Cousin Charles

Charles Raymond Tipton
December 24, 1934 - June 1, 2012

During my life I have come into contact with many people.  Most of these people don't affect the direction of my life but then there are those few who do.  What has always amazed me as I look back in retrospect form my vantage point of seventy years on this earth, is how some of the least likely people have affected my life the greatest.  One of those people was my cousin Charles Raymond Tipton.

My grandparents Fieldon and Hester Tipton had twelve children, eleven of whom lived to adulthood.  All of their children were boys.   I had ten uncles and thirty-eight first cousins on the paternal (Tipton) side of my family.  By contrast, on my Mother's side of my family I had six first cousins.  Growing up, there were always a lot of Tipton cousins around.  The oldest of those first cousins was Charles Raymond Tipton.

Charles was the oldest child and son of my Uncle Raymond Tipton, who in turn was the oldest son of my grandfather Fieldon and grandmother Hester Lewis Tipton.  

Growing up I was closer to some of my other first cousins than I was to cousin Charles.  It wasn't until 1994 that I really started to develop a relationship with cousin Charles.  

What brought that about was a phone call from Charles inquiring as to the dates of birth of myself and my brothers.  Charles told me that  Professor Lloyd Bailey of Duke University was preparing his family tree and our Tipton line was in it.  Professor Bailey was related to our family through my great-great grandmother Martha "Patty" Bailey who was married to my great-great grandfather John Tipton who died fighting for the Union cause in North Carolina during the Civil War.

I had always been interested in my roots or family genealogy but didn't know where to start.  This phone call from my cousin Charles is what got me started.  From that random phone call I started on a journey to which I continue to this very day.  I record my family history on my account at Ancestry.com.  Through my genealogy research I also became a volunteer for Find a Grave.com.  A few weeks ago I returned from a trip to my ancestral homeland in the mountains of western North Carolina taking pictures of cemeteries in those hills which contain many Tipton headstones.

This afternoon I was on my computer updating the photos I took of the Tipton-Griffith Cemetery in Tipton Hill, North Carolina when I received a phone call from Charles sister, Pauline Jones.  She called to tell me that Charles had died this afternoon at 5:35 pm.  

Charles had suffered a heart attack yesterday.  Pauline told me that Charles was actually dead at that time but the medic had resuscitated him to the point where he was breathing again. Only problem was that he was brain dead.  He was put on life support.  Pauline told me that Charles had often told her and his family that he "didn't want to go the way his dad did."  

Today his family decided to take him off of life support.  He died a few hours later.  

While I was never particularly close to Charles I will miss him nonetheless.  He was a wise and gentle man with an earthy sense of humor.  Charles always knew that he was the Senior Cousin and carried that responsibility with grace, dignity and pride.  

I will miss my occasional phone calls to Charles updating him on the latest interesting tidbit that I found on our common family history.  I will miss hearing the way he would say my name "Ron."  Charles had a gentle masculine voice which I found very comforting.  

These days when it seems that so many of my friends and family are leaving me, I sometimes feel melancholy for times past.  Times that will never be duplicated again.  Then I think that my time isn't that far away either.  

I don't fear death but I do sometimes feel waves of sadness sweep over me.  Not a sadness over my impending departure but a sadness that yet another link from my past is gone.  A sadness knowing I am one step closer to the loneliness of old age. 

I always remember what my maternal grandfather George Hadfield (the only grandparent I ever knew) told me shortly before he died. He said "Ronnie, the bad thing about getting old is all of your friends are gone."  

With each passing of a friend or a relative I knew exactly what he meant.

Goodbye Cousin Charles.  Thank you for your kindness.

My Genealogy Blog

Tipton Family Reunion October 2011

Hey folks!  Here is my genealogy blog.  I've had it up for several years but have been remiss in updating it.  However, I am making a sincere attempt to be more timely in my postings. To see it go here.


I really love my genealogy postings and have neglected it for far too long. Most of my blog postings are on this blog, Retired in Delaware.  I have to watch myself that I don't descend into complaining and depressing blogs.  I am never depressed when I do my genealogy blog.

