There was a water dispute, which is a topic for another story, So my
Grandma and Uncle Paul and Aunt Wanda didn't have enough water
to use the indoor plumbing. I can't believe how often Aunt Wanda fell
for this but every time we were all at Grandma's Uncle Paul would take us quietly to the front of the outhouse. It wasn't a pit toilet it just got picked up and buried covered with lime. So we're all standing in front of the outhouse door while Uncle Paul slips around the back and tickles Aunt Wanda's bottom with a long piece of Johnson grass. If running with your undies around your ankles had been an Olympic Sport Aunt Wanda would have brought home the Gold every time. I've never seen anyone run that fast and scream that loudly culminating in,"Paul Jones, I'm going to kill you and there's not a jury in the State that will convict me." Sometimes I think about how we entertained ourselves when we were children. My parents were relatively speaking poor people, I had Jacks, and dolls and a little Singer sewing machine that would actually sew by turning a handle on the side. I got paper dolls from time to time but we usually entertained ourselves by building houses with rocks and sweeping the floors; I always made my cousin Paula mad because I wouldn't walk through the door, I came through a window or one of the walls. One year we made sinks out of Watermelon rinds and carried water to keep them full so we could wash our dishes which were bits of broken glasses and plates that we'd picked up when they were discarded. Once we got in so much trouble - There was a Tent Revival and we weren't allowed to go but my friend down the road told us what was happening so Paula and I came up with a game we called "Resurrection." We caught Bumble Bees and put them in a bucket of water when they stopped moving one of us would scoop a bee from the bucket and begin to blow on it while the other recited, "I am the Resurrection and Life saith the Lord . .   " We had saved about five bees before Grandma Been came roaring out the back door, calling us "heatherns" and telling us that we had to be saved from eternal damnation. We got dunked at the Sunday Service and I know the Lord forgave us. Daddy did, I heard him tell Mama that he'd give anything to see his mother come out the back door like that one more time. -j-

This list has taught me so much and I have learned that there are people still out there who are courteous, brave, truthful, faithful and any other superlative that means great. I am thankful every day for the opportunity afforded me to be a part of your joys and your tears. Please accept my thanks for restoring something in my heart that I thought was dead. Love, Joy in Arkansas

I am truly saddened by this news. I enjoyed Joy very much, I enjoyed her wry stories that she would post, and what a wit she had, and I enjoyed the many private conversations that we had. She was truly a joy and I am glad that I had the opportunity of knowing her, if only by her words. I would like to think that she is now an angel.
Judy

That is sad news. Joy, and her stories will be missed on the list.  I knew she had some health problems, but didn't realize she was that ill God Bless you, Joy!   We will miss you. 

Jackie

yes, we are all in shock Barb but thank you for posting it to the list and
for letting us know.Joy was her middle name.She will be truly missed as a
very important contributing person to our list.She was a "Joy" with her
sense of humor.I loved her stories.I have kept several of her postings.
what an intelligent lady she was.I know her pain was great.The MS and the
fibromyalgia as well as a couple of other things too.Life had to be hard
for her as she was totally dependent on Mr. Wiggens Honey. She seem like
such an intelligent person that had worked  hard all her life. Remember her
posting about retirement? She advised us all to do it soon and as early as
possible so we could enjoy life. I was just telling Bobbie I bought some red
hearts candy last Thursday and thought to my self gee these are Joys
favorites.  good ole hindsight is sure stronger than foresight Oddly enough
I was thinking this morning about her too.May she rest in peace bless her
soul. Betty

I am in shock, I do not know if anything could have shocked me more...my heart is sad, another piece of my lifes puzzle is now
missing..I have no words...just tears.
Bev

I'm so very very sorry! My heart hurts for for her husband and sons. I pray that they will be comforted in the days to come and May her memory stay bright in our hearts.
Ludell.

Joy, You will be missed by all of us here on the list, the older ones who knew you and the younger ones who never will. We so enjoyed your posts . Though I did not personally know you. My heart is heavy and I feel blue, Cause the Angels came and took you to a better place. No more pain , no more strife ...just Joy.....We love you...

Farewell Friend

Milly

Joy was such a sweet person & she had a gift for telling the best stories. It breaks my heart to know that her sweet Mr. Wiggins Honey & her boys must be going through right now. But, I'm sure she must have been in great pain & that's why she didn't post much anymore. Well, she's an angel now & isn't in any more pain. At least we can be grateful for that.
Joy, I will miss you!!! You were a beautiful lady!
~Bobbie~

I  agree with all you have said below Bobbie, I loved her stories, this list is so close its like losing family,I will truely miss her presence  both on this list & off.
Ann

I am in shock over the loss of Joy also.  I just don't know what to say.
The pages are beautiful. 

