Jacqueline’s Jaunts

I was up early today. I had to be at the First Baptist Church in Stonewall around 9:00 AM to meet with Belinda Griffin. She is going to pull the church record books to see if they have a record of my Grandma Griffin’s baptism. I’m going alone while Barry gets the RV ready. We are leaving Sulphur today when I return from Stonewall.   The drive was nice, but it was strange driving in Oklahoma by myself. I don’t know why, but it was. Once I arrived at the church and was inside, Belinda found the books, and I began my page-by-page search. It wasn’t too long before I saw Grandma. She was listed under 20 May 1945. Uncle Richard did say she was baptized while Grandpa was serving in World War II. Did you see me doing the GENEALOGY HAPPY DANCE? I have so many questions: why did she want to get baptized while Grandpa was away? Why only her and not any of her children? Any other family in attendance? I’ll never know the answers to these questions. I finished looking through the rest of t...

We slept in and did a few chores this morning: today’s agenda, another cemetery, Holdenville Cemetery. The drive was about an hour and fifteen minutes from our RV park in Sulphur. My Grandma Griffin’s older brother and sister-in-law are buried here, Herbert and Ethel Landrum. I know most of the people I have visited are on Find A Grave, but I want the photos I use to be mine and to include the GPS coordinates.  This is a large cemetery for such a small town, and it is beautifully maintained. We found their gravesites right away, thanks to the information provided by the Find A Grave source person. They included a map and the plot information. After the cemetery, we drove through what remains of Holdenville today, which is not much. It’s so sad to see all these old towns boarded up and deserted. To think they were once bustling with activity.  Since we would be going by Stonewall on our way back, I wanted to stop at Highland Cemetery one more time and talk to my Great Gran...

Today, we planned to hit the Chickasaw National Recreation Area to see the museum and get my passport stamps and stickers. The park consists of 10,000 acres. Directions to the visitor center took us into town. The visitor center is right outside the park entrance. When we arrived, we saw that a large artisan's festival was underway. The parking gods shone on us, and we found a spot right across the street. The visitor center features a small museum, and I was able to get my passport stamped; however, no stickers were available. One of the salespeople told me to go to the Travertine Nature Center inside the park, and they have stickers.  We decided to wander through the festival. The artists were mainly American Indians. All the art, jewelry, materials, baskets, and mosaics were so colorful and beautiful. We watched a few tribes perform dances, which I always love. The tribal clothing was amazing; the colors so vibrant. After exploring all the booths, we found the food truck ar...

Genealogy Fireworks in Stonewall: Whispers, Surprises, and a Happy Dance Most genealogy days feel routine, like flipping through old pages. But every now and then, you hit the jackpot — fireworks go off, your heart races, and the ancestors practically shout, “Pay attention!” That’s exactly what happened to me in Stonewall. From the moment we pulled out of the Arbuckle RV Resort — just a 30-minute drive away — I had no clue the day would end with me doing a full-on genealogy happy dance. Everything felt wet and balmy due to last night’s crazy thunderstorm. However, late spring still lingers, and the green grasses along the highway glistened from the rain the night before.  Once we arrived in Stonewall, we parked on Main Street. Barry went into a store to see if they had a few supplies we needed. The row of old buildings we parked in front of included the store. I just wanted to walk the street and take it all in. Knowing my Griffin grandparents, Bertha and R. D., Uncle Richard, Uncl...

Why the U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith Deserves a Spot on Your Travel List Our last morning in Arkansas started slow — coffee, a quick breakfast — and ended with an unforgettable trip through U.S. history at the United States Marshals Museum in Fort Smith, Arkansas . We decided to go to the U.S. Marshals Museum , sitting just a minute down the road from our RV Park — practically next door. We let the RV Park know we would be checking out late, and they were fine. Everyone who works there recommends the museum, and rightfully so. This Fort Smith attraction absolutely blew us away with its exhibits and storytelling. Since it had just opened on July 1, 2023, everything felt fresh and exciting. We spent two hours exploring the history of America’s oldest federal law enforcement agency. We came across a piece of steel from the World Trade Center, with an inscription honoring Marshals who died from illnesses connected to the attacks — a sobering and powerful memorial. A couple of i...

June 04, 2025, Riverfront RV Park, Fort Smith, Arkansas I felt better this morning, but it could still develop into bronchitis. I decided to see how I felt as the day wore on.  We visited Fort Smith National Historic Site . Before the entrance to the Visitor Center, there was a reconstruction of the gallows, along with some plaques explaining the gallows. It even had the trap doors. After the gallows, we walked over to the visitor center and museum. I got my passport stamped, bought stickers, and an “ Images of America ” book on Fort Smith. One of the rooms in the museum was a recreation of a jail cell. The information plaques were very informative. This was on the bottom floor. The top floors featured additional displays showcasing the fort’s role in the Indian Wars, the Trail of Tears, and the U.S. Marshals.   Now to turn the page to genealogy....I confirmed with a Park Ranger that Fort Smith was only operational from December 25, 1817, to 1896. I then told the Ranger that f...