Audrey was born January 22nd, 1923. She is the 5th daughter of John Jackson Floyd and Hettie Lou (Young) Floyd. She was raised on a farm and lived in rural Randolph County Alabama. Audrey went to school in a one room schoolhouse and enjoyed learning. In her early adult life she was at a boarding house with one of the Caldwell girls. The Caldwells were from Carroll County Georgia just across the state line. One day a young man came to visit his sister and asked who the long legged pretty girl was that was sitting in the floor eating peanuts. The girl introduced the young man (Johnnie R Caldwell) to Audrey. They began dating and 6 weeks later they were married. They lived in Troupe County Georgia and worked in a naval shipyard together. Grandmama was a welder many feet in the air and Granddaddy worked on the ground. They had 2 girls, my aunt and my mom. In 1955 Granddaddy decided to go to Detroit Michigan and secure a job with General Motors. He left my Grandmama and my Aunt and my Mom while he obtained a job and a home for them to live. He sent for them and they too made the trip from Georgia to Michigan. While in Michigan Grandmama and Granddaddy owned a sweet shop. She told me all the neighborhood kids would hang out there and they were a good group of kids and didn't let anyone mess with Grandmama. They had the sweet shop for several years. After that Grandmama went to beautician school and became a hairdresser. She had her own shop with 3 chairs. It was a neat place to visit. She had a vast number of regular ladies that would come in once a week to have their hair done. She also rented the other 2 chairs to other beauticians over the years. There was a TV at the beauty shop and they would all watch their "stories" as they called them and chit chat and laugh and have a good time while having their hair done. On Wednesdays Granddaddy would take doughnuts to the ladies and spend a little time there before going to work on 2nd shift at General Motors. They also had a cottage on the lake in the country and we all spent many good times there. Grandmama was a great fisherwoman. She had to bait Granddaddys hook and take his fish off the hook because he wouldn't touch them. We had plenty of fresh fish at the lake. Grandmama would clean and filet them for dinner. She was a very good cook. They eventually sold the cottage, everyones lives were so busy there wasn't time to go like there was earlier in the years. In the late 70-s Grandmama walked in on a burglary at her beauty shop and she made the decision to sell it. After this she went to real estate school and got her Agent and Brokers License. She was a great agent and sold many many homes. In the middle 80's when Granddaddy retired from General Motors they bought a house on the lake. It was peaceful and very pretty. They bought a paddle boat and spent many hours on the lake. They also had a pontoon boat and we enjoyed many cruises on the lake. In 1993 about 25 miles from home they were in a severe car accident. They were going to my Uncle Amons (one of Johnnies brothers) funeral in Georgia.
It was devastating. They were both bruised and Grandmama had a broken foot. I saw pictures of the car they were driving and it's a miracle either of them survived. After recovering from the accident my Granddaddy was diagnosed with cancer. He did great and recovered. A little while later it came back, they did surgery and couldn't get it all. It had fused to his spine. My Uncle moved in with them and helped Grandmama take care of Granddaddy. My Mom and Aunt both went when they could and still worked. They had no other choice. The bills still had to be paid. In 1997 my Granddaddy passed away. They had been married 54 years. Grandmama was the rock of Gilbralter. She was a strong woman. Eventually she sold the house on the lake and moved back closer to my Mom. She had a flower garden and grew tomatoes. She was active in the church and truley enjoyed it. She was my precious Grandmama.
It was devastating. They were both bruised and Grandmama had a broken foot. I saw pictures of the car they were driving and it's a miracle either of them survived. After recovering from the accident my Granddaddy was diagnosed with cancer. He did great and recovered. A little while later it came back, they did surgery and couldn't get it all. It had fused to his spine. My Uncle moved in with them and helped Grandmama take care of Granddaddy. My Mom and Aunt both went when they could and still worked. They had no other choice. The bills still had to be paid. In 1997 my Granddaddy passed away. They had been married 54 years. Grandmama was the rock of Gilbralter. She was a strong woman. Eventually she sold the house on the lake and moved back closer to my Mom. She had a flower garden and grew tomatoes. She was active in the church and truley enjoyed it. She was my precious Grandmama.
