Stockman and Thereabouts - July 26, 2010
By Pat Crawford

Betsy, Parr, and Benton Bryan came over this morning (Tuesday) to let Benton try his luck at fishing in the pond.  He was so excited that he caught 3 bass; he wanted to know if they were big enough to stuff.  I think they were the first fish he has caught; he will be in the fourth grade next year. 

Last Monday evening, Robert Cousins called me and told me that "Mama Jean" had passed away with Sheila by her side. Mrs. Fancher had been battling hard for the past weeks to recover from back and colon surgery. Her daughters, Sheila, Linda, Jan, son Randy , sister Patsy,and her other loving family members had been by her side all the way through. They had good times and bad, encouragement and bad news. Sheila told me that she talked to her all the way until she went on to her heavenly reward. I don't think I heard anyone speak of her by any other name than Mama Jean because she truly was a mother figure to many people, including the thousands of Martinsville school children she served for 18 years. Each one who spoke at her funeral talked about her cooking and how she showed her love through the delicious dishes she made for people. I personally can attest to her rolls and Christmas fruitcake. She loved her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren so much. The slide show at the funeral showed her as she enjoyed all of them from Kristin, her oldest grandchild, to Sawyer, her youngest great-grandchild. The eulogists all remarked about her tremendous capacity to love and care for others. Her great-granddaughter Rexanna Powers honored her by singing "How Great Thou Art" in a manner that would truly have pleased Mama Jean. David Pate, a dear family friend, also provided beautiful comforting music with his tremendous singing ability. The funeral home was filled with family and friends who came to pay respects to Mama Jean and to show their love and support for the family. Jerrie Strahan, Beverly Tippett, Mary Eva Rogers, and I sat together at the services.

Last spring my friend, former student, and teaching colleague Cindy Rhodes asked me if I would do a program for the genealogy society in the summer--July to be specific, I replied that I would love to, and I immediately had the idea to try to do a program on All Day Singings and Dinners on the Ground. I thought that I would have plenty of time to get something together, but before I knew it, July had arrived and I had to get busy. I knew a little bit since I was raised in the country over near Pleasant Grove, and I had attended many church homecomings and family reunions. But I had to do some research, and I did find some very interesting information that began with an 1825 era Kentucky "graveyard quilt." I tried to trace the church homecomings, graveyards, dinners on the ground, and Sunday singings from that era until today. I am very appreciative of the kindness shown to me by those who came to the meeting on Wednesday. I know that Elaine Sowell Peddy and I relived some of our experiences as youngsters in the Pleasant Grove Community as we walked up and down the red clay road to visit with one another. I was happy to see Mary Eva, who is so special to me and my new friend Hilda Diehl who plays the piano for Tenaha First Methodist. I hope I didn't embarrass my cousin Shannon Ramsey and Judy who had their precious grandson with them. Kay Whitton, one of my very first students at THS and a member of the genealogy society was there. She has an interesting article in Tap Root about her husband Cecil's interest in exploring. I was also happy to see Margaret Oliver. The genealogy society needs pictures of the Timpson area and people. I have found some today that I am going to get to them. I bought me a magnifiying glass, and I think I can read the writing on the back to identify people. Mrs. Minnie Dee Ramsey was at the meeting, and I appreciate her coming. She gave an interesting presentation on her education in the country school at New Prospect and some other information that I had heard from my grandfather Coss Clark. I think it is so important to preserve our area history, and this group is doing a fantastic job for future generations.

I visited Aunt Marie and Uncle James on Friday. Auint Marie and I picked crab apples; she has three trees filled with them. She has also made some delicious jelly. I may make some; I have fig preserves down, but I am not sure about crab apple.

Dot drove over from Nacogdoches and spent the night with Aunt Marie and Uncle James. She came by Stockman and she, Lurlene Boyett, Beverly Taylor, and I worked on straightening, throwing away, and cleaning Frazier Hall. Larry worked on cutting bushes off the electric line. We worked all morning and got rid of a lot of old paper goods, mopped, wiped out the cabinets and rearranged. Dorlene Gibbons came down to see if we were doing things right. She gave us a good grade. We need to get in touch with Steve Frazier and see about doing some work on the bathrooms in the Fellowship Hall.

Dot, Beverly, and I had a good visit. She showed us pictures from the 1968 class reunion last week end. I think they all had a good time.

Maureen and Eck Franks drove up from Lufkin and we had a little celebration for her birthday which was on July 23rd. We had some surprise guests: Tommy Lee, Nathan and Eric were riding their mules around and stopped by. They ate with us. We also had Joey and Kenda Bradshaw and Marc Raines. Ecky cooked his usual delicous steaks. We all enjoy being together.

I visited Aunt Marie and Uncle James this afternoon; their neighbor Bill Stegall came by for a visit.

Dot, Kay, and Kim are looking forward to their trip to San Antonio next week end to attend the wedding of Kay and Kim's cousin's son.

Leatha and I will be attending a workshop at Region VII on Friday; Becky Bogue Talk will be our presenter. We are looking forward to that.

Happy belated birthday to one of my favorite people in the whole world, Mrs. Frances Graves.