Never Swim in Kern River, again!

Cousin Merle Haggard has passed.  He died at 79 on his birthday, April 6th.  Our Grandmother's sister was his Grandmother.  Ann Catherine Tate Maples and Martha Jane Tate Harp were sisters.

Merle and his dad, James Haggard

Arizona Villines married John Bohannon Harp.  John was a Grandson of Martha Jane Tate Harp.   John and Zone Harp were parents to Flossie Mae Harp who married James Francis Haggard.  Flossie and James Haggard are Merle's parents.

As Merle Haggard aged, he surely became a humble, kind man.  I have watched several interviews with him and he never spoke badly about anyone.  He kept the same musicians forever.  When asked why he kept singing, he always said it was because so many folks' livelihood depended on him.

I am going to share his song about the Kern River.  He grew up near Bakersfield, CA and fished the Kern.



And here is the song he wrote about Arizona Villines--born in Newton County, down in Arkansas and then in 1901, she married Grandpa!



There will be more than a few lines about Merle.