Grand Memories

Tommy Towery

LHS '64

    I saw a thing on Facebook earlier this week asking if anyone ever sipped their coffee from a saucer and I immediately thought of my great-grandfather. That is one of the few memories I have of him. I never knew either of my grandfathers; both died before I was born. One died in 1941 and the other in 1944, a few years before I was born in 1946. However, I do remember my great-grandfather. We were never close, probably because he had so many children, grandkids, and great-grandkids that he did not have much time with any of them individually I suppose. He still lived in Fayetteville and we were in Huntsville. He lived to be 81, dying in 1965, so I was 19 when he died, and I was living in Memphis by then. Drinking coffee from his saucer is one thing that stood out in my mind about him.

Thinking about that got me thinking about what I remember about my grandmothers. My maternal grandmother raised me for many years and was who I lived with until I graduated from Lee. I remember almost everything about her life as it interacted with mine. My paternal grandmother was a little more distant and not one who I saw daily. I started thinking about some of the highlights of my memories of her and came upon a few I will share.

She rented an upstairs apartment in a house on McCullough Avenue. The house was owned by the aunt of my first girlfriend and it was through her we met. Later on, as we got older, my grandmother would sit in her bedroom and read the Bible alone, giving up the living room to me and my girlfriend. I remember the apartment did not have a bathroom and when I spent the night with her I often had to make use of a “slop jar” late at night when I needed to go to the bathroom. I also remember her bedding was a feather bed that offered a warmth of sleep today’s mattresses could never match. I remember she did not always have a television, so my early visits with her were spent listening to a radio rather than watching TV. She never learned to drive or owned a car so she normally traveled by bus or car. Earlier in her life she lived out near Chase and I remember she took me on my first train ride from there one day. I don’t know where we went (not far) but it was the first time I rode a train.

Later she moved into a tall apartment building for senior citizens and did get a 19” black and white TV when she moved there. When I visited her there I slept on the sofa in the living room which was next to the kitchen. I was often awakened by her in the kitchen cooking the meal we would eat for dinner. I suppose it was her farm upbringing which influenced her to cook early and letting the meal basically sit out on the stove all day until the evening meal. I also remember her always cooking orange cakes and the top of the cake always being a little burnt – always. She also served it with ice cream and I never knew what flavor it was going to be. Sometimes it was chocolate, sometimes strawberry, and never did the flavor matter to her. Whatever flavor ice cream she had in the freezer seemed to go with orange cake, according to her taste.

She loved getting postcards and had an album in which she kept them. I always sent her one from every country I visited and when she passed away I found all of them still in her album.

The number one memory of her involves my birthday. I think until my 18th birthday I always got a birthday card from her and inside was a new one-dollar bill.

It makes me wonder what my grandkids will remember about me when I am gone. I think the top of their list will be my great collection of Lincoln Logs and Legos I amassed and would always get out and got in the floor and built things with them when they visited. I have about three tubs of each of them.

So what do you remember most about your grandparents and what will your grandkids remember the most about you? Use the form below to share with us.

I looking for a few of you to take me up on my question about the special memories you have of your grandparents. I know there has to be a few of you at least who have some memories that are unique.

Last Week's Questions, Answers, and Comments

Connie Tignor Harper, LHS ‘65, "Thank you for putting out this digital newsletter each week. Even though I don’t know many of the names, it’s enjoyable when you share all your memories of Lee."

