LITMIR.BIZ

      My older sister, Mildred Faye Manning, is a wonderful sister and I love and respect her. She has always been a good and true big sister to me. Even from a young age, she always carried herself as a proud girl and everyone that came around her knew that she had it going on. Mildred has been very successful and works hard to reach her goals.

      When she was in high school, she was a cheerleader and she really excelled in it. I used to watch at the football games as she cheered the team on to their victory. I think that she had the highest kick of the entire cheerleading team and I am just not saying this because she’s my sister. Trust me; I would not “pull your leg” on something like this. And another thing, my older sister had a temper and she wouldn’t hesitate to fight if she felt threatened. She had her “band of sisters,” they were tough and were known to kick some butts. They were a force to be reckoned with when it came to one of their sisters. We always had a rivalry with Wharton High School, and one time, they threw a rock at their team’s school bus as the bus was leaving.

      I remember once when we were in the cotton fields, these two white boys jumped me on the back of their truck when we drove to the watermelon patch. They started eating some of the watermelons that were gathered from the field and threw the rinds of the melons at me. They started hitting me and made fun of me as they all just laughed. They even fooled me by asking me to go with them and then they showed me another side of them when they had gotten me all by myself. But when we arrived back at the cotton field, I could not wait to inform Mildred Faye Manning of my ordeal. As I told her what these boys had done to me, I could see her anger rising up. I think her face was as red as a firecracker. She stormed off in the direction of those two white boys and I could see her cussing them out, pointing her finger in their faces. When she was done with them, they had a better attitude. During my final year of high school, I attended their white school and when I met them again, they still remembered my older sister vividly.

      My older sister had everything going her way because she had that command-type attitude about herself. And it has carried over into her adult life, because when she walks into a place, it’s like she’s running everything.

      Today, my older sister has excelled in her faith and has become a minister in her church in Freeport, Texas. When she brings the Sunday message, I feel that she looked into heaven itself to receive it. She has become an excellent preacher and teacher of God’s Word. From early on, my older sister has been a true inspiration in my life and to this day, she continues to inspire me. She has played a big part in my life and I feel that she has made me the person I am today.

      My Brother-in-Law

      Pastor James L. Williams, Sr.

      My brother-in-law, James L. Williams, Sr., is another inspiration in my life and he provides a constant positive influence. He came into my life when he was dating my older sister in high school.

      When I first met him though, I thought very little about him dating my sister and tried to run him off every chance I could get. But he was not having that and paid me no attention. Besides, he was built like a tank and could just crush me like a bug. I knew that I was no match for him and honestly I wanted no part of getting into any type of confrontation with him. I respected the relationship he had with my sister. I remember the day he came to talk with my mother and father about dating my sister and I believe that he handled himself well in the eyes of my parents. He has been a strong example of a man and has been good to my sister.

      When he was working at Independent Rice Warehouse, I got a job cleaning the bins, sweeping them out when the rice finished draining. But when he started his own roofing business, he hired me and my brothers to work with him; it became very rewarding. Now, we were able to earn a decent wage as we learned how to roof. James taught us to become good roofers, and we became excellent at our job. I really appreciated the opportunity at that time in my life to earn an honest wage.

      I remember we had a roofing job in Sergeant, Texas. All day long, I was boasting about my new driver’s license and kept asking James to let me drive home. I should have kept my month closed about how well I could drive. Well, after our day was done, he allowed me to drive and it was on. I got to drive his old Merry and I cruised along at the speed limit, still boasting about how well I could drive. As soon as we came to a deep curve, James placed his foot on top of mine and pressed the gas pedal to the floor; it was off to the races. My heart almost burst out of my chest as I watched the speedometer climb up and up and I was saying, “OOOOOOOO” as I was gripping the steering wheel as tight as I could around every curve. I had to hold the car on the road and James kept saying, “Hold it! Hold it! Hold it!” I was holding on for dear life! I had never driven so fast in my life, but this experience taught me a lesson. And my lesson was never to boast to James L. Williams, Sr. about how well I could drive a car or I would be tested! After that day, I never boasted about how well I could drive a car to anyone! Case Closed.

      Any time we could earn money to buy our own clothes and shoes, it helped my family by taking some of the burden off our parents. James helped me learn how to work on a job by taking the time to teach me at an early time in my life. And he continues to help me today, I am a member of Free Spirit Worship Center in Freeport, Texas as his associate minister and it is never a dull moment at his service. I have always understood the Word every time he preaches or teaches. It is my opinion that he spends a lot of time praying in order to receive the Word from all high and he is a true God’s man. I respect his guidance and I will always be a member at the church under his leadership. Their children consisted of James Williams Jr, Teresa F. Williams, Lisa Williams, and Timothy Williams. I believe that James and my sister provided their children with a loving home, full of support to grow up to be strong in the faith and well manner children. One thing that they done well was to take them to visit their grandparent on both sides of their families.

      My Mother

      Mrs. Emeolia Ross