My grandmother was born in Sherrill, AR to Jereldian Works and Bill Smith. She was the second child of six children.  I know so little about her girlhood; her parents were sharecroppers in the AR Delta, and they lived in an L shaped house.

Grandmother married twice: first to Frank Hines then,  the only grandfather I've known, Thomas Rice. She and Thomas lived with us in Fort Smith as my grandfather tried to find work. When he couldn't, they moved to Cotton Plant. I'm told that he'd gotten a job offer the day after they left. How I wish they'd stayed!

In the 1990's, I first drove alone to visit my grandparents. Usually I rode with my own parents. Grandmother and I had so much in common: classic blues music, reading, intelligent conversation and a tolerant understanding of people. She always said she was a xtian, but she was past that. Grandmother was a decent, compassionate woman who accepted everyone and could interact without being condescending.

She never spanked us. She told me once that she was disappointed, and I bawled my eyes out. I wanted her to spank me instead. When I moved to Memphis, I still visited her on a regular basis. She told me about our family, and I kept that all in my head until I could write it down via family tree. We all looked like my maternal side of the family. Strong genes. :)

I was asleep in TX at 1:30am. I saw my grandmother walk by. I could see through her. She was looking down and walking upward. Shortly afterwards, my mother left a message on the answering machine saying she has passed. I had to work the next day, so I just stayed in bed.

I had her for forty years, and I couldn've taken another 40 more. She was my favorite grandmother. I would tell myself that she wouldn't live forever then planned to live with her when I retired. Since she was so intellectually and spiritually advanced, I know she's cycled on.

Shortly after her passing, I wondered why she never talked to me. I dreamed of her, but the woman never resembled my grandmother. Once, it was her, and she was looking out of her kitchen window. She never turned and looked at me. Anyway, I admitted to myself that she didn't have time for me, and I should just forget her. That night, she said that I'd always be their grandbaby. It made me so happy that I never felt sad about not interacting with her in my dreams.

I hope someone does a search for a relative and find her. I've our family tree everywhere and posted the only picture I have of her. If only more people had known her, we'd all be better people. We were all fortunate.