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Grandma Elkins last days, and Grandpa Elkins
visits to "Old Lady Bell's" in Fort Smith
MFElkins originally shared this on 20 Sep 2007
1934
Arbuckle Island, Arkansas
About our grandma and grandpa John Calvin Elkins. Grandma was Georgia Ann Thurman (I don't know if Georgia is spelled right). This is mom's
remembrance (Clara Elkins). She was 9 years old when grandma died and your dad Mallie was born. Grandma sent mom to Renee Douglas's at 11:00
at night. They lived two houses from them. This house was on Arbuckle that was later flooded and everything was destroyed. Mallie was born
sometime during the night. Mom said that it was told that Grandma was in so much pain that she actually turned a flip flop in the bed. Mom got
to go back home the next morning to the 4 room house. Lucille Douglas, Renee's daughter, asked Mom what she would do if her Mom died - She said
I'd be my own boss! She never regained consciousness after Mallie was born. Mom's Aunt Henrietta Webb stayed to take care of Grandma. She was
Grandma's half sister. Grandma complained of her feet hurting. Mom got a chair and sat at her feet and put her feet in her lap and rubbed them
and Henrietta ran her out. She never got to talk to her after that. Dr. Bollinger came, but couldn't stay. He gave her a shot to keep her from
having him until the next day when he could help her, but she had him anyway. She lived 5 days after she had Mallie before she died. They wrote
down some names for her to decide what to name him and when they came to Mallie Floyd, she nodded her head. She died late in the evening. She
called Grandpa and all the kids into the foot of the bed. Grandpa was holding Mary in his arms (she was nearly two), Milton was standing in his
overalls, Mom, and the rest. She told Grandpa "John, take care of my babies", and she died. She never left their house. They laid her out on a
board and covered the mirror on the dresser. Men in the community made her a casket in a shop by Johnny Self's Store. Ollie Self lined the casket
for them. They buried her the next day after she died. Loyd Colbert had a pair of white horses and a trailer everyone used to haul caskets to the
cemetery. Grandpa John and your Dad is by the Old Store by Arbuckle Island. Mom kept Mallie herself in the home for a month or so. Mrs. Smith, Ola
Mae Smith's Mom, gave them fresh milk from a cow. Grandpa farmed on the Island for himself. He farmed mostly Alfalfa, Cotton, corn, etc. But Aunt
Add had five girls and no boys and she wanted a boy, so she asked for him. She promised that they could come and see him any time they wanted to.
Grandpa got his feelings hurt when he would take them to see him and she would cover the table so they couldn't see or want their food. They were
also treated coldly. So he didn't take them back. Grandpa took on WPA building roads about the time Mom and Dad were dating. He went to California
and stayed with Milton for 3 or 4 years. He got sick and had to come back. Dad took him to Bollingers and he took 21 shots to get him where he could
walk. He came back to our home somewhere about 1955. Mary took him a short time, then he moved into the little house in Lavaca. Grandpa had Diabetes
Grandpa was as redheaded as he could be. Before he got married, he had his hair back in a pony tail and just had it cut off!
He frequented a whore house in Fort Smith called "Old Lady Bell's" and her daughters, but never remarried. Mom says all the men went there and
blowed their money!
(SHE MENTIONED A COUPLE OF OTHER NAMES HERE, BUT I'LL LEAVE THEM OUT UNLESS SOMEONE WANTS A ONE-ON-ONE LETTER).
THERE IS ALSO A NOTE ATTACHED "THIS COULD BE BELLE STARRS. I KNOW SHE WAS TIED INTO THE "RED LIGHT DISTRICT" OF FORT SMITH. UNCLE JAY TALKED
ABOUT PEARL - BELL STARRS DAUGHTER. "MISS LAURA'S" IS STILL STANDING - INFORMATION CENTER FOR FORT SMITH AND THE ONLY "CAT HOUSE" ON THE NATIONAL
REGISTER!
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