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Like most folks, I had two sets of
grandparents.
On dad's side, there was Mamaw and Papaw Clark. On
mom's side, there was Mimi and Poppi Paul.
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Mamaw and Papaw lived
on a small farm just east of town. I loved that farm. I especially
liked the fresh strawberries and tomatoes they |
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grew in their garden. It was on
their farm that we would often gather the whole Clark clan
together for special occasions, especially around Christmas. Mamaw
was a pillar in our church, First Assembly of God on South 18th
Street. She was about as Pentecostal as they came. And big
hearted. |
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Poppi was a preacher. In fact, he founded the church I grew up in. |
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Sometime later he switched sides and moved to the
Church of God (Cleveland, TN). When he wasn't preaching, he was
painting houses. Mimi was just Mimi. Sweet, loving, and always
interested in the the grandkids, and the last to go. She held on to
life until there wasn't much left of her to hold on to anything.
I knew Mamaw and Papaw better and have more memories of
them than I do of Mimi and Poppi. The farm was just a more intriguing
draw than paint buckets and ladders. But I loved all four as much as
any one.
All my grandparents left a legacy. They lived human
lives of faith, worked hard, made mistakes, and loved their families
real good. The fact that most of their grandkids and great grandkids
are Christians is a testament to their strong faith and genuine love.
We all owe them a great deal.
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