A Dockery Family Remembrance

A DOCKERY FAMILY REMEMBRANCE

By Opal Dockery

We are proud to be part of the Dockery Family,

With this, I am sure you will all agree.

In this family, I remember my childhood days,
There were slower times and older ways.

Yes, I do recall these older days in the Dockery family,

I was almost born at the home of Aunt Lily.

Everyone always felt welcomed in her home,

We had each other's company and did not need a phone.

In these days, hardwood floors were in style,

Everyone stopped and enjoyed each other for awhile.

We were all we had,

But this did not make us sad.

Nobody worried about what TV program was on tonight,

They would go hunting or fishing and wait for a bite.

Sears catalogs served many purposes,

Such as paper dolls and lower services.

Aunt Nadine made everyone feel welcomed at her home,

At her house you never felt alone.

Here I liked staying the night,

It was difficult for her to keep Jill and me in sight.

We jumped from the hayloft into the grains,

It was fun, but where were our brains?

The brakes would not work on the bike that Vic had,

When the barn stopped you, it made you mad.

Uncle Loren lived with Aunt Nadine and Uncle Joe,

I remember his fighting roosters that he would show.

Uncle Lee and Uncle Calvin were mechanics like my dad,

This was hard, dirty work, and it often made them sad.

Visits were rare from Aunt Helen, Uncle Hank, and their boys,

This was one of the Dockery's unusual joys.

Twins were born to Aunt Martha and Uncle Stan,

This was a proud event for the Dockery clan.

At Christmas and Thanksgiving Aunt Reba would announce

The date of the next family event,
Looking back at these holidays, I know they were times well spent.

Maxine worked at Ben Franklin's and lived with us,

When I had my eye operation, she made a fuss.

Leo came to our home one night for my mother's advice,

That night their daughter Debbie was born,
Which turned out very nice.

Howard Lee, Helen, Lonnie, Carolyn, and Vic all arrived in 1942,

Mama, Aunt Reba, Aunt Lily, Aunt Mae, and Aunt Nadine all said,
“Now, what do we do?”

In her class, Kay was the best,

She was smarter than all the rest.

Bill Wilson would play his fiddle,

He knew this instrument more than just a little.

Uncle Guy and Aunt Edna have always been good,

If they wanted to be better, there is no way they could.

For my mother, Uncle Walt made a wooden bench,

For him, things such as this were a cinch.

Grandma Edna and Grandma Prudence I never met,

Many hours with them I would like to have spent.

Uncle Bud was always with Grandad,

They had lots of fun, but they were not bad.

Grandad Beech raised eight kids by himself

In my opinion, this made him a great man.
His kids are Calvin, Reba, Nadine, Howard, Lee, Helen, Loren, and Stan.

I remember the day Grandpa Aaron died,

We went to his house and everyone cried.

Let's not forget from where we came,

Today our feelings, as then, should be the same.

Let's remember these old days,

And do not let phone things get in our ways.

These old days were real,

We knew how to love and were not afraid to feel.

Do not think we are successful with fancy houses and such,

Our real happiness was in the old days when we needed each other so much.

All our families loved and needed each other then,

Let's not forget those days when we were all friends.

Someday it will be too late to say,

How we feel for each other today.

So let's remember these old days as we all walk forward together in life,

And ask the positive forces to hold the Dockery family together
Each day and each night.