[Broderbund Family Archive #110, Vol. 2, Ed. 3,SocialSecurityRecords:U.S., SS Death Ben e f i t Records, SurnamesBeginning withR, DateofImport: Jun 19, 1996, Internal Ref. #1.112.3. 4 5 721.91]

Individual: Ramsey, Hilda

Birth date: Nov 18, 1912

Death date: Jan 26, 1988

Social Security #: 418-60-3895

Last residence: 36303

State of issue: AL

In 2001 the Ramsey brothers, Joe, Ed, Bill and Phil donated land thathadonce been par t o f t he Murphy Estate bought by J. Robert Ramsey tothecity for a park memorializing thei r won der ful parents. Dr. J.PaulMaddox, pastor Emeritus of the First Baptist Church deliver ed th eInvocation and Minister's tribute. We thank Thee, oh God, forthememoryof two of Thy c hoi c e and most devoted servant, Robert andHildaRamsey.Their marriage must have been made i n He a ven, for theyweresodevoted to each other and to Thee. How proud they were of theirson s, a nd those they chose to be their brides. How wonderfully blessedtheywere with grandchild r e n of whom they were so very proud.

We pray that The Ramsey Park may be a focus of joy and a blessing formanycitizens of Do t h a n in all the years to come. Just as theRamseysdedicated their lives to making Doth a n a b etter place, may wehere todaydedicate ourseves to their high ideals and to a renewe d f ait hin God.

We thank Thee that their good name is on this monument, and we praythatthe Scripture insc r i bed on it will be a source of blessingsforgenerations to come.

This we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

The Minister's Tribute

Very soon, with the unveiling of this monument, this park willbededicated to the memo r y o f Robert and Hilda Ramsey, but they andtheirsons would want it primarily to be dedicat e d t o the glory of God.

I consider it a great privilege to have a part in these ceremoniesofdedication of The Ra m s e y Park. Nearly fifty years ago, when Iwaspastor of the First Baptist Church, I had n o m o re faithfulchurchmembersor friends than Hilda and Robert Ramsey.

How appropriate is their choice of the Scripture which hasbeeninscribedon this monumen t , f o und in Proverbs 22: 1, "A good nameisrather to be chosen than great riches, and lovi n g fa vourratherthansilver and gold."All through the years, the Ramsey name hasbeen suchare s pe c ted and honored name in all of this area. What aheritage Mr.and Mrs. Ramsey left to t h ei r sons and their families!

Joseph Robert Ramsey was born on July 26, 1906, on Lena Street inDothan,Alabama. He wa s t h e third of four children born to Richard H.Ramseyand Cora Dowling Ramsey.

Hilda Pearl (Hawkins) Ramsey was born on November 18, 1912, thesecondchild of Alpheus Wa l t e r Hawkins and Alice Lindsay Hawkins.

Robert Ramsey was graduated from the Dothan High School in 1924. He wasacheerleader o f h i s school, president of his literary society,andPresident of the Senior Class. Hilda wa s g r aduated from the samehighschool in 1930.

Robert obtained his L. L. B. degree from the Law School oftheUniversityof Alabama. H e w a s a member of the Pi KappaPhisocialfraternity, andthe manager of the baseball team. H i l daattendedMontevallo College for one year and then Troy State, wheresheobtained a teac h i n g certificate. Her first teaching job was aone-roomschool,Flowers Chapel. She subsequ e n tly taught at Ardilla.

Robert practiced law in Dothan from 1929-1979, retiring only a fewmonthsprior to his de a t h on November 20, 1979. He was a hard worker,veryfrugal, and gained the respect of ever y o n e with whom he hadcontact.Hewas a credit to his profession, serving as President o f t h eHoustonCounty Bar Association, and as Bar Commissioner for the 20thJudicialCircui t . H e considered his practice to be his "calling" fromGod.

He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Dothan Boys Club,theCity National Ban k , t h e Haven, and served as President of theDothanRotary Club. He was also President of t h e C ity Realty Companyand oftheHouston Hotel in Dothan.

Joseph Robert Ramsey fell in love with a very beautiful ladynamedHildaHawkins, and th e y w e re married on May 3, 1935, duringthegreatDepression. They lived on Pettus Street i n D oth a n whentheirfirst son ,Joseph Robert Ramsey, Jr. Was born in 1938. The Ramseysmoved t o 1 12 Herring Street in 1939 where their other sons were born;Philipwas born on April 20 , 1 940 ; Edward was born on December 9, 1941,justtwo days after Pearl Harbor; Joel was bor n o n Ma y 3 , 1947, andWilliam,on August15, 1948. Their first born, Bob, died of cancer i n 1946 . In 1951 theymoved to 800 North Cherokee where they lived until 1978,whenthey move d t o # 3 Danmo r Place.

