Roy Vernon Pinson (1905 - 1998)

Wonderful oral history that should be saved here for posterity.

I'm wondering if you knew David Pinson who was descended from the Fort Spunky Pinsons. David was a Pinson researcher in the 1970's when he edited the Defunct "Pinson Quarterly" which published the Loreita Hayden compiled history of Reverend Aaron Pinson. David and I were among Loreita's researchers and were mentored by her.

Roy Vernon Pinson was my paternal grandfather. His first wife was Margaret Pearl Morrow: she was my biological grandmother, and the person for whom I am named. They were high school sweethearts. Vernon was valedictorian of his high school graduation class. I read a copy of his Commencement speech, which was altruistic and emphasized the importance of doing good things in your life not just for one's own benefit but to make things better for everyone. Pearl liked to draw/design creative fashion dresses for women and color them with watercolor paint. Everyone who knew her said she was pretty, good-natured, kind, generous, compassionate: a very special person. I read her short essays that served as tests when she was a student: her perspective and words were very interesting and thoughtful. They both became teachers. They married in their early 20's, I believe. After a few years, they conceived a baby boy, who became my father. Sadly, as a consequence of a difficult labor and delivery, Margaret Pearl Morrow Pinson died about one week after giving birth to my father. My grandfather never really recovered from the almost unbearable sorrow, and awesome responsibility, of raising a baby without the help of a wife and mother in the challenging times of the 1930's.

A few information sources (including wikitree) list my grandmother with the incorrect first name: Ethel is not my grandmother's first name. "Ethel" was a family name on the Morrow side, either an aunt or a sister or both, but the person whom Roy Vernon Pinson married was Margaret Pearl Morrow. I have known this all my life, of course. If you need proof to correct your information, there is a census record that will confirm their names as I have stated. The marriage certificate will also prove her name (but I haven't read the marriage certificate.) My paternal grandparents are buried beside each other in George's Creek cemetery, and the tombstones will also confirm their correct names.

When my dad was about 2 and a half years old, his father (Roy Vernon Pinson) married Lily May Norwood, who was also a teacher. Lily May was the grandmother whom I knew during my own childhood, and she was always good and kind to me. There is a story about a time when I was very little, about 3-4 years old, and she was taking care of me for a few hours... While left unattended for a little while, I apparently picked all the flowers from the little garden by the front porch... When my mother arrived to pick me up sometime later, I gave my mother an enormous bouquet of flowers from the decimated garden. My mother says that Lily May never scolded me: she just beamed with pleasure, knowing how delighted and proud I was to give a whole bunch of flowers to my mother. (!) Lily May is buried in Marlin, TX, alongside her sisters with whom she was very close. Her parents are also there. Vernon and Lily May had one daughter.