Thomas Cornelious BLASSONGAME

                       Known lovingly by his decendants as Papa Blasongame.  His oldest
    child and
    daughter Rachel In letter to Donald Ray said that she thinks Sam was
    an older
    brother of Papa and that Columbus was another brother and also
    another but did not know his name.  Papa left home (in Tenn.) at age
    14.
    Son Raymond said Papa was born in Davis Co. Texas not in Plainview
    as it shows on the death certificate.
    "Papa never did keep a family record and once in Globe, Arizona told
    mehair raising experiences of his as boy all alone in Ariz. and New
    Mex. . . . he ran away from home at 14, he left his mother and step
    father (Hyatt) somewhere in Tenn. and went west to new Mex. and
    Ariz. . . .  Your Grandfather Thomas Cornelius Blassongame was only
    white man ever to meet Geronomo and live.  Papa met him on plains as
    the famous indian was running from Gov. troups - Geronomo vowed to
    kill every white man he met where ever and when ever he could.  Papa
    wasn't a man that ran from trouble from few but faced every man
    fearlessly - Both of course were alone riding in wide open spaces of
    far west both rode up facing one another both staring each other in
    eyes neither afraid - neither one spoke a word - after a few minutes
    Geronomo rode away leaving Papa, a very young man in his teens
    (probably 17 or 18)
    I don't know what year he returned to his mother, one sister and
    brother Sam Blassongame" (letter to Don from Rachel (oldest child of
    Thomas) 2 may 1970.)
    R. Blasongame Sr. is a direct decendant.