Grandma Hicks' Funeral

This is one of Cleffie Hicks Burford's memories --

Grandma Hicks’ Funeral

There is one other thing that happened in 1920 that I faintly remember.  My Grandma Hicks died and I remember of us going to her funeral.     

She died in April of that year before I would turn three in August.  She was my father’s mother.  Grandpa had died a little over a year before but I don’t remember that.  But I understood now that Grandma was dead, and I remember of us walking into the church house and there was her casket up in the front not far from the pulpit.  I knew she was in it.    

I remember that I felt a little strange; numb, or tense, or scared, or just not quite comprehending the whole thing.  I know I was very quiet and ill at ease, and I would be glad when we got home again.  I don’t remember anything else about the funeral, I just knew that Grandma was gone.  And the funny part about it is that I don’t remember anything about her before that.  She had been living with Aunt Tot and Uncle Albert.  They said she had eaten a good meal that evening of pork and sauerkraut and whatever else they had.  Later she belched up some of the sour juices and got strangled on it.  I guess she had quite a time getting over it; did a lot of coughing and gasping for breath.  After it was over and she seemed to be alright, she sat down in a chair, got her box of snuff out of her apron pocket and was getting ready to take a dip of it when she fell over dead onto the floor.      

I suppose the ordeal had been too much of a burden on her heart, which wasn’t very strong in the first place.  That’s where my father got his weak heart, he inherited it from her.      

My father never used tobacco in any form even though his parents both used it.

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Here are all the pictures I have of Malisa Hicks

PHOTO: Front - John Henry Hicks, Malisa Hicks, their oldest son David Hicks. Back: Felix Hicks, his wife Ida holding baby Rosie, Ulysses Hicks (Cleffie's father, my great-grandfather).

PHOTO: Front - Malisa Hicks, daughter Nancy. Back - Nancy's daughters Mae and Viola.

PHOTO: John Henry and Malisa Hicks

PHOTO: Malisa Hicks

(Cleffie's grandmother, my great-great-grandmother)