She was the last of her generation, the last of my dad's four steel magnolia sisters, the storyteller, published author and poet, and family historian who could quote chapter and verse in any argument. She relished in being a country girl from Kentucky, and the life the family shared on a farm through the Great Depression and war that kept them close throughout their lives. From l to r: Maxine, Mildred, Mavis, and Naomi (after Melvin and Milford, my grandparents must've run out of "M"s by the time Naomi and my dad Woodrow were born) - none were able to conceive children of their own, so they doted on my sister and me, and made our childhoods seem that much more special. I'll miss the connection with an earlier time and your stories that vividly brought it back to life for an impressionable young boy, Max. I hope to pass them on to my own grandchildren so they'll learn to take pride in their roots. Thank you for all the love you gave. I know you're happy to be back home. under 100 items to wear of the wedding