BROTHER
May 30, 2017
By Olivene Godfrey
A few days ago, Tommy Deals, Hamilton Health Chaplain, visited me. I enjoy his visits and he says he likes to hear my little stories of the "old days" when I was young. I was talking to Tam later and she said she enjoys the stories, too. She suggested I write a blog about my first cousin, which I and other in our family called, "brother" who was my buddy when we were children and stayed in touch until his death several years ago. I've probably written about him in the past but will again today.
Brothers given name was Marian Winfrey. His mother, my Aunt Helen, was my mother's older sister. Aunt Helen had an older daughter, Ernestine, who called the new baby "brother" and the name stayed with him.
When brother and I were toddlers our families lived in a small community in Chattanooga. One of my earliest memories (before my twin sisters were born) was of our mothers and brother and I getting on a street car in Chattanooga and "going to town". They would take us to a "ten cent store" which had a lunch counter where we would have hot dogs and "real coca cola's".
Another memory was when tragedy struck. Our maternal grandparents who we called big mama and big daddy died tragically the same night. I remember we were on a small porch and brother said, "They aren't dead, they're just sleeping".
Then when we were eleven or twelve (back then was a much more innocent time) we would meet at a special place in downtown Chattanooga every Saturday morning. Our parents gave each of us 50 cents. We used a small amount for bus fare. Then we went to a small downtown eating place to buy a hot dog and a double cola. Then we would stop at the dime store and get us a bag of candy and go to see a movie at the Tivoli Theater. Brother would make me go in the theater alone in case one of his friends saw him going to a movie with his girl cousin.
Later, my family, including my twins sisters who were sometimes brats (like most younger siblings) moved to a small northwest Georgia town. I was fourteen and "madly in love". Brother had come for a visit and the twins found my "love letters" and showed them to him. That night at supper they quoted some of the more "romantic" phrases. I could have killed them!
I also have memories of him being in the Army. He took a leave to attend my wedding. He moved with family to Fort Wayne, Indiana. When he finished his Army tour he married and had several children. His wife died fairly young, but he never remarried. A number of years ago, he passed away, I grieved for him and always thought of him as my brother.
See you next time. Comments welcome. (Edited and typed by Tam.)
By Olivene Godfrey
A few days ago, Tommy Deals, Hamilton Health Chaplain, visited me. I enjoy his visits and he says he likes to hear my little stories of the "old days" when I was young. I was talking to Tam later and she said she enjoys the stories, too. She suggested I write a blog about my first cousin, which I and other in our family called, "brother" who was my buddy when we were children and stayed in touch until his death several years ago. I've probably written about him in the past but will again today.
Brothers given name was Marian Winfrey. His mother, my Aunt Helen, was my mother's older sister. Aunt Helen had an older daughter, Ernestine, who called the new baby "brother" and the name stayed with him.
When brother and I were toddlers our families lived in a small community in Chattanooga. One of my earliest memories (before my twin sisters were born) was of our mothers and brother and I getting on a street car in Chattanooga and "going to town". They would take us to a "ten cent store" which had a lunch counter where we would have hot dogs and "real coca cola's".
Another memory was when tragedy struck. Our maternal grandparents who we called big mama and big daddy died tragically the same night. I remember we were on a small porch and brother said, "They aren't dead, they're just sleeping".
Then when we were eleven or twelve (back then was a much more innocent time) we would meet at a special place in downtown Chattanooga every Saturday morning. Our parents gave each of us 50 cents. We used a small amount for bus fare. Then we went to a small downtown eating place to buy a hot dog and a double cola. Then we would stop at the dime store and get us a bag of candy and go to see a movie at the Tivoli Theater. Brother would make me go in the theater alone in case one of his friends saw him going to a movie with his girl cousin.
Later, my family, including my twins sisters who were sometimes brats (like most younger siblings) moved to a small northwest Georgia town. I was fourteen and "madly in love". Brother had come for a visit and the twins found my "love letters" and showed them to him. That night at supper they quoted some of the more "romantic" phrases. I could have killed them!
I also have memories of him being in the Army. He took a leave to attend my wedding. He moved with family to Fort Wayne, Indiana. When he finished his Army tour he married and had several children. His wife died fairly young, but he never remarried. A number of years ago, he passed away, I grieved for him and always thought of him as my brother.
See you next time. Comments welcome. (Edited and typed by Tam.)
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