Whoa, Nellie!
Nellie Browning Mills (1876-1964) was never Emmett’s official secretary, but she did work for Emmett as she was the main stenographer and typist at the San Carlos Hotel in Pensacola, Florida from 1910 to at least 1917. Emmett used Nellie’s shorthand and typing services when he stayed at the San […]
Just for Today
A prayer for all of us, just for today. Happy Thanksgiving!
Emmett’s Secretaries: B.A. Murphy
When I started tracking down Emmett’s secretaries, I didn’t know what to expect. Mostly I started looking for Emmett’s secretaries because I hit a brick wall with Emmett himself (there’s very little primary information from him). At present, I’ve found as much as I can about and from Emmett’s siblings […]
A GPS Adventure in Boligee, Alabama
Today, I visited Boligee, Alabama, population 328, in search of Mt. Hebron Cemetery, in a quest to locate Emmett’s grandparents, Cephas Love Wilson Sr. and Emily B. Wilson. Using the information posted on Find-A-Grave, and typing the address into Waze, I set out with my husband on Interstate 20/59 West, […]
Secretarial Musings
I often wonder what kind of employee or boss Emmett was? Was he considerate and competent? Quiet and hardworking? A lunch-stealing backstabbing jerk, perhaps? An excellent source of information on Emmett-as-colleague would be the office records — a desk calendar, case files, or even an office journal. I don’t doubt […]
A Galaxy of Stars
I found this book on Alibris, a book reseller website. I like to check back for obscure Florida texts and anything that has Emmett’s name listed. This one’s been out of print for awhile. It was purged from the Dickinson Memorial Library in Orange City, Florida. It was cheap. […]
For the Living
Funerals and memorial services are for the living. I understand that now. The ritual gives survivors and loved ones comfort, and closure, if that’s ever possible. Sometimes it takes years to move on after the death of a loved one. And if there isn’t a sense of closure, then you […]
I bit off more than I can chew
Once again, it’s Halloween. This is my favorite time of year. And once again, I’ve become burned out. This time, it isn’t about Emmett and the research. It’s because I over-volunteered myself on several projects. And you know what? I saw this train wreck coming wayyy in advance. I could […]
“The Hardest Ride a Man Can Take”
Maximilian Foster was a famous author and playwright when Emmett met him at an intimate dinner party given by his friend, Billy Crawford, in March 1908. In 1908, Foster’s oeuvre was mostly what I’d call low density literature — it doesn’t require a lot of deep concentration, and is something […]
Tell my story. 