FEBRUARY 13,1895

Mama Gooch's was born on February 14, 1895. That sounds like such a long time ago. She was the matriarch of our family. Everyone loved her. Very much. I think she was the nicest person, besides my brother, I have ever known. She had four children and they had children and we all lived very close to each other. After my father died my mother and I moved in with her and PawPaw. Everyone came to our house, it was the center of all the family activities. I grew up with all my cousins coming around. It was so much fun, until they got into my stuff. But this post is not about them. It is about Mama Gooch.

She told me that when I moved in with her that I would follow her around in the yard while she gardened. She said I was her shadow. I remember always wanting to go uptown with her when she shopped. She would call a cab, and we would head to the stores...I loved to go to W**lworths, JCP*nny, and the N*tional Store. So much fun...One time I had a cold and she decided I should stay home this time. I cried to go too. She finally agreed, but I had to rub V*ck's Salve under my nose. Of course I read this week that you should never do this. Anyway, I rubbed it in my nose and off we went.

I hope that her influence on my life made me a nicer person. I will never be her, but I hope I can be like her, when I grow up.

She lived to be 99 years old. She was right on the money until the last few months of her life. I wish I could interest you if all my stories of Mama Gooch, but, I will save that for later.

Happy Birthday Mama Gooch. I love you.....