Yesterday I finalized the plans for our annual Tipton Family Reunion in Downingtown. As in years past the reunion will be held on Columbus Day Weekend.

Even though it is a Tipton Family Reunion, all are invited because we are all family aren't we?

Come join us this Sunday October 7th, 2012 at the East Brandywine Park in Guthriesville, Pennsylvania.

Cousin Richard "R.D." Tipton will be catering.  Below is his the menu.  Only $10.00 a head, children free.

A special treat, as last year, my blogger friend Mark of "Our Simple Lives" will be on hand to take his wonderful photos.  Mark is an extremely talented photographer and I am lucky to have his services available for my family reunion.

With all the negativity in the air these days because of politics, what better remedy than for family to get together and share happiness?  Lots of smiles always at the reunions.  Come join us!

Our fabulous photographer - MARK!

Why I Have a Yankee Accent

My grandmother, father and nine of my 10 Tipton uncles at my grandfather's funeral 1939

I first began researching my Tipton family roots in 1994.  I was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania in 1941 to Isaac Walter Tipton and Betty Louise Hadfield.  My Mother’s family history was from Pennsylvania Quakers.  All I knew about my father’s history was that he came up to Pennsylvania when he was ten years old, with eight of his brothers (no sisters) and without shoes to work on his Uncle Don Byrd’s farm near Unionville, Pennsylvania, country about 45 miles west of Philadelphia.  I did know that my father was a ‘hillbilly’ and that fact distressed me greatly when I was growing.  Little did I know that my father and his brothers came from those hearty, brave and hardworking families of Appalachia that made up the backbone of America. 

My Uncle John Henry Tipton and his team of mules used to haul lumber
for his father's (my grandfather) saw mill in the western mountains of
North Carolina about 1924

Back in 1994 was when I first began researching my family history.  I made my first trip to the mountains of western North Carolina where my father grew up as a small boy and visited one of my father’s distant Tipton cousins.  His name was Horace Tipton and he was about the same age as my father.  During my visit ‘Uncle Horace’ stopped me and said:

“Ye a damn Yankee ain’t ye?  Ye talk funny!” 

'Uncle Horace's home in Micaville, North Carolina 1994

At first I was stunned because he thought I talked funny?  I could hardly understand him, his Appalachian accent was that thick.  Then I saw the humor in the situation and continued my visit with ‘Uncle Horace.’  However during our visit (I was there with my brother John and his wife Barbara Tipton), ‘Uncle Horace’ did maintain a 'safe' distance.  Don’t want to get TOO friendly with a (damn) Yankee you know. 

My brother John and I at his home in Greenville, South Carolina
discussion our recent trip to the hills of North Carolina where
our father was born and left at ten years old for Pennsylvania

Below is the reason I have a ‘Yankee’ accent.

This is a history of how my branch of the Tipton family came to be in Pennsylvania. This information is an oral history from my late Aunt Peg Tipton, wife of my Uncle Henry Tipton.

In the 1920’s, life was rough for the folks who lived in the hollers of the Pisgah Mountains in western North Carolina, near the border of Johnson City, Tennessee.  One of those families who were near starvation was my paternal grandparents, Fieldon and Hester Lewis Tipton and their nine sons. 

Me during a visit to the mountains where my father was born - 1994

From 1909 to 1926 Fieldon and Hester had nine children, all boys. Fieldon was in the lumber business with other relatives in the close-knit mountain community. Leading up to the Great Depression, the sawmill business wasn’t producing enough food on the table to feed nine growing Tipton boys. Fieldon’s brother-in-law, Don Byrd (married to Hester Lewis’s sister, Essie Lewis) had a fruit and vegetable farm in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. He needed cheap farm labor. Fieldon and Hester and their nine growing boys needed food, a roof over their heads to protect them from the elements and heat to give them comfort during the cold winters.

