One Red Rose
by
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My Family
To a family that is loving
To a family that is kind
To a family that will always
Be a memory in my mind.
Now you boys have grown up
Altho with you I cannot be
Still I can see you in my mind
The kid brothers you used to be.
Daddy made us work a little
But we still had lots of fun
Throwing berries at each other
Or tomatoes –on the run.
When I asked you boys for some water
Or fruit from on the shelf
Or potatoes from the cellar
You would say, “Get them yourself”.
Tho we had our little fusses
That maybe ended in a fight
Still we were always happy children
When we went to bed at night.
As we all knelt down together
By the little old iron bed
And sent our prayers to Heaven
When we all had bowed our head.
This didn’t seem to mean much
When we were all home there together
But Mother often used to say
“When you part, you’ll miss each other
Now I often sit and think
Of those few words that she said
And the night before I left you
When the Bible we all read.
Now I realize what it meant
Just to have a Christian home
Oh! Just to kneel by the old iron bed
And never have to roam.
In trying to tell you how I feel
I could sit and write all night
But with every line I write
The tears seem to blind my sight.
So I’ll close this little poem
And I know you’ll understand
The message I have tried to send you
By the writting of my hand.
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About the Book
After Alma passed away in 1996, we all (her eight children) wanted a copy of her poems. So we took the hand written poems and typed them one by one, then we photocopied them and put them in a binder for all in the family to see. In 2009 we felt we wanted something that would stand the test of time, so we decided we would publish them in a book. We divided them into categories, took up some money and added illustrations. That took forever but here we are! Alma’s first poem was written in 1938 about her family. Then in 1941 she began writing them to her soon to be husband, Gerald Lester Reasor, while he was stationed in Columbia, South Carolina. There are some poems about love, poems written to help her children in English class, and some silly poems about nothing in particular, but most of the poems are about people she knew and loved. She wrote a lot in the early morning hours waiting for her children to return home on Friday and Saturday nights. She also wrote some religious poems for Vacation Bible School. She was very active in the church. In 1990, Gerald, the love of her life passed away. The last poems that Alma wrote were about him.
About the Author
Alma Ruth Hanaver Reasor was born January 16, 1924 to Arlie Knoefel Hanaver and Ida Elizabeth Scott in Floyds Knobs, Indiana. She had two younger brothers, Robert Charles and Arlie Madison. Alma was introduced to Gerald Lester Reasor by her cousin Harriett. He was in the Army Air Corp and was stationed in Columbia, South Carolina. They were married January 20, 1942, while he was on furlough and then moved to South Carolina to start their family. Nancy Gail and Darrell Ray soon arrived. When he was discharged from the Army they moved back to Floyds Knobs where Rowlen Lee, Irris Lynn, and Winnona Sue were born. Gerald went to work as a mechanic and they built a new house. During this time, Alma became gravely ill and went blind. They tried many doctors but none could find the cause until they went to a Chiropractor. After several adjustments, Alma was able to see again. Following this experience, Gerald decided to go to Palmer Chiropractic College in Davenport, Iowa. So with five children they up and moved again. After Gerald graduated from college, they found a little town called French Lick in Indiana where they could settle down in. Their family grew again, adding Reneta Kay, and the twins, Lenita Jan and Lolita Ann. Alma continued as a homemaker until the children were grown and then she began working in Gerald’s office. She enjoyed working with him. After Gerald died in 1990, Alma sold the practice. She kept very busy visiting shut-ins, sending cards of encouragement, and watching grandchildren and then on February 12, 1996 she passed away. Being a good wife and mother was very important to Alma, but being a good Christian woman was the top priority to her. God came first in her life and she taught those values to her children. These values are evident in the poetry she wrote.