Grandparents Seldom Actually Said "I Love You"
But Showed Deep Abiding Love

My Valentine Story

by: Jeannine Oler Hayes

Buster and Jennie Tatum of Point, Tx are my grandparents, both are deceased but the memories live on.

In Rains County the tiny little drug store was known as “Booker’s” this is was where Pa Buster would shop for Granny Jennie’s Valentine.  He ALWAYS got the biggest heart shaped box of chocolates Booker had at the store. Pa Buster affectionately called Granny Fatty and she would enjoy ever last piece of chocolate in that box.  Granny by no means of the imagination was fat, so this was just his pet name for her. Millionaire Pecan Clusters, Pangburn’s Assorted Chocolates and that big ole Heart Shaped Box of Valentine Candy was a welcome site to the grand kids in February. Granny Mc, was Granny’s mother, she lived with them for several years before she died, Grand Pa would always include her with the Valentine candy, as she got older she said less and less so she became a winker and Pa Buster and her would wink and nod over the candy.  Funny, as I write this, I never once remember the spoken words “I love you” coming from either of them to each other, but you just knew they did.  We lived across the pasture from Granny and Pa Buster as children and the closest we ever came to be told that they loved us was, “Well we think a lot of you kids.” The love word was not tossed around freely in there generation I suppose.

Pa Buster died in June 1990 and Granny died April 2007..Both were born in 1909.

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