September 2020 – Aunt Flo Stories

September 15, 2020September 3, 2021

“But time grows short when you reach September”

At times when I was young, more than once, I thought about what it would be like to get old. I remember one fall afternoon on my way home from high school, I was walking down the ridge road, enjoying the golden rods and pleasant weather, and singing the September Song. I remember the day clearly. I was just passing the old walnut tree that still stands in the field near the road not far from Donald’s house as I walked and sang.

In phone calls with my brother Donald during the past spring, he and I often talked about getting old and facing our Septembers. “You and me will soon be where the rest of our family has gone,” he said. I agreed. Confronting death is very serious and very sad. But when we talked together about being the last two remaining of our family, it was good not to dodge the seriousness and the sadness.

September 15, 2020September 3, 2021

Dad carrying the mail

My Dad, Marvice Williams, who carried the mail riding his horse “Old Joe” in the 1920s. My older sisters, Clarice and Alline, remembered hearing Dad singing the hymn “Come Thou Fount of Many Blessings” as he rode home down the ridge each night.

September 10, 2020September 3, 2021

Photos – information and memories (3)

In the picture above, Aunt Lola is with her daughters, Pauline and Enza. Aunt Lola was a half sister to Dad, about 15 years older. It seems like Aunt Lola came often to visit when I was growing up. I always thought of Aunt Lola (born in 1882) as the oldest person I knew when I was a kid. Dad, as well as Mom, was very fond of her.. Clarice stayed with Aunt Lola her first year of high school and went to McKinney High School because there was no bus available to Middleburg High School at that time. Aunt Lola was always a very small lady as long as I can remember. I have heard from my older sisters that my grandmother, Quintilda Durham Williams, mother of Dad and Aunt Lola, was also small like Aunt Lola.

September 10, 2020September 3, 2021

Photos – information and memories (2)

The two people in the picture above with my dad are Hulbert Durham and Mabel Huston. As I was growing up, I don’t remember seeing them at our reunions at all, but they were fond of their Uncle Marvice. They were the children of Dad’s oldest half sister, Elgie Durham (1874-1934), daughter of Dad’s mother, Quintilda Durham. Hulbert and Mabel had the same mother, but not the same father. Aunt Elgie married George Durham and had six children. One child a little girl died very young. Hulbert Durham (the man in the picture) was Aunt Elgie’s youngest of her and George Durham’s children.

September 10, 2020September 3, 2021

Photos – information and memories

The photo above is my mom, Zettie Williams in her apron and blue sweater, on the front row. I love it that Mom usually had her apron on when pictures were taken. Mom made her own aprons of flour sack or she used her egg money to buy material. Mostly she used her egg money to buy baking soda or salt or baking powder. Nancy told me that Dad had said to her that he could not have paid off the farm if “Zettie” had not helped him with the money she got from selling eggs.

I don’t know the lady to Mom’s left, but the tall woman behind Mom in glasses and a dark dress is Pauline Milburn Martin, my Aunt Lola’s daughter. Aunt Lola Durham Milburn was Dad’s older half sister via their mother. Pauline’s younger sister Enza Milburn is the heavy woman in glasses and a light blue dress on the front row. Uncle Wallace Williams back row beside Dad with Uncle Ebolee barely visible on the very back. The dark haired woman next to Dad is his niece Mabel Huston, daughter of Dad’s half sister, my Aunt Elgie Durham.

September 9, 2020September 3, 2021

Ball games at reunions

Remember how we used to have baseball games at our reunions? Jimmy said he remembers that Michael, Frank and Marcella’s son, was the one who would get out Dad’s old mower and mow the base lines. He was a sweet person. I know Frank really enjoyed the game. In this picture, I’m not sure if the person standing behind the batter is Frank or Ernest. I think I see Uncle Ebole in a baseball cap, and Marsha might be the girl standing near the back. Looks like they have people way out in the field, so maybe the person at bat is a good hitter. Ronald was a strong hitter, but he would have been a left-handed hitter.

Remember when the little kids would come up to bat, and the grownups would always pretend to fumble around so the kids have plenty of time to get on base. No little kid EVER struck out. I thought I had a older picture than this one attached. Maybe one of our group has a better one.

Sure miss everybody this Labor Day.