Mrs. Ramsey was the disciplinarian of the family, and Mr. Ramsey wasthebreadwinner. Mr . R a msey was a soft-spoken man, who tended tobeapeacemaker. He rarely lost his tmper or ra i s e d hisvoice.Mrs.Ramsey's principal vocation was rearing her children, and theirsonst e l l m e that she was more than equal to the task. She wasespeciallystricton the behavi o r o f thei r sons at church on Sundaymornings.Theirgrandchildren were the love of her lif e . S he wa s notstrict withthem. She couldn't stand to see any of her grandchildrenspanke d . Mr s.Ra msey loved to read, but her favorite social activitieswere spendingtime with h e r frie nds, her church groups, and her luncheonclub.

Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey loved to socialize with their friends throughtheirbridge club and o t h e r activities. They loved tripstoAtlanta,Birmingham, Montgomery, Compass Lake, and Pa n a m a City Beach.

Mr. Ramsey was a loving husband and father. He came home for lunchalmostevery day . H e w a s always there for his wife and each of hissons. Heacquired the majority interes t i n th e Houston Hotel intheearly'60s.Those were days in which the traveling public was tur ni ngfr o mdowntownhotels to motels. Mrs. Ramsey managed the Hotel Restaurant, andoperated i t pro fitably enough to keep the hotelgoing.The restaurant wasfamousfor its Shrimp Salad a n d lemo n Ice Box Pie. She was loved andrespectedby her staff. She never worried aboutspend i ng mo n ey as longas herhusbnd was alive. However after hisdeath,she became much moreconse r vative. Unfortunately her final yearsweremarred by the slow butsteadyprogression of Alzhe i me r s Disease.

I will always remember the Ramseys because of their great faithinGodandlove for their c h u r ch. It would be impossible for me todescribehowmuch Hilda and Robert meant to First Ba p t ist Church duringtheyearsIserved as pastor. They were great encouragers of the pasto r a n dchurchstaff. Serving the Lord through their church was the joy oftheirlives. Durin g s e veral years Mr. Ramsey was Chairman ofDeacons.Mrs.Ramsey was active in the work of Bap t i s t Women. For anumber ofyears she taught a Sunday School class of girls. She was a gra ci oushostess,and it is a joy to remember the Christian hospitality oftheRamseys.

I believe that the greatest success for parents is to see theirchildrenbecome Christian s , a nd then make their lives a blessing tothose whoselives they touch. Measured by this hi g h s t andard, if youwant to knowhow well the Ramseys succeeded, just look at their sons, th ei r wives,and grandchildren!

The Ramsey sons know that they inherited from their parents a verygoodname. No wonder t h e y have chosen these words from Proverbs tobeinscribed on the back of this monument, "A g o o d name is rather tobechosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and g o ld."

How I thank God for the privilege of knowing such wonderfulpeople,andthat their memor y i s b eing perpetuated by a park in ourcitynamed,The Ramsey Park!

God bless the Ramsey sons and their families as this monumentisdedicated, and will no w b e u nveiled!

Linda Hawkins Woodruff, niece of Hilda Ramsey(herbrotherJerome'sdaughter) spoke at the de d i cation of the park:

I am honored to have the opportunity to briefly reminisce aboutmyaunt,Hilda Hawkins Ram s e y . Those of you here today who knew AuntHildaknew her to be a gracious charming South e r n lady. You willremembe rhowimportant her family, her church, and her friends, and her c om munitywere to her. She enjoyed time spent with family and friends athome,atchurch, a n d i n the community.

As a teacher in public schools and in Sunday school and with hersons,hergrandchildre n , h e r nephews and her nieces; Aunt Hildademonstratedherlove for children. The only admon i tio n I recall hergiving to us wasthat we "play pretty." Aunt Hilda was a wonderful hoste s s . Sheenjoyed entertaining and she always made each guest feelwelcome, as ifhe or sh e w e re the guest of honor.

Aunt Hilda would be delighted with this park, a place wherefamiliesandfriends can enj o y t i me together as she enjoyed time withher familyandfriends and where children can pl a y . I can see her now,smilingandreminding them in her soft Southern voice to "play prett y " andtreating them, their families, and their friends as very specialguestsat Ramsey Park.

Note from daughter-in-law Sharman Burson Ramsey: Mom and Dad werealwaysloving and gener o u s . When I would express my thanks fortheirhelp,Mom's response was always "It was my ple a s u re." I can onlypraythat attitude of gratefulness for the privilege of "being abl e t o bethere"for my children will be as evident for them as it was for mewhenMom expressed t ho s e feelings. I was their first "daughter" andenjoyedthe warmth of their love and that o f J o e' s brothers. Ourfavoriteactivityis being together as a family laughing...oh the laug hte r!! !One brother plays off the other brother and soon everyoneissidesplitting with laugh t e r . We are blessed to live in theNorthCherokee home where we have raised our children . B r ooke was thefirstbaby brought home to this house. It is here we gather as a familyfor we d dings and funerals. We are blessed. Truly...ours is a"goodlyheritage."

