Both were pretty nifty people.
To us she was Grandma Sallye.
Her real name Ila Verne "Sallye" Franks.
She was quite the lady let me tell you. One of the coolest people I have ever known.
Born in 1914, she grew up playing the piano, and continued to do so her entire life; later teaching her kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids including myself.
Growing up in Emerson, graduating high school, she then attended what is now Southern Arkansas University studying music if I remember right.
Fun Fact: in those days it was majorly against the rules for girls to ride in cars with boys at the university.
Well guess who got caught?
Bingo.
The punishment? Suspension.
Yep, Sallye was a bonified rebel.
Yep, Sallye was a bonified rebel.
Not really.
Growing up with Grandma Sallye, the tradition was soup and pie on Saturdays along with soft peppermints from the candy jar, and Heaven help you if you didn't eat all the veggies in your bowl. Picky eaters weren't tolerated whatsoever. How do you think I learned to stomach green beans or onions? Nonetheless vegetables of that nature at all.
Growing up with Grandma Sallye, the tradition was soup and pie on Saturdays along with soft peppermints from the candy jar, and Heaven help you if you didn't eat all the veggies in your bowl. Picky eaters weren't tolerated whatsoever. How do you think I learned to stomach green beans or onions? Nonetheless vegetables of that nature at all.
*anything of the bean family or with a tomatoey relation- I'm out.
Grandma Sallye was the accomplished musician. Among other wonderful qualities she was kind hearted, loved sports of all kinds from football to horse racing, opinionated and vocal about said opinions, and my favorite- bold and strong-willed.
The stories could go on for days, but we can save some for later.
Next.
We called her Grandma Johnson.
Johnson being her last name. Juanita her first. Nancy her nickname.
Born in 1907, she lived to be 97 years old.
Needless to say, she lived to experience and see it all.
The normal routine for visiting Grandma Johnson was to go through the carport door, enter the laundry area and on to the kitchen where she greeted us with old fashioned stick candy. That was the trademark of her hospitality. The kind that came in atleast 50 flavors and wrapped in tight plastic that you could never get all the way off and ended up eating half the time.
After you got to pick out your candy, you could sit and visit.
She also had a little black poodle named Annie and a sweet woman we know as Willie B that sat with her in her old age.
I can remember loving Willie B as my "Black Grandma" as she called herself for years and years and years.
She always sent us kids birthday cards as if we were her own and everything always signing them "Love, your Black Grandma."
Honestly, in my opinion- the more grandmas the more better. Who could argue with more love and affection.
We called her Grandma Johnson.
Johnson being her last name. Juanita her first. Nancy her nickname.
Born in 1907, she lived to be 97 years old.
Needless to say, she lived to experience and see it all.
The normal routine for visiting Grandma Johnson was to go through the carport door, enter the laundry area and on to the kitchen where she greeted us with old fashioned stick candy. That was the trademark of her hospitality. The kind that came in atleast 50 flavors and wrapped in tight plastic that you could never get all the way off and ended up eating half the time.
After you got to pick out your candy, you could sit and visit.
She also had a little black poodle named Annie and a sweet woman we know as Willie B that sat with her in her old age.
I can remember loving Willie B as my "Black Grandma" as she called herself for years and years and years.
She always sent us kids birthday cards as if we were her own and everything always signing them "Love, your Black Grandma."
Honestly, in my opinion- the more grandmas the more better. Who could argue with more love and affection.
Grandma Johnson passed away when I was in the 5th grade. She lived a long luxurious life and left my cousin and I some pretty wonderful things such as our engagement rings. When we each became of age and had a serious man in our lives, our Memaw gave us each a matching diamond from a ring that Grandma Johnson had made for herself atleast 30 years ago. The ring had 2 identical diamonds on each end with swirls of baguettes inbetween. We each got to use a stone I thought I would merely dream about for our own engagement rings, and it's something we'll each treasure forever.
On another note, Grandma Johnson was a woman after my own heart. The bigger, gaudier, glitterier, sparklier, shinier... The better. Absolutely. And again, the stories could go on and on, but we'll save some for later.
I love that we'll get to tell Piper the elaborate stories about her great-greats and other family members and I also love that Piper will get to grow up knowing and loving her own great-grandparents as I did and we'll be able to tell her all about her others.
After all, she has some of the best great-grandparents in my opinion, but I am a little partial.
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