Excerpt from a letter from Aunt Lona:
 

"Papa had a brother, Dr. A.J. Atkins, who lived in San Francisco. He had just opened his office when the earthquake came.(1906) He lost everything but his 'satchel.' He became a very successful doctor. He visited in our home many times when I was a child. He was the author of books & poems. I have heard my oldest sister say there was one book they were not allowed to read. (Papa read it and burned it!) In it, Uncle Albert predicted the intermarriage of the Black and White races."

Gordon was a school teacher, later Principal, then Superintendent. His daughter, Lona taught in the Nocona School system for 25 years.

After all my research, I am beginning to have a sneaking suspicion that we have some Cherokee blood as well.

Jeff Gaskell, a Civil War vet had an identical twin, Frank, who was a Union vet. Jeff met his wife at the headquarters of the Chickasaw Nation near Gainsville, Texas. His daughter, Cassie was therefore half Indian.

The surname Gaskell(also Gaskill) comes from the lake district of No. England. The Kell's or lakes were surrounded by hills perfect for raising goats. Hence, the name Gaskell... Goats by the lake. Or so it was told to me by a British Genealogists(sp), whose expertise was Northern England.See Names

In Fact, Atkins, Gaskell, Harper, Clark, Dean, Reed, Dickerson, Hayes... are all northern English... mostly from the Marches - that area between the Lake country and Scotland.

Jeff and Frank lived in a border state that saw neighbor fight against neighbor as well as splitting families in two. The brothers didn't get back together until they were old men. Paul Atkins was nine when he met his great uncle for the first time. He said they looked exactly alike and he couldn't tell them apart. He says he crawled into Frank's lap and had no idea he wasn't his grandfather, until his grandpa, Jeff, entered the room and asked whose lap he was in.

Paul described his grandpa and great uncle as having long white beards and being dressed alike, even though they hadn't seen each other since the war. They even wore the same style 'spectacles.'

From the way he spoke of his family, they were a warm loving bunch, just the way he raised his boys.

They all loved nothing better than to get the whole clan together and laugh at jokes, talk about their lives and hug and kiss everyone-old and young, male and female. They all loved being around kids and being mentors. Most of what I know about the family I learned sitting at their knees listening to them spin their tales.
 

Daddy loved greyhounds and I love it that they are present on this version of an Atkins Coat-of-Arms

Ben. Paul's brother A.V. was named Americus Vespuses--- no lie!

Grayson County, Dennison, Nocona, Long Branch, Bonita, Bells Springs and Montague were associated with the Atkins bunch.

When I was pregnant with my second child, Grandpa (Ben. Paul) said that his mother, Cassie, was a tiny woman with a big heart. "She was one of the sweetest women I ever met and she had a pretty name, too. I always hoped one of my kids would name one of theirs for her," long sigh, "...but they never did."

My Daughter, Janis Cassandra (Cassie) was born not long after. 

I grew up in a town with the "Sunshine Law."  This meant that while a black man could work there during the day, they had better be gone before sundown. Growing up, the only blacks I saw were driving through town on the highway.

When I was around 25, I pulled into Daddy's driveway and saw him leaning against his pickup, smoking a cigarette and laughing with a black man who was also smoking a cigarette and leaning against the pickup.

I waited until they were finished with their smoke and their conversation, then went into the house. When Daddy came in, I went up to him and said, "I can't believe I just saw what I just saw."

Daddy's smile evaporated. "I don't want to hear a word of prejudice come out of your mouth! He is a man, same as I am and he has the right to the same respect and dignity!"

"But, but, Daddy... I simply meant I'd never seen a black man in town before, I mean outside his car."

 Need I say how proud I was of my Daddy!