[Broderbund Family Archive #110, Vol. 2, Ed. 3, SocialSecurityRecords:U.S., SS Death Bene f i t Records, Surnames Beginning withR, DateofImport: Jun 19, 1996, Internal Ref. #1.112.3.4 5 7 21.91]

In 2001 the Ramsey brothers, Joe, Ed, Bill and Phil donated land thathadonce been par t o f t he Murphy Estate bought by J. Robert Ramsey tothecity for a park memorializing thei r won der ful parents. Dr. J.PaulMaddox, pastor Emeritus of the First Baptist Church deliver ed theInvocation and Minister's tribute. We thank Thee, oh God, for thememoryof two of Thy c hoi c e and most devoted servant, Robert andHildaRamsey.Their marriage must have been made i n He a ven, for they weresodevoted toeach other and to Thee. How proud they were of their so ns ,and thosethey chose to be their brides. How wonderfully blessed theywerewith grandchild r e n of whom they were so very proud.

We pray that The Ramsey Park may be a focus of joy and a blessing formanycitizens of Dot h a n in all the years to come. Just as theRamseysdedicated their lives to making Dothan a b e t ter place, may wehere todaydedicate ourseves to their high ideals and to a renewed fait h i n God.

We thank Thee that their good name is on this monument, and wepraythatthe Scripture inscr i b ed on it will be a source ofblessingsforgenerations to come.

I consider it a great privilege to have a part in these ceremoniesofdedication of The Ram s e y Park. Nearly fifty years ago, when Iwaspastor of the First Baptist Church, I had no m o r e faithfulchurchmembers or friends than Hilda and Robert Ramsey.

How appropriate is their choice of the Scripture which hasbeeninscribedon this monument , f o und in Proverbs 22: 1, "A good nameisrather to bechosen than great riches, and loving f avo u r ratherthansilver and gold."All through the years, the Ramsey name has been sucharespe c t ed andhonored name in all of this area. What a heritage Mr.andMrs. Ramseyleft to their s o n s and their families!

Joseph Robert Ramsey was born on July 26, 1906, on Lena StreetinDothan,Alabama. He wa s t h e third of four children born to RichardH.Ramsey andCora Dowling Ramsey.

Hilda Pearl (Hawkins) Ramsey was born on November 18, 1912, thesecondchild of Alpheus Wal t e r Hawkins and Alice Lindsay Hawkins.

Robert Ramsey was graduated from the Dothan High School in 1924. Hewasacheerleader o f h i s school, president of his literary society,andPresident of the Senior Class. Hilda wa s g r aduated from the samehighschool in 1930.

Robert obtained his L. L. B. degree from the Law School oftheUniversityof Alabama. H e w a s a member of the Pi Kappa Phisocialfraternity, andthe manager of the baseball team. H il d aattendedMontevallo College fo rone year and then Troy State, where sheobtained ateach i n g certificate.Her first teaching job was a one-roomschool,Flowers Chapel. She subsequen t l y taught at Ardilla.

Robert practiced law in Dothan from 1929-1979, retiring only afewmonthsprior to his dea t h o n November 20, 1979. He was a hardworker,veryfrugal, and gained the respect of everyo n e wi th whom hehadcontact. He was a credit to his profession, serving as President oftheH o ust onCounty Bar Association, and as Bar Commissioner for the20thJudicial Circuit. He cons i der ed his practice to be his "calling"fromGod.

He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Dothan Boys Club,theCity NationalBank , t h e Haven, and served as President of theDothanRotary Club. He was also President of th e Ci t y Realty Companyand ofthe Houston Hotel in Dothan.

Joseph Robert Ramsey fell in love with a very beautiful lady namedHildaHawkins, and the y w e re married on May 3, 1935, during thegreatDepression. They lived on Pettus Street in D oth a n when theirfirstson,Joseph Robert Ramsey, Jr. Was born in 1938. The Ramseys movedto11 2 H erring Street in 1939 where their other sons were born; Philipwasborn on April 20, 1940 ; E d ward was born on December 9, 1941, justtwodays after Pearl Harbor; Joel was born on M a y 3 , 1947, and William,onAugust15, 1948. Their first born, Bob, died of cancer in 1946 . I n 1951theymoved to 800 North Cherokee where they lived until 1978, whentheymoved to #3 D anm o r Place.

Mrs. Ramsey was the disciplinarian of the family, and Mr. Ramsey wasthebreadwinner. Mr . R a msey was a soft-spoken man, who tended to beapeacemaker. He rarely lost his tmper or r ais e d his voice.Mrs.Ramsey'sprincipal vocation was rearing her children, and their sonstel l m e thatshe was more than equal to the task. She was especiallystricton the behavior of th e i r sons at church on Sunday mornings.Theirgrandchildrenwere the love of her life. Sh e w a s not strict withthem.She couldn't stand to see any of her grandchildren spanked. Mrs . Ra mseyloved toread, but her favorite social activities were spending timewithher friends , h e r church groups, and her luncheon club.

Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey loved to socialize with their friends throughtheirbridge club and ot h e r activities. They loved trips toAtlanta,Birmingham, Montgomery, Compass Lake, and Pan a m a City Beach.

Mr. Ramsey was a loving husband and father. He came home for lunchalmostevery day. H e w a s always there for his wife and each of hissons. Heacquired the majority interest in t h e H ouston Hotel intheearly '60s.Those were days in which the traveling public was turning f ro m downtownhotels to motels. Mrs. Ramsey managed theHotelRestaurant, and operatedit pro f it ably enough to keep the hotelgoing.The restaurant was famousfor its Shrimp Salad and le m o n Ice BoxPie.She was loved and respectedby her staff. She never worried aboutspending m o n ey as long as herhusbnd was alive. However after hisdeath,she became much more conservat iv e. Unfortunately her final yearsweremarred by the slow but steadyprogression of Alzheim e r s Disease.

I will always remember the Ramseys because of their great faith inGodandlove for their ch u r ch. It would be impossible for me todescribehowmuch Hilda and Robert meant to First Bapt i s t Church duringthe yearsIserved as pastor. They were great encouragers of the pastor an d c hurchstaff. Serving the Lord through their church was the joy oftheirlives. During se v er al years Mr. Ramsey was Chairman of Deacons.Mrs.Ramsey was active in the work of Bapti s t W omen. For a number ofyearsshetaught a Sunday School class of girls. She was a gracio u s hostess,and it is a joy to remember the Christian hospitality of theRamseys.

I believe that the greatest success for parents is to see theirchildrenbecome Christians, a n d then make their lives a blessing tothosewhoselives they touch. Measured by this high s t a ndard, if youwant toknowhow well the Ramseys succeeded, just look at their sons, theirwi v es, and grandchildren!

The Ramsey sons know that they inherited from their parents a verygoodname. No wonder t h e y have chosen these words from Proverbstobeinscribed on the back of this monument, "A g o o d name is rathertobechosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver andgo l d."

How I thank God for the privilege of knowing such wonderful people,andthat their memo r y i s being perpetuated by a park in our citynamed,TheRamsey Park!

God bless the Ramsey sons and their families as this monumentisdedicated,and will now b e u n veiled!

Linda Hawkins Woodruff, niece of Hilda Ramsey (herbrotherJerome'sdaughter) spoke at the d e d ication of the park:

I am honored to have the opportunity to briefly reminisce about myaunt,Hilda Hawkins Rams e y . Those of you here today who knew AuntHildaknewher to be a gracious charming Southern l a d y. You willrememberhowimportant her family, her church, and her friends, and hercommun i t ywereto her. She enjoyed time spent with family and friends athome,atchurch, and in t h e c ommunity.

As a teacher in public schools and in Sunday school and with hersons,hergrandchildren , h e r nephews and her nieces; Aunt Hildademonstrated herlove for children. The only admoni ti o n I recall hergiving to us wasthat we "play pretty." Aunt Hilda was a wonderful hostes s . Sheenjoyedentertaining and she always made each guest feel welcome,as if heor she w e r e the guest of honor.

Aunt Hilda would be delighted with this park, a place where familiesandfriends can enjo y t i me together as she enjoyed time with her familyandfriends and where children can pla y . I c an see her now,smilingandreminding them in her soft Southern voice to "play pretty " a ndtreating them, their families, and their friends as very special guestsatRamseyPark.

Note from daughter-in-law Sharman Burson Ramsey: Mom and Dad werealwaysloving and genero u s . When I would express my thanks for theirhelpMom's response was always "It was my pleas u r e." I can only praythatattitude of gratefulness for the privilege of "being able to be t h ere"for my children will be as evident for them as it was for me whenMomexpressed those f e e lings. I was their first "daughter" and enjoyedthewarmth of their love and that of Joe ' s b rothers. Our favoriteactivityis being together as a family laughing...oh the laughter ! ! !One brotherplays off the other brother and soon everyone is sidesplittingwithlaught e r . We are blessed to live in the North Cherokee home wherewehave raised our children. Br o o ke was the first baby brought hometothis house. It is here we gather as a family for wed d i ngsandfunerals. We are blessed.Truly...ours is a "goodly heritage."

More About HILDA PEARL HAWKINS:

Cause of Death: Alzheimers, complications of Pneumonia

Notes for JOSEPH ROBERT RAMSEY:

1 AUTH son Joel joined him in law firm

1 AGNC died of congestive heart failure as Alzheimers was progressing

Was nicknamed "Red" by his high school classmates

Written by son Joel Wardlaw Ramsey:

JOSEPH ROBERT RAMSEY Born July 26, 1906, on Lena StreetinDothan,Alabama,son of Rich a r d H . and Cora (Dowling) Ramsey. He wasthe third of fourchildren (siblings Cassie, R.H . , J r. , and Frances).

