I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race

That is from 2 Timothy 4:7 (link), Mema died January 16, 2007. She would have been 90 years old on February 19, 2007.
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She was buried Saturday, January 20, 2007, in the New Hope Baptist Church Cemetery (link) in Hineston, Louisiana. Her final resting place will be there with her family.
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Her migration story, coming to Louisiana from Mississippi is on the February 19, 2006, blog (link). She had some more stories, Mrs. Jim and I will compile and post them soon.
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Viola Tassin, Obituary

Viola Tassin
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Born: February 19, 1917
Died: January 16, 2007
Services:1:00 p.m., Saturday, January 20, 2007 in Bolton Chapel at Emmanuel Baptist Church, Alexandria.
Visitation:4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., Friday, January 19, 2007 at Hixson Brothers, Alexandria.
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Services for Viola B. Tassin will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, January 20, 2007 in the Bolton Chapel of Emmanuel Baptist Church with Dr. Lee Weems officiating.
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Burial will be in New Hope Cemetery, under the direction of Hixson Brothers, Alexandria.
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Pallbearers will be J. B. Shelley, Brian Dyer, Phillip Dyer, Justin Shelley, John Premeaux, and Nippy Blair.Mrs. Tassin, 89, of Alexandria died Tuesday, January 16, 2007 in Park Manor Skill Nursing, Conroe, Texas.
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She was a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church where she worked in the nursery for 62 years. During her working career she was a private sitter. Mrs. Tassin was a kind, giving person and a woman of unwavering faith.
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Preceded in death by her husbands, Eugene N. Pitre, Sr. and Louis J. Tassin; parents, Sam and Lillie Bounds Burnett; brothers, George Burnett, Marvin Burnett, Leroy Burnett; sisters, Vera B. Tucker, Lillie Mae Foret, Marvilee Terrell.
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Those left to cherish her memory include her son, Danny L. Tassin and wife, Winetta of Milan, Tennessee; daughters, Velma P. Dyer and her husband, Royce of Farmerville, LA; Arlene P. Hovendick and her husband, James of Montgomery, Texas; brother, Lonnie Burnett of Glenmora, LA; ten grandchildren and eight great grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews.
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Friends may call Friday at Hixson Brothers, Alexandria from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and Saturday at Emmanuel Baptist Church from 12:00 p.m. until service time.
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Memorials may be made to Emmanuel Baptist Church Preschool Nursery Fund, 430 Jackson Street, Alexandria, LA 71301.
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From on-line obituary, click here for Hixson Bothers.

"Be ye kind one to another"

Written for Sunday, January 21, 2007
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That's what Mema taught every nursery child in her care who was old enough to memorize. [She passed away January 16, 2007, read her obituary here.]
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Mema always said all her great-grandchildren were great. I'm sure these two had learned this verse. Mema generally would tell you this tale.

One time a little boy and girl in her nursery were fighting. Mema told them to remember Ephesians 4:32.

One replied, "We didn't forget it, we just aren't doing it."
Bible Family Religion and Philosophy Religion Children Humor Funny Life

Mema then said, "and further more, God doesn't live in places where people fight."

One child then came back, "Why doesn't God come live with us, it's a lot better than this [meaning the nursery]?"

Did Mema meet her match that time? Of course not, those kids knew and were reminded of their improper behavior.

There are two parts of following God's wishes: first one must know what God wants, the Bible tells us; then we must obey, 'just do it' as the Nike slogan says.

"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Ephesians 4:32 (King James Version)(link)

Ephesians 4:32 and Mema's 62 years of working were a focal point during the minister's message at her funeral yesterday.

A few links to Mema blogs [Technorati Search found 40 blogs, try these]
Family Reunion II - A Meeting of Five Cousins . . . [at New Hope Cemetery where she is buried]
Adi can [Mema thought Adi had worms]
(all) Good things have to come to an end [89th birthday]
One more Mema story [she almost had a sip of beer]
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith

Family Reunion II -- A Meeting of Five Cousins -- New Hope Baptist Church Homecoming

The five cousins

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Mema's first cousins are all in their 80s. One drives her Ford pickup (rather fast on those back Louisiana roads, I must say) everywhere.
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From left to right is Viola (Mema, Mrs. Jim's mother), Gracie (a cousin by marriage), Louvenia, Oma, and Ethel. All of them were born and grew up in Central Louisiana. They all still live there, except for Mema, who lives in Texas near us. All are widowed.
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We met at the New Hope Baptist Church in Elmer, Louisiana, for Homecoming 2006. Only Mema had been able to come to the family reunion the week before in North Louisiana, so this was a second reunion for them.
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Adi wonders if she will get to eat with us

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Mema, Mrs. Jim, Adi, and I drove over to Alexandria, Louisiana, Saturday morning. That is about a five hour drive. On the way we ate at the Boiling Pot in Sulfur [not Sulfer ], La. Things just weren't as good there as when we were there before. In fact, our food wasn't very warm at all.

We visited Mema's brother, Lonnie, on the way up. Mema and Lonnie are the only survivors of the eight children. We had a nice get-to-gether with him. Lonnie's health did not permit him to attend the reunion the week before. Mema gave him her doggie bag chicken and sausage gumbo left over from the boiling pot. It was a lot better hot, Mrs. Jim tasted it.

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After our nice visit with Lonnie we proceeded to Mema's home in Alexandria. On the way we stopped at the Woodman of the World camp to check it out a little for next year's reunion. Mrs. Jim didn't sign any contracts for it.

