Memories of Mama
Several years ago, a tornado ripped across the Berry College campus and upended mature oak trees. It was the weekend of Berry College graduation. Lynn Dempsey taught Mama’s Sunday School class, at First United Methodist Church, that Sunday.
Before he began the lesson, Lynn mentioned the downed trees on the Berry College campus. Mama asked if we could drive over to Berry College and see what the campus looked like, with all the downed trees. Off we went for a ride on the Berry College campus.
We passed the Ford buildings, turned right and rode down to the Rollins Research Center. All along the road there were several downed trees. Indeed, it looked very desolate.
Mama said, “Don’t you ride your bike over here?” I said, “Yes. It is one of my favorite rides.” A woman of few words, Mama sighed a couple of times, as she surveyed the wrecked campus and all those upended trees. Finally, she spoke. “This must be what it looked like when the Yankees came through!”
I love this story. It is one of my favorite memories of Mama.
MAMA’S DIARY
I was going through some boxes one day and came across Mama’s diary. I sat right down and read it.
Mama graduated from high school in 1939. She applied to Berry College and was accepted. Mama’s uncle, Glenn Morris, ran the print shop at Berry in those days. So, in August 1939, Mama went to Berry for a visit with Uncle Glenn and his family, and then she registered for school.
That is where Mama’s diary begins. August 1939.
A FUNNY STORY
Mama began the diary with a funny story.
As a Home Economics major, Mama spent a lot of time in the guest cottages. She canned fruits and vegetables, cooked, baked, made preserves and jelly, polished silver, and did sewing and quilting as well.
One day Mama was upstairs making up some beds. She thought she was in the guest cottage all by herself. She was singing a popular song from those days and, when she stopped singing, a voice called out from downstairs, “Hey! Who turned off the radio?”
WELL DONE
Everything Mama ever attempted, she did exceedingly well. She was on the Dean’s List every school term. An officer in more than one of the organizations to which she belonged, she also played basketball and sang in the choir. Mama’s handwriting was beautiful and, with that wonderful handwriting, she wrote all about these activities.
MISS BERRY
Mama was still in school at Berry when, in February 1942, Miss Martha Berry passed away. Mama wrote in her diary that the mood at the school was very solemn because they all knew Miss Berry was admitted to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Atlanta, and that she was critically ill.
On Friday, Feb. 26, 1942, around noon, Berry College administrators received word that Miss Berry passed away. School was dismissed. Miss Berry’s funeral was that Sunday. In the inside back pocket of Mama’s diary, was the worship bulletin from the day of Miss Berry’s funeral.
WORLD WAR II
Mama met Daddy when they were in school at Berry. World War II interrupted Daddy’s education because he served in the Army during the war. In December 1945 Mama and Daddy were married at Barnwell Chapel.
Mama’s brother, Pvt. Wade Griffin, was killed in a train wreck in France. That troop train was headed to the front. There were no survivors. She wrote about that too.
That is where Mama’s diary ends. December 1945.
I am telling my grandchildren all these delightful stories about Mama because I want them to know all about her. Named for Mama, Charlotte is my oldest granddaughter. It is she for whom I am saving Mama’s diary.