Jeff Gazaway, GPC Student

Nelle

Being truly grateful for what you have seems to diminish a little more with each new generation, especially when compared to how appreciative survivors of the Great Depression and World War II are. The best accounts of growing up during those times cannot be found in history books but from the minds, memories, and stories shared by those fortunate enough to still be living with us today.

Nelle was born on July 20, 1920 to William and Rebecca. She was their third child of four and their first daughter. She and her family grew up in the small, rural town of Alpine, Tennessee. They lived in an old log home built by her Great Granddaddy Crawford. “The Old Home Place” on Nettle Carrier Creek was referred to as Crawford Hollow.

When asked to recount memories of her childhood, she kind of giggles as she reminisces not knowing quite where to start. There is a look of mischief in her eyes as she tells about going off with her cousins and taking the hen eggs down to the creek to crack- just to see what would happen- or about cracking walnuts under the front porch.

One of the best stories she told was about meeting her husband. When she was about 20 years old, Nelle moved to Nashville and worked at the Voltee plant as a Rosie Riveter helping to build airplanes. On March 16, 1943, Nelle met Edgar at the Vine Street Christian Church at a USO function for soldiers. As the petite brunette was sitting at a table with some girlfriends, the tall, handsome, dark-haired man with strong, broad shoulders and a kind, gentle face came and introduced himself. Since neither one of them could dance, they just sat and talked. When it was time to go home, he walked her to her friend’s car and held her hand. She said she fell in love with his hands that night and with the rest of him over the next three months. They dated steadily and almost married that June, but Ed was sent overseas so they decided to wait. For the thirty-two months that he was overseas they corresponded regularly while Nelle waited for him to return home. Ed finally came home in January of 1946 and six months later they were married.

Their wedding day was another great story that brought smiles and chuckles. They got their marriage license in Overton County, Tennessee, not knowing that you had to be married in the same county that the license was purchased in. On their wedding day, just before the small ceremony, the preacher realized that the license was for Overton County so they would have to find somewhere to get married in the next county over. The preacher’s wife had a suggestion, so the preacher, his wife, Edgar, Nelle, Nelle’s sister, and a cousin all piled into their Model T Essex and drove to a nearby creek that was on the county line. Wearing a delicate corsage of dark peach tea roses pinned to her home-made light blue suit dress, and he in his sharp, navy blue, pin-striped suit, Nelle and Ed exchanged their vows on the afternoon of June 8, 1946 standing on rocks in the middle of a creek. They were married for 55 ½ years before Ed passed away on his 84^th birthday.

Nelle looks back on her life fondly and is genuinely appreciative of all the experiences she has lived through, even surviving a stroke and losing her husband. She will tell you to this day that she married and lived with her very best friend. Their relationship epitomized love and friendship, and even after 55 years of marriage, she was still in love with his hands.