Tangipahoa Parish Library African American Honorary Service Award

I'm so proud of my granddaughter Jo'elle for so many reasons. First, she is a very kind and sweet young lady who really enjoys learning. Whatever she embarks upon, she gives it her hard. She enjoys cooking, shopping, traveling, and hanging out with her friends. She is a born leader and enjoys taking the leadership role if necessary. 

When she was a student at Spring Creek Elementary, her teacher gave her an award for being very knowledgeable in history and current events. She is an honor roll student at Sumner Jewel Middle School, and she takes her grades very seriously. Jo'elle was on the Student Council at Spring Creek; she volunteers her time in the community for clean up days. She helps me organize items for giving away. When it comes down to graphics and video editing, she has excellent skills. She wants to become a Pediatric Doctor when she grows up. 

She and six other girls traveled to the 50th Anniversary March on Washington. There she met Julian Bond. She and the girls were featured in an article on BET for being at the 50th Anniversary. Their poster delivered a message, and the young advocates' voices were heard. 

Jo'elle had traveled to many museums, libraries, and state archives to assist her grandmother with genealogical research. Her future is bright, and most importantly, she understands how important it is to stay focus and work hard at her studies. Yes, I'm a proud grandmother and will support her and her brothers to become the best they can be in life. 

She was surprised that I nominated her for this award. My heart was delighted to see her recognized for her outstanding work. Not because she is my granddaughter, but because she works so hard and look for nothing in return.

Time Spent with My Great Uncle Palmer Harrell

Palmer Roscoe Harrell

Me and my brothers called him Uncle Buddy like everyone else in the family. Palmer Roscoe Harrell was born on Oct 28, 1900 and died in 1977 in Amite, Louisiana  He and I share the same birthday. I grew up in Amite, Louisiana, for the first twelve years of my life and got to spend sometime with Uncle Buddy drove an old green pickup truck to the  family homestead to do his farm work. He farmed on the land that his mother Emma Mead Harrell had purchased in 1896. 

Uncle Buddy drove so slow that my oldest brother Reginald would jump on and off the back of the truck. Boy! If my mother would've seen that we all would've been in big trouble. And especially me because I'm the oldest. He took out so much time with my brothers and me, we all loved him dearly. 

Sometimes I would sit in front of the truck with him. I had to push all the stuff he had on the front seat over so I would have a place to sit. I remember the old mason jar with frozen ice water and a bag with vanilla wafers and cheese in it. After we helped him with his daily chores, we took us to Bell's store to buy some treats with the nickel he gave each of us. Now, those nickels with far back in those days. Uncle Buddy walked as slow as he drove his truck. He'll always hold an extraordinary place in my heart. The lessons of planting vegetables came from him. Whenever I'm working in my garden, I think of him. I called my youngest Michael and asked him what he remembers most about him. 

I remember after school, he would give us time to change our school clothes and put on some work clothes, and he'll come and pick us up to help him pick peas, beans, and load the hampers on the back of the truck, said Michael. Sometimes we just walked across the road and help him.

Michael had me laughing so hard; he remembered when  our brother Thomas took two watermelons and put them in a sack and put them in the pond to stay cool so he could eat them later. Uncle Buddy said I know how many watermelons I had. If I find out who got them, you would be in trouble. 

He told us if it was raining and start lightning don't stand under the trees. "We soon found out why he said that," said Michael. We did just what he told us not to do, and the lighting stuck the tree we were standing under a tree that struck by lightning. We ran as fast as we could all the way home. 

He always gave our mother fresh vegetables for us, helping him. Little did we know we were buying our groceries. "Not only did we help harvest the crops," said Michael. We had to clean the vegetables and help mama freeze them. One thing is for sure it taught us good work ethics, he said.