Who is Ashlie who imparted this endearing sentiment to the world? I met Ashlie, in a way, when I visited the tranquil town of Oskaloosa Kansas. Her words are written on every menu and on the wall of Ashlie’s Homestyle Restaurant. It is a charming cafe, with a warmly welcoming owner, Denise. She explained that this was Ashlie’s life phrase. Ashlie was her daughter. Was. I could sense the poignancy, as I learned that Ashlie had died at age 29. And yet, amid such momentous sorrow, she had gifted us all with this cheering thought. “Smile, It’s worth the wrinkles”. I instantly felt as if I bonded with Ashlie. In her mother’s own bright smile. In my mother’s smile that infectiously evoked others to smile. Mom, who was a stewardess several decades ago, always told her daughters: “the most beautiful thing a woman can wear is a smile”. Mom knew the secret. So did Ashlie. I immediately knew I was going to like this town, and its people.
I strolled around the town square, and entered the Country Corner Variety. It offers daily wares, as well as a diner and ice cream parlor. I saw an older couple enjoying their breakfast, so I took a seat at the table next to them, and struck up a conversation. I was delighted by their robust response. I questioned them about the history of their town. The gentleman told me his grandfather, Tom McCarter, had journeyed there from North Carolina to help his uncle on his farm. Tom liked Oskaloosa so much, that he decided to move to there. So he told his uncle he was going home to get a wife, and he would return soon. When he arrived back in North Carolina, he went to visit two sisters. Right on the spot, he proposed to them both! He asked which one of them wanted to return to Kansas with him. Shockingly, the sisters discussed it amongst themselves. One wanted adventure, and the other was content as is. So the decision was made. Tom and his wife were married a lifetime and had five children. I left the shop laughing over such a remarkable story from an unimaginable era. I knew I had to head directly to the Historical Society to see what life was like on this prairie in those long-ago days.
Oskaloosa has tidily provided their town History Museum, Genealogical Society, and Historical Society all in one location: Old Jefferson Town. It is such a treat to find all 3 in one spot. The Museum consists of multiple historic buildings, each one decorated as it was in its original state. One of the buildings contains the combined genealogical/historical societies.
I quickly met all the volunteers. They are delightful people who have an infectious enthusiasm for preserving the County’s history. I was extremely impressed by their committed, meticulous work. Their holdings are enormous, and yet these folks are carefully organizing, digitizing, and indexing it all. It is an unending project, but these types of people are relentless to safeguard our history. I am extremely grateful. And guess what? They even have a file on Tom McCarter. I hope that sweet, older gentleman in the diner will come and discover his ancestors here. The main historian, Leanne Chapman, told me about Dr. George Lowman, who was the town surgeon in the late 1800’s. He lost his arm in the Civil War. I still can’t stop thinking about how a doctor, with one arm, could perform surgery!
There are so many stories of our families being held in every repository. Our ancestors are longing for us to find them and hear about their lives. What a gift to each of us personally. Thank you, Oskaloosa, for keeping our heritage until we can find it. And if your ancestors came from this County, please contact the Historical Society. They are waiting and wanting to help you. It is their extreme passion and happiness to do so.