Mamie M. Rich

 What I remember About Mamie

Mamie M. RICH was born April 18, 1893 in Boone County, Arkansas, and died August 03, 1970 in Fort Collins, Larimer Co, Colorado. She was the daughter of John C. Rich and Evie Chaney. She met my grandfather Andrew Tives Johnson Abt. 1912 according to the 1930 La Porte, Larimer County, Colorado census in possibly Oklahoma or Texas. Mamie was Andrew's second wife. Andrew was the son of Isaac Barton Johnson and Celia Caroline Watson. He was born October 22, 1888 in Claiborne Co. Tennessee, and died December 26, 1971 in Fort Collins, Larimer Co, Colorado. They are both buried at Roselawn Cemetery, Fort Collins, Laramie County, Colorado.

Grandpa Tip had a great since of humor. When I asked him where he had met Mamie, he said at first that he got her straight out of the mountains and she was a wild Indian. I remember she laughed and pushed his shoulder and said, "You stop that". He then told me, that he had met Mamie at a community picnic. He said he liked her 'spunk' and he chased her until she caught him.  She had a glow when she smiled.

My grandfather and my father told me that she was married before, but I have not found any record of that. As the story went, that marriage did not last long and was not spoken of, because Mamie allegedly shot her first husband after she found him playing around with another woman. I don't know if that story is true, but it was a very exciting tale for a young girl to hear back then, and Mamie became my mystery grandmother.

Mamie was raised in Boone County Arkansas. Her mother Evie died when she was a small girl so her father and two older brothers raised her. She is first found May 5, 1910 on the  Chicasaw Township, Pontotoc County, Oklahoma census, age 17 years of age, a hotel housekeeper and living with her father John C., and brothers William M and Fred L. Rich.

Mamie did not believe in banks and kept her money in big black leather purse on the top shelf of her bedroom closet. She told me she did not like boys, because they weren't "worth the salt that went into the beans." My father never lived with them, but grandpa and he visited often with each other. His mother’s parents, the Coates, raised dad.

 Mamie had chickens and kept a small vegetable garden.  A huge old red Rooster commanded the chicken yard and attacked any intruders. While I was visiting, Mamie asked me to go gather the eggs. That rooster came after me with blood in his eye. I got out of that pen as fast as I could and grandma was on the back porch laughing. Not to be bested, the next day I came into the back door of the kitchen and told her not to fix anything because we were having that rooster for supper. She said, "You didn't kill my rooster did you?" I grinned and said, No, not yet, but he was probably too tough to eat anyway. We had a good laugh. The next time I went to gather eggs, I was given a broom and grandma told me to knock the daylights out of that rooster if he came at me and I sure did too. I guess she figured a broom was better than rooster for dinner.

Her house was kept absolutely spotless. She always wore a clean cotton housedress and substantial shoes. My grandfather told me her hair was almost down to her knees when they got married, but she had cut it off when she got older. I don't think he liked that she had cut it off, by the expression on his face.

Mamie chewed tobacco in the afternoon and it always amazed me that from the kitchen sink, she could spit half way across the kitchen into a coffee can that hung by the door and would never miss. When she was done, grandpa took the can out and dumped it. Then she would wash, rinse, dry and hang it back up. She loved her kitchen and she could be found they’re most of the time cooking or cleaning. She filled a round metal dish pan, washed the counters, fridge and stove, dump the pan out, scald it and wipe it dry, then fill it again for other tasks, making sure it was clean every time. One of their favorite meals was homemade split pea soup.

I found out from the rest home where Mamie passed away and from family letters, that my father called her often throughout the years.  His name for her was "Mommy" Mamie and Tip Johnson were the only grandparents I ever knew and met. I guess I will never know the reasons why it wasn't until I was fifteen years old before I met my grandparents.

Andrew "Tip" Johnson  Mamie Rich Johnson Photos taken

Fred L. Rich Nancy D. Johnson Rich about 1949

For corrections or changes please submit documented  information.

James Alexander Rich    Chaney Family   Back

Rich Family Genealogy

Johnson & Kohl Genealogy    and   Directory

Please Read
The information on this page is fully sourced.  Photos and graphics may be saved for personal use only and may not be used
on personal or commercial web sites in written materials and/or for personal gain, without express permission of the owner/contributor.

Contact
Louise Kohl

Web Design and Graphics Created by
Guppi Art's Company (C)
Webmaster