Creekbank Stories Curt Iles, Storyteller
We called her “Ma” and she was the rock solid center of the Terry Clan.
Rita McGuffee Terry was my wife DeDe’s paternal grandmother.
She lived in the home of DeDe’s parents, her son Herbert and daughter-in-law Juanita Terry for over a half century.
DeDe and Ma shared a bed for all of her growing up years.
Today, February 13, is her 123rd birthday.
She was born February 13, 1903 in the Aimwell Hills of Catahoula Parish.
She died on May 29, 1994 at the rich old age of 91.
She is buried at Spring Ridge Cemetery in the Aimwell Hills of Catahoula Parish.
Ma’s life was remarkable as was she. She was one of the strongest women I’ve known. Her faith was strong, her work ethic was solid, and her love of her family was without depth.
She lived for most of the 20th Century spanning from the Wright Brothers to a man on the moon.
She lived under 17 presidents from Teddy Roosevelt to Bill Clinton.
Two World Wars, A Great Depression, and thousands of both the joys and sorrows of life.
The A-Model car to sputter through Harrisonburg to the dawn of the Internet.
She was a remarkable and memorable woman.
We called her Ma
And we loved her dearly.
View a photo collage of Ma’s life at www.creekbank.net
