Thursday, February 19, 1959
Mary Frances Piercy Nichols’ Diary – Section 6 – Appearing in the Press-Scimitar was the notice of the death of Miss Margaret (Maggie) Foster, 87 years – passed away Feb 18, 1959 at Methodist Hospital at 7 pm sister of Mrs. A. R. Tuggle at Caperville, Tenn., Services 1pm at National Funeral Home, 1pm Feb 20 Inerment in Elmwood Cemetery.
I know many remember “Miss Maggie” Foster. For me, I can think of her, being one of the most important people in my life. Miss. Maggie was principal of Tip Top school a pioneer school of the Whitehaven vicinity, it was really on top of a hill with trees all around and some ditches and a good place for sleds on ice in winter. So, really I was 7 years old and Bill, my brother, was 6 in Jan when we first started, making the year 1901. I would be 8 the following May. We lived about 2 miles from school and had a muddy road to go no other white children close enough for me to go before Bill, but Grandma taught me from almost babyhood, so I was ready for 3rd grade when I entered school. Our first day we stopped by Charley McPeak’s house and went to school with Cassie and Edd. Miss Annie Hodgens was my first teacher and Miss Foster prinicipal. I’ll tell you
Friday, February 20, 1959
some more about Cassie and Edd. They lived about 1 mile from us. They later moved to this section of country. I remember one very funny thing about Edd. Mamma and I went up to see the McPeaks before they moved, all of a sudden we could hear a lot of bells, it was Edd with bells around his neck. His mother inquired, Edd Lee, that’s what she called him, what are you doing with all those bells around your neck? Oh! he said, Mamma, now you know, you said you couldn’t keep up with me so I thought I’d fix it so you could. Edd and his family now live at Brighton. Margaret Faulkner is his daughter. Cassie is Mrs. White Horn and lives near Covington. They have another sister Mammie Hanks, Wayne’s mother.
Now, back to Miss. Foster and very first great love for her. Back in those days when we had spelling at class every day, then when you reached head, you would go foot and try to come back head again. So it’s me. I just must not miss one word and I didn’t till one day, Miss Elizabeth Messick, Shelby County Supt. of schools and for whom a school in Memphis is named
Saturday, February 21, 1959
visited our school and as fate would have it, she offered to hear our spelling class. I was 4 or 5 down from top so every ???? the word from the top and Miss Messick looked like she was 10 ft tall, she was tall and stately, but as a child, I was frightened because she was there and I too, missed the word, that I knew well. Miss Annie always send before school closed all who are perfect, raise your hand. I couldn’t, but I remember, I put my head down on my desk and wept. I don’t even remember going home, but when I returned to school the next morning, I saw I had a head mark and I told Miss Annie, I wasn’t supposed to have a head mark. She said, “yes, you are”. Miss Foster said she knew you knew that word and to give you a head mark. I did know the word and for Mrs. Foster to know, I knew it to gave me something that lived with me through the years. She believed and trusted me. Then the many times I heard her read the Scripture of the Bible, 13th Chapter, 21st Corinthians, which is my favorite chapter for it was she taught me what the whole chapter summed up meant one thing, now abides faith, hope and love but the greatest of these is love.
Sunday, February 22, 1959
Later on, after I got in high school Miss. Foster was my teacher again. She later taught Frances, Elbert Jr., Walter and maybe Richard at Ford N Taylor School, now known as Anne Hill, near Forrest Hill Cemetery. Bless her heart and may I sometime again (?) from her. She was a real friend with lots of understanding and love in her heart, the kind of a teacher every boy and girl needs to guide them in their early years.
Today, Feb 22, Marilyn Anne Nichols, daughter of Elbert and Ladye Frances is 12 yrs old.