My grandmother Hester Tipton with her two sons born in Pennsylvania, Bruce and Sam Tipton 1936

Sometime in 1929 or 1930 (the exact date is uncertain) the Fieldon Tipton family made a life course change and decided to relocate to Pennsylvania and work on Don Byrd’s farm. The whole family moved into one of the tenant cabins called “The Baker Place” near present day Unionville, Pennsylvania. “Field” and his boys began the back-breaking work of picking fruits and vegetables in their Uncle Don’s farm. Two more sons were born to Fieldon and Hester Tipton in Pennsylvania. More farm labor.

My Uncle Sam, Bruce and Fieldon Tipton at the old 'Baker Place' where they
were farm laborers for their Uncle Don Byrd on his farm in exchange for free housing

The names of the Tipton boys were:

Raymond Luther Tipton  (1909-1988)                         

John Henry Tipton  (1911-1993)                                          

Edward Walter Tipton (1914-1998)                                   

Erby Erwin Tipton (1917-1990)                                            

Isaac Walter Tipton Sr. (my father)  (1920-2000)       

John Hannum Tipton (twin)   (1922-1961)                       

Richard Berry Tipton (twin)  (1922-1989)                

Luther Raymond Tipton    (1925-1979)                      

Fieldon Jacob Tipton, Jr.  (1926-2006)                       

Bruce Tipton  (1931-1995)                                                                  

Samuel Park Tipton (1934-2001)                                  

Baby Tipton (twin of Samuel, died at birth)  

As the Tipton boys grew into adult most of them met and married the local women of southeastern Pennsylvania, their new home.  Out of those unions thirty-six legitimate children and four illegitimate children were born. I am one of those thirty-six legitimate children over a hundred children were born. 

My Mom (pregnant with me), my Uncle Dude and my grandmother Hester Tipton 1941

With the exception of Fieldon ‘s cousin Adgie Tipton, who also moved to southeastern Pennsylvania at the same time, all of the Tiptons who now live in an around the southeastern portion of Pennsylvania are descendents of my grandparents, Fieldon and Hester Tipton.  And this is the reason I am a Tipton with a Yankee accent.

Me ( tall, skinny  kid on the right) with my brothers and cousins showing our hillbilly roots 1955

March 26, 2011

Ronald Walter Tipton

Lunch in Lewes

Jessie and niece Margaret at Gilligan's Restaurant in Lewes, DE

Yesterday my friends Jessie and Margaret visited me in Lewes, DE.  Jessie if the former wife of my cousin Tom and Margaret is her niece.  I met Jessie through my family genealogy research.  We met for the first time in person last year in Lewes.


Last week Jessie and I reunited again at the Tipton Family Reunion in Pennsylvania.  Jessie brought along two of her three sons and two of her grandsons.  Of all the Tipton family members, Jessie is the only one who is keeping the Tipton male line going.  For that she deserves extra special recognition.  Thank you Jessie!

Jessie and Ron at Gilligan's - thank you Jessie for keeping the Tipton line going!

Last year when Jessie and Margaret and I met on Second Street in Lewes, it was a beautiful, sunny day.  Like last year, yesterday was another beautiful, sunny day.  I must have a special Guardian Angel following me because the family reunion was also a beautiful, sunny day.

Yesterday I invited Jessie and Margaret to go with me to help celebrate a birthday luncheon for my good friend and former classmate Judy.  Judy's birthday is this Sunday.  I haven't seen Judy and her husband Jack for months and months, at least before the horrible back to back blizzards we had this past winter.

Jack was the catalyst who pushed me over the edge to build a house down here in Lower Slower.  I had been looking and thinking of moving for several years.  One weekend in 2006 I saw the perfect lot.  I already had chosen the perfect house plan.  All I needed was a push and Jack provided that push.  I'm not quite sure if I should thank him or damn him.  Just kidding Jack!  Buying a lot and having a house built in Lower Slower was perhaps the best decision I have ever made in my life.

I will be forever thankful to Jack and Judy also because they graciously let me stay in their bay front mansion while my house was being built.  Thank you Jack and Judy!

