Mary Virginia Cloud Jan. 31, 1917-Oct. 18th 1997

Thanks for stopping by. It's taken me years to get to the point where I could do this...so please bear with me. :o)

How do I describe an Earthbound angel? Every person that ever met my beloved "Momma" adored her. Even total strangers warmed to her sweet smile...and she had a smile for everyone she met. Being an "Old South" family, she was never called "Mother", for that was way too formal and cold sounding. To her grandchildren she was "Grammy"...well into their adulthood, she was still "Grammy" because they loved her so. As did we all.

Momma was born into the worst conditions a child could be subjected to. Her father was murdered by a robber when she was barely two years old, and my grandmother was in bad health, and could not work. There were five children to feed and Momma could vividly remember going hungry often. She was a small child when this country was going through some of the toughest economical times it had ever experienced...and there was no federal aid, welfare, food stamps...nothing. Back in those days the poor had NO rights. A classic example of this was when Momma was given a puppy by a neighbor. She knew she couldn't bring it home because how could they afford to feed it? While she was outside (pondering her dilemma), between her shack and the neighbors place...a policeman stopped to talk to her. Now Momma was all of about six years old, and no match for the redneck mentality she was about to learn about. The cop demanded to see the dog's license. Of course Momma had no papers of any kind on that little mutt puppy she adored. When the cop deduced the dog was unlicensed he promptly shoved my Momma aside and shot the puppy dead right in front of her without even a "Sorry Kid", and left her sobbing there to go about his other duties.

Momma would never have approved me revealing these things, but I felt it necessary to make folks understand how extrordinary it was that she had the softest, warmest heart you'd ever meet. She met my Daddy when she was a young teen, and they saved up and got married in 1934 on a whopping $15.00...and on that same fortune they started a business that would last 65 years. Just before their golden wedding anniversary came, my father (who had never been ill and was very active) dropped dead of a massive heart attack in my arms. I am so grateful I was there for both of them.

An explanation of the above montage of photos (starting at upper left): Momma kicking her shoes off and relaxing after a very hectic holiday// "Her Girls" as she called us-(I'm on the left, my sister Florence, Momma, and my niece Audra) Momma is the teenie lil thing in the center *grin*// Momma with "Heidi" her Doberman (can you tell Heidi adored Momma too? :) // The Clouds at my getaway place in Georgia (my sister, My husband Danny, Momma, my brother Gene, Me, and my son Gavin)// Sweet Momma (I wish you could see her beautiful hair that reached to her waist)// Momma with my son Gavin at a family wedding (yes, he's been in a wheelchair since he was 18..courtesy of a drunk driver). Gavin and Momma had a special bond. He called his Grammy every single day.

She may have only stood five feet tall, but in all our eyes she will always be bigger than life. I know she is somewhere wading behind my Daddy along the Mangroves, carrying the bucket for the fish he's about to nab in his trusty castnet.

And if you don't know what a castnet is...it's a net that is hand thrown over the water, and the lead weights that are woven around it's bottom edges sink it down over the fish. (the trick is to get good enough to throw that sucker so it will open wideeee) *grin*



This photo montage was made back when I was in college (I'm a graphic designer). The large fish you see on the right was a record back then. It's a "Jewfish" (Deep Sea Bass), and weighed in at 545 pounds. My father got it free diving (no air tanks), and using a speargun. It was hoisted up by a tow truck driver so our local paper could take this photo. Please don't misunderstand the photo of my father with the guns...he was clowning around out in the woods and playing "outlaw". Yes, that's him swinging on the vine in the same woods...Momma married a real character. *grin* And the shark on the other side of the montage being held by my brother was let loose unharmed...it's another "clowning around" type photo. (the blood on the shark was from a hook that wasn't intended for him..my brother jumped in and got him free)

Thanks so much for stopping by. I'll leave you with my Momma's favorite quote: "When life gives you lemons...make lemonade!"





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