Great Grandaddy Poppa wake

ot every memory is a happy memory but it does stay with you. I remember when grandaddy poppa passed away. We drove up from New Orleans and also another relative came with us. But the memory was grandaddy poppa. He was layed out in the living room of granny's house and had a clear covering over him. I dont know whether this was fabric or plastic. I also slept in the front bedroom while there and could remember as a small child worrying about him in the next room to me. Also I was not allowed to go with the family up in the hills. They said it was a walk up the hill and I was to young. I think some of you have been up in the hills to this cemetary.

Scarlett: Isn't the Gibson family cemetary somewhere outside of Mathison? I remember going there, but not for Grandaddy Papa's funeral. I think I went when one of Grandaddy Vowell's sisters died. And I seem to remember going once when the main purpose of everybody coming was to clean off the graves (Memorial Day ?) I remember Granny Vowell going then. If you and Holly would come early one year, or come in the summer, I am sure somebody would go with you. We would have to ask one of the siblings exactly how to get there.


Camellia...the Gibsons were in Webster County, the Vowells in winston County. The Gibson cemetary is between Maben and Mathiston, I think. I don't remember Granddaddy Pappa in the living room. Do you Scarett? Perhaps they did not take us over for that. Granddaddy was in the living room, the last of the family members to be at home instead of a funeral parlor. I remember one of the Vowell girls coming to me and telling me Grandaddy wasn't dead, only sleeping. Oh, the poor confused baby. I explained carefully Grandaddy really was dead. It was years later I learned Uncle Blannon had fallen asleep on the couch in the living room, and he was the one the Vowell child was talking about. Also somebody brought in sugar cubes, the first I had ever seen, and we took some to the back room to share and eat. And Granddaddy, the day he died, was leaving the house, and came back in to kiss Granny good-bye, something he never did.

Scarlett, I think you went to Mars Hill when Aunt Anner died. We were given the choice and I stayed home. You came back and everybody had talked about how darling you were. Rats, I thought, I could have shared the darling limelight.*****

Scarlett says: I seem to remember Grandaddy Papa laying out. I think that is the first time I ever knew anybody who died (maybe not). I know I went to Aunt Anner's funeral. Aunt Annie Laura's daughters ( or maybe only one) rode in the same car. But I have a vague memory of another road that didn't lead to Mars Hill. It was on flat topography ( which couldn't have been toward Mars Hill) and something about Starkville but we turned off before then. I really think I went, if not to Grandaddy Papa's burial, then to one of the other brothers. But that could only have been Uncle Audie (who died much too early for me to be going to funerals) and Uncle T.N. and I don't think he was buried there. I have too many pieces of memory that I can't jigsaw with anything else.