Faye Henry were born in 1912 and 1919 in a rapidly changing time for America. In their teenage years, the economic promise of their childhood was shattered by crashing world economies. In 1938, the year they married, the flames of war were in Europe, and shortly America was totally involved in World War II. This backdrop had a profound effect on how they lived their lives and their attitudes toward -work, education, and family. This narrative looks at life in middle America from 1912 to 1959.

Click here to view   Bones and Faye. pdf    109 pages

Mary Mackie Et al VS Burford Henry Et al:    Madison Henry died in 1919 without a will to direct disposition of the family farm and personal property. His death occurred before women could vote or own separate property from a husband or male heirs. The successful struggle culminating in women's suffrage in 1920 launched a two decade legal effort to improve women's rights in other areas. This Henry family 1935 lawsuit was one of several legal challenges of the time that expanded women's rights.

Click here to view   Mary Mackie VS Burford Henry.pdf      19 pages

When Madison Henry Died:    In 1919, what happened when a family member died? How were things different than now? Why did families go to the hardware store instead of a mortuary?  Find out in this account of when Madison Henry died.

Click here to view   When Madison Henry Died.pdf     5 pages

Ancestors of Ralph and Clara Davis:   Portfolio of photos of Davis Ancestors. A favorite photo on page 8. Ralph and Clara courting in a horse and buggy with Clara's sister and her future husband.

Click here to view    Ancestors of Ralph and Clara Davis.pdf   25 pages