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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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One snowy day

On a sunny morning last spring, I drove to exercise class through a shower of snow. Neither the other motorists nor I had any worry about traveling. Traffic moved along while a few feather-like flakes whacked into our windshields. We all knew that within an hour, the sunshine would be bright again (it was), and the snow flakes would vanish (they did).

I enjoyed that morning, but it stirred thoughts of another experience I had with unexpected snow several years ago. Thinking of that other happening brought back memories of the welcome face of my sister Clarice one afternoon when I was not at all happy to see snow.

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Our farm geese

I saw a story the other day about how a man had trained a gander. It reminded me of my brother Cleo training Whitey, his gander, when Cleo was a teenager. This in turn brought to mind what it was like to have the geese around the farm and how they changed the dynamics of their fellow creatures. Continue reading “Our farm geese”

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Tribute to my sister Clarice

Clarice in a derby hat

We all need heroes. My sister Clarice, our oldest sibling, was always a hero and point of reference in our large family.

Real heroes never know they are special. Clarice didn’t think she was outstanding when she lived away from home to go to high school. It must have been hard for her, and it must have been lonely, especially the first year. But heroes go the distance. And Clarice did that. Continue reading “Tribute to my sister Clarice”