I picked up on one of Big Mama's Pictures..... yippeeeeeeee

Simply beautiful.... lovely... and much loved is Martha Belle

Here are pictures of two other dear ladies that I have adopted as my very own Big Mama (s)

Sister Mildred Fish (below) turned 99 years old on 5-15-2011

and here is also my adopted Big mama

What a delight.....

Misery Loves Company!

Tana said that she has a letter... that mama wrote on her old typewriter... with white-out paste-over errors...
It was a one page obit for Big Mama's funeral March 17-1971.  ....said hearing mama's voice and style was something else to envision...  

But the very content stunned me!...... Big Mama attended a Baptist Church (college background...??) and when she converted to COGIC.... her family disowned her... wanting nothing to do with that holiness message of early 1900! 

Well, she only had Lucinda - her mother with her during the time in AR that she met and married T.B. Sipuel.      

History repeated itself as I was raised Holiness... and married Lawrence and I have spent the rest of my days (my kids) in the Baptist church! 

more later.... that's another story!

Just to note the variation of hand stitched quilt......

(Picture take in Feb-2007)   . . .  sometimes the blue shirting is in the top of basket, other times in bottom....The base of the basket has different half square triangles in place....

May be selfish... but I wish I had a photo of mama

and Big Mama together. This is 1949 - midst of victory (and setbacks) for the Ada Sipuel vs State of Oklahoma for admission to the Univ of OK Law School. (always well-dressed! Right!) wishin I had that winter hat and fur!)

In a way of just not knowing enough about my Big Mama --- Tana and I had reflected back on mama's wedding picture --- that NONE of her family were there in Chicago June 19, 1948. Again, Big Mama was involved in lawsuit (my thoughts) This seemed a little uncaring for a mother's baby daughter...... I continued to ponder..wishin....

Then Lo & Behold! Again, I was searching thru the TBS suitcase w/Bruce. I found two very significant things -- that I should never have imagined that a mother's heart wouldn't be truly tied to her children!

One was a letter dated..... to Dr. A. Mallory in Lexingtons MS.....

The other was a dainty 4x5" printed wedding invitation via Mrs. T.B. Sipuel to the wedding of her daughter Helen Marie to Howard in Chicago IL. Although the suitcase belong to TB -- it was evident that Big Mama kept as a keepsake for things close to her life.

Also, the large cardboard photo of mama (Helen) was another momento that Big Mama held close to her heart.

Talked with mama at nursing home last week about Lemuel. Money was not abundant, nor ability to travel. Plus topping all of this off was the fact that Dad Sipuel died in Sept 1946... Leaving Big Mama as a widow.

I wonder what monies (no pension??? railroad??) might she have had. Did church support for Big mama end? Mama said that Lemuel finished Howard Law School in Wash DC, met Clara Kirksey and also married her then moved back to Chickasha, OK. sooooooo , this mean't that maybe there was NOT a family member at Lemuels' wedding either???

I contacted by phone - Clara Sipuel (deceased husband - Elijah) Webster in Lima, OH (age 88) a few days ago. Good visit, will drop her a card.

We questioned if this was Big Mama.....@ 61 yrs

Howard III didn't think so, nor did I when I found this photo in the TBS suitcase at Bruce Fisher's house a few days ago.

As I thumbed thru some other files, I did see this side by side with an obit - I think for Dad Sipuel -- as her photo.

He passed in 1946 @ age of 77 yrs and I guestimate her age @ 61!!

Born in 1885 (US Census 1900/Harrison & Kittie McGehee in AR)
Martha Bell Smith-Sipuel

Don't know where from...but

This picture has been around a long time. I'm not even savy enuf to know what kind of car it is... in order to date the picture. Big Mama looks happy.