Sidney Ray Grimes, Jr. Family:Information about Helen Davidson
Helen Davidson (b. May 19, 1914, d. August 15, 1999)
Notes for Helen Davidson:
Notes about 1976
Mother born 1880 died at 86
Daddy 60 died
Aunt Lena died 79
Aunt Minnie 90 living
Aunt Azili 60 died
Aunt Sissy 79 died
Uncle Jims 75 died
Uncle Frank 73 died
Aunt Mary 92 living
Tom 65 living
Louise 60 living
Helen 62 living
John 57 living
Lois 54 living
Notes handwritten in 1976 by Helen Watts about her family
My grandparents on Mother's side are Marian Erasmus Peterson Lineberger who married Caroline Kirkland.They lived in Dallas, later Belmont, N.C.They had children, Maydell, Hampton, Hunter, Minnie, Sallie Lee, and Lena.May dell died, I think of Pneumonia at about 15 yrs.Hunter died as a young man, not sure what killed him, maybe at age 25-30.Hampton was burned to death when he was 3 or 4.His daddy was looking after him.They were burning leaves so I guess it was in the fall.His daddy went to the barn a minute and heard him crying.His clothes were on fire.He was running toward him.He had put an armful of leaves on the fire and caught his clothes on fire.He was burned so badly that he died.His mother never got over this tragedy.
Aunt Minnie is the only one of these six children living now in 1976.She is at Glenn Lee Rest Home out from Statesville, N.C. and is 90 yrs. Old.She is Minnie L. Wynn.She was married to Philip Wynn.He is dead.
My Aunt Lena Lineberger Clyburn worked as clerk in Camden, SC at the Court House most of her life.She married her boss, James Clyburn who was Clerk of Court there at least 30 yrs. After his wife died, Aunt Lena and Uncle Jimmy, as we called him, were married about 15 yrs before he died.Of course, they lived in Camden, SC, his home.After he died Aunt Lena finished out his term which was about 3 yrs.People there wanted her to take it another 4 yrs, but she didn't want it.She resigned and later came to Statesville to make her home.Mr. Potter was our preacher at that time.She joined the 1st Baptist Church where Roby and I went.She built her a house on Georgia Ave. and Mother (Sallie Lee Lineberger Davidson) who was making her home with me went to live with Lena.Of course, Mother was a ARP and we were all raised ARP.Mother and Aunt Lena lived happily for a number of years until Mother began to show signs of Hardening of the Arteries.It got so Aunt Lena could not look after her so Louise and I took turn about keeping Mother with us.Louise had a goiter on her neck so Mother came to stay with me in Feb. while Louise had the operation.I was teaching at Central, 6th grade.I got Edith Plyler to stay with Mother so I could finish the school year.Louise's goiter turned out to be malignant and she had to take Cobalt.I resigned my teaching that next year in 1967 to look after her.She was getting worse.Got very mixed up in her mind but she was herself sometimes.Her room was upstairs, so one day she was worse than usual.She slipped up the steps the backway.I didn't know she was going up.She got to the top and fell.She rolled to the bottom. Judy was home and we called the ambulance not knowing how badly she was hurt.At Davis Hospital she was x-rayed and had a cracked shoulder bone.We kept some one with her or one of us stayed all the time.Her mind got worse and after much thought and discussion decided among us that we'd have to take her to a nursing home.
At this time, Roby was not very well.He was nervous and had a heart condition.He didn't feel that we could keep Mother here at our home.I would love to have kept her and looked after her myself.It would have taken my whole time from my family.This was just about the hardest decision I have ever had to make, taking Mother to the rest home instead of bring her back here.
She went down pretty fast.I rode with her in the ambulance to Rosewood Rest Home in Harmony.I also spent some nights out there and tried to feed her, but she got so bad, we moved her to Hill Haven Nursing Home, where she died about 3 months later at age 86.She had a bedsore that would not heal.She was well cared for down there.They called us one morning about 6am. Louise and I went right on down but she was gone when we got there.I can never forget when I went into her room, I felt so strong her spirit was still hovering in the room, maybe waiting on us to come and then I heard a sound.I can't describe except to say I felt it was an angel who came to take her spirit to heaven.Mother was laid to rest beside my Daddy in the Davidson plot in Oakwood Cemetery.
