Thomas Herring

My mother was a "tomboy" when she was young, preferring to roam the fields with her brother, Floyd, rather than do house chores with her sisters. She once had a pet "wild" rabbit. After she let it go the rabbit would come to the porch at night. Once she took eggs to sell for her mother. She was supposed to buy herself a pair of shoes and take the rest of the money home. As I recall she spent most of the money on the shoes and took very little money home to her mother. She married Winfield S. Herring and spent her "honeymoon" working in a cotton field. He became a minister shortly after their marriage. She faithfully served her LORD with him in Texas, Kansas, and Colorado. She was an avid reader and liked to work crossword puzzles. She loved horses. We have a snapshot of her sitting on the haunches of her pet mule. She played the piano, mostly by "ear", having taught herself to play with the "shape note" system. She could also play any instrument she wanted to try. She and Winfield had five children: Ranelle, Bennoit Duane, Dennis Ray, Winene, and Sharron Ann. She loved to play the harmonica and played it up until about 2 weeks before she passed away. I would visit her and she would play the harmonica while I sang. We sang old songs and hymns. Once I started on the wrong key. (This was after she was in to Alzheimers and could no longer talk.) When I started the song on the wrong note she just looked at me and laughed!! I said to her, "I must have lost the key. On second thought I never did have the key." She got a big kick out of that! I was so blessed to have here live about 2 miles from me until she passed away. She died while I was singing "I Will Meet You in the Morning." I am soo looking forward to that meeting!!

Willie H Herring of Lumberton, Robeson County, NC was born on July 29, 1920, and died at age 90 years old on September 26, 2010.