1. By: Cherise Dash
ENGL 250: Research & Writing II
Prof. Buchanan

2. My grandmother, Thelma Johnson was born in Amelia
Courthouse, VA on October 21, 1918, to the late Albert
and Jenette Ward. She was the 4th oldest child out of 9
children and the 2nd oldest girl. There were 6 boys and 3
girls. Out of all 9 children, the only surviving one left is
her baby sister and the youngest one Dorothy Quarles.
My grandmother loved everyone and she would feed you
as if you hadn’t eaten in a week. She would cook as if 10
people were coming to her house. She made you feel like
you were family and never turned anyone away.

3.  She passed away on September 3, 1987 from her battle
with cancer of the liver and that’s when everything
seemed to changed. The family didn’t seem as close as
it once did when she passed away. She kept the family
together and her house was our hangout spot.
 We always looked forward to coming to “granny’s”
house whenever we came down from New York to
visit. That’s what we all called her was “granny”.

4.  Now we come to the man of house, my grandfather
Carl E. Johnson, Sr. Born on June 3, 1919 in Amelia
Courthouse, VA to the late Edgar and Nola B. Johnson.
He was the 3rd oldest of 5 children and the 2nd oldest
son.
 He died on September 28, 1996 of a heart attack and
before his passing he was the only living survivor on
his side of family.

5.  My grandfather was some what soft spoken. He was in
the U.S. Army and served in WWII. Back then in the
1930’s and 1940’s young men could enlist in the
military, they were not drafted into the military. My
grandfather built the families first television and he
went to an apprentice school to become an electrician.
 My greatest memory was when he shoot his gun every
year on New Year’s Eve. That was something that he
did every year and give the kids money of course.

8.  My grandmother Nola B. Johnson was my
grandfather’s mother. She had passed away by time I
was born. Before she died, her last wish on her death
bed was to have a shot Gin.
 She had Native American on her mother’s side of the
family. My mother is actually named after her. Her
name is Nola G. Johnson. My great grandfather Edgar
had already passed away by time my mother was born.


9.  My great grandmother Nola B. Johnson, according to
my mother, had a fall one winter and she really never
seemed to recover from that and that was probably
what caused her to die. She probably never got treated
for that as health started to declined.
 My great grandmother, Jenette Ward died from
diabetes . This was my grandmother’s mother and
diabetes runs on her side of the family.

10.  The Johnson and Ward family has some characters.
They new had to have a good time and when you were
around that family, there was never a dull moment.
 Going up to Amelia to my uncle Buster house’s for
Memorial Day was an adventure. We would pack food
for the 2 hour car ride as if we were going up there for
days. We come the same day and we just have the best
time being around family.

11.  As the years go by, we don’t seem to be as close as we
use to be. After the lost of grandmother, grandfather
and aunt, we just seem to drift. Yes we have our own
lives and families but we still need to be close as a
family and not hold grudges or be angry over
something silly.
 After my mom survived her stroke, that’s when it
seemed we as a family got close again and its kind of
sad that something like that has to happen in order to
be a family.

12.  Even though we may not as be as close as a family like
we use too bee, I wouldn’t trade these people in my life
for anything. I’m blessed to still have my mother living
and doing well. I would be lost without her. I still have
my sister and brother whom I very, very close too.
Especially my sister Angela Dash, she’s my mom and I
tell people that all the time.
 Then there’s the love of my life, my son Mathias. Never
thought I would be blessed with a child but he’s my
blessing and my joy and he keeps me motivated to
better my life.