My Mother's parents both died rather young.Mother, Aunt Lena and Aunt Minnie spent some of their teen years with relations.Grandma Johnson and later they had to go to Barium Springs Orphanage where Mother graduated from High School and then she went into training at Long's Hospital on N. Center St.She finished her training there and was the first nurse in Iredell County to pass the State Exam to become an R.N.She nursed a few years and met and waited on my Daddy there.He was Thomas Leonidas Davidson.They were married and lived the 1st year with his parents on Wallace Springs Rd and then he bought the 200 acre farm where John and Martha live now, our old home place.It burned down in 1940.We were all born there except for Lois who was born at 727 N. Center St, our city home that Daddy bought so we could attend city schools, which were so much better than County schools.Daddy was very ambitious for us all to get a good education.I was the only one of 5 to finish college.I got my B.A. from Erskine College in 1937 and taught school about 8 yrs at Celeste Henkel School.
I was married on May 27, 1943 to Roby Gill Watts.We had 27 years together and were very happy.We had 2 beautiful children.Tommy Gill and Judith Kirkland.Tommy is 29 and Judy is 25 at this time and I couldn't be prouder of both of them.I know that Roby felt the same way.
They both married Christians.Tom married Gail Sullivan of Spruce Pine who makes Tom a fine sweet wife and I love her and am very proud to have her in our family.
Judy married Sidney R. Grimes of Iredell County, a Baptist Preachers son.He is a fine Christian boy and a good husband and father.They have a little girl, my only grandchild, Natalie Michelle Grimes who at this time is 4 yrs. Old, but will be 5, March 19, 1976.They are now living in Nashville, Tn.
My grandparents on my Daddy's (TL Davidson) side are Captain Thomas Moffett Clayton Davidson, Capt. In the Civil War, who married Eliza Jane Purvis.They lived on a 200 acre farm on the Wallace Springs Rd.This land was granted to his great great grandfather by the King of England.It is still in the Davidson name.To this union, was born Lucy W Davidson (we called her Aunt Sissy).She married twice.Wes Bailey of Spruce Pine, NC, where she lived for 20-25 yrs.He died and left her quite a bit of property.Deer Park was a big part of it.Later she married Mr. E.R. Watson, a well known lawyer in Western, NC.She had no children b either marriage.She was very good to all of us in her will.She died at age 79.She became very confused and I suppose it was Hardening of the Arteries.We built our cottage up in Spruce Pine on a small portion of her land.We enjoyed that cottage very much and all the weekends we spent there.Enjoyed the Gem Festival.
Also, my father TL Davidson was born to this marriage.Thomas Leonadas Davidson.He was grandpa's main help in running the farm.He did not get married until he was 33 yrs old.Aunt Azile was born to this first marriage.She was a Registered Nurse as well as a bookkeeper.She nursed at Longs Hospital and later moved to Davis Hospital when Dr. Davis started it.She was his first bookkeeper and a good one.She had an Angina Heart condition so retired early.She died at age 60.She was never married.She left all of her things to us five children.We each got $1,000 from her insurance and she left Lois and I all of her personal possessions.
My Daddy, T.L Davidson, was a good manager.He worked hard on the farm and fed his 5 kids (us).We helped some but not as much as we should.He was never very well.He had some trouble, maybe a form of Colitis, because he had to watch his diet and certain things he ate would hurt him.I really believe he had a condition similar to what I have.They did not know how to treat it then.He was always very thin.He had black hair and gray blue eyes and was 6 ft tall or more.I can remember Louise and I sitting on his lap in front of the open fire and him telling us stories about his childhood.He and mother loved us all very much.They took us to 1st ARP church in Statesville where his daddy (TMC Davidson had been an Elder and Charter Member).Of course, I was raised up in that church and Dr. J.H. Pressley was the preacher I had until I was married and became a Baptist with my husband Roby Gill Watts.Dr. Pressley observed his 50th anniversary in that church.He was truly a man of God.He was a little hard to talk to because he just fired one question after another at you and didn't wait for you to answer any of them.I can remember singing in the young people's choir and so often he got so over enthused he tried to lead the singing and would get us off tune.He was a monotone.I joined the ARP church when I was 8 or 9 yrs. Old when we were having a revival meeting.I can't quiet remember the preacher but he was a tall red-headed man and he always talked to the children at the end of his sermon.When he gave the invitation, I remember very well going down and accepting Jesus into my heart.Dr. Pressley took us into the Session Room as I recall ( the old ARP church which was at the site of the new ARP church) on E. Broad St. Statesville.Dr. Pressley asked us who made you?Who died for your sins?Do you accept Him as your Personal Savior?I believe I was born into God's Kingdom right then and Jesus has been in my life every since then.I know I haven't lived as close to Him at times as I should have, but I have committed my life to Him and as time goes by with His guidance, I hope to draw closer to Him and to serve Him in a much stronger capacity.
More About Helen Davidson:
Burial: August 19, 1999, Statesville, N.C..
More About Helen Davidson and Roby Gill Watts:
Marriage: June 27, 1943
Children of Helen Davidson and Roby Gill Watts are: