My descendants and what they mean to me

 WHAT MY DESCENDANTS MEAN TO ME: My Children -

TIMOTHY ALFRED JUNKIN

God graciously ‘loaned’ us three devoted and delightful children. We enjoyed their growing up lives and I now bask in their lives even more.

Our son, Timothy Alfred is our first blessing. Oh, what a gift he was! On my 19th birthday, June 21, 1957, Tim was born; that was ten months and ten days after we married on August 11, 1956. He was an easy birth. No pain, great gain. He was everything you could ask for in a baby.

We took him ‘home’ to see his grandparents at one month. Of course, they had been to see him already. He was the FIRST grandchild on either side and a grandSON so both were elated. I can see him in his first blue jeans at Mama Junkin’s house now. He had adoring aunts and uncles at the Granny and Grandaddy,s house. He had Ma Myrt and Daddy Bill at my parent’s home. My only brother was in the U.S. Navy and he and Valeria were in Pensacola, Florida. We carried Tim on a pillow so he would not get sore. Now, babies come from the hospital in car seats and are generally passed from hand to hand by anyone in the family that wants to ‘hold the new baby’. Mama goes home the day after delivery. I don’t remember how long I was in the hospital but went home to bed until Tim was two weeks old. Mother came and stayed with me.

When Tim was about two months old, Thomas got laid off. We had to move in with Mama & Daddy Junkin. We lived with them a lot back then it seems like. Sometimes Thomas cut cord wood, he always helped on the farm and he cleared right of way for Alabama Power Company. Whatever he could find to do, he did. Then he got called back, we went to Birmingham and Mama kept Tim for the day. I dropped Thomas off at work and went apartment hunting. I had never had to drive in Birmingham because we had one car and Thomas did the driving. It was a nerve wracking time! Finally, I found an apartment complex just off first avenue north in East Lake that was close to Betty and Stanley Branyon from Gordo. It was clean and looked alright so we rented it. I was never trusted to rent anything again. We lived there for eleven months. During that time, the tile floor was always filthy, it was old without finish on it and the rooms were dark. Timothy was crawling and we had BUGS, large roaches and small waterbugs. I tried to keep him in the playpen but that was so hard. BUT, it was a little more private than living with our folks. There was an apartment on either side of us and we made friends with many neighbors.

And then... When Tim was seven months old, he had a bad case of croup. We rushed him to Woodlawn Infirmary in the snow. Dr. Chenoweth said had we not gotten him out in the cold night air, he could have choked to death. He was under a croup tent for a week in a ward of maybe ten or so beds. I could stay there all day but there was no place for parents to stay after a certain hour. I went in as Thomas went to work and came home after he had seen Tim following work. This routine was daily. Tim went home on Saturday and Thelma brought Mama and Daddy up to see us on Sunday. Thelma had come home to show us our new niece since Linda was old enough for them to travel. I think Ruth was with them. Anyway, I had been so nauseated all week and told them my nerves were shot and I was exhausted. When I had to go throw up while they were there, Thelma said, “Well, you fool. You’re just pregnant”. I cried. I had very nearly lost my baby and there they were saying I was going to have another. I was 19 years old and still apparently wet behind the ears. We had wanted a houseful of children, and been told we would never have the first. Financially, we could not afford another baby BUT we got so excited that I was going to have another baby as soon as we knew Tim was alright. We planned to have a new home to bring our little family into and began the hunt for such a place. First, we bought a lot in Gate City where friends of Thomas’ from work were building. Then, the lot was halved making it too small for our house plans. Our money was refunded and the search took us to Center Point where we found a nice lot on 2nd Place NE. Hagwood built our little white house on a rise and cul-de-sac next door to two of our friends and several other Hayes workers in the same subdivision.

When Tim was small, Ruth and I kept his crewcut haircut. He sat in the high chair (which now sits in his dining room for his grandbabies) and either one of his aunts, uncles or I would entertain him while he was in the “barber chair”. Ruth didn’t think I was capable of cutting hair.

After Tanya was born, Tim was a wonderful big brother. He brought me clean diapers when she needed to be changed. They were loving as they grew up together.

Tim was so smart. One day on the way to Gordo (we were ALWAYS on the way to Gordo) Tanya was counting (about 2 or so) and said 1, 2, and stopped. Tim looked over and with his all knowing nearly 4 years old said, “three” don’t you know anything?

