Alright, alright, let’s talk about this Hazel Vorice McCord, or whatever her name is. Sounds fancy, don’t it? Born way back when, 1896, in some place called East Lynn, Illinois. Imagine that! Way before my time, that’s for sure. Her daddy, Charles McCord, he was a young fella, just 25, when she popped out. And her mama? Adeline Verinda Neal, they say. Don’t know ’em, never met ’em, but that’s what the papers say, or so I heard.
This Hazel, she wasn’t just sittin’ around doin’ nothin’. They say she was a “stenographer.” Now, I ain’t no fancy city folk, so I had to ask around. Turns out, that’s someone who writes down what other people say, like in them courtrooms you see on TV. Typin’ fast, I reckon. Gotta be quick-witted for that, I tell ya. And a mother too, a “dedicated mother” they say. Well, bless her heart, raising kids ain’t easy, no matter when you live.
- Born in 1896, East Lynn, Illinois. That’s a long time ago, folks.
- Daddy was Charles McCord, Mama was Adeline Verinda Neal. Fancy names, ain’t they?
- Worked as a stenographer. Fast typer, I guess.
- Married some fella named Loren Wayne Van Dyke. Before 1925, they say.
Then she up and got hitched, this Hazel. To a fella named Loren Wayne Van Dyke. Don’t know when exactly, but sometime before 1925. Probably met him at a church social or somethin’, that’s how it usually goes, right? Love at first sight, maybe? Who knows what them young folks thought back then.
Now, I ain’t got no fancy family trees or nothin’, but them genealogy folks, they got it all figured out. They got records and pictures and all sorts of things. Says she’s related to this one and that one. Family’s a big thing, I always say. Even if you don’t know half of ’em. It’s nice to know where you come from, I guess. Even if it’s just some dusty old town in Illinois.
Hazel Vorice McCord, or Hazel Van Dyke, as she became. Lived a whole life, raised a family, worked hard. Just like most folks, really. Nothin’ too special, but special enough in her own way, I reckon. Lived all the way to 1992, they tell me. That’s a good long life, praise the Lord. Seen a lot of changes, I bet. From horse and buggy to them fancy cars, probably. Makes you think, don’t it?
So, there you have it. A little somethin’ about Hazel Vorice McCord. Not much, maybe, but enough to paint a picture. A hard-working woman, a mama, a wife. Just like your grandma, or maybe your great-grandma. Regular folks, livin’ their lives. And that’s somethin’ worth rememberin’, ain’t it?
This whole family tree business, it’s kinda like lookin’ at old photographs. You see faces, names, dates. But you don’t really know them, not really. You just get a glimpse, a little piece of their story. And that’s enough, I suppose. It’s enough to remind us that we’re all connected, somehow, someway. From East Lynn, Illinois, to wherever you are right now, we’re all part of somethin’ bigger. And that’s a comfortin’ thought, don’t you think?
Now, I gotta go make some supper. All this talk about history and family makes a body hungry. But it’s good to remember, sometimes. Good to remember where we come from and who came before us. So, here’s to Hazel Vorice McCord, and all the folks like her. May they rest in peace.
Tags: [Hazel Vorice McCord, East Lynn Illinois, Charles McCord, Adeline Verinda Neal, Loren Wayne Van Dyke, Stenographer, Family History, Genealogy, 1896, 1992]
