Paternal
Joseph Marshall, a.k.a., “Big Paw Paw”
Growing up, I’d heard stories about Big Paw Paw…about his stubbornness, about his meanness, but never anything else. Turns out he was the son of a Prussian father and a German-Texan mother, was born on Galveston Island, Texas, was a survivor of the Storm of 1900, and a veteran of World War I. He also had quite a few secrets he thought he took with him to the grave. His biographical sketch is coming soon…
Rettie Maye Martin, a.k.a., “Paw Paw”
My Paw Paw always had a game of checkers ready for she and I to play when I came to visit. I also loved to see what paintings she had in progress in her studio in the back of her house. She once took care of me for a week or so when I was about five years old when my Mom had to be hospitalized. In my eyes, she was an independent woman and artist who loved her children, friends, and her cats. She also loved Big Paw Paw…for better or worse. Her biographical sketch is coming soon…
Maternal
James Wesley Blacketer
While I was growing up and eavesdropping on my family members gossiping in the kitchen, secrets and rumors always surrounded any mention of my maternal grandfather, James Wesley Blacketer. Now that I’ve had a chance to discover more about him through documents, I can understand why. Here’s a brief biographical sketch of him.
Mary Alice Velda Truitt, a.k.a., “Gran”
I loved it when my Gran used to come and visit. She was feisty, loving, a great cook, and full of stories. I always loved watching her cook in our kitchen. I use some of her techniques and recipes to this day. She had quite a few obstacles and “life” happening, but I never guessed that growing up. Only with time and a little digging have I discovered how rough her life was. Gran’s biographical sketch is coming soon…