In Loving Memory of Steve Hoover 1954 - 2024.

The Old  27 Blog now only has  ME, Tom Timlin, left to post anything.  Steve Passed away January 2024. The  Old  27 Blog was originally his  creation with my brother Dan and I chipping in. i am the  romantic  sentimentalist in the  family. I remember  stuff that Steve  forgot in our last  phone conversation Dec. 24, 2023...like the  time all four us stood on the  upside down  row boat in Grandma's  yard and  sang Beatle songs back in summer  1964 to the parents  and  grandma. He didn't  remember that. 

Steve's heritage of his mother's and father's  side of the  family, The Allen's and the Hoovers , meant more to him than I think even he knew until Dan and I reconnected with him via  the  internet some 20 years ago. We let him know through  fun memories how much we missed seeing him and Cyndi several times  a year even though it  had been decades since he moved with family out to California in 1969. When they came back to visit once in 1973, they had  changed and we had changed, we were  growing up without each other, it was  kind of surreal, a new world, to me, it  wasn't the  same. Our cousins Cyndi and Steve  were  very special to us, as was  his mom and  dad. Including Cyndi, we were like the three musketeers and Maid Marion  at times,  we were in the  same  age  group.  When us boys got  revved up like the Three Stooges and that's when Cyndi  left the  room lol. 🤣

This very photo used to sit on a small dresser in the  guest room in Grandma  Allen's small 2 bedroom house for years...this is  how I will remember  Steve, because  we were  removed  from each other for decades, and lived in  different  worlds. 

I will miss you the rest of my life Steve, as  I do my brother and  parents and all who have  gone  before. You made me laugh and feel like a big part of life. We played  music together, imagine different worlds together as children. You were very creative. You could  read a  book faster than I could brush my teeth, When you left the Midwest you took a  big part of my childhood and  soul with you. Now you have  done it again. Love you man...aways  did no matter the problems in life. 

 Happy Motherz Day

justa quick shoutout to all the motherz out there,past, present and future.

especially of the FABULOUS ALLEN SISTERS .also big,big props to MAGGIE MACGOOGAN BOND ALLEN ,for getting that whole branch of the family going.

so naturally this gives me the opportunity to post one of our fave pics...

and,a bit of housekeeping as it were,today is the 16 anniversery of the 

first blog post...yay us!

 https://www.clarecountycleaver.net/stories/sleuthing-in-history-the-tatman-house-in-clare,6750?fbclid=IwAR2ruEqqBR0VQGq7Fsmh4iXjj0xxs9PbF7PaiwCQu-o1E6CovEpvR23Cpys

Article  mention  Floyd Allen and his siblings, and possibly our great grandfather under the name of Robert Armstrong Allen. If not,  he is related somehow.

 https://www.9and10news.com/2021/10/12/clares-ideal-theatre-has-big-plans-for-reopening/?fbclid=IwAR31Db9NMw78KjLxXC8M2-JKWfYNz2Fa40ox9QcXJeknX5Dybbwyw6rTQ80

Clare Ideal Theater is being renovated. Video above

It has been closed since March 2020.

In April, four sisters from Clare bought the theatre to keep it open for the community.

“This kind of lull has given us an opportunity to learn more about the history of the theater, so that as we move forward with renovations and updating, we can ensure that we preserve all of that,” said Ideal Theatre Director Lisa Benic.

While they’re still getting official plans together to renovate the building, they want to make the theater wheelchair accessible, open up the lobby, and make the 1930 theater safer for their visitors.

“We feel this theater belongs to the community, and that’s what we’re really trying to establish and continue,” said Benic.

Their goal is to continue to provide affordable movies and concessions to the Clare community.

They hope to reopen in early 2022.

CA. 1963

Sunday May 9, 2021 Happy Mothers Day to all of our mothers past and present, old and new generation

Loree AllenTimlin...1926-1994 [photo above]

Joann Allen Hoover 1930-1967

Theo Allen Mickle  1924-2018

Margaret McGoogan Allen 1892 -1985

 In memory of Loree [Allen] Timlin who would have been  95 years old today, March 6, 2021. 

As always, I cannot imagine her at that age, 95. Unfortunately for us all, her son, my younger brother, is now with her and Paul, my father,   I am the only one left on earth of our small original family of four. Dan passed away July 25, 2020.

It is with mixed emotions I post this salute to the beloved mother of our small family. Mom I'm so sorry when and if  let you down at times. Hopefully you would be proud of me today.  All three of our deceased family members are sorely missed by those who are still here who knew and loved them dearly. I will carry on a changed man in many ways. Often you ask yourself, even in fairly good health, even wanting to carry on, why was I chosen to be the last one left? And think..."it's not fair"....like being an abandoned child. For them, if not me, mom,  please watch over your grandchildren whom you never knew here on earth, Nathan and Michaela, keep them on a safe path as they make the unknown journey through their lives. I won't be here long enough or strong/cognitive enough to guide them after a certain point if they ever actually need me.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM

Well,another year has gone by,and it really was a doozy. i

won't bore you with the details .all that really matters is telling you

how much your daughter and i love and miss you .

Happy Birthday Mom !!!!

 

 https://www.clarecountycleaver.net/stories/history-found-in-the-darnedest-places,1770?fbclid=IwAR10emww-ex4XsO_s-fC2kUUKLdM3IhoZiLE6VPJPTzNho5Y-4z6yP3TnfM

History Found in the Darnedest Places

Spike Horn Ephemera Found at Midland County Road Commission

by Angela Kellogg

Ashley Rockefeller, an employee of the Midland County Road Commission was scanning old traffic control orders when something different fell out of the file.

That something different was a little piece of history from John E. “Spikehorn” Meyer. Spikehorn hand wrote a letter to the Midland county agent asking to rent the fair grounds for his Wild Life Show. [See box and photo.] The response wasn’t favorable, and we aren’t sure if he held a show in Midland or not. According to the letter Spike would be holding a show in Mt. Pleasant right before his proposed Midland dates.

The Cleaver archive reveals a story on the cover of the Aug. 27, 1942 issue announcing Spikehorn’s upcoming wild life show. Only the Mount Pleasant show is mentioned. The Cleaver often ran stories about Spikehorn whether it was his legal troubles, lost bears, or something he cooked up to get attention.

Spikehorn stapled postcards (shown) to his letter and it all remained in the files of the Midland County Road Commission since 1942, 79 years ago. To the chuckling of her co-workers, Rockefeller commented, “We save everything here.” The Midland County Road Commission donated the file items to the Clare County Historical Society.

The papers show the business side of Spikehorn’s operation. While he was a natural promoter, it took planning and work to parade around the state with bears and other animals.  

Members of the Clare County Historical Society were happy to receive the items. The handwriting matches other known samples, so the letter appears written by Spikehorn himself. It’s also interesting to note that most articles about him (including this one) refer to Spikehorn in one word. In fact, Spike himself always separated the two words.

A little more history is discovered every day and we never quite know where it will be found.

 

"Our brothers and sisters are there with us from the dawn of our personal stories to the inevitable dusk." [Susan Scarf Merrell]

"To the outside world we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other’s hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time."

[Clara Ortega]

"I can’t work with my brother without laughing."

Dick Van Dyke

To be clear, my late brother Dan is on the left, leaving me on the right. This is actually a close up of a photo taken around 1962. I was struck by the character of this photo...two little boys having a ball, and as in everyone's life at that age, not knowing or caring about the future at the time, just living in the moment. We didn't know what we would grow up to be. Today we're fireman, tomorrow we're cowboys...and we didn't know who would leave this earth first. And I didn't know I would be the last one left.