Vissering History – Pictures and Stories
Forrest Harte (left), volunteered for Air Corps in WW II at the same time his brother Clayton did. They were just 13 months apart in age and were in the same grade in school and college when the war came.
Forrest was not old enough for Officer training and Aunt Irene and Uncle Jonah did not want to sign for him. He told them if they did not, he would go the day he came of age anyway, and if they signed then, he and Clayton could go together. They were very close.
Forrest Harte, flew 69 missions in the 320th Bomber Squadron. After 30 missions, he could have returned stateside as an instructor, but he told his superiors he wanted to fly more missions for his brother Clayton. They let him.
Clayton Harte (right) was a great guy. Victor Moore, Aunt Hattye’s son said Clayton would have been a General if he had not been killed.
He was good enough to be chosen to fly the new P-38 when it was coming out new. It was not to be for in their last training exercise, the officer who flew the plane before him had landed too hard and broke a wing bolt. When Clayton took his group up, he had to lead them in a dive and his wing that was broken folded over on top of the cockpit trapping him inside and it was over quickly.
These pictures were made 52 years apart. The one when they were young shows them out in the front yard at the Vissering ranch. Left to right shows Jim, Aunt Alvena, Aunt Tom (Virginia) and Mother (Rose Evalyn).
On the right, is in Aunt Vena’s back yard and shows left to right Rose Evalyn, Aunt Alvena, Jim, and Aunt Tom.
Uncle George as a boy eating watermelon out in front yard about the time, they came in 1919. One picture is of Vic and Son (my dad Fred Vissering) with a prize catfish. The other is Forrest, Clayton, Ruth, Marie, Geraldine (my dad’s sister that died as a teenager), and Son (my dad).
The top left picture shows a Christmas night out Mama’s about 1964 when Pat was a Sophomore at Texas A&M. Pat is telling Mama (my great grandmother) who the gift is from. Pat’s sister Martha Mary is in front.
Behind to left is Aunt Amelia (my grandmother), Uncle Fred’s wife. Next is Aunt Jessie and Uncle Ja (Herman) and then Ikey (Clayton’s brother) and Jo and their daughter Terri. To the right is Aunt Hattye and her granddaughter Elizabeth Ruth (Vic’s) daughter, then Patsy (Uncle George’s Daughter) and her son Bradley.
Top right is just a Sunday out Mama’s.
Below left is Charlotte, Mama (Rose) Barbara Pat and Lillyan. To the right is again with Barbara’s future husband and Carolyn and Harry George and Uncle Jack’s grandson Paul Eatman playing croquet in Mama’s front yard.
Per Pat: We did not have a retreat like a cabin on the Merrimac River, but this took the place of it. Aunt Tom (Virginia) and Aunt Alvena spent some time in the summer of 1931 in St Louis and talked about what a great fun place it was. They also wrote about Doreen being a new baby.
The tall boy standing in front of Pop Best is Clayton Harte, who died in WW II as an Air Corps Officer. The colored girl is Lorraine Wilson. She washed many a dish for the St Louis cousins and Aunts and Uncles when they came in the summers.
When Mother died in ’04, this family had had 5 generations of Wilsons working for some of us from Aunt Emmaline (born a slave) to Lorraine’s grandchildren.
That was the first time Carolyn and Benny ever saw each other but I guess it was love at first sight. (Six and seven)
Carolyn always said it was neat because Benny tap danced for them on the front porch.
The last photo shows a sad sight. The old house (started in the 1850’s and finished in 1878) has been replaced by a new home to the family of Harry James Vissering, a great grandson.
I am the little cotton head just over Gail Nelson’s shoulder with her back to the camera sitting on the ground and my sisters are sitting in front of her and me. (Barbara and Charlotte and Lillyan).
Aunt Bertha in the buggy and Uncle Paul holding the horse. Clayton and Forrest Harte are the two dark headed boys, and they are the ones who were in the WW II.
Rose Vissering Tomberlain and Victor Moore are in the buggy with her, and she is holding Ikey Harte and his baby sister Carolyn Harte (Best).
The bottom picture shows Papa Vissering’s hay crew with their old mule powered hay bailer.
Left to right is Charlotte, Barbara, Lillyan and Pat.
Aunt Tom Vissering Camp, Vic Rossi, Uncle George Vissering and Aunt Vena Vissering Nelson.
Charlotte Tomberlain is washing on typical “washday Monday”. Charlotte died from breast cancer in October 1992. She had a wonderful family of three boys who loved her greatly and a loving husband.
The picture of Mama Vissering looking at newborn baby sister Martha Mary about the spring of 1954. Martha died of cancer in August 2000. She taught at Northeast Texas Community College near Mt Pleasant. No children.
Marvin Patrick Tomberlain. Daddy’s horse was sired by a government stallion that Papa Vissering kept for the Army Remount Program, for production of Cavalry and Artillery horses between the World Wars.
Rose Evalyn Vissering Tomberlain
Charcoal, a rather famous harness racing Hambletonian Trotter, who Papa Vissering sent to races in Kansas City and maybe (Virginia Ann thinks) to Saratoga. Papa had a fellow named “Dutch” who trained him on the Vissering Race Track up around the Racetrack Pool.
Mama Vissering resented someone who received room and board and some pay, who only “played” with this horse. This is the horse Uncle Fred Vissering was with when they had a train wreck. Both were unhurt but Mama Vissering put her foot down and that was the end of the harness racing.
Mama and Papa Vissering and Baby Ruth.
Papa and Ruth (Baby Ruth) Vissering, their 12th child, who died with Strep Throat, after the Doctor gave her a shot to prevent Diphtheria. Too strong for her. Age 7.
This picture shows Papa (HJ Vissering) dividing a beef he is cutting up on the wagon, with several of his tenant sharecroppers.
Home of HJ and Lillie Nora Vissering in later years. The entire Vissering clan spent many, many happy hours there. Sunday afternoons on the front porch and kids everywhere was common.
The grand Christmas tree on display in the front room and the giant barn we played in are also favorite memories. Grandmother loved a good game of dominoes and rarely lost a game! Love the stroll down memory lane. Thanks Pat Tomberlain for keeping our history alive!
Vissering Family – Pictures and Stories