One of Dad's earliest recollections was his first taste of a redpepper.Itburned his mou t h s o badly that he had to get up from the tableand runaround the house (today his parent s w ou l d undoubtedly becharged withchild abuse). Despite this bad first experience, Dad al way s liked toeat peppers, radishes and other items too spicy for the restof us.

Dad liked to tell us about how poor his family was when he wasgrowingup(in an effort t o m a k e us appreciate how fortunate we were).He hadto sell milk from his wagon in the colo r e d section of town. Whenthecow "went dry," he had to drive it to the Dowling's farm in Pi n ckardwhere it could be put out to pasture. Once on his way back to Dothanhestopped to fi s h ing a stream and actually caught a fish, but when hetookit of fthe hook it flipped back i n t o the water and got away.

Dad was so excited about going to school that his first day in thefirstgrade (in a build i n g that still stands and was last used as ahosierymill) he exclaimed: "oh Boy, oh joy, wh e r e do we gofromhere!?"Unfortunately his principal, Claude Pepper (later elected toCongr e s sfrom Florida), overheard the remark, called it insubordination,and"nipped it in the b u d " by taking him to the office for a spanking.

The next teacher who mistook Dad's sincerity paid a high priceforit.While he was stil l i n g rade school, he got sick one day and askedtobeallowed to be allowed to go to the rest roo m . Instead his teachermadehim come and sit in her lap and ridiculed him in front of th e cl ass bypretending to comfort him with remarks like "poor little babydoesn'tfeel well? " Y o u ng "Joe Robbie" soon proved that he REALLYdidn't feelwell by throwing up all over he r dr e ss (presumably this wasa learningexperience for the teacher).

Fortunatelly most of Joe Robbie's school experiences were muchhappierthan that. Obviou s l y he was a good student and popular,although not anathlete. In high school he was a chee r l eader andpresident of hisliterary society and his senior class (the class of 1924).

J. Robert attended the University of Alabama from 1924 through 1929,whenhe earned his L. L . B . degree. He was a member of Pi KappaPhiFraternityand served as manager of the baseb a l l team, thusearningmembership in the "A" Club (which gave Dad a high priority forfootb a l ltick ets onthose rare occasions when he ordered any).

Dad practiced law from 1929 to 1979, retiring a few months beforehisdeath. Characterist i c ally, Dad waited for his law license to expireonSept. 30th (he wasn't going to quit with o u t getting the full benefitofthat annual license). He had a general and varied practic e . Includingpractically whatever came in the door. Of course, Dad had anexcellentpractic e , si nce he really was "an honest lawyer." He couldsincerelysay, when asked what he had do n e th at day, "Just tried to do alittlegood in the world."

I'm not sure, but I think that during most of his legal career Dad wasasole practitio n e r . However, his first law partner wasprobablyOscarTompkins, a colorful and cantankero u s f ellow who Dad firstknewasone of his teachers. He was also a hobo (better known in tho s e daysas"a bum")who "rode the rails" to see the country and " cowboyed,"amongother thing s . Ho wever, to the extent that Oscar Tompkinsisrememberedat all in the Houston County Ba r A ssoci ation, it is forhisspeech:"S.O.B.s I have known in the Houston County Bar Associati on. "Unfortunately, I wasn't privileged to have heard that speech, but Idoubthe mentioned Da d . Whi le they were practicing together, theydecided thatthey would close the ofice earl y o n Satur days (the usualclosing timewasnoon) and go for rides in the country. Reportedl y tha tpolic y lastedfour weeks (long enough for them to travel in eachdirection).

Fortunately for us, Mother noticed Dad and "set her cap" forhim.She"justhappened to be wa l k ing by" his office at quitting timeenough to get himto take her to get a Coke; after th a t h e undoubtedlyneverhad a chance.Ironically Dad's first experience with Mother's father w a s not apleasant one: Dad foreclosed the mortgage on the family home(probablythe one o n t h e corner of Orange and Powell Streets).However,to hiscredit, Mr. Hawkins had no hard fe el i ngs over that,although he didn'tconsider Dad worthy of Hilda Pearl.

Despite Mr. Hawkins's misgivings, J. Robert and Hilda were married inherparent's hom e o n M a y 3, 1935. They first resided with UncleRichardand Aunt Lucille before obtaining t hei r f irst home at 112 N.Herring.All5 of their sons were born while they lived there, and t he i roldest,Joseph Robert Ramsey, Jr., (Bob), (1938-1946) died there afteraprotracted strug g l e w ith cancer. (kidney, ed. note)

The Ramseys built a beautiful new home in what was then stillmostlywoods, at 800 N. Chero k e e , in 1950-51. They lived there untilall ofthe boys were grown and married, in 1978. M o t her finallyconvinced Dadto build a new home, at 3 Danmor and they moved into it inNovem b e r ofthat year.

Getting back to Dad's legal career, his first case was the collection ofatwo dollar acco u n t . His fee was $1, of which he gave 10 centstothechurch.

