My Granny’s Bible

One of the items I inherited last year when Mama passed away was her mother’s Bible. I specifically selected Granny’s Bible because I wanted a keepsake to remember her by. I was given a couple of items when Granny died in 1987—a crocheted piece that looks like a slice of watermelon, a cloth strawberry stuffed with Poly-fil fiber, and one of her nightgowns. None of these meant anything to me though. But her Bible was something she used, perhaps daily, flipping between pages, reading the verses within the chapters. And as a genealogist, her Bible is a family treasure and record.

My Granny was Daisy Lee Shields. She married five different men, one of them twice. I have only been able to document three of the five. When I opened the Bible, I was happy to discover it documents one of the remaining two, at least his last name. That was one of several items that caught my attention as I looked through the Bible.

My parents gave the Bible to Granny for Christmas in 1958. The inside page reads:

Presented to Daisy L. Casbohm

By Sammuel T. Lankford Wife Faye Lankford and Children

Date Dec. 25, 1958.

Daddy’s name is misspelled – Sammuel vs. Samuel, as is Mama’s, Faye vs. Fay. Although the writing is similar, I believe it was written by Granny, not Mama. It definitely wasn’t written by Daddy. Assuming it was Granny, that would explain the misspellings.

There were two return address labels she had cut off envelopes—both were me. One from the apartment my husband and I lived at our first year of marriage. The other from the first (and only) house we bought, and still live in. I remember exchanging letters with Granny in the 1960s and apparently, I did so in the early 1980s.

The last page contained two separate entries handwritten by Granny. The first one referenced her sister Betty, who was the fourth child born to James Stewart Shields and Hattie Jane Rhinehart. It reads:

(The 7 Gifts.) My Sister

Betty Ann Mays, passed away 2-20-75 at University Hosp Ala. Laid to rest in West Hill Cemetery in Dalton, Ga. Funeral 2 PM Wed. or Thur  - Mt Vernon Church. Pastor Floyd Guffey. 1975.

I wondered what she meant by “The 7 Gifts” so looked at the Shields family group sheet. My great-grandparents had 11 children that survived—seven of them were girls. Was this who she was referring to? I’ll never know but it’s an interesting thought. I was not sure about the spelling of the pastor’s namer so googled him. It appears his first name was Lloyd, not Floyd. She was close.

The second entry was a listing of my parents, my siblings and myself, and all our birthdates. Mama was Granny’s only child so we were her family. She dated this entry Sunday PM, Aug 16-81 and noted Luke C-14. Granny also wrote Mama’s age with an arrow pointing to my oldest sister Bonita and the number of years difference between her and my second sister Jennifer. 

Granny had a book marker from the 74th Annual Assembly of the Church of God of Prophecy between pages 228 and 229. This event took place September 11–17, 1979 in Cleveland, Tennessee which is where she lived. There was what looks to be the top left corner of a $2 bill and a Japanese government-issued Philippine peso, also known as Japanese invasion money. 

On page 513, Psalm 27, she wrote the name “Leroy.” I have no clue who Leroy was. Granny left markings and a newspaper clipping (newspaper unknown) on pages 514 and 515. The markings were on Psalm 29–33. The newspaper clipping read:

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Shields from South Carolina were recent Sunday dinner guests of the Paul Shields family. They came by while they were on vacation.

Paul Sam Shields was Granny’s brother. To my knowledge, he did not have a son named Mark and at this point, I do not know how Mark connects to the Shields family.

I found three pressed four-leaf clovers and one flower. The flower was between pages 590 and 591, Ecclesiastes 3–5. Beside chapter 5, she wrote the name “Herbie.” Herbie was someone she went to church with and her last boyfriend. 

Several pages were folded in half—the first Exodus 31–32 and the second Deuteronomy 22. 

Deuteronomy 22:5: The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment; for all that do so are abomination until the Lord they God.

Granny marked several pages having to do with “unlawful marriages and lusts.”

Leviticus 18:15: Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of they daughter in law; she is they son’s wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

Leviticus 18:22: Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind; it is abomination.

And more markings:

Leviticus 20:12—And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death; they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them. 

Leviticus 20:13—If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. 

Leviticus 20:14—And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness; they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you.

On the page containing Leviticus 22, she wrote “Un-clean Things to Eat” across the top of the page. Beside Chapter 22, she wrote “Woman.” Granny marked the beginning of the Book of Esther with an “X” and the date 8-2-81. Beside Psalm 41, Granny wrote “For me.” Further down, beside verses 5–8, she wrote the name “Loretta M.” I do not know who Loretta was, but she also wrote her name beside Psalm 91.

Psalm 41:5—Mine enemies speak evil of me. When shall he die, and his name perish?

Psalm 41:6—And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity; his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it.

Psalm 41:7—All that hate me whisper together against me; against me do they devise my hurt.

Psalm 41:8—An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast until him; and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.

Granny marked many verses throughout Psalm 46–59. This Bible provides the subject matter across the top of each page which are: Confidence of the church in God; The majesty of God; A prayer of pardon and renewal; and Prayers to God for deliverance. She wrote “Read this” beside Psalm 56 (Prayers to God for deliverance) and “Read Aloud” beside Psalm 59 (Prayers for deliverance from enemies). She was interested in Proverbs 22 and wanted to “read Whole C 22.” The page containing Proverbs 24 was dog eared. Granny circled Ecclesiastes 11:8:

But if a man lives many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.

She must have read or studied the Song of Solomon on September 16, 1977 as she marked that date before the book title. And read the book of Isaiah on Sunday, July 7, 1981. She also marked Joel 1 to “read this chapter” and Corinthians 11 to “Read.” Granny wrote the following on an envelope flap she left in the Bible (both sides):

St. Matthew C-5 V27-28 thru 32. Christ’s Sermon on the Mount. About Divorcement 31-32.

 Mark Chapter 22 about fig tree.

Matt: 5-27 commit adultery

She marked Matthew 6:9-13:

Matthew 6:9—After this manner therefore pray ye; Our Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Matthew 6:10—Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Matthew 6:11—Give us this day our daily bread.

Matthew 6:12—And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Matthew 6:13—And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

At the top of Romans, Granny wrote “Men leaving the natural use of women.” She marked Hebrews 13:1-4:

Hebrews 13:1—Let brotherly love continue.

Hebrews 13:2—Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Hebrews 13:3—Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.

Hebrews 13:4—Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled; but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

And finally, she marked a verse in Revelation 21:8:

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death.

And Revelation 22:14–15:

Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

I was happy to find a few nuggets in Granny’s Bible. I wish I knew what the passages she marked meant to her. There seemed to be a running theme. Did they have something to do with her six marriages? What experiences had she gone through? What had she put her husbands through? Was she feeling guilt and seeking forgiveness? We will never know but I hope she found what she was looking for.