March 25, 2026, Daddy

 Daddy

Arleigh Edgar was born on March 26, 1914.  He was the first born to his parents, Anna  Mae and John Edgar.  His family lived in the farmland in a community named Parker.  His two younger sisters were born in the successive four years.  Sissy lived into her 90s.  Tommie Morine died less than 2 months after her birth.  Anna Mae passed within a week or Tommie's death.  The Spanish Flu took these two as well as Daddy's paternal grandparents and an uncle in law.  The deaths of the 5 family members within about a 10 day period had a dramatic influence on Daddy's remaining life.

Daddy's dad, Pawpaw to me, and Pawpaw's widowed sister helped each other raise their kids.  Pawpaw guided and trained Aunt Cordie's sons.  Aunt Cordie took Sissy under her wing.  Another of Pawpaw's sisters was left raising the youngest of the grandparents children as well as helping with my Dad and Aunt Sissy.  Basically the family 'circled the wagons' to care for each other.  I am sure that many families the suffered such losses did the same.

Aunt Cordie had 3 sons.  I remember frequent visits to their homes as I was growing up.  JT was killed in a train accident when I was a freshman in high school.  There were no signals at the crossing.  After his widow sued the train company the settlement was simply signals and a gate.  The Falcon car I drove to school was loaned to JT's family until they could attempt to get their life together again.  

Daddy was a cut-up, always making jokes or pranking someone.  He loved his wife of almost 70 years.  We four daughters were is delight and worry.  Daddy did not amass a fortune in physical wealth.  He was known as an honest businessman.  As one of our neighbors said once, "He knows everyone's appliances and where they hide the house keys."  If in the process of repairing washing machines, he would find change and other items.  He always left the money and other items on the machine after the repair.

Pawpaw did remarry a few years later.  That eventually led to Daddy's youngest sister, Billie.  Grandma's family had land in the Chambersville area.  At some point in time the family moved from Parker to the Farnsworth place in Chambersville.  Aunt Sissy met a young girl at the community school, Mary.  They became BFF.  And Mary became Daddy's wife in 1934.

Daddy died February 10, 2004, just weeks shy of his 90th birthday.  It snowed the morning of his funeral.  That was a rarity in Texas.  There were well over 200 folks that attended his funeral.  Daddy was not perfect.  He did the best he could and was respected for his efforts.  We all miss that hearty laugh.

Daddy and Momma at their 50th Anniversary Party.  Over 500 folks attended.

Thanks for stopping by,

Janice