So yesterday we all met at 1:30 for Judy's birthday luncheon at Gilligan's right in downtown Lewes, DE.  It was just a lovely day.  We were seated outside on the deck by the canal under a tree which filtered the blazing sun on our noggins.

I made the introductions all around and we proceeded to order our lunch.  While we were waiting for our orders to arrive, my co-worker P.J. from the nearby in happened to walk by the deck adjoining Gilligans outdoor patio area where we were gathered.  He threw out a "Hey Ron!"  I threw back a "Hey P.J.!"  We had a little back and forth for a few minutes.  I pointed out that my friend Jessie has the same name as his daughter.  They discussed coincidence and noted that even though they both had the same outlaw name they spelled it differently.  Being the picture taker that I am, I asked P.J. to take our picture.  Here is the happy group below.

P.J. on the balcony

Happy birthday Judy! (the Birthday Girl is in the sleeveless top on the left corner)

We had a delightful lunch.  We had a long lunch.  It was then I realize that maybe our parking meter times were close to running out.  I know that Lewes is notorious for handing out parking meter fines.  When I had parked earlier and was feeding quarters into the meter the lady who had just feed the meter told me she visited Lewes last year and had gotten a ticket.  She told me she made a mistake and put in the wrong parking slot number.  She tried to point that out to the meter reader but he wouldn't budge. No excuses.  Parking meter fines are one of Lewes' main sources of income in the tourist season.

We said our goodbyes and agreed to meet again next year then Jessie, Margaret and I headed to the parking lot a block up the street.  I checked my meter.  I still had time left.  I backed out of the parking lot.  Margaret and Jessie were behind me.  Margaret pulled past me and stuck her hand out her window.  She was waving a piece of paper at me.  She yelled out her car window to me...."Did you get one of these?"  "ONE OF THESE" was a parking ticket.  Welcome to Lewes, Delaware Margaret.

Margaret (smiling....before she got the ticket)

Tipton Family Reunion a Success!

Children and husbands and their children of the 36 Tipton cousins

With some trepidation I awoke this past Sunday morning where I was staying at my brother's home in East Brandywine Township (Downingtown) to cloudy skies.  Oh no, I guaranteed sunny skies for the Tipton Family Reunion which was to take place at noon.  I signed on to my brother's computer and checked the weather forecast and was much relieved to find that the skies were clear later in the morning.

After my breakfast (a bowl of Corn Chex with a banana) I headed out to the East Brandywine Community Park to get the tables ready for the reunion which was to begin at 12 noon.

Debbie White Fincke with Tipton Family Reunion sign

As I was putting on the many colored light tablecloths (actually very thin plastic) that I had purchased at Walmart, the wind picked up.  The wind has always been a problem at this park.  The East Brandywine Community Park is a beautiful park but it is located on high flat land which was a crop field of a former field.  I knew I would have trouble with these tablecloths.  Even with the weights on the tablecloths , the wind was still blowing the tablecloths off the tables.

I made an executive decision and got in my car and made an emergency run to Wegmans.  I had a couple of more expensive table cloths from Wegmans and they were holding their own with the wind.

By the time I got back to the park with my new tablecloths, cousin Dick Tipton and his wife Linda had arrived.  Dick and Linda were going to help me with the food.  SHOWTIME!

East Brandywine Community Park, Downingtown, PA 2010

While putting on the new tablecloths my cell phone rang.  On the other end was Cousin Darlene Ford.  She couldn't find the park.  There are three pavilions at the East Brandywine Park.  I told her it was the last one.  In a few minutes Darlene pulled in the lot.  Now we were ready to go.  Darlene, Dick and Linda were my lifesavers.  A few minutes later Darlene's sister Rita Buxbaum arrived to lend a helping hand.

The Alison Pavilion, East Brandywine Community Park 2010

We had our sign in book at the table at the entrance to the pavilion.  Blank name tags were ready for marking to identify cousins.  Ready to go!

