As I had mentioned on Facebook a couple of weeks ago, my Bad Grandma left a poison pen letter that she did not intend to be read until after her death. She did not know that her final months would require a power of attorney that would reveal this letter before her death. This letter is handwritten on yellow lined note paper. I am going to transcribe it now. I will italicize her words, and interject my own commentary in bold. Any misspellings are hers.
8-6-07
People that helped Tony Milliken turn my daughter, Pam, against me.
*1. Tony Milliken, 1st husband (my grandfather)
*2. Mary Patience Felts, Mother (my great-grandma, who died before I was born)
3. Mary Ella Watts, Sister (my great aunt, who is now suffering from Alzheimer's)
*4. Janie Chance, Sister (my great aunt, who was one of the best people I've ever known)
No telling how many more family members I'll find out later. They all resinted me because I would not sit back and let them rule my life, tell me what to do and when.
*Now dead.
Add Pam Cecil name to the above listing of names. Resentment of me is now Pam and 4 other family members.
Pam and 4 other family members against me through many lies. Family members resented me from first school years until their death, except Buck and Sis (two of her older siblings who died before I was born). Since I was the only honor student of the 12 children, that caused jealousy for many since there was 12 of us, I was born #8, 10-23-25. I always tried to be the best student in each class while growing up and drew many rewards from teachers for being No. 1, that caused much resentment to family members. Then I received top honors in high school being Senior Class President in 1944 Joelton High School. Also, was on honor roll all through high school, having 95 average on all 4 subjects monthly. Graduated 1944 with grade average of 98.6 Senior year. Then, Sept 1944 married Tony Milliken, he would not let me go to college even though I was offered scholarships from 2 colleges.
Since Tony would not let me go to college, I went to work in office for Franklin Limestone Co. Worked there 19 years. Owner died ad Co. sold to Lambert Bros.
Worked other accounting jobs until 1982, went to work for Funky But Music, name at that time. Later changed to Morningstar Management. Owners, Kyle Lehning, Engineer, Tony Gottlieb, office and Gen. Manager. Was hired by music co. 2-10-82. Kyle Lehning moved to Nashville and built a recording studio at residence. I continued working in gerneral office and accounting until July 7, 2007. Worked 25 years for Kyle Lehning, one of the best people in the world. Very pleasant and loved by everyone that knew him.
Kyle has produced many of the big acts in Country Music, such as Randy Travis, Dan Seals, Seals & Crawford and many others.
(Here, the ink changes) He is the best man anyone has ever known as chief in the Music Business World.
Bought up as an only child in Cairo, Ill., the best there is anywhere.
Wilmoth Swaringim
Jan. 21, 2008
Am I alone in thinking that she was obviously in love with Kyle Lehning, who kept her employed well beyond her usefulness to him? And these lies that she accuses my mother and other family members of spreading about her...what are they? What's the truth in her eyes? Who knows? She goes from the paranoia in the first part of the letter into something that sounds like a eulogy for a man she adored. I also find it amusing that she ends up adding my mother to the list of people who turned my mother against her! How does that work? How can you turn YOURSELF against someone with lies?
I think this letter exhibits her self-centeredness. I don't know why she thought everyone was just jealous of her. From everything I saw, her siblings looked at her as someone they tried very hard to love, no matter what she said or did to them.
I think her story about having college scholarships and my grandfather (born August 1912, so he was 32 when they married) forbidding it sounds true. One thing my grandma did not mention is her frequent charge that her mother "forced" her to marry my grandfather right after she graduated from high school. If my grandfather did prevent her from going to college, he was wrong. He was also a product of the times and place (rural Tennessee).
Tomorrow, my grandmother has her funeral. My cousin, Mary Francis, who cared for her at the end like a saint, felt it was important to give her the full 4 hours of visitation my grandmother wanted. I have no idea how many will come, but my mom and I won't show up until 12:30pm. Mom cannot emotionally stand much longer than that. She's also worrying about being judged by people who only knew my grandma and the way she talked about my mom like a dog. Luckily, we're all southerners with enough manners to be nice (I hope). But if anyone tries to be snide to my mom, I WILL read them for trash in front of everyone.
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