When I met the Vowell Family

Tuesday February 28 2006

I know I have not been in theVowell family longer than you but you were so young when I first met you it seems forever
It was In July 1955-- I was a young city girl.
I lived in Nashville, Tennessee and was going to Missisippi to meet the family of the love of my dreams. It was a very hot 4 th of July week-end. Jack had already gone to Ruleville, I guess to prepare the family. I put on my dress of many colors and my 3 inch heels and got on a Greyhound bus that took me to Memphis where I was met by Jack, Marjorie, Charles and Chuck. I knew I was in trouble right away. Charles had Chuck calling me Aunt Jo before we got out of Memphis. After turning on many turnrows we finally made it to Ruleville.I thought I had gone to the end of the earth, Never did I think I would see land so flat. When we got to Granny and Grandaddy's house all was quiet. Everyone was in the country at Imogege and Franklin's house. Jack and I were sent to town to pick up Grandaddy Poppa. We first went to the pool hall but he was not there. We found him in front of Ike Bakers store. First words out of his mouth were "this your sweetheart Jack Gibson"? When we got back to the house, there was more people than I had ever seen in one house in all my life. Don't remember much about that night but next day we went to LeRoy Percy Park for a picnic. The mosquitos ate me up. I thought the whole state of Missisippi was there. People everywhere. Eddie Seghers must have know how I was feeling, he took me under his wing and I thought he was the nicest person in the world. ( I was right ) When it was time for us to go back to Memphis , Nita and Edward took us to Rulevliie to change clothes. I put on my dress of many colors but could not get my shoes on. My feet were two sizes biger than my shoes. I was so glad to get away from those mosquitos but really hated to leave. I guess the family accepted me since they let me come back That was 56 years ago.
G-Maw






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