My First Birthday

 1957

These pictures were taken in Thalia, Texas, where Mimi and Pappy lived. 
Mimi made this cake for me. 

Mimi (Ava Ella Jones) is holding me.

My First Birthday

 1957

Mimi, my grandmother Ava Ella Jones, made elaborate cakes for the grandchildren. I am pictured here sitting on her lap in Thalia, Texas. 

Mother, Carolita Jones Quillin, is holding the cake for the picture.

This picture was exposed when it was taken out of the camera. It is a picture of my mother looking with delight at the special cake that Mimi made.

I come from a humble background. Though we didn't have much as I grew up, we didn't want for anything. Mother always said that about her life growing up in the depression, too. Daddy had an 8th grade education, which wasn't unusual. He was a self-made man, becoming a community leader with a good woman backing him. Mother graduated and went to nursing school during the war. I was raised in a Christian environment with a 'solid-as-a-rock' foundation. I never doubted that both Mother and Daddy loved me with agape love. It was important that I learn all the social norms which became ingrained in me. It's a philosophy and a sense of well-being that stays with you for a lifetime. I grew up living near extended family, which is what is missing today. I knew all of my grandparents very well and knew half of my great-grandparents. Through them, I learned love and respect for family. I had many cousins in the area, and they were my first playmates. THESE things are irreplaceable and create a quality environment for any child. I am grateful and thankful for my family. I carry it much deeper than most.

I Can Sleep Anywhere

 

Letter from Lessie Irena "Trena" McNair

 I love this letter on many levels. It is written from someone who connects me to 4 generations back in family history. It is HAND written, and it is about my great-grandfather. 

Ova sent me a copy of this letter that was written by Lessie Trena. Lessie Trena was one of Papa's younger sisters. She was born in 1888. In this letter, Lessie Trena tells Ova a story about when Papa (Charles Franklin McNair) was a baby and how he was saved by eating bacon. It seems that after the doctor gave up on Papa, an old traveling man came and spent the night with their mom and dad (Mack McNair and Sarah (Henderson) McNair). 

Lessie Trena mentions that fact that Sarah has asthma which confirms what Mother told me about her. Lessie also mentions her brother Alfred Minlus McNair and her sister Thelma Iowa McNair. 

Mama and Papa were the masters at using natural remedies. This letter reveals that it was passed down to them. It was just what people had to do back then. I remember a home remedy that Papa swore by. Papa said that if you have a sore throat to drink grape juice. When I was little, of course I had sore throats. I would always drink grape juice and it would take the soreness away. 

Correspondence with Mother and Ova

 MAY 1991

Tribute to Ova McNair Kerr

 As I began my search for my McNair ancestors, my grandmother's sister, Ova, was a great help. It was interesting to visit with her. She was so kind and pleasant. The women of the McNair family all had gentle spirits. I loved her from afar. Ova passed away in 2006, and I am grateful to have known her.

Ova McNair Kerr

Christmas 2003 & 2004

After Ova died, I received a letter from her daughter, Cindy.

Pictured above: Martin Frank Jones, Ova Kerr, Ron & Cindy Vick (Ova's daughter).

Ova had moved to South Carolina to live near her daughter, Cindy. They buried Ova in Stillwater, Oklahoma next to her husband Paul Kerr.

Ella McNair's Possessions

 These are in the possession of my cousin, Pamela Jackson Torbet.