Jack and Jean Nida went on a three week trip overseas on May 14, 1998. Included in their schedule was researching the von Nida family in Germany. Upon their return home to Georgia, Jack sent the following email letter to friends and relatives .... It is shared here with Jack's consent :

Our trip to Greece and Germany in 1998 was such a pleasant journey that Jean and I decided to do another with many of the same group from our church. Dr. Jim Higgins, and his wife, Pam, tour host, bus captain and fearless leaders for the last two trips abroad, once again hosted this trip, the Grand Europe Odyssey.

At the close of the Civil War the veterans of the Union Army, who had preserved the United States of America, formed an organization known as the Grand Army of The Republic. This organization initially stood in the form of an unofficial Militia for the United States Government, similar to a National Guard. Later it was chartered by Congress to act as such in times of need.

(Due to its length, this interesting tale has been divided into 6 parts. A link to the next part of the series is displayed at the bottom of each installment.)

On May 29, 1870, at a country post office in West Virginia named Looneyville, in honor of the family at who's house the post office was kept, was born the subject of this account. This post office was ten miles out of Spencer, the County Seat of Roane County. My parents were of the old Virginia Aristocratic Stock. Joseph Thompson Kelly, my father, was the son of Peter C. and Mary Woodside Kelley and was the owner of many slaves. Mary Catharine (Creigh) Kelly was the daughter of John and Delilah (McLung) Creigh. They were also the owners of many slaves. it is my opinion that both were brought up without being thrown on their own responsibility and without being taught how to make a living when thrown on their own responsibilities. It seems to me, looking back on the life at home, that the greatest asset possessed by my parents was that my mother was a lady in every respect and to this day she is spoken of as such by those who knew her intimately. Possessing a good character and a good name were to her the high points in anyone's life. My father was of the same school as my mother so far as prizing was, as polished a gentlemen as was my mother a lady. Father was the sole of honor and a very jolly agreeable man. They both always gave me good advice and instructed me to always be truthful and honorable in the discharge of my duties.

As has been said before, a teacher had to chastise a pupil just as a parent would in case he did not obey when he was told to. Most of the larger pupils chewed tobacco and I said nothing about it until one day I saw them chewing in the school hours. I asked them not to chew tobacco in school hours but they could chew outside on the playgrounds. After recess one afternoon, a young man seventeen years old sat chewing tobacco and spitting through a hole in the floor at his feet. This boy's name was Sam Justice, a relative of Louis King a giant of a man and the best educated of any of the board of trustees. He was also a very dangerous man as he had shot one of his neighbors recently and just barely missed killing him. This neighbor was also a dangerous man as he had killed another man and he was not afraid of anyone. This boy was, as I have said, chewing and spitting and when I said to him "Sam, throw your tobacco away until you get out and then chew." He paid no attention to me and chewed and spat right along, paying no attention to what I said. I sent out and got two or three switches and wore them out on him but he never did throw the tobacco out of his mouth. I dismissed that evening and went to my boarding place. The next morning I took my dinner pail and started for school. It was a foggy morning and as I neared the school building, I saw the young man whom I had thrashed and his older and larger brother coming to meet me. The older brother, walking with a green cane of good size for a club, and I was about to pass and I spoke saying good morning, whereupon, without saying a word, he brought the stick overhanded aiming to strike my hand. I was too quick for him, letting go of my dinner pail, I ran in under the stick and it only struck me a light blow on the shoulder. I grabbed the man (Bob Justice) and forced him down the rough bank of the road into a fence corner and, grabbing a rail with each hand, held him in the corner and asked him just what he meant by acting that way. His answer was a question. "What did you whip my brother for yesterday?" I said "Bob, if you will be quiet, I will tell you and I believe you will agree that he should have had a whipping." Instead of saying he would listen, he demanded in a very rough manner if I would ever do it again. My answer was "yes, if he needed it" and I threw him from me and we had it fist and scull up into the road and I secured his walking stick and we were striking at one another until I got a stroke in at the base of his neck and almost floored him. He said, "I want to quit now and do not want you to strike me again." I stepped back and picked up the cane and said "I ought to kill you, you damned son of a bitch eater and I will do so if you even make a pass at me." He did not and went off down the road with his brother.