LOUISE AND DAISY


They met back in the forties
On top of Givins Hill.
The town was north of Vicksburg
And was known as Waltersville.

They both were raising families
With babies on the way.
Louise was due in February
And was anxious for that day!

Louise had four children,
Daisy had just two,
But lost a son in forty-five;
In August she had been due.

Daisy and James felt sadness
Along with their two girls,
Losing that child in forty-five
Upset their entire world.

Faith, they had in Jesus
And they knew it was God's will.
Their tiny son would return to God
Because of Calvary's hill!

Time would pass by slowly
But soon the day would come:
On Valentine's Day of forty-six
Louise gave birth to a son.

Daisy had waited patiently
But when the day arrived,
Happy, she was, to see this child
Who was so much alive!

Losing a baby had broken her heart
But Daisy spent some time
With Louise and her newborn son
And soon she took a shine.

This tiny boy named Joseph
Was watched over day and night.
Louise and Daisy cared for him
And he was never out of sight.

Together, they worshipped God each week
A short way down the hill,
At a missionary bible Baptist church
In the town of Waltersville.

Close, they were, like sisters,
Their friendship grew each day.
On many Sundays after church
These families ate and played.

Their friendship never wavered
They helped in every way,
For each other's their doors were open
Twenty-four hours a day!

Daisy was called Ms. Henley,
Louise was Ms. Louise,
James was Mr. Henley
And all the kids were pleased.

Their lives were filled with hope and joy,
For Jesus there was love.
For him, they lived their life each day
And built their home above!

Life for them was a struggle,
Times were often tough.
Ups and downs, there were a few
But never did they give up.

One day the Henleys moved away
Not far from Givins Hill,
To the town of Kings on sixty-one.
They knew it was God's will.

No longer were they neighbors
But their friendship never swayed.
Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights
They worshipped God and prayed.

These families would often visit,
The Sabbath was their favorite day.
Together they prepared a Sunday meal
And for the food, James would pray!

Their close friendship would continue
But hard times seemed to stay.
God was always there for them
And just a prayer away!

Together they went to church each week
As the months and years went by,
On September ninth of fifty-one
They said their first goodbye.

Louise got married and moved away
A hundred miles to the south,
With a husband now and four more kids,
She moved to a sharecrop house.

Times got worse and life would change
For Louise and her kids!
The cotton rows and long hard days
Seemed like they had no end.

They saw each other over the years;
Their visits were just a few.
They were short on time, money was scarce
And there was so much work to do!

The kids grew up and moved away
Then sharecrop life got worse.
Visits to Vicksburg rarely came
And they rarely went to church.

Help got scarce when the kids left home,
Farm life came to an end.
Louise and her husband of sixteen years
Went to work in the chicken pens.

One day they moved to Vicksburg
But their life was out of control.
Their marriage crumbled and fell apart.
The years had taken their toll.

Separation came but Louise survived
And moved close to her only daughter.
A phone call came that changed everything:
It was her five kids' father!

Cecilia, his wife, had passed away
So he called Louise the next day,
Wanting her to take him back!
She didn't know what to say.

A big decision was facing her
And she prayed to God every day,
Wanting an answer to all her prayers
And to pick the right words to say.

A decision was made that she felt was right
To her lost love, it was "yes"!
Plans were made for her special day
And she picked out a wedding dress.

For her, an airline ticket was bought,
In Jackson she boarded a plane.
Frightened, she was, on her very first flight;
She had always traveled by train.

In La Puente, California vows were said
And again they were husband and wife,
After twenty-five years of being apart
They were beginning a brand new life.

To a beautiful home, she moved that day,
Furnished with everything nice,
Life for her had turned around
But it came at an awful price.

Louise enjoyed the material things
But her family and friends were gone.
She missed them now and was lonely,
Yearning for her Vicksburg home!

Steve, her husband, was a railroad man
With two years left to go.
They settled down in a faraway town
So the weeks and months went slow!

Their plan was to sell when Steve retired
Then Louise got a new lease on life.
Vicksburg would soon be home again
For this newlywed husband and wife.

