Jeanette
Ruth ROBERTS-TINDELL My awesome Mama..... .......was born in the small town, Ducktown, Polk Co., TN in 1918. She was raised until she was about 12 in Blue Ridge, GA where her grandfather owned and operated the Old Fannin Hotel, also known as the Central Hotel. She attended Fannin County Elementary School. She has lived the rest of her life in Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida until 2003 when she moved to Life Care Center of the Copper Basin, in Ducktown, TN. She has come full circle with her life returning to the beautiful mountains that she loved. Her parents were: Her grandparents were:
Her great-grandparents were:
I have had the wonderful honor of knowing a truly remarkable woman...My Mother. Although her family was well-educated and 'privileged' for their time, the Great Depression brought hardship. By 1930, her mother had re-married to Oscar Hankinson CRAWFORD, Sr. who worked for the railroad which was headquartered in Jacksonville, FL. So, they left the beautiful mountains of North Georgia and headed to Jacksonville. Mama attended Riverside Park Elementary in Jacksonville. She wore cardboard in her shoes and had to work part-time just to finish High School. She graduated from Andrew Jackson High School, Jacksonville, FL in 1937 a year ahead of schedule. She read every book she could get her hands on.
While still a bride, WWII started. Papa volunteered into the Merchant Marines and was sent to St. Petersburg, FL for training. He had his "Liberty" ships shot out from under him several times in the North Atlantic and saw his shipmates die a horrible death. Papa lost his closest brother, Houston TINDELL, at Normandy on D-Day and never got over that loss. Sadly, it wasn't until Spring 1990 that all the men who served & gave their lives in the Merchant Marines during WWII were given veteran status by our Government. He died in June of 1990 from congestive heart failure only a three months shy of their 50th wedding anniversary. Mama and Papa, as a Master Electrician, bought out Griffin Electric Co. in the early 1950's and sold it in 1958 to United Electric. Mama helped him by keeping the books, washing & hanging light fixtures while Papa's trucks and electricians wired most of Southside and Arlington areas of Jacksonville. When I was only a year old, Mama's mother, Medley, died of cancer. Afterwards, her step-father, Oscar, left Jacksonville to return to Blue Ridge, GA and died in 1966. Papa was a hard worker and obtained his Real Estate Broker's license in 1958. He began building then selling homes. When FL started requiring homebuilders to have a general contractor's license, Papa went to City Hall to apply. Instead, they just handed him one. Thru the years, he owned a lot of property in Duval Co. and in the late 1960's acquired a large tract on Emerson Street. He built over the next 20 years an office complex which he owned and operated until his death in 1990. Mama was a devoted mother. She was Brownie Troop Co-Leader, Girl Scout Troop Leader, homeroom mother, cotillion organizer...you name it. She was always there when I came home from school despite her involvement in numerous community organizations. As a young girl, she sewed me beautiful dresses, without a pattern. Grandmother was also an excellent seamstress. Mama also had artistic talent and won numerous blue ribbons for her paintings and photographs. In the mid-1950's, Mama was diagnosed with breast cancer. Papa was running ragged with his new business yet would go to feed Mama 3 times a day. She was sure she was going to die since her mother had passed away about 2 years earlier also of cancer. They sneaked me into her room and when she saw me she cried..."I can't die!! Who would raise my child?". I was only 4 years old; but I remember it all. Mama was one of the lucky ones who survived--the doctors said because she had a strong will to live, the love and devotion of her family, and she sought treatment early. God blessed me by not taking Mama away, so that I could be raised by this fine, Southern lady. Since the 1940's she was an active member of Southside Woman's Club and was on the Board for most of those years. She served as it's President 3 times. The photo above was taken in 1969 when she was President the first time. Everyone finally talked her into it when I left for college. I can't begin to describe the numerous accomplishments that Southside Woman's Club achieved with Mama at it's helm. Papa also donated a lot of hours overseeing the building's maintenance and renovations during these years. Mama was well respected and had many life-long friends from her association with Southside Woman's Club. She was active for many years in the Hollyhocks, a part of the Garden Club of Jacksonville, and she served as it's President several times. She was also volunteer at the Wolfson Children's Hospital at Baptist Medical Center and their fund-raiser, Mother Hubbard's Cupboard. She would also volunteer to talk with other women at the local hospitals that were suffering from breast cancer. Mama and Papa were active members of Southside United Methodist Church. She dearly loved the arts, children, and Miniature Pinschers. She was always very creative and innovative with any project she took on and saw each one to it's conclusion. Unfortunately and sadly, Mama began showing signs of memory loss in the late 1980's. The doctors told me in 1991 that she had already lost a section of her brain that affects judgment, reasoning and emotion...and that it was progressive. She was exhibiting all the typical symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease. Our lives were turned upside down. The mother I had always known and loved: kind, unselfish, giving, thoughtful, loving, etc. was now gone. I had also lost my best friend. Since Mama could no longer do research on her family that she so enjoyed, I took that ball and ran with it. It is one way that I have kept my sanity thru this 14-year long living nightmare of caring for her and watching her fade away. Doing genealogy research on her family was a way that I could still feel close to her, and show her how much I care. I will probably never write a book about our family history. Instead, I've been putting everything I know and learn on my web site that will help more folks at no cost. I don't want this chain for love for family history to end with me. Mama's speaking ability was gone by summer 1999. But, when she saw me, her crystal blue eyes would light up--she'd have huge smile-- and would say 'Love". Only 2 months earlier, she could still say "I love you". How could I know, it would be the last time I'd ever hear my Mother says those loving words? Jeanette Ruth Roberts Tindell has touched many people's lives. She gladly gave countless hours of herself to help others. She made a home for me and my father that was full of love, support and respect. She was smart and a natural-born leader with many talents. She could have been anything she wanted to be, but chose to be My Mother.....for which I am eternally grateful. She is truly a beautiful human being that I am very proud to call "Mama".
To Mama with all my love,
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Content © Copyright 2000 - 2003 by Carol Ann
"Cat" Tindell, Jacksonville Beach, FL All Rights Reserved. |
