Just wanted to let you all have a Meet & Greet with my Auntie's. All Sisters. The "7 Daughters" of Sam Miles and the Former Queen Daniel. They had 10 children all together. "7 Daughters" and 3 Sons. Only 2 of the Daughter's are now Living. In this piece you will get to know a little about each one of them from my personal stories and what I know on them. I have all their marriage license's and plenty of census records, and most death certificates. I also have obits of most, including Poppa Sam and Grandma Queen. Hoping family will leave NoTe's to me about the Aunties as well. Even friends and new found cousins. Eventually there will be more stories and documents to share along the way. So for now enjoy them Miles Sister's. I knew all of my Momma's Sista's.
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| Back Row: Aunt Bunny ~ Aunt Lessie~ Mom! (Tinnie) and Aunt Nett Front: Aunt Velma ~ Aunt Lily ~ Aunt Rosie |
Aunt Rosie Reid! was the 1st and Oldest Daughter of the Miles Sister's. Aunt Rosie was so tall to me with creamy latte skin. She was born April 6, 1915 ~ April 28, 1982 in Toledo is where she passed. She was blind. I loved going to her house when we would visit Toledo Ohio for the holidays or summers. She would say True Ann come over her and let me see how tall you done got! I loved how she would put my face in her hands and get a feel for it and how big I had got. She was sweet to me. Mom loved her just for the reason she was her older sister. Our birthday's are right around each other too. She had that spit fire Aries in her!
Aunt Lessie B. Milbry! She set an example. Was Brave. Aunt Lessie was the only child who went to college, smart as a whip! Mom would say. She attended Tuskegee University. She was born February 15th ,1919 ~ died July 6th,1992 in Tuskegee she passed of Breast Cancer. It was such sorrow for Mom, that is who she was closest to in mind, spirit and body. Them two did all kinds of things together. Mom looked up to her and Aunt Lessie adored her and confided in Mom on all things. She is whom Mom got a lot of her fighting strength from and knew she could do all things. Her lost hit Mom the hardest.
Aunt Lily B. Cooper! She never told her age, and we didn't find out truly her age till she passed! Just like she always wanted it. Born May 7th, 1921!!! Did you hear ME? She passed away in Detroit June 15th, 2013. All Mom's children were there to represent her one last time. We finally knew what Aunt Lily's age was. I can clearly remember the day when I told Mom I thought Aunt Lily was younger than you. Who told you that LIE?! I don't know Mom? I just assumed, she carry herself young. Which she did, she stayed dressed in the finest. She could make her sisters dresses for 5cents a yard back in the day. She loved all the records they would get from their Auntie up north. She kept up with all the latest styles and had a new Cadillac every year. She was married to Daddy's nephew, Clarence Cooper. After Mom looked at me crazy, she said Lily don't never tell her age. She laughed so much on that! Aunt Lily had the whole next generation thinking she was "Younger" than everybody. My favorite times are when we would go to Detroit and visit her and Cousin Uncle Clarence and sit on the porch or down in the den where the bar was. She didn't let us on her good stuff. Till this day I only saw that den. Loved spending time with my cousins, laughing and playing hopscotch. Just going to Detroit was fun. All the lights and sounds. This was not the Country.
Aunt Bernice Haslam! My Aunt Bunny! She was the Family Historian for this family. She started the Family Reunion in the 70's. The last time I talked to her and shared my research, she said: True Ann you really got it! I felt like she had passed the baton on to me. Those were the last words she really spoke to me. She has Alzheimer's now. Born in 1922 Aunt Bunny was full of what Southern ladies are. She was in charge of everything around her. Smart! Organizer. Her and Mom were cozy too. They loved to exchange hats and purses. There relationship was close as well. After she got off that phone with Aunt Lessie she would call Aunt Bunny and them three would get whatever was going on STRAIGHT! They all stuck together even with their differences and never forgot where they came from. Aunt Bunny was married to a soldier from World War 2, most of them are WW2 brides. Her and Uncle Cleo was a good pair. I hope Aunt Bunny whatever her Journey be, I pray it will be Strong and Graceful like her.
Mom! Tinnie L. Lewis! was born August 29th, 1923 and passed on November 11, 2008 she was the Middle child. Mom was really the CENTER of this Family. She was the glue to all the Sister's. I miss her dearly on a daily basis. I will do Mom on another blog or you can visit some of her in my Search Box with her name. For now I'll give you a glimpse of her at this blog. The House that Built Me .
