-Pinckney Pucket c1811 + Celia Moore
---John W Puckett 1838 + Minerva Branch
-----Francis Marion Puckett 1877 + Mollie Brown
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Pansy Puckett 5/26/1923 + Melvin Dwight Adams
----------------Lilieth Adams 1948 + Clarence James Hutchins Sr
-------------------Cherith Hutchins + Thomas Moore Jr
Pansy Puckett was the most wonderful person on Earth. She was the sweetest, most confidant, beautiful woman and I was lucky enough to call her "MawMaw." I loved her so much. I'm looking forward to seeing her again at Gate 12.
Pansy was born at her mill village home sometime in the early summer of 1923. She was born pre-term and was very tiny. The doctor who was called to the home for the delivery advised her mother, Mollie, not to get too attached because the baby was probably not going to live. Instead of naming the baby, the nurse who attended the doctor in the home delivery put her own name on the birth certificate: "Zula Boyd" Last name: Puckett.
Despite the doctors advisement, Mollie must have cared for her new, baby daughter very well, because she survived! The baby's birth date had not been recorded properly so they decided to celebrate it as May 26.
I'm not entirely sure of how she became to be known as Pansy. I vaguely remember her telling me a story of how her mother loved the purple pansies in the field, but I was so young, I'm not sure if this is a formulated memory or a memory based on fact. What I do remember is her telling me about how embarrassed she was of the name Zula and never wanted to be called by that name. She insisted, as an adult, that people call her Pansy.
Pansy did not complete much school. There was work to done and money needed to be made. She sang at church, and beautifully. (So much so, that a radio producer wanted to take her and two of her sisters to California to have their own radio show! But her father, the strict preacher that he was, would not allow it.)
She began working in the infamous Firestone Mill when she was very young. She was a spooler and was so fast and efficient at her job that she won an award and had her picture put in the Gastonia Gazatte.
When she was a preteen she had an accident with a horse. She fell under the horse and he spooked and stepped on her. She said that when the horse realized she was underfoot he managed to balance so that he kept most of his weight off of that hoof, and the whole incident lasted mere seconds before he had managed to get off of her, however, damage had been done. She was told by the doctors that she would never bear a child.
Cue WWII. Pansy spent her days working, taking care of her aging and sickly mother and window shopping downtown. She was tall, long legged and lovely! She was kind, but also had some spitfire. She was full of confidence and optimism. She had several beaux that she would write to who were over seas in the service. Her father, whom she loved dearly, but who also was an overbearing force, had passed away. She had independence for the first time in her life, in so much as she made and controlled her own money and could enjoy life without feeling like enjoyment was wrong. She was active in church, playing the guitar and singing. Her family held prayer meetings in the home.
Pansy, as mentioned before, spent much time caring for her mother, Mollie, who suffered from debilitating arthritis. The other brothers and sisters helped out and offered to do more, but she insisted that Pansy did it the best and that's who she wanted! Sadly, her mother passed away in 1946.
Two years later, she met and married my PawPaw, Melvin Dwight Adams.
And, SURPRISE! A baby was conceived. Pansy said that she was so shocked and disbelieving that she demanded an X-ray of her womb to disprove the doctor.
Against his advice, she had the X-ray done and had to eat crow. There was her baby in black and white. She would spend the rest of her pregnancy fretting over her decision to expose the baby to the X-ray.
But her fretting was in vain, her baby was born perfectly whole and healthy. She was not the son they had been hoping for, but that baby became their Sonshine. They would name her Lilieth Marlene Adams, while affectionately calling her Sunny.
Through their marriage, Pansy and Dwight would participate in the founding of two local churches, fund the building of a church in Mexico, live and love and fight and make-up and enjoy their daughter and grandchildren.
(Pansy, Me, Dwight)
(mild to moderate stages of Alzheimer's had set in at the time of the taking of this photo; early 1990s)
I have so many stories I could tell, we spent so much quality time together in small quantity...I was only 12 when she became invalid. Alzheimer's took her mind away, and most of her memories of me, with it. Eventually, she was unable to talk, walk or even take the most basic care of herself. I was 16 when pneumonia visited and took her soul away to be with the Lord.
She coached me in singing and in life. She taught me how to swim. She told me stories and sang me songs. We made mud pies and "hoppy-toad" caves as she reminisced of her childhood and we dreamed of what the future would hold. She prayed with me and over me, even before I was born, she would plead the blood of Jesus over me. She told me I could be anything, she showed me how I was full of potential.
She taught me to be fearless.
