Blog

Lillian and Bo at Faywood Hot Springs, 1910 (photo by Roy Bedichek) My great-grandmother Lillian Bedichek’s story of her marriage is one of my favorites. Several months after arriving by bicycle (a 1,000-mile trek along the railroad from Eddy, Texas to Deming) in 1909, my great-grandfather, Roy Bedichek filed a homestead claim. For the next year and a half, he wrote desperate love letters to Lillian, trying to convince her to join him. I have known...that with you life woul

The Bedicheks were part of the US homesteader story. The larger story is a sad one to me, white (and a few black) folks given land stolen from Native Americans, but the more intimate story is one of adventure and fortitude -- building a cabin and attempting to live off the unforgiving high desert. As I am learning though, the full family story is more complex and interesting than the simplified version handed down for four generations. The family lore I brought to my research

So, the family story becomes much richer! Roy and Lillian's adventure was amazing, and now we have the just-as-amazing story of his parents'

We had such a great time following Bedi's 983-mile bicycle route. You can read the posts here. Once in Deming, we stayed for a week to really experience it and do research. Bedi made it to Deming (apparently in one piece and unscathed) and filed a claim for 160 acres (the maximum amount allowed) under the 1862 Homestead Act. Lillian joined him over a year later. They were married, had two children, and together they "proved up" on their claim and were granted full ownership.

In about a month (after viewing the eclipse!), my family will launch on a trip -- following as closely as possible the same route that my great-grandfather, Roy Bedichek ("Bedi" to friends), rode a bicycle. I, my husband, my father and my mother (Bedi's granddaughter who is also a birder) will drive with travel trailers in tow. Fortunately, highways follow fairly closely the railroad that Bedi rode alongside. We will arrive in Deming about the same time of year he arrived --