Dad worked hard on his practice, and he tried to be sure we allunderstoodthat money was h a r d to come by, so we had to save and befrugal.However Phil soon got tired of hearing th a t s ermon. Henoticedthatevery day when they picked Dad up in the car after work, hewould f i rs tgo across the street to the Post Office to mail hiscorrespondence. Afterhearing one m o r e time how tight money was, Philfinally told him: "Dad,if you would really work, inste a d o fjustwriting letters all day, wewould have some money."

Despite having a successful law practice, lawyers (and doctors) didnotget rich in those d a y s. Dad rarely billed by the hour (his topratewas$25 an hour in 1979), instead he just tr i e d to figure whathisserviceswere worth, and "what the traffic could bear." He had nocomp l aints that I know of.

Dad acknowledged that he made most of his money from his realestatedeals. His principa l r e a l estate acquisition was the"MurphyEstate."This transaction was somewhat involved. O n e o f Dad'sMother'ssisters,Lottie Dowling, married Charles D. Murphy, Sr., asuccessfulbusi n es sman but not much of a family man. In fact, he was somean thatwhen he died he left mo s t o f his estate (which wasconsiderable) to thelocal MasonicTemple. The family retained D a d t o file a will contest,and the best lawyers in town became involved on eachside. Final l y t heMasons proposed a settlement: the family could chooseeither the moneyorthe land. D a d ur ged the Murphys to take the land,and they did.However,once the case was over with t h e M urp hys hadsecond thoughts,since they couldn't spend the land and it did not producemu c h in co me.Dad searched for a buyer, and offered it to everyone whowas interested,includi n g his hi gh school classmate, Harry Hall (whoinvested heavily inDothan real estate, and sub s equentl y made enoughmoney to start asavingsand loan business). However times were hard a n dno on e was interestedin buying the land. Therefore Dad agreed topurchase it for the amo u n to f the cash the Masons kept, provided theMurphys agreed tofinance thesale, which they d i d . Thus Dad obtainedthe land where mostofCloverdale Subdivision was developed, and nume r o us other tractsoflandin the city and county. More than half of thispropertyDadtransfe r r e d to City Realty Company, which we continueduntil afterMother's death.

Dad was an old fashioned father. He saw his role as the breadwinner,andgenerally lef t t h e child rearing to Mother. She was equal tothetask,and believed in the Proverb "spar e t h e rod and spoil thechild."And her spankings never hurt her more than me. However Dad r are lyraised his hand to us. On one occasion when Ed had exhaustedMother'spatience,Dad inter v e ned and said: "Let me handle thisMother."Whereupon he gave Ed a stern lecture. Ed lear n e d from thatexperience.The next time Mothergot ready to send Ed to get a switch, Edsa i d : "Let's let Dad handle this, Mom." (I doubt that worked, althoughEd didget away with a l ot ,s ince he was always Mother's favorite).

A lot of our recollections are centered on the kitchen table, wherewetook our family me a l s together. Dad almost always came homeforlunch(except for Mondays, when he went to th e R o tar y Club). Wewouldwait awhile for Dad and then go ahead; invariably he would drive u po n cewe started eating.

On one occasion Dad decided to cure Phil and Ed of gluttony. Afterhegottired of hearin g t h em repeatedly ask for more dessert, he gavethem allthe candy that he could find in th e h o u se. However when theygotsickthat night, Mother was the one who got up to see about t he m .Dadnevertried that with Bill and me.

We all had our regular places at the table. Bill sat toDad'sright.OnceDad brought a bu s i n ess acquaintance home to eat withus, andthe gentleman made the mistake of sitting in Bi l l ' s place.Bill warnedhim""You better not sit there; he (Dad) will eat off yourplate."

Dad enjoyed good health most of his life, and was rarely sick.Howeverwhen we were in Birm i n gham for Dick Moseley's wedding sometimeduringthe winter of '78-'79, Dad slipped on s o m e i ce while walking upanincline atthe Ramada Hotel and fell, breaking some ribs. Afte r h isretirement he had cataract surgery. Nevertheless he seemed to be ingoodhealth unti lMo n d ay , November 20, 1979. Dad said he didn'tfeelwell,and missed the Rotary Club meeting, w h i ch was very unusualforhim.That evening he walked over to our house, but I was at a Bo y S coutmeeting. When I got home Sharman and I went over and visited withhimand Mother for a w h ile. After midnight, Mother called to say thatDadcouldn't catch his breath, but the para m e dics were tending to him,andthey were going to the hospital. She was sure everything wo u l dbeOK,and she would call me from there. When she did, Dad was gone.

JOSEPH ROBERT RAMSEY Born July 26, 1906, on Lena StreetinDothan,Alabama, son of Richa r d H . and Cora (Dowling) Ramsey. He wasthethirdof four children (siblings Cassie, R.H., Jr . , a nd Frances).

One of Dad's earliest recollections was his first taste of a redpepper.Itburned his mou t h s o badly that he had to get up from the tableandrunaround the house (today his parents w o ul d undoubtedly bechargedwithchild abuse). Despite this bad first experience, Dad alway s lik edto eatpeppers, radishes and other items too spicy for the rest of us.

