This is a picture of my Great-Uncle and Great-Aunt. They have been dead for about 20 years now and lived to be pretty old. His name was Otis, always pronounced "OUGHT-iss", and his nickname was "Tater". He was a hard-core Pentacostal fundamentalist... one of those folks who wouldn't go to the doctor... he'd just trust God to heal him up. He broke his leg and didn't go to the doctor. He'd walk near a beehive and let bees sting him all over his body... praying the whole time... ended up scarred and limping but that was OK by him. He'd take his Bible and go down to the main drag in the college town, and he'd preach fire and brimstone right there on the sidewalk. It was amusing to most people, but not to me because he was related to me. Nobody can embarrass you like family. Otis was the brother of my grandfather, Arch, and they were from rural Mississippi. There were 10 siblings in my grandfather's family -- 9 boys and 1 girl.
His wife, Hester (who always went by the nickname "Hess"), was the first cousin of Arch's wife Cora (my grandmother, who went by her middle name, Lee) -- so Hess was related to me in two ways -- one of those hillbilly titles, Aunt-Cousin. Hess and Lee were from rural Oklahoma. Aunt Hess was also a fundamentalist Christian but not as whacked as her husband. She made really good pie.
7 comments:
She made really good pie.
And really, when it comes right down to it, and, you know, no one got really hurt, ain't that what's most important.
Mmmmmm... pie.... :)))
Good point about nobody getting hurt. Getting the bee stings was his choice. Crazy as hell, but no skin off me.
Aunt Hess was an excellent cook, unlike my grandma, whose cooking could be a little scary.
Wow, I just love posts like this. Thanks for sharing and it's good to know that others have strange people in their family tree.
I love these old family photos and the little stories that go with them. It makes me want to dig out my boxes of old family photos.
That is great. I suppose Hess and Tater don't look too much the worse for wear, although, if they did live a really long time, I would guess it was the pie.
Coming from an Austin hippie vegetarian cat loving treehugging liberal childfree blue-eyed atheist HOMOsexual, I loved this post. I've done a few of my own in a similar vein. "Meet the Grandparents" was one.. And they were from Mississippi.
Nice to meet you konagod!
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