History lesson leads me to family memories
I like history, but I’m not very good at retaining the details. I have to really concentrate on remembering all the names, dates and places.
You can probably guess then that my Leadership Coshocton County history day was a whirlwind of facts. However, there was one story among the many we heard that made an impact on me.
To my family, Mad Marshall Jacobs isn’t just a dare devil that is part of Coshocton’s history. He was my Great Aunt Lonnie’s first husband.
One of the stunts Jacobs is most famous for is marring Lonnie on a flag pole in the 1940s. Not a lot was said about the event over the years in my family, but it was certainly something we all knew about. It was a nice treat that our history day included a video of the wedding. What was even nicer was the fact that it showed a picture of my great-grandparents who died before I was born and I don’t recall ever seeing pictures off.
My father also enjoyed hearing the story and I’m sure he will share it with his aunt the next time they chat on the phone.
Another part of the day that I enjoyed was our lunch and ride on the canal boat. It was a peaceful way to unwind and take some time to reflect on what we learned during the morning. I’m not sure when the canal boat closes for the season, but I highly recommend taking a ride and slowing down for a little bit.
At first I wasn’t sure I got a lot out of the day, but after a few days of reflecting I realized that I don’t have to remember every piece of information thrown at me to be able to say I’ve learned something. For me the lesson of the day was that sometimes before you take off in new directions you have to slow down and realize where you’ve come from and how that can help you in the future.
josie@coshoctoncountybeacon.com
Category: Community Columns