Dad liked to tell us about how poor his family was when he wasgrowingup(in an effort to m a k e us appreciate how fortunate we were).He hadtosell milk from his wagon in the colored s e c tion of town. Whenthecow"went dry," he had to drive it to the Dowling's farm in Pincka r dwhere itcould be put out to pasture. Once on his way back to Dothanhestoppedto fis h i n a st ream and actually caught a fish, but when hetookit offthe hook it flipped back it o th e wate r and got away.

Dad was so excited about going to school that his first day inthefirstgrade (in a build i n g that still stands and was last used asahosierymill) he exclaimed: "oh Boy, oh joy, wh e r e do we gofromhere!?"Unfortunately his principal, Claude Pepper (later electedtoCongres s f rom Florida), overheard the remark, called itinsubordination,and"nipped it in the bud " b y t aking him to the officefor a spanking.

The next teacher who mistook Dad's sincerity paid a high priceforit.While he was stil l i n g rade school, he got sick one day and askedtobeallowed to be allowed to go to the rest roo m . Instead histeachermadehim come and sit in her lap and ridiculed him in front of thec la s sbypretending to comfort him with remarks like "poor littlebabydoesn'tfeel well?" You n g " Joe Robbie" soon proved that he REALLYdidn'tfeelwell by throwing up all over her dres s ( pre sumably this wasalearningexperience for the teacher).

Fortunatelly most of Joe Robbie's school experiences were muchhappierthanthat. Obvious l y h e was a good student and popular, althoughnotanathlete. In high school he was a cheerl e ade r and presidentofhisliterary society and his senior class (the class of 1924).

J. Robert attended the University of Alabama from 1924 through1929,whenhe earned his L.L . B . degree. He was a member of Pi KappaPhiFraternityand served as manager of the basebal l t e am, thusearningmembership inthe "A" Club (which gave Dad a high priority forfootballtic k e ts onthose rare occasions when he ordered any).

Dad practiced law from 1929 to 1979, retiring a few monthsbeforehisdeath. Characteristi c a lly, Dad waited for his law license toexpireonSept. 30th (he wasn't going to quit witho u t g etting the fullbenefitofthat annual license). He had a general and varied practice. I ncludingpractically whatever came in the door. Of course, Dad hadanexcellentpractice, sin c e h e really was "an honest lawyer." Hecouldsincerelysay, when asked what he had done th a t day , "Just tried todo alittlegood in the world."

I'm not sure, but I think that during most of his legal career Dad wasasole practition e r . However, his first law partner wasprobablyOscarTompkins, a colorful and cantankerous f e l low who Dad firstknew asone ofhis teachers. He was also a hobo (better known in those da y s as"a bum")who "rode the rails" to see the country and " cowboyed,"amongotherthings. H o w ever, to the extent that Oscar Tompkins isrememberedat allin the Houston County Bar Assoc i a tion, it is for hisspeech:"S.O.B.s Ihave known in the Houston County Bar Association." U nfortunately, I wasnot privileged to have heard that speech, but I doubthementioned Dad.Wh i l e they were practicing together, they decidedthatthey would closethe ofice early on Satur d a ys (the usual closingtime wasnoon) and go forrides in the country. Reportedly that pol i c ylastedfour weeks (longenough for them to travel in each direction).

Fortunately for us, Mother noticed Dad and "set her cap" for him.She"justhappened to be w a l king by" his office at quitting time enoughtoget himto take her to get a Coke; after th a t h e undoubtedly never hadachance.Ironically Dad's first experience with Mother's fathe r w a s notapleasantone: Dad foreclosed the mortgage on the family home(probablythe one on th e co rner of Orange and Powell Streets). However,to hiscredit, Mr.Hawkins had no hard feel i ng s over that, although hedidn'tconsider Dadworthy of Hilda Pearl.

Despite Mr. Hawkins's misgivings, J. Robert and Hilda were marriedinherparent's home o n M a y 3, 1935. They first resided with UncleRichardandAunt Lucille before obtaining thei r fir s t home at 112 N.Herring.All 5of their sons were born while they lived there, and thei r old est,JosephRobert Ramsey, Jr., (Bob), (1938-1946) died there afteraprotractedstruggle w i t h cancer. (kidney, ed. note)

The Ramseys built a beautiful new home in what ws then stillmostlywoods,at 800 N. Cherok e e , in 1950-51. They lived there until allof theboyswere grown and married, in 1978. Mot h e r finally convincedDad tobuild anew home, at 3 Danmor and they moved into it in Novemb e r of thatyear.

Getting back to Dad's legal career, his first case was the collectionofatwo dollar accou n t . His fee was $1, of which he gave 10 centstothechurch.

