The Honeysuckle Tombstone
On the back of this photograph in my grandmother's simple handwriting is "Mother's grave, Age 71 years." As a child, I can recall my grandmother with tears in her eyes, holding this photograph saying, "This is my mother's grave and there isn't even a tombstone to mark where she is buried." Little did I know that someday, thirty years later, I would be on a quest to find my great grandmother, Naomi Renfro's grave site, and how important the photo would be in locating her final resting place.To honor Naomi in death, the family planted a honeysuckle bush at the head of her grave. In 1930, that is what poor mill workers could afford in lieu of a tombstone.
See the tombstone (upper left of center). With the assistance of the Sherman, Texas Library staff, I was able to determine the exact location of Naomi Renfro's grave. To this day, the honeysuckle bush still blooms.
