You are currently browsing the monthly archive for December, 2008.
Owed to Joy
So Foot loose and caution free
Oh how I wished that could be me
Arms so tied down to my side
A fear down deep I’m trying to hide
Fear of what someone might think
For too long’s been controlling me!
Your heart of joy- how can it be?
You can’t help wear it on your sleeve
Mine so bound it hides inside
You’d barely know I was alive
Fear of what someone might do
To squelch my hope now rendered new
To one who recent could not see?
You showed love unconditionally
God speaks to you and shows you things
With that a great responsibility
To dress the wounds and help them heal
Mentor His child-overt a steal
The reason I see all this in you?
It’s what God asks of me to do
You’ve helped inspire me to rise above
Embrace a calling filled with love
From one who sees the best in me
I’m free to breathe yes- Free to be!
Eloyce
2/23/08
Chorus
All things- all things
All things work together for good
All things- all things
All things work together for good
Oh Lord I love You & trust You
I know all things work together for good
1st Verse
Help me always to trust You Lord
And lean not on my own ideas
In all my ways acknowledge You
‘Cause You to direct my life
Chorus
2nd Verse
I’ll fear not the path ahead
I’ve seen You lead in the past before
You hold everything in Your hands
You’ve always known all that’s in store
Bridge- I’ve been called according to Your propose
Seems Your hand’s been laid upon my life
Walking mountians high- through the desert valleys
You’ve been with me Lord- through all the strife
Chorus
1st verse
Chorus
Bridge- I in no way here will reach perfection
You did that– in giving up Your life
Then You sent to Earth your Holy Presence
Like a warm light burning in the night
Chorus
Eloyce M Witzel
1998-2008
Grounded
(Take one)
Here I am –
You said wait here for you
Pardon my impatience
I have many things to do
(Cut!)
……….
(Take two)
Here I am –
I feel grounded here today
I can’t remember clearly
How you’ve worked along the way
(Cut!)
………
(Take three)
There I was -
But silence only heard
For Him I sat and listened
Though not a single word!
Then a tune
Came to my mind
Though with it came no words
To play with or to rhyme
Board with this simple tune
Tried some words into this song
But there again came nonsense
All seemed forced and very wrong
Words I pulled from somewhere
Yet they didn’t flow nor rhyme
Try and try again I did
Worse got it every time!
I finally realized this song
Was simply stuck on hold
So I hid away the words
In hopes they’d not grow old
But still His tune lived on
Quite hopeful it’s turned out to be
I’ll play it here for you some time
And for your self—you’ll see
Eloyce M Witzel
2/29/07
Here I am …
I am waiting on You
For what ever You have here
To give me to do
Here I am…
I am watching for You
For some new hope & focus
A vision renewed
Shine Your light in my life
Come and be my main stay
In my heart pour Your spirit
Wash this darkness away
Whisper hope in my ear
Clear the fog and the haze
On this road so less traveled
I know I just can’t make it
Without You
Here I am…
I’ve been listening for You
For some words in the silence
A hush falling new…
… … … … … Key change
There You are…
You have eased my soul’s ache
Drawing me closser
With each breath I take
There You are…
You show evidence here
In people around me
I’m seeing You clear
Shine Your light in my life
Come and be my main stay
In my heart pour Your spirit
Wash this darkness away
Whisper hope in my ear
Clear the fog and the haze
On this road so less traveled
I know I just can’t make it
Without You
There You are…
You’ve been speaking your voice
With soft whispers of hope
In my soul I rejoice
Eloyce M Witzel
2003-2008
First off, I want you to know that this letter is for real, and so am I. My grandmother was Lennie Henderson who died at the age of 34 when my father was born. Subsequently, my father was adopted by some friends of the Henderson clan who attended the same church in Orting Washington. Till the age of 8, my father grew up in the area near his Henderson family, and had limited contact with his older 1/2 siblings who were raised by their grandparents, Andrew Jackson and Callie Henderson.
Fast-forward about 67 years. I grew up in a family with good times, showing evidence of ties to artistry and music, but with little to identify where this all came from.”Who were my grandparents whom I never knew?” “Where did they come from?” “Did I look like them?” “Did I have any of their interests or talents which defined who they were?” These were my main questions at the beginning of my quest which started about 12 years ago.
Early on in my search I was able to reunite my father Merle, with his only remaining sibling Bill. Uncle Bill was able to answer a lot of my questions, though many still remain. Although he knew very little of his Virginia ancestry… One thing he did know was how to tell great stories, and I was able to glean some key names and places which eventually led me back to Konnarock, Varginia. He also has a love for music and guitar playing, which were deeply imbedded in his family ties, with the memories of being raised in his grandfather’s home with all the Henderson relatives gathering round. I was starting to see the connections… I was starting to grow some roots.
