379th Heavy bombers group

This was Dad's  jacket patch of his 379th bombers group airman's jacket. He kept his jacket and some other stuff out in his wood shed for years. I think I left it out in the rain and it got wrecked. Can you hear me kicking myself.

This is the "Carol Dawn" one of two planes he was a crew member in. The K is for Kimbolton field. If anyone has anything to share of this group, I would like to hear it.

Martha and friends

Martha Cox (seated) and two friends. Does anyone know who the friends might be?

WW2 Air Force Jackets, proudly worn

My Dad, Paul E. Cravens (on the right) and his best friend, Stanford Rhuland modeling their Air Force jackets.

WW2 Air Force Flight Jackets

Doris Cravens and Esther Rhuland model their husbands flight jackets.

Cravens Cox Wedding Certificate

As certificates go, this is quite a pretty one.

Remembering "Tuffy"

My Dad has been very much in my thoughts the last few days. I don't know why. But it inspired me to make a collage. I printed out a photo the work camp he reported to all the days of my young life, a photo of himself in his work helmet and coveralls and a Pure Oil decal. I made the decal by downloading the logo from the internet, adhering a piece of packing tape to it and washing off the paper.

"Tuffy"      8x10

I mounted it on an 8x10 canvas and added a little blurb about the oil fields of the area. If anyone knows any of the men or history of the West Liberty Pure Oil camp, I  would really like to hear from them. I am especially interested in contacting Oop's daughter.

Grandmother Cox

This is a spry photo of my grandma Martha, who I called grandma but was always referred to as Mom Cox. She had little glass wind chimes that tinkled in the hallways. In her memory, I have tried to put a chime in every tree in my yard and I have quite a few trees (and fortunately my neighbors aren't too close).

Could this be Young Brooken Cravens Sr.?

Young Brookens Sr.

I found this old tintype in my Uncle's effects. In looking at the two photos, I think I see a resemblance. If anyone knows if the second photo is of Y.B. Cravens Sr., please let me know. Apparently, he was a reader. I've never seen anyone posed like this in such an old photo..

A family photo

Left to Right from the back: John Scott Reeves, Bertha Reeves, (Dellas Alcorn?), Anna Reeves, Freida Etter, Percy Cravens, Laura Cravens.

Front row: John Etter, Clara Reeves Etter, Eldon Etter

It would not have been too long after this picture was taken that both John Etter and Clara passed away (I think, from TB). Bertha and Laura removed Freida and Eldon from an orphanage and raised them with the rest of the family.

Percy Paul Cravens

This photo says it was taken at Burnt Prairie, IL.

I remember sitting with my Grandpa in his room. We would each peruse one of his collection of National Geographics. I would often quiz him about his younger days, but have now forgotten most of what he told me. He restored and recaned furniture in his older years. He often complained of a sore throat and was always popping horehound candies to soothe it. He died of complications of enphysema.

Paul and Doris in Shreveport

Paul Cravens and Doris Cox were married Feb. 21, 1942. When I asked Mom how he had proposed, she said: "He didn't exactly ask me to marry him. He said, " Do you want to do what we were talking about?" And she said yes. They were married in Cape Giradeau, Missouri because they wouldn't have to wait the required 3 days by Illinois law.

Martha Lutica Barnhouse Cox

I really like the photo of Mom Cox as a young woman. She looks carefree and plucky. My memories of visiting her house include: eating boiled chicken and pumpkin pie, admiring her print of a dozen puppies (I think all of us grandkids admired that print) and glass wind chimes. I hang wind chimes in memory of her. I am working up to one in every tree (and I have a lot of trees).

Paul "Tuffy" Cravens

I was so enjoying my daughters visit that I forgot to post to commemorate my Dad's birthday. This is the way I will always remember him. Tuffy Cravens worked for the Pure Oil and later Union 76 oil company for 40 years. He would leave the house about 6:30 with hislunchtime bacon and egg sandwich aroma lingering in the kitchen. On hot summer days, he would lay down on the cool linoleum floor of the kitchen for a quick nap after lunch. He would get home around 4:30. My Mom and I would walk to meet him when I was really small. When we lived in West Liberty, we would wait on the swing until his battered work truck pulled in.

If anyone knows of some of the other workers from the West Liberty Pure OIl camp, I would like to hear from them. I remember Emmet Walker, Elmer Neely, Bob Seymour and OOp.

527th Squadron, 379th Bomb group WW2

My Dad, Paul E. Cravens sitting in the "Landa". If anyone has stories regarding the 527th at Kimbolton, I would like to hear them. Especially if there is anything about my Dad.

Eureka!

These are photos of Young Brooken Cravens and Jane Rhodes Cravens supplied from the White County Genealogical Society in Carmi, Illinois. I had never seen the images before and I'm so pleased to see my great-great grandfather and wife.

Old Cravens Cemetery

My brother Michael, my uncle Vernell and grandfather Percy Cravens went out on a cleaning expedition in the 1970's to the old Cravens cemetery near Burnt Prairie, Illinois. Percy was adamant that Young Brooken Cravens Jr. was buried there in between Arthur W. Cravens (his son) and Adeline Cravens Masterson, his daughter (unmarked). Y.B.' s grave is marked with a cement block that was still there on my visit Oct. 2010.

There is a nice monument in the Burnt Prairie cemetery for Young Brooken Cravens and Josephine Hamilton. I am wondering why that is and if anyone has any information concerning the two tombstones?

Charles Cox

This is my grandpa Charles Cox from Fairfield Illinois in his WW1 uniform. To this day, there are people who meet my brother and say "Why you must be related to Charlie Cox". He was well-known in Fairfield.

Paul Emersen Cravens

My Dad was Paul E. "Tuffy" Cravens born in Piatt County, Illinois 1921. He was NOT from Marion or Geff Illinois. He was the son of Percy Paul and Laura Edna Cravens who lived most of their remaining years in Fairfield Illinois. He died Feb. 7, 2009. I was there.

I am posting this information because it is WRONG on most family tree charts that I have viewed. I would like to know who the Paul Cravens from Geff Illinois was (I think he may have been a cousin) and who the Paul Cravens from Marion Illinois was. Please leave a comment if you have information regarding them. I am curious as to why they became so confused with one another (or maybe it's just the name)

Feeding Deer

Blanche, Doris and Tommy Cox feeding deer.

Aunt Josie

Josepine Hamilton was married to Young Brooken Cravens Jr. and was Percy Cravens' mother. I know she lived with Percy and Laura after the passing of her husband and they called her Aunt Josie. She had a respiratory ailment that she smoked some kind of medicine for. Dad said the kids would vye for the honor of who would get to light her pipe. She looks like a strong, formidable woman. I can see Percy's resemblance to her.