In Memory 

(Email comments or photos to Carla Terry (cdt1945@gmail.com) for posting below.)

Revised08/11/23

Sweet Memory

There’s a long, long winding road

That never wearies me,

A road I often travel when

Old friends I wish to see;

That road is called “Sweet Memory”

So old but ever new.

And, I oft in fancy wander there

To laugh and talk with you.

Submitted by Bob Bradley

Our first story - contributed by Sally Bradley.

Frances, my diminutive friend.  She wasn't very big in size, but once you got to know her, her personality and wit were enormous.  That lady turned me on to colorful socks.  That is actually an understatement, she caused me to become addicted, the wilder the better.  She had the best collection of colorful and unusually  printed socks I ever saw. The next time we met and I pulled up my pants leg to show her my newest outlandish socks, she reached out and hugged me and said, "Now that's what I'm talking about!"

At one of the campouts, for the first Sunday night dinner (which we usually have snacks, etc.), we had decided that everyone should bring a pot of soup.  It was glorious.  I don't remember what kind she brought, but we discussed her recipe and she pulled out a stack of cards with probably 20 or 30 different recipes for soup on them. That was before we traveled with a copy machine or I would have begged for them to take back to the RV and copy.

Frances had the cutest smile and laugh and when she did either, her eyes became little slits.  When she got really tickled, she would bend over and could really let out a loud laugh for someone that tiny.

She did that laugh when I told her the following story:  Frances and Charlie  had moved their RV to  "The Villages", a time share just down the road from us and when they let us know they were now living at Lake Palestine, we visited with them several times and they did us.  One day, I was grocery shopping in our local Brookshire's store and saw Charlie up ahead of me in the produce department. I slipped up behind him, put both arms around his waist, laid my head against his back and, how shall I describe this...........in my family, we call it wooling someone.  You hug them, you shake them, and, you don't let go and believe me they know they have been wooled.  Then he turned around to face me.  Oh Lordy, it wasn't Charlie, it was a man I never saw before in my life.  I stumbled all over myself trying to explain and he just laughed.  Frances got the biggest kick out of that story and reminded me of it each time we were together.

I hope this causes someone else in our close group to write down their memories of Frances Williams.  She was a real sweetheart and I won't ever forget her.

Story #2 submitted by Sally Bradley May 23, 2017

She came bringing me these two little flower window sitters many years ago.  They still sit in my kitchen window above the sink and have withstood many a fall with out breaking.

She also gave me this Jesus sign.  Now for those who do and do not have this sign,you "have to stand just right to see Jesus."  I always think of that when trying to bring the letters into my vision, Sally, you're not doing it right today.  Makes me straighten up and fly right.

At our campouts, usually anxious for my biscuit and gravy for breakfast, I barely wash my face before going to the rally room to eat.  But not Opal!  We never saw her until her hair was fixed, her make up on and she had put on her long dangling earrings, always matching her outfit for the day. Never jeans and a floppy old tee.  We watched in amazement at the amount of sugar she would put in her glass, half sugar, half tea.  An open Dr. Pepper wasn't usually far from her hands.

Opal loved to shop.  I don't think I ever knew anyone who loved it any more than she did.  Hours and hours, up and down the aisles of dollar stores and just when I thought she must be as tired as i was, she would stop at just one more store. I felt like kissing the ground when I was finally let out back at camp.  After that, I found myself rather busy, nursing tired legs and feet. Too tired to go out again.

I enjoyed Opal's cooking.  She made excellent chicken salad sandwiches and corn on the cob just to name a couple.  Once she made popcorn balls.  Kenny Dodd and I made eating fools out of our selves over them.  "Are you going to eat another one?"  Ok, well, I will too.  But just one more.  "How many can you hold? I'll have just one more.  "There's only a few left."  "I'll have another one if you will too."  The two of us ate them all, we unashamedly ate them all.

I think about Opal almost every day what with my window sitting flowers and Jesus sign in my kitchen. I miss her when our camping group is together.  She was one of a kind and I am not likely to ever know another like her. Rest in peace, Opal, my friend.

Story #3 submitted by Sally Bradley 09/01/18 

I am writing this from Creede, Colorado from the Mountain View at the River's Edge RV Park, a favorite of Ray and Melba Russell. They loved this place and the mere mention of the name brings back wonderful memories for Ray about the time spent up here in this beautiful mountain area with his beloved Melba.

Although our son and Melba's daughter were classmates in De Soto, for many years,  I never knew her or met her until they began to camp with our group.

I loved her crinkley curled hair, her laughing eyes and how they would light up when Ray would walk into the rally room. She always had sweet things to say about him and their lives together, especially when they lived in a loft in Waxahachie.

