Tribute Tuesday

Janette over at The Johanson Journey sponsors

Tribute Tuesday

each week but she seems to be a little discouraged due to lack of participation.  I think it's a wonderful idea and I look forward to joining in each week!

 Join in too, if you please!

Since it's my first week, and Mother's Day just passed, of course I'm going to send out a tribute to my mama, Harriet Hodges Davis.

Mama was born Feb. 9, 1918, to Cornelia and Frank Evans.  She was their middle child.  Her brother DeWitt was older, and her sister Anne was younger.  At age 8, she moved to Jacksonville, FL, to live with her aunt and uncle and was later adopted by them (long story as to why this came about....maybe I'll get into it in another entry...)

Anyway, after finishing high school in Florida, Mama moved to Columbia and worked for the WPA since it was war time.  She lived at "Hope Autry's Boarding House for Exclusive Young Ladies," and started dating my daddy, Lawrence Davis, who was in the army and stationed at Fort Jackson.  They were married on October 3, 1941, in Columbia. 

Together mama and daddy had five children:  Larry, Chandler, Frank, John, and me, Jo, the youngest.

In December of 1965, my daddy died, and mama was left with five children, ranging in age from 22 to 4 (me).  She was 47.

My mama worked hard to take care of us.  She raised us the best she could and, in my opinion, did a good job.  All five of us had a wonderful role model of strength, independence, and determination in her.  Times were hard on occasion, but we never lacked.  We children all had what we needed, but maybe not all we wanted, but that was OK.  We had each other and a loving, caring mama to teach us right from wrong, respect, generosity, and the importance of family and our heritage.

My mama died in March of 1998 at the age of 80. 

Truly, there will never be another soul like hers.  She was one of a kind, and I miss her terribly.  I really wish that my children had memories of her because she loved them so much.  She will always live on in my heart and mind and in my sweet reminiscing.

I love you Mama...