Amelia (Zobel) Lee

Daughter Peggy Lee is in upper-right corner.

The photos are from Watty Espy's high school yearbook.

The Wiregrass Farmer

March, 1953

Find a Grave

I took this image in October 2020.

 First Baptist Church

Headland, Alabama

Peggy & Gordon would need to confirm this, but I believe my mother said that Mrs. Lee had a stroke a day or two (maybe the night before) Peggy was to be married.  Mother said that she & Mrs. Janette Griggs went be to see her & Bro. Lee wanted them to come in & they did but Mrs. Lee was out of it & died soon. - Marc Willis

Marc is correct. Back then they called it a cerebral hemorrhage.  Mom is in NY with my sister, and this is her nap time.  But I believe I remember her say that it was during the wedding rehearsal dinner.  Mama (pronounced "Ma Ma", my name for Sarah Frances Espy) walked over from across the street, and I think my mom asked her, "What is a cerebral hemorrhage?" and Mama told her it was not good.  The church was all decorated for the wedding and the dresses where all in hand.  The florist took back all the flowers with no charge and Bloomberg's took back all the dresses also with no charge.  Papa advised Mom and Dad to go on with the marriage, so they had a small private ceremony, and they postponed the honeymoon to NOLA for a year.  Amelia and Roby are buried next to each other, and best I can remember pretty close to Church St and about halfway between the east and west edges of the cemetery.  - Gordon Marley

The rehearsal dinner where Mrs. Lee had her stroke was held at Mr. and Mrs. Fred Reynolds house on Main Street, where their son Freddy and his family lived when you guys were coming up.  Peggy said when she and Needham got home after the dinner the passenger side door in Bro. Lee's car was still open, so they knew it wasn't good.  As Gordon said earlier, his parents, at Bro. Lee's encouragement, went ahead and got married.  What I think he didn't say was that they had their "honeymoon" at Sarah Frances Espy's house. My aunt Ida Deal Knowles claimed that she was the one that went across the street and told Peggy that her mother had died.  Peggy didn't remember that part, but took Ida Deal's word for it.  - Jim Magee

 A very sad unfolding of my grandmother’s passing. I always thought missing out on knowing her was most regrettable.  In an odd and most pleasant way, I’ve often thought she is with me here in upstate NY.  - Amelia Lee Marley

Rev. Roby Lee married my parents on Thanksgiving Day 1947. The witnesses were Mrs. Amelia Lee & John & Bernice Pybus. 

I was told that the first couple he married in Headland was Winston & Janette Griggs, who were kind of introduced by my mother.  - Marc Willis

Just spoke with Mom. I went over all the comments above and she verified everything. She also is very gratified that we are interested in discussing her mother! She died March 19, 1953.  - Gordon Marley

Information above was provided in 2020.

Peggy (Lee) Marley passed away in 2024.  Click here for her headstone.

Click here to learn about Roby Judson Lee.

HHS - 1966

 Headland High School

Golf & Baseball Teams

Thanks to Darwin Kelly, Jr. for these photos!

Beverly's Memories

Back in 2015, cousin Beverly (Espy) Dayries shared these memories of her grandfather, John Jolly Espy, Sr..

-  He always read the newspaper and kept a dictionary on the table by his side as he read.  I think we had his dictionary.  If so, it is here at our house - somewhere.

- He loved to sing.  Mother frequently accompanied him on the piano.  I'm guessing that Aunt Frances was not living in Headland at the time.  I would have to look up dates, etc.  According to Mother, one of his favorites was "Flee As a Bird."  When the family was clearing the Espy house on Church Street, I came home with several of his Baptist Hymnals.  I know at least one of them had shaped notes.  They are probably stored in our attic now.

source

- I think I recall Mother saying that one time he made some pickles.

- Espy, Sr. was a diabetic.  When she was living in Headland, she gave him his shots.

 

- Oh yes - there was the story about his meeting up with the Alabama governor.  Watty told me this one, and I think it has already been passed on to you.  Espy, Sr. was with the Alabama governor, I suppose in the vicinity of Headland.  Espy invited him to his house to eat.  I guess whatever servants they had were not at the house at the time - at least not the cook.  The story was that Granny boiled some eggs and set them on the table, saying, "At our house, we peel our own."

Let's Roll

We have been on a little bit of a cinnamon roll binger this winter.  Let's see how that plays out on the scales!  Recently, while searching on Reddit, I discovered Gogos Cinnamon Rolls.  Somebody said they are the best in the area.  GCR is based in Old Fort, a town about thirty minutes up I-40.  Luckily for us, though, this morning they brought their Let's Roll truck to Asheville.  I bought several.

We sampled their Original Cinnamon Rolls.  The first verdict: They were ultra-sweet.  Too sweet.  And it was the icing!  Icing is what I love!  Trust me, it was way too sweet.

We tried two more, and the outcome was much better.  We simply scraped off all but a very thin layer of the icing.  That did the trick!  The bun was wonderful and the fresh cinnamon was sublime.  I would say they are top-tier so long as you eliminate lots of the icing.

Our rankings this winter:

City Bakery - # 1 overall

Gogos

Fresh Market

Whole Foods

Harris Teeter

Reynolds Mountain

Mt. Pisgah

Asheville Country Club through there

Merrimon Avenue and the Grove Park Inn in the distance

Better view of them here

Beaver Lake on the right

French Broad River

See it out there?

Downtown Asheville

Beaver Lake & French Broad River

Who dat?

3.4 miles

875 ft elevation gain

Morning Greeting