Eleven years ago, our family was welcoming a new baby girl {Casiday Hope} and anticipating another birth {Jeffie Jean}. The next generation of us was exploding with life and we were all thrilled.
In the midst of that, we suffered one of lifes bitterest moments and it hit us hard, as it often does. I was busy at home on Saturday morning, doing my usual chores and busily getting ready for my husband's return from a business trip to Japan. My phone rang and my plans changed.
My Uncle Bob {Bob Austin}had died unexpectedly in Memphis. He's was Neenie's brother and they had lived together for nearly 8 years, as they were both widowed. I live 4 hours from Memphis and was very close to my Neenie. As soon as Ed arrived at the airport, we high-tailed it to Memphis to stay with Neenie and try to be of help.
My Uncle Bob was truly one of a kind. He was small of stature, very dapper and to me the epitome of all things Southern. I could listen to his honey-sweet drawl for days. When I was a little girl, I thought he looked like a movie star! He collected antiques and called his things, "good junk". He teased like nobody else and he was fiercely loyal. He loved his Lord, his Wife, his Daughter, his Sister {
as he called my grandmother, because he said he didn't know her well enough yet to call her by her given name, Irene}, his friends and his extended family. His love of life and the people he met was obvious in all he did and said.
In retirement, he had a shop in his back yard where he framed pictures. I could spend hours looking at the beautiful things he had there. It seemed that all of Memphis made their way to his door at some time or another. The young women who worked for him loved him and he called them his 'Angels'.
At his visitation, I was overwhelmed by the number of people who stood in line for hours just to pay their respects. They came from all walks of life and each had something kind to say about Mr. Austin. They wanted to speak to his family and there were numerous tales of some kindness in deed and word that Uncle Bob had shown to them at some time.
The morning of the funeral, we were getting ready and a big black Cadillac pulled up behind the house. I went out to say that my Uncle had died and the shop was closed. An older gentlemen got out and asked to go in the shop. He wanted a piece of scrap molding to put on his desk to remember Mr. Austin. One of them men with him gave me a name, which meant nothing to me. I went in the house to get the key, as this sounded like a reasonable request and told Ed who is was and what he wanted. Ed looked at me and asked me if I knew who Kimmons Wilson was. I said no and he explained that Mr. Wilson was the man who started Holiday Inn.
Mr. Wilson was unable to attend the funeral and he wanted to pay his respects and get a piece of molding. We helped him look through the scraps until he found a piece he wanted. He said such kind things about Uncle Bob. Bob had framed some pictures for Holiday Inn corporate offices.
The night before, a janitor came and told me how kind Mr. Austin had always been to him, saying hello when he came into the building, asking about his wife and children.
That is just the sort of man my Uncle Bob was. Not concerned about a person's 'status' or station in life. Concerend about the person he was speaking to and making you think that you were the most important person he had to talk to that day.
I miss him. I miss hearing him say, "
Come in this house, little girl." I miss listening to him talk on and on with my Ed about Memphis Tiger basketball. I think of him when I see a package of Little Debbie's because he confessed to me that he was addicted to them. I laugh when I see yellow flowers, because he always said that there were "
too many yellow flowers in the world."
He was one in a million and I am very thankful that he was a part of my life and my family.
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| Bob Austin |
~Mollianne
