Flowers I have known

There is Rose, our own ‘Roses are READ’.  It is easy to tell she is a sweet lady. My buddy Tuck’s LOVE is Rose.  The earliest flowers I knew were Violet and Pansy.  Their mama Mamie Hartness attended the last church dad pastored in 1954. Both these girls were absolutely lovely. Violet & Pansy are nearly in Sherry’s family. They actually share cousins, but are not related.

Violet grew up to marry Bobby Franklin. The Franklins have been close friends to my family for over 80 years. Beginning a few years before I discovered America and when dad’s family moved to North Carolina in the 1930’s.  We were blessed a few nights ago to have dinner with Bobby and Violet.  The occasion was when a shared first cousin was in town from Georgia.  Bobby even picked up our check.  I was surprised to learn that he also reads the Shipslog. (Thanks Bobby).

       

Life has a way of shocking us folk, even if we are paying attention. On Sept 22nd a few days after we had enjoyed dinner with Bobby and Violet we got the shocking call: Pansy had passed away!  I know I have mentioned this already, but it was so shocking, because I have it on my list to do a blog entry on “Two Flowers I have loved”. Remembering the only beautiful sisters I knew that shared names with beautiful flowers.

It was their Uncle Dale that suggested I ask Sherry for a date (the result of that suggestion is history).

At the cemetery Violet told of a visit to Dr. Albright as a child.  Mamie introduced Violet and Pansy. Their brother L.B. was there also, and the Doctor looked at him and said, “And you must be Snapdragon.”

I was going to tell how these two sisters are just as sweet as their name sakes.

Violet told Sherry, “Now I know how you felt when you lost Lennie (Sherry’s oldest sister).” She also said to Sherry, “At mama’s death I thought I would die. I could not quit crying. At the cemetery, Lennie came over to the car and said, ‘Violet you think you can not stand losing your mama, but time heals a lot of wounds.’  She was so right and I have never forgotten that.”

Pansy leaves a wonderful Guy, Eddie, her husband of 43 years. Two fine sons and their families.

Rest in Peace Pansy, and may you have fair winds and following seas as you cross the great divide.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

The hurt will dim with time, but the LOVE will be forever.

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some cars that arrived on the scene the year I first saw the little girl with long curly blonde hair, she was called PANSY, and was about 5 or 6 years old.