To everything there is a season, and a time to
every purpose under the heaven: A time
to be born . . . Ecclesiastes 3: 1-2
*****
 |
| My Mother Holding Me |
A half century ago on a Friday morning in late September,
I was born at 9:44 AM at the Whittaker Memorial Hospital in Newport News, Virginia. The hospital,
which served African-Americans during a time when they were denied care at other
medical facilities, no longer exists, but the building still stands at 1003 28th
Street in Newport News, VA.
At the time of my birth my father was a soldier in the
United States Army and my mother was living with her parents because Daddy was
away on military duty. The first hands
that held me were Dr. Samuel K. Ashby (1913-1999), who delivered me into the world. I
probably had some hair when I was born, but do not have any records regarding
how much I weighed at birth.
 |
| Dru at 3-months old |
Besides my two parents, ancestors alive at the time of my
birth included three grandparents and two great-grandparents.
Mama’s
Family
My arrival into the world created a new generational leaf
on several branches of my mother’s family tree which made Mama a first-time
mother; her parents Minor Elwood Thornton (1913-1979) and Emma Johnson Thornton
(1922-2011), first-time grandparents; and her brother and sister an “uncle” and
an “aunt” for the first time. My birth also
made Mama’s maternal grandmother Bell Bullock Johnson (1890-1982) a first-time
great grandmother and Mama’s paternal grandfather Minor Thornton (1893-1966) a
first-time great grandfather. Siblings
of my maternal grandparents also rose to the status of great-aunt and
great-uncle when I was born a half century ago.
Daddy’s
Family
For Daddy, my arrival into the world made him a
first-time father. But for his father, Matthew
“Mack” Pair (1899-1987), I would just be another little leaf of many leaves of
grandchildren already on the Pair family tree.
No comments:
Post a Comment