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Mema's home was doing fine, one neighbor was parking his van in the driveway and another was mowing her yard. The lady across the street came over and we had a nice visit with her. She has fine neighbors.

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We spent the night at the new Comfort Inn on West Bolton. It was really nice. We ate the included continental breakfast and went to Emanuel Baptist church. I got my coffee and headed to a men's Sunday school class.

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Then I heard Mema fussing in the hall. She said we would be late for the Homecoming at new hope if we stayed. We couldn't convince her it was only a half hour drive. So we left. Of course we got there a good hour before the church service (Homecoming service this time).

Adi was certain she was going to have to stay in the car while we all were enjoying things in the church

[This photographer is overpaid]

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Then I heard Mema fussing in the hall. She said we would be late for the Homecoming at new hope if we stayed. We couldn't convince her it was only a half hour drive. So we left. Of course we got there a good hour before the church service (Homecoming service this time).

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The service was good, the guest minister, Dr. Joe Kite, gave a fiery sermon. He is about a year older than me, both of us slightly younger than Methuselah. He had a keen sense of humor. Since he didn't know us, he looked our way a lot; sure he didn't want to miss an opportunity for a convert. The piano player played like church music should be played in a Louisiana country church. Her grandmother was a cousin of some sorts to the five cousins.

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They took up three offerings, the first was for cemetery maintence. That's part of what Homecoming is for, to raise money for the cemetery maintenance fund. Both Mema and Mrs. Jim contributed. The next offering was taken by the children. Most everyone's pocket change ended up in a bucket, earmarked for a mission project. I don't think there was much money left then for the regular offering, but they had it too.

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Following the service there was a pot luck dinner. Everything from beans to potato salad, mashed (cooked first) carrots to deviled eggs, and King Ranch chicken to barbecued brisket. None of the chocolate pie Mrs. Jim brought was left.

Mrs. Jim's grandparents are buried here

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When we finished eating a lot of us went over to the cemetery. All of the cousins went along with some of their kids, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. We drove over to where Mema's parents were buried. Mema was getting worn out, so she didn't get out of the car.

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Mrs. Jim's father is buried here

Her mother will be buried here beside him someday

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After visiting the graves we went to Gracies home. Gracie, Ethel and all of us visited for a couple of hours.

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Our trip home was uneventful. We didn't need the St. Christopher statue we haven't bought yet. No blowouts or anything. Mrs. Jim and I trade off driving, she drives mostly when I get sleepy.

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Our car enjoyed that $2.7x gasoline (premium). We missed the final fillup so had to do that for $3.01 in Conroe, Texas.

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And the ladies really enjoyed their day, even though it wasn't a planned reunion.

[family]

"I was born in 1917, in Poplarville, Mississippi. We came to Louisiana when I was four. We made our home at Camp 19 [near Elmer, Louisiana]. That was in an old logging camp."
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"We came by train. When we crossed the Mississippi River, there weren't any bridges at Baton Rouge. Each car was carried across on a barge and hooked up again on the other side. We stayed in the cars, on the barges."

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Mrs. Viola T is 'Mema' to us and her grandchildren.

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Today is her 89th birthday. She has one son, Danny, and is the mother of two daughters, Velma and Mrs. Jim. Mema also has seven grandchildren. Her kids and grandkids are scattered from West Texas to Alabama. Of course each is the brightest and smartest and has the best job of any in the country.

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More: "I had two husbands and buried them both. They both died of barbecued lungs. That killed them. I won't get married again because I can't afford to bury another man." . Mema now lives in Conroe, Texas, fairly close to Mrs. Jim. She moved here from Louisiana and has been here a couple of years now. She likes her apartment but often muses how nice it had been to live in a 'paid for house.'

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Her work was stay at home mother, church nursery worker for 62 years, and a caretaker for elderly or sick ladies. She also worked with the Cub Scouts for a while when her son, now 52, was a Scout.

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In her 89 years, her favs:

Vacation--a visit to the Holy Land in 1980

Food--McDonald's Double Cheeseburgers and Dr. Pepper

Dislikes--mushrooms, she knows where they are grown

Also dislikes--crawfish, they were Papa's fish bait

Thing to do--go to Sunday school, she doesn't miss

TV program--the news, then most anything, she doesn't watch ball games
Scripture verse--Ephesians 4:32, "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." She taught every child in the nursery that verse. And she showed them how to follow that rule.

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An observance made by her son-in-law: When she went to the Holy Land, she needed a passport. When her birth certificate came from Mississippi, her name was listed as 'Baby Girl B____.' It bothered her that her mother hadn't given her a name. An explanation that maybe her mother just didn't have enough time to get a name to the nurses worked a little. I know she still wonders.

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Birth certificates lacking names must be a common occurrence in Mississippi, as they were prepared for this situation. Mema just had to tell them she wanted to be called Viola. And Viola, she got a new birth certificate with a real name. . The Holy Land trip was Mema's first time to fly in an airplane. She watched and watched from her window all the luggage that was being loaded. She remarked that "this plane is going to be to heavy to fly." . Then too, the plane was full. She just knew that with the full plane and all that luggage we could not leave the ground. But we did.
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Yesterday we celebrated by going to Pancho's Mexican Buffet restaurant. That is her son's favorite place to eat when he comes here. They don't have Pancho's in Tennessee.
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Some of the wait staff at Pancho's

singing Happy Birthday to Mema
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Oh yes, Mema has never held a driver's license. She does have a 'back seat driver's license' given to her by the State of Louisiana to be used as an ID. Mema is good at her back seat driving while telling us her many, many, funny stories.