✝︎ My Beloved Paternal Grandfather ✝︎

♥༺✿═In Loving Memory═✿༻♥

Blessings of Love and Eternal Peace

FRATERNAL • AOUW •

(Ancient Order of United Workmen)

Draft Registration Card 1918

His Probable AOUW Initiation:

My Brother, I welcome your safe return

from your journeying, and trust that the

instructions you have received will bear

good fruit. Poverty and distress are powerless

to work their evil influences where the home

is under the protecting shield of our Order.

May these lessons sink deep into your heart,

and may you journey along life's pathway with

CHARITY for all, the spirit of

HOPE in your breast, and a

determination to spread the doctrine of

PROTECTION as exemplified by our

Order, among all with whom you come in contact.

Each member paid $1 into the insurance fund to

cover the sum of not less than $500 in benefits

paid to a members dependents when he died.

Each time a member died, $1 was due from the

surviving members to reestablish the fund.

http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/masonicmuseum

/fraternalism/aouw.htm

♥ Wedding Anniversary August 31, 1911 ♥

Henry absolutely adored and loved Laura. On August 31, 1911 in Miller County, Arkansas, Laura Johnson and Henry Simpson were married. Through their loving union they brought into this world six sons and two daughters ♥

Spelling of his middle name Gratton has been incorrectly spelled many different ways.

His draft ★ registration in 1918 shows a clear documentation of his signature showing his middle name spelled as Gratton.

His occupation as: Driver Ice Wagon. My grandpa and his brother(s) (Pat Simpson) co-owned the Hope Ice Company in Hope, Arkansas. I have no idea what happened to the company. He was a strong believer in the Methodist faith, following in his father Robert's footsteps. A member of the fraternal organization A.O.U.W., which is etched on his marker. Friends and family that knew him, say his life was filled with so much hope, dedication and accomplishments and promise. He was a good man. A kind, loving and devoted son, husband and father ♥

Cause of Death:

Heartbreakingly, on Thanksgiving Day 1923, a horrific car/train accident claimed the life of my grandpa Henry Simpson. Henry was not at fault. He was only 37.

1917 St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad, after bankruptcy was reorganized and changed officially to the Missouri Pacific Railroad.

More On The Accident:

He and his wife Laura (my grandma) had seven children from age 11 to age 1 1/2(my dad the seventh child) with the eighth baby on the way. Grandpa's car stalled on the railroad tracks in Hope, Arkansas. He was reaching and looking under where a fuse was. Witnesses said there was a short bend where the train came around and did not sound the train's warning as it was approaching and slammed into his vehicle. His oldest son William "Harold" age 11 was in the vehicle with him, was thrown from it and miraculously survived. His eighth baby James "Jimmy" was then born posthumously the following Spring, in April of 1924 ♥

His shocking death affected people in so many different ways especially, his loving wife, my grandma Laura and his 8 children, his parents, in-law's, his brothers and sisters and their spouses, nieces and nephews, fraternity brothers, friends and business associates, the towns people and many more. They were a well known, large and very loving tight knit family that helped all the best that they could. My dad did not dwell on the death of his daddy, not even at Thanksgiving.

♥ Then sadly for our family, my grandma Laura took ill and passed when my dad (Herb) was only age 16. He loved and adored his mama. He and his siblings were orphaned. Her mother, his granma Annie, had now gone blind. With his dear sister Evelyn, they had then been the major roles as the mother figures in this family. Evelyn was dearly loved by her brothers. I love you all for being the mama's to my uncles and daddy. I know my dad cherished you both so much ♥

My father once told me, "there is never a good time for a parent to exit one's life".

♥ It took all of the aforementioned people to help raise grandpa's children. I am ever so grateful to my grandpa's brothers, sisters, their children and new generations of family, for the love and support they gave to one another but, especially to my grandma, dad and his siblings throughout the years for as long as they all lived and through the memories ♥

Close bonds and relationships had been maintained through unconditional love, mutual respect and always there was someone to turn to, through letters, phone calls and visits. Dad was a son to his aunts, uncles and a brother to his cousins and this was in reverse. Two of my dad's cousins were brothers through thick and thin, James 'Thomas' Gordon and Dale Simpson (who was our last paternal elder at age 94 in April 2017) My dad had the makings for a good man and so his family was there to bring this out in him. They called themselves the 3 Muskateers while boys, serving our country as men and living across the miles with their families ♥

A precious note was written to my father when they were older, from his sister Evelyn saying, "I think the Lord's Prayer in verse is beautiful. Mama loved the Lord's Prayer. It was in with her things". So I will enter it here for the love of their mama and daddy, my grandma and grandpa ❤ Laura and Henry ❤ and a loving bond never broken between a sister and a brother. Sister Evelyn continued to live in Arkansas and maintained the family home as well as her own with her husband and family, until the 1980's. In the 1980's the four remaining siblings deciding to sell the family home. It is still unclear to me as to which of my grandparents homes was next to the Clinton family home. Sadly my precious aunt Evelyn passed away in early 1991.

❤ To My Grandma and Grandpa ❤

I know my dad did right by you. He was just a boy and he cherished you. You were everything to him. I have looked at your photo and wondered what it would have been like to get to talk with you both. You were both so in love ♥♥

❤ Always Loved and Forever Missed ❤

✝ Lord's Prayer ✝

Our Father who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

and the power, and the glory,

for ever and ever.

Amen.

Held in our hearts ♥

Lovingly,

Your Granddaughter,

PureGrace©2014

A heartfelt thank you to my dear friend Deb for sponsoring my grandmother's memorial.

*************************

Random Act Of Kindness

Note AOUW Inscription:

AOUW as shown in the top photo was uncovered on the marker by a non member and sent to me to post on the site. Through a lot of research I was trying to discover the meaning of what was etched (under the lichen) on my grandpa's marker.

READ

PHOTO and BIO COPYRIGHT NOTICE:

My Family Photo's And Biographies Are For Their Respective Find A Grave Memorial Pages Only Per Find A Grave. Do Not Use Or Remove Or Re-post Without My Permission To This Site Or To Any Other Websites e.g. Such As Ancestry.Com Or Google or Facebook. The Photos Are Protected By Copyright Laws; All Rights Reserved. Contact Me (Pure Grace) For Permission Of Any Use, For A Copy Without The Watermark and To Avoid Consequences.