A Wedding Dress and Precious Memories

My parents were sharecroppers for 29 years. To supplement their income, Mama sold eggs and homemade butter, and she cared for children.

I met the love of my life and planned to be married in June 1969. Mama could not afford to buy me a wedding dress, so she told me to pick out a picture of a wedding dress in the J.C. Penney catalogue and she would make one for me.

I picked out just the perfect dress, and Mama found and purchased the fabric and lace to make one for me. Not only did she make my beautiful bride’s dress, but she also made dresses for five bridesmaids and a flower girl! She was quite a seamstress.

Mama died in November 2013 at the age of 88. As I was going through her things I found my wedding dress, preserved nicely and neatly in a box. I had no idea that she had saved it!

This was just like my Mama still giving to me even though she was gone. What a treasure: what a Mom!

Needless to say, I could not begin to fit into the dress, but it was a perfect fit for my daughter, Connie. What a feeling that came over me when I saw her in that special dress. Mama took so much pride in her work. She had used tiny hand stitching and covered all those buttons by hand. All this was done with love.

My dress was just as beautiful on my daughter as it was the day I wore it in my wedding. Thank you, Mama.

Ann Williamson, Chadbourn, a member of Brunswick Electric