Anne in the Nursing Home– by Louise

Azle Manor had a problem with fire ants when they first moved their territory, this far north. The ants figured out- that the residents 'squirreled away' goodies in their drawers. They sneaked in at the windows and made a nest around any food or candy.

Lou Sherman was a wonderful activity director. Mama saw her writing down names and she got the idea that it was helping her; for Mama to go to every activity. She took pictures and Mamas' were so good--that she made her a little business of photographing residents.

Mama thought the activity directors were wasteful. She watched and later she 'got the good things' out of their waste basket. Those good women learned to not throw anything away--when Mama was near enough to see them.

We moved to Granbury and I went back to Azle every Friday.

The administrator of that Azle nursing home fired Lou Sherman because the people liked her more than they did him- I thought. Mama called me to come and get her, and I went and moved her to Granbury Care Center. The things in her room' it was all I could cram in our car.

She became a favorite there too, so many good people. One activity director even dreamed up 'Centurion Day' when she was 100. Mama said that she wouldn't report any body-- for less than murder. That is my rule now; 'Don't report anyone for less than murder'.

The nurses learned that, and Mama said that some of them abused it too.

Once she picked a scrap of paper off the floor. I said, "Kick that under the bed, they will sweep it up, you might fall." She smiled and said, "If I kick it under the bed it will make it harder for me to pick it up." I very seldom missed a day, going up there. I did refuse to go twice a day.

Mama was very proud when they put a colored woman, to be her roommate. It proved to her and everybody that she was not pregidous.

Thel was there a lot, in musical things where he played the guitar or mandolin. At one of the church programs, Mama told the preacher that, "I have the best son-in-law of any body up here."

Ida and I sailed on the wonderful four day cruise, off Florida. We got it cut rate through the bank in Azle. Thel had enough sailing during WW2, and Stanley didn't want to take time off work.

Thel went to see her every day. She told him that they forgot to wake her up to eat dinner, and she was hungry. He asked those who ate at her table, they said that she ate. He went anyway and bought her a hamburger, that's what she said that she wanted. When I come back, I found it carefully wrapped away, in the back of one of her drawers.

Stanley come to see Mama a lot. I did not like to 'play God' with Mama. There were so many decisions. Whatever I asked him, he always agreed too, he always backed me. He has always been very smart and kind and generous; with everyone else too. Such a good brother, I have always been proud of him. We set at our kitchen table and divided the property. And he still 'has my back' and I feel so safe. I am very proud of Jackie’s work, I have learned a lot from her. I thank her for the good food, she brought so much. Thel loved her homemade strawberry ice cream --that she made for him.

Anne Minerva Gill Knight, as she had her higher birthdays,

reporters put her picture in the paper. She was always so pretty and friendly.

They wanted a story to go with her picture; then I started writing them down.

'Them old tales,' as Ludie called them, I always wanted to hear more of them.