Once upon a time there was a furniture store in Midville that sat right by the railroad tracks. It was owned and operated by Mr. Lewis Coleman. Mr. Lewis was my buddy, and I had immense respect for him. As long as his store was still in business I would stop by to visit. I was quite young and did not go in to buy anything, but I just went in to see him.
I was drawn to him. He was such a good man. I would see him at church or when he came to the grocery store where I worked as a young boy. I took every opportunity to talk to him. I could fill up the page with all of his good characteristics, but Mr. Lewis was more than just a wonderful human being he was an excellent cook.
Mr. Lewis would cook dinner every day. I was fortunate enough to break bread with him on a few occasions and boy was it good! He wore a white apron around his waist neatly tied in the back. I can see him in my mind right now, standing over that old stove frying lacy cornbread. I miss him, but I’m thankful for what he passed on to his family.
“Miss” Rosalyn was his daughter, and she inherited all of his goodness and his cooking skills. She and my daddy were classmates and graduated from the school in Midville in 1957. I knew her all of my life. She bought groceries at the store where I worked and was always present at church functions. I truly adored her.
Later on, our relationship grew even more after I had grown up. We shared church responsibilities and we also shared the same opinion about most things. I talked to her quite often for extended periods of time about whatever was going on that needed our attention. To this day I am thankful for the time I was given with her.
Miss Rosalyn was known for her cooking skills. At church functions she would bring a myriad of things to eat, but she would invariably have a plate full of fried tarts as well. Homemade tarts made with apples or peaches fried in a cast iron skillet with a little bit of oil. That plate of tarts always brought smiles to a lot of faces.
If somebody was sick or there had been a death in the community, she was there. She, along with her daughters would bring enough food to last a week. You could count on them being there. They shared their love and home cooked food to sooth the souls of many.
Miss Rosalyn was a devoted member of her church and only God knows how many years she played the piano there. She was always front and center at the annual BBQ dinner they held to raise money for her women’s group. She would always greet me at the door and we would talk.
I remember going to pick up plates for the first time after she had died. It was a strange feeling for me. She wasn’t there to greet me at the door. Her absence was felt by everyone there, but her spirit remained in that old church. Her daughters received what she had passed on to them as they continue to feed and care for folks like always.
Mr. Lewis’s great-granddaughter is following in the footsteps of all her family predecessors that came before her. I have known her literally all of her life. She’s just liked the rest of her family. She has a heart of gold and cooks like the rest of her family.
When I was in a rehabilitation center in Lubbock, Texas following some health problems, I looked up and there she was along with her fiancé. They had come for some kind of business trip. The first stop they made was to see me. I was so thankful to see them!
We talked and visited and it was a real shot in the arm for me. That was all the goodness she inherited from her family and the need to see about people. Her fiancé is top shelf as well! He and I were friends for many years before they got engaged. Neither of them knows that after they left that day, I cried some big fat tears of thankfulness that they had come.
I have been the benefactor of this family’s goodness all of my life and they have impacted me in the best ways possible. Their legacy continues on though because the granddaughter is quite proficient in the kitchen as well. I wanted to pass something on to her but didn’t know quite what that should be.
Several years ago, I found a true treasure in an old building. It was a Bundt pan from the 1950’s that was brand-new in the box. It had never been used. It was still wrapped in brown paper that had been soaked in oil. The light came on in my head! I gave her that Bundt pan.
I hope that Bundt pan serves her well! I hope she uses her Nanny’s recipes to bake her soon to be husband many cakes throughout their lives. This all started with Mr. Lewis and continues on today. I know the granddaughter will pass on all the love, all the goodness and all the cooking skills that have been passed on to her.
