Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Remembering RM Greeson











    My oldest cousin died this morning. Robert Moses, but he was always called RM Greeson. He was 82 years old. I remember calling him to ask about the family. I thought he would remember more than me. He gave me all kind of information and I wrote it down. I might not have all of it but the most is added to my family tree. I remember calling him one time to ask about his dad and siblings. Well he told me I better get a pensil and write it down because there were 13 children. It took me forever to get all the names entered on my tree. Since he was the oldest grandchild, he remembered Ma Jones and Pa Jones better than most. About going fishing with Ma Jones and learing how to bait a hook. Bet you didn't know that you had to spit on the worm after it was on the hook. Don't know if the fish went after the worm or the spit. Or going to the cemetery with her and putting flowers on all the ancestors graves at Mizpah Methodist Church on the Kingston Rd. He knew all her (Ma Jones) sisters and brothers and who they married which was a big help to me. All I knew were first names. And Pa Jones's brother and sisters and where they lived and who they married. I was surprised to learn that most of them had lived in Bartow County before moving to Floyd. Sometimes they just moved across the road and were in another county. But most of all I remember visiting just above Adairsville where aunt Aline lived close to the railroad track and meeting RM's wife, Barbara. I fell in love with her because I could sit in her lap. Her name was Barbara Sue and that is what she was called being from the South. A couple of years age, I saw her at Walmart and introduced her to my husband. She corrected me when I said her name, and said she was just Barbara now. "I am getting to old to be called by a double name." RM was in service at this time. It was about 1951 and I was 7 years old. It was just off of Taylor Bridge Rd. I don't live far from that area now. They didn't have any children at that time and Barbara loved children so I was in heaven by sitting in her lap. He told me that just after he married, my dad came to see them in Calhoun. He took them to the Georgia Power Co. where he worked and bought them a stove. Barbara said they used it for years, even after they moved in their new house just off Peters St. 108 Azelia Drive- they lived there for years.
     As I attended his funeral today, I listened to the eulogy and could remember many things about him. He was a man of his word and never met a stranger. When you met him, you were his friend for life. Whether you were close or far apart for a while, he would just pick up where he lift off and continue with the friendship. And he was a family man. Loved his immediate family and all the rest. His sister, Joanne, had a dinner for them around their birthdays every year. RM'S was February 28th, Mitchell's was March 1st and Ovaline's was March 12th so they would meet at Joanne's house usually for lunch. I saw many pictures of this happy occasion on the video at the funeral home. The songs at the service were "In The Garden" and "The Anchor Holds." But when they started "Go Rest High On That Mountain," I couldn't stop the tears. The last time I called him to tell him my grandson died, he asked me if I wanted to talk to Barb'. I told him no, I could talk to him. He proceeded to tell me, "That's good cause she's cutting grass and I didn't want to go get her. If she stopped, she wouldn't get started again today." Later he came to the funeral home just before the funeral and talked with me about an hour. I asked how he was doing? He told me pretty good, I will be here till the Old Master get ready for me and that happened on May 15, 2011.





        This picture was on June 5, 2010 in Cedartown, GA for the Jones reunion 






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