Dayna

I'm sitting here just dumbfounded I don't want to answer any of your emails cause that means I believe that "OUR JOY" has passed away.I did go into the archives and read her emails.The thing that stands out to me is her love of family.The joy with which she shared her life with us. Bev your poem is perfect. All the writting you all have shared means the world to all of us. I don't know what to say, that I'll miss her yes i will. that this is a shock and leaves me bawling like a baby yes it does. Lord God Please rest your hand upon Joy's family help them to understand that it is not a nothingness that Joy goes into; but into the heart of you Our Lord and Savior.
Nelda, still not able to stop crying

Well Folks, I wish I could say something that would be equal to the tragedy that has happened but I am not good at those sort of things. Joy was a smart lady and it is such a shame that she is gone. She will not only be missed by her Family but she will be missed by the complete Memories list and I am sure she will be missed by the WORLD.Goodbye Joy. BIHAK

I am so saddened by the news of Joy Bean Wiggins death.  I always enjoyed her writing so much - she had such a clever way with words.  She certainly kept  the seriousness of her condition out of her writing until the very last. I know everyone on the list will miss her.
Frances

One of my mom's favorite phrases was; "You can pick your friends but you're stuck with your relatives" Well, if hearts can make a family, we are truly blessed because we have been able to pick our relatives too. Joy was that big sister we could talk about anything to and not worry about being censured. The cousin we loved going to visit because there was always an adventure with her. The mother/aunt/grandmother that always made us feel special when everyone else was too busy to notice us. The one teacher we wanted to model ourselves after because all the kids loved her. Joy will be sorely missed for a long time, and there will be a hole in our hearts that she filled with her presence.  The one thing she hoped was to beat the illness that claimed her body. She was successful. She slipped the bonds of this physical world and is now free of pain for the first time in probably a very long time. My heart goes out to 'Mr. Wiggins Honey' and her sons at this time. And now, the best tribute we can pay to her is to continue with our funny stories and recipes and jokes and sad stories and bickering over who gets into the most trouble on the list because she loved them so much and would be devastated to know everything stopped on account of her.

Ali

I, too, will miss our Joy.  I didn't know her as long as others on the list, but I truly will miss her postings.  I didn't know she was sick, so I am in so much shock I haven't been able to
write about it until now. Donna

I am so sorry to hear of the passing of your friend Joy.   I wish that I would have had the honor of knowing her.  I will be sure to let my father
know.  But most of all we will keep her family in our prayers!
Laura

Joy was such a sweet and caring lady and she is going to be missed by
everyone.  She had such a way with words that one felt like part of the
scene.  So Joy, you know we all love you and now that we know you feel no
more pain it will be a consolation to know that an ANGEL has left us and
gone on to watch over us as we strive to find the truth of our ancestors
while you share your special stories with those ancestors you were striving
to find.  I sometimes feel like my ancestors are probably laughing at some
of the things I do trying to find information, so now you can laugh to at my
awkwardness.  I know they think it is so funny because the answers are
probably at our fingertips and hidden somewhere in the back of our minds
from all the things they told us as children while we were so busy playing
and doing the "kiddy" things. You will be "Our Guardian Angel" as we share our daily lives and continue to search for those you now see. I know you will stay close at each of our shoulders and we will feel you in our hearts. So, I guess it is time to say goodbye to our dear friend Joy and hello to our "ANGEL JOY". Also one big THANK YOU for the time you spent with us.
Norma

It has been nearly a week now since we found out we lost out Friend Joy. And  I still feel an emptiness in my heart. Even thought Joy and I had never met face to face I knew she was my friend. She and I grew up only about 15 miles apart in AR. And we knew a lot of the same people. That is only one thing I enjoyed about Joy was we could share stories about "Back Home" She, I guess never moved very far. But I did and it was nice having a connection there. I so looked forward to Joy's postings. She was a very intelligent Woman and always had something interesting to say about every subject we talked about. Also I could tell she was very loving and had a lot of love in her heart for her Family and her Friends and her Lord. I loved her stories. I still think about her story when we were talking about "Spirits" It made chills go up and down my spin. I told her one time she needed to write a book. I am so glad that we can go back and retrieve those stories. I just wish her family could see the site for her. Joy now you are in a place were there is no more pain. I know that you are looking down on all of us. Your friends and Family. We Loved you dearly and will miss your presents here on earth so much. But that comfort in know you are in a better place
Barb

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