I remember one particular camp out in Boerne when Joy and Rod Vike were wagon masters. They set up a game for us all to play.  The ladies were instructed to remove their socks and shoes and  were placed behind a curtain with only their toes showing under the curtain to their husbands on the other side. When Melba took off her shoes, I pointed at her feet and told everyone . , "No fair, she has on a TOE RING!  You know her husband will identify those feet!"  She laughed so hard she could hardly catch her breath.  "Not necessarily," she said, but he did call her name and pointed to her feet.

Life is so short and uncertain so if you firemen ever wonder why it takes us girls so long to say goodby to each other after a campout........all the hugs and kisses, going from rig to rig, laughing to keep the tears from starting, that is because that may be the last time we see each other on this earth. I believe it was the last time I saw Melba and I miss her.

Story #4 submitted by Sally Bradley 04/03/20

"I'm not mad, I'm not sick and I'm not upset with anyone, but it is time for me to give up this job and let someone else take it", Carolyn told us at the kitchen meeting. She said it was time and we never argued with Carolyn. After a few stunned minutes and us all looking at each other, Kenny Campbell said, "I'll do it," and the torch was passed.   

Carolyn always kept us up to date on the welfare of the members who were no longer able to travel with us, but who we considered great friends. She made notes. She made notes about most everything. She recommended a book for me, "The Backroads of Texas." I bought it and when i looked at her book, she had posted at each town she had traveled to, where she and Richard parked their RV, where they went out to eat, what they ordered, the price and if she would give them a thumbs up or not. It was a wonderful book, she would say if the parking pads were long enough, ease of getting set up, everything you needed to know about that RV park.

Carolyn was so talented. She played hymns for us on her keyboard, beautiful music. She always had a baby blanket, or a gift for someone in her hands she was tatting or doing crochet. Most of the girls would be playing a card game, I would be reading a cook book and Carolyn would have her needle work.

She knew the names of all our children, what they did for a living, where they lived, what was new in their lives and she enjoyed hearing about their accomplishments. Next time we were together, she would ask how certain problems were solved and what came next. She did not forget to ask how they were doing and shared our happiness and concerns.

Rockport, Tx. one of the saddest days of our traveling together. I was outside the rig when I saw Kenny running down toward the office and he hollered, "They are doing CPR on Carolyn." My first reaction was WHAT? He repeated, "They are doing CPR on Carolyn!" and continued running down the hill. I got Bobby and we ran to the Coleman's rig. Disbelief that this was happening. Claude, Gary, Bobby and others

tried to revive her and could not. We all followed the ambulance to the hospital where we got the official word. She had passed away. Not Carolyn, not someone who had held that tiny hummingbird in the cup of her hands just a few hours before and smiled as it flew away. Not Carolyn who the night before had walked down across the highway to an outside pier to enjoy the warm night. Not Carolyn, who just a few hours before was so alive and herself.

At her funeral there was a beautiful quilt across the casket instead of flowers. Carolyn's work. All of us were there. We all tried to comfort each other, knowing that the presence of Carolyn would be in our hearts forever. I loved that lady and I'm not likely to forget her, ever.

Story #5  by Joy Vike

Today on Facebook, I saw a recipe for Carmel corn. I immediately thought of Opal Perry.   She would make her popcorn balls in the clubhouse at our rv rallies. They were always a big hit!  

She taught me how to make them along with some others. I haven’t made them in a long time, but I’m going to soon. I’ll always remember her when I make them.

She was one of the sweetest ladies you could ever meet and a wonderful cook!  Oh how she loved her sweets!

Story #6 by Sally Bradley

Carolyn Coleman told me about this.

She said, "I had some extra time and so decided to go to the hospital and see how Bill Malone was doing.  When I went inside his room, he was alone. After visiting for awhile I asked, 'Where is Flo?'"

He said, "I told her: Flo you have been here for days and it is time you got out of here for awhile and had some fun.  I want you to go to Tractor Supply and spend the entire afternoon.  Look at everything and maybe buy yourself something.  Now go on, go on  to our favorite store!"

She said, " I had to bite my lip so hard to keep from breaking out laughing that struck me as so funny.  The very idea, Tractor Supply!  And then she said, "You know what?  I had an opportunity to go to Tractor Supply not too long ago and I tell you what, they have a nice selection of so many things.  I really enjoyed myself in there!" 

Story #7 by Sally Bradley

This story was at one of the campouts - I am thinking it was at Gladewater RV park.  Bobby and I had not been living at the lake for very many years and he was talking to a group of guys sitting around the table.

Bobby said, "Thinking I need to buy me a tractor.  I could just go up and down the road and ask people, 'Y'all need any tractor work done?' I am not sure I could make very much money doing that though, most everyone in East Texas has their own tractor. 

 He kept this up for the longest time until I piped up and said, "You do not need a tractor!  If you had one, you would want to park it in our front yard."

When the laughter died down, B.D. McCarley said, " I got 11 in my front yard!"  Bobby and I still laugh about that conversation!