MEMORIES/THOUGHTS

February 16,2007:   I have many many memories of Arma. One of my earliest is that I rode my tricycle from our house on South Street to my Grandmother’s house on Long Street, well over a mile away when I was very young. Just thinking about letting a child do that today would be grounds for child endangerment!     My father has done a large amount of research on the coal mines and miners in the area and has information on that. The bronze statue that will be at the Miners Memorial Park in Pittsburg was modeled off of a picture of my mother’s grandfather as he was returning home to Arma after a day working in the coal mines.   Memory of David Casaletto

Read about a local resident's experience & survival from Hurricane Ivan.    Life goes on….  by Dr. Joe Eugene Lepo

Wed, 9 Jul 2003   I cannot attend the reunion next month, but I will certainly be there in spirit. Maybe next time.  I was born in Pittsburg, and left in 1946 to move to KC. Throughout my childhood, and even now, I have gone back to the area. I have relatives all over the area, although most of them are fairly distant now. Growing up, I often visited my aunts and uncles in Arma, Frontenac, Pittsburg, Croweburg, and around the area. I spent quite a bit of time on my Aunt Annie's farm, and know all about outhouses, pumps, etc. I am related to the Busse and Galichia families,  along with several more. My Mom was born in Englevale, and my Dad is buried in Pittsburg. My maternal grandmother was Elizabeth Busse and my grandfather John E.  Karns.  My great-grandfather Albert owned a hotel and  general store in Englevale. My cousin Diane (Tassi) and I are currently putting together a book of recipes and stories about growing up in the area, along with many memories of our grandmother and her brothers and sisters. I imagine we'll finally get it together sometime this Fall, maybe. I will see her next week, and work some more on the book. I also want to send some of our family history to the reunion organizers, as we have quite a few "holes" in our records, although who doesn't? She corresponds with some of the Busse girls - Doll and Little Eva - so they will have some data.  Also, we both get e-mails from our Galichia cousins from time to time, as well as our cousin (by Marriage)  Billie Marie (Boggio) Busse. It's probably just as well that we can't come to the reunion; we'd never want to leave and come home. Good Luck,   Bernard M. Welch,  Sacramento, CA