The Road Ahead ................. (Florida Ride 2013): Meeting Cousin Rick

May 22, 2013
As it was with Ralph and Joy, I'd never met Cousin Rick before but have communicated with him for several years on matters of genealogy, and it is from him I received a digital photo of my 2nd Great Grandfather, Alney Green Newman, a rare treasure indeed. It is only fitting that I at least meet Rick before leaving Florida and I intended to do just that if I could find my way out of Saint Augustine.

As much as I've "bad-mouthed" my Garmin GPS for its wayward ways while directing me across the country, I realized this morning how dependent on it I am. It failed to "calculate" the 115 mile route to Fanning Springs. Suddenly I felt lost.

Thanks to Cousin Ralph I had a genuine paper version of Florida a zipper length away, in my pack. Having evolved from "real maps" over the past couple of years, I found the depicted roads and numbers frustratingly tiny and my reading glasses struggling to make sense of it all. Had to break out the magnifying glass, which I had the foresight to bring on the trip.

The map showed Hwy 1 out of town to 207 to 17 leading to Palatka and 26 to Gainesville and on to Fanning Springs. Not having the GPS to look at, I'd have to remember all those connections or stop and dig out the map again. How did I find my way around in the old days?

Somewhere along the way the GPS kicked in and things were fine after that. I have no idea what the problem was, unless it was humidity gumming up the works? I blame everything on humidity these days.

Before long I was back in the land of purple wild flowers and cow-filled pastures that I remembered from passing through the area on my way into Florida over two weeks earlier.

Fanning Springs is a two motel town and, naturally, I picked the one farthest away from a place to eat, or so it seemed when my starving arrival prompted a ride around town in search of something quick to eat. I passed a restaurant but didn't want a sit-down-meal, just something to take the edge off my hunger that was last satisfied by a motel breakfast in Saint Augustine. Surely there was a McDonalds or Burger King in town. It didn't take long to discover the borders of town and the lack of such convenience. I also learned, that in my haste, I'd overlooked a small building right across the highway from my motel ..... a hamburger stand called "Chompers". Appropriate, I thought, as I chomped into a cheeseburger while discussing the pros and cons of cross country motorcycle travel with a friendly local guy.

I had previously left a message for Cousin Rick that I was in town. He called when he got off work and said he'd meet me at my motel within the hour. He did. We had a good visit, getting to know each other better and, as is our common interest, discussed our mutual "Newman" ancestry. My mother's people were Newmans as was Rick's great grandmother, Anna Garret Newman. She was a sister of my great grandfather, Alney Jefferson Newman. And Rick, Joy and I share the same great, great grandfather, Alney Green Newman.

I was treated to dinner by Rick and his wife, Susan, at the Lighthouse Restaurant. She met us there. We discussed a variety of subjects, one of which is the fact that Rick and Susan, both in the teaching profession, are at rival high schools. While Rick is the principal of Bell High School, Susan teaches English at the high school in nearby Trenton. They cheer against one another at sporting events.

It was a short but nice visit. Rick dropped me off at my motel and Susan quickly snapped our picture together before the predicted thunderstorm, brewing all afternoon, broke loose with a downpour, rumbling thunder and some flashes of lightening. Rick promised it would be gone in the morning. He was right. I had a sunny ride all the way to Georgia.

Rick's, Joy's, Jim's, Bob's and Glen's Great-Great Grandparents
Alney Green Newman with wife, Milly Mariah (Sawyer) Newman,
with their children, Samuel Orville Newman and Nancy Winifred Newman c1890.
Alney Green Newman Served with the 30th Iowa Infantry During The Civil War.