California Jo by Genie House Genie House was my Mother’s mother. She died shortly after giving birth to my Aunt Lenoit McCool, my mom’s youngest sister. She was born sometime in the late 1800, like 1890 or so, and married my grandfather, J. I. Bonner 10/7/1907. Sometimes in her teen years before marriage she wrote an epic poem. I had seen it and had a copy of it but have misplaced it.  My nephew sent me another copy the other day and I it did not want to let it get away from me this time. So I am going to publish it here and I hope that all of you will read it, but I especially hope that all my cousins and kin will read it. It is a great honor for me to publish it on this web site. I think she did a super job. I tried to leave the spelling as she had spelled it and the name Jo, spelled as she spelled it. A hundred years or so later I think it is still good reading….Pete Hester   update: Cousin Norma Bonner Elmore supplied me a picture of Genie House Bonner’s tombstone, which reads, born Aug 1876 died Mar 1920. Thanks, Norma   Update: Cousin Sandra McCool Acker enlighted me on Grandma Genie’s real name…..Harriet Emma Virginia House Bonner, born August 16, 1878, died March 21, 1920, the day after Sandra’s mother, Lenoit Bonner was born. Thanks Sandra for the update.