[December 4, 2023] My great aunt Marie Tabor was a beautiful woman, tall, energetic, smart, articulate, motivated, and dedicated to my Mom. She was the sister of my maternal Bigmama (Grandmother Blankenship). Aunt Rea lived her entire life in Little Rock, Arkansas, in a classic upscale neighborhood and was a hairdresser. She had no children, which may be why she was so close to my Mom. We called her “Aunt Rea,” and since she lived about three hours away, we didn’t visit often, but we had a good time when we did. She adored us, too. But her husband was a bore. We didn’t like him much, and he smoked cigars, sat all day in his armchair, and read the newspaper. Great Uncle Eddie was boring!
The first time I remember going to see Aunt Rea was when we arrived at night. As we came upon a hill overlooking Little Rock, the whole city was lit up like nothing I’d ever seen, spread across the valley floor. The lights below us were beyond my wildest imagination. I stared, probably slack-jawed, at the site of what was before us. There was a world out there that I had no idea existed, and I wanted to see more.
Little Rock was at the center of the nation’s racial segregation, and in 1957, the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne was sent to force the state of Arkansas to desegregate its schools. Aunt Rea’s hairdresser shop was directly across from the Little Rock Central High School, and CBS was in her shop reporting this historic event. Many of the videos that day were taken from her shop windows.
Aunt Rea seemed to be the center of everything. She would take me throughout the city, exceeding the speed limit, chain-smoking cigarettes, keeping her pocketbook close with her loaded Colt 1903 semiautomatic pistol, and talking nonstop and so fast I had a tough time keeping up. She and I were living on the edge. It was fun. I heard her tell stories of her upbringing and of wanting children and not being capable of having them, a regret she carried with her until the day she died. Aunt Rea had the fastest, deepest southern drawl ever. She was an amazing woman, and she made me smile. I loved her. Many years after graduating High School in Texas, I would drive hours to visit her. For me, Little Rock was the center of a wondrous universe.
Aunt Rea was a results-driven woman. She had fun and useful projects that would keep our interest whenever we visited. I enjoyed our construction of a five-story, white, with green trim birdhouse for her yard. It took a couple of weekends to finish it to her satisfaction. I was to draw the template outline on ½ inch plywood and cut the pieces out with a handheld jigsaw. Then, we used thin nails and wood glue to assemble the birdhouse correctly. The corners were wonky. When I pointed this out, Aunt Rea gave me a big smile and hug. Then we drilled holes large enough for a small Wren to fit inside. Her dull, dimwit husband put up a tall pipe in the backyard and set the 5-story birdhouse on it. Standing on Aunt Rae’s back porch, holding her hand, we admired the beautiful birdhouse. This small project helped me decide on my future career.
When we arrived at her home to visit, Aunt Rea was often not home. She was a busy lady between her hairdresser business and being an active volunteer for the local Humane Society. It was common for her to rescue abused and neglected dogs. She had her own dogs, Laddie and Mitzi, both Rough Collies that were exceptional, and she adored them. My sister Terri has an oil painting of those dogs that Aunt Rea had commissioned in their memory.
Since she was out being part of her community, the doors of her home were locked. Dad would send my little sister Terri through the doggie door in the back of the house when we arrived. Being the youngest, she was small and could squeeze in and then unlock the door. Wet doggie licks would meet her. Aunt Rea was the kind of relative we never deserved, but luck was on our side. You made a difference in our lives; thank you, Aunt Rea.
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BEAUTIFUL LETTER
Sir, another great letter to be treasured by your granddaughter.
Excellent article my friend. Another thing we share in common. My aunt Rea and her husband is Eddie. That’s my man. Wow. Your bird 🐦 house experience prepare you for your career years later. We both from small country town. Small town living is so much fun even though not alot of large stores there. We loved the drive into town to meet our friend in the grocery store. The church and the grocery stores were our local community gathering place. Your granddaughter have another wonderful idea of who you are.
Nothing like time with family. As we gathering with friends and family this Christmas; cherish the moment with them. A song by Sister Slade “We are family”.
Family is deeper than just your biological family. My 6am morning prayer group are family. We are from several states on east coast and Kentucky , Missouri and Haiti and Bahamas. Some of us never meet yet we have a great bond.
