Letter from Rhodum L. Griggs to his sister Nannie Morrow; written from Gadsden, Al. on Dec. 08, 1940. Marshall County, Al.
Mrs. Nannie Morrow, Arab, Ala.
Dear Sister: Almost every Sunday or some time thru the week I have been accustomed to taking time off to either write a letter or a card to poor old feeble, helpless mother.
But now I have no mother to write to; and the dearest, truest and best friend we have on earth is gone. She stayed with us just as long as she could and loved every one of her kids better than she did her own life.
When I left up there Sunday P. M. Nov. 24th about fifteen minutes before 4 o’clock, I just didn’t realize that that would be the last time I would ever see ma alive on earth, and that I would be called back so soon to see her lying in her casket cold in death, and she couldn’t speak to me then. Her kind and loving heart had ceased to beat and she was gone.
She was always so glad to hear from me and all the others and it seemed to cheer her up and help her so much every time I would go in to see her. I will never forget that last Sunday morning when I got to Jessies I went with him up there after ma and it was such a dreary, lonely place, and we found poor old ma in the bed and she had been in the bed 3 days. But she got up by me and Jess helping her and as we were leading her out to the car about 2 hundred yards away, her left shoe come off of her foot 3 times and when I asked her what was the matter with it, she said they were wore out, and they were all she had. I asked her what number she wore and she said that was all right, that she would get her a pair. She said she felt weak but she stayed up all day.
Well Jess and Hatie have come in and are telling us about their car accident so I will close and write more later
Now I will write a few lines this Monday night. I couldn’t get a chance to talk with Jess much, he was in such a rage and stew over his little wreck. I can’t take up time to tell you all about it. I guess he will tell you about it.
I was not here when they left here this afternoon.
Now listen Nannie, here is something I want to call your attention to and have you think about. We had to call a minister of the Gospel to go out and get together a few singers to help him in the funeral service. And he did the best he could.
That took time and money to buy gas to run his car, and preachers have to eat and buy cloths and shoes just like the rest of us; and Christmas is almost here. Now let us do the right thing and show him that our hearts are in the right place by presenting him with at least a Five Dollar Bill right away, as a small token of our appreciation, I’ll give two and I feel sure Jess will give two and will you give the one and it wont hurt any of us and then we’ll all feel better.
It just wont do to shut our eyes and close our ears and prove that we are mean, stingy ingrates and tightwads.
Spiritually, preachers may and do live on heavenly manna but that does not sustain the physical body.
See Jess soon as you can and let me hear from you concerning this matter.
Here are 3 self addressed post cards Nannie that I had ready and intended to take along to the last Sunday I was up there to see her but I forgot them.
Well I must say goodnight. Write soon. Respectfully your brother Rhodum L. Griggs
P. S. It is Tuesday morning Dec. 10 and is now 9 o’clock. Robert just now called up asking how we are and said Pearl is out there. I asked him if he was going out there Sat. and he said no, he guessed not. Hope Pearl is not playing grass widow, ha ha. I just happened to be here making out a little order to send off and am going right now to mail it from Ala.City as I go on over to work on my little shack.
Old hen is hurrying me up to move out. Wish you could just ask Mrs. Syble Wright across the street here how hateful old hen talked to me the other day right before her here at the house and even mocked me. I’ll have a new address soon as I can.
Submitted by: Patricia (Griggs) Stricklin