This page by Janet Bracken Frost
and Sandra Bracken Bonser


Bracken sisters remember growing up in
the family 'Homestead' at Twin Rocks




This letter by Janet Bracken Frost was added to
the Blacklick Township Home Page January 26, 2008

The 'Bracken Homestead' at the Vintondale Road Y in Twin Rocks.

My name is Janet (Bracken) Frost.

I moved to Twin Rocks with my parents in 1972 from Detroit. We moved into the Bracken home with my Grandparents, Jess and Emma Bracken. My mother, Catherine, still lives there today. The house has tons of memories. My daddy's family grew up there and there were 14 kids. We always came to visit my grandparents when I was little.

I can remember the train that used to go past the house. It would stop and blow its whistle at the road crossing. I missed the train after it was gone.

I can remember getting jugs of water for grandma. I would take two jugs and walk up the hill and fill the jugs at a spring on Rt. 271, and carry them back to the house. Sometimes I would get some change to stop at Rubo's store for candy or ice cream.

I can remember many Bracken reunions held at the house. Those were good times. I love the yard there and there used to be swings hanging from the trees for the kids to play on.

As the years went by, more and more grandchildren and great grandchildren would come to know the house in Twin Rocks; they all love it there. Now, instead of the train going by they have put in the Ghost Town Trail. The kids love to walk on the trail.

I can remember Easter there, and many of the grandkids coming for Easter egg hunts in the yard. I hope that the house will have many memories to come, and see many more reunions and Easters at the Bracken home.....

Janet (Bracken) Frost Manheim , Pa .



This letter by Sandra Bracken Bonser
Added to the Blacklick Township Home Page October, 2004


Grade school years at Twin Rocks School




My name is Sandra (Bracken) Bonser. My family is from Twin Rocks and my Mother (Catherine Bracken) still lives in the old "Bracken Homestead." My Aunts Lucky and Shirley were born in that house and my dear Father (George) died there in 1982.

My earliest memory of Twin Rocks is when I went to Big Bend in the first grade. My Aunts Shirley and Lucky Bracken were there with me. We were in first, second, and third grades (I was in the second). That was the year that I remember having the most fun in school. We lived in Twin Rocks at the time.

I was born in Ebensburg, and had family throughout the area. I moved to Twin Rocks after my father came home from World War II. Most of my Uncles served in the military then (United States Air Force).

One thing that comes to mind is when I was little we bought things from the Big Bend "company store." It seemed that the store had everything a body could want and all you had to do was say "put it on my bill" and when the miners got paid the money was deducted from their paychecks.

My Grandma Bracken (Emma) went to the church in Twin Rocks and we would walk from the house on Plank Road to the church. And at times she would take us blueberry picking up on the hill. Gramma also played baseball with us in the yard. She was so funny when she would run all the way to base laughing. There was always someone coming and going in those days.

 

Sometimes we would hike to the show in Nanty Glo to see a movie, once in a while someone would stop and give us a ride. It was so nice to be able to share those times with her.

I have a picture of the old Bracken homestead that I am attaching. There are so many beautiful events that took place there; I pray that there will be many more in the future.

Sandra (Bracken) Bonser
Duncanville, Texas
October 25 2004




Click here for a third sister's Blacklick Twp. memories, from 2000

What memories do you have? Share them with your Home Page

 







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