The Hero Project
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My Hero - Uncle Billy Kilmer
by Alana D
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Uncle Billy Kilmer is my great great great great uncle. Uncle Billy Kilmer had brown eyes, brown hair and a turned down handlebar moustache. He is known throughout the family for his adventurousness and his generosity.
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Dust was stirred up in the running of hooves and churning of wheels. My Uncle Billy Kilmer did not have dust in his face. He was in front of the crowd. The year was 1889 and the Oklahoma Land Rush had begun. Uncle Billy Kilmer had left his home in St. Louis to stake a claim . Soon, my uncle Billy came to a good piece of land. He put his stakes into the land. His back ached, and he was sweating. There was no fun in hammering stakes into the earth. Not to mention that this land was pretty big.
Then he looked around. There were no buildings, no busy streets - just empty open land. After a last look around the former Indian territory, Uncle Billy Kilmer left to process the claim to his land in the nearest town. Town was awhile from his land. He might as well start off. After he got to town, an asthma attack came upon him. He had to stay in the hospital for a few days.
He had claimed his land before he had to go to the hospital. As soon as he was free to leave the hospital, Uncle Billy Kilmer went back to his land. There was nothing similar between his old home of Saint Louis and his new land. For example, Saint Louis had sights to see. There were places to go. In Oklahoma, it was flat - and that was about it.
When he got back to his land, something was wrong. There was a family living on his land. The family had probably been living there since he left. They stayed around to see if someone would claim the land. When no one came to claim the land, the family took it.
That's the poorest lookin' family I ever laid eyes on, Uncle Billy thought. He thought over the matter. I own this land. But I don't need this land as much as these folks here. It would be awkward to go up to that family there and say "git off my land. I own it." But I can't let this family starve. I guess they can have it.
Uncle Billy Kilmer saddled his horse. He rode off into the sunset. My Uncle Billy Kilmer never saw that family again. Uncle Billy Kilmer didn't stop until he got to Olton, Texas. There, he built himself a half dug out.
Soon, Billy's nephew, Fred Schrier, came to live with him. Fred Schrier had lived in Kansas City. His house had been destroyed by a huge flood. Fred wanted to go where floods were never heard of. He did not want his house to be destroyed again. He had brought his whole family from Kansas City to Olton. Soon, my great grandpa, William Schrier, was born.
This is the story of my great great great great uncle Billy Kilmer. He was a cowboy who led life of adventure and generosity. This inspired me to be who I need to be.
CLIP-CLOP CLIP-CLOP
Dust was stirred up in the running of hooves and churning of wheels. My Uncle Billy Kilmer did not have dust in his face. He was in front of the crowd. The year was 1889 and the Oklahoma Land Rush had begun. Uncle Billy Kilmer had left his home in St. Louis to stake a claim . Soon, my uncle Billy came to a good piece of land. He put his stakes into the land. His back ached, and he was sweating. There was no fun in hammering stakes into the earth. Not to mention that this land was pretty big.
Then he looked around. There were no buildings, no busy streets - just empty open land. After a last look around the former Indian territory, Uncle Billy Kilmer left to process the claim to his land in the nearest town. Town was awhile from his land. He might as well start off. After he got to town, an asthma attack came upon him. He had to stay in the hospital for a few days.
He had claimed his land before he had to go to the hospital. As soon as he was free to leave the hospital, Uncle Billy Kilmer went back to his land. There was nothing similar between his old home of Saint Louis and his new land. For example, Saint Louis had sights to see. There were places to go. In Oklahoma, it was flat - and that was about it.
When he got back to his land, something was wrong. There was a family living on his land. The family had probably been living there since he left. They stayed around to see if someone would claim the land. When no one came to claim the land, the family took it.
That's the poorest lookin' family I ever laid eyes on, Uncle Billy thought. He thought over the matter. I own this land. But I don't need this land as much as these folks here. It would be awkward to go up to that family there and say "git off my land. I own it." But I can't let this family starve. I guess they can have it.
Uncle Billy Kilmer saddled his horse. He rode off into the sunset. My Uncle Billy Kilmer never saw that family again. Uncle Billy Kilmer didn't stop until he got to Olton, Texas. There, he built himself a half dug out.
Soon, Billy's nephew, Fred Schrier, came to live with him. Fred Schrier had lived in Kansas City. His house had been destroyed by a huge flood. Fred wanted to go where floods were never heard of. He did not want his house to be destroyed again. He had brought his whole family from Kansas City to Olton. Soon, my great grandpa, William Schrier, was born.
This is the story of my great great great great uncle Billy Kilmer. He was a cowboy who led life of adventure and generosity. This inspired me to be who I need to be.