T.B. Jr. and Lucille Mullinix

T. B. Mullinix, Jr. and Lucille Cranford Mullinix, parents of Bonnie Jean Mullinx Springer, Ned (Edward Nelson) Mullinix and Barry Thomas Mullinix. T. B. and Lucille were married October 19, 1934 in the living room of Lucille's parents home, Bon and Ardelia Stoker Cranford. T. B. and Lucille purchased the W. W. Moffett house in 1935. The Moffetts had lived in the house approximately ten years, they were a British couple, and they returned to their native home.

T. B. was a chauffer for the Moffetts for a few years, and traveled extensively with them, going places and seeing things he would not have seen normally. He and Lucille worked in the local mill early in their marriage. T. B., then worked for Alcoa, and Standard Oil of New Jersey, now known as Exxon, from where he retired in the early 1970's.

Lucille was a homemaker of the truest sort. She worked outside her home only a short time, and did all necessary to be home for her children, to be available for her parents and in-laws, do much for her church, and others. Lucille was an accomplished seamstress, and did handwork of any kind. (I have tried all my life to be as much like her as possible. I have failed miserably at the sewing machine and the handwork, and probably all the other as well.)

Lucille contacted tuberculosis in early 1946. She was pregnant with Barry at this time. From April-mid-December 1946, Lucille was a resident at a state sanatorium near Aberdeen, North Carolina. Bonnie resided with the Cranford grandparents, hence her strong affection for them, while Ned resided with the Mullinix grandparents. They lived with their grandparents during the weekdays, as T. B. traveled with his work, being with him on the weekends, doing the Sunday afternoon visits with Lucille. Barry was born in June 1946, and lived with Aunt Nell (Lucille's sister) until Lucille was able to come home in mid- December 1946, and the family was united. Lucille always had a strong faith, as did T. B., and it served all of them well at this unusual time in their lives. The family was different from that time on.

We certainly did not have a lot of money, but I don't recall not having everything we really needed. I had "one of a kind" nice clothes all the time my mother lived, because she made them for me. She was a very classy lady, with a lot of style about her, and quite attractive I must say. She was very dear to my heart, and it nearly broke in two when she died as the result of an automobile accident in February 1964.

Lucille was 49 years old when she died. She and T. B. would have been married 30 years in October 1964.

In time, (1972), T. B. remarried. He married Deane Green Little, an Exxon employee whose husband had died from cancer. They were married nearly 26 years when Tom (as Deane referred to him) died in March, 1999, just days before his 88th birthday.

Dad was a dear soul, a wonderful father, and a truly loving grandfather to his 9 grandchildren.

It took me some time to realize I was raised in what Henry and I refer to as "God's Country", and for me to appreciate how and where I was raised, and by whom. Life is a journey, and I have been blessed with many "good people" on my journey.

Submitted by
Bonnie Mullinix Springer
May 2008