Friday Nights, Alright!

We have been a part of this town for thirteen years. Our boys have grown up here and will forever identify with Fuquay Varina as "home." We have set roots here and made it our own in little ways. I got to dedicate a Blue Start Memorial Marker. Lisa established a 5k to benefit the Willow Spring Track Team. We are organizing an event for a local charity. TJ is a prime athlete in three seasons of sports. The boys volunteer at the church. Yes, in small ways we give back to the community.  

I like being part of the community. We visit local eateries and breweries.  We "Run the Quay" 5k every year. The Chief of Police knows me and says, "Hi," whenever we run into each other. We know the mayor. We are not well known but we are not anonymous either. Although I can't imagine staying here forever, nor will we be long remembered, it is still nice to be a part of the community.  

Last Friday was the first home football game of the season for Willow Spring High School. TJ already goes to the games because he is a Junior and living his best life hanging out with his friends at the games. I love that for him.  Lisa and I went, just to see our home team try to win. We found another parent we know and sat with her and then a "local personality" who writes positive Facebook messages about the town sat with us.  He and I talked football and small talk while Lisa and her friend talked about the kids and small talk. A perfect combination. 

Because it is a new school and that they filled the school without Seniors or Juniors the first year it was open, and then let the classes matriculate each year, this is first year we have Seniors on the football team! Maybe we could hold our own against other teams for a change.

The first two quarters of the game it looked like we were off to a bad start. A 70 yard touchdown run was called back. The quarterback refused to throw the ball, even on third down and 13 yards.  In fact, the offense never got beyond their 35 yard line.  Then, with about six minutes left in the half, the QB launched one into the End Zone for a touchdown! We were up 7-0.  The opposing team could not mount an offense and gave up the ball.  On the next possession we scored again! We missed the extra point, but we were up 13-0 into Halftime.  Lisa and I chose that time to slip out.

There is something special about being in the stands when the team is winning. It is more electric and charged. People pay attention more. It is obviously more fun. The other team came back and fought all the way to the end but the Willow Spring Storm prevailed.  A good start to the season!

That is all for now from our corner of North Carolina.
 

The Tale of Thomas Brown

Thomas J. (TJ) Brown was born in June 2007, in Ithaca, New York.  He lived there for three years until his parents, Richard and Lisa moved the family to just outside Raleigh, North Carolina.  In the sixteen years that he has been on this earth, TJ has been to Alaska and New York City. He has climbed Angels Landing in Zion National Park and braved Disney's Hollywood Tower of Terror at 4 years old. He has broken a 5 minute mile and learned to sail.  He is the "favorite oldest son" set between Samantha and Grant (the "favorite youngest son").

Thomas Andrew Brown (Andy) was born in Goshen, New York in 1970. He lived, played and raised two children in the Hudson Valley region of New York until he moved to Florida in his forties.  He has been a stock car race official, a fire fighter, a department of transportation worker, a 911 dispatcher, and is currently a State Trooper. He is a new grandfather, taking on the moniker of "Pop-pop" the term used for Rodney Brown. Andy is living his best life outside of Jacksonville, FL.

Thomas A. (Tom) Brown was born in Bay Shore, New York in 1933 to Rodney and Jean (Lichtenberger) Brown. He was the middle of three children. He grew up on Long Island and played soccer in grade school but dropped out of High School in his senior year only to be drafted into the U.S Army at the end of the Korean War.  He was a truck driver at many times in his life. He was a volunteer fireman and the head of the safety crew at Orange County Fair Speedway. He owned and ran Monroe Lumber and Building Supply Co., a business he inherited from his father, who inherited it from his father-in-law, Joseph Lichtenberger. Tom Brown had two boys, Richard and Andy, and brought them up in Monroe, NY until he retired to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He passed in 2006.

The tale of Thomas Brown gets fuzzy in this next chapter. 

Thomas R. (Rufus?) Brown was born in Connecticut in 1899.  The 1910 Census lists the Brown Family living in Danbury, Connecticut. It appears as if Rodney Brown, who was born on October 3, 1899, had a brother, Thomas R. Brown, also born in October 1899.  The family lore is that Rodney and Thomas were twins. However, in another document, Thomas R. Brown is not listed and Rufus Brown, born in October 1899 is listed. Is Rufus actually Thomas? Thomas Rufus Brown? We know Thomas existed because in 1916 he attempted to enlist in the U.S. Army but was disqualified due to a previous impairment. We know that his brother, Rodney, did enlist and did go to France in World War One. Up until very recently the family lore was that Thomas did in fact go to France in 1918 and was gassed by the Germans. He died of complication of those wounds when he returned to the US. Another version of the family lore was that he committed suicide. Whatever his fate, by the 1920 Census, Thomas/Rufus no longer appears to be living in the Brown household and his trail goes cold.

Thomas C. Brown was born in Ireland in 1855 to Robert Brown (1826-1887) and Jane (Jeffrey) Brown (1829-1882).  Thomas C. Brown emigrated to the United States on July 17, 1857, with his parents on the steamer ship, City of Brooklyn. The Brown Family settled in Danbury, Connecticut. Thomas would be a hat maker, like his father was before him. Thomas my Great-grandfather) would marry Margret Neiland and raise ten children: Eva, Robert, Hellen, Mable, Ruth, Francis, Andrew, Thomas/Rufus, Rodney (my grandfather), Beatrice, and Raymond.  Thomas C. Brown died sometime in the 1930s.

Five generations of Thomas Brown, reaching from 1855 to present day; one hundred sixty-eight years of family history and mystery in one name.