Harrison Benjamin Wilson, I

Gramps would tell my brother Richard and I stories about his father riding alongside an important military guy after emancipation proclaimation. He said his father John, rode on a white horse through the downtown area. At 85 years old grand pop remembered this day like it was last week.

When I was in high school, I went to visit gramps at his home in Amsterdam. One Thanksgiving Ben came in from Harvard and picked up Harry B after a bus ride to Boston. I wasn't sure gramps would be able to cook something for us while we waited for the others, including Uncle Albert to bring the turkey and fixings. But Gramps came down to the kitchen early, fried a few pork chops then made some toast and coffee to get the day going.

Gramps liked having Albert, my father HB Jr. (June) and his kids (sons and daughters) come to visit him but he really looked forward to having his grandkids come too. He told the town we were coming and I'm sure gave them all the details after we left. It reminded me of the long drives to New York from Mississippi we made to visit when I was very young. I can't remember the details but I know how happy the family was to see us.