Audrey was born January 22nd, 1923. She is the 5th daughter of John Jackson Floyd and Hettie Lou (Young) Floyd. She was raised on a farm and lived in rural Randolph County Alabama. Audrey went to school in a one room schoolhouse and enjoyed learning. In her early adult life she was at a boarding house with one of the Caldwell girls. The Caldwells were from Carroll County Georgia just across the state line. One day a young man came to visit his sister and asked who the long legged pretty girl was that was sitting in the floor eating peanuts. The girl introduced the young man (Johnnie R Caldwell) to Audrey. They began dating and 6 weeks later they were married. They lived in Troupe County Georgia and worked in a naval shipyard together. Grandmama was a welder many feet in the air and Granddaddy worked on the ground. They had 2 girls, my aunt and my mom. In 1955 Granddaddy decided to go to Detroit Michigan and secure a job with General Motors. He left my Grandmama and my Aunt and my Mom while he obtained a job and a home for them to live. He sent for them and they too made the trip from Georgia to Michigan. While in Michigan Grandmama and Granddaddy owned a sweet shop. She told me all the neighborhood kids would hang out there and they were a good group of kids and didn't let anyone mess with Grandmama. They had the sweet shop for several years. After that Grandmama went to beautician school and became a hairdresser. She had her own shop with 3 chairs. It was a neat place to visit. She had a vast number of regular ladies that would come in once a week to have their hair done. She also rented the other 2 chairs to other beauticians over the years. There was a TV at the beauty shop and they would all watch their "stories" as they called them and chit chat and laugh and have a good time while having their hair done. On Wednesdays Granddaddy would take doughnuts to the ladies and spend a little time there before going to work on 2nd shift at General Motors. They also had a cottage on the lake in the country and we all spent many good times there. Grandmama was a great fisherwoman. She had to bait Granddaddys hook and take his fish off the hook because he wouldn't touch them. We had plenty of fresh fish at the lake. Grandmama would clean and filet them for dinner. She was a very good cook. They eventually sold the cottage, everyones lives were so busy there wasn't time to go like there was earlier in the years. In the late 70-s Grandmama walked in on a burglary at her beauty shop and she made the decision to sell it. After this she went to real estate school and got her Agent and Brokers License. She was a great agent and sold many many homes. In the middle 80's when Granddaddy retired from General Motors they bought a house on the lake. It was peaceful and very pretty. They bought a paddle boat and spent many hours on the lake. They also had a pontoon boat and we enjoyed many cruises on the lake. In 1993 about 25 miles from home they were in a severe car accident. They were going to my Uncle Amons (one of Johnnies brothers) funeral in Georgia.
It was devastating. They were both bruised and Grandmama had a broken foot. I saw pictures of the car they were driving and it's a miracle either of them survived. After recovering from the accident my Granddaddy was diagnosed with cancer. He did great and recovered. A little while later it came back, they did surgery and couldn't get it all. It had fused to his spine. My Uncle moved in with them and helped Grandmama take care of Granddaddy. My Mom and Aunt both went when they could and still worked. They had no other choice. The bills still had to be paid. In 1997 my Granddaddy passed away. They had been married 54 years. Grandmama was the rock of Gilbralter. She was a strong woman. Eventually she sold the house on the lake and moved back closer to my Mom. She had a flower garden and grew tomatoes. She was active in the church and truley enjoyed it. She was my precious Grandmama.
It was devastating. They were both bruised and Grandmama had a broken foot. I saw pictures of the car they were driving and it's a miracle either of them survived. After recovering from the accident my Granddaddy was diagnosed with cancer. He did great and recovered. A little while later it came back, they did surgery and couldn't get it all. It had fused to his spine. My Uncle moved in with them and helped Grandmama take care of Granddaddy. My Mom and Aunt both went when they could and still worked. They had no other choice. The bills still had to be paid. In 1997 my Granddaddy passed away. They had been married 54 years. Grandmama was the rock of Gilbralter. She was a strong woman. Eventually she sold the house on the lake and moved back closer to my Mom. She had a flower garden and grew tomatoes. She was active in the church and truley enjoyed it. She was my precious Grandmama.
