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With life so fast-paced these days, I’ve always admired
the closeness and value of family I could see among
Mawmaw, her siblings, and the generations that followed.
We would gather once a year at Roosevelt State Park to
share a meal and celebrate the Christmas season. With
ten siblings, their children, grandchildren, and great
grandchildren, one can imagine this was quite the crowd
and quite the feast!
I will always remember her sisters and her gathered
around the piano singing hymns filled with beautiful
harmonies.
Mawmaw was every bit the southern lady–sassy and
sweet. She taught me to always send a thank-you note
and most importantly, always bring food for just about
any occasion, from celebrating a new life, to saying goodbye
to a loved one for the last time. When we lost Mawmaw,
we gathered around my table and shared a meal just like
she taught us, and we shared stories of her. Some of these
stories may have been about the many years she worked at
McRae’s, and later Belk, helping women find just the right
outfit for the occasion. I think she most enjoyed helping
the repeat senior customers every Tuesday morning.
Many knew her by name, as once someone met her, they
most likely did not forget her.
Then, of course, there were stories of her as a grandmother,
and how she took several of us in for a season,
myself included. She taught me much about cooking,
but not from a recipe, mostly just a pinch of this or a
pinch of that, but always with lots of love. She loved to
cook and would tell me stories of her own mother waking
before sunrise to cook breakfast over a wood-burning
stove each morning. Then, after meeting my grandfather,
she spent many hours in the kitchen learning from her
mother-in-law, who was also an excellent cook. I have so
many warm memories from my grandmother’s kitchen
and of gathering around the table full of wonderful food
prepared by her. It was her way of loving us.
36 • MAY 2021