Stu Jenks' Fezziwig Press

"Annie Beeton, Red Ash Wood, Virginia" [Extended Family Series]

“Annie Beeton, Red Ash Wood, Virginia” © Stu Jenks 2021, 54 inches tall.

Price: $150, shipping included. Simply contact me via my email address at stujenks@gmail.com or Facebook message me, if you would like to purchase one of my pieces. Payments can be made with Paypal, Venmo or credit card with Square. All pieces are signed with its title, and can be hung from the wall.

 

Annie Beeton is my great-great-grandmother. She was married to John Allen Beeton, who fought in the Civil War. Johnny worked at Virginia Military Institute and at Washington and Lee College in Lexington, Virginia. I do not know his job. Both are buried in Lexington.

It's a beautiful cemetery and John gave Annie a lovely grave marker after she died. She died young in 1883 at the age of 45. Johnny died in 1902 at the age of 73. Annie's name is on the other side of this monument. I did photograph her side of the stone but the light wasn't that good that day. But she's there. Her name was the first to be placed on this stone.

Here's the thing that bothers the heck out of me.

Almost nothing is known about Annie. We know that she bore a son William in 1858 and a daughter Ella in 1863. We know that her father Richard was 30 and her mother Jane was 17 when she was born in 1838. We know she lived most of her life in Lexington. We know she died there. But that's about it.

It upsets me that most American women in the 19th century were basically property. They were expected to bear children, raise them and make a home for her family and herself, but little is written about women of that time. Men write a lot about other men, but rarely do they write about their wives, nor do the newspapers nor does the society at large pay them much attention. What we can figure out about Annie is through what was written about her husband, Johnny. And a lot of guessing.

John Henry Beeton made munitions in Richmond, Virginia during the Civil War. Was quite good at it, it appears. He also transferred out of Stonewall Jackson's Brigade as soon as he could at the beginning of the War. Stonewall was greatly disliked by many as a professor at the Virginia Military Institute. Johnny worked at VMI before the War. He was 30 when the War began. He got a relatively safe job in Richmond making guns and ammo after leaving Stonewall's command. He must have gotten back to Lexington during the War at some point because my great-grandmother Ella was born in May of 1863. After the War, Johnny came home but didn't return to work at VMI. He worked at Washington and Lee College for the rest of his career.

We can guess that he loved Annie very much, given the large ornate grave marker he had made for her and himself. He never remarried after her death. A lot of men of that time did. Their two kids were grown when she died. Again, I'm going by the extravagance and the size of the grave stone. Most stones in this cemetery are not this grand. Johnny spent some money on this. I can imagine how much he loved her, but I don't know for sure. I can guess her kids loved her too. I have no idea how she died. We have photos of Johnny in his Confederate uniform but no photos of Annie.

Makes me sad I don't know more about her, or that any of us know her better.

My wife jokingly says, "Men are the reason for all the world's problems." She making a joke but a dark joke. It's pretty much true.

The world is far from perfect, but I'm so happy that most women are no longer anonymous in the world. They are known and seen and heard. At least a little bit. We are slowly getting to place of gender and sexual equality.

Big hug Annie, from your great-great-grandson Stu. Your daughter Ella met and married Francis Jenks in Lexington in the 1880's and they had my grandfather Edgar as one of their five children, whose wife Lillie had my dad Stuart, whose wife Mary had me.

Again, I wish I knew more about you, Annie, but given your beautiful grave marker, I'm guessing that Johnny loved you very much. And your children did too. I choose to believe that.

So Annie, here's a pretty but imperfect red ash walk stick, made especially for you. I love you from afar, from across time. It's how I'm built.

#extendedfamilyseries, #stujenks, #redashwood

The PBRC at North Topsail Island

"Pamela's Baby Rocking Chair, North Topsail Island, North Carolina" (c) 2021 Stu Jenks.

I went down to the beach, on a rainy day, to try out a new hand board for body surfing I had recently bought, but the waves were only wind-made, very choppy, and the current was too strong for me to really effectively use the hand board.

I'm just old school, I guess, about body surfing. Just put me in the ocean and see if I can catch some waves. I had a 10 foot long board, before it was stolen a few years ago, but given the smaller waves here on the East Coast, body surfing without the weird hand board, for now, will do just fine. 

I got beaten up pretty good by the waves, and the current was a lot to fight, but I had a great time. I like being beat up by the waves. I think most surfers feel that way: We like to catch waves, either on a board or with our bodies, but the stories and the big-time-fun comes from wiping out. I laughed out loud a few times as I was getting thrown around by the sea. So much fun.

