Mary F. Nichols’ Diary start from bottom of 10 Apr 1959 – Guess, the only way I can ever write this book will be to write as I feel and think, for there are so many things to think of, to do, and then all chores that come daily, too, there are the unexpected things…
The weather stays cold and rain is needed. We get a small amount
Saturday, April 11, 1959
and it stays cloudy, but its been like that just about all winter.
Well, Nancy, I’ve done a lot of things since I stopped here, the time is August 17, 1959, here I am coming back to vacant space to try to tell you somethings to remember. The summer has just about gone. There has been lots of rain and not very much warm and dry days. As I have arthritis, I always welcome good weather nice and warm and dry. I really like hot weather, the kind most people do not like. Your dad is looking at the fights on TV and I don’t like fights so I am not looking. We ate some ice cream, haven’t seen or heard from anyone today. There is a lot of sadness in life. I know when the children grew up after having them
Sunday, April 12, 1959
home, for 43 years we had children in our home, we understood each other and had deep love for one another – years come and when we really need someone to comfort you by understanding, very seldom do others understand, young children marry and have more different ideas, most of our children and the ones they married have certainly been good to your dad and I too. I want them to love each other and respect one another, for they are all brothers and sisters material things of life, should never cause any one to feel big possessing material things. You are made better then others, neither by education for education would help you find true balance and weigh then need of good life, trust that God is first in all things.
Monday, April 13, 1959
When I was a child, I had some cousins, my father’s nieces, visit in our home, for several months – Cousin Effie and Elisie. Effie was too good to teach school, too good to do any manual work, if she did have to press a dress, she put gloves on her hands.
She had been well educated, her mother was Papa’s sister Lillie and her father, a professor. He was a writer, and could speak Latin, better than I can English, but Effie, made me realize, I wanted to be the kind of person, my mother was – she was good, always shared and helped others, regardless of who they were —
I would that all my children could be like that
Tuesday, April 14, 1959
some have married good people who help them to favor God better and I do pray for those who haven’t married people like that, I love all my children and their mates, and their children so, it is with great compassion and love, I say that, for I want that all be saved and in the end of life go into everlasting life in God’s house. I never do anything for spite or through meanness. I offer advice for the sake of your lives and souls —
Well, here I am again, I say again as seems, I’ve just been mixed up and life has been a struggle, as a nurse, I say its mostly because I am not well. Blood pressure up – lots of pain here and there and a headache too because I guess of high blood pressure, so please forgive me if I seem out of line a lot of times, for when one is well and normal, then they act normally —
Wednesday, April 15, 1959
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Thursday, April 16, 1959
Walter, my brother, came to see us, was driven from Soldier and Sailor’s House in Quincy, Ill. He is not well so weak and nervous, and so much underweight too. Walter is neat in person, keeps his things in order and clean. We always enjoy having him visit us. Its getting time for strawberries to ripen, we have a nice patch west of the house. Walter was with us last year when berries were being picked, it always gives me the consolation of having the feeling of nearness of Papa and Mamma, when Walter comes. They always loved him so much, he was the youngest, Bill came on Sunday with his family to see us so it was a happy reunion, we three and of course our families
Friday, April 17, 1959
[Date was marked thru and written was Sunday, Feb 10 -63]
Today is Walter’s birthday. He is 43. Dorothy went back to Baptist Hospital Friday. She underwent back surgery about 4 weeks ago, then she was dizzy and your dad took her temperature it was 104. She returned to hospital and Dr. R. E. Semmes, who operated, thinks its her kidneys. Bryan has a sore throat and Steve stayed with him. Margaret was here so, she and Steve took her back to hospital.
We were looking for two of your dad’s first cousins, Miss Mary Nichols of Little Rock, Ark. and her sister, Mrs. Louise Summers of Jackson, Miss. who has a son at Campbell’s Clinic who has been in a car wreck. Louise has an apt. at Parkview Hotel. They brought Rev. E. M. Sharp of Memphis, who is getting the back ground of their forefathers and other relatives. We liked them very much. Last Sunday, Mrs. Cecil Belle died after giving
Saturday, April 18, 1959
birth to her 10th child, Annie May and Cecil are our friends and it was so sad to us and all the town for she was loved and had worked so hard. It was all very sad, the baby is still in hospital, it wasn’t right. Cecil has every thing under control.
Mrs. Gross went to VA hospital and found Mr. Gross had pneumonia so she went back to Memphis and went to stay till he is better. Poor fellow, he has sure been sick a long time. Margaret and Tom went back to Nashville, yesterday. Tom worked 3 days in Memphis. Lady Frances is still on bed rest. She has been for 8 weeks.
Mr. Gross never came back home but passed away Feb 1963 at Kennedy VA Hospital in Memphis, TN.
Sunday, April 19, 1959 to Friday, April 24, 1959
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Saturday, April 25, 1959
67 years ago today – My father, Wm T. Piercy married my mother, Alice Elizabeth Dodson, in Memphis, Tenn. – so, I believe this will be the day to try to tell or begin to tell you about when I first knew your dad. I was a student nurse at John Gaston Hospital in Memphis. I was 19, when I first saw him. He would come to see other girls at the nurses home and I was going with other young men. He was 23 years of age. He was blond, with bluish grey eyes and wore nice looking clothes, was tidy and well groomed – being lively and life to him was fun. As I now recall, was just about his pattern for life as you know from your childhood till now. So when we first met, it was just a meeting of two young people. To be young, what a wonderful state – no matter who tells you – what a wonderful thing it is to be young, you just don’t really hear, until youth fades and years creep up and they are in the past.
