Throwback Thursday - July 4th at the Newbert's

The year was 1995. It was July 4th and we were at our friends' house. They live on the July 4th parade route in East Longmeadow. For years they had a big gang at their house every 4th of July.

I remember the year they started it. Chris and I were doing Prims together (a 7-8 year old girls' club at our church). Kristen was not yet in Prims; I think she was about 5 or 6 at the most.

They had this get-together at least until my kids were in college so...yes, years. We would have to get there by 9 or so in the morning, before they shut off their road. After the parade was over, we would start getting the food ready. Everyone would bring enough meat to grill for their family and then something to share, a salad type thing and/or dessert. There was always TONS of food. We usually left in time to go to the fireworks in Springfield on the way home. For a few years the next door neighbors put on quite a firework show.

Then it started to get too big, or we all started to get too old - one or the other! Ha. Now their grandchildren get to enjoy it.

Good memories.

Happy July 4th!

As many of you know, Paul and I have been doing some genealogy research lately and I had wanted to take a picture of a Revolutionary War veteran's grave today. One person that I came across, on my mother's father's side, was William Higgins II. The problem is...I can't find where he is buried. Some places say Easton, MA., and others say Chesterfield. I am going to have to do some more digging. I did find the information above though.

So...instead, Paul and I went to Malden, MA to check on Capt. John Wayte's gravestone. He was the first one in the Wait (my father's) family to come to America. He came from England in 1638.

He landed in Charlestown, and eventually moved to Malden, MA. He died in 1693 and is buried in the Bell Rock Cemetery. This is his gravestone. It is amazing to me that a gravestone from 1693 is still intact.



This plaque is at the front of the cemetery. It is hard to read in this picture, but it is a list of all the Revolutionary War veterans buried here.



Happy Birthday America!