Happy Birthday Mom!

My mom, "Johnnye Merle Durham Moore" would have been 83 years old today! She's been gone now about 4-1/2 years. Died a few days after Riley was born. Pissed me off at first, you know, your first grandbaby is born and then your mom dies, dandy! I quickly realized though that she hung on long enough just to know her first grandchild made it into the world safe and sound!
She was born in Lubbock, Texas to my grandparents, Hobson and Madge Durham. They sadly died before I was born. Never got a chance to know them. My mom and her family eventually moved to Temple, Texas where she went to school and grew up. I always remember the stories she told me about the Depression and what it was like in Texas. She lost her dad at 15 years old. He drank a bit too much, and sadly committed suicide. Her and her mom were very close, as you can see above in the picture. Not too much longer after my mom's dad died, her mom passed away from cancer. And truth me told, I don't think she ever got over that her entire life. She rarely would talk to me or my sister about it. She eventually met my knuckle headed dad, and for him I know it was love at first sight. Actually, after my mom died, he died less than six months later. He couldn't go on without her. She was his purpose in life! That's me with my folks and a couple of years later my sister was born. My mom was always quiet, didn't talk much, read a lot. I made her insane, I know that. I never, ever stopped talking! After Bryce was born, my mom told me if I had anymore kids she was moving back to Texas. I drove my mom crazy as a kid, so you can only imagine what three grandkids, all born not too far from each other, did to her! Just like the stories she told to me about growing up in Texas, she told my kids the same stories. Brande was able to stop in Temple a few years back. Happen to run into a local historian at the library. He told her the address of her grandma's house, and the restaurant where her great-grandma use to work. My mom's been gone a bit over four years now. Before she passed away, poor health and dementia had set in. So, it's nice to remember today, and the happier times of her life and her stories of her Texas roots. Funny thing how I'm blogging out here in So Cal, yet I have become friends with so many bloggers in Texas. Sometimes things "really" do happen for a reason! Happy Birthday Mom, we all love you!!

My Grandpa Hobson

The guy on the right,that was my Grandpa. I never got to meet though, he took his own life after my Grandma (my mom's mom) had died from cancer. My mom never talked much about her folks, I think it was too painful for her. She was barely 17 when her dad died. What I've tried to put together from the past has been difficult. I find pictures of her family in Texas, but most of them are blank on the back, unlike my dad who documented everything. I did know that my Grandpa drove and oil truck in Texas and mom was brought up in Temple. The one thing I have noticed in all the photos I've found of my Grandpa, he loved animals, as you see him sitting there with his dog. The few pictures I find of him, there were usually dogs with him or cattle. The biggest regret I have is not pushing my mom to tell me more about her family before she passed away a couple of years ago. I guess it was just too painful for her to talk about. Piece by piece I'm beginning to put some of it together so my own kids and grandkids will know their roots as well, and also know why we all have so many damn pets!! We can thank Grandpa Hobson Durham for that one!


FAVORITE FAMILY FOTO FRIDAY
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My Texas Roots

That's a school picture of my mom who born and raised in Temple, Texas. Her name was Johnnye Merle Durham, and even though she came out to CA with my dad in the 1950's, she was always a true Texan at heart. Here are some random old pictures I have of my mom that I just wanted to share! Here's another picture of my mom in elementary school. I never saw these pictures until after she had passed away. I found them in an old album. This is a picture of my mom, with her mom, my grandmother. Her name was Madge Dulane Durham, and I have the same middle name Dulane as my grandmother did. This is another picture of my grandmother. I never met her as she died of cancer when my mom was fifteen years old. This is a picture of my mom as a sassy young woman! This is a picture of my grandfather, Hobson Durham, that I also never got to meet. About a year or so after my grandmother died, my grandfather committed suicide. I think losing his wife was just too much for him to beare.He use to drive an oil truck outside of Temple, Texas.That's my mom sitting on the top of the truck, and my grandpa is right below! Going through all the sadness my mom did at such an early age I think prevented her from sharing many of her Texas memories with me or my sister and not knowing much about her days in Texas. And as I said, it wasn't until after she died that I found many old photos that were just awesome. My biggest regret is that my mom didn't live long enough to see the first black President of the United States elected. Her and my dad would be so very proud of President Obama. The one thing I learned from my folks was that people are people, it's about what's inside of you that makes them the person they are! It's never, ever about the color of their skin. My mom was a die-hard Texan democrat who I know is happy now with the new leadership of our country today! Wish she was here to share in the joy!

Friday's Favorite Family Foto

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