A GOOD NAME

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.
Proverbs 22:1

It occurred to me when viewing my post about Grandpa's Henry J, that some might wonder about Grandpa's name. Grandpa was named Jiles David Middleton but usually was called Rosie (or Rosy or maybe Rosey). I heard two different versions of how he got the nickname Rosie. I heard he looked like Teddy Roosevelt and was called Rosie for short. I also heard his cheeks were rosy - therefore Rosie. I do think it had something to do with Teddy Roosevelt though, as Grandma called him Roosevelt - pronounced Rose-velt. He signed my marriage license as his official name, J.D. Middleton. There is a family anecdote that all nine of Grandma's children, according to their birth certificates, had a different father. One had J.D. listed as the father; one had Jiles David; another one with Jiles; one had Rosie; one had Rosevelt; another Roosevelt; one was Giles...and so forth. To most people in the community he was Brother Rosie.

My Grandpa and Grandma

Grandpa's Mother was a Robinson from Limestone Valley. One of her cousins once told me that, although their family name was originally Roberson, it somehow later became Robinson. As registration of births was not mandatory until WWII, accurate birth records were not kept in my great grandmother's day. If a birth was recorded, the spelling of the names was often at the recording official's discretion.


Did I tell you already that Grandma safely delivered nine children, had no miscarriages, with all her children living when she passed away? Daddy was her second child and first son. They named him David Leon and he was called Leon until later nicknamed Prof. 


Although Mama intended to name my brother Paul Dean (after Daddy's brother and her brother), when she awakened from the anesthetic, his name was already Junior. She attempted again to use the names of their brothers and name my little sister, Paula Dean (I just realized "Paula Deen"). Well, poor Mama. Both of said brothers named their daughters portions of their names just a month before Mama delivered my sister. Paul Dean/Paula Dean was not meant to be. Mama first thought she would name her after the two grandmother's middle names, but decided against this when she began to think how it would sound when she called her name. Her mother's middle name was Etolia (E-tol-ya) and Daddy's mother's middle name was Lou. She was afraid people would think she was trying to yodel when she called her to come into the house. She was named Freda Lou.


And remember, I was named after Rita Hayworth - who was no saint.