Ernest Clayton Jones and Edna Miller Hendrix were married on December 15, 1945. The Second World War had concluded earlier that year, and there was a palpable sense of starting over all over the world. Their marriage exemplified that spirit. They were both coming off of failed first marriages. They both had young sons from those marriages and were cautiously optimistic about the prospects of a fresh start.
They were the products of hardship. They had both lived through the Great Depression and World War II. They had both suffered difficult childhoods and deprivation. They were both determined to rise above their origins and be better parents to their children than their own parents had been. Even so, they faced some pretty strong headwinds as they began their life together. Over the years that followed, they were forced to leave Alabama (their home), and they experienced two failed pregnancies. That would be enough to break most folks, but not them!
Circumstances would eventually thrust this remarkable couple into the roll of raising me and my brother. And to make matters even more difficult, my grandmother (Edna/Doodle/Nanny) had developed Rheumatoid Arthritis and a series of other health problems. When we were teens, my grandfather (Ernie/ Clayton/Poppa) purchased a small farm and retired early to provide a better environment for two adolescents to finish their final push to adulthood.
They certainly were not perfect. They made many mistakes along the way. Sometimes they fought like cats and dogs. They consumed more than their fair share of beers and smoked like chimneys. Nevertheless, I will always remember the sacrifices that they made for us without complaining, the love and affection which they so willingly showered on us, and their absolute devotion to getting us raised. Happy Anniversary Nanny and Poppa!