Before surfing, I took these pics of the PBRC in the surf. Business before pleasure, don't you know.

Lazarus and Jesus at Duke Cathedral

"Jesus at Duke Cathedral, Durham, North Carolina" (c) 2021. Image Capture by Stu Jenks.

 

"Lazarus at Duke Cathedral, Durham, North Carolina" (c) 2021. Image capture by Stu Jenks.

 

Last time I visited Duke Cathedral on campus, I was a child.

A few days ago, I returned with a long lens. From a distance, the glass is lovely but close up using my SLR camera, the Gothic-styled stained glass is down right creepy. Most of the faces had white-all-around eyes. Yikes.

I don't know who looks worse, Lazarus or Jesus.

(Actually, I find the Lazarus window very evocative and quite beautiful.)

 

Wild Turkeys in Ashe County

"Wild Turkey, Ashe County, North Carolina" (c) 2021 Stu Jenks.

Really wished the Founding Fathers had taken Ben Franklin's recommendation: the Wild Turkey would have been a great National bird. Bald Eagles are pretty and all, but they are thieves and not particularly noble to other wildlife. Turkeys are smart, good parents and tasty to eat. A truly American bird.

Deep in the grass, not seen in this photograph, are three baby turkeys, following close behind Mom. They stayed hidden. Mom did not.

Beautiful animal.

Off to the Zoom Room factory...

Off to the Zoom Room factory. It's all about from the waist up. The COVID mullet: Business from the waist up, party below the belt.

Alexa took these images. I did a little post-production fiddling afterwards.

Alexa also mentioned to me yesterday that it's hard to find my store from a Google search. You can easily find my digital stuff like my music and ebooks but not so much the hold-in-your-hands stuff. If you want to buy my real live books, CDs and prints, or want inexpensive epubs and pdfs of my books, or you just want to donate to the cause that is the Jenks, click on this link. For image rights licensing, email me or call me instead. (stujenks@gmail.com). If you want to give to my Paypal account, use my email address too. For wall pieces and walking sticks sales, contact me via email or phone.

Beside the high humidity of the Southern summers killing us, money being tight, and global warming making storms more violent and prevalent now, Alexa and I are just fine.

Grateful we are, one day at a time, just to be here together on the planet.

Bottom image is a selfie of Alexa, taken a while back. Just so you know what the photographer looks like. I love my wife.

Stonewall Jackson's Death Place

"Stonewall Jackson's Death Place, Virginia" (c) 2021 Stu Jenks.

In the middle of nowhere Virginia, there is a pretty restored old farmhouse where Stonewall Jackson took his last breath, after having been shot by his own men.

Stonewall Jackson. Great Civil War General. From what I've read, an arrogant pain in the ass to all who knew him.

Not-so-fun-fact: The owner of this farm sold it during the War because he was caught between warring factions just too many times. They torn up his land and scared the hell out of his family.

War is worse on the innocents than it is on the combatants. Was that way in Virginia in the 1860's. Was that way in Iraq and Afghanistan in the 2000's.

However, in 2021 when I visited this place, it was a very pretty piece of property. White brick house. Lovely gray skies. Very peaceful.

Humble Hearts Hymnal

"Humble Hearts Hymnal, The Blue Ridge Music Center, Virginia" (c) 2021 Stu Jenks.

Along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Galax, Virginia sits the Blue Ridge Music Center. If you love Mountain Music and the roots of Americana and Bluegrass, the visitor center's museum is something to experience, from old instruments and archival film footage, to hymnals and photographs. If you are close by, I would recommend visiting. It ain't nothing.

A free epub of Dementia Blues for y'all (and a hidden Leviticus track too)

A writer friend today suggested I submit one of my self-pub books to this book contest thingy. Win between $1000 to $5000 if they pick your book. It's a bit of a scam, our $65 submission costs supporting whoever the hell Winning Writers are, but I had that much cash in my Paypal and thought what the hell.

The tricky part was which book. Initially I thought Step Zero, but that's too long. Then I thought Victor Mothershead, but that's Book 4 in the Step Zero series.

Then I thought Dementia Blues, my best selling book of the 15 books I've produced. I glanced through the epub before I submitted it and thought, "This is actually pretty good. It holds up."

So I uploaded it to the contest.

But you know I ain't going to win.

But you all can.

