Thelma Valentine Hammond McConnell

My paternal grandmother, Thelma Valentine, is the oldest of seven children.  They called her "Big Sis".  She is pictured here with Nannie Lee, Faye and Clay (twin brothers), and Naomi.  Marie and Nila had not made their debut yet.  They were born and raised in Alley Valley in Scott County, VA. Orbin and Mary Hammond raised them in a 3 room house....living room, bedroom and kitchen.

I always thought is was so cool that she was born on Valentine's Day...thus her middle name.

She is pictured here as a courting young woman....sorry Papaw, I cut you out of the picture....

Mamaw loved her cats, dogs, songbirds and squirrels.  When I was a little girl, she had a blind black Cocker Spaniel, named Blackie.  He was the sweetest dog and could get around very well in spite of his blindness.  Mamaw and I would always take Blackie for a walk whenever we would go visit.  She fed her birds and squirrels religiously in her backyard.  She had 'rigged up' a string/wire from her kitchen window down to her feed table.  Tied to the string were disposable aluminum pie pans.  Whenever she saw an 'undesirable' at the table, she would pull that string, making the pans shake and make noise to scare the critter away.  She was happy making garden, tending to her flowers and critters.  She was a no frill cook...just the basics.  I loved her green beans.  Her flare for decorating left a bit to be desired as you can see from the picture.  Who cares if the wallpaper didn't go with the plaid naugahyde couch!!! 

Her favorite chair was at the front window in the corner by the fireplace.   She had her little nest there.  Her Bible, her postcards she faithfully wrote to her out of town family, and whatever book she was reading at the time...she loved to read.  She made quilts...not the pretty and fancy kind but the functional.  She loved to talk and tell stories.  Hmmmm, must be a genetic thing.....

This is TVM with Black Gal.

I loved to visit them at their home in Kingsport.   They lived in a little red brick house on Dewey Avenue, the street behind McDonalds on Fort Henry Dr.  I would usually go spend a week with Mamaw and Papaw every summer.  She would save up chores she didn't like to do for me....cleaning windows. We would work a little and play a lot.  I liked that and I suppose she unconsciously instilled that in me.  When I became 'of age', she gave me "THE Talk"...need I say more?!  She taught me to spit correctly ~ a trait not many young ladies are taught, I might add! 

She had very long hair.  I loved to brush it for her at night before we went to bed.   She always wore it 'up' or in a braided bun.  It wasn't until she could no longer care for it that she had it cut.

She and Papaw raised 3 sons.  Edmond Cecil "Steamer", Ernest Randolph "Doc", my dad, and Thomas Calvin "Tom" or T. C.  This picture was taken on their 50th wedding anniversary.

Mamaw had to go into the nursing home when her Alzheimers got too bad to be able to remain at home.  We lost our Thelma Valentine a little bit at a time due to that horrid disease.  This picture of Dad, her and me was taken on our wedding day, Dec. 18, 1988 at the nursing home.  She HAD to be in my wedding pictures. 

What a wonderful woman she was....how blessed I am to have been her granddaughter. She was definitely an original 'fun girl'! 

With Valentine's Day approaching, I knew I needed to tell a little bit about "TVM", as she usually signed her name...L.O.V.E.