About this time Aunt Nanie Mae returned home. Her comings and goings were not predictable – She might stay at home a wk. or 2 or more months or she might stay away from home for many months. But she did return home and living quarters & conditions were quite crowded & strained; what with 7 adults & 4 children and Aunt Nanie Mae made 12- It was a highly volatile situation made even more volatile by the fact Aunt Nanie Mae disliked Mama and expressed it even more readily, especially when she’d been imbibing.

One memorable occasion shortly after Aunt Nanie Mae’s return home- She became incensed at Mama (exact reason unknown) and was screaming at her and I remember very clearly her exact words, ‘I’ll cut your God damm guts out.’ She was brandishing a kitchen knife as she approached Mama. Daddy grabbed & disarmed Aunt Nanie Mae. Meantime, we 4 children, my Aunt Marie, 2 months my senior & her brother, Uncle R.L., 2 yrs my Jr. and my sister 20 months my Jr. ran frightened & screaming out of the house to the yard and climbed up a cedar tree crying and hugging one another for mutual comfort & security- A very memorable remembrance for me.

I asked Aunt Marie a few yrs. Ago (Now 1995) in the late ‘80s. if she remembered that incident. She had no recollection of it. My Uncle R.L. is deceased since _____ and my sister Mildred Leona Bolden Hurley has Alzheimer’s and great chunks of her memory have been destroyed as of this date Sept 24^th 1995.

As a result of this very spirited commotion, daddy moved us over to Uncle Andrews house in Decherd Tenn 8-10 mi (est.) distance. Uncle Andrew’s house was not spacious, having only 4 Rms. There were already 7 people living there before our arrival – Uncle Andrew – Aunt Florence – grown boys Bill – Ernest & Warren – young girls Louise & Nora. When Daddy came on wk ends, that made 11 persons. Quite crowded.