Person:Velma Kendrick (1)

We called her "Mom". She was raised in Claiborne Parish, La.Her mother died suddenly a month after her 46th birthday. Mom was 14 years old. She lived with her father and three older brothers and went to Union Grove Church which was also her school. At the age of 17 she eloped with a man named George Reynolds and her father came after her and brought her home. The marriage was annulled. She lived at home until she met William Earl Sears, Sr. and married him. She went to nursing school. They had one son, my father, William Earl Sears, Jr. Her husband died in 1934 when my father was 9 years old. Mom was my favorite Grandmother. She made me laugh. I loved her very much. Most Christmases she was at our house but if not we would go up to Texarkana , Tx to see her. Bill and I spent two weeks, separately, in the summer visiting her and her last husband, Myron Shellman. We always looked forward to going up there. She was a great cook. Breakfast always consisted of soft boiled eggs. Two or three times a week right after breakfast the milkman would come right into the house and put her milk, butter, etc. into her refrigerator. She loved to eat wiennies cold right out of the refrigerator and I inherited that because I do too. Mom had dark skin and beautiful gray/white hair. When she hung her clothes and sheets out to dry she became darker. She never owned a dryer. Her sheets always smelled of fresh air and they were ironed by a someone.

1. ↑ Velma Kendrick Sears, Grandmother.
2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 Jerry Gallagher, Research.