Gary Anderso

I wouldn't dare tell this story!!!!!!!

Janay, Lu, Cousins Ilene Dixon & Carrie Jones on their visit to Springfield, IL. Sept. 14, 2005. Ilene is Lu's cousin from Staten Island, NY and Carrie is her cousin from DC.

Can't remember why - but Janay had "serious attitude" that day.

Portrait of a couple in love in 1936 or 37 -

Rufus Hammons and Ladion Hammons before they were married in 1938.

Picture courtesy of Cousins Alfred Twiggs and Cynthia Twiggs-Frazier

Aisha, Mom, Leon, Kenny, Yvonne,Gary & Anthony

Ladion Paxton Hammons was born in 1922 in McAlpine, FL. to Rev.Lonnie Joe and Eva (Lockett) Paxton.

Married Rufus Henry (Saul) Hammons in 1938 in Ft. White FL. - together they had four children. They moved to St. Petersburg, FL. in 1945. Rufus Sr. died in 1953. Mom also had three children by Van Grant who died in 1963.

Children:
- Claudett Hammons-Rembert (1938-2001) (Alfred Rembert)
- Willie Lois Hammons-Chisolm (1940) - (Leon Chisolm)
- Rufus Henry Hammons, Jr. (1949)
  * Gary Lawrence Hammons (1951) (Son of Van Grant) (Lura Warthen)
- Kenneth Reshard Hammons (1953) (Robin Adams)
  * Yvonne Faye Grant-Howlett (1954) (Daughter of Van Grant)
     (Leon Alphonzo Howlett)
  * Leon Grant, Sr. (1956) (Son of Van Grant)

Rufus Henry (Saul) Hammons was born in 1918 to Henry Hammond and Irene Twiggs-Hammond in Lake City, FL.

Our great grand parents are Rufus Twiggs and Mary Turley-Twiggs who moved from Madision, FL. to Fort White, FL. Our grand parents were Henry (Saul) Hammond and Irene Twiggs. Henry Hammond's sister, Hattie Hammond-Devine is Cousin Mildred Devine-Jones' mother; sister Eloise Devine-Dennis

Rufus (Saul) had two brothers, Levy Hammond and Joe Waters.

Rufus (Saul) Henry Hammons, Sr. met Ladion Paxton in Fort White, FL. where they were married in 1938.

Children:
- Claudett Hammons-Rembert (1938-2001) (Alfred Rembert)
- Willie Lois Hammons-Chisolm (1940) - (Leon Chisolm)
- Rufus Henry Hammons, Jr. (1949)
  * Gary Lawrence Hammons (1951) (Son of Van Grant) (Lura Warthen)
- Kenneth Reshard Hammons (1953) (Robin Adams)
  * Yvonne Faye Grant-Howlett (1954) (Daughter of Van Grant)
     (Leon Alphonzo Howlett)
  * Leon Grant, Sr. (1956) (Son of Van Grant)

U.S. 1920 CENSUS DATA

Mamie Locket (Candice Lockett Wright) 24
Leroy Oneal (Brother?) 7
Nancy Locket (Mother) 66
Eva Lockett-Smith-Paxton (Sister) 26
Augustous Locket (Brother?) 46

 U.S. 1945 CENSUS DATA     Name & Age

Lonnie Joe Paxton (Head of household) 61
Eva Paxton (Wife) 45
Catherine (Smith) Paxton (Daughter) 22
Bertha M. Paxton (Daughter) 15
Ladion Paxton (Daughter) 12
Eva Pearl Paxton (Granddaughter) 1
Willie B. Paxton (Grandson) 4
Charlie Paxton (Son) 8
Johnnie Paxton (Son) 10
Murry Paxton (Son) 13
E. K. (Smith) Paxton (Son) 17
Floyd (Tony) Paxton (Son) 18
Homer (Smith) Paxton (Son) 20

Upon Mom's passing - Cousin Eva Pearl who was raised in the Paxton household along with her mother Aunt Catherine (Reddice), Mom and the other Paxton children, becomes the Matriarch of the Paxton Family. Cousin Bearnard Wright is the son of Aunt Candy (Candice Wright) - Momma Eva's sister.

Upon Mom's passing - Uncle Murray Paxton became the only remaining child of Momma Eva Paxton and is Patriarch of the Paxton Family.  Cousin Eva Pearl who was raised in the Paxton household along with her mother Aunt Catherine Reddice, Mom and the other Paxton children, becomes the Matriarch of the Paxton Family.

Dr. Ralph Wimbish was a very special and close friend to Mom as were the other black physicans in St. Petersburg (Dr. Ayers, Dr. Alsup, & Dr. Swain).

But Dr. Wimbish was special. As a result of their friendship, sometime prior to his untimely death in 1967, Dr. Wimbish had made arrangements to pay the first quarter tuition for the first of any of Mom's children to attend FAMU. In 1970 his widow (Mrs. Betty Wimbish) delivered Mom a check for $2,500 for my tuition after I graduated from Gibbs. This was to provide a catalyst for others behind me to follow suit. Mom did not reveal this to me until 2009. Until this point, only Mom, Claudette, Me and Dr. & Mrs. Wimbish knew of this arrangement.

Mrs. Wimbish said that it all started out as a plan for a scholarship from the Ambassadors Club which was founded by Dr. Wimbish - but as a result of some dissension among members, he withdrew the proposal and set funds aside of his own with Mom as beneficiary. The rest is history. Kenny, Connie, Yvonne and Anthony followed my lead and enrolled at FAMU.

Dr. Ralph Wimbish was a Great Physician, Philanthropist and a Civil Rights Pioneer in the Tampa Bay Area and a great personal friend to our mother. Mrs. Betty Wimbish became the first African-American Woman to be elected to the St. Petersburg City Council.

Van Grant is the birth father of Gary Hammons, Yvonne & Leon Grant.

Van Grant was Born in 1910 in Mims, FL and Died in 1963 in St. Petesburg, FL.

Parents

• Ezekiel Grant 1886 – 1979
    
• Ardonia Jones 1887 – 1958
   

Eloise and Mildred with Aunt Hattie and Cousin Pat. Hattie Hammond is the sister of Henry Hammond, father of Rufus Henry (Saul) Hammons and Levy. At some point along the way the surname was modified from Hammond to Hammons along Saul's linage - but the family is the same.

James (JB) Blackmon, Gary & Kenny Hammons - Chillin on "The Set" on "The HILL" @ FAMU in 1973

Gary, Janay and Lu in in the Summer of 1988.

Through much blood, sweat, toil and many tears, Mom struggled through hardships and adversity to purchase a home for her burgeoning family.

A family memorial marking the final (earthly) resting place for (our Mother) Ladion Hammons and finally after 59 years for (Dad) Rufus (Saul) Hammons, Sr. at Royal Palm North Cemetery  in St. Petersburg, FL.  

Old [wo]man, hospital bed,
The room is filled with people he loves.
And he whispers don't cry for me,
I'll see you all someday.
He looks up and says, "I can see God's face."

"This is my temporary Home
It's not where I belong.
Windows and rooms that I'm passin' through.
This was just a stop,on the way to where I'm going.
I'm not afraid because I know... this was
My temporary home."

This is our temporary home.