Two years went by and retirement came.
Their beautiful home was sold.
Everything they owned was loaded in a truck.
They headed east on the open road!

Two thousand miles they would travel,
Four days, it would take to get home.
To the state she loved they soon arrived,
No longer was she feeling alone!

From her sister, a tiny white house was bought
Not far from where they first met.
In 1935 they were young and in love
But their future hadn't started yet.

In Vicksburg the news was soon received
And Daisy was thrilled to no end,
Happy that Louise was coming home
And so were her family and friends!

Daisy and James lived in Vicksburg
And sometimes they felt all alone.
Their kids had married and moved away
But her long lost friend was coming home.

The year was nineteen seventy-one
And it was springtime in Dixieland.
These friends hadn't seen each other for years
But their future was looking better again.

In nineteen thirty-five, Louise met Steve
And for 34 years life was rough.
After struggling alone and raising five kids
Her future was now looking up.

Forgiveness took place and life become new,
Love brought them back together.
Steve was a Christian and a child of God
And life couldn't get any better.

Louise and Daisy were together again
And their husbands would soon become friends.
Brothers, they were, in a masonic lodge
And their friendship would have no end.

Visits with each other were many,
The months and years went fast.
This newlywed couple grew closer each day
But their good times wouldn't last.

On February 13th, nineteen seventy-four
After being back together five years,
Steve passed away two miles from where they met
And Louise was shocked and in tears!

Uncle Tom Marshall preached his funeral
While family and friends paid respect.
Mr. Henley did the masonic rites.
For some there were many regrets.

Steve was buried in Vicksburg,
Next to Kennie, his oldest son.
A plot next to him was left for Louise
But she had many miles left to run.

Sad, she was for a long, long time
But God gave her strength to go on.
Daisy and James would remain by her side
And love from her family was shown.

Out west, for many years, she visited her kids,
In Denver, Salt Lake, and L.A.
On a greyhound bus she made many trips;
For years she traveled this way.

In 1993 at the age of 72,
Daisy went to heaven one day,
Outliving the years God promised her
Following his teachings all the way!

Mr. Henley was blessed with 92 years
But in 2003 he joined his wife.
They had lived out their lives for Jesus
And their reward was eternal life!

Louise moved to Utah in 1993
To live out the rest of her years.
But on August 20th of 1996
Her family gathered around her in tears.

In Layton, Utah a memorial was held,
To Jackson her body was flown,
No longer would she travel on a greyhound bus
And this time she wouldn't be alone.

By way of Atlanta on to Jackson,
From there she took her last ride.
In a long, black hearse, she traveled to Vicksburg
But her family would be by her side.

Her celebration of life was attended by many
On a hot and humid August day.
At her graveside service kind words were said
As everyone stood by and prayed!

A meeting in heaven took place that day
With all of her family and friends,
First she saw Jesus, then Kennie and Steve.
Her reunion would never ever end.

Life goes on when we leave this earth,
Heaven or hell is our choice.
Salvation is free for those who ask
'Cause Jesus paid it all on the cross!

In memory of my, mother, Louise Elizabeth Stephenson
And her best friend, Daisy Henley.

FAMILY FRIENDS


When we were all just little kids
And had no dad around,
A family who we knew from church
Lived in our small hometown.

Their names were James and Daisy,
With two daughters our age.
We all grew up and went to church
And spent some happy days!

Mr. Henley was a sawmill man
Like many way back then.
He worked long hours every day
But took time out for friends.

In church, he played the old upright,
In a quartet, he would sing.
Along with Grandpa Conrad,
To God, their voice would ring.

The songs were from our old hymn book
That sat behind the pews.
The congregation sang along
And help spread God's good news.

Aunt Aggie and my Uncle George
Were part of their quartet.
They all praised God with songs they sang;
Satan never did like that.

Dinner was often on the ground
And that meant all-day singing.
When everyone would sing along
We rocked that old church building!

Good times were spent by young and old,
Great memories, we all made.
The lost were saved in that old church
On many happy days!

Sometimes on Sundays after church,
Our families got together
And loaded up Mr. Henley's car
No matter what the weather.

