Uncle Mickey Baucom's Giblet Gravy

Back in the early 1990's I called Uncle Mickey to get his recipe for Giblet Gravy. I asked Nanny first, and she said she always liked Mickey's the best and to call him. So I called him at the lake and wrote the above recipe for his famous giblet gravy down. He was very firm about the 1/5 of an onion part. "Don't over do it," he said.

Uncle Mickey was a great cook. Meats were his specialty, and if it was off the grill, even better. But he could also put out one of the best turkey's you've ever tasted and his ham was the best. In fact, the first turkey I ever tasted was at Uncle Mickey's when he lived in Hoover. I remember that day so well, Aunt Katie came, and John was with her. He was just a little fella then and we all just fell in love with him.

I remember when Uncle Mickey died, Nanny had a boiled egg that she had just cooked for lunch. She stuck it in the refrigerator and didn't eat it that day. The next day she wrote the date on it.

Several years later I was cleaning out the fridge for her and I asked her about the egg with the date on it. She said "Leave it there, that was from the day Mickey died and I don't want to throw it away."

So I left the egg right there, dated 11/19.


Left to right: Charles Lloyd Baucom, Mary Katherine Baucom Ellis, Frank Baucom, Mickey Baucom.

Frank Baucom, West End High School, Class of 1958

This is his junior year picture.

This is Dad's sophmore year varsity basketball photo.

My dad's lifelong friend Bo Linn is in the lower basketball photo.

(Photos are from the West End High School, Birmingham, Alabama . . . 1934-1958 website.)

Uncle Lloyd Jordan "In Memorium" by Frank Baucom

Click on the image for a larger copy.I believe Uncle Lloyd died in 1979, although I could be wrong about that. So the date given in the journal I believe reflects the date that Dad started writing about Uncle Lloyd. (In 1974.) Then the memorium portion starts and should be dated 1979.

I'll try and transcribe as I get time.

It begins as follows.

June 15, 1974.

Uncle Lloyd Jordan

I wish that I had cultivated my relationship with Uncle Lloyd Jordan at a much earlier age. Of course, years ago I only got to see him once or twice a year, whenever he would come to Birmingham for a visit. He worked for years in the fabric mills of Massachusetts. (I think in Chicopee, home of the manufactures of Savage, Stevens amd Fox firearms.)

He was very adept at repairing machinery and consequently it was always easy for him to find employment.

(This portion of the journal ends, it appears that it was not finished. Now, the memorial essay begins as follows.)

Today, this morning sometime, Heaven became a a little sweeter. My friend, my camping and fishing buddy, my letter correspondent and favorite uncle by far stepped over into another place to check out the fishing for himself and perhaps to see if there were any big bucks there for me.

Mother [Lessie O. Jordan Baucom] called me tonight to tell me. It saddened me of course, but I know how much pain he suffered the last 2-4 years. I talked to him a few months ago and he told me that he prayed nearly every day for the Lord to take him.

Sometimes we can not understand these things, but take comfort in Him who does. I'll miss him, but I'm glad the painful ordeal is over for my friend. Now he has passed from life to eternity.

(To be continued.)

A letter from Uncle Lloyd Jordan ~Gone, but not forgotten~

I remember my dad reading letters to us, from Uncle Lloyd. There were quite a few of them at one time. But many of my dad's files were stored at a warehouse owned by a friend. That man died and his sons cleared everything out, so a lot was lost. But some things remain. (Click on the image to read the letter.)

Uncle Lloyd never did make back to Alabama, just like he figured. In fact, he died not too long after this was written. Dad wrote a tribute to Uncle Lloyd after he died. I'll try and copy it later this week and post it here, it was beautiful. ~Gone, but not forgotten~

Foster Maddox family

Back row, left to right: Foster Maddox, Virgie Snider Maddox (holding infant Bettye Matthews), Dorothy Maddox Matthews, James "Bud" Matthews.
Front row, left to right: Unknown, Clint Maddox, Earl Maddox, Sue Maddox, and Ima Maddox Niemeyer. I believe this photo was taken in 1943, in Purvis, MS. The infant is my mom. :-)

Foster is my great grandfather who had Marfan's. His sister, Ruby Maddox Delbridge was the grandmother of author Melissa Delbridge.