Important People

Of all the people who have made an impact on my life, I do believe that my grandmother, on my dad's side is the most important to me. I have learned more "Life Lessons" through listening to stories of her life growing up and by watching her do and interact with people and with her world. She was a really unique individual.

Stella was born as the first child of a young, unmarried woman in Tennessee in 1892. Illigetimate children happened back then, but they were certainly the exception and not the everyday occurrence that seems to happen today. Not only was Stella illigetimate, she was also a girl. Girls were not worth much back in those days except to have babies and take care of the home. However, my grandmother was a definite exception to the norm.

Baby Stella was sent to live with an aunt and uncle in a nearby town early in her infancy. Aunt Sally did most of her raising and her mother, Nettie would come to visit when she could. Not long after Stella came to live with Aunt Sally and her husband something happened to him and he died. His brother, Jim moved in to run the household and look after Aunt Sally and little Stella. To my knowledge Aunt Sally and her husband had no children. Also as best I remember, Grandma never said anything about Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Sally marrying. I don't know if they lived together as man and wife or not. Grandma seemed to feel that Uncle Jimmy took the place of a father during her very early years.

A few years later, Nettie, her mother, married a railroad man named Binkley Rye. In all the years that I was around Grandma I never heard her call him anything other than "Mr. Rye". From all the stories I heard growing up, Mr. Rye stayed busy working on the railroad, having 5 children, and going to the local saloons. Grandma lived with Nettie and the Rye family after she got older. She went to school, worked in town at various jobs and helped support the growing family.

An Old Lady's Ramblings

You would think that for a person who is seldom at a loss for words that this should be a piece of cake. It is however turning into a chore, so for now I think I will exercise my authority as the head ol lady in this house and shut her down and come back later when I can come up with something to say.