Pretty Amazing….

The Wilson-Thompson families are filled with stories of wonderful people. Over the years, we learn more and more about them, and are appreciative. We continue to learn about other family members who have made significant contributions to our country and to our family. When we hear the term `amazing,’ it often conjures up an image of an event or a singular accomplishment. When an accumulation of several smaller milestones is present, and upon reflection, the attribution of `amazing’ can be warranted also. Such is the case with Kathryn Marietta Thompson Hill. What are Kathryn’s notables? Here are three…

First, Kathryn (Kay) Hill was born in 1922 and passed away in 2022. She made it to 100 years! We hope there are others, but to our present knowledge, she is the only family member to have reached the century mark. And she had all `her wits about her’ right up until the end. Quite something. Amazing. And there is more.

Second, in 1995, her younger brother John C Thompson Jr, had lost his wife of 48 years, Anne McNabb Thompson. John was melancholy and despondent. Kathryn, living in York Springs in Adams County, and John, living in Newtown in Bucks County, spoke occasionally. Kay felt that more was needed to lift up her brother. She wrote a letter. Handwritten. Told him about happenings in central PA, about what the local farmers were doing, how the family was doing, etc. Mostly light conversation. Included a cartoon she had pulled from a farm magazine.

She could tell the letter helped lift his spirits, so she wrote another letter a week or so later. John welcomed the letters; smiled when one appeared in the mailbox. Another one showed up, then another, and then another. Each spaced a week to 10 days apart. They were better than a phone call as he could read it and re-read it, and share it with Jack. At some point it had become difficult for Kay to write, somewhere in 2019, coinciding perfectly with the same year John died.

One can do the math on how many letters Kay wrote to her brother John….one every 10 days or so, about 35 per year for 23 years, 690-805 in total! Amazing.

Third, Kathryn was well known within the family for doing family trees citing names, birthdates, marriages, deaths, places, etc. She would handwrite these trees, covering the many branches: the Thompsons, the Stradlings, the Knowles, the Millers, the Carters, the Whites, the Bonds, the Daniels, etc. One family history very few of us knew she had written was `Growing Up On the Buckman Farm.’ It is a lengthy narrative on the John Carter Thompson & Audrey Knowles Stradling Thompson family from 1929 through 1946. It is a beautiful description about growing up in rural Bucks County. It covers their trials and tribulations as share-croppers. Kay even went so far as to interview her brother John for a well-rounded finish. We were excited to learn of this work; it talked to us. It was destined to be a part of this project. Kay must have had the foresight to know we would be building this web site since she typed the 12-page narrative; she had always hand-written every other correspondence and genealogy. Some pictures in Historic Properties. Thank you Aunt Kay, we love it, and we are indebted for your writings. Amazing. Material for this story supplied by Kathryn's son, 9th generation Russell Hill. Thank you Russ!---

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Legend/Notes for the following story Buckman Farm Memories:

J.C.T.: John Carter Thompson (1899-1976), Kathryn’s father

A.K.T.: Audrey Knowles Stradling Thompson (1895-1989), Kathryn’s mother

Aunt Edith Thompson: J.C.T.’s sister; Kathryn’s aunt; teacher of all grades 1-8.

John B. Buckman (1852-1941): Farm owner.

Eli and Maude Buckman: John Buckman’s nephew and his wife.

John & Audrey Thompson’s kids: Kathryn, John Jr, Harry, Rodman, Bertha, Sarah.

The Rockies: Charles & wife Emily Thompson et.al. Charles was J.C.T.’s brother.

The Buckman Farm was on Newtown-Richboro Road, west of Newtown, east of Neshaminy Creek, east of Richboro, across from Neshaminy Farms/Tyler Park.

The West School, was a small one room grades 1-8 school house on Newtown Richboro Road, still standing, next to a Jewish synagogue property. The West School property adjoined the Buckman Farm property.

Woodhill: Nickname for the Headquarters Farm (or Keith House) in Upper Makefield Twp, near Pineville/New Hope. Farmed by Henry and Marietta Thompson (J.C.T.’s parents). Kathryn was born there as JCT and AKT first lived there after they were married. Woodhill is 10 miles from the Buckman Farm.

The Cooper Place: a farm atop Spring Garden Hill on Newtown-Richboro Road rented by John C. Thompson Jr.