He did not secrete enough digestive juices as a baby. Dr. Chenoweth said let him keep his pacifier as long as he wanted to help that. He was about three and we were headed to (you got it - Gordo) when he threw it out the window into the Sipsey river. He never asked for it again.

We lived in several different places, all within the Huffman, Center Point area of Birmingham except for the 18 months Thomas worked at Partlow State School in Tuscaloosa and I worked at DCH and Druid Drugs and the time we spent in Georgia.. With no option, we had the children in daycare. It was not the best solution but it’s all we had. At Christmas time, DCH lab had a party and we were to go. When we got to the daycare to drop the children off, Tim cried to not go there again and we went back home with our babies. Later I was so happy he did that because the party was not the sort we would have fit into AT ALL. After that, when we went the children went with us. If they were not invited, we did not go.

We moved into the Ridgeway duplex apartments on 21st NE in Center Point when Tim was five and lived there two years. It was a wonderful two years!! We had four rooms and a big yard. Thomas worked about 18 months that stretch before lay off and I stayed home (wonderful does not describe the way I felt). When I went back to work, it was temporary work.

The children had friends. We were back in church. We could walk if our very old second car would not crank and Daddy was at work. Michael Blanks and Timothy Junkin were best friends and played together a good bit. The Blanks and Junkin couples had been neighbors previously in our first apartment and when we lived on 2nd Place NE next door.

We met the Gaithers that year and still have fellowship with them from Alabama to Indiana.

We were in Sunday School and the children attended Sunbeams, VBS and were in the childrens’ choir at church.

Tim walked to school with other children with only one street to cross at the school with a crossing guard. He came home the first of school and announced that there were three Timothys in first grade and he had to be Timmy or Tim and he told the teacher he was Tim. He never went back to Timothy except when being corrected. He was an excellent student when he was able to stop talking. He got into a lot of trouble for always talking.

Thomas had to go to Georgia to work at Lockheed and came home on week-ends if he wasn’t working. That was a lonely time. After five months, we found a place to live. Tim had finished first grade.

Joe and Gail Shirley were friends from Gordo and we had stayed with them before we found a place and moved. They had a son and daughter also. We went to church at Hill View, they went to another church but we were good friends.

In Marietta, we had the summer to just enjoy being together. We lived in a duplex with Sue and J. C. Smith. We had a really big yard with a swing on a tree and BUGS. It took the seven months we lived there to finally rid ourselves and Sue & J.C. of bugs.

We moved back to Center Point in February and Tim was in 2nd grade and Tanya in 1st. In Georgia, she could start at five.

Tim got in trouble - again - for talking. In Georgia, he had a first year teacher and she needed to get some time under her belt. She kept him in day after day. We lived on a street that had two railroad tracks and four streets that had to be crossed on the way home. He had chronic asthmatic bronchitis and was sick a lot. We wrote the teacher explaining that at seven, Tim was too young to cross that intersection after the crossing guard left. She could spank him, make him write a sentence as many times as she must. He did not need to walk alone, especially that winter. Finally, we arranged a meeting with her and her principal. It was decreed that Tim could join the Smith children and Tanya to go home each day.

All in all, it was a really good seven months.

We found a nice duplex on 25th Avenue NE and moved in there and waited for Tera to be born. Tim went back to Center Point School to finish second grade and we only moved once more until after he and his sisters were grown. We bought another house at 1700 2nd Street N.E. in Center Point. We had a nice three bedroom house with a large fenced-in backyard. Tim had dogs, his daddy took him hunting, taught him carpentry, plumbing, electrical and all the other skills he helps everyone with today. We all went fishing in Granny and Grandaddy’s fishing ponds.

Tim was a wonderful athlete. He played church league basketball and ran track for both the school and church. He was very active in Center Point Baptist church, especially “Ralph’s Pool Hall” the Field House youth building with a large gymnasium. When Tim answered the phone at the Field House that’s how he answered the phone. He was honored for all his work with RAs the years he was a senior in high school.

Tim helped Thomas remodel the house. He closed in the breezeway first to save me from the icy rain, wind or leaves that blew when I was going across it to the laundry room. It was a blessing. Not long after that, he turned the closet in the master bedroom into a half bath, cut a door in the wall into Tim’s closet and divided it so the two of them shared the large closet and built me a 2’ x 8’ closet out into the bedroom. Tim had a bedroom with a bed at first and later a hide-a-bed (and TV) and he could invite his friends over and take them to his bedroom. Whoever heard of a teen aged boy who didn’t want to take his girlfriend into his bedroom and sit on his bed? Well, this was the dark ages when this was simply NOT done.

