Dear Friends - from long, long ago!!!

I (Lura White - a grand daughter of G.T. Ingram & Sallie T. Ingram) have been assembling a memoir (binder) of happenings, events, stories, and pictures of things that my grandmother and my mother (Ella Ingram Johnson) had accumulated over the years regarding the Chamal Colony and this is the result.

I have a lot of wonderful memories of folks and events that took place in the years spent in Chamal even if I was just a kid. I remember going to school at the Big Stone school house that my grandfather George T. Ingram built, and since teachers were not available sometimes Uncle Tom Ingram or my mom, Ellie Ingram Johnson, was the teacher.

I remember some of the kids going to school while I was there -the Taylor boys: George, Lee, Glen, Joe (?); and Vesta, their sister, and I think there was a Wade and Mary, later on. George and Joe were about my age and what fun we used to have at the "Pie Suppers", the Easter Egg hunts and the dances that took place in the old school house.

I remember we often gathered down at the Ricks' place down near a river. Was it the Sabinas where we would gather; the whole community, to have big fish fries? The men would go out and fish, bring back their nice, big catches, and then we fried and we all ate together. What fun! (I have included an enlarged picture of one of those fish fries that took place down at the Ricks' place).

I remember Delanie, and Bob Britt and their two girls, Grace and Nellie and also remember Renetta, Nevada, and Levere Turner, and Mr. & Mrs. Pleasant Crabtree. Mrs. Crabtree was my Sunday School teacher and Dr. and Mrs. Gross who lived down near the Ricks' place - I think. Once upon a time, I got thrown off a horse and Dr. Gross was called to come and care for my aches and pains.

I also remember Mr. & Mrs. Turner, Mr. and Mrs. Ashley Taylor (Silvia), Mr. Derr, and Raymond, Ben Gorham, and Kannards (or is it Kinnard) and Camerons. There was a Cameron who had a girl about my age. Her name was Cammie McPherson. I also remember Pete Humphers, Vernie, and Oscar Medlin and Mark Musgrove.

One day Oscar Medlin (I think it was) came riding up to Grandmas' place and he said, "Ella, I think I saw your little daughter out by the school house wandering around - she seemed to be lost" and sure enough, it was fearless Mary. She was about 3 or 3 ½ years old at that time. One of the Medlin boys, Oscar or Vernie always rode a beautiful black horse. He kept her groomed like a queen. I'll never forget that picture in my mind.

I'll never forget the time I went for a visit out to the Taylor home. Vesta Taylor came and got me. I climbed up on "Rusty" her mule - sat behind her and we headed for her house. We finally reached about the middle of a palm forest and it looked like the sky was going to open up and rain on us, so Vesta prodded old Rusty to go fast and faster -so we rode like the wind with me hanging on for dear life bouncing up and down - scared me to death. We didn't quite make it home before we became well drenched. That was one wild ride that I'll never forget! I expect Vesta is gone on by now, cause I'm 89 years and Vesta and George, too, were older than me.

I would sure love to know if any of the folks I've mentioned are still alive. My mom used to tell me stories about the good old times all the Chamal folks had - and about the frightful and scary times when the Chamal folks had to hurry up to the mountains to hide from the Revolutionists. She also told about the things that went on while they were up there. Told about the panthers and the wild animals - the pranks the kids pulled with false alarms, and about having to guard the passes up to the mountains - every night.

Are any of the Taylors still alive? Rebecca, Ellen, Joe? The Britts? The Turners? The Humphers? The Crawfords, Dicie and Goldi? Evert Storms? Ben Gorham? He was about my age, I think. The Camerons?

Mom always talked about the Garretts some of whom later lived in San Diego and Mom visited with them there and McCanns visited us in Fowler, Ca. one time. And we visited them in Deming, N.M. one time on a trip we made back to Texas. Then there was Crawfords - Dicie, Goldie - Vernie and Oscar Medlin - Alice and Ellen Cameron, Taylors, T.W. Worleys - Wilvie and Jewel Snell - and there may be others that I have forgotten to mention.

Ingram Family

Grandpa George T. Ingram had passed away up in McAllen, Texas, on March 9th, 1922, and after he died Grandma Sallie and her two sons, Tom and Bill, had decided to move back to Chamal. The boys were only teenagers and Watt and Lura Alva the other two Ingram children had passed away, Lura on January 17th and Watt on January 20th of 1919. So, poor Grandma was left with two teenage boys and no way to make a living so they went back to Chamal. What else could she do?

Our Johnson Family had been living in Capay Rancho in Orland, California prior to our move back to Mexico. We arrived in Chamal on Christmas Eve, 12-25-1924. As we journeyed back to grandma's home, I was just a child and I was very concerned that we might be on the road somewhere on Christmas eve and that Santa Claus might not be able to find us to leave gifts as he always did before! But we arrive at Grandma's just on time and Santa brought me a doll that had eyes that opened and shut and arms and legs that bent and moved - my! I thought Santa was SUPER he had found me even in Chamal!

In 1925, my father, Albert, decided he would have to go to Venezuela to find a god job - and he did go. It was very difficult for my folks - because my little brother Albert George, had died just prior to dad's decision to go to Venezuela - and then for dad to go - nearly broke my mother's heart.

As time passed I was growing older and since there was no such thing as school in Chamal - mother knew that she would have to get re- established in the U.S. - somewhere in order to get me in to school. The only schooling I had received was "home schooling" from mom and Uncles and Grandma Sallie. So in summer of 1927 we head north.

I was only 8 or 9 years old when my mother and my sister, Mary, left Chamal in late 1927. We had been living with Grandma Sallie Ingram because my father, A.G. Johnson was in South America working in the oil fields since jobs in Tampico were becoming slim. From 1914 to 1915, Grandfather George and Uncle Watt worked in the oil fields, too, in fact that is where my father, A.G. Johnson met my mother, Ella.

So - I would love to have info on or about any of the old Chamal folks. Is Vesta or any of her family (Taylors) still alive? It was so unfortunate that George Taylor's passing away. Tom said George was writing a book about the history of The Chamal Colony - and as a result of his searching for facts, etc. I had copies of the Chamal newspaper that at one time was published down there. There were 24 issues and I have copies of each one.

If there is anyone who would like to have copies - just write to me and request what you may want and tell me the Chamal news and give me your address.

I would love to have attended this year's gathering in Progresso, but I am not able to do much traveling anymore, -- I attended one time at McAllen, TX, and in 1984 my husband, Charles White and Uncle Tom and my sister Mary drove to Chamal for the 1984 gathering. Things hadn't changed much in the years since we were last living there in 1927.

Also, if anyone has the time to write, I surely would love to have news of the Chamal families.and I often wonder, when looking at the long list of names of the colonists, who is left of the courageous effort to establish an American Colony in a foreign land.

Last time I visited Tom and his wife, Tincie, I asked about Grace Britt and Nellie and Nevada Turner and Levere and Renetta. At that time Grace was very ill. We spent a month with Tom and Tincie. I was holding Uncle Tom's hand when he took his last breath. We all loved him very much - then Bill passed. His son Eddie let me know about that.

My Greetings to any and all at the Reunion that may still remember me as a very skinny little kid in Chamal in the early 1920's.

I'm getting old (I'll be 90 next Aug 8th, 2008) - But I still have a pretty good memory and I get around easily and I still drive. I love to write letters so I'll answer back if I hear from anyone.

Sad to say, but time sure takes a toll of our dear ones, friends, and all!

Sincerely - Lura Alberta Johnson White

Here are the dates of the passing on of the Ingrams: