About a year ago – I started writing a weblog for the Tallahassee Democrat. Then a young lady wrote to me asking me if I were related to Arthur Everhart. Little did I know where this story was going. She said she found my Tallahassee Democrat Blog on the Net.
I wrote back to her saying that Arthur Everhart was the brother of my grandfather – my dad seldom mentioned “Uncle Arthur.”
I never met Arthur Everhart or my grandfather Roy Everhart. Both spent some time working in the Anthracite coal mines back in Schuylkill Country, Pennsylvania. My Mom used to say that I had “gypsy” in my blood – I guess she was referring to the Everhart Boys.
Roy and Arthur Everhart both married – but decided that being a coal cracker was not in their future. My grandfather Roy left his wife and four kids – in a coal company house in Coaldale, PA when my Dad was 7 years old. When the coal company decided to evict them – it was agreed that the family could stay in the house on the condition that my Dad would work in the coal mines when he finished school. In 1934 – when Dad graduated he turned down a free ride to Girard College in Philadelphia and fulfilled his promise to worked as an “indentured servant” deep in the bowels of Schuylkill County for 25 years. Needless to say he never spoke well of his father.
The story goes that Uncle Arthur Everhart ran off and married Julia – a young Indian girl. The family disowned them and they moved near the reservation in upstate New York along the Canadian border by Montreal. We never heard from Uncle Arthur again.
My Dad used to say, “Don’t ever have your family tree dug up – you’ll pay $1000 to uncover the roots – and $100,000 to cover them back up.”
The rumor was that Roy Everhart – my grandfather – joined the Merchant Marines to see the world. He supposedly died in World War II. It seemed like a noble ending to me. Again, my Dad was very tight-lipped.
When I moved to Tallahassee to follow Lulu here to FSU – everyone asked me if I were related to Lee Everhart. They seemed to admire him so I said I was a distant relative. They would smile. Since my two sons are the only other Everharts I really know – it would not hurt to have a “local” relative. The only other Everharts I heard of were Angie Everhart – the supermodel – and John B. Everhart – a fella that was on the FBI most wanted list for several years.
It turns out that Lee Everhart was at one time the mayor of Tallahassee. He was very civic-minded and would have been a good Everhart to add to my familyc – he also had passed away before we got here.
About a month ago – I got another e-mail from this young lady who claims Arthur Everhart as her grandfather. She said she is a musician and she is coming to Tallahassee to play at Shenanigan’s – an Irish Pub north of town on Thomasville Road. She said she wanted to meet me.
Keeping this information secret from my friends and family – I asked a group of them out to dinner. Last night – we had a wonderful time. Cindy Ross – the manager of Shenanigan’s reserved the best table for us by the stage. When we walked into the dining room – I was a little embarrassed by the big sign with “Harry Everhart” on it – displayed at the table. We all sat down.
On the stage was a very pretty young lady – dressed in Irish garb – getting ready to perform. She is a fiddler by trade - http://www.fiddlerwoman.com/ - she does historic musical presentations at festivals and schools. Her group – she and Lute Glick – are called The Lowlander Highlanders Fiddle and Drum. That’s what it says on her CDs. They play historic Irish music from the Appalachian Coal Country. She must have the “gypsy” Everhart blood in her for sure.
After a wonderful Irish dinner – great music - and maybe too many beverages – we had a chance to talk with my cousin - Beverley Conrad – the fiddler woman.
It was not a myth – Arthur Everhart did runoff and marry a Mohawk Indian. In those days – they still “encouraged” mixed Indian kids to go to Indian School. Beverly’s mother spent her formative years at the Carlisle Indian School near Harrisburg, PA. This is the same school which boasts Jim Thorpe as one of their alumni. Yes – Jim Thorpe – the guy that won Olympic gold medals in Sweden – played professional baseball – and was the first president of the NFL. When they gave Deion Sanders the Jim Thorpe Trophy for playing two sports – this is the guy they had in mind.
Back to Beverley. Her Mom is living in Umadilla, Florida. Her Mom is 85 and still driving her car. I must meet this lady. Beverley says her Mom looks just like me. You can see some pictures of Beverly from last night’s performance at -http://www.olary.com/shen1/
My cousin Bob had a picture post card of Arthur Everhart that he sent to his “Bro Roy” when he was station with the Army in West Virginia. Beverley said that he Mom never saw her father – so Bob gave her the post card. It is one of her most valuable possessions.
Beverley is playing at a music festival in Brooksville, FL this weekend. She gets a chance to see her Mom.
Recently – thanks to the Internet – I did found out the true story about my grandfather Roy. He did join the Merchant Marines. His ship – the Norlandia – was sunk in the Caribbean – not far from Florida on July 2, 1942. The Germans keep better records of this than we do. His ship took a torpedo in the engine room where Roy Everhart was the fireman/water tender. 13 survived the sinking – while they were in the life boats – the German sub surfaced – gave them brandy – and pointed them to land – and submerged.
Almost everyone on the ship was in their 20s – ecept Roy Everhart who was 55. Maybe he wasn’t such a bad guy afterall.
I was never at Shenanigan’s Irish Pub before. But it is a great place. They were so nice to our party. The decorations were great – the food outstanding – the music very special – and the bill so reasonable that I picked it up. It was ironic that there I was watching my part Indian cousin playing Irish melodies about mining coal back in Pennsylvania while Seminole Bobby Bowden was on the TV screen in the corner doing his talk show with Chief Osceola and Renegade prancing around in the background. So now I have Indian Heritage from my old sod and new home.
Thomas Wolfe once said, “You can never go home again.” He was wrong. The Trailing Spouse is home again – in my new home – in Tallahassee, Florida. Lulu and I love this place. If it wasn’t for Shenanigan’s Irish Pub and the Tallahassee Democrat – I would never had this special evening. Thanks to all of you for sharing it with me.
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