Download Dementia Blues

Above (and at the end of this post) is the epub edition of Dementia Blues by me, Stu Jenks. Designed by Gail Cross with the photographs and everything. It's a sad but sweet book. I think you'll like it.

And even though the chances of me winning this book contest are slim to none, you can win a free book right now. Pretty sweet, eh?

Love you guys.

Keep your lamp trimmed and burning,

Stu.

Download Dementia Blues

P.S. Hidden track: I'll give away my last book Cherry Picking Leviticus too. What the heck. I'm in a generous mood. (If you feel like donating to the cause, my Paypal is stujenks@gmail.com). Be safe out there.

Download Cherry Picking Leviticus by Stu Jenks

“John Henry Beeton, Saguaro Rib, Arizona” © Stu Jenks 2021 [Extended Family Series]

“John Henry Beeton, Saguaro Rib, Arizona” © Stu Jenks 2021, 56 inches tall.

Price: $175, shipping included. Simply contact me via my email address at stujenks@gmail.com or Facebook message me, if you would like to purchase one of my pieces. Payments can be made with Paypal, Venmo or credit card with Square. All pieces are signed with its title, and can be hung from the wall.

 

In a lovely cemetery in downtown Lexington, Virginia, six of my ancestors peacefully rest: four 2nd great-grandparents and two 3rd great-grandparents. It's only recently that I've discovered this, thanks to the hard work of my friend Brad.

John Henry Beeton, my great-great-grandfather, worked at the Virginia Military Academy in Lexington when the Civil War began. He was married to Anna Marie by then, and they already had a 3-year-old son William. (Their second child, Ella, was born in 1863. My great-grandmother.) He apparently was quickly drafted into Stonewall Jackson's brigade after Fort Sumter. Stonewall Jackson was not a beloved professor at the VMI. He was deeply disliked by many. According to records, John soon transferred to another branch of the Confederate Army, making guns and ammo in Richmond. Appears John Beeton didn't like Stonewall Jackson much either. John worked for the rest of the War at that munitions factory. He was good at his job, rising to become foreman. After the War, he returned to Lexington to work at Washington and Lee College. He did not return to work at VMI. I bet he had enough of the military. Sadly, Anna died young in 1883 at the age of 45. He never remarried.

The Confederate States Of America cast iron plaque at the base of his grave was placed there by who knows who. I don't approve of these kind of monuments. Like many, I hate the Civil War, slavery and the inter-generation racism of the South, but when I visited his grave for the first time, I found his medallion broken in two, lying on the ground. That made me sad. I thought of just taking the marker completely away from his grave, but instead I had a blacksmith in Greensboro repair it. I recently returned it to John and Anna's graves and put back his marker.

John was a veteran. He did serve, even though it was for traitors against the Union. And I bet John didn't approve of the War either. Most didn't. In The South, you really didn't have much choice if you fought in the Civil War or not. You had to go. Luckily, he was far from most of the fighting and was able to return to his wife and his two children after the War.

Rest in peace, John.

And Anna Marie Beeton? I'm making you a stick as well. Thank you both for loving one another and producing my great grandmother Ella, who gave birth to Edgar, who married Lillie, who gave birth to Stuart, who married Mary, who gave birth to me.

Sadly, little is known of Anna Beeton. Back then, women were hardly considered people in America, but that's a discussion for another time.

Over and out for now, from Stu, son of Mary, daughter of Elton, daughter of Emma, daughter of Matilda, daughter of Elisabetha.

#stujenks, #extendedfamilyseries, #johnhenrybeeton

“Camille Claudel, Saguaro Rib, Arizona” © Stu Jenks 2021 [Extended Family Series]

“Camille Claudel, Saguaro Rib, Arizona” © Stu Jenks 2021, 66 inches tall.

 

Price: $195, shipping included. Simply contact me via my email address at stujenks@gmail.com or Facebook message me, if you would like to purchase one of my pieces. Payments can be made with Paypal, Venmo or credit card with Square. All pieces are signed with its title, and can be hung from the wall. Love y'all, Stu.

 

Camille was a French sculptor, an associate and sometime lover of Rodin, a marvelous artist in her own right, largely forgotten because how poorly she was treated by her family and others. To read about her tragic life, click of this Wikipedia link.

To my surprise, some of her work, a bronze bust of Rodin, resides at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh. In the last decade, Camille is finally getting the recognition that her and her work have so deserved.

You, Madam Claudel, get a complex wall sculpture from me, made specifically in your honor.

#stujenks, #extendedfamilyseries, #camilleclaudel