Deaths

There were 4 childhood deaths that impacted me: Chris’s (African American boy in Meridian) death, that of Tom Scott, Frank Scott’s older brother, from scarlet fever, and Bobby Broome, Stocky’s younger brother. Bobby’s was the most horrible: he was playing by himself, tightened a belt around his neck, perhaps to black out as we tried a few times and was found by his mother, not breathing. He was a sweet, gregarious boy. Tragic loss. The 4th was a schoolmate, Bobby Vandergriff. Bobby was a superb athlete and nice kid. He fell off of the roof of his parent’s house the summer after 7th grade graduation from E. Rivers.

We were not indestructible ….