On November 10, 1899 in Jasper Ralls, Missouri, one hundred and ten years ago today, Edward and Pinkie (Doolen) Johnson welcomed their first born child, Ethyl Mae into the world. The family would move to Vandalia, Missouri and eventually Enterprise, Iowa. This is where Ethyl met Edward Cooley. They were married two weeks after her sixteenth birthday. After moving to Des Moines, Ethyl and Edward had four children; Veltirea, Eugene, Marvin and Doris. A quick glance of Ethyl's descendants shows thirteen grandchildren, thirty-one great grandchildren, fifty-one great-great grandchildren and six great-great-great grandchildren. A point of valuable information; members of this family born with an additional finger should know it comes from the Doolen side of the family. From Pinkie to Ethyl and from Ethyl to her children, the extra finger has passed to each generation. In my family, my mother and her brother had extra fingers. My sister and brother did not. I was the only grandchild of Veltirea to be born with it. I am interested in knowing how many more of my cousins had the extra digit. Back to the my great grandmother. From what I've been told, I know she was a kind individual with a loving spirit. For as much as she was a giving individual, I know that she was a very strong-willed woman. Her point would be heard and her position was unwavering. Grandma Cooley taught her children about loving of one another, respect and the importance of family. Her children learned the lesson well and they taught their children and so on and so on. Let me share this with you. This happened when I was in high school. Having typical teenager angst about my looks, I wanted to change my nose. When I spoke to my grandmother about this, she told me my nose reminded her of her mother's nose. I don't know if it was true or not, but out of respect to the memory of this great woman, I decided I didn't want to change one thing about myself. My nose was just fine. It gave me a closer connection to my great grandmother. I felt I had something in common with her. That was okay with me! So, on this day, the one hundred and tenth year of her birth, we honor Ethyl Mae Johnson Cooley's birth with love and respect. Happy Birthday, Great Grandma Cooley.
