Saturday, July 29, 2017

I am writing this blog on the occasion of the celebration of my maternal grandmother's 96th birthday, if she were still with us.  We chose to honor her memory today because she has been in heaven for ten years and we wanted a special date to settle her estate.  If you knew her, you know how special she was to us and her memory is evermore important now that her great grandchildren are becoming adults and we are looking for another generation to begin soon.  We had breakfast because that is one of our favorite meals at her house.  These are some of my memories about her.

July 29, 2017
"Dear Nanny’s Beloved,
It is with a sense of thankfulness that we celebrate today. Nanny Kirby would be 96 today and she would want you to be blessed. She was a special Momma, MaMa & Nanny from November 1942 to her passing in April 2007. I want to share a little bit of the story of her life with you so you will know the obstacles that she had to overcome.
She was born July 1921 (according to what she said) near Fairmount, Ga to Emory & Nellie Segers. She was the youngest of 5 children and the only girl. Her brothers were Frank, Fred, Monroe & Buren. Shortly after her birth, they moved to Cherokee Co. Alabama where they resided for the rest of their lives. Her father & her older brothers were what we would call pulp wooders. They worked long hard hours and many times did not get home until dark. Nanny told me on several occasions that she, her youngest brother and her mother were not allowed to eat until they all came home. Her mother had dementia problems later in life and her brothers Fred & Monroe also had mental health problems.
She also shared that she was responsible at 5 years to start the fire in the woodstove. At 9 years, she was making biscuits. She learned to sew at a very early age. She loved talking about the old days and ways. She had the highest respect for President Roosevelt (FDR) who helped the multitude of poor people in the Great Depression.
She married Papa - William Hoyt Kirby – in August 1941. They had 1 child – your grandmother – Margaret Ruth Kirby Pilgrim – on November 25, 1942. They lived in various places – Cherokee Co, AL, Armuchee, Ga, Lake City, FL & finally Lindale, GA. She & Papa got jobs with West Point Pepperell Manufacturing at the Lindale Mill c1953. Papa had asthma really bad at this time and he had to quit and find a job somewhere else. Nanny worked there until c1984 when she retired. She never made much more than $5 an hour and yet she bought 3 mill houses and several cars. She always included us in her vacation week of July 4th and she gave us grandkids $10 + gifts on our birthdays & for Christmas. Great grandkids got $100 per birthday and Christmas + gifts.
She was one of the smartest women that I have ever known and she wanted all children to be fed and loved. She loved to make quilts to keep us all warm and she loved to cook our favorite foods. She wanted to protect us all from harm or the wild varmints that might be outside after dark. She told us scary stories at bedtime about the Soap Sally, Little Tiny Mogus, the Big Bear in the closet & her own Old Gray Cat story to settle us down.
She taught us to respect God, love family and to be good to one another. May we never forget her or the lessons that she taught us. Please take time to share some of your favorite stories about her."
 
Make memories with your family today!      Vickie

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