Steven Skelley

  PAWPAW'S  MESSAGES TO MY GRANDSONS 4   My Grandfather Robert Dale McWilliams, my grandmother Virginia Margaret McWilliams and my mother Sherill May McWilliams Skelley all came from a small town, farming community of Barnesville, Ohio. They uses different words than I learned in school. As a boy, I was embarassed by their country talk. As an adult, I learned that their dialect had a very historic background.   They didn't say "umbrella." They said "bumbershoot." No one else I knew ever said bumbershoot. Later I learned that bumbershoot was another name for umbrella used mainly in the late 1800's.   Grandma and Grandpa never said "sofa." They always said "davenport." I din't know anyone but them that called a sofa a davenport. Later, I learned that davenport is a synonym for sofa, especially in the Midwestern United States, in New York state, in the Adirondack Region especially amongst those born before World War II.

  PAWPAW'S  MESSAGES TO MY GRANDSONS 3   Connor – Pawpaw loves you! Bryson – Pawpaw loves you! Archer – Pawpaw loves you!   The last time that your Mom and Dad allowed me to visit, Connor was 8. Bryson was almost 6. Archer, you hadn’t been born yet. I had no idea that I would not be allowed to see you again.   Do you remember that I am a musician and songwriter? One of my songs is called “Christmas Love.” When I would visit, you would ask me to play it in the car over and over again. The youtube music video has photos of you two in it.  https://youtu.be/9_2bkPyFefI     I’ve always loved music. My Mom played music in our home all the time and we all sang along to the songs on the radio in the car. When I was a teenager, I taught myself to play guitar and began writing songs within months. Eventually, some of my songs began being played on the radio. Your Mom and I would scream when we’d hear my songs come on the radio. We were so happy.   I wrote Christmas Lo

  PAWPAW'S  MESSAGES TO MY GRANDSONS 2     Connor, Bryson and Archer,     Pawpaw loves you and misses you. These messages will spend a little time explaining why I disappeared from your childhood. Then, I want to share who your Pawpaw is and things about the history of your ancestors. Since I am not allowed to see you, I hope that some day you’ll find these messages when you are adults.   As I said previously, from the days you were born, I spent usually a week every month with you. When I visited or you visited me, Connor and Bryson, you always begged your Mom and Dad to sleep with me. We either all slept in the same bed together or on the floor together. Before you were old enough for school, I held you in my arms and you napped on my chest. Bryson, when Connor went to school, we would play on the trampoline (you called it jump-jump) in your back yard. Then you’d get your blankie and we lie down on the trampoline and take a nap together.   Your Mom and I alway

  PAWPAW'S  MESSAGES TO MY GRANDSONS     Connor, Pawpaw loves you. Bryson, Pawpaw loves you. Archer, Pawpaw loves you. Connor, Bryson and Archer,   It has been more than a year since I was last allowed to see you. Even so, I think about you every single day. I have never stopped loving you.   Connor and Bryson, I was with you on the days you were born. I held you in my arms, kissed your faces and felt love fill my heart as your little fingers wrapped around one of mine. For the eight years from Connor’s birth, I visited you every month for four to seven days. Your Mom and Dad left me alone with you so they could spend time alone. They allowed me to take you two away on Pawpaw Vacations.         Once, I rented a home in a gated community. The three of us swam in the community pool, played games together, watched movies and slept together in the same bed – one of you on each side of me.   Another time, I rented a condo at Fishermen’s Village above the st