In the Beginning...

Spring House at Home

How it all began I really dont know. My mom and dad were of different walks of life. My mom was of the big city of Lexington and daughter of a fairly well known Pediatrician. My dad was of a well known horse breeder in Woodford County Kentucky. I guess what would we do without friends.

What I know of my grandparents are really disappointing seeing how now that Im getting older I really feel I didnt know them all that well. Its amazing that when we are young and thinking of other things that we dont take that much of an interest of where we came from and what our Great and grand parents did with their lives.

I know that my Mothers father was born in New York City, Charles Miles McKinlay and was raised in Tenafly, New Jersey. He was a great swimmer and went to University of Penn. He won a collegiant swimming medal in 1909. He went to Columbia University and became a doctor and specialized in Pediatrics. He served in WW I as a Medic and met my grandmother. My grandmother was born to Gay and Volney Ferguson, they named her Martha Ferguson. Great Pop was a well known tobacco farmer from Paris, Kentucky, Bourbon Co. He loved the land. She was one of seven children. All the boys helped on the farm and grandmother was primed for suitable suitors. I guess that was my grandfather cause they were married and moved to New York City so he could finish his residency. He did his residency at what was known then as Roosevelt Hospital.

On May 28, 1923 my mom was born they named her Martha Ferguson McKinlay. I know that my grandmother(we called her Mina) had a very difficult time concieving and had to spend most of her pregnancy in bed. It was so difficult for her being away from home and family. She missed the closeness of her family and the wide open spaces of Kentucky.

When mom was 6 months old she got to leave the Big Apple (lol) and go spend her life in Lexington, Kentucky as the daughter of a Doctors.

I do know that the my father was the son of Charles Nuckols, Sr. He was a stern man, very old fashioned in his thinking in todays times and was a well known horse breeder and tobacco farmer in the small town of Midway, Kentucky, Woodford County. As in the Thoroughbred circle he was very well known and admired. He was a man not to cross and always had an angle to turn things to his benefit. More about him later. We called him DAD and he under all that stiff stuff a sweet, lovable man. He was so admired by me.

My sweet Nana, Hetty Rogers, was from Shreveport, La. I dont know how my grandparents met. I never asked, those are things that you wish you had asked when you were younger and had the chance. I am going to do some snooping and find out though. LOL She was of a very good family and loved her church and also loved family. She was a strong woman and expected nothing but respect from her children. A kiss and big hug and an ILOVE YOU NANA melted her like butter when it came to her grandkids.

My father was born on June 20, 1924. He was named Hiram Rogers Nuckols. He was the 3rd child born out of 5 children. There was a daughter that was stillborn or passed away as a very young infant. He and his brothers were brought up to carry on the Nuckols traditions of horsemanship and tobacco raising. Of which they did after my grandfathers death.

Mom and Dad were married in November of 1944. They were married during WWII and so tokens were given out for gas. Their honeymoon consisted of a swift drive to Cinncinnatti, Ohio. They spent a long week- end and then mom and dad came back to settle on the farm in Midway.

Well this is the start of the beginning of my oh so full life.

The picture is of the springhouse below our house on the farm. We had many a funtime there. It has changed so. But is still beautiful to me.