Michael Howard Gaar, Sr.

Michael Howard Gaar lived on and farmed land on the White Oak Run about 3 miles west of the Town of Madison, Thrift and Ruth Road. My brother lives in the farmhouse which we have always been told was built in the early 1900's, but he died in 1893. In the division of the lands, there is an excellent plat in the Chancery file, Thomas Jackson Berry, my great grandfather and his brother, Dewitt Clinton Berry purchased the land allotted to his daughters Mrs. Thrift and Mrs. Gibbs around 1917. Later after their home burned Thomas Jackson Berry and Brown T. Berry, as administratrix of the estate of Otis E. Berry, my grandfather, purchased the lands that had been allotted to his widow, and son Howard. This included the home and my brother, sister and I continue to own the farm. My grandmother told me that her mother-in-law talked about Mrs. Gaar and pronounced her name as Heelen with the long e sound. In my early childhood there was an outside kitchen which consisted of a big room with a huge fireplace a side room with an outside entrance, a sleeping storage room upstairs and a root cellar under it. There were lots of old things stored in the building including bees, snakes and spiders. It was called 'Abe's house" as Abe Gray and his mother had been slaves that stayed on with the Gaars. I have heard that it was his mother's wish to be buried in a graveyard located on the farm upon her death, but before that happened Howard Gaar and Abe quarrelled over a scandal that had occurred and Howard would not let her be buried here. This may all be lies for all I know. I will not repeat the scandal.