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| Poppa Sam and Grandma Queen 1930 with some of their children |
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| 1930 with the Miles Sister and Parents |
Aunt Velma Haslam! She is my Oral Historian now. Aunt Velma, or who I call "Odessa" in my playful way with her. It's between me and her and I'll tell you that story one day. Not to many family members know about it, so I want to keep it to myself for awhile. Hope you don't mind. She was born June 15, 1928 the same day as her brother, my Uncle Grover Miles born 1912. They celebrated a lot of times together on sweet cakes made from Grandma Queen many a time. Her and Aunt Bunny's husband's are brothers, so they are both Haslam's and have homes right next door to each till this day. We are constantly on the phone. She encourages me all the time on this family history and wants me to get it straight and all down. Aunt Velma is 85 and still calls me. She is the only one of my Elders right now I depend on. She is patient and answers all my questions and gives me many details and as much as she can. I love all her stories too on when they was all growing up. Aunt Velma is all I have left to get us through our research for the Miles family. I don't think she knows how grateful I am for all these moments. She's my Strength. My Rock.
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| Aunt Bunny sitting, standing: Aunt Nettie B, right side: Aunt Velma |
Aunt Nettie B. Nobles! Aunt Nett was the baby of the Girls. She just recently passed and I think it hit me the most. Why I haven't been blogging lately. At her funeral I visited with many cousins from both sides of my family. Aunt Nett was married to Uncle Cousin Richard Nobles. He was Daddy's 1st Cousin. She came into the world November 14, 1932 ~ February 7th, 2014 she passed in North Carolina and was brought back home to Midway, where she is buried at our family church you heard me write about many times at Mt. Coney Missionary Baptist Church. She married Uncle Cousin Richard on April 9th, 1953 at Aunt Sallie Bea's house. I'm gonna miss our talks. When I went to her house after the funeral. She still had me and Uncle Bobbie, her brother's picture sitting right were I left it when I last saw her. So it was her way of letting me know she is just a whisper away. I'll miss being up in her bosom and talking to her after Mom passed. She helped me understand it all when I was going through my grieving. I'll miss sitting in Popeye's down in Union Springs, out late and just spoiling her at the Piggly Wiggly with a few groceries and laughing so. It was one of the last things I got to do was drive her and Aunt Velma to see Aunt Bunny on one my research trips alone. True Ann you just gotta pray about it. That was her saying to me on many conversations. I left a many tears in her ears. I always stayed with Aunt Nett all throughout the years on their farm. If I stayed gone to long visiting the other Auntie's, she'd call up the road and say when you coming? You know you got other Auntie's down here you need to spend time with! I'm on my way Aunt Nett!, she'd be waiting at the screen door and we do our ritual of sitting up and talking. She was the one to offer you anything she had. She wasn't fancy. She loved her space and told you what she meant. Love and Miss you Aunt Nett and Thanks for Everything. After Mom passed me and Bettye made sure each one of them Sista's got something of Mom's for Remembrance.
These "7 Daughter's" have individually taught me so many things. In all areas of my Life I take something from them. Their lives and who they are, are so much apart of Who I am Today. I have a piece of each one of them. They always always made me feel loved and special in so many ways. I can't even begin to tell you. Each one of them poured a lot of love on me. These Women; my Auntie's on any given day you can see them through me. I loved them as hard as I could and I let them know them it. I gave them their Flowers on Earth as much as I could. I've Truly been Blessed that I had 7 Women from the time I was born to set an example to me and just simply love me for me. That's Them "Miles Sista's" for you and for ME! in Mom's words:
"Don't Let the Miles come out of Me now"!
These Children were all born in Bullock County, Midway, Alabama. They are the "7 Daughter's" of Sam Miles and the former Queen Daniel. Married May 11th, 1911.
Poppa Sam & Grandma Queen Daniel Miles Resting Place @ Antioch Baptist Church
The whole family were members at Antioch Baptist Church while growing up. This is where they were baptized also. Aunt Velma and Aunt Bunny are still members. Come back and read about the 3 Brother's in between the 7 Daughters. Grover, Edgar and Sam "Uncle Bobbie" Jr.
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| Antioch Baptist Church |
