Gladys Ione Moody Culpepper

Gladys Ione Moody Culpepper was born September 2, 1904 to John Wesley Moody and his wife Alice Eugenia Scarborough, the eighth of nine children. She began her nurturing ways very early in life. The ninth and last child of the family was Winnie. Five years younger than Gladys, she was given to Gladys' care much of the time. Winnie would run off to a neighbor's house where the matron there doted on her. The beautiful little girl who had long black curly hair but blue eyes like her Papa's was spoiled with cookies and treats from the kind old lady. Gladys would be sent after the run-a-way baby and would return home with Winnie tucked in her arms, kicking and screaming all the way. Gladys was with Winnie also when she died at age two of pneumonia.

Winnie was only the first of many in the extended Moody family that fell under Gladys' care. Her father and mother, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews were all recipients of her generous care and love. Even the wayward and black sheep of the family were fiercely protected by Gladys from those who would be critical; but she never hesitated to try to pull them back into line herself.

"Her phenomenal memory and accumulated knowledge of family members (her people she called them) spanned from her grand-ma Sarah Hancock's burial to the birth of Sarah's great-great-great-grand-children. It seems that all of them - Hancocks, Moodys and Scarboroughs, knew and loved Gladys and Gladys knew and remembered them all." Her vivid memory brought alive for us the lives of so many long departed members of our family. Her brother Os's boy, Bill Moody, has written that it is in knowing of one's people that makes it easy, when one's time on this earth is over, to join those who have gone before and are waiting for the reunion of all reunions. Therefore it is for us remaining to know that Gladys is rejoicing now in the embrace of her beloved Papa and Mama, Mr. Al, little Winnie and all her brothers and sisters.

She was a family treasure and the memory of her is pure gold. These golden bits will survive in the family that loved her so and it is for us to make sure that future generations know of her people and our family treasure, Gladys Ione Moody Culpepper.

Terrelle Moody Walker

The quote is from Bill Moody's manuscript, "Monuments"