Dad worked hard on his practice, and he tried to be sure weallunderstoodthat money was h a r d to come by, so we had to save andbefrugal. HoweverPhil soon got tired of hearing tha t s e rmon. Henoticedthat every daywhen they picked Dad up in the car after work, hewouldfi r s t go acrossthe street to the Post Office to mailhiscorrespondence. After hearingone m o r e time how tight money was,Philfinally told him: "Dad, if youwould really work, inste a d o fjustwriting letters all day, we would havesome money."

Despite having a successful law practice, lawyers (and doctors) didnotgetrich in those da y s . Dad rarely billed by the hour (his top ratewas$25an hour in 1979), instead he just tr i e d to figure what hisserviceswereworth, and "what the traffic could bear." He had no comp l aints thatIknow of.

Dad acknowledged that he made most of his money from hisrealestatedeals. His principal r e a l estate acquisition was the"MurphyEstate."This transaction was somewhat involved. O n e o f Dad'sMother'ssisters,Lottie Dowling, married Charles D. Murphy, Sr., asuccessfulbusi n es smanbut not much of a family man. In fact, he was somean thatwhen he diedhe left mos t o f h is estate (which wasconsiderable) to thelocal MasonicTemple. The family retained Da d t o file a will contest,and the bestlawyers in town became involved on eachside. Finally t he Mas onsproposed a settlement: the family could chooseeither the money ortheland. Dad urg e d th e Murphys to take the land,and they did.However,once the case was over with the Murp h y s had secondthoughts,since theycouldn't spend the land and it did not produce muchinco m e .Dad searchedfor a buyer, and offered it to everyone who wasinterested,includinghis h i g h school classmate, Harry Hall (who investedheavily inDothanreal estate, and subsequent l y m ade enough money tostart a savingsandloan business). However times were hard and no o n e was interestedinbuying the land. Therefore Dad agreed to purchase it forthe amountoft h e cas h the Masons kept, provided the Murphys agreed tofinancethesale, which they did. Th u s Da d obtained the land wheremostofCloverdale Subdivision was developed, and numerous oth e r tra ctsoflandin the city and county. More than half of this propertyDadtransferredto Ci t y Re alty Company, which we continued untilafterMother's death.

Dad was an old fashioned father. He saw his role as the breadwinner,andgenerally lef t t h e child rearing to Mother. She was equal tothetask,and believed in the Proverb "spar e t h e rod and spoil thechild."And herspankings never hurt her more than me. However Dad ra re ly raisedhishand to us. On one occasion when Ed had exhausted Mother'spatience,Dadinterv e n ed and said: "Let me handle this Mother."Whereupon he gaveEda stern lecture. Ed lear n e d from that experience.The next timeMothergot ready to send Ed to get a switch, Ed sa i d :"Let's let Dadhandlethis, Mom." (I doubt that worked, although Ed did getaway with al o t ,since he was always Mother's favorite).

A lot of our recollections are centered on the kitchen table, wherewetookour family mea l s t ogether. Dad almost always came home forlunch(exceptfor Mondays, when he went to the R o tar y Club). We wouldwait awhile forDad and then go ahead; invariably he would drive up on c ew estartedeating.

On one occasion Dad decided to cure Phil and Ed of gluttony. Afterhegottired of hearin g t h em repeatedly ask for more dessert, he gavethemallthe candy that he could find in the h ous e . However when theygotsickthat night, Mother was the one who got up to see about them . D adnevertried that with Bill and me.

We all had our regular places at the table. Bill sat to Dad'sright.OnceDad brought a bus i n ess acquaintance home to eat with us,andthegentleman made the mistake of sitting in Bil l ' s place. Billwarnedhim ""You better not sit there; he (Dad) will eat off your plate."

Dad enjoyed good health most of his life, and was rarely sick.Howeverwhenwe were in Birmi n g ham for Dick Moseley's wedding sometimeduringthewinter of '78-'79, Dad slipped on som e i c e while walking upanincline atthe Ramada Hotel and fell, breaking some ribs. After hi s retirement hehad cataract surgery. Nevertheless he seemed to be ingoodhealth untilMonday , No v ember 20, 1979. Dad said he didn't feelwell,and missed theRotary Club meeting, whic h wa s v ery unusual forhim. Thatevening hewalked over to our house, but I was at a Boy Scou t meeti ng.When I gothome Sharman and I went over and visited with him andMotherfor awhile . Aft e r midnight, Mother called to say that Dadcouldn'tcatch hisbreath, but the paramedic s wer e t ending to him, andthey weregoing tothe hospital. She was sure everything would b e OK, a nd shewould call mefrom there. When she did, Dad was gone.

More About JOSEPH ROBERT RAMSEY:

Cause of Death: congestive heart failure

iv. JANIS CLAIRE HAWKINS, b. October 31, 1914, Headland, Alabama; m. RALPH MOSELEY.

v. WALTER JEROME HAWKINS, b. October 17, 1917; d. 1960, Memory Hill, Dothan, al; m. JEAN HOLLIS.

vi. LYNN HAWKINS, b. January 20, 1920, Headland, Al; d. January 27.