My Dad, who enjoyed hunting and shooting sports all of his life, passed away on June 5, 2013 at age 95. Franklin Lee Marten was living on the farm in the same house where he was born. He was still shooting skeet and hunting doves by his grandson’s pond the year before he died. When I was a little kid, my dad had a 16-gauge Stevens hammer gun. I remember handling it, but Dad sold it to his good friend and hunting buddy, Harry Moore, in 1949 or 1950 before I was old enough to shoot it.
One morning in October 2009 when my wife and I were back in central Illinois visiting our respective families, Dad and I ran into Harry while having coffee at the local restaurant. (Harry was in his early 80s at the time, but has since passed away.) In the course of our conversation, I asked about that Stevens. Harry said he still had it, although he had cut off the barrels to 20 inches many years ago “to shoot rats” at the local grain elevator where he worked. I let Harry know that if he ever wanted to sell it, I'd like to buy it.
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My grandfather had a 12 ga Stevens double barrel. Since I haven't seen it for 40 years I can't say it was the same model but it sure looked the same as this one.
ReplyDeleteWhen my grandfather died one of my aunts (married to my dad's brother) claimed
my grandfather gave it to her and she took it. The others in the family disputed her claim but did nothing about it. When I was 12 or so my father borrowed it for me to use. I kept it for a few years. Two of my aunts (daddy's sisters) found out I had it
and told me in no uncertain terms NOT TO GIVE IT BACK to the other aunt. They told me to keep it as my own.
Well when I was off in my early 20's and living at home part of the time and off at college part of the time my aunt went to see my mother and asked for it back. It was at the house and my mother gave it to her. I haven't seen it since and I've always been slightly heart broken over it. Not so much over the gun as the fact that my two beloved aunts asked me to keep it and not give it back to the sister in law they all detested.
All of them are gone now except my mom. I guess my cousin or one of her sons has the 12 ga. I hope they appreciate it as I did.
I don't even want to talk about my great great grandfathers Confederate cavalry sword.
That's too bad and a good story.
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I don't even want to talk about my great great grandfathers Confederate cavalry sword.
I can only imagine. My 3x great saved his unit's flag at Brandywine and it was in the "attic" part of the house for many years, but disappeared.
I hope my cousin has the sword but given that he married a Duke graduated liberal I won't ask about it. It's better to believe it's in good hands than to know they
ReplyDeletehave let it come to bad ends. They have no children so sooner or later it will be lost to the family history. I have no children either so I don't want it. I'd like for it to go to
a confederate museum somewhere in the area. I'd just like to see it one more time and look it over good.
I'd steal it if I were you and give it to me. :) Seriously, if you could get it, it could go to the Confederate museum in Texas or the to SCV who is starting one because of the traitors at the MOC.
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