Well, I remember meeting Great-aunt Kate when she came through Wisconsin and stopped at the farm and was all full of Father Divine, an African American religious sect leader of the Great Depression and after, and was on her way to some big gathering I recall as being in Michigan – but I was a little kid, maybe 6 or 7. I do recall that over the years, there was conjecture by my Grama and other family on the farm as to where was Kate and what had happened to her. She just vanished after that visit and nobody ever heard from her again. There are darling pictures of her baby son in old family albums; did any adult write him and say “Where is your mother”? If so, there’s no record. This has put me looking up Father Divine, too. He had an infamous history. Kate settled in Washington state, where Father Divine had followers, mostly white. I learned he also had followers in California, France, Switzerland, Canada, and Australia. Apparently one of them was Jimmy Jones, of Kool-Aid fame! I’m sorry I can’t write all this up in Round Barn, but I guess it’s peripheral anyway. He did not come to the farm, as did the daughter of General Booth, who held a rousing service in the living room of the Big House, and rates a whole chapter in Vol. 2, “La Maréchale.”

Curiosity well piqued, I turned to google, and found this intriguing (sub)header in the June 25th, 1961 edition of The Milwaukee Journal:

Really– being dry-eyed broke a precedent? Apparently so: it turns out that the role of Alice is Wisconsin’s Agricultural Ambassador, not bad for a “starter” job at age 19. No wonder it was worth mentioning that she kept it together! And look where it’s taken her: I found Miss Anderson’s current name on the Wisconsin Dept. of Agriculture website, and from there, learned that Carol Anderson Koby has a radio show out of Madison: ALL ABOUT LIVING.

Carol says, “These programs are built on the philosophy that age is not a
deterrent to being an active participant in a complex world. In fact, leading a full, productive, and happy life is an “ageless” concept.”

Yes indeed. What could be a better description of Jackie, at age 86, than
leading a full, productive, and happy life?

Naturally, I started listening immediately, and that’s how I found this audio program, which might be of particular interest to Jackie’s followers: TRANSFORM YOUR TRAVEL INTO A COMPELLING MEMOIR,
with guest Sarah White, who offers services and help for writers of personal stories at her website, First Person Productions. Sarah also has a blog:
True Stories Well Told, –definitely worth checking out.

For all of you who have been in any of Jackie’s classes (Family Stories writers, especially! give this show a listen!) over the past 40 years, I ask you– who could possibly be more perfectly fitting for the Alice in her story?

And to Carol and Sarah– thanks for all you do! Now, carry on.