CINCINNATI 1926

BISHOP BENJAMIN FRANKLIN LEE, my grandfather

It was a long, cold winter and the snow was trying its best to keep it that way as we entered the month of March. We were in our own house at that time at 1311 Myrtle Avenue, Walnut Hills, Cincinnati, Ohio.

I was home alone when the phone rang. At age 10 l/2 I was happy to be able to operate this new convenience. It was one of my aunt’s at my grandparent’s home at Wilberforce, about 60 miles away. I told her my mother wasn’t at home. She told me to tell my mother that my grandfather had passed away.

It was sad news, abut I knew he had been ailing because my brother, Charles, and I had spent part of the past summer at the homestead in the country. My aunts called us in from play one day to his bed side. d He said, “Boys, I won’t be here with you come next summer. I want you to be good boys and mind your parents.” We said, “Yes sir,” and went back to play. When my mother came home, I started crying as I gave her the message. My father was in the hospital at the time, and I knew how difficult it was on her. She held me for a minute and cried, too. Those were sad times, but my mother faced it head on. A day later my mother, Charles and I were on our way to People’s Corner to get the bus to Xenia. At People’s Corner we saw my school principal. I learned later that he took a walk for exercise every afternoon. My mother told me to run over and tell him that Bishop Lee passed away yesterday. I did so, but wondered why the school principal would care about my grandfather passing away.

The bus ride to Xenia was okay. It wasn’t a bus, it was a long car that seated 8 or 10 people. I suppose we took a taxi out to Wilberforce –- 4 or 5 miles away. There were several inches of snow on the ground, but the sun was shining.

When we got in the house, we first went in the study. A small room off the living room. There we viewed grandfather’s body. This wasn’t a surprise to me because I had seen that practice in Cincinnati. At home, they also placed a flowered wreathe on the front door. I suppose my brother, Charles, was with us all the time, but I don’t remember anything he did or said. A strange brother, as usual.

Aunt Sarah had bought a special corduroy suit for me, probably one for Charles, too. My cousin, Francis, Aunt Addie’s son, was there while I was trying on my new suit. I didn’t like Frances. We were together sometimes when I was visiting. He was about two years older like my brother, Charles. Unlike Charles, he was always trying to tell me what to do and I didn’t like his attitude. While I was trying on my new clothes, he decided to put my little belt on through the little loops in the pants. He pulled one loop too hard and it broke. I don’t recall if it was fixed before the funeral.

The next morning was the funeral. (to be continued)