The Run Away Bride

Mr and Mrs Jackie Bryant

May 18, 1955 my parents graduated from high school, and four days later they had a plan. It was a Sunday morning and Decoration Day at my grandmother's (Mama Pet) church, which is a few miles North of Iuka (Fairview). Everyone got all dressed up for this, so Mama didn't really stand out. While my grandmother and her family were doing their thing, Mama was hiding behind a big old Oak tree. She was watching out for a friend of my other grandmother's (Mama Helen) to come and pick her up and take her to my Daddy. You see my Daddy was 19 and my Mama was 4 days shy of 18 and my grandparents wouldn't hear of her getting married so they ran off......sorta.

My Mama and Daddy came from two different lifestyles. My maternal grandparents (Mama Pet and Papa) had more material things than my other grandmother (Mama Helen), but their love for their children was the same. Mama Pet and Papa had a car and housekeeper. Mama Helen divorced when my Daddy was real young so she had a much harder time. She often worked two jobs and had no car. My Daddy delivered papers at the early age of five (blog story later) to help out the family. BTW... my Mama has a younger brother, and my Daddy has two younger sisters.

May 22, 1955

My Daddy and Mama finally met up and were taken to the courthouse to get their marriage license. The Chancellor's Clerk knew my Mama and knew she was under age, so he wouldn't issue a marriage license. So they got this man (not naming names) to take them to Corinth and he pretended to be my Mama's dad.  They got their license and headed home.

Apparently the only people that didn't know what was going on was Mama Pet and Papa. Mama and Daddy came back to the United Methodist Church in Iuka and found the church packed with his family and their friends waiting on them.

Me:  Did y'all have a reception?

Daddy: Heck Naw!!! We Had To Get Gone!!!!!

Daddy, Mama. Peggy and Jeeper

Me: Where did you go? You didn't have a car.

Daddy: Jeeper (MG Dexter) and Peggy, who became my uncle and aunt a year later, took them to Okolona, MS
Daddy:  I worked for Liberty Cash Grocery Store and I had to go to Okolona for four weeks to fill in for someone. That's where we spent our honeymoon. 

Mama: Ohhhhhhh, I'll never forget when we got there we went out to eat.

Daddy: You got to be kidding, how'd we do that 'cause we didn't have any money?

Back in Iuka: My grandparents couldn't find Mama so they called a friend and she told them what took place. Papa called Daddy at the store and told him to come on home they weren't mad. They thought they had moved there. Daddy said they had to stay there four more weeks and then they would be home. FYI:  They can't remember how they got home...Love get's in your eyes I suppose.
Me: What did Mama Pet and Papa say when they saw y'all?
Daddy: Awwwww they were glad to see her...me...not so much.
Like I said, they can't remember how they got back to Iuka but they were dropped off at the park 'cause my Papa's side of the family was having a family reunion.
Daddy:  They told us to take your Mama's little brother and ride him around and then come on back to their house for supper.
Mama had to drive 'cause Daddy didn't have license. Back in the day, Mama Helen lived next door to the jail, and the sheriff and his family lived down stairs in the jail. Downtown Iuka was just up the street (a block, I guess, not far).

Me: Where did y'all live?

Daddy: The sheriff let us live in 2 rooms (bedroom and kitchen) that was attached to the jail. I don't think it had a stove, though.
Mama: OH!!! It sure did.
Daddy: Well I never saw you use it.
Mama: Thats because I couldn't cook.
Me: How long did you live in jail?
Daddy: We got to live there rent free for six month, then we got a new sheriff and had to move. Our time was  up. We moved to 5th street (five streets from town, ha) for six months, then we were able to build a house.
Shortly after getting all settled at the jail Mama went to work at the shoe factory and someone picked her up each day and would take her home  (maybe a mile). My Daddy and Mama Helen worked in town.
Daddy said his boss ( Mr. Gann) let him drive an old truck to take the garbage off and that is how he learned to drive.
Mama: One day Helen wanted to teach me how to wash clothes by using her ringer washer. I thought I'd have Mama come and get the clothes so her housekeeper could do them.  But Helen wouldn't hear of it, and I was afraid of her and did whatever she said. First time I used that washer I got my hand caught in it, and I thought my hand was gonna fall off. I took off running to the grocery store to show your Daddy. He came home with me 'cause I thought Helen would be upset with me, but she has already done all our washing by the time we got there.
Daddy: And one day I came home with a 1947 Plymouth and your Mama said I'd spent all our savings and she wouldn't be riding in it. Fifteen minutes later she was in it and gone riding. I paid $135.00 for that beauty. The next year in June and on Father's Day, they had a 9 1/2 lb. baby girl ....that would be me.













My parents ended up building a house, and moved in early January of '57 to Graham Road. Around 1965, they added on to the house 'cause I gotta brother and sister and we needed more room.They lived in that house till 1998, then built a new house next door.






Dear Lord,

I' m so blessed to have parents like Mama and Daddy. What an example they have been for me. Love is what they always taught.... and love is what I learned. 
May they have many, many more wonderful years together. Bless my family, friends and blog readers. Amen.