Memories Of My Grandparents

As a child in Winnsboro Louisiana, I have vivid memories of both my maternal grandparents Bryant and Carrie Cameron and my paternal grandparents Henry and Sallie Mae Cameron.
 

My grandfather Bryant (Daddy Bryant, Born, 1895) was Barber and owned a Barbershop in Gilbert Louisiana. He was a Barber for over 40 years. He died suddenly in 1962. The day before he died my parents had gone to visit; my parents had new twins daughters Barbara and Sharon and had taken them to see my grandparents, he died the next morning. His last words to my mother were “take care of those twins”. He would never know how profound those words were.

My Grandmother Carrie (Mama Carrie, born 1900) was a seamstress; she would sew for people in the area. My grandmother would also sew thermal underwear for her grandchildren during the winter months. She was also a very accomplished quilter. She made beautiful bedspreads. She also cooked very well and I miss her Chicken Stew to this day. Mama Cameron also loved gardening; she had the most beautiful flower garden. I have memories of her standing in front of the fireplace with her backside facing the fireplace with a long dress on; she would lift the back of the dress to warm her buns/ backside.
I am currently in the process of locating pictures of Bryant and Carrie Cameron and I will share in the near future.

My Grandfather Henry Coleman In His Favorite Rocking Chair

My grandfather Henry (Granddaddy Born, 1908) was a Sharecropper Framer and is the one person I have the most vivid remembrance of. I would sometimes spend the night at their home and when I awoke the next morning, I would find him setting in his favorite rocking chair reading the newspaper or watching the news. He was a man with an 11^th grade education; however, he was a very smart man. I would listen as he discussed what was going on in the news, and the world. He love to share his knowledge of what was going on in world, and I would take it all in.

Sallie Mae Coleman (MoMo) sitting on the porch

My Grandmother Sallie Mae (MoMo, born 1910) was a stay at home mom as many women of that era were. She was born in Mississippi and moved with my grandfather to Louisiana in the 1930's. Momo too was a fine cook, she loved to bake and you could always go to her house and find an array of desserts on hand.  Momo loved to talk or listen on the party line telephone(Two or more homes on the same telephone line); Prior to World War II in the United States, party lines were the primary way residential telephone subscribers acquired local phone service. My grandmother would sit and listen to her neighbors conversations for hours.

I miss my grandparents, they were all different and unique in there own way. Love You grandparents!

Below is a poem I wrote in memory of my grandmothers and their cooking.

Grandma’s Kitchens

The Smell Of My Grandma’s Kitchens

Will Always Linger In My Mind

As The Aroma’s Relives It Self through Time

The Smell of Cakes Baking As I Awaken

I walk To the Kitchen And There is Grandma

Standing There Just A Baking

She’s Baking Pies, Cakes And Breads And

All The Time She Is Singing And Moving Her Head

Grandma Would Turn And Look At Me And Smile

As She Pours A Batch That She has Prepared From Scratch

We Would All Gather In Grandma’s Kitchen To Laugh And Talk And Eat A Roll

That Would Soothe Our Hungry Soul

All Coming From Grandma’s Stove

The Smells Of My Grandma’s Kitchens Will Always Be A Part of me

It Was A Part Of My Past

That Went Away Much To Fast!

Lela Coleman Copyright©2002

Dedicated to my Grandmothers Carrie Cameron (Mama Carrie) and Sallie Mae Coleman (MoMo)

Lela Coleman Copyright ©2002 Lela Coleman