Just this last week, My husband and I were able to take a trip to Grayson county, VA. One thing we were looking for was the area of “Wilson Creek”, listed as home starting in the 1850 census report. I wrote my December 11 Blog about this trip…
The one thing we did come away with was the question; Am I related to the talented and famous Wayne Henderson? Upon our return home, I contacted some west- coast Henderson cousins, who have been connected all their lives, asking the question…
The answer I received was yes. Here’s how I’m told it goes starting with John L. Henderson b. 1809 in North Carolina, marrying Elizabeth Whittaker, and settling in the Wilson Creek area of Grayson County, Virginia
1. John A. Hernderson
2. David Henderson
3. Fieldman Henderson
4. Walter B.Henderson
5. Wayne Henderson
My line goes…
1. William Henderson, (who was a brother to your John A.)
2. Andrew Jackson Henderson, (Moved family to Oregon about 1900.)
3. Lennie Henderson (died at the birth of 4th child)
4. Merle (adopted by the Breitigams)
5. Eloyce (Breitigam) Witzel
I believe this makes us 5th cousins.
Since we are related and my 16 year old son Dustin will also be famous some day for his natural musical abilities with the guitar, I was wondering if we can get on your waiting list for a Henderson guitar. We’d be much obliged, and very grateful.
Sincerely, your 5th cousin,
Eloyce Witzel
Eddy and I just got back from a trip through Virginia. He was on travel to Washington DC, so I flew there with him, and planned a weekend road trip to Grayson, Washington, Ashe and Smyth Counties. This area is where I’ve traced our Henderson line back to a brick wall, with John A. Henderson married to Elizabeth Whittaker in the 1850 Grayson County Census. There they raised a large family of many boys, thus starting a boome of male Hendersons in the area.
We began our weekend trip with about 6 hrs. of driving on Friday and stayed the first night in Hillsville, a little community off of the highway where they have a Holiday Inn Express. As we walked in the door of the hotel, I immediately surveyed that someone had been trying to decorate the lobby christmas tree. The front desk worker must of sensed my feelings of wonder at the piles of gold ribbon and scissors gracing the side table next to the partially decorated tree, because she immediately asked if I by any chance knew how to make bows? I just can’t seem to get away from this derorating thing… I spent the evening making the most beautiful bows Hillsville has ever seen. My new friend baked up a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies for me in gratitude of my “natural talent in bow making.”
The next morning we left Hillsville, driving to Independence where we stopped at the historic courthouse. Even though it was Saturday morning and we only stopped for pictures, we tried the front doors and they were open. This old building has been restored to a beautiful museum and gift shop. There was a lot of historical information there, and we got some books written about the local area. From there we drove south a couple miles down to the North Carolina line so I could mark it off my “states visited” list as number 46!
Back on track and on down the road, we stopped at an antique shop in Mouth Of Wilson where two friendly gentlemen sitting by the fire, told us where to find the “Wilson Creek” area of Grayson county listed in the 1850 census report. “West about 4 miles where 58 turns off to the left,” the younger one said. It turned out that it was very close to today’s Rugby… I got some good pictures along the way, though about this time it started to snow.
After a roadside car pick-nick, of left over cold pizza and chocolate chip cookies from the night before; right there on the hair-pin turn outside Grayson Highlands State Park, (The only piece of road we could find with a shoulder!) we drove on down the winding road to Whitetop and then Konnarock. There we visited my great-great-grandpatents William and Elizabeth Henderson’s graves at Azen Missionary Baptist Cemetery. (Not to be confused with the Regular Baptist Cemetery!) We also saw Uncle Whiley’s grave there, (Uncle Bill remembers him) and many other Henserson graves of which we don’t know how they fit in. I think that’s the closest I’ve ever been to blizzard conditions… Okay, so there was snow and wind, but it was all at the same time! Eddy made me wear 3 jackets and I was still cold! We had to keep going back to the car, and running the heater, before we finally found where William and Elizabeth were buried!
Next was the beautiful picturesque road into Damascus, where traffic actually stood still… After about a half hour of sitting in a line of cars with our motor idling, watching snowflakes wafting about, we realized that we had almost been witness to the Damascus Christmas Parade, this year held in the snow. I wish we could have stayed longer, but we needed to get our little front drive rental car back onto the interstate where we hoped the roads would be cleared.
Interestingly enough, all the people we talked to, in the museum and asking for directions, wanted to know if there was a connection to (their local boy gone famous) Wayne Henderson. He was born and still lives in Rugby. I had to tell them that I didn’t really know, but I bought the book about his music and legendary guitar making, thinking there might actually be a connection here. Evidently he is also known for his talent of telling a good story!
Check him out on You Tube or http://www.waynehenderson.org/Wayne/AboutWayne.htm
Turns out, back home, after contacting some of my west coast Henderson cousins whom I’ve connected with on this 12 year long ancestral journey, I found out that indeed we are related to Wayne Henderson through my great-great-great (Brick-wall) John L. Henderson born in 1809.
So there we have it, connections to good music, expert craftsmanship, and creative story telling… Who knew!