Tim was the mascot (Eagle) at Erwin High School his Jr. & Sr. years. One night he had his tail feathers plucked by the opposing cheerleaders. I had to take off work during Homecoming at school to shop for and replace the Eagle’s tail feathers. Tim was strong and he would sometimes have two girl cheerleaders on his shoulders, twirling them. He and Joey Moore were good teammates for the cheerleaders. They ended up as cheerleaders at Montevallo when both went there for college.

Tim was 6’3” tall and played center on the church basketball team. He had a cyst on the top of one of his feet. During prayer meeting on Wednesday night before surgery for removal of the cyst the following morning, Brother Field asked special prayer for Tim’s surgery to go well. About that time, someone came in from the gym and spoke with Brother Field privately. John Byrd had jumped against Tim for the ball and landed on Tim’s foot bursting the cyst. The surgery was therefore canceled and the cyst never returned. God works in mysterious ways, His wonders to be shown..

Tim and Tanya ended up classmates at Montevallo, both taking business courses. He helped her get on at Moore Handley with him. They got apartments next door (well, through the hedge bushes) and he made sure she was taken care of. She was his fraternity little sister. He had always watched out for her away from home but gave her the dickens at home.

His roommate was Burney Sproul and Burney came home with him frequently. We all loved Burney. We would take as many college students as came home with the children out to eat at those “all you can eat” restaurants. (That is why they no longer exist. We ate them out of business.) Sometimes, we had our three with two extra for Tim and Tanya which would make seven to eat and those kids could eat.

Tim was seeing Mamaw and Papaw Burketts’ granddaughter, Rene’ and we found out when he stood her up and took someone else to a dance. After that, he only saw Rene’ and after 42 years, he is still in love with her. They have four MARVELOUS children with four GREAT children from another mother (or in-law). They have 12 grandchildren.

I could not be prouder of my son. He has a good work ethic and is conscious to do all he does to the best possible result.

He believes in God and worships HIM. He has been a bi-vocational pastor for many years, working his ‘day job’, raising his family to know the Lord, taking care of a house and yard and pastoring a church.

He and Rene’ are by far as good grandparents as are on the face of this earth. They have taken their children on fantastic vacations which are fun as well as educational. They would live at Disney World as would all the four grown children and their grandchildren. He is close to his siblings although visiting together is not frequent due to everyone having different schedules. When Tanya can be home, everyone is invited to their home and anytime all of their family is scheduled to be home, he makes sure I am invited. He has taken me on MANY trips with all or part of his family. He and Rene’ accompanied me to Hawaii when all three children paid for my trip. I was not allowed to pay one penny except for souvenirs the entire trip. What a magnificent time I had!!

This does not cover the many things Tim does or has done that I remember. Some are better left unsaid and some are just for my memory chest (brain).

Oh, how good God is.!! I am so blessed!!!!!

TANYA LYNETTE JUNKIN HOWELL

Born 16 months and three weeks after her brother, Timothy, she was a different temperament but as much loved child. Tanya was no better loved than Tim but was certainly as dearly loved. What a beautiful baby and she could not have been a better baby nor child.

Since Tim had asthmatic bronchitis every five weeks and usually for one week, there were times she was cared for and well loved but Tim’s care was always such that had she required more I am uncertain what we would have done. Thomas cared for her during the times I was holding him by an open window or spending the night outside wrapped in a quilt holding him with just his face not covered so he could breath. Neighbors would say they knew he was sick again when they saw us sitting on the porch at night. His ‘spells’ of choking were worse at night and scared us. Tanya was so good, seeming to understand the importance of our caring for him and giving her such limited time during those times.

As she grew into a little girl, she was so adorable. Tim was so handsome, she was beautiful. I dressed them alike. It was cheaper to buy enough fabric for him a shirt and her a dress and panties than just the one garment. People thought they were twins.

When Thomas was laid off or on strike, we lived with Mama & Daddy Junkin and Ma Myrt & Daddy Bill; mostly in Gordo. Mama J. would watch the children if I got a chance to work at one of the local stores for a day. Thomas found whatever work he could.

