INEZ [MOTHER]

The young lady in the above picture is Barbara Ellen Hooper Roberts

From left to right is J.L, Inez, Julia, Elizabeth, Fred -1986

On the back row in this picture is R.C., J.L., Fred, Walter and in the front row is Elizabeth, Inez, Minnie and Julia. The time of this picture is 1966

In this picture is Fred, Julia, Ocie, Elizabeth, Joe, Inez, J.L. The time is 1938

This is Pappa Hooper with Elizabeth. I bet he never thought his picture would on this blog.

What about that car? Look close, is that Bonnie and Clyde in the background? No, it's just some good folks having fun. That's Inez sitting to the far right next to Elizabeth and some other friends.

Don't you wish you had a hat like one of these. That's Elizabeth on the left and Inez is third from left.

Relaxing on a summer day is Minnie with her daughter Inez

Inez, my Mother, was the baby of her family. She was born after some of her older brothers had left home already. Of course, back then young people left home as soon as they were able to work. Being the youngest, she was spoiled by all her family. Minnie was 44 yrs. old when she was born. There was Ocie, J.L., Joe, Beatrice, Fred, Julia, Elizabeth and then Inez. Ocie ran a grocery store and was married to Lizzie. They had 2 kids..Robert and Modine.

J.L. married Ludie and had 3 kids..James[ who we all called Sonny], Elizabeth [who we all called Sister] and Robert Gary.

Joe was married to Irene and had 2 kids..Billy Joe and Barbara Ellen.

Joe later married Mozelle and had.. Paul Glenn, Eddie, Ruby, Dwight, Danny and Donna Kay.

Beatrice died in her early married life.

Fred married Gussie and had Donald Perry.

Julia [Aunt JU-JU] was married to Walter Essary. She had no children but raised his kids..June and Johnny.

Elizabeth [ Aunt Gee] was married to R.C. Landrum..no kids.

By the way you can blame my brother Jerry for the Aunts' nicknames. It seems that he could not pronounce Julia nor Lee[as Elizabeth was always called].

Mother and Elizabeth were very close. Aunt Gee[ for this writing] was very hard of hearing and Mother was always her "ears".

Actually, Pappa Hooper[Bob] had a hearing problem and wore a hearing aid. It was the kind with the box that looked like an old fashioned transistor radio with an ear plug. J.L. was hard of hearing, also.

Uncle Fred and Mother used to go to parties and dance. They both enjoyed dancing. I don't think the parties were very wild back then. Mother could tap dance very well. She could listen to a dance step and repeat it. [As for me, I have no rhythm for dancing.]

Mother and all the Hoopers had great voices for singing and did a lot of it.

Mamma Hooper and Pappa raised Billy Joe and Barbara Ellen after Joe and Irene divorced. My Mother was just a young girl when they came to live with them. Mother thought Barbara was her DOLL.

Uncle Ocie and Aunt Ju-Ju used to bring Mother clothes that they bought for her when they worked.

When times got hard and jobs got scarce, Joe and Ju-Ju went north to find work. They both settled in Gary, Indiana. Joe lived there the rest of his life.

Ju-Ju and Uncle Walter moved back to Dyersburg after retirement.

Mother used to tell me how 'skinny' she had been all her life. She said kids called her "kill-dee" at school. That was a skinny bird. It hurt her feelings. She never really got much weight on her. She was only 95 pounds when she got pregnant with the twins. She always thought that was the reason that Terry was still born. She swelled so badly that she could not close her hands.

She was unable to attend his funeral service because she was so sick. She said it was somewhat like a dream to her, because she had a beautiful baby boy, Jerry, and was not expecting to have two babies at one time. Daddy said that at each birth..Jerry's and mine, that Mother came out speaking in tongues. Mother was the closest to a Saint that I ever knew. I think that is why God has been so good to this family, Mother's prayers have been answered.

I know that Mother is dancing in heaven today.