Me multi-tasking at the sign in table

The first official arrivals were Cousin Bob Tipton and his wife Marie and their daughter Sharon.  They had come all the way up from Marietta, Georgia.

Me greeting Tom Cruse, Terri Porter-Cruse's husband

We all greeted Cousin Bob with a warm hug.  I don't know how many years it has been since we've seen Bob but it has been too long.  It seems that in our adult years the only time we see our cousins are at funerals.  This is one of the reasons I decided to restart the family reunions, to bring the family back together again.

Louise Tipton White greeting her nephew, Tom Tipton, Jr.

When we were little kids, our parents used to have frequent family reunions at places like Lenape and Kerr Park in Downingtown.  However, over the years as the original eleven Tipton brothers died off and their thirty six children (yes, I have thirty five first cousins) grew into adulthood, we drifted apart.

The Tipton First Cousins

Back in 1993 Dude's girls (my uncle Luther Raymond Tipton) decided to have a family reunion for the remaining surviving Tipton brothers.  Dude's girls are: Donna, Rita, Darlene and Joy.  This reunion was held at the Westwood Fire Company outside of Coatesville, PA.

Linda Tipton, Dick Tipton, Bob Tipton and Darlene Tipton Ford

In 1994 I held the next Tipton Family reunion at the same location.  My goal was to gather information for my genealogy research of the Tipton family.  I also wanted to take pictures but I wasn't able to do too much because I was too busy cooking hamburgers.  Cousin Dick Tipton saw my dilemma and rescued me from my Hamburger Stress.

1993 Tipton Family Reunion 1993 Westwood Fire Company, Coatesville, PA

I held the next Tipton Family reunion in October of 1997 at the present location, the East Brandywine Community park.  I thought at that time we were on way to more frequent family reunions but life interfered.  The next thing I knew, thirteen years had passed and our family had not had a family reunion.

1997 Tipton Family Reunion, East Brandywine Community Park, Downingtown, PA

Last year Cousin Dick Tipton asked me when we were having another family reunion.  Dick question got me to thinking that it's been too long since we had a family reunion.  I told him I would coordinate and make arrangements for the family reunion.

Jeff Tipton greeting his uncle Ed Tipton (with Charles Tipton sitting to side) at 1997 reunion

All of the eleven Tipton brothers have since passed on since the last reunion in 1997.  Also several of the thirty-six cousins have passed on and the surviving cousins weren't getting any younger.  So I decided, that as long as I can, I will hold annual family reunions.

My brother John called from his home in Greenville, South Carolina yesterday to ask me how the reunion went  He was concerned that it wouldn't be a success and I would be disappointed.  I was very glad to tell him that the reunion was a wonderful success!  Not every one could make it to the reunion but for those who did, we all had a wonderful time.  After many years, the Tipton cousins were reunited again.  There were many hugs and warm greetings of long absent cousins.


Most of the Tipton cousins now have adult children and many of them have children who are entering into their teen years.  It was a special treat for me to meet my first cousins once and twice removed for the first time.  Many of them I have been in contact with on Facebook but meeting them in person was special.  My only regret was that I didn't have enough time to socialize and get to know them better.

1960 Tipton Family Reunion, Kerr Park, Downingtown, PA (Tipton kids)

I also had a friend roaming around to take pictures but I still didn't have enough pictures.  Even with all the help that cousins Darlene, Rita, Dick and Linda Tipton were providing I was still running around writing name tags and making sure those tablecloths weren't blowing in the wind.

Even though things could have ran more smoothly yesterday, the reunion was a great success.  The weather was beautiful, the food delicious, and being with family was wonderful.

This may be the digital age with the dominance of social networks like My Space and Facebook but there is nothing like an old fashioned family reunion.

1960 Tipton Family Reunion, Kerr Park, Downingtown, PA (Tipton Women)

Thank you to everyone for contributing to making the reunion such a success.

Mark your calendars because the next family reunion is planned for October of 2011!

The sons of Fieldon and Hester Tipton

1960 Tipton Family Reunion

Kerr Park, Downingtown, PA