Mary Ann Bond Wallace, LHS ‘64, "First, Tommy I can't tell you how much I appreciate your dedication and time producing a newsletter for the graduates of Lee High School.  Your posts bring back so many memories and thoughts of lost opportunities I should have taken advantage of.  I started at Lee Jr High in January my 7th grade year.  I have laughed many times when I tell people my class, 1964, was the top class for 4 years.  When I think about entering school at Lee Jr High my first memory was when the bell rang for the end of the day as students stepped out the doors many lit up a cigarette.  This was a shocker for me and my mother who was picking me up.  Then the next memory I think about is walking around the auditorium hall before the first bell two start school for the day in sets of 2, 3, or more and visiting with people standing around.  the next thought is wearing hose every day with white tennis shoes that we polished white.  Oh my, we never washed them but wore white socks with hose and tennis shoes.  I loved my time at Lee Jr High and Lee High School.  I entered Florence State College in Florence, Al the fall of 1964.  I was never known as a scholar, that is for sure.  I was able to hang on to above an average grade point average for the 4 years at FSC.  Upon graduation from FSC I married in the fall of 1968 to a local boy, Dickie (Richard) Wallace.  I began a job as a PE teacher at Appleby Middle School in the Florence School System that fall.  I remained at Appleby for3 years and then started teaching and coaching at JO Johnson High School, Huntsville, AL when my husband was hired by the State of Alabama as a Conservation Officer (Game Warden) in Limestone County.  I only lasted one year at JO Johnson, what an experience that year was.  I resigned at the end of the year because I was pregnant and at that time most people thought women should not work while pregnant.  We have come a long way from that thought process.  I stayed at home for 2 years, we returned to Florence when Dickie was transferred to Lauderdale County and I began teaching at Coffee High School.   I returned to the University of North AL (previously FSC) and completed a Master's Degree in Education. I remained at Coffee until 2000 when I retired with 30 years of teaching.  During that time at Johnson and Coffee I coached Volleyball, Gymnastics, and Cheerleaders.  I became a gymnastic judge with a state rating and later joined USGF (later became USAG) and continued to judge at the national level until 2021.  In 2000, I became Alabama State Judging Director until 2016 (retired from that position but continued to judge).  Judging took me to meets all over the US.  We had two children Lanie (1973) and Bass (1979) which are the center of our universe.  Each of them have two children, Colton (21), Anna Lane (13), Parker (11) and Olivia (6).  They keep us busy with activities.  

I am very proud to say I am a graduate of Lee High School and through the years and coaching I returned to Lee to coach against my old school.  Gives you a different sensation when entering and looking around at the changes that occurred during those years.  The coaches at Lee were gracious and showed me how things had changed.  I was heartbroken when Robert E Lee on his horse was removed from the gym wall.  Just wasn't the same when I entered the gym.

Thank you to the committees who worked on the last reunion.  It was great to see so many people I had not seen in 58 years.  I know you worked hard and I appreciate Bucky Hoffmeyer and Joe Barren for contacting me and encouraging me to attend this reunion.  I was at the first reunion and one other time but it has been years since I attended a reunion.

I hope everyone has a blessed New Year.

Danny Kinkle, HHS, "I feel like a member of Lee High because I grew up with all of you on McCullough Ave. Went to Rison but due to Realignment went to Huntsville Jr. High and Huntsville High.  My heart was always with all my friends at Lee. Tommy thanks for all the work you have done.  I have read all of your postings and books.  Thanks for keeping Lee High alive and old Huntsville.  Memories that last forever. Thank you. Danny Kinkle and the Kinkle Family

Dianne McClure, LHS ‘64, "Thank you for the many years you have kept us in touch with each other thru the weekly Traveller. I hope you and Sue have a safe and healthy new year."

 Charlie Freeman, LHS ‘66, "Thanks Tommy, for your devotion in keeping all of us informed on all LHS happenings for so many years! God Bless!"

Jim KIng, LHS ‘67, "It is really nice to get our Traveller and it is hugely appreciated... posting our friends who have passed on brings us an appreciation for those we knew and know and the value of each moment."

Joyce Reiling, LHS ‘66, "Tommy, thank you so much for keeping the Lee Traveller alive for these past 22 years!  I have looked forward to reading all about my classmates each Sunday/Monday and just wanted to thank you for keeping us in touch with one another.  Hope 2023 is blessed for both you and Sue."

Bob Pierce, LHS ‘64, "1,144 well done's Tommy, Happy New to All!"

Lee James, LHS ‘65, "My sister, Janet James Holland, is a regular reader and sometimes contributor. She asked me to make available an obituary for our mom, Kathleen G. James, who passed away on !2/12/2022. Here is the link to mom's obituary: 

https://files.constantcontact.com/1125ff2f301/2149a400-5806-4681-91d8-2e2e899fe9d3.pdf?rdr=true

Thank you! Lee James ('65) and Janet James Holland ('67)