Mike – born August 1882 – was a semi-professional baseball player for a while ran the drug store and did a lot of odd jobs. He lived on a farm but never seemed to make much headway with it. Finally in 1923, when in his early 40s he married Mary Lou Harrell. She was known in the family as "Little" Marilu to distinguish her from Mike's oldest sister. Though her last name was Harrell she was no relation to the Harrells already in the family. Little Mary Lou seemed to give Mike the stability he needed and theirs was a happy union.
Uncle Mike's nieces and nephews remember him best for his story of "Raw Head and Bloody Bones." Although memories of the exact storyline had dimmed over the years it seemed to center around a scalping victim of the Indians who came back from the dead seeking revenge. He was rumored to lurk in dark corners on black nights. What happened to his victims, no one ever knew for none lived to tell the tale.
After telling this gruesome story Uncle Mike would offer his nieces and nephews a quarter if they would go around the house – and it was REALLY dark at the back of the house __ and three times say, "Raw Head and Bloody Bones come get me!"
During World War II Mike, being to old for the army, joined the Sea Bees who made up the construction battalions of the civil engineer corp. They were responsible for the construction of airbases, harbors, etc. He and Marilu moved to Hawaii at this time. And it was here at Pearl Harbor on April 22, 1945, that he died suddenly in his wife's arms. Alice wrote her son Walker as follows:
My darling, I have sad news for you. Uncle Mike died at Pearl Harbor last Sunday, April 22. Mary and I talked with little Marilu last Tuesday PM They were to have come home that very day and had gone to bid some friends good-bye, when Uncle Mike slumped and died in Marilu's arms without regaining consciousness. It was very unusual but she is allowed to bring Uncle Mike with her – they had been granted an "early transit" and that is all we know.
Uncle Mike's nieces and nephews remember him best for his story of "Raw Head and Bloody Bones." Although memories of the exact storyline had dimmed over the years it seemed to center around a scalping victim of the Indians who came back from the dead seeking revenge. He was rumored to lurk in dark corners on black nights. What happened to his victims, no one ever knew for none lived to tell the tale.
After telling this gruesome story Uncle Mike would offer his nieces and nephews a quarter if they would go around the house – and it was REALLY dark at the back of the house __ and three times say, "Raw Head and Bloody Bones come get me!"
During World War II Mike, being to old for the army, joined the Sea Bees who made up the construction battalions of the civil engineer corp. They were responsible for the construction of airbases, harbors, etc. He and Marilu moved to Hawaii at this time. And it was here at Pearl Harbor on April 22, 1945, that he died suddenly in his wife's arms. Alice wrote her son Walker as follows:
My darling, I have sad news for you. Uncle Mike died at Pearl Harbor last Sunday, April 22. Mary and I talked with little Marilu last Tuesday PM They were to have come home that very day and had gone to bid some friends good-bye, when Uncle Mike slumped and died in Marilu's arms without regaining consciousness. It was very unusual but she is allowed to bring Uncle Mike with her – they had been granted an "early transit" and that is all we know.
Mike – born August 1882 – was a semi-professional baseball player for a while ran the drug store and did a lot of odd jobs. He lived on a farm but never seemed to make much headway with it. Finally in 1923, when in his early 40s he married Mary Lou Harrell. She was known in the family as "Little" Marilu to distinguish her from Mike's oldest sister. Though her last name was Harrell she was no relation to the Harrells already in the family. Little Mary Lou seemed to give Mike the stability he needed and theirs was a happy union.
Uncle Mike's nieces and nephews remember him best for his story of "Raw Head and Bloody Bones." Although memories of the exact storyline had dimmed over the years it seemed to center around a scalping victim of the Indians who came back from the dead seeking revenge. He was rumored to lurk in dark corners on black nights. What happened to his victims, no one ever knew for none lived to tell the tale.
After telling this gruesome story Uncle Mike would offer his nieces and nephews a quarter if they would go around the house – and it was REALLY dark at the back of the house __ and three times say, "Raw Head and Bloody Bones come get me!"
During World War II Mike, being to old for the army, joined the Sea Bees who made up the construction battalions of the civil engineer corp. They were responsible for the construction of airbases, harbors, etc. He and Marilu moved to Hawaii at this time. And it was here at Pearl Harbor on April 22, 1945, that he died suddenly in his wife's arms. Alice wrote her son Walker as follows:
My darling, I have sad news for you. Uncle Mike died at Pearl Harbor last Sunday, April 22. Mary and I talked with little Marilu last Tuesday PM They were to have come home that very day and had gone to bid some friends good-bye, when Uncle Mike slumped and died in Marilu's arms without regaining consciousness. It was very unusual but she is allowed to bring Uncle Mike with her – they had been granted an "early transit" and that is all we know.
Uncle Mike's nieces and nephews remember him best for his story of "Raw Head and Bloody Bones." Although memories of the exact storyline had dimmed over the years it seemed to center around a scalping victim of the Indians who came back from the dead seeking revenge. He was rumored to lurk in dark corners on black nights. What happened to his victims, no one ever knew for none lived to tell the tale.
After telling this gruesome story Uncle Mike would offer his nieces and nephews a quarter if they would go around the house – and it was REALLY dark at the back of the house __ and three times say, "Raw Head and Bloody Bones come get me!"
During World War II Mike, being to old for the army, joined the Sea Bees who made up the construction battalions of the civil engineer corp. They were responsible for the construction of airbases, harbors, etc. He and Marilu moved to Hawaii at this time. And it was here at Pearl Harbor on April 22, 1945, that he died suddenly in his wife's arms. Alice wrote her son Walker as follows:
My darling, I have sad news for you. Uncle Mike died at Pearl Harbor last Sunday, April 22. Mary and I talked with little Marilu last Tuesday PM They were to have come home that very day and had gone to bid some friends good-bye, when Uncle Mike slumped and died in Marilu's arms without regaining consciousness. It was very unusual but she is allowed to bring Uncle Mike with her – they had been granted an "early transit" and that is all we know.
