Happier times

This photo was taken in the 70's I believe. It is of five of the Mather's family, From the left, Uncle Matt, Aunt Nell, Uncle Claude, Uncle Billy, and Aunt Utsie. Their order of birth is; Uncle Claude, Aunt Utsie, Uncle Matt, Uncle Billy, Aunt Nell. Missing is my Mama, Aunt Jean and Uncle Jim.

Uncle Matt Mathers

I've always loved Uncle Matt! He took me on my first coon hunt, my first turkey hunt and I have many happy memories of visiting with his family through the years, particularly when they lived on the farm in Moore's Valley Alabama. Uncle Matt is the last of the four Mathers boys who were my Mama's brothers. I also worked in his recapping shop in Butler Alabama in the summer of 1958, fifty years ago!

Uncle Matt's Honey

This is a jar of my Uncle Matt's honey! It's the best I have ever tasted! I love to cook with it. Uncle Matt is one of the hardest workers I have ever seen. He has always had the heart of a farmer. At times in his life he had to do other things, but always loved growing things. He is now well known around south west Alabama for his honey and grapes. He will be 91 in October of 2008.

This is the house my Daddy built.

Daddy built this house with his own hands. He selected every board and did all the wiring, plumbing, etc. He was very proud of it when he finished. It was to be the only home he ever owned. Strangers live in it now and to them it is just a house, but to our family it will always be Daddy house! This house sits on what was part of the Mather's farm.

The picture above is of Mama and Daddy's home when they lived there.

Mama undated photo

This is Mama in an undated photo, probably the 60's . The house looks like the one we lived in in Adel Georgia. Twenty years past the Mobile photo. Tempus fugit!

Memories

This is my Mama @ 1943-44, she was working in a shipyard in Mobile Alabama. She was 20 or 21 years old and had given birth to two children, one of which was I. I have memories of Mobile that are quite vivid after these 60 some odd years. The smell of the paper mill, the Bankhead tunnel, the trauma of nursery school, the graceful whisps of Spanish moss trailing down from the giant Live Oak trees. The smell of salt air and the excitement of riding the busses getting from one place to the next. Never underestimate the awareness of a two year old!

More of the Mather's family

Fast forward thirty or so years from the first photo of the old home place and you can see the ravages of time showing on the faces of my grandfather and his brother and stepsister. Claude Mathers is on the far right back and his brother , Gay Mathers is on his right. Aunt Jimmie is on the left front. The baby in the arms of his mother is nearly 80 years old today. (2008.) Grand maw (Bette Davidson Mathers is sitting in front, she died in 1935.