The Flew family has never been a large clan. I never knew my grandparents on my father's side; all I know about them is that they migrated to the States from Southern Scotland...er, England. My father was one of five siblings, being the only son. Fittingly, he was known to my four aunts as Brotha.

His sisters were Clara Bell (whom I confused with the clown when I was young), Annie, referred to as Aunt Tee, who was married to Curtis Dempsey, a TVA construction worker, Francis, who was married to Carl Sheffield and Willie Mae Travis. Aunt Mae was the only one that lived here in Jackson while Aunt Clara Bell lived in Granite City, MO (just outside of St. Louis), Aunt Tee (Annie) lived all over the Tennessee Valley area and Aunt Francis lived in Florida. While Pop, Aunt Clara Bell, Aunt Tee and Aunt Francis passed away in their 70s, Aunt Mae was hale and hearty well into her 90s. Once, when discussing the fact that her other siblings had all been diabetic, Cissy's then husband stated I'm not diabetic, I'm Pentacostal. Without batting an eye, Aunt Mae replied I'd rather be diabetic!

The only grandparents I have ever known was momma's adoptive mother, Goldie May Crosby, whom we knew affectionately as Big Momma (though she was actually quite diminutive) and her second husband whom we called Pa George. Big Momma raised chickens and we always gathered and ate fresh eggs when we stayed with her. She also had a strawberry patch that seemed to have ripe strawberries all year round. Pa George was retired from the GM&O Railroad where he had suffered an accident and lost his left arm above the elbow. Once when Frank taunted him that he could not punish him because he only had one arm, Pa George grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, stuck him under his stub arm and wore his butt out! (This was an excellent lesson in respecting authority that, unfortunately, did not register on Frank for the next 20 years or so.)

This brings us to our family as it is now made up. The eldest is Frank, named for my father, his wife, Delores, and their daughter Glenda and son-in-law Brian. My sister, Cissy, is married to Tom Nichols. Her real name is May Elizabeth, named for our grandmother plus Momma's best friend, and is really a beautiful name. However, she has been known as Cissy since a very young age. I would not be surprised if Cissy is the name on her driver's license. Cissy has two kids, Jeff and Tricia, with two and three children respectively. The baby of the family is John with two sons, Justin and James. The love of my life is my daughter, Amy and my son, Brian Roberts (a story in itself that I would be glad to relate to you.)