I still look back but can't believe
His old car held us all
As seven young kids and three adults
Made plans to have a ball!

Mama helped with the cooking
And brought along some food.
Between our moms, they cooked a meal
That always tasted good.

Us kids would play till it was time for church
Then we'd wash and comb our hair,
'Cause it was time to end our play
And meet in church for prayer.

Those memories I will not forget
But it seems so long ago
When two young families were best of friends
And unashamed to let it show.

Great memories were made back in those days
But the years went by too fast.
One day Jesus took our parents home
But the friendship still would last.

We all were blessed throughout those years
And Jesus never passed us by
Someday we'll see each other again
In heaven where no one dies!

Mr. And Mrs. Henley and their daughters, Barbara and Judy, were our good friends and were neighbors until we moved away from Vicksburg in 1951. Over the years, we were very close and even though our dad wasn't around during those early years, he became very close friends with Mr. Henley after he and mom remarried in 1969. They were both masons and belonged to the same lodge in Vicksburg, and when dad passed away, Mr. Henley conducted the masonic part of the services. To me, it was so strange when Dad wasn't around for Mom and us kids, but Mr. and Mrs. Henley were always there to lend a helping hand and were always close to our family. Mom and Dad continued their friendship with Mr. and Mrs. Henley right up until they both passed away. I often wondered what kind of conversations went on between Dad and Mr. Henley after Mom and Dad were reunited in marriage. I guess it's not important but it made me feel good knowing that no hard feelings were ever shown between them. Dad always spoke very highly of the Henley family and always enjoyed visiting with them.

SHINING HEAD

Grandma Stephenson came to live with us in 1944. Her oldest son, James Lovell, was our dad; he had walked out on Mom and us five kids when we ranged in age between one week and nine years old.

Grandma arrived from Meridian, MS shortly after our youngest brother, Marshall, was born. She planned to take care of him and the rest of us while Mom worked.

We had few memories of our dad since he spent very little time with our family, always keeping busy instead with his friends or working on the railroad in Memphis.

Mom and her four oldest kids had lived in Memphis for a few years but the responsibility of raising a family without the help of a husband and father became too much for her, so we went to live with her parents in Vicksburg. This arrangement would last over two years before she could find a job and move out on her own.

During that time, Dad rarely came on visits and never stayed over two or three days when he did. There was never any financial support and on his last visit our youngest brother, Marshall, was just one week old. He never came back to visit us again.

On that visit, our family was living on Givens Hill in Waltersville and our house was one half of an old shotgun duplex three miles north of Vicksburg on Highway 61. Arrangements were made for Grandma Stephenson to move in and take care of us kids while Mom worked at Kress's department store in Vicksburg.

Grandma was a great storyteller and during those cold, rainy, winter months, we sat at her feet or on her lap and enjoyed her bedtime stories. There were many; some were about the Civil War but others were of her childhood while growing up in the late 1890s on a cotton farm in Lauderdale County, MS.

One of our favorite stories was the life of an Indian medicine man called Blue Feather. This story, along with many others, had been told to her by her Grandpa Gipson. From the beginning to the end the story took more than an hour to tell but never did we get tired of hearing it. My brother, Kennie, and I sat on the floor and the other three kids sat beside Grandma or on her lap trying hard not to miss a word. Here is the story.

It was 1854 in northeastern Mississippi. Many young Indian children often gathered on hot summer days and swam and played in a nearby river. Blue Feather had always been very happy but his life was about to undergo a drastic change.

Just before winter ended, fever broke out in the village and many older adults and small children died. This outbreak would last three months before everyone was well, but some of the effects lingered for weeks before going away.

At the age of eleven, Blue Feather had been very sick but he did recover after special care was given to him by the local medicine man. He lost both parents and this devastated him. The fever had left its mark on him and he became the butt of jokes when his long black hair began to fall out.

He was soon bald and many in his village laughed and made fun of him. This made him angry but also very sad.

His mother had named him Blue Feather after seeing a large blue jay feather lying on the ground shortly after he was born. It was tradition for mothers to name their children after the first thing they saw after giving birth. It was a great name and made him very proud.