Melissa Ella Faulkner Cates was born September 5, 1871 in Haywood County, Tennessee and was the daughter of GEORGE WASHINGTON FAULKNER AND HARRIETT SHEARIN.

Ella's mother died on January 23, 1875 at the childbirth of Ella's youngest brother Tobias (Toby) Faulkner. Her father was found dead in bed on March 19, 1877.

A guardian was appointed and she was placed with her brother, William. But this arrangement did not last long. She was then placed with a Mrs. Ward who lived by the river and loved to fish. This "fishing" was too dull for my grandmother who was vivacious and full of life. She went to visit her sister Caldonia or "Donie" and according to my grandmother "the old man fell in love with her because she was such a teaser and full of life." He asked his wife if they could not keep her. So she finished growing up with her sister Donie.

She married TOLBERT FANNING CATES on January 27, 1889. They had nine children of which two girls died when young and the rest grew to maturity - that is, five girls and two boys.

My grandmother (mama) used to tell me she was part owner of three plantations when she married my grandfather. I really did not take her seriously as I was a Depression child and could not imagine her with an inheritance like that until I started to do genealogy work and sure enough I found the "Distribution of Shearin Property" to the Faulkner Children in the Minute Book "Q", page 103 dated 15 August 1877.

When my mother died, I was less than two years old, Mama took my Dad and I in until my Dad married again.

I remember many things about her and learned much from her. We used to go to town and it would take us all afternoon to get around Court Square as she would greet people at every store and they would tease her. They could hear her laughing before she got to their store.

When I would say "I can't", she would admonish me to never say "I can't and that I could do anything anyone else could do."

She often told the story "that she would put me in the front yard so she could get her work done. But I would manage to crawl several steps to be with her with "burnt hands and feet." Then she would have guilt feelings .

Another trauma I had in my life was "bed wetting". Mama never scolded me (even after I was a big kid) but would get me up in the middle of the night and clean me up while others would scold and shame me. I could not help it.

After my grandfather died while Mama was young, he had moved the family to town to get her out of the country. She did not like close neighbors so she rented the lots next to the house and planted cotton in it to pay for the land until she had almost the whole block.

Mama always sat in the "Amen Corner" of the Church and me with her or her daughters. One time the Church had a controversy and split. Someone called and asked my grandmother which Church she was going to. She replied "where I always go. I don't go to worship man but GOD."

We grandchildren would go to her house on "big" days and of course we were told not ask for something to eat as soon as we arrived. We would be like cherubs and sit quietly but watching Mama. She would get behind everyone and motion for us to follow her. Mama would take us to the kitchen and you can imagine all the food she had, particularly bowls of baked sweet potatoes and buckets of "boiled custard."

Well, these are only a few examples but we all remember her sociability, her independence, her determination and her great love for her family.

An example, my brothers tell of her independence was: that my mother sent them to mow her yard. When they got there she took the mower and told them to go sit down. When my mother asked my brothers about them letting her do it, they said they were afraid not to do what she said.

SHE WAS A FAULKNER!