Gentle Memories

Hazel McCoy Gentle and Jesse Lee Gentle

I thought about my grandparents today. Today would have been their wedding anniversary. Seventy-seven years ago was the beginning of their life together. Pa Jess and Ma Hazel were good country folk! She was always busy with her hands whether it be flowers, gardening, sewing, cooking, or cutting out paper dolls for me. Pa-Pa was a royal mess! He was just cute as a bug; and always up to something. You couldn't sit beside him without him pickin' the whole time, just trying to get something on ya.

With their children: Oneida, Joyce, & James

The first song I ever wrote was about them. "Gentle Memories" is the title. Their last name, like my maiden name was Gentle. In their later years, their health got bad, they got feeble and tired and weary. We visited them one Sunday afternoon in August. Pa Pa was in the bed in his room, and I went in there, pulled up a straight chair and sat beside his bed. We talked about this and that. After I'd been in there awhile, I heard Ma Ma's feet shuffling in the floor. She made her way to the bedroom where Pa Pa and I were. She got to the door, and I could tell she was give out just from walking from the living room to there, and I shall never forget this: She said, "Jess, is there anything I can get for you?" and he replied, "No Hazel, there's nothing you can do." That night at my home, I went to bed, and a tune and words I'd never heard before kept playing over and over in my head. My Bible was laying beside my bed and there was some paper inside it I used for taking notes at church; I got the paper and a pen and started writing the words I was hearing down, and that's how I got my first song.

This song is copy written; here are the words. This is in loving memory of Jesse and Hazel McCoy Gentle, my beloved grandparents.

Gentle Memories

1. She stood there by his bedside,

A cane held in her hand.

They both were so feeble,

Took so much strength to stand.

She said, "Is there anything I can get for you?"

He said, "No nothing, There's nothing you can do."

2. The years had passed quickly,

Seems like yesterday,

They were raising their small children,

Working hard to make a way.

But all this was behind them,

Where did time go?

Their independence taken,

Feeling so low.

3. In a small country church,

They raised their family,

To depend upon their God,

And be all that they could be.

Not much to account for,

Few possessions to their name.

They had friends and love and happiness,

Jesus loved them just the same.

Chorus:

Not much to look forward to

Down here in this life.

No plans can be made,

As a husband and a wife.

But better days are comin'

Just you wait and see.

You'll live together in a mansion

For all eternity.

Words and Music: Liesa G. George, Aug. 7, 1994