Macy's Children: Georgia and Ray

Although Macy Williams Wicker Hall Ezell looks a little stout in this photo, her granddaughter Alice Hall Washburn told me she was probably pregnant with Ray. Her father Obie said his mother was not actually big.
Ray Ezell was Macy's youngest child born in 1919 when she was 39 years old. My mother (Macy's granddaughter) was born in 1920 so she was very close in age to her two youngest aunts and uncles.
Although I met Ray and Nelda at least once, their story was legendary in our family. Ray was one of Grandpa's two brothers who were preachers. My sister says she remembers them visiting and Mom requesting that Dad not have a beer while they were there with Dad responding, "I don't care if the Queen of England comes to visit, I'm having a beer." I believe Ray had another job (insurance?) but his love was preaching at a Baptist church (photo above was in front of their church) in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Nelda had previously been married to Grandpa's first cousin Peck Wicker by whom she had had two sons: Curtis and Woody.
Her third child (Ray's only child) was Michelle Rae Ezell pictured here with her husband Robert Weesner.The letter above is from Georgia about Ray, Nelda, Michelle and her children Joshua and Simon. (Double click to enlarge it) Georgia was a wonderful letter writer who seemed to keep in touch with most of her siblings and their families---at least those who were more Southern.
Ray, Michelle and their families were very precious to Georgia as evidence by the many times she visited with them and talked about them in her letters.
Everyone has an aunt (or great-aunt) who is bigger than life---that was Georgia. She was beautiful, vivacious, but as a child often "in trouble" with her mother. Because Georgia and Mother were very close in age, Georgia was a little resentful of how strict Macy was with her and not with Mother, Macy's granddaughter.
The first time I met Georgia she was visiting from Arizona and had the most gorgeous turquoise jewelry---I think that's why I love turquoise today over almost any precious gem. Later she lived in the Los Angeles area near Long Beach.
I think my love of cruises is from the stories I heard about her cruises. This Alaskan cruise (above) in the 1960's was aboard the Royal Viking Star (Neptune Lounge) where she met up with Jack Lemmon, a popular movie star, at the time. But, she had taken other cruises as a passenger of a freighter where she dined with the captain.
The photo above is Georgia with her first husband John Homer Vencil whom she married in 1941. She was married at least one other time to Emory John Endicott. Georgia always seemed happy to me and yet I know her life had it's downs. She was born the same year her father died. Mother thought Macy was pregnant with Georgia when their house caught on fire and Mr. Hall was killed in the fire. So, from the beginning, her life was difficult.
I love this family portrait of Georgia with her daughter Barbara, grandson (Keith whom she adored) and great grandson Justin Hill. I am not sure about Barbara's early years---I know she was raised by someone else---having been born to Georgia when she was a teenager. But as adults they were close with a typical Mother-Daughter relationship loving with the occasional disagreement.