Mary Ruth Nowak
1930-1990

This is a tribute to my mother, Mary Ruth (Johnson) Nowak. These are all the images I have (other than those that are deeply embedded in my memory) and I am most grateful to my dad, Fred Nowak, for sharing images and stories from her early years.

It was a cold morning on January 27, 1930 outside of the town of Medina, TN. The wind was blowing and a cold, wet wind blanketed the area. It was time for Bernice Johnson to deliver and the country doctor was at the two room house, heated by a wood burning stove, to deliver the twins that were expected. After hours of labor, the twins were born (red-headed twins at that) but the joy following the delivery was soon saddened when one of the twins died; however, the mother, Bernice, and the father, Jesse, and their son, Delmer, were grateful for this wonderful little newborn girl who was named Mary Ruth Johnson.

Mary's father had a small farm several miles outside of Medina, TN where he grew cotton for income and had a garden to provide food to eat. The garden was rich having used the excrement from the chickens, cows, and mules as an organic fertilizer. Bernice would can the bounty and store it in a cellar which was cut into the bank at the side of the gravel road that went by in front of the two room house. One room was the bedroom and living room and the other the kitchen. If nature called, you went to a "One Holer" outside, regardless of the weather. Water came from a well that was alongside the house and was hauled up in a bucket. In later years, a hand pump was installed to pump up the well water. Hot water was provided for washing clothes in a large metal pot which was heated by a wood fire outside and near the house. The ground water was pretty hard so Jesse had barrels alongside the house to collect rain water from the roof when a good rain came along.

Mary was raised there, and while still very young she would go to the fields with her father and stayed at the end of the field while Jesse would plow or cultivate with crude tools pulled by the two mules which were careful not to step on the crops as they went up and down the rows. Occasionally, Jesse would strike something with the hoe that he always carried with him when going to and from the fields or working in the fields. It usually was used to chop weeds but quite often to chop a water moccasin or other dangerous snake. Jesse was not a big farmer but he managed to provide for his family. He never owned or drove a tractor or an automobile. When it was time to go to the city for shopping, he rode in a wagon pulled by his mules.

While both Delmer and Mary were young, Bud would occasionally take Mary to school riding on a mule. She would get up there behind him and away they would go. He would make the mule run fast in order to frighten Mary and she would hang on for dear life and scream for him to slow down. Eventually he would and he would laugh at her. He thought it was funny but Mary did not. He was a typical older brother but loved, cared for and protected Mary always.

Mary, with her brother, Delmer.

Bernice, Jesse's wife and mother of Mary, was a hardy woman who worked alongside Jesse in the fields, sewed the clothes the children wore, canned the food to carry them through the winter and was a true strength in the family and not only to her family but to the neighbors (none of which were very close distance-wise). She would walk to the neighbors and would check on them to insure they were OK and ask whether they needed help. Occasionally the neighbors would need help, such as bundling up small tomato plants to get to the market. That was a job for which she and the children could get paid. A few extra dollars were always welcome. Austerity was the byword and every little bit helped.

Mary in a Beauty Pageant

Senior photo. My mother is in the top right.

Below is Mary's brother, Delmer, with his wife Evelyn.

As one can tell, Mary grew up under austere conditions but in a loving, close-knit family. She attended grammar and high school in Medina, TN and participated in high school basketball. She was not the best when it came to coordination but she tried and did play.

Below is Mary with her niece Becky, Delmer and Evelyn's daughter.

After high school, Mary went to Memphis to the Baptist Hospital to the School of Nursing and in two years, became a registered nurse. She and a friend from Bradford, TN by the name of Betty Barton went through this training together and then both worked for Baptist Hospital for a couple of years in what was then known as the charity ward.

After two years, both Mary and Betty joined the U. S. Air Force as registered nurses and received their commissions as 2nd Lieutenants. They had some exciting adventures flying around different places of the world but eventually were stationed at a base just south of Nashville, TN When the two years of obligated service were up, both returned to Memphis and went to work at the old VA hospital on the corner of Getwell and Park Avenue (now a University of Memphis site). After a couple years of that, both began working at the Naval Hospital, Millington, TN in the pediatric wards and the delivery rooms.

Mary is in the back row, just left of center.

Mary and Betty shared a small house in Millington in an area which was known as Mud Flats. It had at one time been military housing and was something that they could afford. In addition, it was conveniently close to the Naval Hospital. It was at that Naval Hospital where Mary and Fred met, and later married.

On Mary's 29th birthday, in January 1959, she gave birth to her first-born son, Bryan.

The family grew with the addition of Colin (1960), Perry (1961) and Evan (1967).

Mary and Fred Nowak.

At Bryan and Sharon's wedding. James and Carolyn Wade are on the bride's side and Fred and Mary Nowak on the groom's.

Sharing a birthday cake together.

With Kristen, born in 1982.

With Terri, born in 1985.

With Kevin, born in 1987.

Below, my mother is pictured with Colin's girlfriend (at the time) and Sharon.

What a group of boys! I believe this was Thanksgiving, 1989.

A brain tumor took my mother's life in 1990 at the age of 60.
I miss you, mom! You are always in my heart.