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She passed away around four o'clock one evening with me holding her up in my arms and her three daughters and one son Dave, was in the room with me and Dave kept telling me to lay her down but I held her up until she breathed her last. So then Ruth, Idemia and Epps all come to me and asked me if I'd bathe and dress their mother. They said Pearl, you know Mamma would have wanted you to take care of her because she wouldn't let any of us do for her because she said Pearl knows just how to do for me. I've been cooking a meal many times and I've had to wash the dough off from my hands to go tend to her because she wouldn't let any of them do it. So I told them I'd take care of her if they'd send some one to help me, so Victoria, one of her other daughter-in-laws come and helped me. Her upper plate was broken so I put it together and fixed her mouth until it was perfect. So then we had to wait until Willie come with her shroud and casket so when he come I was sitting by the big wood stove in the kitchen and Mrs Hovers oldest niece came to me and said Pearl, they're brought Aunt Jane's casket and shroud, do you want to come put it on her? But I told her no; I'd done all I could so when they got her fixed they come and got me to go look to see how pretty she was and she really was pretty and the dress was a lovely light grey. The casket was a pretty grey too. So after I went and looked at her I went in my room and you can guess the rest. Then I felt better. Mrs. Hover died March 26th and was buried the 28th. Ruby Pearl was born the following March the 20th, then Stephen Dexter was born Oct 9th, 1938. He was my baby and still is. I guess I loved Mr. & Mrs Hover as much as any one could. They were just like a daddy and mother to me, in fact I called her mother and him daddy. I know they loved me. Arch told me several years after their death that even if none of them loved me that they'd have to love me any way because I had been so good to their mother and father. Epps told me several times that she loved me as much as she did any one of her own sisters. When Della and Darline would go to the Bay to get groceries they'd drop me off at Epps' to stay until they come back. And she'd beg me to stay a few days, but I'd tell her I didn't have my gown with me and she'd say I've got gowns so that's no excuse. So now I wish I would have spent the night and next day with her. But you never know, do you? Epps was the last one in the Hover family to go, like myself. I'm the last one in the Daniels family living. Mrs. Hover and I always got along like two little kittens, always finding some thing funny. Scott her youngest son told her one day he guessed he'd have to call at the gate before coming
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Hover, Eva Pearl Daniels Autobiography-127
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