After we moved to Georgia (This story is included in Chapter I of What My Descendants Mean To Me), Tanya got to start school at five. Her teacher said she was the smartest child she had ever taught and she was nearing retirement. When we moved back to Alabama in February, we received a letter from her teacher advising us to keep Tanya in first grade even if she wasn’t allowed to go to public school in Alabama. She wasn’t allowed to transfer to Jefferson County Alabama school even though she tested three weeks ahead of their students. She transferred to private school and was only two weeks ahead of the students there. She excelled all through school. Tanya was always small for her age during grammar school years. We thought it was because she was a year younger than her classmates. BUT when she started Erwin High School in seventh grade, her classmates who had not seen her growth spurt during the summer did not recognize the 5’7” tall, 110 pound young lady there. From 4’11” 80 pounds, she had outgrown all the new clothes Aunt Evie Godfrey had made her that summer. Since I was working full time, we had asked Aunt Evie to make her several dresses and I never knew a better seamstress than Thomas’ aunt, Evie. I don’t recall who wore those dresses. Even though we had Tera long before then, there was a seven year gap in their ages.

During high school, Tanya was on the track team, excelling in that along with excelling in studies. She and Lou Ann Wright were good friends and were in theatricals together. I would make their costumes and Billie (Lou’s mom & my beautician) did their hair. When she was a senior, she aced the PSAT and SAT scores, earning her the honor of being included in “Who's Who Among American High School Students''. She also tested out the first year of college, entering Montevallo as a sophomore. She was the first grandchild in either family to graduate from college.

When Tera was eight, she began to ride the bus home from school. Tanya got home at the same time and watched her little sister. She also took laundry off the clothesline and folded it and put it away. She started supper and helped with the housework plus homework and babysitting. She had such an important role in rearing Tera that Tera’s girls refer to her as “Little Grandma”. They call her Aunt Tanya but think of her as much more than an aunt. Tera thinks of her as her ‘other’ mother which is fine with me. Tanya DID help me to get Tera through many things that are usually a mother’s responsibility. Tanya taught Tera to help around the house and before Tanya left for college, she had taught Tera to cook enough for her to start supper before I got home.

Tanya was very active in Center Point Baptist Church/First Baptist of Center Point. She was in Sunday School and Church, GAs, in choir from four years of age through college and careers. She was a lead soloist with the choir even being asked to be guest soloist when she was a sophomore at Montevallo and the youth choir from the church came down there for a concert.

In College, she was Tim’s little sister for his fraternity. She worked with him at Moore Handley Hardware Store, sometimes working 62 hours a week (holding two positions for 32 hours each) and taking a full load. This affected her health and we told her to slow down. She would be 19 when she graduated at that rate and it was not possible to get the stewardess job she wanted that young. She was purple and after the first year got an apartment with two roommates. She lived through a hedge from Tim and his roommates. They were in some of the same classes since both were taking business courses. Tanya’s roommate the first year was Lou Ann Wright. They were in the theater club together and we went to one of their plays. Lou is still in theater and quite well known in some quarters.

After college, she came home to live while she found a job. She had been too young when she applied at Delta to be a flight attendant. She worked for Merrill Lynch as a Kelly Girl for a while and they hired her as a permanent employee. Shortly thereafter, a man from the U.S. Probation approached her about applying to work there. She would make more money, have better benefits and it was for the U.S. Government. Following much thought, she talked with her supervisor resigned from Merrill Lynch. She worked for the Probation Office for 19 years.

She ran into Joe Howell who had gone to Montevallo with her, graduating three years before her. They started dating and married in April. They bought a house in Hueytown on the street behind Joe’s parents. They lived there four years and then Joe got transferred with Ford Credit to Denver, Colorado. They rented an apartment for six months while looking for a house. They bought in Conifer, Colorado and loved living there for several years.

Joe was transferred to *** and they moved to Cheyanne.

They next lived in Albuquerque, NM. There, we flew hot air balloons. I say we because PawPaw & I were chase vehicles sometimes. I finally got to fly as reported in an earlier story. It was a fun place for them to live. Tanya was transferred with the Government and they lived there for a while before:

Joe was transferred to California. The only government position available was an entry level position which would cut her pay and lower her grade. She ‘retired’ from the government and took a job with a company doing title searches. She worked there for about a year, being sick with allergies most of the time. Finally, she took a temporary job with Palomar Hospital in Escondido, California as Executive Assistant to the Chief Financial Officer. She is still there 19 years later. Joe retired from Ford with 30 years, worked for Starbucks five and one/half, worked for Sewing Machines, Plus, LLC for several years and waits for her to retire at whatever time she decides. After training four CFOs, some who became CEOs, she continues to work for both the hospital and foundation at Palomar Hospital. She is good at what she does and I am so proud of her. I look forward to their returning closer home when she retires. They were thinking of the Nashville, Tennessee area until their recent visit home but really liked the area around Cullman, Alabama. It would be great for me to have them that close after so many years away. All three of my beloved children would be close to me. BUT my main focus is for them to find a home where they can be part of the community with a church they can call home and many friends. Tanya and Joe are loved and have been missed.