They don’t make small town boys like us any more.
My friend 🧡 you are so right ✅️. Small town has something that big city doesn’t. Community that cares about the neighborhood
Mr. Eddie and Gen. Doug, thank you both for sharing your similar boyhood experiences.
Excellent letter and I’m waiting now for Number 41.
From one vet to another, thank you Gen. Satterfield. You’re upbringing and mine are very similar. You and I are part of the Baby Boomers. We are used to tough times and competition. Our youth today are voluntarily weak and willfully stupid.
great point navy vet … we kick ass
Gen. Satterfield has, once again, showed us what helped make him who he is and is connecting the dots from his childhood to his success as a US Army general. People! Keep this in mind while reading these letters. We are very privileged to read about his development.
Wow, great letter to your granddaughter. Gen. Satterfield, we would like feedback on how your granddaughter receives these letters.
Yeah, these are not letters that drone on about “feelings” but about those things that make us a person with good character. So unlike the garbage found on social media.
Good point, Marina. 😉
Gen. Satterfield, your great aunt Rea must have been a hard charging woman for her time. I love it when you said she always drove over the speed limit and carried a pistol with her. Now, that sure says something. I had an aunt like this and she was super great to be around her when we were kids. As we grew into adulthood, I used to spend hours talking to her about how she did what she did and I’m proud of her. Too bad she passed away at age 51. It is sad to see those with such energy pass away.
Linux Man, but you had the time with her and that in itself was a gift from God. 🙏
Thanks Pastor John, you wrote what I was thinking. Prayers to all.
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
The first time I remember going to see Aunt Rea was when we arrived at night. As we came upon a hill overlooking Little Rock, the whole city was lit up like nothing I’d ever seen, spread across the valley floor. The lights below us were beyond my wildest imagination. I stared, probably slack-jawed, at the site of what was before us. There was a world out there that I had no idea existed, and I wanted to see more. – Gen. Satterfield was raised in a very very small town. From his letters so far, seeing any lights at night must have been like looking up to the stars on a dark night.
As we move around, we are bound to live in different cultures and the physical infrastructure will differ too. That is the case here and Gen. Satterfield is showing us how he saw it as a little kid.
That’s what the military does. 🏅
Thank you Gen. Satterfield for another letter. I was waiting and here it is.
Watch out for those doggie doors!
“When we arrived at her home to visit, Aunt Rea was often not home. She was a busy lady between her hairdresser business and being an active volunteer for the local Humane Society. It was common for her to rescue abused and neglected dogs. She had her own dogs, Laddie and Mitzi, both Rough Collies that were exceptional, and she adored them. My sister Terri has an oil painting of those dogs that Aunt Rea had commissioned in their memory.” – Gen. Doug Satterfield
He He, good one BC. Loving these letters too. ……
Doggie ….,,. Woof Woof
🐶🐶
Love this series, best on the Internet, ever ever ever! Keep them coming. But how many will you write Gen. S.?
I know this is off topic but I couldn’t resist.
“PHOTO: Georgia K-9 Sniffs Out Four Suspects in Under 15 Minutes”
https://www.breitbart.com/health/2023/12/03/photo-georgia-k-9-sniffs-out-four-suspects-under-15-minutes/
🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕
Lady Hawk, good one!!
If you want to get the full picture of these letters – for those new here – then go to the tab “Letters to My Granddaughter” and that way you don’t have to search for them. I recommend reading from the bottom, up.
Thank you. 🥹
And here it is…numero 40. Great! Gracias, Gen. Satterfield.
…. and don’t we just love it when Gen. Satterfield publishes another letter to his granddaughter. If you want to get to the base of why he his really writing these letters, then read his book, “55 rules for a good life” and you will see his ideas in full bloom. Just take a look and search for his name on Amazon for his books. ❤
Yes, Janna and Eduardo. We are all huge fans of Gen. Satterfield. Good to know that this is the ANTI-PC website, a rare and helpful place to actually learn about people, both the good and the evil.
Gen. Satterfield doesn’t pull punches. He names names.
Great website, YEPPER!!
Exactly!!!!!
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More articles like this are ok.
Thanks Eduardo