pr 30, 2003#1

I am a "Galena Transplant" . I was born In 1943 at 1217 Madison to TWO VERY HAPPY PARENTS Eva ( Ross ) and Alfred Hatfield ( I was a BEAUTIFUL BABY !!! ) My Father dug himself out of the Mines by joining the Navy . I had my first Birthday Party on the Train enroute to Calif. ( thus a Galena transplant ) !! I spent most of my life in Long Beach until my Father retired from the service . We moved to the Sacramento area in 1958 and I graduated high school in 1962 . I remember some very pleasant trips to Galena with my parents and Brothers . One was in 1958 and the last time was 1962 . If I recall , my Grand Mother Jessie Ross was living there at that time ( 58 ) and my Grand Mother Doris Hatfield. We got to see the old Homestead and other relatives ( John & Thelma Stephenson , J.W. , Aunt Bessi & Uncle Gates Harold , Ma Palmer - helped raise my Dad, and Family friends Harvey & Katherine Jenkins , Dan & Meldrid Martin . I remember J.W. ( now in Riverton ) getting my younger brother Mike & I hooked on Chocholate Cokes at the Drug Store & the Great Hamburgers at the Dairy Queen . I still remember the juke box playing Purple People eater .. Had a lot of fun on the 4th. of July . REAL FIRE CRACKERS & CHERRY BOMBS !!!! W O W !!!!! I hope to make it back home one more time . I would like to take some pictures of Family Graves & get some paper work for Geneoligy . I will drop by now & then to say hello . Until then may God Bless all those that came from that SPECIAL PLACE CALLED GALENA !!! JIM HATFIELD