TERA LaDALE JUNKIN LEE

After what seemed to be our last hope of filling a house with children, the seven year wait for number three was over!! We finally had our third baby. We were thrilled beyond words. I excitedly told Mama Junkin, “We’re pregnant”. She replied, “What, not another one”. I thought she meant she thought we had enough and cried. She quickly assured me she meant because Brenda, Thomas' first cousin, and Mary Helen, his sister, had just told her that week that they were pregnant. We had just gotten back to Birmingham and Hayes insurance was no good until Thomas was back ten months. We scrimped and saved to pay for our baby’s birth and found out his Lockheed insurance was good for ten months post employment so we bought a color television set. Our best gift came October 5th when our red-headed, very blue eyed daughter was born!! Tim & Tanya now had a baby sister and our family was complete. Due to a bruised back, my delivery was not easy like the first two and I opted not to have any more. Now, if God (or Thomas) had disagreed with me, we would have loved a dozen or more. Finances had always been tight so the decision was from Thomas, also.

We enjoyed our wee little girl. She had been the largest baby but was and is our smallest child. She is 5’5” compared to 5’9” for Tanya and 6’3” for Tim. That being said, it was a good life. We bought a house! We lived in it for 40 years. The children went to the same schools and never had to move. I went back to work when she was 18 months and Thomas was laid off. I went to UAB for the first time. When Thomas got loaned out to Hayes Huntsville and from them to a company in California for a few months, we were able to stay in our house. All three were in daycare which was not what we would have liked. We did what we could.

As Tera grew, her beautiful red hair became light blond. So blond that her chemistry teacher in high school often referred to bottle blond hair and she was the only blond in the class. She was smart, athletic and artistic. All through school, she had a natural talent for art. She sings, she writes songs and poetry, books and devotionals. She works with paint, draws, works with wood, paper, acrylic, whatever medium she desires, she does and does well. She also builds things she wants, furniture, garden boxes, anything.

She has a good work ethic and most importantly, she is a Christian. She and Kenny have a nice home they share with me. They both work too hard.

In summation of this story, let me say that I have not written about my grands or greats. They are all 24 just that. My other six about whom I have written briefly are so good to me. I love every one of them ‘to the moon and back.

There isn’t enough space for me to write all the good things about either of my wonderful children. I haven’t time to fill the books it would take to do so.

WHAT MY DESCENDANTS MEAN TO ME: MY GRAND AND GREAT GRANDCHILDREN:

I have six grandchildren and six grandchildren in-laws; that is 12. I have 12 great grandchildren and my three children and their spouses. THAT’S 30 people. WHAT A BLESSING!!!

So, what do these 30 people mean to me? My heart is beating for every one of them. They are the best part of my life after my God. Jesus is so wonderful!! God allows me to continue here on Earth to love everyone of those sweet folks. They are all loving, attentive and kind.

My children are Tim & Rene’ Junkin, Tanya & Joe Howell and Tera & Kenny Lee. Tim & Rene’ have Scott & Magan, Colby & Melissa, Katie & Mark, & John & Shay. Joe & Tanya have no offspring. Tera & Kenny have Dianne & Tyler, Katherine & Chase. Currently, no grandchildren from either.

Scott & Magan have Sam, Davis, Belle & Ruby, Colby & Mel have Ben, Luke & Andrew, Katie & Mark have Wyatt & Ivey and John & Shay have Ellie Kay, Isabella Marie & Laney Ann.

It seems impossible that soon FOUR of my great grandchildren will be teenagers. Sam, Davis, Ben and Belle. Before another month passes, Laney will be one. Ruby and Wyatt just turned nine. Luke is 10, Andrew is 4 as in Bella and Ellie is 7. Ivey is two going on 16. That’s my sweet family and they truly mean the world to me. My desire in life is that they would ALL come to know and follow God’s laws and accept Jesus as their savior. HE is the ONE MOST IMPORTANT thing that any of them can do.

I love you ALL.