Rev. J. A. Hassell moved to the ??? street parsonage when I was quite young. He and his family meant a lot to my life. His oldest daughter, Avis, was one of my best friends through my life. She always meant a lot to me. She was and is always a trusted friend. She is Mrs. Elen Meeks and lives with one of her 3 daughters, Mary Elizabeth Meek in Memphis. Mamma and I remember well, decided to visit the parsonage and spend the day. We had a wonderful visit and after the noon meal Aude Hassell, my age, asked his sister, Avis, if she would like for us to go to see molasses made from
Monday, February 23, 1959
sorghum made, so we said yes and we went, not knowing what a joke he would play on us two – when we got there, we saw a mule hitched to a shaft and he went round and round, that was grinding the sorghum of course to make the molasses. Several men were working, one was a widower with about 9 children. He came to our church where Bro Hassell preached. Aude without us even suspecting what he was up to went over, where the widower was driving the mule round and round and told him his sister and that other girl would love for him to come over to the buggy. We were sitting in and talk to us. So he timidly came over and stood by the buggy where we was ??? and sat and he grinned and he gummed and said “howdy”. Well, he didn’t know us. We said “howdy” back and Avis nudged me with her elbow and she had a way of biting her lip, when she was about to get tickled, so our faces got red and then redder.
Tuesday, February 24, 1959
We then laughed and we laughed, he watched us and his face got reddened too, but now we were just about screaming with laughter, they thought of Aude telling that man, with all those children, we would like for him to talk to us. Guess he decided we didn’t want him to stay, he said guess they need me back over by the mule. We laughed till we couldn’t, then when Aude came back to take us home, we were really about ready to beat him up. He really got a bang out of it and could hardly wait to tell his family and Mamma, how we entertained that widower who brought his nine children to church on Sunday, Bro. Hassell really enjoyed the joke and threatened to tell the boys of us flirting with the widower, don’t remember what ever became of him. Guess Avis and I looked for greener pastures. But we had some happy days at school and church, Miss Nellie Tilghman was our friend. She was a few years older. She married a Hudgens, who was a widower
Wednesday, February 25, 1959
with several children. Avis married too at the parsonage by her father , Rev. J. A. Hassell. She married Eber Meek.
Williford Blond, Albert Peek, Calvin and Wm Ferguson, Dewitt and Armour Lamar also George Choate were in our school. Avis had a sister Blanch, Elizabeth and Mary Hassell in school also. We truly had wonderful, good and peaceful living in those days. Girls behaved themselves and boys respected them, for we were taught at home and it was followed up at the school. The Bible was opened every morning at school and the teacher read the scripture. We had songs like “America”, “At the Cross” and always the Lord’s prayer. Life is a short lived one here on earth and the way we live on, after this life, depends completely on how we live it here. You can fool people but you sure can’t fool God, He knows your very thoughts.
Thursday, February 26, 1959
You see for each one of use who lives time catches up with you and where you were strong of body and mind, you grow weak and then the final curtain. No matter, who you are, it is the same, God doesn’t choose so as time goes on some leave and some are born – born – a wonderful word – born into the holiness of God, so that you cleans your mind of evil thinking, end words and evil deeds. When we are born into God’s spirit, He alone can cleanse our lives For we can’t be born into His spirit until we repent, unless we turn loose of all things evil no it place is the purifying of our ??? souls reborn compose and direct our lines completely. God is and God is always, there if we live in Him in this life. We’ll live on forever and forever in the great here after of the place Christ promised He’ll be prepared for us. Let us live on in God’s spirit, that he
Friday, February 27, 1959
can again be united with those whom we leave behind and those who have traveled on to that great and wondrous place where there is no sorrow, no parting, but filled with purity, goodness and love and peace sweet peace the gift of God’s love, for God’s love is life, it’s all that is and all that can ever be – how I would, that every person knew God and had this great comfort the wonderful consolation of His care, His love, this goodness and He will ever be near of your want to give us all this and most of all, life eternal.
Remember thy Creator in the days thy youth:
Know the Lord is my Shepherd and I want need to fear anything with Him as my Shepherd. His word shall stand and He won’t change. He is sure and true forevermore.
