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| Miss Ella Reading Her Bible at the Store. |
Grandmaw, as we called her, was born March 21, 1908. I think
about her every spring as we leave winter and enter the budding spring. Living
the unique life of having your grandmother sharing a house with your parents
creates a special experience for a young man. I understood homemade biscuits,
daily. I enjoyed the pride she took in making my bed sheets so taut on Sunday
afternoons. She ran a country store just down the street from our house.
Everyday around 7:15 she would walk down the street to work; rain or shine.
This continued until she was 87. She
warmed the little German lap sided building with wood supplied by the neighboring
lumber company. It was a unique environment where you drank sodas from a bottle
and occasionally you’d pour Planter’s peanuts into a coke. There was a spittoon
beside the cast iron wood stove. Neighbors, farmers and church goers would
gather to talk about the weather, crops and community happenings. I could write a book about the blessings she
gave me as a child, but I won’t prolong this short blog. There are certain
things I remember more than others. Probably the most significant picture of
her in my mind is the one of her seated in front of the open door in her chair
with her bible open. This was a daily scene that many who frequented the store will remember. A simple woman, she
never spoke ill of people, even those people who ran up a large tab (credit on
goods purchased in the store). Even today, I hear her speaking to me; I hear
her with that soft country accent offering “truthful lips”, telling me they endure
forever. Proverbs 12:18 “The words of
the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Truthful
lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.”
Her words were
never reckless, she never pierce people with a sword; in front of them or
behind their back.
I’d love to visit
Miss Ella today. I’d love for her to see Ashton (my daughter) and Lewis (my son).
I would have loved for her to have been at the celebration of Ashton’s wedding.
But then again, I hope in some small way the goodness that she covered me with
showed up that day and even today. So if you read this short novella, know that
I was trying to honor my grandmother on her birthday. She would have been 109.
Happy birthday in Heaven
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely tribute! My husband has fond memories of Miss Ella. He would hike through the woods from his home on Junction Road to get to her store. I have heard many tales of things that went on there. She was a pillar of the community and will never be forgotten by anyone who knew her. To be blessed with a godly grandmother is a wonderful thing! June Whitaker
ReplyDeleteI remember going into ms Ella's store as a child. I would visit my grandparents just down the road from her store. I remember my pa paw Clint Wilson going there daily. Thank you for the wonderful memories.
ReplyDeleteOh, how I remember Miss Ella (Miss Eller as we called her)! My friends and I enjoyed riding our bikes to her store probably daily in the summer, and she was always so kind and gracious to us teens. I loved it when she "opened a tab" for me with my name across the top and kept it in the box with everyone else's. That was short-lived, though, because daddy paid it off one day when he was in there and found out about it. Ha! Miss Ella was a special lady!
ReplyDeleteYou have honored her from childhood. I'll never forget how you took up for me at Mocksville Middle when some girls in our class decided it would be fun to just stop talking to me completely. I was so hurt. When you saw what was going on, you took up for me and made sure to include me until the wind changed and the mean girls apologized. I've probably told that story hundreds of times to students in my classes and even my own children when needing an example of standing up for others. Your Grandmother's influence is far reaching.
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