A Small Spark of Fire

I love genealogy and my husband has been wonderful and patient to tag along to various states and walk cemeteries looking for relations from the past. A few years ago we went to Tenn. and met a cousin who lived on the farm that had been settled by his great, great grandfather Asa Reeves. The log home was there and rooms had been added as the family increased thru the years. The house sat near the cemetery where only Asa and some of his decendents are buried and is still in use today. We opened the handmade doors and toured the house and felt the history of the site.

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A small spark of fire, so very small grew and grew and grew and as it grew it took with it memories of several lifetimes.

In the early 1800's Asa Reeves fled the state of South Carolina. His wife drown on her way to join him. Left with several small children he remarried and built a log house near Hermitage Springs, Tn. His dreams for a free future were realized and he became the owner of a large farm. The log house was added on to as his family grew. His son Franklin built more rooms on the log house and raised his family there and his mother lived with him. In later years the house stood empty, but oh, the wonderful memories those walls, held of dreams, births, heartships and deaths.

Nearby under the limbs of a huge and old walnut tree lie Asa and his second wife Mary with some of their children who died young. This small plot has grown into a large fenced cemetery where Asa is surrounded by some of his children, grandchildren, their children and grandchildren. The house and cemetery is where many present day family members come to see where Asa lived out his dream.

On Sunday morning, March 9, 2008, you didn't see, but spirits rose from the graves and the walnut tree cried as the house burnt --and with it the memories and dreams of generations. The house is gone, the walnut tree remains a sentinel holding memories of the past and dreams of the future as its branches reach out to protect Asa where he has lain at rest these many years.

The many scattered members of Asa's family will continue to come to find their roots, but it will never be the same. They can't reach out and touch the walls that Asa touched but they will come, close their eyes and think back to capture some of the magic, the old walnut tree will welcome with arms outstretched, and all will curse the little spark that grew and grew.