Community leaders: Boots Brown, Pt. 1
Jack Atkinson
Recently both Boots and Dolan Edward died,
leaving a huge vacancy in the Garfield and Twin City area. Both had lived their
entire lives working, leading and involved in this area of the county and
beyond. It is not surprising that the two were related at least distantly: the
large Gay family of Garfield connected their grandparents and Burnie Brown,
Boots' husband, was a second cousin of Dolan. Mary "Boots" Brown was a public
school teacher for 47 years, teaching most of those years at E.C.I. She was a
mother and a farmer as well. We all knew her as a great lady with all the
storied southern charm one could ever imagine. Keeping up appearances was
important to Miss Boots. Even those last days in the hospital the nurse/aid
would hold the mirror for her to powder her face and fix that hair just right.
She was really closed mouthed about giving her age; she acted and looked younger
than her 86 years. On most any given day one could see her driving around in her
1985 white El Camino whether she just waved as she went through Garfield to the
Maple Hole dirt road on which she lived, or on a trip to the dumpsters where she
dutifully placed her trash. Miss Boots grew up in Garfield on the hill. The
nearest neighbors were the Atkinson's. She told me that one of her earliest
memories was walking a pail of milk down the hill to the little cottage I have
now next to my home. She had an aunt who lived there. Whether walking or driving
she had an impact on her community. She was proud of her children and
grandchildren. In her 80's she served the community in at least two ways I know.
She was an active member of the E.C.I. Centennial Committee which worked for
over a year to prepare for the celebration of the school's hundredth year. She
never missed a meeting. Also she served two terms on the Franklin Memorial
Library board where she was ever the active member. The Garfield Baptist Church
was a special place for her. She spent hours in recent years on the pulpit
committee and as the chair of the fundraising for the stained glass windows
which now grace the church. Many who remember her will have been her students.
For decades she taught the 7th grade. I missed having her teach me as I was
assigned the other 7th grade teacher. That was probably a good thing since I
really acted up that year. Bernice Durden spanked my knuckles many times and I
found myself missing recess frequently. If I had acted ugly to our close family
friend I am afraid my bottom would still be hurting.
An incident in her life in 1993 will provide evidence of her stamina. She was on a trip out west and she got sick in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It became a very serious illness for which she was hospitalized there for weeks almost dying. When she finally got enough strength back to give the orders, she called for an air ambulance ride back to Georgia. She was frugal, but she told me that she never regretted the expenditure which she gave me to the penny. I do remember it was over $12,000. She meant not to die in New Mexico. She got better and had many more good years.
She reminds me of the fond years of growing up in Garfield. On Saturday nights Jeanne and Charles would gather with Barbara, Lawrence and me while our parents went out. Sometimes we would all just walk down the street to Miss Maltby's Café to listen to the hit parade. We would eat bologna sandwiches and French fries, a real treat for us. On another occasion both families went to Millen where there was a 4-H Club program and Charles was standing in the ball field dressed like a tree. Jeanne and I picked black berries once and play cooked in the carport while her mother made us a real pie inside. For Mr. Burnie she loved to cook breakfast at night. What a life!
Her brick house was built in 1953. For over half a century she swept that driveway making sure there was no pine straw or cones on the concrete! In 1994 when my oldest son graduated from Oxford College of Emory University who should I see in the audience but Boots Brown? The reason was that unbeknown to me her granddaughter, Sarah Brown, graduated in that same class. Sarah and my son, Porter, knew that our families had the Garfield connection. So the third generation connects but the history becomes tenuous.
In that last hospital visit she said to Tammy and me, "Thank you so much for the visit and come again." A great lady to the end.-- (Next week: Dolan Brown.)--Jack Atkinson is our regular guest columnist and a resident of Garfield.
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